10 Best Indie Horror Movies Of All Time

As one of the bright stars of new British horror, director Ben Wheatley’s star has been steadily rising over the past decade. Even as he branches out into other genres he has infused most of his films with horror, like the trippy historical A Field In England and the forthcoming remake of psychological drama Rebecca.

For full fledged fright, though, Wheatley’s best is his sophomore effort Kill List. The film stars Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley, two recognisable actors in rare but well deserved lead roles, as Jay and Gal, soldiers turned hitmen. The men are both damaged to varying degrees, and Wheatley’s decision to let the actors improvise and develop their characters pays off, delivering a pair of frighteningly real performances.

Kill List remains firmly grounded in reality, even as the story sinks further into darkness. The hitmen are given a list of targets which takes them down a rabbit hole into a murky story involving human sacrifice and a European mission gone horribly wrong.

Shot for under £1,000,000, Wheatley embraces the limitations and comes out with a fantastically tense, well observed film, as good a calling card as any in recent years.