The last ten years have been good to the horror genre, not just domestically, but foreign as well. While American cinema struggled to keep up with its overseas counterparts, we saw a lot of remakes of Japanese films early in the decade, and a shift toward the reboot of old franchises in the later half of the past ten years.
Regardless, there were definitely some good frights at the box office that deserve recognition. The following list is based not on sales, but on scares, and how well the film delivered in making you jump out of your seat, or reach for the hand of the person beside you, and squeeze it until it was as pale as a week-old cadaver.
Here then, are the top 10 horror films of the decade.
10. The Exorcism of Emily Rose - What would a decade in horror be without a good exorcism flick? Jennifer Carpenter starred in this 2005 movie based on a true story about a young girl who goes off to University, only to be possessed by demons. Seller performances from Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson, blended with the cinematography of Tom Stern and the directing talents of Scott Derrickson, not to mention the contortion abilities of Jennifer Carpenter, made The Exorcism of Emily Rose worth the ride.
9. Inside - The French brought us this horrific 2007 film about a young girl on the verge of motherhood tormented by a mysterious woman who wants her unborn child. Bloody, gripping, and just downright raw, directors Alexandre Bustillio and Julien Maury pulled no punches when it came to this one.
8. Frailty - Directed by Bill Paxton, this little known, or forgotten, 2001 film is about a man confessing his family’s story to an FBI agent, and how his father’s religious visions led him to mass murder. Even though it had Matthew McConaughey in it, we’ll forgive it and give the film its due as one of the best horror films of the decade.
7. 28 Days Later - This 2002 British film from director Danny Boyle (who went on to win the Academy Award for Slumdog Millionaire), could very well be credited with restarting the whole zombie movement; even though it’s hotly debated as to whether or not the victims of the mysterious virus were in fact, zombies. Lots of suspense and tension, leading to a big payoff, made this film one of the best horror films to see over the last ten years.
6. Drag Me to Hell - Sam Raimi returned to his roots in 2009 and made a spectacular comeback with this horror film, starring Alison Lohman and Justin Long. After being cursed by an old gypsy, Christine Brown’s life is turned in to a living hell, as she seeks to save her soul before it is consumed by demonic forces. Raimi’s trademark humor-mixed-with-horror not only provided a few laughs, but lots of unsuspecting jumps that led up to a killer ending.
5. The Hills Have Eyes - The first and only remake to appear on the list, this 2006 retelling of Wes Cravens classic horror film was one of the best to come out of Hollywood. When ‘Big Bob’ got set on fire, the action and intensity didn’t let up in this realistic portrayl of a family lost in the New Mexico dessert, only to be terrorized by a mutant family. Bloody, scary as hell, and definitely deserving of the number five spot on the list.
4. SAW - You may or may not have seen the ending to this 2004 gorefest coming, but either way, it was a heck of a lot of fun getting there. What began as a small, $1.2 million film, went on to gross more than $103 million worldwide, and let loose a string of sequels, with the sixth film pushing it over the top to claim the title as the highest grossing horror franchise in history.
3. Stephen King’s The Mist - This 2007 flick directed by Frank Darabnt has got to be one of the best book-to-film adaptations of King’s work to date. When a freak storm unleashes a slew of blood-thristy monsters upon a small town, the citizens are left to battle not only the ghoulies, but each other. Perhaps one of the best endings in horror cinema. Period.
2. Let the Right One In - Sweden brought us this 2008 film, based on the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist. When shy, and often bullied Oscar, finds comfort and support in Eli, all seems right with the world. That is until Eli turns out to be a vampire. Horror mixed with a romantic tale unlike anyone had ever seen before, makes Let the Right One In the number two film on the list of the top horror films of the decade.
1. [REC] - Topping the list is this 2007 Spanish flick about a television reporter thrust in to a fight for survival when her and her cameraman are trapped inside an apartment building while people succumb to a mysterious virus, turning them in to flesh-hungy zombies. Shot entirely with an HD hand held camera that gave [REC] the realistic feel it needed to make it seem like you were right there in the building, the last 30-minutes are some of the most intense to ever appear on screen. That makes [REC] the scariest horror film of the decade.
Were some of your favorites missing? Agree or disagree? Have your say below on the top horror films of the decade.
Comments
Good list, Melzer. Glad to be able to contribute a bit. Quite few good movies here.
I have never seen Inside or [REC], and will have to remedy that very soon. Great compilation. I loved every single movie that I have seen on that list, and hope the next decade provides us with scarier flicks than ever.
Oh Jenny, Jenny Jenny...you HAVE to see those 2 movies, and SOON!
Thanks Ron, glad you liked the list and thanks for your input on twitter in helping to compile it.
Agree on some, others were a bit weak though. Not that Exorcism of Emily Rose wasn't a good film, it was OK, but when compared to some of the other giants we had this year, it stands very small. MARTYRS is like Inside on crack - and has a layer of substance most horror films shy away from.
Good job though, you've made me want to do my own list now, too!
**Spoiler Alert**
I'm gonna disagree about The Mist's ending. I thought it was totally unbelievable, and pretty much ruined the movie for me. After everything they went through, I didn't buy that he'd just go "Uh-oh, we're outta gas. Better kill everybody." On top of that, the nasty fundamentalist "won." What was the freaking point of that? If you sacrifice others, you get to live? Was it supposed to be some sort of social commentary?
I'm kind of mixed on Drag Me to Hell. I wanted to love it, but I think I overhyped myself. It was entertaining, but really dragged in certain parts. I should give the theatrical version a shot sometime, maybe more fat trimmed.
LOVED Frailty. Abso-frickin-lutely loved it. Same with 28 Days Later, Let The Right One In, and The Hills Have Eyes. SAW was cool, but the sequels have kind of put me off the series.
I haven't seen [REC], Exorcism of Emily Rose, or Inside, but I'll put them at the top of the list
Not a bad list at all. But the movie that scared the daylights out of me? The Ring. That movie did it for me.
Haven't seen any of these. Just started my DD (15) with Cujo, then The Shining. Moving on from there I may pick one of these.
Drag me to hell? Almost had me in full agreement. I'd have removed that and placed Splinter. Only because I think if Raimi really had gone to his roots he wouldve given us a hard R film and not a watered down one. Maybe I'd include the Devils Rejects also, tho it's not really horror. Excellent list.
I am not a big one for horror but I have a few words for this one. I have heard nothing but good things about "Let The Right One In" from the podcast Screen Geeks. So I really need to see it.
And as I much as Saw freaked me the heck out, it was a really good movie. Not just "Oh look someone is crazy and out killing". There seemed to be a brilliant madness to it. Very well done.
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