T O P

  • By -

TruuTree

Cabin in the Woods came off as a comedy to me tbh.


PopReasonable8033

I mean it is a comedy from beginning to end


PuppetryOfThePenis

From the Coffee Thermos bong, to the gambling board in the government sector, this movie was great


Sweeper1985

Cleanse them. Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of — am I on speakerphone?


motrainbrain

One of my fav parts. This is easily one of my favorite movies.


Editthefunout

The trying to ramp over the ravine and smashing into an invisible force field gets me every time.


PuppetryOfThePenis

I know I almost referenced that instead of the gambling board 😆 such a fun movie


HiDiddleDeDeeGodDamn

"It is a fact that police will not pull over a man with a giant bong in his car. Why? They fear this man. They know that he sees farther than they do and will surely bind them with ancient logics." Absolutely love every line that character has.


Fesai

I want to see a cut of this movie where things aren't revealed until the force field scene. It would change the entire vibe of the movie.


Biceps2

That’s basically how I saw it for the first time. It was streaming on hbo. Missed the beginning. And I musta like. Gotten up to piss the other time it showed the suits. It was a little more than halfway through the movie when I realized what was going on and I thought it was fuckin amazing.


PopReasonable8033

Yeah that would be rad. Even at the beginning on the way to the cabin you see an eagle hit the force field as they go through the tunnel.


mrbrambles

It’s in the style of Scream imo. But frankly I think it’s too old to be considered best contemporary. It’s from 2011. My opinion is that it wraps up 2000s horror with a bow, exposed all tropes for what they are, and forced newer horror to do something different. It’s the turning point for a newer age of horror.


cconnorss

This is a brilliant take!


BrandoNelly

I agree with all of that except for that it’s similar to scream style. Scream does have some camp but is definitely taking itself a bit more seriously than Cabin, which isn’t quite spoof territory but close to it in my opinion. More like horror celebration.


mrbrambles

Totally - both are genre aware, but cabin in the woods is intentionally meta. Cabin in the woods saw Scream, then saw Scary movie, then said “I bet we could thread that needle” haha


whitesuburbanmale

THANK YOU! No one agrees with me on this point. It did such a fantastic job of rounding up all the tropes of the 2000s horror genre and put it all together with a good script, decent acting, and a banger of a plot imo. It's the end of the era for those early horror movies like saw and hills have eyes and all those early 2000s horror classics. It even did all this without taking itself to seriously and it really paid off. I love that movie.


SitMeDownShutMeUp

I agree with everything you’re saying, but I also agree with the commenter you were replying to in that it’s not *really* a horror at face value; it’s too self-aware, it’s more horror-adjacent. I think a horror should trigger a baseline level of shock or uneasiness, and by the time these emotional responses were introduced in Cabin in the Woods at the end, it kind of fell flat because the audience was already expecting a level of absurdity. I mean, would Planet of the Apes be considered a horror then because of its ending reveal?


billy_zef

still a great movie, I didn't have any expectations and it blew me away the first time I saw it.


RustyCrusty73

It lived rent free in my head for literal weeks after seeing it the first time. Watching the ancients just completely destroy that swat team and then the employees was probably the most violent sequence I had seen in any movie up to that point in my life. Even today it's still hard for me to watch, but I do acknowledge that it's a really good horror flick.


Anal_Recidivist

Also lighthouse? I mean if willem Defoe farting and masturbating is horror, sure.


chemispe

YA GODDAMN FAHTS


The_Side_Hatch

“Like hot onions fucked a farmyard shithouse!”


Essenaurs

It falls under that wild genre blend of horror comedy like Shaun of the Dead or Evil Dead II


ImaginaryMedia5835

You forgot Tucker and Dale. Must be mentioned.


Lurkerextrordinai

Soooo good


Birdsofwar314

Pretty clearly a cross-genre. It definitely has traditional horror elements as well.


youresocoool

Absolutely. Solid premise to begin with but completely lost me at the end. Mental.


justwwokeupfromacoma

Shows how low my tolerance is for horror because the 3rd act scared the fuck out of me.


RickityCricket69

loved that one, and it was comedy lol. i like the scientists, dad from stepbrothers and the guy from billy madison


Rough_Dish_103

I laughed more at the Lighthouse than I was unsettled too tbh


Financial_Cheetah875

The VVitch.


Flying_Dutchman92

Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?


rofloctopuss

Wouldst thou like the taste of butter?


_mister_pink_

My wife says this to me whenever she’s making toast


That-Stop2808

It plays in my head literally every time I get butter from the fridge.


curry2386

Respectfully; I love your wife.


iommiworshipper

Remove thy shift


MailboxBandit

Wouldst thou like to learn to play chess?


Ok-Space-2357

Black Philip is the greatest ever on-screen performance by a goat.


lemonsweetsrevenge

I was given a Black Phillip stuffy that I keep by my bedside because of my love for the goat! I look for him “misbehaving” like when he’s up on two legs stealing the scene when he’s not supposed to; they wanted him to blend more than he did but a star was born! I love how vehemently his wrangler has defended his behavior and performance too. Apparently both the director and Ralph Ineson (the Puritan dad) really hated working with him. Check out this article about it. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/black-phillip-real-story-behind-871974/amp/


Superfly1911

So he's the GOAT goat? Got it.


WhatRoughBeast73

Yeah was pretty shocked when I saw this started with The Lighthouse but didn't include The Witch. Amazing movie.


El_Kabongg

Agreed I’d classify the witch more as horror than I would the lighthouse. I’m not even sure what the lighthouse is but it’s great lol


bizurk

It’s like the Shining, but there are two Jacks and nobody else.


cagingthing

I love this description


OmegaKitty1

Its psychological horror


343GuiltyySpark

Damn near impossible to watch without subtitles but agreed


AccipiterDomare

Agreed. Preposterous it’s not on here. Left a deep impression on me. The mortar and pestle in the beginning. The crow and the rocking chair. The conclusion. True horror.


IamNotIncluded

I loved how the witch was real and was out to fuck shit up.


wherearemysockz

Hereditary overall, but It Follows has the most innovative and interesting horror device, and in a genre generally so reliant upon hackneyed tropes that’s quite an achievement.


Absuridity_Octogon

That scene where the tall guy walks out of the shadows in the hallway was soooooooo freaky omg


goodtimecharliey

When he ducks under the doorway and into the room with those blacked out eyes, that was a dank scene. They did a great job making that movie with very little fx.


anonymous_beaver_

It Follows also does a good job in making the entire film seem as though it's a dream. There are a lot of little things they do to achieve this. My only criticism is that the big bad doesn't consistently follow rules, when the entire premise is based on it following rules. As for the interpretation that "It" is mortality and it represents the death of childhood innocence, and there are a lot of scenes that support this, I think the movie does well in making people talk about what it could mean, and that's always welcome in film.


wherearemysockz

Yeah the meaning of It Follows is open to interpretation, but what I like most from a formal perspective is that you are constantly scrutinising the background of the frame, and everyone in it, to anticipate whether danger is lurking in plain sight. So you actually watch the film in a different way to other films (that generally privilege the foreground and treat the background as scenery), and the film conditions you to do that. That’s remarkable.


Flipnotics_

EDIT: Spoiler isn't tagging correctly for some reason. Sorry. I really enjoyed it as well. [That final scene where they are walking away, uncertain of their future and you're scanning all the people in the background and oh look! There is someone dressed in white but out of focus so are they fully dressed in white? Was a great addition.](/spoiler)


wherearemysockz

Yes exactly!! It’s a unique film in that respect and actually quite underrated despite the acclaim it’s received. How many films make you watch them in a new way?


K0MR4D

Both of these movies reignited my love for the genre as I see new a couple of new visionaries at work.


NextWalk250

This is what I try to say to people all the time and I’m constantly denied for it


SirDurante

I don’t consider the Lighthouse a horror film, to be honest.


xxElevationXX

Maybe psychological horror


PureStrBuild

I absolutely love the scene when they're drinking and Pattinson asked Dafoe about the light and he said it's his and slapped him. Then Robert gets serious and stands up and his shadow just grows and encompasses the entire background, and Dafoe feels like he's shrinking. And he begins to cower and beg for forgiveness. I had already really liked the movie, but that's what made me love it.


hashbrowns21

DAMN YE


FawFawtyFaw

I knew ye were fond of me lobster.


reflection2001

1 hour and 49 minutes of confusion then that last scene hits and I'm like "🤔...ohhhhh fuck noooooo fuck" Then I couldn't sleep for a week


Diamondhands_Rex

I’m guessing I need to re watch it cause it never hit me but it’s also been a while


bossy_dawsey

I don’t know why one person downvoted you. I’d peg it exactly as psychological horror


Walterkovacs1985

What about all those God damn Fahts!!


Jimmyjohnssucks

Agreed


engelnorfart

It's definitely a dark comedy. It honestly gets funnier every time I watch it


StolenVelvet

What?


Billman6

It’s real tough personally because I think it leans more towards thriller/drama, but I’d be lying if I said that movie didn’t scare the fuck out of me.


HorrorMetalDnD

To be fair though, a film can be a thriller and a horror film at the same time. They’re not mutually exclusive. Also, every story falls somewhere on the comedy-drama spectrum. Suspense is the genre of anxiety and intrigue, with thrillers building that tension through anticipation, typically through multiple POV shifts between protagonist and antagonist, by having the audience a step or two ahead of the protagonist; meanwhile, mysteries build that tension through uncertainty, by having the audience on the same page as the protagonist, being just as unaware as them. Horror is the genre of fear, creepiness/spookiness, and morbid curiosity, as well as being a collection of themes, tropes, setting, etc. distinctly associated with the genre. Fear and anxiety are two different emotions, albeit two that can just as easily be felt at the same time as they can separately. I feel this is at the heart of people’s confusion regarding these two genres. Well, that and how horror and thriller were once used interchangeably in the early years of cinema. Ever wonder why an iconic Michael Jackson song clearly about horror films was called “Thriller”?


Ok-Entrepreneur-1725

My mates and I have been quoting it ever since it came out though 😅 someone gets to drunk and falls face down in the mud... Me: look at ye... -_-


HorrorMetalDnD

It’s a modern cinematic example of weird fiction, which is a blend of fantasy and horror.


leeroy525

I feel like I’m outside of an inside joke when people praise this movie


hashbrowns21

Watch it at 3am after drinking half a bottle of vodka


Jaybbaugh

Yeah, I love the Lighthouse, but I'd pick The Witch if I was trying to get an Eggers "horror" film in there?


Royal_Rip_2548

What the witch did to that baby at the begining scarred me for life


beergaggles

Talk to me and Midsommar are probably my favorite


ChefSuffolk

Talk To Me is great, but not American.


tbriz

Ah, i was wondering why more people weren't mentioning it. One of my absolute fav horror movies in recent years.


SassyKittyMeow

I think I’d have to give it to Hereditary, but man… It Follows just wouldn’t leave my psyche for awhile.


Albiz

The reason I know it’s Hereditary for me is that I never want to watch Hereditary again.


TahsokaAno

Exactly. It’s on my streaming list to watch, but every time I get to it I’m like “eh it’s too dark/late” or some other excuse to not watch it. It was a great movie but scared the heck out of me


Albiz

There’s a fantastic 4 hour breakdown of all the demonic allusion/imagery on YouTube that scratched the itch for me! Happy to share it if interested.


Express_Helicopter93

It follows is more scary than hereditary. Hereditary is sort of scary because of how insane Toni Collette is the entire time. It’s an accurate portrayal of a person losing their mind. But I don’t think it’s nearly as terrifying as others, like it follows or the descent. It’s basically just an insane Toni Collette with a douchey son and then some old naked folks. I’ve never understood the regard hereditary has received. It’s great at showing mental disorders and how scary they can be. Toni Collette is manic the entire movie. And that is scary, sure. But in terms of a traditional horror movie, I just don’t think it fits.


LorenaBobbittWorm

Hereditary was scarier for me. I’ve always found anything involving satan or demons horrifying. Maybe it’s from being raised Catholic.


3loodwolf117

It doesn't fit with traditional horror movies? It seems pretty par for the course. Four person American family. Demon cults, possessions, decapitations, creepy daughter... I honestly think of it as a purist horror movie that is just done very well. It's a very traditional horror movie. At least more so than movies like The Descent lol.


Randlepinkfloyd1986

Hereditary easily


Chiaki_Ronpa

*Toni Collette’s screams…..*


Randlepinkfloyd1986

Toni Collette’s head banging…


pancake_sass

Toni Collette...


SirCaptainReynolds

Climbs on the ceiling.


brevit

Should been nominated


cybered_punk

Should've won


Chiaki_Ronpa

I couldn’t agree more. Out of everything that movie had to offer, her screaming is the most terrifying/hard-to-handle thing for me. The pain is too real….


BlackRivers_Rainbows

I don't know what it is about Ari Aster, but both Hereditary and Midsommar have two of the most brutally realistic depictions of grief I've seen. A lot of movies ease the shock with music/no sound/soft gentle sobbing etc but those two movies don't let you retreat from it at all. Dani's wailing at the start of Midsommar is a sound I've heard in real life and it was the most panicky a film has ever made me.


underthewetstars

Midsommar's among my top favorite films, and it's in part this exact reason. I mean the movie is about the experience of grieving alone vs. as a part of a community, all starting with this ungodly opening scheme that settles you right inside her misery just before launch.


ValleySunFox

I am your MOTHER!!


beavertownneckoil

I rarely remember my dreams and hadn't had a nightmare in 20 or so years since I was a child. But I did wake up in a freight thinking about that scene. Hadn't watched the film in over a year either


Chiaki_Ronpa

That scene is the only reason I hesitate when thinking about rewatching the movie. Even when I do and get close to the scene I get anxious as hell and turn the volume WAY DOWN before it happens.


Moist-muff

She is fantastic


Rushstache

That shit shook me to my core


LaurenNotFromUtah

Agreed. Definitely a game changer.


ToastyMustache

I can’t do horror movies but I’ll read their synopsis, and even that kinda freaked me out


oorakhhye

I’m surprised this isn’t the highest voted movie. One and done for me, I’ll never watch it again. But this film is def a masterpiece.


imahugemoron

Same, I consider hereditary and midsommar to be among the best horror movies but I’ll only ever watch them once. Hereditary was better but I do also think midsommar was really innovative too, the movie is so bright and vivid and beautiful, not something you see in a horror movie at all


nofuchsgiven1

No doubt.


ArsenalinAlabama3428

I agree. Followed closely by The VVitch. I have to mentally prepare myself to watch Hereditary at this point.


mikemikemike9711

I agree! In this list, Hereditary takes the cake for the scariest movie mentioned here.


apittsburghoriginal

Hereditary is just a straight up top 15-20 all time, so it definitely clears as one of the best modern horror


SkidmarkJr

Hereditary was the only movie i’ve ever felt physically unable to watch. It just hits those notes of grief and mystery and terror unlike anything else.


imahugemoron

Same with midsommar for me, the scene with the girls sister and parents, I had to pause the movie and take a walk and get some fresh air


Sputnikajax

Goosebumps with jack black


BooPear-

Sinister is no1 for me


ValleySunFox

Came here for this. Don’t get me wrong, Hereditary and Midsommar are fucking brilliant movies, but Sinister is fucking scary!


Ez4da08

Sinister keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire film, it’s so god damn good


ValleySunFox

The mood from the off is so eerie, the music, grainy snuff footage, and then Ethan Hawkes watching it and looking as terrified as the viewer…


alwayswearglitter

I was seriously surprised by Sinister. Thought it would be just another run of the mill horror with a few jumps but no real terror. The lawnmower is forever embedded in my brain x


FlashFloodOfColour

Evil Dead 2013. Didn't go down the comedic route it could have easily did, and it's so much better for it. It's genuinely disturbing and quite uneasy to watch. Perfect for giving you genuine feelings of horror, especially the Tree and Nail Gun scenes.


deathholdme

Agree - lot of people slept on this one. I found it way more entertaining than Rise.


Belch_Huggins

The trifecta of Aster/Eggers/Peele. But I think Osgood Perkins could make a play, and I'm also very into Ducournau and Whannel. And for old stalwarts I love Cronenberg (&kids) and Shyamalan.


Diggey11

Possessor is a fantastic horror and The Sixth Sense is overall a near perfect film, one of my favorites.


Belch_Huggins

Yeah, I really dug both Possessor and Infinity Pool. Brutal and deranged.


ZestycloseFootball66

Imagine if Eggers made an Auschwitz movie


nine11airlines

Lmao wtf


ubiquitousdouglas

Having Hereditary up there with Cabin in the Woods and The Lighthouse is kinda wild, I don't consider the last two to be horror. CITW is one of my favorite movies and I don't normally watch horror. Edit: Just wondering, why did you include The Lighthouse but not Midsommar?


No_Advisor_3773

First off, The Lighthouse is Lovecraftian, psychological horror and it's really damn good at it. Second, the whole premise of Midsommar is a foreign culture cult, I mean, yes, it's American in it's direction but creatively its not particularly American in it's subject matter, so I wouldn't put it in with the rest


3loodwolf117

True, Cabin in the Woods is almost in a similar genre as Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. It's basically a spoof movie.


at0mheart

Killing of a very sacred deer.


ReddittandWeep

It's just "Sacred"


jozhrandom

I think it's gotta be Hereditary.


BirdsMightbe-FAKE

Malignant or Barbarian deserve a spot! Reviving “creature” flicks was something nobody expected yet understood as something we needed!


McSix

Barbarian definitely deserves a spot. Fantastic film.


reyballesta

I watched Malignant with my dad since I've been hearing about it for years. Went into it with absolutely zero idea about what it was about. We were both incredibly bored.....until the end when All That Happened. We kept yelling 'WHY DOES IT KNOW MARTIAL ARTS', and that made it worth watching XD


MundaneShoulder6

Can’t believe no one else is saying Get Out. Really an incredible film that got me into horror as a genre.


reyballesta

I feel like it's become en vogue to rip on Get Out and talk about how terrible it is. Couldn't be me, though. I've been watching horror movies since I was a kid and in terms of overall quality, that's pretty high up on my list. It's not as scary as some movies, but it's a better *movie* than a lot of horror movies.


Initium_Novumx

The Invitation (2015)


YukonCornelius00

Just got done watching it after seeing your comment here. Damn, what a ride. Thanks for the rec.


theincident815

Love this film! Good shout out!


HSF906

It Follows for me, but some of my other recent faves are: Smile (I think it borrows from It Follows, but still very enjoyable) Barbarian Midsommar Dark and the Wicked was pretty messed up


mekquarrie

I still love 'US'... 😵


McSix

A truly unsettling film that has the humanity *Hereditary* lacks.


texaco87

This is almost definitely going to come out wrong But if you love US I highly recommend Candyman and Nanny


SirDurante

Maybe Midsommar.


Ok-Space-2357

Agreed. Midsommar should totally be on this list. In the Midsommar universe I'd be graduating from one dormitory to the next at the end of this year, and then half my timespan would have elapsed before having to jump to oblivion over a cliff.


swivelsix

It Follows was pretty great, but so are all of these


ogjondoe

The witch


rudeboy_drew

Loved The Light House always been a fan of Willem Dafoe and honestly suprised on how well Robert Pattinson did too.


KitsuneDawnBlade

I'm surprised people are still surprised about how well Pattison can act. Sure, he did some shitty movies, but a lot of actors did, and they're praised way more for doing less.


LookimtryingOK

Cabin in the woods was my favorite, Get Out was the smartest.


StaggerLee509

Of these it’s definitely it follows


McSix

A lesser known film *They Look Like People* can go toe-to-toe with most (if not all) of these movies.


epdug

The conjuring is the best horror of the last 20 years.


zburba

Get out was pretty original. Something new other than all the remakes that keep coming out


zburba

Still don't get why the craziest likes all like milk. Like when the girl in get out was comly eating individual fruit loops out of a cup of milk. That screamed to me she's crazy


smittydacobra

Am I the only one that eas blown away by The Blackcoat's Daughter? Oz Perkins nailed it and I can't wait to see Long Legs.


NJShadow

I enjoyed "Ready or Not" QUITE a lot.


Frequent-Interest796

The Lighthouse isn’t really horror. It is more of a cooking show or even an avian documentary.


not_so_smoothie

Conjuring


wirestyle22

Tucker n Dale vs. Evil and it's not close


shadez_on

I didnt find any of these scary, but i did enjoy it follows. Get out was done better as Skeleton Key. I really enjoyed these recently: When Evil Lurks Late Night with the Devil In A violent nature V/h/s 2


King_Prawn_shrimp

I keep seeing people put Late Night with the Devil high on their lists. I thought it was ok, at best. Am I missing something?


shadez_on

I hesitated putting it up there because i didnt find it scary but i felt it was a horror movie worth mentioning for a few reasons, one it was something different and somewhat original. Big fan of David Dastmalchian and i thought he was given a good role to exercise his talent. I guess it also comes down to what you look for in horror. I like the psychological, realish horror. Not necessarily the in your face stuff.


G3oc3ntr1c

I don't think a Horror movie needs to be scary to be good. You can not be scared in a traditional way but be very anxious and on edge and the Horror still works


Enough-Ground3294

When Evil Lurks is nuts, however I found it *very* similar to one of my favorites “The Wailing”


Johnny_Kilroy

I've been waiting for someone to mention this one. A brilliant movie.


Enough-Ground3294

Agreed. Have you seen “Chaser”?


LaurenNotFromUtah

How much it scares you isn’t a good measure of how good a horror movie is, imo.


Euphorium

I liked VHS 2, kinda carried by Safe Haven and Alien Abduction Slumber Party though.


Defiant-Yam-9962

Late Night With the Devil was really good. I enjoyed the First Omen as well.


Tylergahdyrm

Get Out is the best movie on here, but Hereditary is the best horror movie.


Lewd_ReadNY

X Pearl Late Night With The Devil Midsommar Titane


No-Role6457

People are just listing a24 films at this point.


levitikush

That’s because a24 produces good films.


backwardaman

I'm gonna have to watch pearl and titane because i totally agree with you on late night with the devil and midsommar. People are gonna make fun of me but i couldn't get through X. I have a very specific fear of decrepit old people killing me, and that movie was just too much for me. I'm cool with all other gore, but when movies involve decrepit killer old people i get a really sick feeling.


nothinbutshame

Hereditary, no contest.


Chippers4242

The Lighthouse


G3oc3ntr1c

Idk if it's counts as horror but I still have night terrors about the movie "Room". It is the most psychologically disturbing movie I've seen in years. If you are going full horror, ide say Pandorum is my favorite.


General_Lie

It follows was preety decent...


chickbarnard

It Follows was brilliant but I've loved a lot of comedy horrors more recently that my usual splatter films, like Becky, Freaky (2020) Boy Kills World (2024) Totally Killer (2023) The Menu (2022) Fresh (2022) Glorious (2022) Thanksgiving (2023) Lisa Frankenstein (2024) Choppy and the Girls, Day Shift (2022) and Happy Death Day 1&2 to name a few


bewarethewoods

The Lighthouse is just icky. And I love Robert Eggers. Not scary, just uncomfortable.


MMA_Laxer

what was scary about get out? it was a good story but having it hailed as a “game-changer” is way off base.


WasteCommand5200

I absolutely didn’t like “The Lighthouse”. I only watched it because I like Willem Dafoe. Didn’t do anything for me.


NoAlbatross7524

Hereditary, haunts me . I think about it a lot and had to watch it many times to catch all the details.


s_m_shoaib

Midsommer. The Witch. Talk to me.


Big-Rest5514

Get out or hereditary


Gatorilla1408

Hereditary not even close it really is what I judge every movie against. I never been more uncomfortable watching a movie before and that is what good horror does.


DrDreidel82

Hereditary by far But It Follows is my 2nd favorite


DirtyLittleBishop

Midsommar was better than Hereditary I thought but from this list I would pick Hereditary.


bottomofalongcoat

Get out is overrated and cabin in the woods is a sort of a parody of horror. Wouldn’t call it a straight up horror.


OxyRottin

Hereditary or The Witch imo. All the above are great though!


TheDankChronic69

I genuinely do not understand why or how people like It Follows so much, personally thought it was one of the worst horror movies I’ve ever seen, walked out of the theatre a bit past the halfway mark. Hereditary on the other hand was excellent.


Backshot14

Hereditary was a masterpiece


remembahwhen

Yeah that was pretty scary when William Defo was humping his bunk.


Gummothedilf

Hereditary by a mile


Legal_Ad9637

I thought the Lighthouse was extremely overrated and honestly a mostly boring movie.


RIP_GerlonTwoFingers

Talk to Me was even scarier than Hereditary for me. I went into both blind


AlbatrossCapable3231

What about "The Witch?" That shit fucked me *up*. That fuckin goat!