If you feel like the industry has been lacking good horror movies recently, you might have missed quite a few good ones. We must admit that new horror movies have stepped up their horror game quite a bit from their ancestors. Below this article, we’ve included a list of, in our opinion, the best new horror movies that will make you uneasy or cause at least mild shivering in your body, even if you are a hardcore horror genre fan. Warning: You might want to shake off that ominous feeling after finishing the film!
True horror movie fans might have noticed that recent horror movies differ significantly from those made in the 20th century. And we are not speaking about improved visual effects, SFX makeup, and the rise of CGI. Today’s horror filmmakers are keener on creating films that unsettle viewers and make them feel anxious than those that inspire pure fear and disgust. Let’s think of The Thing by John Carpenter. The film, released in 1982, still ranks as one of the best-rated and scariest horror movies ever. The director chose the primary antagonist as an extraterrestrial organism capable of changing shape, which is fear-inspiring and disgusting in every sense of the word.
However, the latest horror movies seem to use human antagonists to generate more fear and tremors than “classic” horror movie protagonists such as vampires, werewolves, zombies, and other supernatural creatures. After all, aren’t humans the most dangerous predators on the planet? And the fact that humans can be more frightening and dangerous than other animals and creatures is very unsettling.
So all you phobophiles, prepare your notebooks or fingers to snap screenshots because we’ve gathered a list of the best new scary movies. Do you agree with our selection? Also, let us know what the best new horror film is in your opinion!
#1 Midsommar
2019 | 2 hours 28 minutes | Directed by Ari Aster
Starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren
This is more than just a horror film. It is a tale about coping with loss. How reality isn’t always what it seems. How being in a group of people who are willing to listen to you makes suffering more bearable. This film is about many different things. This movie occasionally makes it difficult to watch because of the graphic violence, disgusting content, or plain strangeness, but you just can’t turn away. You must keep watching with morbid curiosity to find out what the actual heck is happening. And even though it won’t be to everyone’s taste, Midsommar touches on topics related to the human psyche that are well worth exploring.
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#2 Ready Or Not
2019 | 1 hour 35 minutes | Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Starring Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien
Not precisely a horror film that ignites a tremendous fear, but nonetheless a great one. The original idea is one thing that makes the movie stand out. If you didn’t enjoy watching it, perhaps you viewed it incorrectly because, heck, it’s meant to be absurd and silly! It’s a gold mine for light-hearted horror, thriller, and B-movie fans. The humor is superb, the protagonist is an absolute badass instead of some stupid Final Girl, and the killings are gory and hilarious.
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#3 Us
2019 | 1 hour 56 minutes | Directed by Jordan Peele
Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss
What transpires when a relatively average American middle-class family faces off against their doppelgangers? A big reason why Jordan Peele’s second film is more terrifying than Get Out is the utter senselessness of the situation. The situation is left unsolved, much like in Hitchcock’s The Birds. Many questions were raised in Us, and many were left unanswered, but it’s not that a movie must have all of its questions answered to be good. Overall, Us is a success and distinguishes Peele as one of the most powerful new voices in the horror genre and beyond.
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#4 Doctor Sleep
2019 | 2 hours 32 minutes | Directed by Mike Flanagan
Starring Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran
If you go into this movie expecting it to be a direct sequel to the Kubrick film The Shining with the same horror tone, you might feel let down. However, suppose you go into this movie with an open mind. In that case, the story is compelling, and the film is very well directed and acted. It also pays a lot of homage to the 1980 movie, but it does so freshly and intriguingly. While you might jump a few times, and some of the scenes are a little disturbing, the movie is more of a suspense story. Even if you have never seen The Shining, you will enjoy it nonetheless.
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#5 It: Chapter Two
2019 | 2 hours 49 minutes | Directed by Andy Muschietti
Starring Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader
The 2017 box office hit It picks up right where it left off in the sequel. There are hardly any narrative flashbacks explaining the Losers’ Club’s predicaments while battling the terrifying Pennywise. They are all adults and prepared to end it once and for all in It: Chapter Two. The film not only demonstrates that it’s acceptable to be a “loser” or someone who doesn’t quite fit in with modern society but also inspires us to consider what we are capable of when we simply have faith. A heartbreaking but frightful story of lost opportunities and forgotten friendships. Even though it’s weaker than the first film (as is usually the case with all sequels), it’s still very much worth watching.
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#6 The Invisible Man
2020 | 2 hours 4 minutes | Directed by Leigh Whannell
Starring Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer
The movie draws you in with tension and uneasiness from the very first scene. Jump scares are not the mainstay of the film. There are some, but because we care about the characters, they are all completely earned and work well. The excellent score, which alternates between pulsating ambiance and melancholy orchestral bits, adds to the atmosphere. Overall, a great film with some taut scenes. PS: Don’t watch the trailer if you don’t want any spoilers!
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#7 Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark
2019 | 1 hour 48 minutes | Directed by André Øvredal
Starring Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush
This film is a good middle ground for horror between kid-friendly scary tales and overt adult gorefests. The stories we grew up with are brought to life, giving them a richer visual identity, even though it doesn’t exactly add innovation to the horror genre. The movie offers an enjoyable coming-of-age story by playing on the spooky myths we tell repeatedly. Together, some jump scares, various frights, and mostly likable characters make for a satisfying experience.
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#8 Brightburn
2019 | 1 hour 30 minutes | Directed by David Yarovesky
Starring Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn
This movie is excellent at what it does, which is to completely freak you out to the point where you never want to have kids again. For the modern audience, those two elements alone make it a must-see film. Brightburn is an excellent example of superhero potential gone wrong. If you have ever wondered what Superman would be like if he was evil, well, here it is. This is the film for you if you’re looking for a change in tone in superhero movies or simply want to watch an intriguing horror film.
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#9 The Platform
2019 | 1 hour 34 minutes | Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Starring Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan
What a rare, spectacular treat it is. Cinema at its finest. Watch it for the magical realism and its thoughtful portrayal of humanity. The Platform is a very gritty and brutal film with an intriguing idea and a well-written script. A plot that makes you consider society. It’s (pretty much) just one set, a small cast, tense music, brutality, and 94 minutes of nail-biting tension. It might be a little difficult to watch if gore bothers you, but apart from that, this is a feast from beginning to end.
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#10 Annabelle Comes Home
2019 | 1 hour 46 minutes | Directed by Gary Dauberman
Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mckenna Grace
When they unknowingly reawaken an evil spirit imprisoned in a doll, a teenager and her friend are babysitting the daughter of Ed and Lorraine Warren. With youth as the focal point and the paranormal phenomenon surrounding it, this story does resound with some themes and elements we’ve seen in The Conjuring Universe. Before anything exhilarating occurs, the plot takes time to develop and perhaps spends a little too much time trying to develop some of the characters. However, when things start to go wrong, the action picks up speed. Even though some of the scares occasionally become a little cliché, they generally manage to keep them fresh. Perhaps not the best, but definitely a great addition to the franchise.
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#11 A Quiet Place: Part II
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#12 Fear Street Part Three: 1666
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#13 The Lighthouse
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#14 Halloween Kills
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#15 Fear Street Part Two: 1978
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#16 The Hunt
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#17 Escape Room
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#18 Candyman
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#19 Crawl
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#20 Zombieland: Double Tap
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#21 Fear Street: 1994
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#22 The Curse Of La Llorona
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#23 Happy Death Day 2U
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#24 Cube
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#25 Wrong Turn
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#26 In The Tall Grass
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#27 Countdown
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#28 The Grudge
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#29 Freaky
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#30 Last Night In Soho
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#31 Willy’s Wonderland
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#32 Don’t Breathe 2
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#33 V/H/S/94
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#34 The Forever Purge
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#35 Scream
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#36 Glass
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#37 Ma
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#38 Unfriended: Dark Web
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#39 Blood Red Sky
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#40 Gretel & Hansel: A Grim Fairy Tale
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#41 The Night House
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#42 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
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#43 Werewolves Within
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#44 False Positive
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#45 Saint Maud
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#46 Titane
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#47 3 From Hell
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#48 Eli
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#49 The Wolf Of Snow Hollow
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#50 VFW
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