34 recent horror movies (ordered from most to least scary)

In recent years, a host of high-quality horror films with stories so terrifying that it's hard to escape them for days have come to light.

We propose a list of the most recent horror films (2010-2020), ordered from most to least scary, so that your cinematic experience is adrenaline-pumping.
Horror cinema has a peculiarity: not only is it capable of keeping us in suspense during its viewing, increasing our heart rate, but also contains stories that can increase our activity cerebral.
For this reason, in our list we will also explain why the selected films are so scary.

1. Sinister (2012)

Why is it scary:

• It contains old recordings filmed in Super 8 that make the viewer take intense scares and want to close their eyes at times.
• The sound provokes terror in the most critical moments of the film.
• According to scientific studies, it is the movie of recent times that raises the heart rate per minute the most.

A journalist, specialized in crime novels, tries to succeed again as he did with his first best-seller. To do this, he travels with his family to investigate different murders that inspire him. Soon, he arrives at the house where a family lived and in which a terrible homicide occurred. There he finds a box with recordings, the images of which reveal the circumstances of the massacre. However, events soon occur that put his family in danger.

2. The Devil's Legacy (Hereditary, 2018)

Why is it scary:

• Music and photography create an anguished atmosphere, but one of the reasons that keeps the viewer alert is how tension is handled in a virtuous way.

When the grandmother of the Graham family dies, Annie and hers, two of her children, inherit the house where the woman lived, where she spent an unhappy childhood. Soon, her youngest daughter begins to have ghostly visions, then so does her son. Little by little, the family discovers terrifying facts from their past and must face their destiny.

3. The Witch (The Witch, 2015)

Why is it scary:

• The climate and setting of this film create a feeling of continuous unease, the impression of suffocation appears in the most chilling moments of the film.
• It is very difficult to get rid of some images after viewing them.

This Robert Eggers film is set in 1630 in New England. It tells the story of the members of a settler family, a married couple and their five children, who move into a house located in a forest where very strange events begin to occur, including the disappearance of one of the kids.

4. It follows you (It Follows, 2015)

Why is it scary:

• The slow rhythm of her in some sequences raises the perception of uneasiness and increases fear.
• She remembers some classic horror films like "Halloween night."

After maintaining a relationship with a young man, a 19-year-old girl begins to have visions and has the feeling of being continuously persecuted. Both she and her friends must find a way to escape from that presence that follows in their footsteps.

5. Us (Us, 2019)

Why is it scary:

• The presence of the protagonists' doppelgänger makes every muscle in the body tense.

During the summer period, Adelaide Wilson returns to her childhood home with her family. After a day at the beach, the family returns home, and four masked strangers pose in front of the house, turning the idyllic vacation into a harrowing nightmare.

6. A place in silence (A Quiet Place, 2018)

Why is it scary:

• The silence to which the characters are subjected throughout the film makes the viewer an accomplice in each of the gestures.
• The extreme situations that the protagonists attend raises the level of anxiety to the maximum throughout the film.

This film revolves around a family that lives on a remote farm in upstate New York. There, Evelyn and Lee live with their three children, with whom they have developed a series of habits and routines that consist of remaining silent. and communicate by signs, to avoid being hunted by blind creatures with hypersensitive hearing that have already wiped out a large part of the population.

7. The Warren File: The Enfield Case (The Conjuring 2, 2016)

Why is it scary:

• Images of the real case appear in the film.

This is the second part of Warren expedient. On this occasion, Lorraine and Ed Warren go to the house of a mother who lives with her children, in a home to the north of London in which paranormal events begin to happen, apparently the house is inhabited by evil spirits.

8. The Babadook (The Babadook, 2014)

Why is it scary:

• The story itself brings back fears or childhood traumas to the viewer, with spooky moments and a lot of scares.

Some time after the death of her husband, Amelia continues her life with her son Samuel, who is frightened by the presence of a monster in her dreams that threatens to kill him. The discovery of a book called Mister Babadook, about a monster, makes Amelia suspect that Babadook is not just in her son's imagination. Soon, she too begins to notice his presence.

9. The Conjuring (The Conjuring, 2013)

Why is it scary:

• It is a dark film based on real events that manages to get the viewer to be immersed in the history thanks to the treatment of the image, the sound, the atmosphere and the paranormal events that presents.

A family acquires a mansion in Harrisville. But there is no tranquility, soon paranormal events begin to happen, which will be investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren, two specialists in this type of case. Although, this fact is the most difficult they have faced in their entire career.

10. The Visit (The Visit, 2015)

Why is it scary:

• Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie's performances in the role of grandparents, their presence in every scene is chilling.

This film by M. Night Shyamalan revolves around a mother who decides to leave her two young children with her grandparents on the farm where they live, located in an isolated place.

At first, the grandparents seem charming, however, soon the brothers discover that they are involved in something spooky and that they have it a secret. Thus, the children try by all means to convince her mother to come back for them.

11. Goodnight, Mom (Goodnight Moomy, 2014)

Why is it scary:

• The psychology of the characters, especially the mother, and the cold atmosphere that surrounds the home where they live are striking.
• It keeps the intrigue from start to finish.

Good night mom is an Austrian film by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. It tells the story of two twin brothers, whose mother has just undergone plastic surgery on her face. When she comes home, her face covered, her attitude seems to have changed to the point that her own children wonder if this woman is really his mother.

12. The Stranger (Goksung, 2016)

Why is it scary:

• The supernatural events, the breathtaking atmosphere, the dosage of suspense and the gore overtones make this film leave the viewer puzzled and stunned throughout the film.

This South Korean film directed by Na Hong-jin revolves around the strange events of a small town, where different murders have occurred. While the police are investigating the crime, the villagers suspect a man who has recently lived there as a hermit. Meanwhile, a desperate man tries to save his daughter from danger.

13. Run away (Get Out, 2017)

Why is it scary:

• Not only is the story terrifying about this film, what is even scarier is thinking that it hides a social criticism that can be extrapolated to today's world with racial problems.

Chris, a young African American, is going to spend a weekend at the house of his in-laws to meet them. At first, they have a cordial attitude towards him, however, his adventure soon turns into a nightmare when he learns the reality by finding a series of disturbing discoveries. So Chris won't be able to easily escape from the place.

14. Green Room (Green Room, 2015)

Why is it scary:

• It is a tape whose agile rhythm maintains tension throughout the entire footage. It is an intense and claustrophobic experience.

This Jeremy Saulnier film follows the track of a punk marching band, which is going to play in a strange bar. When its members witness a murder, they are locked in a room by a dangerous neo-Nazi group, led by the owner of the bar, who does not want there to be witnesses to the crime.

15. Gretel and Hansel: A Dark Fairy Tale (Gretel & Hansel, 2020)

Why is it scary:

• This Canadian film delves into the classic tale to turn it into a terrifying story. The children's experiences in a dark forest will make you want to forget even the original story.

Set in the early 14th century, two young people aged 13 and 9 live in poverty. Soon, they run away from home to get away from her stepfather, an evil man who is married to his mother. Their adventure begins in the forest, where they meet different strange people, and ends in a cabin, which is inhabited by Holda, a dark woman from whom it will be difficult to escape.

16. The night of the devil (Insidious, 2010)

Why is it scary:

• The film contains overtones of classic horror cinema and a return to more traditional horror.
• The soundtrack is capable of bristling the skin.

A family made up of the marriage of Josh and Renai, along with their three children, change their lives and move into an old house. Soon, one of the children is the victim of a fatal accident and falls into a coma. Later, the family begins to experience paranormal events in their home.

17. It (It, 2017)

Why is it scary:

• It is not a totally terrifying work, but the presence of the clown whose face is difficult to forget is.

The film presents a story set in the 80s, which is the adaptation of the homonymous novel by Stephen King. In Maine, seven children join forces in a group to face a clown who has aroused terror among the inhabitants of the small town.

18. Don't breathe (Don´t Breathe, 2016)

Why is it scary:

• The chilling presence of Stephen Lang causes the viewer to be disturbed and the desire to even breathe.
• It's a nerve-wracking experience that makes every muscle tense.

This film by Federico Álvarez revolves around a group of young people who plan to rob a blind man, who keeps a lot of money in his house. Once inside the house, far from its owner becoming a victim of the youth group, the owner becomes his worst nightmare. The thieves get caught and fight to survive.

19. Mandy (2018)

Why is it scary:

• His psychedelic atmosphere and his dark characters make viewing this film a real nightmare.

Panos Cosmatos makes available to the public a story set in 1983. Red, commissioned by Nicholas Cage, is a lumberjack who lives in a remote place with his beloved Mandy. Soon, the woman is hunted by a fearsome religious sect and finally killed by the leader. So Red decides to investigate his death and plan a fearsome revenge.

20. Host (2020)

Why is it scary:

• This film relives the anguish of the quarantine, makes the viewer fear until they answer a call by zoom.

Host is a British film by Rob Savage. He tells the story of six friends who, during a paranormal session by Zoom, begin to experience strange events in their house at night, from which it will not be easy for them to escape.

21. Veronica (2017)

Why is it scary:

• This psychological thriller is seen with different eyes the moment you discover that it is based on the true case of a young woman who passed away under strange circumstances.

The Spanish director Paco Plaza presents the story of a young woman begins to experience unusual presences after performing the Ouija with some friends. Later, terror enters her life and her family members are also in danger.

22. They Come Back (2017)

Why is it scary:

• It combines different genres, including fantasy and drama, and contains scary scenes that they contemplate terror from the eyes of a child, while using this genre to make a criticism Social.

This film by Mexican Issa López tells the story of Estrella, a 10-year-old girl who wants to see her mother again, who is missing. Her request is fulfilled, only that her mother is dead and does not stop chasing her. The terrified girl tries to escape her presence by joining a group of orphaned children.

23. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, 2016)

Why is it scary:

• It is a grim story that is full of unexpected scares and contains an ending that upsets the viewer's stillness for a time.

This film directed by André Øvreda revolves around Tommy and Austin, a father and son in charge of a morgue and a crematorium. One day the corpse of a young woman arrives, which they will analyze during one night, in which they discover the hidden secrets that she hides after her death, apparently without violence.

24. The Night House (2020)

Why is it scary:

• The atmosphere, the images mark and stay in your head.

• The interpretation of Rebeca Hall makes you experience the paranoid attitude of the character in your own flesh.

This David Bruckner film tells the story of Beth who lives alone in the house that her late husband, an architect, designed for her. She soon she begins to have a series of dreams that disturb her and a presence of her appears in her house every night.

Beth begins to despair and tries to investigate at all costs to find an answer. In search of her, the woman discovers terrifying secrets.

25. Suspiria (2018)

Why is it scary:

• It's a visceral and sinister movie, it contains scenes that really chill as much as its soundtrack.

This film is a remake of the original by Dario Argento released in 1977. This Luca Guadagnino film revolves around a young dancer who travels to Berlin to study dance there at a renowned dance school. Soon, a former student is mysteriously murdered and the protagonist becomes suspicious of the school's involvement in this case.

26. Mother! (Mother!, 2017)

Why is it scary:

• It is suffocating and disconcerting and is full of visual metaphors that require more than one viewing to understand.

This film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem, who play a married couple living in a country house on the outskirts of the city. One day, a strange couple who come to disturb the stillness of the home. Soon, the husband begins to behave strangely and the wife begins to lose her sanity trying to find an explanation.

27. Marrowbone's Secret (2017)

Why is it scary:

• The mystery that surrounds this film keeps the viewer intrigued for most of the footage. Although it contains scary moments, these are well scattered.
• Managing tension is what works and helps create the feeling of permanent overwhelm.

Marrowbone's Secret is a Sergio G. Sánchez who tells the story of four brothers who flee from England to escape their violent father and to prevent the death of his mother from separating them they hide in a farm abandoned. But, they soon discover that a presence is prowling around there.

28 The Invisible Man (2020)

Why is it scary:

• The experience of the protagonist is transferred to the viewer. It is an uncomfortable film in which Elisabeth Moss manages to convey the anxiety caused by being afraid of something that cannot be seen.

A young woman receives the news that her boyfriend has passed away, that he was an abuser. Although, far from living quietly, Cecilia believes that her partner is still alive, a fact that makes her lose her sanity.

29. While you sleep (2011)

Why is it scary:

• Luis Tosar makes his character, twisted and disturbed, go beyond the screen and become one of the obsessions of those who watch the film for days.

While you sleep is a film by Jaume Balagueró focused on César, a mysterious doorman of a building, of which he has all the keys to the neighbors' houses. The man has intentions to hurt and his next target is the new neighbor, a cheerful woman who lives in 5B.

30. Hellish Possession (Evil Dead, 2013)

Why is it scary:

• The film lacks the humor of the original film and puts a more murky and violent turn on the story.

Hell's Possession is the remake of the original 1981 film. The film tells the story of a group of friends who travel to a cabin in the woods with a girl who is undergoing rehabilitation for an addiction. There they discover a book and, after reading it, summon an ancient demon who possesses the girl.

31. The ritual (The Ritual, 2017)

Why is it scary:

• It maintains the constant suspense, it is a film with great locations, it presents an almost claustrophobic forest where a creepy horror unfolds.

The ritual is a film that delves into the experiences of a group of college friends, who decide to pay tribute to their deceased friend by taking a trip through the mountains of Sweden. Soon, young people begin to experience different events due to a presence that follows in their footsteps.

32. The cabin in the woods (The cabin in the Woods, 2012)

Why is it scary:

• The experiment to which the protagonists are subjected provokes reflection on the obsession with horror that we can have as spectators.
• The story contains twists and turns that keep you clinging to the seat.
• It is a surprise box that contains scenes as scary as they are funny.

Five young university students enter a cabin located in a forest. In the basement they find, among a strange collection of memories, a book that talks about a family that lived in the house. What they do not know is that they are being spied on through cameras and their destination is handled by scientists from a laboratory.

Young people have to find out the secrets behind the terrifying cabin.

33. Midsommar (Midsommar, 2019)

Why is it scary:

• It is a film that does not contain scares but manages to catch the audience thanks to the renewal of the horror genre.

The film tells the story of Christian and Dani, a couple facing a crisis in their relationship. That is why they decide to travel to Sweden to attend a festival that takes place once every 90 years, the Midsommar. There they meet a childhood friend again.

However, what seemed like an idyllic vacation turns into a nightmare when villagers invite them to take part in haunting holiday activities.

34. Malasaña 32 (2020)

Why is it scary:

• It is based on a real case, a supernatural event that occurred in a building in the Madrid neighborhood of Malasaña.

This Spanish film, set in Madrid in the 70s and directed by Albert Pinto, narrates the story of a marriage that moves with his children and grandfather from the town to the Madrid neighborhood of Malasaña. Once settled in their new home, family members discover that they are not alone.

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