(Photo by Lions Gate/courtesy Everett Collection)

The 80 Best 2000s Horror Movies

Welcome to the new millennium. The decade horror came home to America. The decade horror went global. Welcome to the 80 Best Horror Movies of the 2000s.

If horror movies reflect the fears and concerns of a people, it’s notable that America claimed torture-porn as their de rigueur subgenre. Something in Saw and its ilk’s slow-roasted dismantling of human flesh appealed to a nation consumed by post-9/11 paranoia and a bombardment of wartime images and atrocity. But while torture-porn movies made a killing at the box office, none were ever particularly well-reviewed; only Hostel arrives here. Recovering from the ’90s doldrums, the best horror movies came from overseas, as digital cameras lowered the cost to film and the rise of the internet made knowledge and dissemination of these movies as simple as a mouse click. In fact, of the top 10 movies here (which includes the likes of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Host), only two were shot in America. Other trends seen during this decade: Asian originals and occasional remakes (The Ring, Thirst), found footage (Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield), the return of the living dead (Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later), and nostalgic throwbacks (Slither, Death Proof).

Time to add some scary MIDIs to your MySpace and set AIM status to away (FOREVER), because here comes the best scary 2000s movies! —Alex Vo

90 Best ’70s Horror Movies | 80 Best ’80s Horror Movies
40 Best ’90s Horror Movies| 140 Best 2010s Horror Movies
200 Best Horror Movies of All Time | Best Horror Movies of 2021

#1
#1
Adjusted Score: 105695%
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,... [More]
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl
Directed By: Tomas Alfredson

#2

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
95%

#2
Adjusted Score: 105029%
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 Spain young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her ailing mother (Ariadna Gil) arrive at the post of her mother's... [More]
Starring: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Álex Angulo
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#3

The Host (2006)
93%

#3
Adjusted Score: 99035%
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... [More]
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doo-na
Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

#4
#4
Adjusted Score: 96974%
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... [More]
Starring: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#5

Drag Me to Hell (2009)
92%

#5
Adjusted Score: 102887%
Critics Consensus: Sam Raimi returns to top form with Drag Me to Hell, a frightening, hilarious, delightfully campy thrill ride.
Synopsis: Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) has a loving boyfriend (Justin Long) and a great job at a Los Angeles bank. But... [More]
Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao
Directed By: Sam Raimi

#6
#6
Adjusted Score: 99145%
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... [More]
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost
Directed By: Edgar Wright

#7

Ginger Snaps (2000)
90%

#7
Adjusted Score: 91665%
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... [More]
Starring: Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche, Mimi Rogers
Directed By: John Fawcett

#8

Rec (2007)
90%

#8
Adjusted Score: 90806%
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.... [More]
Starring: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Carlos Lasarte
Directed By: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza

#9

Zombieland (2009)
89%

#9
Adjusted Score: 99446%
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... [More]
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Directed By: Ruben Fleischer

#10

28 Days Later (2002)
87%

#10
Adjusted Score: 95043%
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... [More]
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Noah Huntley, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson
Directed By: Danny Boyle

#11

The Orphanage (2007)
87%

#11
Adjusted Score: 93863%
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... [More]
Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Geraldine Chaplin, Montserrat Carulla
Directed By: J. A. Bayona

#12
#12
Adjusted Score: 88347%
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... [More]
Starring: Zhang Wei-Qiang, David Moroni, Tara Birtwhistle, Stephane Leonard
Directed By: Guy Maddin

#13

The Descent (2005)
87%

#13
Adjusted Score: 93858%
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... [More]
Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder
Directed By: Neil Marshall

#14

Slither (2006)
87%

#14
Adjusted Score: 92445%
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... [More]
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry
Directed By: James Gunn

#15
#15
Adjusted Score: 88447%
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 (Jocelin Donahue) takes... [More]
Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig
Directed By: Ti West

#16
#16
Adjusted Score: 87485%
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),... [More]
Starring: Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-soo, Moon Geun-young, Lim Soo-jung
Directed By: Kim Jee-woon

#17

The Others (2001)
84%

#17
Adjusted Score: 89947%
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... [More]
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Alakina Mann, James Bentley
Directed By: Alejandro Amenábar

#18

Pontypool (2008)
84%

#18
Adjusted Score: 86854%
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... [More]
Starring: Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly, Hrant Alianak
Directed By: Bruce McDonald

#19
#19
Adjusted Score: 91277%
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... [More]
Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Amber Armstrong, Mark Fredrichs
Directed By: Oren Peli

#20

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#20

#21
#21
Adjusted Score: 86323%
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... [More]
Starring: John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Cary Elwes, Aden Gillett
Directed By: E. Elias Merhige

#22

Taxidermia (2006)
81%

#22
Adjusted Score: 82132%
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... [More]
Starring: Marc Bischoff, Gábor Máté, Gergő Trócsányi, Piroska Molnár
Directed By: Gyorgy Palfi

#23

Thirst (2009)
81%

#23
Adjusted Score: 85239%
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... [More]
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Hae-sook
Directed By: Park Chan-wook

#24

Dog Soldiers (2002)
81%

#24
Adjusted Score: 81616%
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... [More]
Starring: Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby, Liam Cunningham
Directed By: Neil Marshall

#25

Teeth (2007)
80%

#25
Adjusted Score: 82137%
Critics Consensus: Smart, original, and horrifically funny, Teeth puts a fresh feminist spin on horror movie tropes.
Synopsis: Dawn (Jess Weixler) is an active member of her high-school chastity club but, when she meets Tobey (Hale Appleman), nature... [More]
Starring: Jess Weixler, John Hensley, Josh Pais, Hale Appleman
Directed By: Mitchell Lichtenstein

#26

1408 (2007)
80%

#26
Adjusted Score: 86819%
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 (John Cusack) is a successful author who enjoys worldwide acclaim debunking supernatural phenomena -- before he checks into... [More]
Starring: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Jasmine Anthony
Directed By: Mikael Håfström

#27

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
79%

#27
Adjusted Score: 82002%
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)... [More]
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Bob Ivy, Reggie Bannister
Directed By: Don Coscarelli

#28

Cloverfield (2008)
78%

#28
Adjusted Score: 86726%
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... [More]
Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Annable, Lizzy Caplan
Directed By: Matt Reeves

#29

The Last Winter (2006)
76%

#29
Adjusted Score: 77313%
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... [More]
Starring: Ron Perlman, James LeGros, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford
Directed By: Larry Fessenden

#30

Dawn of the Dead (2004)
76%

#30
Adjusted Score: 82285%
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... [More]
Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer
Directed By: Zack Snyder

#31
#31
Adjusted Score: 76905%
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.... [More]
Starring: Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, Robert Englund, Scott Wilson
Directed By: Scott Glosserman

#32

Frailty (2002)
75%

#32
Adjusted Score: 79965%
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."... [More]
Starring: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe, Matt O'Leary
Directed By: Bill Paxton

#33

Land of the Dead (2005)
74%

#33
Adjusted Score: 80484%
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... [More]
Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Asia Argento, Robert Joy
Directed By: George A. Romero

#34

I Sell the Dead (2008)
71%

#34
Adjusted Score: 72018%
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... [More]
Starring: Dominic Monaghan, Larry Fessenden, Angus Scrimm, Ron Perlman
Directed By: Glenn McQuaid

#35
#35
Adjusted Score: 74048%
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.... [More]
Starring: Gil Alma, Aure Atika, François Créton, Guillaume Depardieu
Directed By: Blutch, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti

#36

Requiem (2006)
86%

#36
Adjusted Score: 86632%
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... [More]
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Burghart Klaußner, Imogen Kogge, Anna Blomeier
Directed By: Hans-Christian Schmid

#37

Trick 'r Treat (2007)
82%

#37
Adjusted Score: 82458%
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... [More]
Starring: Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb
Directed By: Michael Dougherty

#38

Eden Lake (2008)
80%

#38
Adjusted Score: 80345%
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.... [More]
Starring: Finn Atkins, Michael Fassbender, James Gandhi, Tom Gill
Directed By: James Watkins

#39

Wake Wood (2011)
81%

#39
Adjusted Score: 81145%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The parents of a deceased girl are given three days with their dead daughter.... [More]
Starring: Eva Birthistle, Aidan Gillen, Dan Gordon, Ruth McCabe
Directed By: David Keating

#40

Splinter (2008)
76%

#40
Adjusted Score: 76658%
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... [More]
Starring: Shea Whigham, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Wagner, Rachel Krebs
Directed By: Toby Wilkins

#41

Planet Terror (2007)
77%

#41
Adjusted Score: 77325%
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... [More]
Starring: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez

#42

Hair High (2004)
74%

#42
Adjusted Score: 52486%
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... [More]
Starring: Eric Gilliland, Sarah Silverman, Dermot Mulroney, Beverly D'Angelo
Directed By: Bill Plympton

#43
#43
Adjusted Score: 77385%
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... [More]
Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Émilie Dequenne, Vincent Cassel
Directed By: Christophe Gans

#44

Fido (2007)
72%

#44
Adjusted Score: 74445%
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... [More]
Starring: Carrie-Anne Moss, Billy Connolly, Kesun Loder, Henry Czerny
Directed By: Andrew Currie

#45

Dahmer (2002)
73%

#45
Adjusted Score: 73601%
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... [More]
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Bruce Davison, Artel Great, Matt Newton
Directed By: David Jacobson

#46

28 Weeks Later (2007)
72%

#46
Adjusted Score: 79791%
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... [More]
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau
Directed By: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

#47

Gozu (2003)
72%

#47
Adjusted Score: 73249%
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).... [More]
Starring: Yûta Sone, Shô Aikawa, Kimika Yoshino, Shôhei Hino
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#48

Vampire Hunter D (2000)
70%

#48
Adjusted Score: 70488%
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... [More]
Starring: Andrew Philpot, John Rafter Lee, Pamela Adlon, Wendee Lee
Directed By: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

#49
#49
Adjusted Score: 71524%
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... [More]
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Vinnie Jones, Brooke Shields
Directed By: Ryûhei Kitamura

#50

Black Sheep (2006)
72%

#50
Adjusted Score: 75352%
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... [More]
Starring: Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Peter Feeney, Tammy Davis
Directed By: Jonathan King

#51

The Mist (2007)
73%

#51
Adjusted Score: 78671%
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... [More]
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher
Directed By: Frank Darabont

#52

The Ring (2002)
71%

#52
Adjusted Score: 77966%
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... [More]
Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox
Directed By: Gore Verbinski

#53

Open Water (2003)
71%

#53
Adjusted Score: 77733%
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... [More]
Starring: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein, Estelle Lau
Directed By: Chris Kentis

#54

Grace (2009)
72%

#54
Adjusted Score: 72408%
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... [More]
Starring: Jordan Ladd, Gabrielle Rose, Samantha Ferris, Malcolm Stewart
Directed By: Paul Solet

#55

May (2002)
70%

#55
Adjusted Score: 71694%
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... [More]
Starring: Angela Bettis, Jeremy Sisto, Anna Faris, James Duval
Directed By: Lucky McKee

#56
#56
Adjusted Score: 76170%
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 Nelville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) boards a flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles, escorting a witness to trial.... [More]
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kenan Thompson, Julianna Margulies, Nathan Phillips
Directed By: David R. Ellis

#57

Tormented (2009)
68%

#57
Adjusted Score: 68629%
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... [More]
Starring: Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin A. Dean
Directed By: Jon Wright

#58
#58
Adjusted Score: 69312%
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.... [More]
Starring: Kenji Sawada, Keiko Matsuzaka, Shinji Takeda, Naomi Nishida
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#59
#59
Adjusted Score: 69262%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Members of Charles Manson's cult tell their story.... [More]
Starring: Marcelo Games, Marc Pitman, Leslie Orr, Maureen Allisse
Directed By: Jim Van Bebber

#60

Red Dragon (2002)
69%

#60
Adjusted Score: 75350%
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... [More]
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ed Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel
Directed By: Brett Ratner

#61

American Psycho (2000)
68%

#61
Adjusted Score: 73956%
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... [More]
Starring: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon
Directed By: Mary Harron

#62

Dead Snow (2009)
68%

#62
Adjusted Score: 70302%
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... [More]
Starring: Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen, Charlotte Frogner, Evy Kasseth Røsten
Directed By: Tommy Wirkola

#63

My Little Eye (2002)
70%

#63
Adjusted Score: 61929%
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... [More]
Starring: Kris Lemche, Stephen O'Reilly, Laura Regan, Jennifer Sky
Directed By: Marc Evans

#64

Severance (2006)
66%

#64
Adjusted Score: 69124%
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... [More]
Starring: Danny Dyer, Laura Harris, Tim McInnerny, Toby Stephens
Directed By: Christopher Smith

#65

Session 9 (2001)
67%

#65
Adjusted Score: 69070%
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... [More]
Starring: Peter Mullan, David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, Josh Lucas
Directed By: Brad Anderson

#66

In My Skin (2002)
66%

#66
Adjusted Score: 66693%
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... [More]
Starring: Marina de Van, Laurent Lucas, Léa Drucker, Thibault de Montalembert
Directed By: Marina de Van

#67

Carriers (2009)
64%

#67
Adjusted Score: 64717%
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... [More]
Starring: Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp
Directed By: Àlex Pastor, David Pastor

#68

Lunacy (2005)
65%

#68
Adjusted Score: 65413%
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... [More]
Starring: Pavel Liska, Jan Tríska, Anna Geislerová, Martin Huba
Directed By: Jan Svankmajer

#69

Willard (2003)
64%

#69
Adjusted Score: 68089%
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.... [More]
Starring: Crispin Glover, R. Lee Ermey, Jackie Burroughs, Ashlyn Gere
Directed By: Glen Morgan

#70
#70
Adjusted Score: 67988%
Critics Consensus: Death Proof may feel somewhat minor in the context of Tarantino's larger filmography, but on its own merits, it packs just enough of a wallop to deliver sufficiently high-octane grindhouse goods.
Synopsis: Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) is a professional body double who likes to take unsuspecting women for deadly drives in his... [More]
Starring: Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd
Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

#71

The Eye (2002)
64%

#71
Adjusted Score: 66925%
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... [More]
Starring: Lee Sin-Je, Lawrence Chou, Yut Lai So, Candy Lo
Directed By: Danny Pang, Oxide Chun Pang

#72

Martyrs (2008)
65%

#72
Adjusted Score: 65793%
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.... [More]
Starring: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin, Robert Toupin
Directed By: Pascal Laugier

#73

Ichi the Killer (2001)
65%

#73
Adjusted Score: 65644%
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... [More]
Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Nao Ômori, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Paulyn Sun
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#74
#74
Adjusted Score: 64134%
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... [More]
Starring: Jason Yachanin, Kate Graham, Allyson Sereboff, Robin Watkins
Directed By: Lloyd Kaufman

#75

Identity (2003)
63%

#75
Adjusted Score: 68707%
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... [More]
Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes
Directed By: James Mangold

#76

Day Watch (2006)
63%

#76
Adjusted Score: 66355%
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... [More]
Starring: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Mariya Poroshina, Vladimir Menshov, Viktor Verzhbitskiy
Directed By: Timur Bekmambetov

#77

Them (2006)
63%

#77
Adjusted Score: 64313%
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... [More]
Starring: Olivia Bonamy, Michaël Cohen, Adriana Mocca, Maria Roman
Directed By: David Moreau, Xavier Palud

#78

Cabin Fever (2002)
62%

#78
Adjusted Score: 66426%
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... [More]
Starring: Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Rider Strong, Joey Kern
Directed By: Eli Roth

#79
#79
Adjusted Score: 65787%
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... [More]
Starring: Michelle Morgan, Joshua Close, Shawn Roberts, Amy Lalonde
Directed By: George A. Romero

#80
#80
Adjusted Score: 64799%
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 (Jensen Ackles) caused an accident that killed five men and... [More]
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Betsy Rue
Directed By: Patrick Lussier

#81

Night Watch (2004)
60%

#81
Adjusted Score: 63857%
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... [More]
Starring: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Vladimir Menshov, Viktor Verzhbitskiy, Galina Tyunina
Directed By: Timur Bekmambetov

#82

Wendigo (2001)
60%

#82
Adjusted Score: 60938%
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... [More]
Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Jake Weber, Erik Per Sullivan, John Speredakos
Directed By: Larry Fessenden

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