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Top 20 Horror Films of the 2010s

After a fairly dreadful decade of horror in the 2000's, the 2010's saw a resurgence of original premises and groundbreaking first time filmmakers flourishing in a low budget / high concept creative safe haven that held it's own against the tent-pole franchise frenzy of superhero cinema. Here were this decade's best horror films:

#20. Fright Night

The incredible ensemble of Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, David Tennant and Imogeen Poots not only due the original 1985 film justice, but in my opinion, surpass it in just about every way. It's easy to see why this film is so overlooked given the onslaught of sub-par remakes released around the same time (not to mention vampires being the flavor of the month thanks to Twilight & Co.), but Fright Night is head and shoulders above it's remake peers thanks to it's stellar cast and the direction of a young Craig Gillespie - before he broke into mainstream success with films like Cruella and I, Tonya.

#19. Ma

I don't know what it is about this about this small town coming of age horror/comedy, but I've probably rewatched this more than any other movie on the list. Maybe it's the uniquely bizarre "what the fuck" tone that leads you on such a vast journey across the emotional spectrum. Maybe it's Octavia Spencer hamming it up as the sociopathic villain. Maybe it's the prominent use of Debby Deb's "Lookout Weekend". Whatever it is, this movie is stupid fun and will definitely leave an impression on you in one way or another.

#18. The Lighthouse

A dizzying descent into madness, anchored by incredible performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, Robert Eggers further establishes himself as one of the best up and coming directors the genre has to offer with an uncanny knack for crafting nightmarish atmospheres. The VVitch was a great appetizer into the slow burn cerebral horror Eggers can unleash but this follow up drops you straight into the deep end of isolation induced insanity.

#17. VHS 2

The second entry in this found footage horror anthology series is a vast improvement over it's predecessor and features potentially one of my favorite segments of any horror anthology ever. Gareth Evans' "Safe Haven" segment is a fairly simple premise but it's executed to perfection in one of the most unnerving experiences from the past decade of horror. Overall, it's an incredibly fun collection of innovative found footage horror, even if every segment isn't quite the homerun that "Safe Haven" is.

#16. Annihilation

As intellectually and philosophically stimulating as it is terrifying, Alex Garland's follow up to Ex Machina

is another testament to his brilliant ability to infuse sci-fi concepts with riveting horror. The themes explored here are enough for this film to stick with you long after the credits roll but if that doesn't do it, that horrific noise made by the weird bear-hybrid-thing that sounds like people screaming will surely do it. Truly captivating cinema of the highest order.

#15. Don't Breathe

A claustrophobic, relentlessly unnerving fun-house thriller - Don't Breathe utilizes it's simple premise and micro budget format to it's fullest potential due to the innovative and demented storytelling of director Fede Alvarez. Jane Levy is spectacular in the lead role but it's Stephen Lang who steals the show as the film's sadistic antagonist.

#14. Let Me In

The American remake of Let the Right One In does a great job of recreating what made the original so spectacular while adding in just enough new elements to let it stand on it's own merits. Richard Jenkins' portrayal as the father figure specifically is one of the major improvements this English adaptation is able to achieve but also, you get Matt Reeves in the director's chair exhibiting why he's one of the most promising young filmmakers out there.

#13. Insidious

Between introducing the world to Saw, becoming the cinematic architect for the extended Conjuring universe and taking on the standalone Aquaman films; James Wan has done quite a bit in his filmmaking career. But often overlooked in his catalogue is this 2010 film which stands as one of the most effective PG-13 horror films of all time. Now it probably would have been better off if Wan never actually showed us The Further (or stretched this series out into 4 unnecessary sequels) but regardless, the original is still creepy as hell.

#12. Piranha 3D

In the aftermath of Avatar when studios thought every film should be converted to 3D; The Hills Have Eyes director Alexandre Aja delivered one of the most entertaining, over the top, b-movie experiences of the era. Managing to utilize it's immersive format brilliantly with it's tongue in cheek, self aware and simply outrageous update on Joe Dante's original - Piranha 3D plays out like Spring Breakers if it were directed by Eli Roth. Who also happens to get mutilated while hosting a wet t-shirt contest here. It's graphic, vulgar, and frequently hilarious. In other words, everything a horror fanatic could want.

#11. Nightcrawler

An unsettling character study anchored by a powerhouse performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler is a thrilling expose on the gritty underbelly of siren chasing photo-journalists. Writer/Director Dan Gilroy crafts an inescapably haunting atmosphere making for one of the most disturbing films of the decade. The scares don't hit you over the head like a typical horror film, the horror here crawls under your skin and carves it's way into your psyche so that it's imprint is tattooed onto your memory long after the credits roll.

#10. Parasite

Bong Joon-Ho's social satire on class division defies genre boundaries and raises the bar for all high-concept horror following in it's footsteps. A social commentary on the ever growing gap in class disparity, while technically a foreign film, Parasite is very much an American story. Let's just hope we don't get an unnecessary English language remake because the this unique tone and expert execution will be nearly impossible to recreate. Like Jordan Peele meets Black Mirror. Hopefully that 'Best Picture' win will scare any would-be producers off for the foreseeable future.

#9. The Babadook

With her debut picture, writer/director Jennifer Kent created the most memorable horror villain of the decade in The Babadook. Part nightmarish bedtime story, part psychological parental drama; The Babadook is an effortlessly exhilarating cerebral torture chamber with a new demonic boogeyman the genre has been missing for some time. Yes, the Babadook is creepy but the emotional trauma felt here is far more affecting than the visceral scares. Though, they both work incredibly well. And a lot of that has to be attributed to the incredible performance from Essie Davis. Stellar film from all involved.

#8. Hereditary

Hereditary is as emotionally damaging a horror film as you'll find anywhere. But family drama aside, it's also got some of the most subtly haunting visuals of any film on this list as well as an absolutely legendary performance from Toni Collette. Ari Aster burst out of the gate with this directorial debut and re-elevated the horror genre in a way that hasn't been matched since The Sixth Sense. Let's just hope he keeps up his impeccable track record and avoids the career trajectory of M.Night Shyamalan...

#7. It

Even though I really didn't care for the new Pennywise design (and greatly prefer the demented performance from Tim Curry in the 1990's miniseries), the talented group of young actors in The Loser's Club really makes this one of the strongest Stephen King adaptations to date. Successfully blending King's flavor of nostalgic coming of age drama, blood soaked horror, and captivating character development - IT is a spectacular rendition of King's iconic novel. Well at least the first half anyways. But even if the conclusion isn't quite as satisfying, Chapter 1 stands on it's own merit as a self contained story perfectly fine.

#6. Get Out

Quite possibly the most remarkable Hollywood success story of the decade (horror or otherwise); Jordan Peele's racially charged, Twilight Zone-esque directorial debut lifted the genre back out of the bargain bin and into Oscar winning critical acclaim. And while the brainwashing horror elements are plenty freaky on their own, it's Peele's distinctive brand of biting social commentary that really established him as one of the most enthralling voices in filmmaking. I don't think producer Jason Blum could have even predicted the seismic impact one half of Key & Peele would make with his first foray into horror but the effects are still rippling throughout the industry to this day and you have to look no further than his debut picture to see why.

#5. Mandy

The unholy union of Panos Cosmatos' hyper violent revenge fantasy driven by an unhinged Nicolas Cage set to the hallucinogenic music of Johann Johannsson is a stylistic revelation to behold. An absolutely one of a kind neon nightmare that delves into deeper themes of religion and love, as well as their somewhat ugly entanglements with one another. But most of all, it's Nic Cage at his Nic Cage-iest in a surreal bloodlust for the creepy cult that murdered the love of his life. Truly one of the most memorable cinematic experiences in modern horror.

#4. The House That Jack Built

One of the most uncomfortably graphic and vivid portraits of a serial killer you'll ever see, The House That Jack Built is a pitch-black comedic confession from a frustrated artist navigating the pits of hell and his ongoing pursuit of creating his masterpiece. This seemingly autobiographical film from career provocateur Lars Von Trier is even more scarring due to it's detailed examination of our narrator's demented psyche. Which is admittedly pretty tough to watch but the underlying themes of searching for meaning through the process of creation make this much more than just a vulgar attempt at shocking it's audience. But it can also do both really well.

#3. Gone Girl

An erotic thriller the likes of which we haven't seen since Basic Instinct, Gone Girl is a satirical black comedy and psychological thriller that brings us David Fincher's best work since Fight Club. An absolutely stacked cast, incredible Trent Reznor score and razor sharp script make this one of the best thrillers of the decade. Rosamund Pike gives a career defining performance as the conniving anti-hero manipulating the perception of her disappearance and Ben Affleck is maybe a little too good at playing the role of the guy doing everything he can to appear likable while coming off so unbearably unlikable. And if you don't think this is a horror film, go ask Neil Patrick Harris' mutilated corpse where he falls on the topic.

#2. mother!

Darren Aronofsky's controversial psychological horror odyssey can be seen as many different things. An allegory for the destruction of our planet, the self centered ego of a frustrated artist who starves every other area of his life, or the neglected role of women in society. However you look at it, mother! is an undeniably bold and uncompromising tragedy from one of our generation's most underappreciated filmmakers. The cyclical narrative paired with the emotional unraveling of Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role make this all the more devastating to take in but it's absolutely a ride worth taking.

#1.Black Swan

Natalie Portman's Oscar winning transformation from Nina Sayers to The Swan Queen is an mind bending fever dream of shame and indulgence that isn't to be missed. It takes the familiar tale of Swan Lake and turns it into a psychological descent into madness. It's a disturbing portrait of a damaged young woman's surrender of innocence and the wreckage she leaves by the wayside as she becomes possessed by her drive to do anything for success. Aronofsky's marriage of classical themes like the balance of lust/love or light/dark set in the modern context of a high pressure theatrical competition with surrealist nightmare visuals makes for the most exhilarating and skillfully made horror film of the 2010s.


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