10 Best Horror Movies That Subverted Classic Cliches

Coming all the way from New Zealand, the second Kiwi horror on this list couldn’t be less like What We Do In The Shadows, save for its deadpan wit and occasional moments of guiltily hilarious gore. Mind you the flick isn’t much like fellow Kiwi horror auteur Peter Jackson’s early efforts such as Bad Taste and Braindead either, as it eschews excessive splatter in favour of dry character comedy and a satisfying slow burn mystery.

We’re getting into spoiler territory when we say this one bends clichés, so fair warning, but its inventive and funny twist on the ghost story genre is soon revealed to be a far funnier remix of The Boy’s “It’s not a poltergeist, someone lives in the walls” twist, and soon what appeared to be a chilling but darkly funny horror is revealed to be a bloody but bloody funny thriller with a knack for subverting expectations.

Clever, twisty, and surprisingly warm-hearted (for a horror), this one is worth checking out even if you do see the twist coming thanks to the efforts of lesser flicks like Shut In and the aforementioned much-maligned The Boy to popularise the unlikely Bad Ronald-riffing ending.