The Best Horror Movies of the 2000s

There was beforeThe Blair Witch Project , and afterThe Blair Witch Project . The 81 - minute , $ 60,000 indie film arrived on a huge moving ridge of viral marketing , in late July 1999 , and a few months later , it was a legitimate phenomenon . The movie ’s elaborate advertizing safari took off like wildfire on the internet ( yes , even in 1999 that poppycock happened ) and helped wrick a micro - budget horror picture into a smash hit that pulled in over $ 248 million worldwide . The cherry on top : It well ranks amongthe good horror movies of all time .

The Blair Witch Projectchanged the revulsion genre forever , virtually make birth to the " found footage " style of repugnance filmmaking , and reminding jaded viewing audience they could still be frightened . Which movies have come in close to chilling the spine in the last 17 class ? We grade the truly terrifying title of this new millennium :

21.May(2002)

Although not overtly " scary " in a traditional sentiency , Lucky McKee ’s semisweet masterpiece earns a luck of points for sincerity , compassion , and off - kilter humor . This underappreciated yet undeniably effective horror film works on a variety of levels ( Hades , even the late , corking Roger Ebert give the film four stars ! ) but it ’s at its best when it ’s focused on the gradual origin of poor May Canady ( Angela Bettis ) , a strange youthful char who alienates most of her acquaintances before deciding to build herself a perfect friend . Yes , that ’s " build " in the Frankenstein sentiency . Mayis gory , funny , and haunting . Because , let ’s face it , we ’ve all sense like lonely May from fourth dimension to clock time .

20.The Conjuring(2013)

Some would say it ’s problematic to wring legitimate scares out of a vehicle as sure-enough fashioned as a frequent - theater story . Those people plausibly have n’t seen how James Wan does it . Not only in hisInsidiousseries , an endlessly more effectivePoltergeisthomage than the rotten 2015Poltergeistremake , but in this take on the late seventies - elan , Amityville - esque template which reinvigorated the whole darn sub - musical genre . This summer’sThe invoke 2isn’t half - bad either !

19.The Devil’s Backbone(2001)

It ’s tough to pluck the scariest moment from a Guillermo del Toro movie . TheCrimson Peakdirector has made so many fantastic genre motion-picture show , and throughout his body of work , deny to paint monsters as one - bill jump - panic imitation . But there ’s something tragically sinister about the spirits occupy in the isolated orphans' asylum ofThe Devil ’s Backbone , a localization that ’s been all but forget in a war - torn land . Del Toro’sCronosis creepy , Pan ’s Labyrinthis a dark-skinned masterpiece , andCrimson Peakis previous - school eerie , butThe Devil ’s Backbonefeels like the filmmaker ’s most personal horror history – and his scariest .

18.Sinister(2012)

We ’ve all seen a few creepy-crawly " found footage " repulsion movies ( at least a few , right ? ) but here ’s a classically fool horror picture show that tells the story of the guy who actually found the footage … and quickly came to rue it . Backed by a apt premise , an effortlessly downcast quality , and a handful of very well - crafted shocks , Sinisterhas proven to be quite the favorite among modern-day revulsion fans , and while the flick packs at least five or six great scares into one nasty software , my favorite is still the one they semi - spoiled in the trailer . Who bang a kid in a loge could be so bloody scary ?

17.Kill List(2011)

Director Ben Wheatley break onto the scene with the sulphurous phratry dramaDown Terraceand is presently impressing hearing with his vituperative adaptation of J.G. Ballard’sHigh - Rise . Tucked comfortably between those plastic film isKill List , a riveting and masterfully compelling mixture of crime dramatic play , pitch - black clowning , and full - eager occult - horror insanity . While the flick is peculiarly compelling and undeniably acute from the get-go , the rightfully scary bits do n’t really show up until about halfway through , when our ( anti-)heroes hit across a religious rite that ’s nothing curt of horrific . You ’ll know what scene I stand for the 2d it show up .

16.Let the Right One In(2008)

By 2008 , we were due for an intelligent subversion of well - establish vampire image ( apologia , Twilightfans ) and this wonderfully effective Swedish significance , based on the acclaimed novel from 2004 , proved to be precisely what horror buff were looking for . ( Those who reverence subtitles got a surprisingly effective American remake in 2010 . ) Not only isLet the Right One Inan unexpectedly touching coming - of - age story about a bullied boy and his youthful vampire friend , but it also function remarkably well as a creepy monster picture . The film ’s scarey second ? Either a gruesome swimming syndicate tone-beginning or a terrifying immolation that takes position in a hospital elbow room . You pick .

15.The Orphanage(2007)

Zombies and slasher and freaks ( oh my ) will always be nervous , but it takes a special touch to reinvent their shocks . The Orphanageis a masterfully creepy ghost narration that takes place in a forgotten older orphanage , and ( aside from a few tasty jump - scares here and there ) film director J.A. Bayona have with child delight in stretch out out the latent hostility as long as possible before delivering a well - earned payoff . Several , in fact . This meticulously constructed ghost narrative is a lovely throwback to atmospheric thriller of yesteryear , thanks mainly to a nifty cast , a darkly beautiful context , and a big handful of well - wrought panic .

14.Saw(2004)

Say what you like about the sequels – I dig ‘em all except for the last one , The Final Chapter– but those who caughtSawbefore all the surprises were spoiled were in for a big , bruise treat . First - timer James Wan ( managing director ) and Leigh Whannell ( writer ) are clear sustain a clump with this buffet of repulsion delights . The gloomy - budget , high - free energy horror show blend in from suspense to shocks and from police procedural to outright gory havoc without skitter a beat . I ’m not ashamed to admit that the end , with the reveal of the Jigsaw Killer , totally got me . If you think this picture is little more than " torture erotica " ( a nonsensicality musical phrase ) then you need to give it another spin .

13.The House of the Devil(2009)

Nobody does " dull - burn mark horror " like indie stalwart Ti West . While he earned big point with the genre crowd on films likeThe InnkeepersandThe Sacrament , there ’s just something innately unnerving about his intrusion revulsion film , The House of the Devil . Chalk it up to the film ’s gradual escalation of tautness , the well - presented payoff , and a handful of corking performances . The frost on the patty is the bright audio invention . When a horror moving picture has its viewer actively mind for random doorway creaks or far - off protrusion in the night , then you know you ’re dealing with craft . The House of the Devilplayed me like a transverse flute .

12.Inside(2007)

Horror fan have always been capable to look towards France for freaky , new , and invigorating repugnance . On the surface , Insideis little more than a polished , top-notch violent " cat & mouse " thriller . Take it in earnest , and you get themes of isolation , alienation , the fright that arise when you ’re about to have a babe . As a ( very ) pregnant woman tries to stay one step in the lead of a ( very ) psychotic invader , the spectator is treated to a wide-eyed regalia of disconsolate kick , gory chills , and vivid killing . Not a repugnance movie for the kids , but a shockingly entertaining while of grown - up genre cinema .

11.The Mist(2007)

There are so many great moments to choose from in this wonderfully icky Frank Darabont rendition of a very fun Stephen King novella – from the giant tentacle in the freight bobtail to Marcia Gay Harden ’s powerfully creepy performance – but for my money the highlight ofThe Mistis the ill - destine trek from surround supermarket to abandon pharmacy … and the awful tool that lay in wait . Others would likely level to the film ’s unapologetically bleak ending as the scariest minute in the film , but however you slice it , The Mistis well one of the best monster moving picture of the last two decade . ( And the B&W edition on the Blu - ray is a true matter of smasher . )

10.The Witch(2016)

Just when you start to worry that there ’s nothing original happening in revulsion , you settle in withThe Witch , a dark thriller that ’s so all-fired naturalistic that you question how they transported a television camera back to 1630s New England . A punctilious care to period of time detail – from the clothes to the position to the dialogue – makesThe Witcha novel deflexion . An insidiously dense sunburn makes the movie fiendishly creepy-crawly . There are several cerebral scare break up throughout , but the highlight has to be a creepy-crawly ol’ beast named " Black Philip . " I may never await at a Capricorn the same way again .

9.28 Days Later(2002)

Danny Boyle ’s blisteringly acute tale of a " rage virus " that leaves London in ruins is loaded with bursts of suspense and terror . The grainy video aesthetical , and the unnerving sound design in the cinema ’s opening succession ( as eco - terrorists choose the wrong damn scallywag to set gratuitous ) , set the microscope stage for the intensity to add up . The church scene , the disturbing destiny of Brendan Gleeson ’s character , and a rousing finis that shows how the uninfected can be even more terrific than the afflicted , make this a classic .

8.The Babadook(2014)

Rare are the horror film that can scare off young mass and their parents in equal measure . Jennifer Kent pulls it off in the wonderfully eerieThe Babadook . Kids will no doubt earn a few quiver from the minatory storybook character who ostensibly comes to lifetime , and grown - ups will appreciate the clever subtext about how scary it is to be a parent . A in darkness beautifulstorybook sequencestill sticks with me today .

7.Frailty(2001)

histrion Bill Paxton is know for a wide salmagundi of great performances in movies likeNear Dark , True Lies , andAliens . But there ’s at least one cinema that proves Paxton has some serious skills behind the tv camera : the unsettling , quietly audaciousFrailty . Paxton ’s directorial first appearance is backed by a antic screenplay and a variety of strong performance . The film ’s willingness to trample into some recondite , dark , potentially controversial textile that take in it more than just another well - made horror flick . Frailtyis about a madman and his two sons who issue forth to believe that they ’re guess to drink down " demons . " The equivocalness of the spiritual thriller is what piddle it so darn scary . incentive designate for Paxton ’s carrying out , which waver between thoroughly - natured and flatly terrifying without miss a beat .

5.Martyrs(2008)

This nasty Gallic consequence is about a psychotic young woman who slaughters a family for ( perhaps ) justifiable reasons , then apace descends into a freaky landscape of viciousness , nihilistic delusion , and outright evil . Throughout all the foul stuff and nonsense , Martyrsposes fascinating question about our capacity for suffering and the impact that ferocity has on the human soul . But beware : despite being brilliantly conceived , the film is too heavy to cast in for a typical repulsion - movie night . This one is earmark purely for the serious revulsion fans .

4.Session 9(2001)

Few things are creepier than a real - life-time location that feels tailor - made for a repugnance movie . Director Brad Anderson found one in the Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts ( though the decrepit , desolate asylum has since been bust down , so do n’t go looking for it ) . The continuously eery construction is the leg for a group of asbestos - removal doer who stumble across not only a few unhappy spirits , but atrocious secrets that threaten to infect their own minds . The scariest sequence affect an underground hallway , a rapidly dwindling swooning provision , and a very affright - stricken young man . Anderson nails it .

3.The Ruins(2008)

Those who read the Scott Smith novel of the same name merely had to marvel , " How the the pits are they blend to make killer vine scary ? " Then they saw the flick . The Ruinsfollows a cluster of uninitiated Americans who ( very stupidly ) decide to search a Mexican ruin full of homicidal foliation . And if you do n’t think " murderous vine " sounds like a scary concept , just wait until you ’ve experienced the dread ways in which these biologic marauder get under their victims ' pelt . ( congratulations to the extra gist team – yikes ! ) Forced to opt a horrific moment from this grim , gruesome gore - fest ’s many , many , many horrific moments , I ’d probably choose the amputation scene . That one will give you nightmare . Good nightmares .

2.The Descent(2005)

Movies that tap into a " oecumenical care " scare the heavy . Neil Marshall , the director behind a few of your favoriteGame of Thronesepisodes , take claustrophobia in his spelunking - gone - untimely horror movie , The Descent . If a suffocating fix and dimly ignite shot style were n’t creepy-crawly enough , The Descentboasts some supremely nasty monsters who live deep beneath the aerofoil . When they discover a welcome new solid food generator in a foolhardy group of women , hell split up easy . Weirdly enough , the scariest prospect does n’t even take the creatures ; just a very narrow liquidity crisis between two caverns .

1.[REC] 2(2009)

Most repulsion geeks have no doubtfulness enjoyed the[REC]vs.[REC ] 2debate , and the well thing about controversy like this is that neither side is wrong . The first moving-picture show deserves credit for redeem such a singular and fascinating piece of horror cinema that combines found footage , bio - horror , and claustrophobic , " zombie"-style havoc . The sequel deserves even more for spread out the amour propre and being even scarey than its herald . The later sequel are not half - bad , nor is the American remaking , Quarantine , but nothing comes close to the one - two punch of[REC]and[REC ] 2 . If you ’ve never seen these two pic , I envy you .

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Blair Witch Project