2020 horror movies experienced something of a strange year in terms of release schedule, as all of Hollywood did, but as a result, some titles that would have likely done well under different circumstances ended up being underrated and overlooked.
Some horror movies got to experience a traditional release in theaters during the early months of 2020 — January, February, and early to mid March. However, after March 2020, widespread theater closures worldwide started happening as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure a safe movie-watching experience for everyone, theaters later started implementing procedures after lockdowns lifted in certain areas, and started encouraging mask-wearing, distanced seating, and even established programs to rent out movies for small groups of related individuals. However, 2020 was a tough year for the movie industry, and with 2021 on the horizon, the future of next year's movies are also uncertain.
In a different year, the most underrated horror movies of 2020 would be a tremendously different bunch. Numerous major titles like A Quiet Place 2, Candyman, The Purge 5, Saw 9, Halloween Kills, and The Conjuring 3 (among many others) were delayed, then taken off of 2020's release schedule entirely, and bumped instead to 2021. This move was made in the hope that these major titles were seen as the directors and associated crew intended — in theaters, on the big screen. As a result, in years where these massive franchises and other popular titles would dominate the horror community's narrative, the focus instead shifted to smaller titles from independent studios, movies that released in drive-in theaters, and smaller scale VOD releases. The underrated movies, as a result, are ones that either went overlooked until the tail end of the year, ones that were skipped for numerous other reasons, or movies that would have been a much bigger hit, had they gotten the chance to debut in theaters. Here are our picks for the most underrated horror movies of 2020.
10. The Dark And The Wicked
Bryan Bertino's The Dark and the Wicked is a master class in subtlety and storytelling. Throughout his career, Bertino has been all over the maps in terms of where he dabbles in the horror space. From the blood-curdling chills of home invasion thriller The Strangers to the thematic and cerebral The Monster, Bertino knows how to deliver and speak directly to his audience. In The Dark and the Wicked, the director highlights his savvy with smart horror tropes, restraint when necessary, and proves himself capable of delivering one of the best supernatural horror movies of the year, if not the last few. While The Dark and the Wicked has gotten largely positive reviews from critics and is well-liked among horror fans, the movie would have benefited from a theatrical release in a year where people could go to the movies. Also, it would have likely been the talk of film festival circuits, as its world premiere was intended to be at the Tribeca Film Festival, which was canceled.
9. Welcome To The Blumhouse: Nocturne
Blumhouse Productions' Welcome to the Blumhouse, which debuted on Amazon Prime in October 2020, was a series of feature-length movies that function as an anthology series is modeled after Blumhouse's holiday-themed collaboration with Hulu, Into the Dark. However, the entire line-up of movies that released under the Welcome to the Blumhouse series went overlooked. Nocturne, from director Zu Quirke, was arguably the best within the series. It's a shame that its lack of audience can be directly attributed to an unsuccessful anthology series.
Welcome to the Blumhouse released during the height of the Halloween holiday, when numerous other titles were vying for audience interaction on numerous streaming platforms. However, Nocturne is one that shouldn't be missed. It's an honest attempt at making Giallo movies—made famous by iconic director Dario Argento—palatable to modern audiences who are otherwise unfamiliar with the sub-genre. A standout performance from Sydney Sweeney (The Handmaid's Tale, Euphoria) also adds to the numerous reasons to check out Nocturne, which doesn't deserve its underrated status at all.
8. Deep Blue Sea 3
Though the original is certainly better in this franchise's case, Deep Blue Sea 3 actually managed to improve on the sequel, and was appreciated by the people who did take the chance to watch it. Deep Blue Sea 3 doesn't reinvent the wheel, and is actually a testament to how sticking with sub-genre traditions and learning from past mistakes can create a later-entry success in an overall hit-or-miss franchise. In fact, Deep Blue Sea 3 has been credited with saving the franchise, likely because it redeems its reputation and creates a clear path toward how it can be good or even somewhat viable again. The original Deep Blue Sea is largely considered a cult classic; it was never meant to be Spielberg's Jaws or a more serious horror movie. Likely underrated due to people not wanting to take a risk in watching, those who slept on this movie initially out of fear it would be as bad as the sequel should rest easy — Deep Blue Sea 3 is worth it.
7. The Craft: Legacy
While nowhere near the best horror movie of the year, The Craft: Legacy isn't a great movie or even a really good movie, but it leans on nostalgia, which actually works. For fans of 1996's The Craft, this unceremoniously released update should appeal for two reasons. It provides diversity in areas that the original desperately needed, but wasn't savvy enough to tackle in the mid '90s for obvious reasons, and it creates a clear formula with how the franchise can continue and connect to original characters from the first movie. Bringing back Fairuza Balk's Nancy from The Craft was a major tool in Legacy's arsenal, and the elaboration on how she could be the key for a third movie was equally satisfying. Legacy can later be credited for being the stepping stone that allowed The Craft to be continued properly—if The Craft 3 happens—but should be watched and even enjoyed because of how it gave a beloved franchise even the potential for a new lease on life.
6. Gretel & Hansel
From director Oz Perkins, Gretel & Hansel is a moody, atmospheric dark folktale ripped from the Brothers Grimm classic. The already chilling tale of a cannibalistic witch attempted to capitalize on the rising folk horror trend, drawing from movies like Midsommar and The Witch to create its own identity. Rising star Sophia Lillis, who is familiar to horror audiences as the young Beverly Marsh in Andy Muschietti's It Chapter One and It Chapter Two, is certainly one to watch; her performance as Gretel doesn't disappoint. The movie's release in January 2020, albeit a theatrical release, likely hurt it from greater success, as January and February are known to be the slowest time of the year for theaters. These "dump months" are often where more obscure titles from major studios are placed, but can still offer some of the best movies in a given year. While Gretel & Hansel doesn't qualify as one of the best, it did receive some well-deserved accolades when audiences discovered it on VOD toward the middle and end of 2020.
5. Random Acts of Violence
Director Jay Baruchel's Random Acts of Violence ended up getting its release on Shudder's streaming platform, making it an unexpected exclusive for their subscribers. As such, it ended up being missed by audiences who would have likely sought it out in theaters. Random Acts of Violence boasted the familiar faces of Jesse Williams (Grey's Anatomy) and Jordana Brewster (Fast and the Furious), along with Baruchel himself, who is known for his comedy and roles in the How to Train Your Dragon movies. The movie also delivered ultra-violent slasher movie sensibilities that are usually well-liked among genre fans. While the movie did receive very mixed reviews from critics, this doesn't necessarily always translate to audience reception, especially with gritty, violent horror flicks like Random Acts of Violence. The very title speaks to what the movie is all about, and there's built-in appeal. With greater accessibility, this movie would have gotten a lot more praise than it did, all of which is deserved.
4. The Babysitter: Killer Queen
The sequel to McG's sleeper horror comedy hit, The Babysitter, Netflix heralded in the triumphant return of the budding franchise in The Babysitter: Killer Queen. While the return of star Samara Weaving was kept very tightly under wraps, her re-emergence as Bee in a surprising cameo was only one of many things to like about this underrated gem. The Babysitter 2 suffered from sticking the landing just a little too hard and drawing a finer line between bloody gore and dismemberment with side-splitting comedy. From zippy one-liners and characters that are caricatures of beloved horror tropes to full-on dance sequences to disco tunes, The Babysitter 2 goes pedal to the metal, but didn't find its audience. Netflix was huge for horror movies and TV shows in 2020, but The Babysitter 2's reception was unceremonious, to say the least. While some people get why it's great, others likely skipped over this cult classic in the making because of the poor reviews during a part of the year that was positively crowded with other, seemingly better horror releases.
3. Underwater
Underwater found its audience later in the year, and ended up being celebrated as an aquatic horror gem at a time when interest in Lovecraftian horror was at a decades-long high. However, during its initial release in January, the movie was overlooked. Though lead actress Kristen Stewart was a draw for some, the murky premise and post-holiday lull didn't get people excited enough to leave their homes during the chilly winter months. The news about the monster in the movie's ending being confirmed as Cthulhu earned Underwater some additional excitement and interest from Lovecraft fans, but after it started releasing on various streaming platforms toward the end of 2020, other fans that would have been the movie's audience had it released in July started seeing it for what it is — an intense, atmospheric thrill ride that aquatic horror fans, sci-fi horror fans, and Lovecraft fans can all enjoy together.
2. The Grudge
2020's The Grudge remake got scathing reviews, but didn't deserve them. Another early theatrical release, The Grudge put a bad taste in a lot of audiences' mouths and gave the early impression that it wasn't going to be a good year on horror. However, on a second watch—or even a first watch, for those familiar with the franchise—the movie's R rated approach actually makes sense. Supernatural horror movies are largely bloodless affairs, and rely more on creepy imagery and jump scares to give the audience chills. That is why, for the most part, they're traditionally rated PG-13. The blood and gore isn't missing from these movies, so the rating doesn't feel toned down. However, Nicolas Pesce's R rated The Grudge delivered the gore, the body horror, and also stuck to the franchise's traditions. If anything, it upped the stakes for where the franchise could go by applying a more modern, American horror approach — bloody is better. If anything, The Grudge deserves a second chance because it made the supernatural and paranormal horror sub-genre, which is starting to feel stale and overdone, more interesting by spilling some extra blood.
1. The Hunt
Blumhouse's The Hunt wasn't supposed to be a 2020 release at all; it was originally intended to release in 2019, but got delayed due to tragedy. The Hunt was also marked by controversy, and not due to the depiction of gun violence, which was what caused the movie to be delayed in the first place in the wake of the Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas mass shootings. The controversy surrounding The Hunt was political, as the trailers and promotional material surrounding the movie made it seem like it was about people who were Liberals (affiliated with the American Democratic Party) hunting "Deplorables" (a slur referring to those who voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election). However, upon its release in March 2020, audiences found plenty to like about The Hunt.
Its sharp criticism of social media, politics, the Internet, and the ever-increasing political divide in the United States was all deeply satirical. The Hunt flipped expectations based on what was depicted in the trailer, and numerous twists and turns throughout ended up becoming an effective criticism of even its own marketing, which proves that one truly can't believe everything they see or read. By aiming the marketing materials in the complete opposite direction of the movie's narrative—which hides within it a hidden, more meta narrative—The Hunt flips itself and the horror genre inside out. Then, it revels in the audience members who will inevitably argue with others (on the Internet, presumably) about what they just watched. As far as 2020 horror movies go, The Hunt is one that's most certainly not to be missed for a moment longer.