12 Incredible Horror Movies With No Jump Scares

Despite a few somewhat convincing title cards at the end of the film, Wolf Creek isn't as true a story as it claims to be. It is, however, based on a very real series of murders committed by Australian serial killer Ivan Milat. The film's antagonist, Mick Taylor, is essentially meant to be something of a combination of Milat and television personality Steve Irwin.

Mick's goofy, caricaturized personality intensifies the reveal of his darkly psychotic true nature, resulting in one of the more terrifying killers depicted by post-millennial horror films. When he's not on-screen, he's hunting. When he is on-screen, he's typically engaging in thankfully brief (yet still deeply disturbing) scenes of torture porn. Most disturbing of all is that his "head on a stick" procedure mimics the actual fates of at least three of Milat's real-life victims. Caricaturized though he may be, Mick Taylor is an undeniably real species of monster.

Wolf Creek didn't fare well with all critics, and its low 52% on Rotten Tomatoes largely stems from beliefs by American critics that the film enjoys its exploitative violence a little too much. Even so, its seven nominations by the Australian Film Institute suggest that those who can overcome the discomfort of Wolf Creek's more unsettling moments will enjoy this well-made modern grindhouse flick.

Of particular interest to some horror fans will be the pacing. Unlike most slasher films, Wolf Creek doesn't truly turn into a horror movie until over just halfway through. Once the dread sets in, however, it doesn't let up until the very end. Just as the film's protagonists find themselves trapped in a non-stop fight for survival, you won't escape Mick Taylor's deranged punishments until he's good and done with you.