Just like the New York Times list but for horror, and no voting committee. Just me. Telling you definitively what the 100 Best Horror Films this century you should watch are.
100. Dead Silence (2007)
Ventriloquist Dummy * Old Witch * Gory * Silly/Fun * Jump Scares*
James Wan‘s (The Conjuring, Saw, Insidious) utterly ridiculous evil doll story that’s outrageously stupid and genuinely spooky. Donnie Wahlberg plays a cop.
Available to Rent and Purchase on Digital
99. The Devil’s Candy (2015)
Indie * Demonic Possession * Heavy Metal * Likeable Characters
Australian indie horror maestro Sean Byrne‘s (The Loved Ones, Dangerous Animals) sophomore feature about a struggling artist who accidentally buys a totally fucked up haunted house for his family.
Streaming on AMC+ and Shudder
98. Piranha 3D (2010)
Silly/Fun * Gory * Spring Break * Killer Piranhas * Lots of Nudity
The least disturbing movie from the director (Alexandre Aja) who showed us a guy giving himself dome with a woman’s severed head in his feature debut, High Tension. Relax, this movie, Piranha 3D, unlike that movie, is the very definition of dumb fun. It’s about a bunch of dum-dums getting nom-nommed by a bunch of prehistoric piranhas up at Lake Victoria during spring break. Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Ving Rhames, Jerry O’Connell, and bunch of pornstars make up the cast.
Streaming on Amazon Prime
97. Session 9 (2001)
Indie * Disturbing * Nuanced * Haunted Asylum * Strong Performances
Most won’t have the patience for this one. Session 9 follows an asbestos removal crew (Peter Mullan, David Caruso, Josh Lucas, Stephen Gevedon, Brendan Sexton III) working in Danvers State Hospital, an abandoned mental hospital in Massachusetts. A slow-burn psychological horror, it doesn’t jump out at you; it seeps into your subconscious like a parasitic earwig.
Available for rental and purchase on digital
96. Grindhouse (2007)
Double Feature * Silly/Fun * Gory * Zombies * Serial Killer * Car Chases
In 2007, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez dropped Grindhouse, a 3+ hour, double feature love letter to sleazy B-movies. Rodriguez‘s zombie flick delivers, Tarantino‘s killer car tale stumbles (even with a great Kurt Russell performance), but the fake movie trailers by genre filmmakers Edgar Wright, Rob Zombie, and Eli Roth completely steal the show. A box office bomb in the day, it was split up into two movies for home release. If you’re going to watch it, watch the original double feature version.
Available for rental and purchase on digital
95. Antichrist (2009)
Artsy * Indie * Depressing * Gruesome * Strong Performances * Couple Problems
Lars Von Trier‘s brutally twisted tale of a grieving couple (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe) whose nature hike spirals into a grotesque visual metaphor for how losing a child can destroy a marriage. Thanks for that, Lars.
Streaming on MUBI
94. Anything for Jackson (2020)
Indie * Demonic Possession * Creepy * Funny * Strong Performances
Basically this guy, Justin G. Dyck, who directed all these Hallmark Christmas movies, decided to make a R-rated horror movie and it absolutely fucking slaps. Featuring two veteran character actors in the lead roles (Sheila McCarthy, Julian Richings) as grieving grandparents who resort to Satanic rituals to bring back Jackson, their dead grandson. This one is a wild ride that accomplishes a lot with a limited budget and even manages to score a few laughs. Read my original review.
Streaming on AMC+, Shudder and Tubi
93. Suitable Flesh (2023)
HP Lovecraft * Demonic Possession * Body Horror * Silly/Fun
Heather Graham gives possibly her best performance ever as a psychiatrist who spirals out of control while treating a young man who may or may not be possessed by the Devil, in a horror movie that’s basically a deranged soap opera jam-packed with horniness.
Streaming on Hulu, Disney+, AMC+ and Shudder
92. Stopmotion (2023)
Indie * Artsy * Partially Animated * Disturbing * Ambiguous * Great Lead Performance
The always brilliant Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale, Speak No Evil) plays a stop motion animator trying to finish her dead mother’s film when a mysterious neighbor girl wanders into her life and throws a wrench into her workflow. Lots of squishy dirt meat in this one. Read my original review.
Streaming on Hulu, Disney+, AMC+ and Shudder
91. Bones & All (2022)
Artsy * Cannibals * Gory * Romance * 80s set * Strong Performances
Timotheé Chalamet and Taylor Russell play young cannibals who fall in love in Luca Guadagnino‘s (Call Me By Your Name, Challengers) gory arthouse romance set over the backdrop of Reagan‘s America. Oscar Winner Mark Rylance has a very memorable role as Sully, a sad but vicious old cannibal onto the couple’s scent. Read my original review.
Streaming on MGM+
90. Cut (2000)
Indie * Teen Slasher * Self-Aware * Funny * Clever * Australian
Of all the Scream knockoffs, this one is the smartest. Kimble Rendall‘s Cut follows a college film crew trying to finish a local horror movie abandoned after its cast was murdered. Molly Ringwald shows up as the American diva the college filmmakers cast as their lead. Cut is funnier and more entertaining than it has any right to be, even if the ending goes completely off the rails.
Streaming on Tubi
89. 1408
Stephen King Adaptation * PG-13 Horror * Ghosts * Psychological Terror
In recent years, this has become my go-to comfort haunted house movie. Except it isn’t set in a house, it’s set in a New York City hotel room (room #1408 to be exact) where all the creepiest stuff happens when the lights are turned on. John Cusack plays a grieving author who writes hack-y haunted location travelogues, who checks into Room 1408 at The Dolphin Hotel, managed by Samuel L. Jackson. “56 people have died in the room,” says Mr. Jackson, but Mr. Say Anything ignores those warnings. Chaos inevitably ensues, with genuinely spooky moments and a surprisingly emotional ending that might be the key reason I keep coming back to this largely forgotten Stephen King adaptation.
Streaming on Peacock
88. The Conjuring (2013)
Big Budget * Haunted House * 70s Set * Creepy * Fun Time
Before it became a bunch of lazy phoned-in franchise crap, the original Conjuring was a legitimately spooky and exceptionally well made throw back to the haunted house movies of the 60s and 70s by Saw and Insidious director, James Wan. This one is “based on a true story”, key word being based here, about Ed and Lorraine Warren (a very good Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) who are demonologists for the Catholic Church who travel around the country helping out families dealing with ghosts and demons in their house. This one is about a haunting of a lower middle class family on the East Coast. Will Ed and Lorraine get the demons out? You have to watch to find out.
Streaming on HBOMax
87. The First Omen (2024)
Franchise Prequel * Nuns * The Devil * 70s Set * Fun Time
Way better than it has any right to be, and from the opinion of someone who never has been a fan of The Omen series, even the 1976 original, I think this is the best one. That’s because director Arkasha Stevenson really makes this tired franchise her own, making smart creative choices and putting everything she has into it. This isn’t filmmaking by-the-numbers, this is how you do a franchise prequel proper. Read my original review.
Streaming on Amazon Prime
86. Ginger Snaps (2000)
Werewolves * High School * Gory * Strong Female Characters * Kinda Funny
“Being a teen is hell” isn’t exactly a groundbreaking metaphor for horror, but screenwriter Karen Walton and director John Fawcett find a lot of fresh angles in this darkly comic werewolf movie that likens lycan transformation to puberty and the menstrual cycle. A Canadian cult classic!
Streaming on AMC+ and Shudder
85. We Are Still Here (2015)
Indie * Haunted House * Middle-Aged Protagonists * 70s Set * Very Scary
A seriously unsettling 70s set horror film about a pair of grieving parents (Barbara Crampton, Andrew Sensesig) who move into a creepy house with a violent past. At first they think the paranormal activity is from their dead teenage son but they quickly learn it’s something far more sinister.
Streaming on Tubi
84. X (2022)
Indie * 70s Set * Lots of Sex and Nudity * Great Cast * Kinda Funny
The first and second best of Ti West’s trilogy, this installment follows a group of amateur pornographers who scout the wrong location for their dirty movie. The cinematography is gorgeous and West perfectly captures the vibe of 70s Grindhouse cinema. The characters may be 2D but it’s a whole lotta fun if you like this sort of thing. Read my original review.
Available for rental and purchase on digital
83. Birth/Rebirth (2023)
Indie * Psychological * Subtle * Science Gone Wrong * Great Lead Performance
A modern day Dr. Frankenstein story about an autistic morgue technician (a brilliant Marin Ireland) experimenting with corpse reanimation by bringing a little girl back to life. Scrubs‘ Judy Reyes plays the girl’s mother. This is a dark but very intelligent thriller, and a fine debut by filmmaker Laura Moss. Read my original review.
Streaming on Hulu, Disney+, AMC+, and Shudder
82. Creep (2014)
Indie * Found Footage * Duplassy * Great Lead Performance * Slow Burn
One of the better offerings of found footage horror, Creep follows a videographer who answers a dude’s personal ad about wanting someone to film him for the day. The dude is a total fucking creep. Gore hounds will be disappointed but there’s a lot of tension and psychological thrills for a movie that cost next to nothing to make. Mark Duplass is great as the titular weirdo.
Streaming on Netflix
81. Cuckoo (2024)
Psychological * Kinda Funny * Set in Europe * Teen Protagonist * Mystery * Body Horror
Tilman Singer‘s bizarre and compulsively watchable body horror thriller about a whip smart teenage girl (Euphoria‘s Hunter Schafer) going through it all when her dad, stepmom and stepsister move to the German Alps to help design/construct a ski resort. Dan Stevens stands out as the Nazi-esque resort owner. Read my original review.
Streaming on Hulu and Disney+
80. Candyman (2021)
Franchise Sequel * Slasher * Psychological * Chicago-Set * Gory * Social Commentary
Fascinating reimagining of Candyman from writer/director Nia DeCosta and producer Jordan Peele, told through the lens of a sequel to the first film but also a re-contextualizing of the titular slasher/villain. Watchmen‘s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays a struggling artist whose art begins to summon the legend to wreak havoc on the Chicago art scene. Colman Domingo and Teyonah Paris co-star, this one is very creative if not perfect.
Streaming on Peacock
79. Malignant (2021)
Body Horror * Hilarious * Gory * Splatter * Supernatural * Absurd
My vote for the very best thing celebrated horror director James Wan has ever made. What if that lump on your head turned out to be something far more threatening than a tumor?Only in the movies! Read my original review.
Available for rental and purchase on digital
78. Oculus (2013)
Haunted Mirror * Psychological * Strong Characters * Brother/Sister Story * Clever
A brother (Brenton Thwaites) and sister (Karen Gillan) must team together to outsmart the mirror that murdered their family. Yes, it’s a revenge story against a mirror that’s a real asshole. Seriously, this mirror is a clever prick. We don’t get enough asshole mirror stories. This is one of the earlier films by Mike Flanagan who you probably know from creating Netflix’s Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House.
Streaming on Amazon Prime
77. A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Prequel * Set in New York * Ear Drum Aliens * Great Lead Performance * PG-13 Horror
Easily the best and least obnoxious of the Quiet Place films, this one goes back to the beginning to tell the story of an exhausted cancer patient (the never-not-great Lupita N’yongo) and her little kitty, who take a day trip into downtown Manhattan for a Broadway show and some pizza. Little do they know ear drum aliens plan to crash into earth and ruin everyone’s good times. This is a survival/adventure story where you really get attached to the lead character. And it’s PG-13, so your kids can probably handle it.
Streaming on Amazon Prime and MGM+
76. Companion (2025)
AI * Dark Comedy * Relationship Drama * Psychological Thriller * Mystery * Sci-Fi
One of the newest movies on this list, Companion is a movie you should go into as blind as possible as the narrative twists and turns are that much more rewarding. It does feature some great comedic bits, some basic social commentary, and two very appealing performances by leads Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid. Also, Guillermo from What We Do In the Shadows is in it.
Streaming on HBOMax
75. Nosferatu (2024)
Remake * Gothic * Vampire * Set in 1800s * Folk Horror * No Humor * Vampire Penis
Kind of a letdown when it came out, Robert Eggers‘ reimagining of F.W. Murnau‘s 1922 classic is a superbly crafted piece of art lacking some serious narrative drive. Featuring a very strong cast and Lily Rose-Depp doing whatever the hell it is she’s doing, Nosferatu begs for a rewatch free of overhype and expectations.
Streaming on Amazon Prime
74. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Funny * Self-Aware * Haunted Cabin * Global Conspiracy Theory * Teens in Trouble
Way more profound when I first saw it back in 2012 (I think it even made my Top 10 list that year—a soft year). Still, this remains a smart, meta take on horror movie tropes, with some genuinely good scares and an inspired duo performance by Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins. I like to think this is more Drew Goddard than Joss Whedon.
Streaming on HBOMax and Tubi
73. Oddity (2024)
Irish * Folk Horror * Wooden Statues * Ghosts * Murder Plots * Castles
A creepy, slightly funny, and kinda odd Irish horror film about a blind psychic trying to solve the brutal murder of her twin sister — in a castle, of all places.
Streaming on Hulu, Disney +, AMC+ and Shudder
72. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
Indie * Psychological * Body Horror * Demonic * Mystery * Single Location
We don’t like Emile Hirsch — good actor, not so good guy. That said, this film, in which he stars opposite Brian Cox as a father-son coroner team who uncover a corpse that may be a portal to hell, is absolutely fascinating and unpredictable at every turn.
Streaming on Paramount+, Tubi, AMC+ and Shudder
71. Talk to Me (2023)
Australian * Teen Horror * Disturbing * Gory * Sad * Possession * Body Horror
Impressive film debut of Aussie twin filmmakers and YouTubers, Danny and Michael Philippou, Talk to Me is about a bunch of bored kids that figure out a way to get a glimpse at the afterlife. Of course, they turn it into a party game and then reap the horrific consequences. There’s some really gnarly self-mutilation here, so viewer beware.
Streaming on HBOMax
70. Strange Darling (2024)
Indie * Erotic Thriller * Cat & Mouse Game * Great Performances * Breakfast Porn
Smartly crafted but more than a little pretentious erotic thriller about a guy chasing a lady. Told out of sequence to purposely disorient you, this is one of the few movies on this list I can say is wholly unpredictable. Lots of conversation in this and the middle is a definite slow burn, but this is the type of movie that rewards your attention. Writer/Director J.T. Mollner would go on to write 2025’s The Long Walk. Shot by Giovanni Ribisi.
Streaming on Paramount+
69. Dangerous Animals (2025)
Australian * Sharks * Female Protagonist * Humorous * Psychological * Cat & Mouse Game
Mean-spirited but fun serial killer thriller that stands as the best shark movie since Jaws. Australian indie auteur Sean Byrne’s best movie yet sees an American drifter trying to outsmart a sociopathic tour boat captain.
Streaming on AMC+ and Shudder
68. Thanksgiving (2023)
Serial Killer * Teen Horror * Self-Aware * Funny * Gory * Christian Values * Murder Mystery
Not an Eli Roth fan but this is his best movie by leaps and bounds. 1) It actually has a fun sense of humor; 2) While gory, it never crosses the line into sadistic torture porn. It also stands as the single best adaptation of a Grindhouse trailer.
Streaming on Hulu and Disney+
67. His House (2020)
Ghosts * Sudanese Immigrants * Social Commentary * Creepy * Sad * Great Performances
Relentlessly depressing and grim ghost story about Sudanese refugees being hunted by evil spirits. Remi Weeks’ His House is not a particularly “fun” watch but features some incredible performances and is so well made from top to bottom.
Streaming on Netflix
66. Hush (2016)
Indie * Home Invasion * Strong Female Lead * Fast-Paced
Not to be confused with the awful Gwyneth Paltrow/Jessica Lange vehicle from 1998, Mike Flanagan’s Hush is a wonderfully suspenseful and simple home invasion premise about a deaf author (Kate Siegel) being terrorized by a random killer.
Streaming on Peacock and Tubi
65. Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
Groundhog Day * Teen Horror * PG-13 Horror * Time Travel * Very Funny
Rare sequel that isn’t just a retread of the first one, while being pretty much almost exactly a retread of the first one. Christopher Landon’s follow-up to Happy Death Day adds time travel into the mix, though, which is pretty cool. While this and its predecessor (more on that farther down the list) are light on blood and gore, they make up for it in comedy. These movies are some of the funniest horror comedies of the 21st century.
Available for digital purchase and rental
64. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
Teen Horror Comedy * Satire * Unlikeable Characters * Murder Mystery
Before she did the whole Nicole Kidman Babygirl thing, filmmaker Halina Reijn delivered this extremely funny and fun put down of Gen Z shit bags. It’s kinda like Clue with trigger warnings and Rachel Sennott is superb as always in it.
Available for digital purchase and rental
63. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Psychological * Small Cast * Great Lead Performance * PG-13 Horror * Alien Invasion
John Goodman delivers an absolutely fantastic performance as a doomsday prepper gone out of his mind in this stuck-in-a-shelter, low-budget thriller from Prey director Dan Tratchenberg. It’s tense, well written and sticks the landing fairly well.
Streaming on Amazon Prime and MGM+
62. Renfield (2023)
Dark Comedy * Vampire * Action * Gory * Fantasy * Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an event as Count Dracula, a part the actor was absolutely born to play. He gets ample help from co-stars Awkwafina, Nicholas Hoult, and a hilarious Ben Schwartz as a mobster’s fuck-up son. This is a gory, funny, silly good time that I can’t see anybody outright hating.
Available for digital purchase and rental
61. Bring Her Back (2025)
Body Horror * Psychological * Evil Foster Mom * Gory * Unsettling * Supernatural
Well, I can certainly see people absolutely loathing this one, a cruel, sadistic, but undeniably well crafted tragedy about a grieving foster mother (the brilliant Sally Hawkins) and her new wards. The sophomore feature by Talk to Me helmers Danny and Michael Philippou improves upon their first movie and offers a deeply affecting tale of loss and grief. TRIGGER WARNING – Child mutilation.
Streaming on HBOMax
60. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)
Dark Comedy * Buddy Comedy * Farce * Gory * Slasher
One of the best horror comedies of the 21st century, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil wonders what would happen if the redneck killers in backwoods slasher movies were just misunderstood concerned citizens. Alan Tudyk of Resident Alien fame and Tyler Labine deliver extremely lovable performances as our two central doofuses. While this is a comedy, it does contain some extremly gory sequences. Nothing sadistic though.
Streaming on Hulu, Disney+ and Tubi
59. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Psychological * Based on Stephen King * Trapped * Great Lead Performance
Carla Gugino deserved an Oscar nomination for her unflinching work here as a trapped woman, handcuffed to a bed after her husband (a great Bruce Greenwood) has a sudden heart attack during an S&M sex game. She tries screaming, but since they’re in a secluded cabin, she’s pretty much fucked. The whole movie is her trying to escape the bed while having imaginary conversations with her dead husband. However, the movie is almost completely undone by a bat-shit-insane ending that makes no fucking sense.
Streaming on Netflix
58. You’re Next (2011)
Home Invasion * Family Reunion * Dark Comedy * Gory * Murder Mystery
Horror comedies don’t get much darker than the gleefully pitch black You’re Next, about a very WASPy family reunion that turns into a brutal home invasion. Featuring a solid cast of indie mainstays like Barbara Crampton, Joe Swanberg, and that guy from Kingpin my dad and I once met on vacation, You’re Next is a fairly unpredictable and fun ride if you have the stomach for it.
Streaming on Tubi
57. Resurrection (2022)
Psychological * Mystery * Surreal * Great Lead Performance * Disturbing
A psychological horror film where words cut deeper than edged weapons, Andrew Semans’ Resurrection sees possibly Rebecca Hall’s best performance as a woman trying to overcome an old abusive relationship with some dick who keeps showing up (a terrifying Tim Roth). This never made much of a splash when it was released or in the years since then, but if you’re looking for horror that leads with intelligence, this is the way to go.
Streaming on AMC+ and Shudder
56. The Innkeepers (2011)
Psychological * Haunted Hotel * Strong Characters * Ghosts * Subtle * Slow Burn
The most underrated and overlooked movie of Ti West’s career, The Innkeepers is a delightfully engrossing quaint little horror story about the last operational night of an old haunted hotel. It’s a slow burn but the film’s success comes from its patience and the complexity and relatability of its two leads – Sara Paxton and Pat Healy. By the time the real scares come in the third act, you’re very emotionally invested in these people.
Streaming on Amazon Prime, AMC+, Shudder and Tubi
55. It (2017)
Remake * Based on Stephen King * Creepy Clowns * Child Protagonists * Sewers
A complete failure as a horror movie but as an engaging coming-of-age story where you get attached to the characters it’s a runaway success. As far as these types of movies go, it’s endlessly rewatchable in a similiar way to Stand by Me. B-Skars isn’t nearly as menacing or interesting as Tim Curry, but the losers club is a flawless bit of child casting. This would be followed-up by an absolutely abysmal sequel.
Streaming on HBOMax
54. [REC] (2007)
Spanish * Found Footage * Apartment Complex * Demon Shit * Frightening
A pulse-pounding, genuinely unnerving piece of found footage cinema, one of the best I’ve seen in that absolute sewer bowl of a sub-genre. And those final 10 mintues are just pure, unrelenting terror. Maybe the best Spanish film I’ve seen that isn’t an Almodovar classic. The remake starring Dexter’s sister is trash.
Streaming on Tubi, AMC+ and Shudder
53. Sinister (2012)
Supernatural * Murder Mystery * Creepy Kids * Creepy Home Movies * Demonic
Not a fan of director Scott Derrickson. In fact, having just seen the ambitious but awful Black Phone 2, I can safely say that when it comes to horror, he’s a one-trick pony: stick a fuzzy filter over the camera, insert ominous tones, and show creepy kids covered in blood. However, here the gimmick is executed at its absolute best, making it genuinely spine-tingling. Sinister is one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen, and Ethan Hawke delivers a truly fantastic performance as a washed-up journalist uncovering a mystery behind the murders in his home.
Streaming on Hulu, Disney+ and Tubi
52. The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
Serial Killers * Road Trip * Gory * Sadistic * Great Soundtrack * Rednecks
If there was ever a horror movie that’s not for everyone, it’s Rob Zombie’s stylish yet grotesque road picture about a family of Texas serial killers on the run from the law. Every character is a different shade of disgusting and about as unlikeable as they get. However, it’s so well-made from a technical standpoint, and unlike many films higher on this list, Zombie accomplishes exactly what he sets out to do.
Streaming on Cinemax
51. The Substance (2024)
Body Horror * Dark Comedy * Satire * Gory * Great Lead Performance * Hollywood Bullshit
Demi Moore almost won an Oscar, and rightfully so, for this gorgeously rendered body-horror fever dream about a middle-aged actress (Moore) being replaced by a younger one (Margaret Qualley). It’s not for the weak-stomached, though none of the gore ever reaches the sadistic levels of The Devil’s Rejects. Instead, it’s surprisingly funny. I never thought watching someone vomit their bowels onto a crowd could be this hilarious. What am I saying? Of course I did.
Streaming on HBOMax
See You Soon for Part 2 (#50-#1)
Margetis Movie Reviews 