Horror movieshave always been a staple in the history of film. In fact, the first horror film ever made was conceived barely two decades after the first ever recorded film footage in history. So the horror genre is not about to slow down despite more than a hundred years of existence, and every year, there’s no shortage of horror films.
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Some horror movies are even timelessand they still hold up today, despite being a decade old. Speaking of which,horror movies that turned 10 in 2022still compete well with today’s staples. Check out these horror film titles that are now a decade old today, proof that a person can get as scared today as they got 10 years ago.
While its full release was in 2012,The Cabin in the Woodsdebuted in 2011.
13Underworld: Awakening
Underworld: Awakeningcontinues the story of Selene, a leather-clad vampire woman stuck in an eternal crossfire between her kind and werewolves. Selene has always wanted to put an end to their war, and she found that opportunity inUnderworld: Awakening.
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Suddenly, there’s a hybrid girl who’s a combination of a vampire and a werewolf, and she might just be the key to ending the eternal war once and for all. There’s more action here than horror but given the nature of Selene’s werewolf enemies, the film, like its predecessors, still has plenty of horror elements for those looking for a few scares along the way.
12Grave Encounters 2
The found footage sub-genrein horror filmsis already done to death thanks to the popularity ofParanormal Activity. However, there are still some hidden gems in the genre, such asGrave Encountersand its sequel,Grave Encounters 2. Both films are semi-parodies of ghost-hunting documentary groups that stumble upon actual, real horrors.
Sure enough, they were ill-equipped to deal with such a reality.Grave Encounters 2pulls off a brutal twist near the end and turns its whole cast upside down. The shocks and horror scenarios are also mostly decent here and even those who claim to have seen it all in ghost movies might find themselves still anxious while watching this one.
11V/H/S
Anthology movies tend to be inconsistent, andV/H/Slives up to this expectation. Containing five shorts along with an introduction that serves as a framing device, this collection oscillates between silly and downright horrifying. Ti West’sSecond Honeymoonshowcases the director’s propensity for horror, and this segment is a must-watch for fans ofThe House of the DevilorX.
All the other shorts also have their positives, with none of them standing out as being particularly underwhelming. While it might not be as consistently brilliant as some other horror anthologies,V/H/Sbenefits greatly from its grainy and home video aesthetic.
10The Devil’s Carnival
The Devil’s Carnivalis a strange blend of musical and horror (think Tim Burton’sSweeney Todd).It’s an unconventional horror movie about three people who enter a carnival for entertainment, only to soon find out that they aretheentertainment.
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That’s because the carnival is a torture chamber in hell where the said three people are forced to relive their greatest sins. Those who hate those obnoxious horror jump scares might find this one a more palatable kind of horror because, like many horror films, it imparts a good moral message.
9Berberian Sound Studio
Horror movies that toy with the concept of sound are quite rare, which is whyA Quiet Placewas such a huge hit. And whileBerberian Sound Studiois nounique horror filmdevoid of verbal dialog, it features clever use of sound to spook its viewers.
The story revolves around Gilderoy, a sound engineer tasked with editing the audio for a film project about witchcraft. However, pretty soon, he starts hearing things that make him question reality. Gilderoy eventually finds out that he got more than he bargained for and that he should have asked for hazard pay.
8The Conspiracy
The Conspiracyisn’t unlikeBerberian Sound Studio.It’s supposed to look like a documentary where two filmmakers interview a notorious and seemingly-crazed conspiracy theorist for their new film. But things take a turn for the worse after the said conspiracy theorist disappears.
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Pretty soon, the two filmmakers find themselves down ahorrific rabbit holeand goose chase as they uncover a secret, obsessed cult. It’s worth seeing the film alone for the concept it brings to the horror genre; at times, it can even feel like a proper documentary.
7The Battery
Zombie films were a dime-a-dozen 10 years ago, and they’re even more ubiquitous in media now. But somehow, films likeThe Batteryexist and they put a solid spin on the alreadytried and tested zombie genre. It’s part-drama since it follows the story of two former baseball players who take a trip to the countryside after a plague.
Only, their trip was cut short by a zombie outbreak and they find themselves fighting for their lives. Those who value the more dramatic and relatable side of zombie apocalypse movies might find plenty to ponder on here, especially if they take a lot of comforts for granted in the modern world.
6Sinister
Directed by Scott Derrickson,Sinisterstarts out as a relatively by-the-numbers horror story as it follows a family as they move into a new, spooky house. The twist is that the father, Ethan Hawke’s Ellison, specifically selected this residence as he wishes to learn more about the family that was murdered there.
Sinisterdoes not necessarily do anything all that new for the genre, but the film does an admirable job of crafting and sustaining an unsettling atmosphere. The plot goes in a couple of unique directions, and the story is elevated through solid acting.
5The Woman In Black
Based on Susan Hill’s 1983 novel, which was already adapted into an underrated 1989 teleplay,The Woman in Blackgarnered attention as it was Daniel Radcliffe’s first feature after he completed his run as Harry Potter.
Set in the early 1900s, Radcliffe portrays Arthur, a lawyer charged with visiting a mansion in search of documentation left behind by the deceased owner. Also, as he learns from the terrified locals, the house has a reputation for being haunted.The Woman in Blackharbors back to classichaunted house flicksof old, and it is a more than worthy addition to this subgenre.
4Chained
Chainedtells a peculiar story about a child who was kidnaped by a serial killer posing as a cab driver. Only, instead of getting killed by the psychopath, he raised him to follow in his footsteps. Hence, this story is about Rabbit, the child in question.
Despite being forcibly adopted by a serial killer to be his successor, Rabbit retained some of his morality. And he must then make a decision to finally break free or follow in the killer’s footsteps. It’s also worth noting that actor Vincent D’Onofrio gives off a riveting and haunting performance here as the serial killer, and he alone is worth the price of admission.
