20 Scariest Horror Movies Of The 2020s (So Far)

Considering its generic title and how quietly it was dumped in cinemas by Fox, you couldn't blame anyone for assuming that The Empty Man was just another forgettable horror flick.

But the film gained something of a cult following once it hit streaming, because for as little fanfare as it initially had, it's actually one of the most intoxicatingly atmospheric horrors of the last decade.

And that shouldn't be too surprising considering it's directed by David Prior, a protégé of David Fincher who's clearly taken some strong pointers from his mentor.

The nerve-jangling opening 20 minutes are basically a perfectly formed short film, after which The Empty Man becomes a bewilderingly Lynchian investigation into a missing girl and the cult surrounding the local legend known as the Empty Man.

With its slow pace and spare storytelling approach, basically every frame of this film is absolutely sodden with dread, all while hopping between subgenres and keeping the audience ever on their toes.