The 100 Best 2000s Horror Movies

Critics Consensus: Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.

Synopsis: When Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl

Directed By: Tomas Alfredson

Critics Consensus: Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups, with the horrors of both reality and fantasy blended together into an extraordinary, spellbinding fable.

Synopsis: In 1944 in Spain, Ofelia and her ailing mother arrive at the post of her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer who is trying... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Álex Angulo

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

Critics Consensus: Creepily atmospheric and haunting, The Devil's Backbone is both a potent ghost story and an intelligent political allegory.

Synopsis: After losing his father, 10-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) arrives at the Santa Lucia School, which shelters orphans of the Republican militia and politicians, and is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

Critics Consensus: As populace pleasing as it is intellectually satisfying, The Host combines scares, laughs, and satire into a riveting, monster movie.

Synopsis: Careless American military personnel dump chemicals into South Korea's Han River. Several years later, a creature emerges from the tainted waters and sinks its ravenous... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doo-na

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

Critics Consensus: Shaun of the Dead cleverly balances scares and witty satire, making for a bloody good zombie movie with loads of wit.

Synopsis: Shaun is a 30-something loser with a dull, easy existence. When he's not working at the electronics store, he lives with his slovenly best friend,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost

Directed By: Edgar Wright

Critics Consensus: Sam Raimi returns to top form with Drag Me to Hell, a frightening, hilarious, delightfully campy thrill ride.

Synopsis: Christine Brown has a loving boyfriend and a good job at a Los Angeles bank. Her heavenly life becomes hellish when, in an effort to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao

Directed By: Sam Raimi

Critics Consensus: Plunging viewers into the nightmarish hellscape of an apartment complex under siege, [Rec] proves that found footage can still be used as an effective delivery mechanism for sparse, economic horror.

Synopsis: A reporter (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman record the horrifying outbreak of a disease that turns humans into vicious cannibals.

Starring: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Carlos Lasarte

Directed By: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza

Critics Consensus: The strong female cast and biting satire of teenage life makes Ginger Snaps far more memorable than your average werewolf movie -- or teen flick.

Synopsis: The story of two outcast sisters, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins), in the mindless suburban town of Bailey Downs. On the night of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche, Mimi Rogers

Directed By: John Fawcett

Critics Consensus: Wickedly funny and featuring plenty of gore, Zombieland is proof that the zombie subgenre is far from dead.

Synopsis: After a virus turns most people into zombies, the world's surviving humans remain locked in an ongoing battle against the hungry undead. Four survivors --... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

Directed By: Ruben Fleischer

Critics Consensus: Guy Maddin's film is a richly sensuous and dreamy interpretation of Dracula that reinvigorates the genre.

Synopsis: In this ballet version of Bram Stoker's classic vampire tale, Dracula (Zhang Wei-Qiang) arrives in London and performs a dance of seduction with the virgin... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zhang Wei-Qiang, David Moroni, Tara Birtwhistle, Stephane Leonard

Directed By: Guy Maddin

Critics Consensus: Kinetically directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later is both a terrifying zombie movie and a sharp political allegory.

Synopsis: A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the "Rage" virus from a medical research lab. When London bike courier... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Noah Huntley, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson

Directed By: Danny Boyle

Critics Consensus: Deeply unnerving and surprisingly poignant, The Orphanage is an atmospheric, beautifully crafted haunted house horror film that earns scares with a minimum of blood.

Synopsis: Laura (Belén Rueda) has happy memories of her childhood in an orphanage. She convinces her husband to buy the place and help her convert it... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Geraldine Chaplin, Montserrat Carulla

Directed By: J. A. Bayona

Critics Consensus: Deft direction and strong performances from its all-female cast guide The Descent, a riveting, claustrophobic horror film.

Synopsis: A year after a severe emotional trauma, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) goes to North Carolina to spend some time exploring caves with her friends; after descending... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder

Directed By: Neil Marshall

Critics Consensus: A slimy, B-movie homage oozing with affection for low-budget horror films, Slither is creepy and funny -- if you've got the stomach for it.

Synopsis: Wheelsy is a small town where not much happens and everyone minds his own business. No one notices when evil slips in quietly but when... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry

Directed By: James Gunn

Critics Consensus: Restrained but disturbing, A Tale of Two Sisters is a creepily effective, if at times confusing, horror movie.

Synopsis: After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Korean teen Su-mi (Yum Jung-ah) reunites with her beloved sister, Su-yeon (Im Soo-jung), and they return to live... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-soo, Moon Geun-young, Lim Soo-jung

Directed By: Kim Jee-woon

Critics Consensus: This anthology contains brutal, powerful horror stories by three of Asia's top directors.

Synopsis: Stories revolve around a witch doctor, a filmmaker (Lee Byung-hun) and a resentful extra, and a novelist and her twin sister.

Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Kang Hye-jung, Yum Jung-ah, Mitsuru Akaboshi

Directed By: Fruit Chan, Takashi Miike, Park Chan-wook

Critics Consensus: Though its underlying themes are familiar, House of the Devil effectively sheds the loud and gory cliches of contemporary horror to deliver a tense, slowly building throwback to the fright flicks of decades past.

Synopsis: Desperate to make some money so she can move into a new apartment, college student Samantha Hughes takes a mysterious babysitting job. When she arrives... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig

Directed By: Ti West

Critics Consensus: The Others is a spooky thriller that reminds us that a movie doesn't need expensive special effects to be creepy.

Synopsis: Grace (Nicole Kidman), the devoutly religious mother of Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), moves her family to the English coast during World War... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Alakina Mann, James Bentley

Directed By: Alejandro Amenábar

Critics Consensus: Witty and restrained but still taut and funny, this Pontypool is a different breed of low-budget zombie film.

Synopsis: When disc jockey Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) reports to his basement radio station in the Canadian town of Pontypool, he thinks it's just another day... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly, Hrant Alianak

Directed By: Bruce McDonald

Critics Consensus: Frightening, funny, and packed with action, Dog Soldiers is well worth checking out for genre fans -- and marks writer-director Neil Marshall as a talent to keep an eye on.

Synopsis: During a routine nighttime training mission in the Scottish Highlands, a small squad of British soldiers expected to rendezvous with a special ops unit instead... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby, Liam Cunningham

Directed By: Neil Marshall

Critics Consensus: Shadow of the Vampire is frightening, compelling, and funny, and features an excellent performance by Willem Dafoe.

Synopsis: F. W. Murnau (John Malkovich) is struggling to create his silent classic "Nosferatu" on location in Eastern Europe. The director is obsessed with making this... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Cary Elwes, Aden Gillett

Directed By: E. Elias Merhige

Critics Consensus: Using its low-budget effects and mockumentary method to great result, Paranormal Activity turns a simple haunted house story into 90 minutes of relentless suspense.

Synopsis: Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a supernatural... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Amber Armstrong, Mark Fredrichs

Directed By: Oren Peli

Critics Consensus: The stylish Thirst packs plenty of bloody thrills to satisfy fans of both vampire films and director Chan Wook Park.

Synopsis: Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest, volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. He gets infected and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Hae-sook

Directed By: Park Chan-wook

Critics Consensus: Smart, original, and horrifically funny, Teeth puts a fresh feminist spin on horror movie tropes.

Synopsis: Dawn is an active member of her high-school chastity club but, when she meets Tobey, nature takes its course, and the pair answer the call.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jess Weixler, John Hensley, Josh Pais, Hale Appleman

Directed By: Mitchell Lichtenstein

Critics Consensus: Surreal and visually striking, Taxidermia is, at times, graphic and difficult to watch, but creatively touches on disturbing subjects with imagination and wit.

Synopsis: Set over three generations and beginning with Morosgoványi Vendel, a sexually frustrated orderly during the war who relieves his tensions in the most outlandish, gross... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marc Bischoff, Gábor Máté, Gergő Trócsányi, Piroska Molnár

Directed By: Gyorgy Palfi

Critics Consensus: Relying on psychological tension rather than overt violence and gore, 1408 is a genuinely creepy thriller with a strong lead performance by John Cusack.

Synopsis: Mike Enslin is a successful author who enjoys worldwide acclaim debunking supernatural phenomena -- before he checks into the Dolphin Hotel, that is. Ignoring the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Jasmine Anthony

Directed By: Mikael Håfström

Critics Consensus: The best movie to star both the King and JFK.

Synopsis: After falling into a lengthy coma following a freak accident involving hip gyration, a now aged Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) wakes up in an East... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Bob Ivy, Reggie Bannister

Directed By: Don Coscarelli

Critics Consensus: A sort of Blair Witch Project crossed with Godzilla, Cloverfield is economically paced, stylistically clever, and filled with scares.

Synopsis: As a group of New Yorkers (Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman) enjoy a going-away party, little do they know that they will soon face... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Annable, Lizzy Caplan

Directed By: Matt Reeves

Critics Consensus: A kinetic, violent and surprisingly worthy remake of George Romero's horror classic that pays homage to the original while working on its own terms.

Synopsis: When her husband is attacked by a zombified neighbor, Ana (Sarah Polley) manages to escape, only to realize her entire Milwaukee neighborhood has been overrun... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer

Directed By: Zack Snyder

Critics Consensus: Creepy and disturbing, Frailty is well-crafted, low-key horror.

Synopsis: Set in present day Texas, "Frailty" centers on the FBI's search for a serial killer who calls himself "God's Hands." McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks, a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe, Matt O'Leary

Directed By: Bill Paxton

Critics Consensus: A smart mockumentary that presents a gory, funny, and obviously affectionate skewering of the slasher genre.

Synopsis: Nice, normal-looking Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) has an obsession with movie-style slashers like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. Leslie decides to follow in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, Robert Englund, Scott Wilson

Directed By: Scott Glosserman

Critics Consensus: A sinister spine-tingling techno-thriller whose artistry lies in the power of suggestion rather than a barrage of blood and guts or horror shop special effects.

Synopsis: After college student Taguchi (Kenji Mizuhashi) commits suicide, a number of young adults living in Tokyo witness terrifying visions transferred across the Internet. As more... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Haruhiko Katô, Kumiko Asô, Koyuki, Kurume Arisaka

Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Critics Consensus: The Last Winter creatively and effectively uses horror tactics -- fear, tension, anticipation, and just enough gore -- to shock, but never repulse, its audience.

Synopsis: Sent to evaluate the environmental impact of oil drilling in the Arctic, James Hoffman (James Le Gros) clashes with the drilling crew's chief (Ron Perlman),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ron Perlman, James Le Gros, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford

Directed By: Larry Fessenden

Critics Consensus: George A. Romero's latest entry in his much-vaunted Dead series is not as fresh as his genre-inventing original, Night of the Living Dead. But Land of the Dead does deliver on the gore and zombies-feasting-on-flesh action.

Synopsis: In a world where zombies form the majority of the population, the remaining humans build a feudal society away from the undead. Ruthless Paul Kaufman... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Asia Argento, Robert Joy

Directed By: George A. Romero

Critics Consensus: This French animated horror portmanteau is monochrome and minimalist, visually stunning, but light on scares.

Synopsis: Animated sequences explore people's fear of darkness.

Starring: Gil Alma, Aure Atika, François Créton, Guillaume Depardieu

Directed By: Blutch, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti

Critics Consensus: A horror comedy that's almost as chilling as it is funny, I Sell the Dead relies on its dark humor and offbeat charm to overcome its low budget shortcomings.

Synopsis: Arthur Blake (Dominic Monaghan) is about to be executed by guillotine for the crime of grave robbing. But before he faces the blade, he agrees... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dominic Monaghan, Larry Fessenden, Angus Scrimm, Ron Perlman

Directed By: Glenn McQuaid

Critics Consensus: Haunting and meticulously crafted, Lake Mungo transcends typical found-footage horror with its convincing performances, rich emotional resonance, and subtly eerie imagery.

Synopsis: Alice drowns while swimming and her family begins experiencing inexplicable events in their home. The family hires a parapsychologist whose investigation unveils Alice's secret double... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rosie Traynor, David Pledger, Martin Sharpe, Talia Zucker

Directed By: Joel Anderson

Critics Consensus: This harrowing, naturalistic drama holds you in its grip through Huller's intense performance.

Synopsis: Michaela, an epileptic, enrolls in college to study education. She goes off her medication and soon begins hearing voices and seeing apparitions that tell her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sandra Hüller, Burghart Klaußner, Imogen Kogge, Anna Blomeier

Directed By: Hans-Christian Schmid

Critics Consensus: A deftly crafted tribute to Halloween legends, Trick 'r' Treat hits all the genre marks with gusto and old fashioned suspense.

Synopsis: Interwoven stories demonstrate that some traditions are best not forgotten as the residents (Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker) of a small town face real... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb

Directed By: Michael Dougherty

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this moody Japanese horror film, newly-single mom Yoshimi Matsubara (Hitomi Kuroki) is enduring a bitter divorce and struggling to keep custody of her young... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hitomi Kuroki, Rio Kanno, Mirei Oguchi, Asami Mizukawa

Directed By: Hideo Nakata

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: The parents of a deceased girl are given three days with their dead daughter.

Starring: Eva Birthistle, Aidan Gillen, Dan Gordon, Ruth McCabe

Directed By: David Keating

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In a Japanese house, a vengeful spirit goes after one person after another, each suffering a horrible death.

Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa

Directed By: Takashi Shimizu

Critics Consensus: A brutal and effective British hoodie-horror that, despite the clichés, stays on the right side of scary.

Synopsis: During a romantic weekend getaway, a young couple confronts a gang of youths, and suffers brutal consequences.

Starring: Finn Atkins, Michael Fassbender, James Gandhi, Tom Gill

Directed By: James Watkins

Critics Consensus: A cool and hip grindhouse throwback, Planet Terror is an unpredictable zombie thrillride.

Synopsis: An ordinary evening in a small Texas town becomes a grisly nightmare when a horde of flesh-eating zombies goes on the prowl. Cherry (Rose McGowan),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton

Directed By: Robert Rodriguez

Critics Consensus: Brotherhood of the Wolf mixes its genres with little logic, but the end result is wildly entertaining.

Synopsis: In a rural province of France, a mysterious creature is laying waste to the countryside, savagely killing scores of women and children. Unseen, possessed of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Émilie Dequenne, Vincent Cassel

Directed By: Christophe Gans

Critics Consensus: Hair High isn't first-tier Plympton, but like the rest of the animator's work, this is an assuredly odd tale that should resonate with fans of strange cinema.

Synopsis: As the prom approaches, the head cheerleader (Sarah Silverman) of Echo Lake High dumps her quarterback boyfriend (Dermot Mulroney) in favor of attending the dance... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eric Gilliland, Sarah Silverman, Dermot Mulroney, Beverly D'Angelo

Directed By: Bill Plympton

Critics Consensus: Frank Darabont's impressive camerawork and politically incisive script make The Mist a truly frightening experience.

Synopsis: After a powerful storm damages their Maine home, David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his young son head into town to gather food and supplies. Soon... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher

Directed By: Frank Darabont

Critics Consensus: Never taking itself too seriously, Splinter scores as a fast-paced, fun thriller with more than enough scares.

Synopsis: When their plans for a nature trip go awry, Polly Watt (Jill Wagner) and boyfriend Seth Belzer (Paulo Costanzo) decide to check into a motel.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shea Whigham, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Wagner, Rachel Krebs

Directed By: Toby Wilkins

Critics Consensus: Though not entirely effective as a conventional horror flick, Grace is still a graphic, disturbing, and artful exploration of twisted maternal instinct.

Synopsis: In the wake of a horrific car accident that kills her husband, Michael (Stephen Park), expectant mother Madeline Matheson (Jordan Ladd) discovers that her daughter,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jordan Ladd, Gabrielle Rose, Samantha Ferris, Malcolm Stewart

Directed By: Paul Solet

Critics Consensus: While 28 Weeks Later lacks the humanism that made 28 Days Later a classic, it's made up with fantastic atmosphere and punchy direction.

Synopsis: Six months after the original epidemic, the rage virus has all but annihilated the population of the British Isles. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army declares the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau

Directed By: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this fictionalized, fragmented biopic of one of America's most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer (Jeremy Renner) contemplates his latest potential victim, a young man... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Bruce Davison, Artel Great, Matt Newton

Directed By: David Jacobson

Critics Consensus: With little gore and a lot of creepy visuals, The Ring gets under your skin, thanks to director Gore Verbinski's haunting sense of atmosphere and an impassioned performance from Naomi Watts.

Synopsis: It sounds like just another urban legend -- a videotape filled with nightmarish images leads to a phone call foretelling the viewer's death in exactly... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox

Directed By: Gore Verbinski

Critics Consensus: Making the most of its thin premise, Fido is an occasionally touching satire that provides big laughs and enough blood and guts to please gorehounds.

Synopsis: When a cloud of space dust causes the dead to rise as ravenous zombies, the ZomCon Corp. emerges to conquer the creatures and domesticate them... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carrie-Anne Moss, Billy Connolly, Kesun Loder, Henry Czerny

Directed By: Andrew Currie

Critics Consensus: Miike continues his run of compellingly bizarre flicks.

Synopsis: Chaos ensues when a yakuza boss orders a young gangster (Hideki Sone) to kill an insane colleague (Shô Aikawa).

Starring: Yûta Sone, Shô Aikawa, Kimika Yoshino, Shôhei Hino

Directed By: Takashi Miike

Critics Consensus: With an outrageous premise played completely straight, Black Sheep is a violent, grotesque, and very funny movie that takes B-movie lunacy to a delirious extreme.

Synopsis: Sheep-fearing Henry (Nathan Meister) returns to his brother's (Peter Feeney) New Zealand farm, hoping his sibling will buy out his share of the property. However,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Peter Feeney, Tammy Davis

Directed By: Jonathan King

Critics Consensus: A creative and energetic adaptation of a Clive Barker short story, with enough scares and thrills to be a potential cult classic.

Synopsis: When struggling photographer Leon Kaufman (Bradley Cooper) meets the owner of a prominent art gallery, he sees a chance for the success that has, so... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones, Brooke Shields

Directed By: Ryûhei Kitamura

Critics Consensus: A low budget thriller with some intense moments.

Synopsis: Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) embark on a tropical vacation with their scuba-diving certifications in tow. During a group dive, the two separate... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein, Estelle Lau

Directed By: Chris Kentis

Critics Consensus: Vampire Hunter D's gothic charms may be lost on those unfamiliar with the anime series that spawned it, but the crisp action and nightmarish style will satiate horror aficionados' bloodlust.

Synopsis: In a dark and distant future, when the undead have arisen from apocalyptic ashes, an original story unfolds. Ten thousand years in the future, vampires... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andrew Philpot, John Rafter Lee, Pamela Adlon, Wendee Lee

Directed By: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Critics Consensus: Above average slasher flick.

Synopsis: Young misfit May (Angela Bettis) endured a difficult childhood because of her lazy eye. And though contact lenses have helped May adjust as a young... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Angela Bettis, Jeremy Sisto, Anna Faris, James Duval

Directed By: Lucky McKee

Critics Consensus: If nothing else, Happiness of the Katakuris scores points for its delirious, over-the-top originality.

Synopsis: Fearing bad publicity, an innkeeper and his family bury the bodies of their ill-fated guests themselves.

Starring: Kenji Sawada, Keiko Matsuzaka, Shinji Takeda, Naomi Nishida

Directed By: Takashi Miike

Critics Consensus: Competently made, but everything is a bit too familiar.

Synopsis: Ex-FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) is an expert investigator who quit the Bureau after almost losing his life in the process of capturing the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel

Directed By: Brett Ratner

Critics Consensus: Snakes on a Plane lives up to its title, featuring snakes on a plane. It isn't perfect, but then again, it doesn't need to be.

Synopsis: FBI agent Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) boards a flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles, escorting a witness to trial. An on-board assassin releases a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kenan Thompson, Julianna Margulies, Nathan Phillips

Directed By: David R. Ellis

Critics Consensus: Though it arrives during an unfortunate glut of vampire movies, Daybreakers offers enough dark sci-fi thrills -- and enough of a unique twist on the genre -- to satisfy filmgoers.

Synopsis: Ten years after a plague turns most of the world's population into vampires, a critical blood shortage causes panic and gruesome mutations among the reanimated.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Claudia Karvan, Michael Dorman

Directed By: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

Critics Consensus: If it falls short of the deadly satire of Bret Easton Ellis's novel, American Psycho still finds its own blend of horror and humor, thanks in part to a fittingly creepy performance by Christian Bale.

Synopsis: In New York City in 1987, a handsome, young urban professional, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon

Directed By: Mary Harron

Critics Consensus: Relying more on atmosphere than gore, Session 9 is effectively creepy.

Synopsis: A tale of terror when a group of asbestos removal workers start work in an abandoned insane asylum. The complex of buildings looms up out... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Mullan, David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, Josh Lucas

Directed By: Brad Anderson

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Members of Charles Manson's cult tell their story.

Starring: Marcelo Games, Marc Pitman, Leslie Orr, Maureen Allisse

Directed By: Jim Van Bebber

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: As part of an Internet reality show, five people sign up to spend six months in a mansion while cameras film constantly. If each person... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kris Lemche, Stephen O'Reilly, Laura Regan, Jennifer Sky

Directed By: Marc Evans

Critics Consensus: It relies too heavily on American slasher cliches, but Tormented is a timely, funny, and even somewhat touching entry in the high school horror genre.

Synopsis: Darren Mullet (Calvin Dean) doesn't have it easy. He's overweight, uses an inhaler and is constantly bullied by his spoiled classmates. His suicide prompts Bradley... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin A. Dean

Directed By: Jon Wright

Critics Consensus: Poultrygeist may be relentlessly tasteless and juvenile, but it's also a lively slice of schlocky fun.

Synopsis: Some fast-food workers discover the restaurant they work in is built on an ancient burial ground, and the chickens they cook are trying to kill... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jason Yachanin, Kate Graham, Allyson Sereboff, Robin Watkins

Directed By: Lloyd Kaufman

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A teen (Blythe Auffarth) suffers horrible abuse at the hands of her caretaker (Blanche Baker), who also encourages the neighborhood boys to torment the girl.

Starring: William Atherton, Blythe Auffarth, Blanche Baker, Kevin Chamberlin

Directed By: Gregory M. Wilson

Critics Consensus: Though it doesn't cover new ground, Dead Snow is an entertaining mix of camp, scares, and blood and guts.

Synopsis: A party of eight Norwegian medical students travel to a remote Arctic mountain for an Easter weekend filled with skiing and relaxation. After one of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen, Charlotte Frogner, Evy Kasseth Røsten

Directed By: Tommy Wirkola

Critics Consensus: A real polarising movie, this Gallic torture-porn is graphic, brutal, nasty and gruesome and not to everyone's taste.

Synopsis: A young woman's quest for revenge leads her down a path of depravity.

Starring: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin, Robert Toupin

Directed By: Pascal Laugier

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A Parisian marketing professional, Esther (Marina de Van) has a gruesome secret. She's been obsessed with the damage she can inflict upon her own body... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marina de Van, Laurent Lucas, Léa Drucker, Thibault de Montalembert

Directed By: Marina de Van

Critics Consensus: A twisted and bloody spoof on office life, Severance nicely balances comedy and nasty horror.

Synopsis: Members (Danny Dyer, Laura Harris, Tim McInnerny) of the Palisades Defense Corp. sales group arrive in Europe for a team-building exercise. A fallen tree blocks... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Danny Dyer, Laura Harris, Tim McInnerny, Toby Stephens

Directed By: Christopher Smith

Critics Consensus: A Svankmajer movie is not for everyone, but he displays his usual creative flair for surreal imagery.

Synopsis: In 19th-century France a young man (Pavel Liska) meets a nobleman (Jan Tríska) who invites him to spend the night in his castle, where the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Pavel Liska, Jan Tríska, Anna Geislerová, Martin Huba

Directed By: Jan Svankmajer

Critics Consensus: Conventional ghost tale with a few genuine scares.

Synopsis: After 18 years of blindness, 20-year-old violinist Wong Kar Mun (Lee Sin-Je) regains her vision when she undergoes a corneal transplant. She's overjoyed with the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lee Sin-Je, Lawrence Chou, Yut Lai So, Candy Lo

Directed By: Danny Pang, Oxide Chun Pang

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In a jealous rage, a man kills his wife and son in their home, and everyone who visits falls prey to a terrible curse.

Starring: Yûrei Yanagi, Yue, Ryôta Koyama, Hitomi Miwa

Directed By: Takashi Shimizu

Critics Consensus: In this creepy story of a man and his rodents, Glover seems born to play the oddball title character.

Synopsis: Desperate for companionship, the repressed Willard (Crispin Glover) befriends a group of rats that inhabit his late father's deteriorating mansion. In these furry creatures, Willard... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Crispin Glover, R. Lee Ermey, Jackie Burroughs, Ashlyn Gere

Directed By: Glen Morgan

Critics Consensus: Ichi The Killer is a thoroughly shocking gorefest that will surely entertain those with strong stomachs and a penchant for brutal violence.

Synopsis: A bloodthirsty hoodlum (Tadanobu Asano) sparks a series of violent reprisals after his boss is apparently taken by a mysterious assassin (Nao Ômori).

Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Nao Ômori, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Paulyn Sun

Directed By: Takashi Miike

Critics Consensus: Identity is a film that will divide audiences -- the twists of its plot will either impress or exasperate you.

Synopsis: When a vicious storm breaks out in the Nevada desert, 10 people seek refuge in an isolated motel. At the same time, a serial killer... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes

Directed By: James Mangold

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Police officers investigate a string of mysterious suicides throughout Japan.

Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase, Tamao Satô, Takashi Nomura

Directed By: Sion Sono

Critics Consensus: Suspenseful and tense from start to finish, the French horror film Them proves that a lack of gore doesn't mean a dearth of scares.

Synopsis: Lucas (Michaël Cohen) and Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) live in an isolated house near Bucharest. On one rainy night in their home, repeated telephone calls bring... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Olivia Bonamy, Michaël Cohen, Adriana Mocca, Maria Roman

Directed By: David Moreau, Xavier Palud

Critics Consensus: Day Watch is frequently cheesy but it offers enough twists, surprises, and inventive action sequences to maintain viewer interest.

Synopsis: Anton (Konstantin Khabensky), a member of a group of supernatural guardians who monitor the forces of the Dark, discovers that his own son is responsible... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Mariya Poroshina, Vladimir Menshov, Viktor Verzhbitskiy

Directed By: Timur Bekmambetov

Critics Consensus: This gory, senses-assaulting slasher film is an unpretentious, effective mix of old-school horror stylings and modern 3D technology.

Synopsis: Ten years ago, an inexperienced coal miner named Tom Hanniger caused an accident that killed five men and put a sixth, Harry Warden, into a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Betsy Rue

Directed By: Patrick Lussier

Critics Consensus: More gory than scary, Cabin Fever is satisfied with paying homage to genre conventions rather than reinventing them.

Synopsis: Bert (James DeBello), a college student vacationing with friends in the mountains, mistakenly shoots a local man (Arie Verveen) with a skin infection while hunting... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Rider Strong, Joey Kern

Directed By: Eli Roth

Critics Consensus: As Diary of the Dead proves, time hasn't subdued George A. Romero's affection for mixing politics with gore, nor has it given him cinematic grace or subtlety.

Synopsis: While on location filming a horror movie, a group of college students find themselves overrun by zombies, and ultimately end up capturing the epidemic on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michelle Morgan, Joshua Close, Shawn Roberts, Amy Lalonde

Directed By: George A. Romero

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When a virus threatens to wipe out humanity, Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci), his brother Brian (Chris Pine), and their friends Bobby (Piper Perabo) and Kate... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp

Directed By: Àlex Pastor, David Pastor

Critics Consensus: Featuring lots of guts and gore, Hostel is a wildly entertaining corpse-filled journey -- assuming one is entertained by corpses, guts, and gore, that is.

Synopsis: Best friends Josh (Derek Richardson) and Paxton (Jay Hernandez) decide to spend the summer after college graduation on an all-out backpacking trip across Europe. While... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson, Barbara Nedeljakova

Directed By: Eli Roth

Critics Consensus: An artsy horror flick, Wendigo effectively creates an eerie atmosphere.

Synopsis: A blue Volvo makes its way through the fading light this chilly winter evening in upstate New York. Kim (Patricia Clarkson), George (Jake Weber) and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Jake Weber, Erik Per Sullivan, John Speredakos

Directed By: Larry Fessenden

Critics Consensus: This Russian horror/fantasy film pits darkness and light against each other using snazzy CGI visuals to create an extraordinary atmosphere of a dank, gloomy city wrestling with dread.

Synopsis: Hundreds of years ago there was a battle between the Warriors of Light and the evil Warriors of Darkness. Realizing that they were evenly matched,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Vladimir Menshov, Viktor Verzhbitskiy, Galina Tyunina

Directed By: Timur Bekmambetov

Critics Consensus: Visually impressive, but this latest Ripper tale is dull and far from scary.

Synopsis: The first tabloid star of the twentieth century, he remains the most notorious and enigmatic serial killer in history. From Hell puts an intense urban... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane

Directed By: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes

Critics Consensus: Zombie has improved as a filmmaker since "House of 1000 Corpses" and will please fans of the genre, but beware -- the horror is nasty, relentless, and sadistic.

Synopsis: After a raid on the rural home of the psychopathic Firefly family, two members of the clan, Otis (Bill Moseley) and Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, Ken Foree

Directed By: Rob Zombie

Critics Consensus: Though Wolf Creek is effectively horrific, it is still tasteless exploitation.

Synopsis: Stranded motorists (Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath) fall prey to a murderous bushman (John Jarratt) who offers to fix their vehicle, then takes them captive.

Starring: John Jarratt, Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi

Directed By: Greg McLean

Critics Consensus: Final Destination 2 is little more than an excuse to stage elaborate, gory scenes of characters getting killed off.

Synopsis: Kimberly (A.J. Cook) has a premonition of a horrible highway accident killing multiple people -- including her and her friends. She blocks the cars behind... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ali Larter, A.J. Cook, Michael Landes, Terrence "T.C." Carson

Directed By: David R. Ellis

Critics Consensus: Faster paced for today's audiences, this Hills remake ratchets up the gore for the hardcore horror fans, but will turn away casual audiences.

Synopsis: A family road trip takes a terrifying turn when the travelers become stranded in a barren atomic zone established by the U.S. government. However, the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aaron Stanford, Kathleen Quinlan, Vinessa Shaw, Emilie de Ravin

Directed By: Alexandre Aja

Critics Consensus: Saw ensnares audiences with a deceptively clever plot and a myriad of memorable, nasty set pieces, but its lofty ambitions are undercut by a nihilistic streak that feels more mean than profound.

Synopsis: Photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) regain consciousness while chained to pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson

Directed By: James Wan

Critics Consensus: Despite a panel of X-Files' alums at the helm and a promising premise, flighty performances and poor execution keep Final Destination from ever taking off.

Synopsis: Alex Browning is embarking on a trip to Paris. He experiences a premonition -- he sees the plane explode moments after leaving the ground. Insisting... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke

Directed By: James Wong

Critics Consensus: While 30 Days of Night offers a few thrills, it ultimately succumbs to erratic execution.

Synopsis: In the far Northern Hemisphere, the small town of Barrow, Alaska, experiences a solid month of darkness every year. Though most of the residents head... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster

Directed By: David Slade

Critics Consensus: The Strangers has a handful of genuinely scary moments, but they're not enough to elevate the end results above standard slasher fare.

Synopsis: Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) are expecting a relaxing weekend at a family vacation home, but their stay turns out to be anything... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks

Directed By: Bryan Bertino

Critics Consensus: Robert Zemeckis is unable to salvage an uncompelling and unoriginal film.

Synopsis: It had been a year since Dr. Norman Spencer betrayed his beautiful wife Claire. But with Claire oblivious to the truth, Norman's life and marriage... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diana Scarwid, Miranda Otto

Directed By: Robert Zemeckis