10 Most Terrifying Horror Movies Released In 2021 So Far

8. Wrong Turn

Saint Maud
Saban Films

Was anybody crying out for another Wrong Turn movie, period, let alone a reboot of the franchise? Absolutely not.

Having first arrived in 2003, the Wrong Turn series has desperately tried to cement itself a spot as a 'classic' horror franchise, yet it's largely been disappointment after disappointment for those poor souls who've sat and watched all six pictures that came before this year's reboot.

With that in mind, it's refreshing to see that this year's Wrong Turn do-over is actually pretty damn good.

Rather than gratuitous gore and the same old, same old cannibalistic tropes that became old hat mid-way through Wrong Turn: Dead End - the second film in the series - this 2021 offering actually takes the franchise in a more subtle, nuanced direction.

Clearly it's not Hitchcock, Carpenter, Craven or Wan when it comes to delicate, delightful terrors, but this year's Wrong Turn is a huge upgrade on so much of what's gone before. Yes, the plot revolves around a slew of pretty young things venturing out of their element and finding themselves tormented by a vicious 'community', yet Wrong Turn '21 holds back on its brutality and scares enough so that when they do come - and man, they do come! - those moments are all the more impactful for it.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.