10 Awesome Recent Horror Movies You'll Never Watch Again

The last few years have offered ripe pickings for horror movie audiences, with indies, blockbusters, old properties and new undertakings all delivering a strong standard. But just because the films are great doesn't mean you necessarily want to see them again...

Sure, some recent movies, like Blink Twice and Heretic, have packed some admirable twists and mysteries to keep things burning, but once the spoiler is out of the box, you can't exactly force it back in again. The likes of Enys Men have proven that there is still plenty of room for complex, arthouse cinema at the horror feast, but when you've wrapped your head around them, once is more than enough. Speak No Evil and its cohort keep the tension unbearably taut, and for that reason alone take more energy than you might be willing to spend on a re-watch.

And don't get us started on the violence, miseries and sheer terror that many of these films take pride in, forcing us to limp away from the cinema in tatters. Who wants to go there again?

While all of the following films are awesome in their own right, deserving of their critical plaudits and owning their place in the canon, if you're being honest with yourselves, you are never going to watch them again.

A24 has spent the last decade and a half positioning itself as the go-to brand for indie horror, putting its weight behind unusual productions and up-and-coming talent (making big names of Ari Aster, Ti West and others in the process). This trust-based relationship with audiences means that, even when they produce and promote a film by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, directors of found footage flop Nightlight and Adam Driver sci-fi snore 65, you pay attention.

The film in question is last year's Heretic, in which Hugh Grant (of all people) stars as sinister, nihilistic scholar Mr Reed, who traps two young Mormons - Sisters Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Paxton (Chloe East) in his labyrinthine home. To escape with their lives and liberty, all the girls have to do is pass his trials, which purport to show them the path to the one true religion, and break their faith in the process.

The film is a thrilling ride, with a first half that's as tense as a suspension bridge, constantly shifting and repositioning our understanding of reality, Mr Reed's motives, and the nature of belief. However, once the conclusion strikes and the ultimate answer to the question of religion is revealed, the game isn't half as fun. Heretic is great for one watch, but not a candidate for repeat viewing from the enlightened viewer.