(Photo by MUBI/Courtesy Everett Collection. THE SUBSTANCE.)

84 Best Horror Movies Directed by Women

Welcome to our guide of the best-reviewed horror movies directed by women! The first directors to break ground were Stephanie Rothman in the 1970s with cult film The Velvet Vampire, and Kathryn Bigelow in the ’80s with another vampiric film, the neo-Western Near Dark. (Bigelow, of course, would go on to make further history as the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for Zero Dark Thirty.) Still, it would take many more years for the horror space to truly open up. The ’90s, generally regarded as a weak decade for horror, had no Fresh or Certified Fresh films directed by women. The 2000s saw some pick-up with American Psycho, Amer, and In My Skin.

The 2010s were a watershed decade for horror: The genre became an engine that elevated underserved voices and adroitly exposed societal ills and terrors. Over 30 horror movies directed by women were marked Fresh and Certified Fresh in the 2010s, establishing names like Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), Issa López (Tigers Are Not Afraid), Julia Ducournau (Raw) and more.

The 2020s continue strong with Leigh Janiak (Fear Street trilogy), Nia DaCosta (Candyman), Coralie Fargeat (The Substance).

We’ll be adding to this list as horror continues to grow and evolve. Now, discover the best horror movies directed by women!

#1

The Babadook (2014)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#1
Adjusted Score: 109844%
Critics Consensus: The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.
Synopsis: Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline... [More]
Starring: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney
Directed By: Jennifer Kent

#2
#2
Adjusted Score: 102778%
Critics Consensus: Tigers Are Not Afraid draws on childhood trauma for a story that deftly blends magical fantasy and hard-hitting realism - and leaves a lingering impact.
Synopsis: When a girl's mother disappears leaving her on her own, she goings a gang of street children, leading to a... [More]
Starring: Paola Lara, Ianis Guerrero, Rodrigo Cortés, Hanssel Casillas
Directed By: Issa López

#3
#3
Adjusted Score: 101824%
Critics Consensus: A bone-chilling body horror, Huesera offers genre fans a twisted take on What to Expect When You're Expecting.
Synopsis: Valeria's joy at becoming a first-time mother is quickly taken away when she's cursed by a sinister entity. As danger... [More]
Starring: Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández
Directed By: Michelle Garza Cervera

#4

Hellbender (2021)
Tomatometer icon 97%

#4
Adjusted Score: 99582%
Critics Consensus: Hellbender stirs a boiling cauldron of adolescent angst, serving up a coming-of-age story with dark horror overtones.
Synopsis: A teen and her mother live simply in a home in the woods, spending their time making metal music. A... [More]
Starring: Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams, John Adams
Directed By: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

#5

Sissy (2022)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#5
Adjusted Score: 99236%
Critics Consensus: Sissy weaves timely themes into its rich blend of horror and dark humor, topped off by terrific work from a talented cast led by Aisha Dee.
Synopsis: Cecilia and Emma were tween-age BFFs who were going to grow old together and never let anything come between them,... [More]
Starring: Aisha Dee, Yerin Ha, Lucy Barrett, Hannah Barlow
Directed By: Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes

#6

Good Manners (2017)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#6
Adjusted Score: 97770%
Critics Consensus: Good Manners adroitly juggles disparate tonal shifts while taking a uniquely smart and sensitive look at female relationships.
Synopsis: A mysterious and wealthy woman hires a lonely nurse named Clara to be the nanny of her soon-to-be born child.... [More]
Starring: Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano, Cida Moreira, Miguel Lobo
Directed By: Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra

#7
#7
Adjusted Score: 101888%
Critics Consensus: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night blends conventional elements into something brilliantly original -- and serves as a striking calling card for writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour.
Synopsis: Residents of a worn-down Iranian city encounter a skateboarding vampire (Sheila Vand) who preys on men who disrespect women.... [More]
Starring: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marnò
Directed By: Ana Lily Amirpour

#8

The Love Witch (2016)
Tomatometer icon 95%

#8
Adjusted Score: 99908%
Critics Consensus: The Love Witch offers an absorbing visual homage to a bygone era, arranged subtly in service of a thought-provoking meditation on the battle of the sexes.
Synopsis: Elaine (Samantha Robinson), a beautiful young witch, is determined to find a man to love her. In her gothic Victorian... [More]
Starring: Samantha Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, Jeffrey Vincent Parise
Directed By: Anna Biller

#9
#9
Adjusted Score: 95771%
Critics Consensus: Most Beautiful Island plunges audiences into a little-seen sector of society, with writer-director Ana Asensio's fearless performance leading the way.
Synopsis: An illegal immigrant struggling to begin a new life in New York City is offered a great opportunity, but as... [More]
Starring: Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci
Directed By: Ana Asensio

#10

Raw (2016)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#10
Adjusted Score: 102377%
Critics Consensus: Raw's lurid violence and sexuality live up to its title, but they're anchored with an immersive atmosphere and deep symbolism that linger long after the provocative visuals fade.
Synopsis: Stringent vegetarian Justine (Garance Marillier) encounters a decadent, merciless and dangerously seductive world during her first week at veterinary school.... [More]
Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella, Joana Preiss
Directed By: Julia Ducournau

#11

Revenge (2017)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#11
Adjusted Score: 98783%
Critics Consensus: Revenge slices and dices genre tropes, working within an exploitation framework while adding a timely -- yet never less than viscerally thrilling -- feminist spin.
Synopsis: Jen is enjoying a romantic getaway with her wealthy boyfriend -- until his two sleazy friends arrive for an unannounced... [More]
Starring: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Bouchède
Directed By: Coralie Fargeat

#12

Hatching (2022)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#12
Adjusted Score: 98765%
Critics Consensus: A message movie in a hard horror shell, Hatching perches between beauty and revulsion -- and establishes director Hanna Bergholm as a bright new talent.
Synopsis: In HATCHING, 12-year-old gymnast, Tinja (Siiri Solalinna), is desperate to please her image-obsessed mother, whose popular blog 'Lovely Everyday Life'... [More]
Starring: Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Jani Volanen, Oiva Ollila
Directed By: Hanna Bergholm

#13

Saint Maud (2019)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#13
Adjusted Score: 101751%
Critics Consensus: A brilliantly unsettling blend of body horror and psychological thriller, Saint Maud marks an impressive debut for writer-director Rose Glass.
Synopsis: The debut film from writer-director Rose Glass, Saint Maud is a chilling and boldly original vision of faith, madness, and... [More]
Starring: Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lily Frazer, Lily Knight
Directed By: Rose Glass

#14

Relic (2020)
Tomatometer icon 91%

#14
Adjusted Score: 104540%
Critics Consensus: Relic ratchets up its slowly building tension in an expertly crafted atmosphere of dread, adding up to an outstanding feature debut for director/co-writer Natalie Erika James.
Synopsis: A woman links her mother's increasingly volatile behavior to an evil presence at their family's decaying country home.... [More]
Starring: Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, Bella Heathcote, Chris Bunton
Directed By: Natalie Erika James

#15

Prevenge (2016)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#15
Adjusted Score: 95470%
Critics Consensus: As ambitious as it is daringly transgressive, Prevenge should thrill fans of pitch-black horror-comedy -- and open untold opportunities for writer/director/star Alice Lowe.
Synopsis: A pregnant woman kills an assortment of people.... [More]
Starring: Kate Dickie, Gemma Whelan, Alice Lowe, Kayvan Novak
Directed By: Alice Lowe

#16

Piggy (2022)
Tomatometer icon 91%

#16
Adjusted Score: 95883%
Critics Consensus: Brought hauntingly to life by Laura Galán's committed performance, Piggy deftly deploys genre thrills in service of sharp social commentary.
Synopsis: With the summer sun beating down on her rural Spanish town, Sara hides away in her parent's butcher shop. A... [More]
Starring: Laura Galán, Richard Holmes, Carmen Machi, Irene Ferreiro
Directed By: Carlota Pereda

#17

Nanny (2022)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#17
Adjusted Score: 97530%
Critics Consensus: Led by Anna Diop's strong central performance, the smartly disquieting Nanny is a promising debut for writer-director Nikyatu Jusu.
Synopsis: In this psychological horror fable of displacement, Aisha (Anna Diop), a woman who recently emigrated from Senegal, is hired to... [More]
Starring: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector
Directed By: Nikyatu Jusu

#18

The Substance (2024)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#18
Adjusted Score: 111927%
Critics Consensus: Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore's finest hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat.
Synopsis: Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You, only better in every way. You should try this... [More]
Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Hugo Diego Garcia
Directed By: Coralie Fargeat

#19
#19
Adjusted Score: 96676%
Critics Consensus: Narratively challenging and visually haunting, We're All Going to the World's Fair adds a uniquely ambitious and unsettling entry to the crowded coming-of-age genre.
Synopsis: Late on a cold night somewhere in the U.S., teenage Casey (Anna Cobb in her feature debut) sits alone in... [More]
Starring: Anna Cobb, Michael J. Rogers
Directed By: Jane Schoenbrun

#20

The Devil's Bath (2024)
Tomatometer icon 91%

#20
Adjusted Score: 94785%
Critics Consensus: A squirm-inducing period piece that locates true horror in both mind and spirit, The Devil's Bath might be Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz's most chilling directorial effort yet.
Synopsis: In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon... [More]
Starring: Anja Plaschg, David Scheid, Maria Hofstätter, Natalija Baranova
Directed By: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

#21

Deadstream (2022)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#21
Adjusted Score: 94530%
Critics Consensus: Proof that there's still life in the found-footage gimmick, Deadstream is a scarily good bit of B-movie fun.
Synopsis: After a public controversy left him disgraced and demonetized, a washed up internet personality tries to win back his followers... [More]
Starring: Joseph Winter, Melanie Stone, Jason K. Wixom, Pat Barnett
Directed By: Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter

#22

Titane (2021)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#22
Adjusted Score: 102840%
Critics Consensus: Thrillingly provocative and original, Titane reaffirms writer-director Julia Ducournau's delightfully disturbing vision.
Synopsis: Titane: A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys, often used in medical prostheses due... [More]
Starring: Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh
Directed By: Julia Ducournau

#23

The Stylist (2020)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#23
Adjusted Score: 94477%
Critics Consensus: A slasher with flair and crafty patience for the kill, The Stylist marks writer-director Jill Gevargizian as an uncommonly sharp genre filmmaker.
Synopsis: We all dream of being someone else... but for Claire (Najarra Townsend, Contracted), that dream goes from an obsession to... [More]
Starring: Brea Grant, Najarra Townsend, Millie Milan, Sarah McGuire
Directed By: Jill Gevargizian

#24

The Invitation (2015)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#24
Adjusted Score: 94000%
Critics Consensus: The Invitation makes brilliant use of its tension-rich premise to deliver a uniquely effective -- and surprisingly clever -- slow-building thriller.
Synopsis: While attending a dinner party at his former house, a man starts to believe that his ex-wife and her new... [More]
Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi
Directed By: Karyn Kusama

#25

Censor (2021)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#25
Adjusted Score: 96955%
Critics Consensus: Occasionally uneven but bold and viscerally effective, Censor marks a bloody good step forward for British horror.
Synopsis: Film censor Enid takes pride in her meticulous work, guarding unsuspecting audiences from the deleterious effects of watching the gore-filled... [More]
Starring: Niamh Algar, Michael Smiley, Nicholas Burns, Vincent Franklin
Directed By: Prano Bailey-Bond

#26
#26
Adjusted Score: 91233%
Critics Consensus: Smartly creepy, You Are Not My Mother engages with a number of thought-provoking themes without sacrificing chills.
Synopsis: It's the week before Halloween. Char's bedridden mother, Angela, has mysteriously gone missing. All that remains is her abandoned car... [More]
Starring: Jade Jordan, Carolyn Bracken, Hazel Doupe, Paul Reid
Directed By: Kate Dolan

#27
#27
Adjusted Score: 93371%
Critics Consensus: Fear Street Part Three: 1666 sends the slasher series back in time for a trilogy-concluding installment that caps things off on a screaming high note.
Synopsis: The origins of Sarah Fier's curse are finally revealed as history comes full circle on a night that changes the... [More]
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Ashley Zukerman, Gillian Jacobs, Olivia Welch
Directed By: Leigh Janiak

#28

Watcher (2022)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#28
Adjusted Score: 95824%
Critics Consensus: Although its story may lack surprises, Watcher benefits from director Chloe Okuno's chilling grip on the material -- and Maika Monroe's terrific work in the leading role.
Synopsis: As a serial killer stalks the city, Julia -- a young actress who just moved to town with her boyfriend... [More]
Starring: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman, Tudor Petrut
Directed By: Chloe Okuno

#29
#29
Adjusted Score: 92862%
Critics Consensus: A smart and subversive twist on slasher horror, Fear Street Part II: 1978 shows that summer camp has never been scarier thanks to stellar performances from Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, and Ryan Simpkins.
Synopsis: Shadyside, 1978. School's out for summer and the activities at Camp Nightwing are about to begin. But when another Shadysider... [More]
Starring: Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, Ryan Simpkins, Chiara Aurelia
Directed By: Leigh Janiak

#30

Cargo (2017)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#30
Adjusted Score: 91362%
Critics Consensus: Cargo takes a refreshingly character-driven approach to the zombie genre that's further distinguished by its Australian setting and Martin Freeman's terrific lead performance.
Synopsis: Stranded in rural Australia in the aftermath of a violent pandemic, an infected father desperately seeks a new home for... [More]
Starring: Martin Freeman, Anthony Hayes, Susie Porter, Simone Landers
Directed By: Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke

#31

Glorious (2022)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#31
Adjusted Score: 90471%
Critics Consensus: With thought-provoking themes lurking beneath its absurd premise, Glorious is a brightly blood-spattered genre treat from director Rebekah McKendry.
Synopsis: A heartbroken man finds himself trapped in a bathroom with a strange voice who says he may be the only... [More]
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, J.K. Simmons, Sylvia Grace Crim, Andre Lamar
Directed By: Rebekah McKendry

#32
#32
Adjusted Score: 98884%
Critics Consensus: Impeccably cast and smartly written, Bodies Bodies Bodies is an uncommonly well-done whodunit.
Synopsis: When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game goes awry... [More]
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders
Directed By: Halina Reijn

#33

Soft & Quiet (2022)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#33
Adjusted Score: 86706%
Critics Consensus: A painfully timely horror-fueled thriller, Soft & Quiet forces the viewer to confront the ugly underbelly of modern American race relations.
Synopsis: Playing out in real time, SOFT & QUIET is a runaway train that follows a single afternoon in the life... [More]
Starring: Stefanie Estes, Olivia Luccardi, Eleanore Pienta, Dana Millican
Directed By: Beth de Araújo

#34

Goodnight Mommy (2014)
Tomatometer icon 85%

#34
Adjusted Score: 91665%
Critics Consensus: Dark, violent, and drenched in dread, Goodnight Mommy is perfect for extreme horror enthusiasts -- or filmgoers who prefer to watch between splayed fingers.
Synopsis: Twin boys who do everything together, from collecting beetles to feeding stray cats, welcome their mother home after her reconstructive... [More]
Starring: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz, Hans Escher
Directed By: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

#35

Candyman (2021)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#35
Adjusted Score: 101074%
Critics Consensus: Candyman takes an incisive, visually thrilling approach to deepening the franchise's mythology -- and terrifying audiences along the way.
Synopsis: For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago's Cabrini-Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost... [More]
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo
Directed By: Nia DaCosta

#36

I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#36
Adjusted Score: 98621%
Critics Consensus: With a distinctive visual aesthetic that enhances its emotionally resonant narrative, I Saw the TV Glow further establishes writer-director Jane Schoenbrun as a rising talent.
Synopsis: Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a... [More]
Starring: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Lindsey Jordan
Directed By: Jane Schoenbrun

#37

She Dies Tomorrow (2020)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#37
Adjusted Score: 94767%
Critics Consensus: Formally provocative and emotionally raw, She Dies Tomorrow confirms writer-director Amy Seimetz as a filmmaker with a unique -- and timely -- vision.
Synopsis: A woman's conviction that she will die tomorrow spreads like a contagion through a town.... [More]
Starring: Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Kentucker Audley, Katie Aselton
Directed By: Amy Seimetz

#38

Medusa (2021)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#38
Adjusted Score: 85986%
Critics Consensus: A stylish and well-acted tonal blend, Medusa confronts religious hypocrisy and sexism with invigorating anger.
Synopsis: Mari and her friends broadcast their spiritual devotion through pastel pinks and catchy evangelical songs about purity and perfection, but... [More]
Starring: Mari Oliveira, Bruna Linzmeyer, Thiago Fragoso, Lara Tremouroux
Directed By: Anita Rocha da Silveira

#39
#39
Adjusted Score: 89350%
Critics Consensus: Fear Street Part One: 1994 kicks off the trilogy in promising fashion, honoring the source material with plenty of retro slasher appeal.
Synopsis: A circle of teenage friends accidentally encounter the ancient evil responsible for a series of brutal murders that have plagued... [More]
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Gillian Jacobs
Directed By: Leigh Janiak

#40

Near Dark (1987)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#40
Adjusted Score: 89968%
Critics Consensus: Near Dark is at once a creepy vampire film, a thrilling western, and a poignant family tale, with humor and scares in abundance.
Synopsis: Cowboy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) meets gorgeous Mae (Jenny Wright) at a bar, and the two have an immediate attraction.... [More]
Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton
Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow

#41

The Wind (2018)
Tomatometer icon 82%

#41
Adjusted Score: 84945%
Critics Consensus: Imperfect yet intriguing, The Wind offers horror fans an admirably ambitious story further distinguished by its fresh perspective and effective scares.
Synopsis: Lizzy is a tough, resourceful frontierswoman settling a remote stretch of land on the 19th-century American frontier. Isolated from civilization... [More]
Starring: Caitlin Gerard, Julia Goldani Telles, Ashley Zukerman, Miles Anderson
Directed By: Emma Tammi

#42

Scare Package (2019)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#42
Adjusted Score: 82407%
Critics Consensus: Some of its contents are more entertaining than others, but genre fans should still find this Scare Package well worth opening.
Synopsis: Seven filmmakers present seven terrifying and comedic tales of horror.... [More]
Starring: Jeremy King, Noah Segan, Toni Trucks, Chase Williamson
Directed By: Courtney Andujar, Aaron B. Koontz, Hillary Andujar, Anthony Cousins

#43

Perpetrator (2023)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#43
Adjusted Score: 82672%
Critics Consensus: A smartly ambitious supernatural thriller, Perpetrator blends an assortment of genres and influences into a bloody good time.
Synopsis: Jonny Baptiste (Kiah McKirnan) is a reckless teen sent to live with her estranged Aunt Hildie (Alicia Silverstone). On her... [More]
Starring: Josh Bywater, Avery Holliday, Casimere Jollette, Sasha Kuznetsov
Directed By: Jennifer Reeder

#44

Clock (2023)
Tomatometer icon 79%

#44
Adjusted Score: 80347%
Critics Consensus: While Clock may strain some viewers' suspension of disbelief, it's a mostly effective attempt to view reproductive pressures through a chilling horror lens.
Synopsis: "Clock" is the story of a woman who enrolls in a clinical trial to try and fix her seemingly broken... [More]
Starring: Dianna Agron, Melora Hardin, Jay Ali, Saul Rubinek
Directed By: Alexis Jacknow

#45

12 Hour Shift (2020)
Tomatometer icon 78%

#45
Adjusted Score: 81764%
Critics Consensus: Sharp, twisted, and darkly funny, 12 Hour Shift is an uncommonly clever heist caper with a refreshing female-focused twist.
Synopsis: It’s 1998 and over the course of one night at an Arkansas hospital, a junkie nurse, her scheming cousin and... [More]
Starring: Angela Bettis, Chloe Farnworth, Nikea Gamby-Turner, Kit Williamson
Directed By: Brea Grant

#46

Tales of Halloween (2015)
Tomatometer icon 77%

#46
Adjusted Score: 78789%
Critics Consensus: Tales of Halloween boasts a number of fun scares and is overall more consistent than many horror anthology films, even if it isn't quite as dark or nasty as the classics of the genre.
Synopsis: Ten short stories revolve around ghosts, ghouls, monsters, the devil, aliens, and ax murderers who terrorize a suburb on Halloween... [More]
Starring: Barry Bostwick, Lin Shaye, John Savage, Adrienne Barbeau
Directed By: Darren Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Adam Gierasch, Neil Marshall

#47

V/H/S/99 (2022)
Tomatometer icon 74%

#47
Adjusted Score: 76177%
Critics Consensus: Like most anthologies, V/H/S/99 has its ups and downs -- but more often than not, this collection of shorts continues the franchise's recent creative rebound.
Synopsis: V/H/S/99 harkens back to the final punk rock analog days of VHS, while taking one giant leap forward into the... [More]
Starring: Kim Abunuwara, Duncan Anderson, Kyle Bales, Verona Blue
Directed By: Flying Lotus, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Johannes Roberts

#48

Honeymoon (2014)
Tomatometer icon 76%

#48
Adjusted Score: 78004%
Critics Consensus: Smart, stylish, and nail-bitingly tense, Honeymoon packs more slow-building horror than many bigger-budget productions.
Synopsis: A honeymooning bride (Rose Leslie) goes sleepwalking into the woods surrounding a secluded cabin. When she returns she looks the... [More]
Starring: Rose Leslie, Harry Treadaway, Ben Huber, Hanna Brown
Directed By: Leigh Janiak

#49

Master (2022)
Tomatometer icon 75%

#49
Adjusted Score: 83354%
Critics Consensus: It can be didactic rather than truly suspenseful, but Master is an impressively well-crafted horror outing with a lot on its mind.
Synopsis: At an elite New England university built on the site of a Salem-era gallows hill, three women strive to find... [More]
Starring: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam
Directed By: Mariama Diallo

#50

The Lodge (2019)
Tomatometer icon 75%

#50
Adjusted Score: 84135%
Critics Consensus: Led by an impressive Riley Keough performance, The Lodge should prove a suitably unsettling destination for fans of darkly atmospheric horror.
Synopsis: During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for... [More]
Starring: Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Richard Armitage
Directed By: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

#51

Handling the Undead (2024)
Tomatometer icon 75%

#51
Adjusted Score: 79559%
Critics Consensus: A grounded zombie picture with emotional bite, Handling the Undead shuffles along at a patient pace but succeeds as a poignant and thoughtful addition to the genre.
Synopsis: On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their... [More]
Starring: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Bjørn Sundquist, Bente Børsum
Directed By: Thea Hvistendahl

#52

Berlin Syndrome (2017)
Tomatometer icon 74%

#52
Adjusted Score: 78010%
Critics Consensus: Berlin Syndrome offers thriller fans an uncommonly well-written descent into dangerous obsession, enlivened by taut direction and a committed performance from Teresa Palmer.
Synopsis: A disturbed teacher holds a young photographer captive in his Berlin apartment after bringing her home for a night of... [More]
Starring: Teresa Palmer, Max Riemelt, Matthias Habich, Emma Bading
Directed By: Cate Shortland

#53

T-Blockers (2023)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#53
Adjusted Score: 78244%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In small-town Australia, a nightmare is brewing. Sophie is a young filmmaker obsessed with finding a thought-to-be long-lost film. Meanwhile,... [More]
Starring: Lewi Dawson, Etcetera Etcetera, Lisa Fanto, Toshiro Glenn
Directed By: Alice Maio Mackay

#54

Radius (2017)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#54
Adjusted Score: 82225%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When he wakes up after a car accident and doesn't have a memory, a man makes his way into town... [More]
Starring: Diego Klattenhoff, Charlotte Sullivan, Nazariy Demkowicz, Brett Donahue
Directed By: Caroline Labrèche, Steeve Léonard

#55

Somewhere Quiet (2023)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#55
Adjusted Score: 78362%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Months after escaping a brutal kidnapping, Meg travels with her husband, Scott, to his family's isolated compound in Cape Cod,... [More]
Starring: Marin Ireland, Micheál Richardson, Jennifer Kim, Kentucker Audley
Directed By: Olivia West Lloyd

#56
#56
Adjusted Score: 90228%
Critics Consensus: Effectively playing on fundamental fears, Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a creepy calling card for debuting director Teresa Sutherland that's further distinguished by Georgina Campbell's haunting performance.
Synopsis: Lennon, a new back-country ranger, travels alone through the dangerous wilderness, hoping to uncover the origins of a tragedy that... [More]
Starring: Georgina Campbell, Nick Blood, Wai Ching Ho, Edgar Morais
Directed By: Teresa Sutherland

#57

Torn Hearts (2022)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#57
Adjusted Score: 89588%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Blumhouse Television and EPIX present the cautionary tale of a rise to stardom set in the iconic Nashville Country Music... [More]
Starring: Katey Sagal, Abby Quinn, Alexxis Lemire, Joshua Leonard
Directed By: Brea Grant

#58

Trim Season (2023)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#58
Adjusted Score: 84747%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jobless and searching for purpose, Emma and a group of young people from Los Angeles drive up the coast to... [More]
Starring: Bethlehem Million, Alex Essoe, Jane Badler, Ally Ioannides
Directed By: Ariel Vida

#59

Blood Punch (2013)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#59
Adjusted Score: 35780%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A young man becomes entangled in a dangerous love triangle.... [More]
Starring: Milo Cawthorne, Olivia Tennet, Ari Boyland, Fleur Saville
Directed By: Madellaine Paxson

#60

The Well (2023)
Tomatometer icon 86%

#60
Adjusted Score: 36246%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When novice art restorer Lisa Gray goes to a small Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its... [More]
Starring: Lauren LaVera, Claudia Gerini, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Linda Zampaglione
Directed By: Federico Zampaglione, Andrea Arnone, Antonella Balsamo

#61

The Retaliators (2021)
Tomatometer icon 86%

#61
Adjusted Score: 87280%
Critics Consensus: It may not offer much they haven't seen before, but strong-stomached exploitation enthusiasts will savor The Retaliators.
Synopsis: In THE RETALIATORS, an upstanding pastor uncovers a dark and twisted underworld as he searches for answers surrounding his daughter's... [More]
Starring: Michael Lombardi, Marc Menchaca, Joseph Gatt, Katie Kelly
Directed By: Bridget Smith, Samuel Gonzalez Jr.

#62

You're Killing Me (2023)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#62
Adjusted Score: 29981%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: "You're Killing Me" follows Eden Murphy (McKaley Miller), who goes to a coveted 'Heaven and Hell' party, hoping to get... [More]
Starring: McKaley Miller, Dermot Mulroney, Anne Heche, Brice Anthony Heller
Directed By: Beth Hanna, Jerren Lauder

#63

Bleed with Me (2020)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#63
Adjusted Score: 83424%
Critics Consensus: An auspicious debut for writer-director Amelia Moses, the smartly restrained Bleed with Me taps a rich vein of psychological horror.
Synopsis: Bleed With Me is a psychological horror film that explores the intersections of admiration, compulsion, and obsession. Rowan, a vulnerable... [More]
Starring: Lee Marshall, Lauren Beatty, Aris Tyros
Directed By: Amelia Moses

#64

Unseen (2023)
Tomatometer icon 87%

#64
Adjusted Score: 78545%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two women form an unlikely connection when a depressed gas station clerk Sam (Jolene Purdy), receives a call from Emily... [More]
Starring: Midori Francis, Jolene Purdy, Missi Pyle, Michael Patrick Lane
Directed By: Yoko Okumura

#65

M.F.A. (2017)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#65
Adjusted Score: 80473%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The accidental death of her rapist sets an art student on a course for justice, fueling the inspiration for her... [More]
Starring: Francesca Eastwood, Clifton Collins Jr., Leah McKendrick, Peter Vack
Directed By: Natalia Leite

#66

Caddo Lake (2024)
Tomatometer icon 76%

#66
Adjusted Score: 77885%
Critics Consensus: A windingly intricate and delirious sci-fi thrill ride washes over the senses and steadily flows through Caddo Lake.
Synopsis: When an 8-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a... [More]
Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Lauren Ambrose, Eric Lange
Directed By: Celine Held, Logan George

#67

Follow Her (2022)
Tomatometer icon 77%

#67
Adjusted Score: 77294%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jess (Dani Barker) has finally found her hook: secretly filming creepy interactions she encounters via online job listings, and using... [More]
Starring: Luke Cook, Dani Barker, Eliana Jones, Mark Moses
Directed By: Sylvia Caminer

#68

Amer (2009)
Tomatometer icon 79%

#68
Adjusted Score: 79304%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Ana's carnal desires define her life.... [More]
Starring: Harry Cleven, Biancamaria D'amato, Bernard Marbaix, Jean-Michel Vovk
Directed By: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani

#69

Shapeless (2021)
Tomatometer icon 75%

#69
Adjusted Score: 75086%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Ivy, a struggling singer in New Orleans trapped in the hidden underworld of her eating disorder, must face her addiction... [More]
Starring: Kelly Murtagh, Bobby Gilchrist, Jamie Neumann, Marco Dapper
Directed By: Samantha Aldana

#70

ABCs of Death 2 (2014)
Tomatometer icon 72%

#70
Adjusted Score: 72657%
Critics Consensus: ABCs of Death 2 delivers some inventively gory thrills, offering a surprising (albeit still somewhat uneven) upgrade over its predecessor.
Synopsis: Twenty-six filmmakers from around the globe helm stories that detail 26 ways to meet your maker, each one corresponding to... [More]
Starring: Martina García, C. Ernst Harth, Eric Jacobus, Andy Nyman
Directed By: Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado, Alejandro Brugués, Bill Plympton

#71

Amulet (2020)
Tomatometer icon 73%

#71
Adjusted Score: 77883%
Critics Consensus: If its chilly sense of dread never quite becomes spine-tingling terror, Amulet remains smart, solidly disquieting fun for genre fans seeking slow-building horror.
Synopsis: Terror strikes when a former soldier takes a job to help a young woman and her housebound mother.... [More]
Starring: Carla Juri, Imelda Staunton, Alec Secareanu, Angeliki Papoulia
Directed By: Romola Garai

#72
#72
Adjusted Score: 70373%
Critics Consensus: Nothing Bad Can Happen uses its protagonist's punishing ordeal to pose questions about faith that are well worth considering, even if the film can't quite answer them.
Synopsis: A pious teen (Julius Feldmeier) endures torture at the hands of a sadistic couple (Sascha Alexander Gersak, Annika Kuhl) because... [More]
Starring: Julius Feldmeier, Sascha Alexander Gersak, Annika Kuhl, Swantje Kohlhof
Directed By: Katrin Gebbe

#73

The Velvet Vampire (1971)
Tomatometer icon 71%

#73
Adjusted Score: 71839%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A couple becomes the target of a vampires' seductions.... [More]
Starring: Michael Blodgett, Sherry Miles, Celeste Yarnall, Gene Shane
Directed By: Stephanie Rothman

#74

XX (2017)
Tomatometer icon 69%

#74
Adjusted Score: 71773%
Critics Consensus: XX's array of distinct female filmmaking voices -- and the empowerment their collection represents -- offer enough thrills to make up for the overall uneven quality that plagues most anthology projects.
Synopsis: Filmmakers Jovanka Vuckovic, Annie Clark, Roxanne Benjamin and Karyn Kusama present four horrific tales of terror. In "The Box," a... [More]
Starring: Natalie Brown, Jonathan Watton, Peter DaCunha, Peyton Kennedy
Directed By: Jovanka Vuckovic, St. Vincent, Roxanne Benjamin, Karyn Kusama

#75

American Psycho (2000)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#75
Adjusted Score: 74133%
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

#76

Darlin' (2019)
Tomatometer icon 69%

#76
Adjusted Score: 69624%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A feral teenage girl is taken into strict Catholic church care and prepared for her First Holy Communion.... [More]
Starring: Nora Jane Noone, Peyton Wich, Eugenie Bondurant, Charlie Talbert
Directed By: Pollyanna McIntosh

#77

Kiss of the Damned (2012)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#77
Adjusted Score: 68772%
Critics Consensus: This one bites in a mostly good way: Kiss of the Damned is an erotic gorefest reminiscent of gaudy '70s horror flicks, presented in plain packaging and not meant for direct sunlight.
Synopsis: When a handsome young writer falls for a gorgeous, seductive vampire, their wild romance seems destined for the ages --... [More]
Starring: Joséphine de La Baume, Milo Ventimiglia, Roxane Mesquida, Anna Mouglalis
Directed By: Xan Cassavetes

#78

In My Skin (2002)
Tomatometer icon 65%

#78
Adjusted Score: 65684%
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

#79

Dark Touch (2013)
Tomatometer icon 60%

#79
Adjusted Score: 30495%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In a remote Irish village, police are called to the scene of a massacre, but they ignore the lone survivor's... [More]
Starring: Missy Keating, Marcella Plunkett, Padraic Delaney, Catherine Walker
Directed By: Marina de Van

#80

Satanic Panic (2019)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#80
Adjusted Score: 65472%
Critics Consensus: It isn't terribly devilish or particularly pulse-quickening, but Satanic Panic remains an entertaining midnight movie that forgiving genre enthusiasts will enjoy.
Synopsis: A minimum-wage delivery girl is forced into a night-long battle with the affluent leaders of a suburban community after discovering... [More]
Starring: Hayley Griffith, Ruby Modine, Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn
Directed By: Chelsea Stardust

#81

Departing Seniors (2023)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#81
Adjusted Score: 60681%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Mexican-American and queer, high school student Javier doesn't exactly fit in with the popular kids. But he might be the... [More]
Starring: Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Yani Gellman, Ireon Roach, Cameron Scott Roberts
Directed By: Clare Cooney

#82

Nocturne (2020)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#82
Adjusted Score: 65654%
Critics Consensus: Nocturne's thought-provoking themes find themselves at odds with its genre ingredients, resulting in a mild blend that isn't quite pulpy enough.
Synopsis: Inside the halls of an elite arts academy, a timid music student begins to outshine her more accomplished and outgoing... [More]
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Madison Iseman, Jacques Colimon, Ivan Shaw
Directed By: Zu Quirke

#83

American Mary (2012)
Tomatometer icon 61%

#83
Adjusted Score: 62658%
Critics Consensus: It suffers a bit from some uneven acting and an underwhelming climax, but American Mary utilizes pitch black humor and striking visuals to deliver gory, freaky thrills for body horror enthusiasts.
Synopsis: Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle) is lured into a world of freakish surgeries for easy money.... [More]
Starring: Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, Tristan Risk, David Lovgren
Directed By: Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska

#84
#84
Adjusted Score: 61987%
Critics Consensus: Conceptually strong but uneven in execution, There's Something Wrong with the Children is a serviceable horror movie that could have been much more.
Synopsis: When Margaret (Alisha Wainwright) and Ben (Zach Gilford) take a weekend trip with longtime friends Ellie (Crew) and Thomas (Santos)... [More]
Starring: Alisha Wainwright, Zach Gilford, Amanda Crew, Carlos Santos
Directed By: Roxanne Benjamin

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