10 More Great Horror Movies Under 90 Minutes

As far as premises go, Ils (meaning "Them" in French) couldn't be simpler. One night, a schoolteacher called Clementine is woken up in the night when she hears music outside. When she and her husband, Lucas, head out to investigate, they find their car has been stolen.

When they return home, they discover their electricity has been cut so they can't call the police. To make matters worse, Clementine notices a group of hooded figures following her.

Because so many modern horrors highlight showy effects and excessive gore, it's nice to see a haunting thriller focus entirely on ramping up the tension. Once the scares start, they don't let up until the credits' roll. Because of this, watching Ils isn't just scary, it's exhausting (but in a good way).

In the hands of an inexperienced director, watching our lead scurrying around in the dark for over an hour could've been boring. But due to effective camerawork, eerie soundtrack, and creepy sound effects, you can't help being gripped by David Moreau and Xavier Palud's movie.

Although Ils is based on true events, it doesn't come across as an allegory or a contemporary on society. Instead, Ils seems to only have one purpose - to scare the hell out of you.