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Good Horror Movies To Watch

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A personally curated list of horror movies for you to watch! This list contains anywhere from psychological to thriller to comedy horror, a variety for different horror movie enjoyers!

As a legal disclaimer, this list contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you.
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Apocalyptic Horror

 
Madison Anders profile picture
A Quiet Place (2018) is a post-apocalyptic horror film following a couple and their children; struggling to raise them in a world inhabited by blind extraterrestrial creatures with an acute sense of hearing. 

I really enjoy this movie series. My favorite part about these movies is seeing how humanity tries to adapt and overcome dire situations such as these.
A Quiet Place
 
Madison Anders profile picture
A Quiet Place Part II (2020) is a sequel to A Quiet Place, still following the Abbott family from the first film as they continue to navigate the world inhabited by the blind creatures with their acute hearing.

I was already a fan of the first movie, so hearing another movie was coming out had me so excited. This movie did not disappoint either!
A Quiet Place Part II
 
Madison Anders profile picture
A Quiet Place: Day One is a spin-off/prequel to A Quiet Place, following an entirely new cast of characters during the first day of the invasion of the "Death Angels". 
In the movie, we follow Samira, a terminally ill cancer patient who lives with her pet cat. It offers a more human out-look on the setting of the movie, as Sam is very pessimistic about the whole situation; she has a bucket list of things she wants t...
A Quiet Place: Day One
 
Madison Anders profile picture
28 Days Later (2002) is a well-regarded post-apocalyptic horror film as it revived the zombie horror genre at the time.

It's definitely a good movie to watch if you enjoy zombie horror, it introduces fast-paced zombies compared to other slow-paced zombies in movies or shows.
28 Days Later

Psychological Horror

A list of psychological horror movies to have you question your own sanity.

 
Madison Anders profile picture
Hereditary (2018) is a supernatural psychological horror written and directed by Ari Aster.

The movie follows the events after the death of the grandmother of the Graham family, uncovering cryptic secrets about the family's ancestry. 

I, personally, think this movie is a masterpiece in the horror genre. Toni Collette's performance as a scorned mother in this movie is amazing and feels so real!
Hereditary (2018)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Smile is a supernatural psychological film that is a follow-up to the short film ‘Laura Hasn’t Slept". 

This movie follows Rose Cotter, a therapist at a psychiatric ward. She encounters a disturbed patient who claims to be haunted by an invisible entity, and inevitably passes on this entity to Rose after she witnesses the student's suicide.

I thought this movies would be unserious, like the Truth or Dare movies that appeared, but this movie is so much better than that!
Smile (2022)
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Madison Anders profile picture
Smile 2 (2024) is a supernatural psychological horror that is a sequel to Smile (2022). 

This movie follows pop star Skye Riley coming back into the spotlight after a car crash incident involving her now-deceased boyfriend fueled by substance abuse of both parties. Skye, under strict supervision, sneaks out to contact her old high school...

I was already a big fan of the first smile, so I was very excited to see there was a second movie in the franchise. This movie did not disappoint me at all, bringing the same dread that you feel for the character in trying to beat the entity.
Smile 2 (2024)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Talk To Me (2022) is a supernatural horror, but I think it's more of a supernatural AND psychological horror as it deals with the themes of grief and mental health.

I was really excited for this movie as I thought it would be focusing solely on the supernatural aspect, but it slowly delved more into psychological horror so it lost me on interest there. It is still an average movie regardless.
Talk to Me (2022)
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Madison Anders profile picture
Midsommar (2019) is another fantastic film by Ari Aster. Midsommar is classified as a “folk horror” as it uses elements of folklore to invoke the emotions of fear and foreboding. I think it can also be a psychological horror as it heavily relies on e...

Midsommar follows Dani, who is traumatized after learning her sister has killed her parents, the revelation that causes her already distant boyfriend to grow more distant. Her boyfriend, Christian, and his friends are invited to attend a midsummer fe...

Midsommar is another movie I enjoy-- really anything made by Ari Aster can be enjoyable as he makes amazing movies. It is definitely another movie I recommend.
Midsommar (2019)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Men (2022) is a British surrealist/psychological folk horror film. 

In this movie, we follow Harper, who is haunted by flashbacks of the abuse and manipulation of her husband James, who committed suicide after the threats of divorce. She takes a holiday trip alone to a village in Cotson, where she is stalked and haun...

While this movie has gotten many bad reviews due to the themes and moral of the film, I fairly enjoyed it. This movie is not subtle on the themes of the effects of the patriarchy on society and some men being sexist/violent towards women.
Men (2022)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Malignant (2021) is a horror film that blends many different aspects of sub-genre horror; supernatural, psychological, body horror, and thriller! 

Malignant follows Madison Mitchell, after having psychical argument with her abusive husband, she finds him dead before being knocked unconscious. When questioned by detectives, she reveals she does not remember match of her life prior to being adopt... 

Malignant is a mixed bag for some for sure. I loved the movie as it didn't follow through typical horror cliches, while others don't really like the pacing of the movie.
Malignant (2021)
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Madison Anders profile picture
1922 is a horror film based on Stephen King's novella of the same name. 

The film is a bit of a slowburn, some people don't think the film is necessarily horror, more of a thriller, but I think it is more psychological with it's themes. It's definitely a stunning movie to watch!
1922 (2017)
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Madison Anders profile picture
The Shining (1980) is one of America's most iconic horror films of all time based on Stephen King's novel of the same name.

Even though the movie is old now, it is still an amazing movie with stunning visuals. I recommend anyone who hasn't watched this movie to go see it!
The Shining (1980)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Gerald's Game (2017) is a psychological horror thriller film based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. 

The film follows a married couple who want to spend “a little alone time together” at a isolated house. The husband suddenly dies of a heart attack and collapses on his wife, who is handcuffed to the bed without the key. She battles her inner demons ...

Gerald's Game did not look promising to me at first, as I really do not like sexual themes in movies or shows, but this one pleasantly surprised me! I recommend those who love seeing Stephen King's novels adapted into films.
Gerald's Game (2017)
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Comedy Horror

A list of comedic horror movies, still containing all the good scares.

 
Madison Anders profile picture
Clown In a Cornfield (2025) is a recently new slasher film that has dropped that I got to see in theaters near me. The movie is like a blast from the past, with how much slasher cliches (final girl, twists on who the killer is, etc.) are included, bu... 

While I'm not a big fan of slasher films in general, this movie did make me laugh and had me interested in the story. I definitely recommend it for people who like comedic horror.
Clown in a Cornfield (2025)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
The Monkey (2025) is a black comedy horror based on Stephen King's short story of the same name. This movie is about an cursed drum-playing toy monkey that causes a chain-reaction death to those around it.

I saw this movie marketed as a more serious horror movie, but when seeing it in theaters, I quickly learned this movie was so unserious. It was a comedic horror, not the horror it was marketed as. That kinda disappointed me, but the movie made up for...
The Monkey Online (2025)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
NOPE (2022) is a neo-Western sci-fi horror movie written, directed, and produced by Jordan Peele. A lot of people wouldn't classify NOPE as a horror, but it has many different horror sub-genres blended together; comedy, thriller, action, western, etc... 

I actually enjoyed this movie a lot and it was my first Jordan Peele movie, introducing me into his other works which are also as great as this one.
Nope (2022)
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Thriller Horror

A list of thriller horror movies to have you on the edge of your seat.

 
Madison Anders profile picture
Bird Box (2018) is a post-apocalypse horror thriller. 

The movie follows the events of a apocalypse horror in which entities, that are invisible to the naked eye, cause people to commit suicide. This movie follows Malorie Hayes the the events leading before and after her struggle in this world of the inv...

I fairly enjoyed this movie when it released as I liked the idea of a monster you cannot see and I was interested in how the characters would try to overcome/adapt to the situation.
Bird Box (2018)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Longlegs (2024) is a relatively recent horror thriller featuring Nicolas Cage. 

Longlegs follows Lee Harker, an FBI agent, assigned to cases of murder-suicides happening in Oregon. Lee starts to learn of the patterns of each of these tragedies, inching her closer to the identity of this mysterious “Longlegs”.

I got to see this movie with my partner's family, it was a very good movie, albeit mysterious in it's story as well.
Longlegs (2024)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
No Exit (2022) is a thriller horror film. 

The story follows recovering addict Darby, who learns her mother is in the hospital and is about to undergo emergency surgery. Her sister warns her not to come due to her past, but Darby is undeterred; escaping rehab to visit her dying mother. As she...

I fairly enjoyed No Exit, I was very excited to see this movie when I saw it advertised everywhere.
No Exit (2022)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Shutter Island (2010) is a psychological thriller film with neo-noir elements.

This movie follows U.S Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels and his partner Chuck, to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando and her three drowned children. 

This movie is not a particularly scary one, but it does offer a great twist and amazing visuals. I definitely recommend this movie to those who haven't seen it yet!
Shutter Island

Superhero Horror

A list of horror films with the themes of superheroes.

 
Madison Anders profile picture
Brightburn (2019) is a superhero horror.

Brightburn follows a couple, who are unable to conceive, finding a baby inside a crashed spaceship that landed in a forest near their house. The boy starts developing his powers and learns of his true origins, which fills him with rage and a bloodlus...

I was surprised by this movie being a “superhero horror” which I feel is a theme that hasn't been done before or very well for that matter. This movie was pretty good; not scary, just more gore-y than expected.
Brightburn (2019)
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Supernatural Horror

A list of horror movies based around the themes of the supernatural; ghosts, curses, and hauntings.

 
Madison Anders profile picture
Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) is a film adaption of Scott Cawthon's Five Nights at Freddy's video game series. 

This movie is based on the first game, where you play as Mike Schmidt working as a security guard for an abandoned pizzeria.

Me and my partner are both fans of the video game series, so we were very excited to see this movie and how well it held up to the source material. We were not disappointed, we really loved this movie and can't wait for the next movie to drop!
Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
It Follows (2014) is a supernatural horror with elements of slasher horror and body horror. 

It Follows is about university students who are haunted by a supernatural entity, and the only way to get this entity off your trial is to have sex with others, passing it onto them to give yourself more time. 
On the surface, this movie could be an allegory about STDs, but it can also be interpreted as loss of innocence and the inevitability of adulthood and death.

As much as I didn't like the sexual themes in this movie, I was more interested in how the characters would overcome and adapt to a relentless entity.
It Follows
 
Madison Anders profile picture
It (2017) is a supernatural horror film based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. 

Every film adaptation I have watched of a Stephen King film has never disappointed me, same with this IT film. I definitely recommend this movie, especially to those who don't like watching older films, this one can be a good introduction to IT since...
It (2017)
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Madison Anders profile picture
The Conjuring (2013) is a supernatural horror film based on the paranormal investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren.

I recommend The Conjuring to anyone who is a fan of supernatural horror. This movie is well-written with it's character development and it's visuals.
The Conjuring (2013)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Insidious (2010) is a supernatural horror film follow a family that experiences alarming paranormal events after moving into their new home, specifically focusing on the family's son.

Insidious is a fan-favorite for a lot of supernatural horror fans out there, myself included. This movie is really good!
Insidious (2010)
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) is a sequel to the supernatural horror film Insidious (2010). It is the second movie within the franchise, but is the fourth in the chronological story-line of the movies.

This movie continues with the story of the family in the first movie, Josh and Renai Lambert, and their children-- Dalton, Foster, and Kali. 

This movie is also insanely well-done and ties together the story of the first Insidious movie. These movies are definitely recommended to anyone who hasn't watched them yet!
Insidious: Chapter 2
 
Madison Anders profile picture
Get Out (2017) is a psychological horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Jordan Peele. 

The movie follows our protagonist Kaluuya, a young black man, who uncovers the shocking secret of his white girlfriend's family.

After watching NOPE, I delved into Jordan Peele's other horror films. I enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed NOPE. I definitely recommend his movies to those who haven't watched them yet.
Get Out (2017)

Short Films

This list contains short horror films to show appreciation for small budget films.

 
Madison Anders profile picture
The Strange Thing About The Johnsons (2011) is a short psychological thriller film by Ari Aster.

This movie follows the incestuous abuse of Sidney Johnson, by his own son, Isaiah Johnson. It follows the mental struggle of Sidney dealing with this abuse for many years, along with how this effects other members of the family.

This movie will have you feeling very uncomfortable and makes you want to crawl out of your own skin.
The Strange Thing About The Johnsons (2011)