50 Greatest Horror Movies Of The 21st Century

13. Pulse

Get Out Daniel Kaluuya
Toho

Plot: Spirits begin to invade the living world through the internet, triggering an apocalyptic event.

Most horror films try to scare you, but Pulse, a 2001 J-Horror from horror maestro Kiyoski Kurosawa (no relation to Akira Kurosawa), does something a bit different: it depresses the living daylights out of you.

Sure, there are some beautifully-done scares that'll terrify the living daylights out of you, but much of Pulse's power comes from it being one of the bleakest supernatural horror flicks ever made. In fact, it's more depressing than the aforementioned The Mist, and that's saying a hell of a lot.

It's an exceptionally disturbing look at the supernatural that hits unbelievably hard, and while it's not an easy watch it's still an absolute must-see all the same. You probably won't want to see it again, but that doesn't matter. This extraordinarily chilling, powerful and haunting piece of horror cinema will stay with you regardless.

Just make sure not to watch the crappy American remake by mistake.

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.