10 Underrated Horror Movies With Unexpected Twists
These twisty-turny horror films deserve a second look.
Horror movie history is full of examples of great twists.
The reveal at the end of the first Saw, Sergeant Howie's fate in The Wicker Man, the truth about Teddy in Shutter Island; plenty of horrors have left audiences with a tremendous sense of "What just happened?" and have become famous off the back of their well-executed plot swerves.
There's also the entire filmography of M. Night Shyamalan, but whether or not that's good varies wildly from person to person.
With all these classics taking up valuable air time, it's easy to forget that there are more twisty horror flicks out there than just the ones that get written about over and over again. What about the ones that always get forgotten about?
These films are often overlooked in discussions about the best horror movies of all time, but all of them are certainly in the conversation when it comes to underrated gems. From slashers to psychological, supernatural to good old-fashioned monster movies, if you like to be surprised as well as scared, then these are the movies for you.
Obviously, there will be major spoilers ahead. This list kinda doesn't work otherwise.
10. Valentine
Most people have some sort of anecdote about being rejected on Valentine’s Day, but this film from 2001 takes that idea to the bloody extreme.
Young Jeremy Melton is told no by four girls and then betrayed by another who said yes at first. Many years later, those women are picked off by a murderer wearing a cupid mask.
Kate (Marley Shelton) is convinced that Jeremy has returned to get his revenge, but it turns out that the killer was actually Dorothy, the girl who turned her back on Jeremy all those years ago. However, in a rare double twist, things take a turn again.
It transpires that Dorothy was just a scapegoat, and that the real killer was Adam, Kate’s boyfriend. Then, it’s revealed that Adam is actually Jeremy, who has undergone surgery to change his face. Triple twist!
Taking the audience on such a wild goose chase only to land back at the obvious conclusion might seem like a cop out, but Valentine does a good job disguising its plans and the ending comes after an enjoyable ride.