20 2010s Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die

The horror genre is alive and kicking...

It Follows
RADIUS-TWC

The 1990s and 2000s were an awful time for horror and the vast majority of nineties and noughties horror movies sucked. Yes, there were exceptions. Several great Japanese horror films came out during this time and we also got movies like The Silence of the Lambs, Seven, Scream, Bride of Chucky, Final Destination, 28 Days Later, Saw, Shaun of the Dead, The Mist, REC, and Let the Right One In, but those were very much in the minority.

But in the 2010s, something wonderful happened: horror got good again. Many 2010s horror films were not only highly scary, but understood what makes a horror film great and were crafted with a real sense of artistry. Sure, we've had a few stinkers such as Truth or Dare, the Paranormal Activity sequels, Ouija, The Haunting of Sharon Tate, Slender Man and The Devil Inside, but the number of great 2010s horror films more than compensates for those.

With the 2010s over, it's a great time to look back on its many terrific horror films, which prove horror is going through a revival. If you want an overview of this wonderful decade for horror, these twenty gems are a great place to start...

20. As The Gods Will

It Follows
Toho

Plot: Japan's high-school students are put through a series of insane death games. Think Battle Royale, but multiply the insanity by 100.

Japanese horror cinema is pretty great overall, but while American horror has seen a revival in this decade, J-Horror is facing a creative drought and no particularly well-received J-Horrors have come out for a little while. Still, there is one 2010s J-Horror film you should definitely watch and that is As the Gods Will, a demented slice of insanity from director Takashi Miike.

Honestly, this is one of the maddest horror movies you'll ever watch. Featuring endless surrealism, childhood games mixed with copious amounts of gore, evil dolls, spaceships and even a giant, man-eating cat, this movie is like nothing else you've ever seen and the amount of imagination put into this thing is extraordinary.

It's not always scary in the traditional sense, but it is gripping, suspenseful, delightful and uproariously entertaining. Seek it out and watch it; you'll be thinking about it for days.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.