Being home alone can be scary. What's even scarier is when an unexpected guest shows up. This is the scenario in many horror movies and thrillers about home invasions. The circumstances and range of terror vary from film to film, though.
These movies are about having that basic sense of security stripped away. In recent years, the likes of The Strangers have crucially shaped the subgenre. However, there are other home-invasion horror movies that are underrated and available to stream today on Amazon Prime Video.
Crush the Skull (2015)
The formula is reversed, much like in Don't Breathe, when the story focuses on the invaders rather than the residents. In the case of the low-budgeted horror-comedy Crush the Skull, poor planning leads to trouble for a group of four small-time home burglars.
A couple of thieves break into what seems like a normal house, but they end up fighting for their lives as the homeowner is anything but ordinary.
Estranged (2015)
The home invasion aspect is more insidious in Estranged (also known as January), a British thriller about a woman reuniting with her family.
After a bad accident, January returns home to see her parents and siblings; all of whom she has a tense relationship with. Her long-term memory was affected so she doesn't remember much about her past with them, but she suspects something isn't right either.
Home Sweet Home (2013)
A date night goes terribly wrong in this little-known indie horror called Home Sweet Home. An average couple, Sara and Frank, returns to their love nest one night. Slowly but surely, they realize they're not alone. Someone in a mask has broken in and is now intent on torturing them.
Home Sweet Home doesn't break the mold in any way. It capably and creepily follows the schematics and gets the job done, nonetheless.
Eye For an Eye (1996)
The impetus for the story in Eye For an Eye originates from a home invasion situation. However, the rest of the movie is about what happens when justice is not served. Sally Field goes Death Wish on Kiefer Sutherland in this '90s crime-thriller that was lukewarmly received by critics.
In the movie, Field plays a mother who hears her daughter being assaulted, then murdered, by a stranger over the phone. When the perpetrator is released on a technicality, the mother decides to take matters into her own hands.
I See You (2019)
Helen Hunt stars in this thriller that went under everyone's radars last year. In I See You, a town is rocked by an abduction that resembles the M.O. of a dormant serial killer. As for the detective assigned to the case, his family is being toyed with by an unseen force in their house.
I See You is a peculiar movie as it flips its own script in the most divisive way. Some might not like how the second half of the film plays out, but it's memorable, at the very least.
Sweet Home (2015)
In this entry from Spain, the setting is an old apartment building rather than a house. The rules still apply. A real estate broker named Alicia has planned a romantic night with her boyfriend inside the aforementioned building. Things change when a group of masked sadists interrupts their evening.
Sweet Home has a familiar story, no doubt. Even so, it's nicely shot and atmospheric.
Intruders (2015)
Anna's case of agoraphobia is so severe, she cannot attend her own brother's funeral. The extent of her condition is made clear at the start of Intruders, also known as Shut In. When criminals hear of a rumor that Anna's house contains a fortune, they break in and take the homeowner captive. What awaits the burglars is far more shocking, though.
Intruders gets points for spicing things up and not being orthodox. Audiences will be split on the change-up, but sometimes variety is necessary to keep things fresh.
Lady In A Cage (1964)
One of the forerunners of the home-invasion subgenre is a relatively unknown entrant from 1964. In Lady in a Cage, Olivia de Havilland (Gone with the Wind) plays a wealthy woman whose house features a home elevator. However, the unit breaks over the Fourth of July weekend, leaving the homeowner stranded. That is, until a petty criminal breaks in and terrorize the film's namesake.
Despite its age, Lady in a Cage still has some shock value. It's a psychologically arresting thriller that will frighten cinema fans of all ages.
The Good Neighbor (2016)
Two mischievous, teenage boys with too much time on their hands play a mean trick on their curmudgeonly neighbor. The pair stages a haunting inside the old man's house and film it in hopes of achieving fame online. What instead happens will haunt the teens for the rest of their lives.
For the most part, The Good Neighbor is a procedural thriller with horror elements. It spooks, but not for the reasons one would expect.
Hangman (2015)
Jeremy Sisto of Clueless fame plays an unsuspecting husband and father in Hangman. This 2015 movie shows what happens when a disturbed individual comes and goes as he pleases, right under the family's noses.
Hangman is harrowing and so misanthropic. Viewers will have a hard time watching this one unfold, that's for sure.