50 Greatest Horror Movies Of The 21st Century

50. Insidious

Plot: A family are haunted by a series of ghosts attacking their comatose son, and a ghost hunter (Lin Shaye) tries to help them break free.

James Wan had a rough few years after debuting with Saw, and some probably feared he'd end up being a one-hit wonder. Then, out of nowhere, he exploded back onto the horror scene with Insidious, a film that was exhilarating to watch because, for its time, it was that rare thing: a scary movie.

A genuinely terrifying and beautifully directed haunted house flick complete with intelligent pacing and characters we care about, Insidious was absolutely leagues ahead of nearly every other studio horror film around that time. Unfortunately, the film's final act is pretty lame but then it pulls itself back together to deliver a bruising cliffhanger ending which confirms Insidious as, flaws and all, a minor horror classic of the modern era.

A mostly weak series of sequels has followed; Insidious 5 is due this year.