Since we just celebrated Halloween, I thought I should do a list of horror films. I thought it’d be a good idea to name my top ten favorite horror films from the 21st century (so far). Now, I ended up using a somewhat loose interpretation of horror. You will also find both horror comedies and select thrillers on this list. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of my favorite ‘new’ horror films and the like.
#10 – The Descent – 2005 – Neil Marshall
Criminally underrated and ‘underseen.’ The Descent is a great adventure horror film about a group of women stuck in a cave system.
#9 – The Cabin in the Woods – 2012 – Drew Goddard
One of the funniest horror films. You’ve seen so many stories like it before, or so you think. This is not just another regular story about teenagers in the woods. A must watch for horror fans.
#8 – It Follows – 2014 – David Robert Mitchell
I know that a lot of people think It Follows is overrated, and if that’s the case then I probably won’t win you over on my side of the argument in this list. But if you haven’t seen the film yet, then I highly recommend it. A terrifying concept.
#7 – The Witch – 2016 – Robert Eggers
The Witch – an extremely impressive feature film debut for Eggers – it managed to make me scared of witches again. Just like that the woods are scary again.
#6 – Shutter Island – 2010 – Martin Scorsese
Sure, Shutter Island isn’t Martin Scorsese’s best film – or his best-reviewed film – but it is very memorable. DiCaprio is flawless, and the mystery itself works well.
#5 – Shaun of the Dead – 2004 – Edgar Wright
I had to have this film on the list. It may be a comedy, it may not be a Romero film, but I do think it is one of the best zombie films of all-time.
#4 – The Gift – 2015 – Joel Edgerton
The Gift was one of my favorite films from last year, and it is another directorial debut. Joel Edgerton is a truly fantastic actor, but who knew he had this kind of talent behind the camera? If you missed this last year, then please check it out.
#3 – The Conjuring – 2013 – James Wan
James Wan is one of the current masters of horror, and his finest work so far has to be The Conjuring. It has become a franchise with a sequel, a spin-off, and there are more films coming down the pipeline. The Conjuring is a new classic horror film.
#2 – The Guest – 2014 – Adam Wingard
Some of you might’ve seen an earlier version of this list, in which The Babadook was number ten. But then I saw Adam Wingard’s action thriller The Guest, which, frankly, blew me away.
#1 – Zodiac – 2007 – David Fincher
One of the best films of the 2000s. One of the best films of 2007. I don’t know if this will make any sense, but when I saw it for the first time I was so terrified by some of the scenes that I just had to restart the film. I couldn’t move. It’s not really a horror movie, but, again, I’m using a very loose interpretation of the genre.
What is your favorite horror/thriller film from the 21st century? Sound off in the comments.
– Jeffrey Rex
I'm Jeffrey Rex 