The horror genre is one with an incredible cinematic legacy, with the very best of the devil’s favorite style hailed by many as the crème de la crème of filmmaking. At its best, horror is a visceral viewing experience that proves spine-chillingly unforgettable, whilst also delivering the thought-provoking and often socially-charged concepts that most successful dramas aim for.
In recent years, the horror genre has evolved from its confused noughties era and, with the help of production companies like A24, established itself as a true contender for the top cinematic prizes once again. Still overlooked, but no longer by quite as many, horror’s recent renaissance is thanks in no small part to the countless brilliant entries to the genre in the past 10 years, with several rightfully labeled masterpieces. So, with all that in mind, here’s a look at 10 horror movies from the last decade that can be called masterpieces, ranked.
10
‘The Wailing’ (2016)
One of the finest foreign-language horrors of the last 10 years, Na Hong-jin‘s The Wailing follows a police officer’s terrifying trip into the evil-infested rural South Korean mountains. As a viral sickness begins to strangely overcome a small village, the officer’s hand is forced as he must solve the mystery in a race against time to save his daughter.
As exorcism movies go, there are few better than The Wailing in recent memory. A bone-chilling viewing experience from start to finish, the film takes on an even more affecting power following the 2020 global pandemic. Intense, breathless, and utterly unforgettable, The Wailing is an underrated masterpiece that deserves much more attention than it currently gets.
9
‘His House’ (2020)
Few horrors of the past decade have proven more relevant than His House. Starring Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku, the film a couple who escape from war-torn South Sudan and look for refuge in a sleepy English town. However, upon their arrival, the whispers of nightmares begin as their house is overcome by a haunted evil.
Painted in beautifully horrifying brushstrokes, the refugee experience is captured in terrifying detail in Remi Weekes‘ His House. Those looking for a classic haunted house story won’t be disappointed, but there is so much more in His House simmering under the surface and eventually boiling over in a chaotic final act that the film almost demands a rewatch.
8
‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ (2016)
Possession flicks take a proud place in the upper echelons of horror sub-genres, with The Autopsy of Jane Doe surely one of the finest of the past decade. In a clever twist, the possessed in question, the titular Jane Doe (Olwen Kelly), is already dead in this chilling masterpiece, with a vengeful spirit overtaking the body and leaving the father-and-son coroner team of Tommy (Brian Cox) and Austin Tilden (Emile Hirsch) puzzled.
Featuring the ever-brilliant Cox at the top of his game, The Autopsy of Jane Doe flies by thanks to a wholly immersive atmosphere that sweeps its audience up in the very first moments. Both figuratively and literally, the ability for The Autopsy of Jane Doe to get under the skin is the stuff of envy for most of its contemporaries.
7
‘Saint Maud’ (2019)
In her directorial debut, Rose Glass delivers an unforgettable religious psychological horror film in Saint Maud. Starring The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s Morfydd Clark, the film follows an unreliable, newly converted nurse who becomes obsessed with saving the soul of one of her patients, the ex-famous dancer Amanda (Jennifer Ehle).
The perfect example of a horror movie that excels both as an exploration of difficult themes and as a terrifying visual experience, Saint Maud sees Glass smash her namesake on her very first try. Diving into the power of faith on an influenced mind, the film might be a slow-burner, but it thrives as such, culminating in one of the finest final moments in modern movie history.
6
‘The Substance’ (2024)
One of the best movies of 2024, Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance follows Demi Moore’s Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading actress with a star on the Walk of Fame who is replaced on her fitness show on her 50th birthday. Frustrated and desperate to recapture her youth, Sparkle turns to a black market drug that promises to (literally) birth a younger, beautiful version of oneself.
A film that pulls none of its punches and screams its message of female self-loathing unapologetically, Fargeat’s follow-up to her brilliant 2017 action thriller Revenge proves she is one of the finest minds in horror filmmaking, with The Substance and its subsequent Academy Awards success showcasing just how widespread praise can be for body horror when it’s done right.
5
‘Train to Busan’ (2016)
Zombie horror has come a long way since the days of the slow-walking brain-eaters, with the rushing, violent infected of 28 Days Later changing the sub-genre forever. Aptly, 28 Days Later walked so Train to Busan could run, with the 2016 flick from director Yeon Sang-ho considered the greatest of its kind from the past decade, thanks to breathless action set pieces and a veteran director at the top of his game.
Following the passengers on a KTX bullet train going from Seoul to Busan, this thrill ride kicks off with a woman joining the journey having been infected with a zombie virus, providing the catalyst for a pulse-racing struggle for survival. The perfect vehicle for such chaotic carnage, the train itself is an extra character in this intelligent masterpiece, which also features immersive performances from the likes of Gong Yoo and Don Lee.
4
‘The Witch’ (2015)
Regarded as one of the finest directorial debuts in the history of the horror genre, Robert Eggers‘ The Witch is set in early 17th-century New England, during the time of the Salem Witch Trials. After facing exile, a Puritan family are sent to live in the countryside, only to find that their dense woodland surroundings hide secret, sinister forces. Soon, the evil sees the family turn on each other.
Featuring a breakout lead performance by a young Anya Taylor-Joy, who instantly proves her worth as a future Hollywood mainstay, The Witch is much more about atmospheric horror than obvious scares, with the mature craft at its heart an astonishing achievement on Eggers’ debut. Each frame feels soaked in the movie’s paranormal ambience, with the overall package having already aged like a fine wine just ten years on.
3
‘Sinners’ (2025)
The biggest breakout hit of the year so far is also a genre-blending modern masterpiece that should certainly fall under the horror bracket. Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners follows the journey of the Smokestack twins (both Michael B. Jordan), as they return to their quiet hometown looking for solace from their troubles. After starting a new, vibrant musical venture, the pair are confronted by an evil beyond their comprehension.
One of the finest ensembles of recent memory, featuring Jordan’s best performance among top work from the likes of Jack O’Connell, Miles Catton, and more, Sinners thrives as both a jaw-dropping folk horror and an intricate musical drama, with one musical scene in particular an utterly unforgettable cinematic moment. Sinners may be the youngest on this list, but it more than deserves its position.
2
‘Midsommar’ (2019)
Where some may see Hereditary as the director’s masterpiece, others would label Ari Aster‘s folk horror Midsommar as his magnum opus. The movie follows a grieving Dani (Florence Pugh) who, attempting to relieve herself of her woes, attends the titular Swedish festival alongside her boyfriend and his friends. However, upon arrival, not all is as it seems, with the grim reality of this cultish festival placing their lives in terrifying danger.
One of Pugh’s best performances in a career featuring several flawless entries, Midsommar is a truly awe-inspiring feat of filmmaking from a director who seems to have since struggled to find the same success. Both a darkly comic tale and an affecting horror story, Midsommar moves seamlessly between clever moments of humor and some of the most terrifying visuals in modern cinema.
1
‘Get Out’ (2017)
No, Get Out is not ‘scary.’ Too often, the movie is considered an unsuccessful horror film because of this description. However, Get Out’s horror isn’t necessarily in its text, but rather under its surface, with the chilling reality the film satirizes more relevant today than it was back in 2017. This film simply couldn’t have been made without the mind of a modern comedy genius in Jordan Peele.
Following Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) as he meets his new white girlfriend’s, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), family at their wealthy rural manor, Get Out sees the weekend slowly go from strangely over-friendly to terrifying, as the reality behind his arrival becomes clear. One of the most successful horror movies of all time at the Oscars, the film might not leave a viewer covering their face, but it’s all the better for it, as not a moment of Get Out should — or indeed can afford to be — missed.
Get Out
- Release Date
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February 24, 2017
- Runtime
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1 hour, 44 minutes
