20 Horror Movies From The 21st Century That Didn't Actually Suck

2. The Conjuring (2013)

This was a huge hit last year with mainstream audiences and it's obvious as to why. It plays out almost like a 'greatest hits' of the genre. Haunted house? Check. Scary doll? Check. Demonic possessions? Check. For all of that though, it works because we genuinely feel for the characters from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's paranormal investigators to Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor's parents. It also helps that the film is firmly entrenched in 1971 and to that end has an old-school feel to it.

Again, the film follows the blueprint quite closely as the haunted house terrifies the family to the point that an 'exorcism' must take place. Research by the investigators reveals that the house once belonged to Bathsheba, a witch who tried to sacrifice her children to the devil but ended up killing herself. Finally, Bathsheba possesses the mother and tries to kill two of her daughters before the exorcism saves them all.

So, the plot is pretty obvious but it's how James Wan puts all those pieces (clichés?) together that really helps. In his four leads he has a sympathetic ensemble who lead us into the horrific, demonic possession which almost destroys them all. Based on an alleged true story, Wan retro-fits his horror in such a way that it feels fresh and worked to the massive tune of $320million worldwide.

The best horror on this list? Probably not, but certainly one of the most effective.