Scary Movies of 2017 by Tomatometer

The last few years have been banner times for the horror genre and 2017 continues the ghoulish trend with full-throated effort. See this year’s significant and underground horror films (each must have at least 10 reviews) sorted by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo

#56

Creep 2 (2017)
100%

#56

Critics Consensus: Creep 2 has everything that made the original work and more -- more laughs, more awkwardness, more unsettling terror.

Synopsis: A video artist quickly realizes she has made a mistake when she meets a serial killer in a cabin. [More]

Starring: Mark Duplass, Karan Soni, Patrick Brice, Desiree Akhavan

Directed By: Patrick Brice

#55

Lowlife (2017)
91%

#55

Critics Consensus: A darkly funny crime chronicle, Lowlife presents a Los Angeles teeming with memorable characters and propulsive style.

Synopsis: The lives of a luchador, an ex-con and an addict collide when an organ harvesting scheme goes awry. [More]

Starring: Nicki Micheaux, Ricardo Adam Zarate, Jon Oswald, Shaye Ogbonna

Directed By: Ryan Prows

#54

Get Out (2017)
98%

#54

Critics Consensus: Funny, scary, and thought-provoking, Get Out seamlessly weaves its trenchant social critiques into a brilliantly effective and entertaining horror/comedy thrill ride.

Synopsis: Now that Chris and his girlfriend, Rose, have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend [More]

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford

Directed By: Jordan Peele

#53

The Devil's Candy (2015)
93%

#53

Critics Consensus: The Devil's Candy playfully subverts horror tropes while serving up more than enough stylish thrills to satisfy genre enthusiasts.

Synopsis: A struggling painter is possessed by satanic forces after he and his family move into their dream home. [More]

Starring: Ethan Embry, Shiri Appleby, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Kiara Glasco

Directed By: Sean Byrne

#52

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
77%

#52

Critics Consensus: Anna and the Apocalypse finds fresh brains and a lot of heart in the crowded zombie genre - not to mention a fun genre mashup populated by rootable characters.

Synopsis: A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to [More]

Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux

Directed By: John McPhail

#51

Replace (2017)
82%

#51

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When a young woman who has a disease that makes her skin crumble away discovers that she can replace the [More]

Starring: Rebecca Forsythe, Lucie Aron, Barbara Crampton, Sean Knopp

Directed By: Norbert Keil

#50

Raw (2016)
93%

#50

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

#49

A Dark Song (2016)
91%

#49

Critics Consensus: A Dark Song offers atmospheric, unsettling horror -- and marks writer-director Liam Gavin as one to watch.

Synopsis: A young woman and a damaged occultist risk their souls to perform a ritual. [More]

Starring: Catherine Walker, Steve Oram, Mark Huberman, Susan Loughnane

Directed By: Liam Gavin

#48

Gerald's Game (2017)
91%

#48

Critics Consensus: Carla Gugino carries Gerald's Game's small-scale suspense with a career-defining performance.

Synopsis: A woman accidentally kills her husband during a kinky game. Handcuffed to her bed with no hope of rescue, she [More]

Starring: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas, Carel Struycken

Directed By: Mike Flanagan

#47

Better Watch Out (2016)
89%

#47

Critics Consensus: Carried by its charismatic young cast, Better Watch Out is an adorably sinister holiday horror film.

Synopsis: Ashley travels to the suburban home of the Lerners to baby-sit their 12-year-old son Luke at Christmastime. She must soon [More]

Starring: Levi Miller, Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Dacre Montgomery

Directed By: Chris Peckover

#46

It Comes at Night (2017)
88%

#46

Critics Consensus: It Comes at Night makes lethally effective use of its bare-bones trappings while proving once again that what's left unseen can be just as horrifying as anything on the screen.

Synopsis: After a mysterious apocalypse leaves the world with few survivors, two families are forced to share a home in an [More]

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, Riley Keough

Directed By: Trey Edward Shults

#45

1922 (2017)
92%

#45

Critics Consensus: Thanks to director Zak Hilditch's patient storytelling and strong work from lead Thomas Jane, 1922 ranks among the more satisfying Stephen King adaptations.

Synopsis: A rancher conspires to murder his wife for financial gain and convinces his teenage son to participate. [More]

Starring: Thomas Jane, Neal McDonough, Molly Parker, Brian d'Arcy James

Directed By: Zak Hilditch

#44

The Lure (2015)
89%

#44

Critics Consensus: The Lure adds a sexually charged, genre-defying twist to well-established mermaid lore, more than overpowering its flaws through sheer variety and wild ambition.

Synopsis: Two mermaid sisters become caught in a love triangle when they fall for the same man. [More]

Starring: Marta Mazurek, Michalina Olszańska, Kinga Preis, Andrzej Konopka

Directed By: Agnieszka Smoczynska

#43

The Transfiguration (2016)
86%

#43

Critics Consensus: The Transfiguration tells a quieter, more deliberately paced tale than genre fans might expect, but for those with the patience to let it sink in, it offers its own rewards.

Synopsis: Troubled teen Milo (Eric Ruffin) hides behind his fascination with vampire lore. When he meets the equally alienated Sophie (Chloe [More]

Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloë Levine, Aaron Moten, Carter Redwood

Directed By: Michael O'Shea

#42

It (2017)
85%

#42

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and fiendishly frightening with an emotionally affecting story at its core, It amplifies the horror in Stephen King's classic story without losing touch with its heart.

Synopsis: Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, are about to face their worst nightmare -- an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges [More]

Starring: Jaeden Martell, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard

Directed By: Andy Muschietti

#41

Mom and Dad (2017)
74%

#41

Critics Consensus: Mom and Dad's gonzo premise serves as an effective springboard for a wickedly dark, bloody comedy - and an appropriately over-the-top performance from Nicolas Cage.

Synopsis: A teenage girl and her little brother try to survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of [More]

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur

Directed By: Brian Taylor

#40

Cult of Chucky (2017)
81%

#40

Critics Consensus: Old Dolls can learn new tricks: This little murderer with a facelift is sillier and better than ever thanks to Don Mancini's Cult of Chucky.

Synopsis: Chucky returns to terrorize his human victim, Nica, who is confined to an asylum for the criminally insane. Meanwhile, the [More]

Starring: Fiona Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Alex Vincent

Directed By: Don Mancini

#39

Dig Two Graves (2014)
71%

#39

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: After 13-year-old Jacqueline Mather (Samantha Isler) loses her brother in a mysterious drowning accident, she is soon visited by three [More]

Starring: Ted Levine, Samantha Isler, Danny Goldring, Ann Sonneville

Directed By: Hunter Adams

#38

Tragedy Girls (2017)
85%

#38

Critics Consensus: Tragedy Girls injects familiar teen tropes with just enough up-to-the-minute commentary -- and pitch-black humor -- to work as an irreverently entertaining diversion.

Synopsis: Teenage crime reporters Sadie and McKayla are hot on the trail of a crazed serial killer. After capturing the maniac [More]

Starring: Alexandra Shipp, Brianna Hildebrand, Josh Hutcherson, Craig Robinson

Directed By: Tyler MacIntyre

#37

Tokyo Ghoul (2017)
82%

#37

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A college student is attacked by a ghoul, a being that feeds on human flesh. He later receives an organ [More]

Starring: Masataka Kubota, Yoshiko Sengen, Nobuyuki Suzuki, Yô Ôizumi

Directed By: Kentarô Hagiwara

#36

Dave Made a Maze (2017)
85%

#36

Critics Consensus: Dave Made a Maze offers decent storytelling but plunges deep into bold stylistic waters, establishing director Bill Watterson as a fresh and inventive filmmaker.

Synopsis: Dave, a frustrated artist who has yet to accomplish anything significant in his career, builds a fort out of cardboard [More]

Starring: Kirsten Vangsness, Stephanie Allynne, John Morrison, James Urbaniak

Directed By: Bill Watterson

#35

We Are the Flesh (2016)
73%

#35

Critics Consensus: Visually striking and aggressively confrontational, We are the Flesh may prove as difficult to watch as it ultimately is to forget.

Synopsis: After wandering a ruined city for years, two siblings enter a building and find a man who makes them a [More]

Starring: Noé Hernández, María Evoli, Diego Gamaliel, Gabino Rodríguez

Directed By: Emiliano Rocha Minter

#34

The Limehouse Golem (2016)
74%

#34

Critics Consensus: The Limehouse Golem offers old-school Hammer-style horror anchored by rich period detail and strong work from a solid cast.

Synopsis: Victorian London is gripped with fear as a serial killer is on the loose and leaving cryptic messages written in [More]

Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Douglas Booth, Daniel Mays

Directed By: Juan Carlos Medina

#33

Split (2017)
79%

#33

Critics Consensus: Split serves as a dramatic tour de force for James McAvoy in multiple roles -- and finds writer-director M. Night Shyamalan returning resoundingly to thrilling form.

Synopsis: Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still [More]

Starring: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson

Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan

#32

The Void (2016)
77%

#32

Critics Consensus: The Void offers a nostalgic rush for fans of low-budget 1980s horror -- and legitimate thrills for hardcore genre enthusiasts of all ages.

Synopsis: Cloaked, cult-like figures trap a police officer, patients and staffers inside a hospital that is a gateway to evil. [More]

Starring: Aaron Poole, Kathleen Munroe, Ellen Wong, Kenneth Welsh

Directed By: Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski

#31

The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)
77%

#31

Critics Consensus: Slow-building and atmospheric, The Blackcoat's Daughter resists girls-in-peril clichés in a supernatural thriller that serves as a strong calling card for debuting writer-director Oz Perkins.

Synopsis: During the dead of winter, a troubled young woman (Emma Roberts) embarks on a mysterious journey to an isolated prep [More]

Starring: Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton, James Remar

Directed By: Oz Perkins

#30

XX (2017)
69%

#30

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

#29

Annabelle: Creation (2017)
70%

#29

Critics Consensus: Annabelle: Creation adds another strong chapter to the Conjuring franchise - and offers further proof that freaky-looking dolls remain reliably terrifying.

Synopsis: Former toy maker Sam Mullins and his wife, Esther, are happy to welcome a nun and six orphaned girls into [More]

Starring: Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Eliana Bateman, Lulu Wilson, Philippa Coulthard

Directed By: David F. Sandberg

#28

Alien: Covenant (2017)
65%

#28

Critics Consensus: Alien: Covenant delivers another satisfying round of close-quarters deep-space terror, even if it doesn't take the saga in any new directions.

Synopsis: Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, members (Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup) of the colony [More]

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride

Directed By: Ridley Scott

#27

mother! (2017)
68%

#27

Critics Consensus: There's no denying that mother! is the thought-provoking product of a singularly ambitious artistic vision, though it may be too unwieldy for mainstream tastes.

Synopsis: A young woman spends her days renovating the Victorian mansion that she lives in with her husband in the countryside. [More]

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer

Directed By: Darren Aronofsky

#26

The Ice Cream Truck (2017)
68%

#26

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When a local ice cream man who has a love for nostalgia starts to kill some of her neighbors, Mary [More]

Starring: Deanna Russo, Emil Johnsen, John Redlinger, Sam Schweikert

Directed By: Megan Freels Johnston