The horror genre certainly took an interesting direction in the early 21st century,as many of the long standing franchises likeA Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13th,andThe Texas Chainsaw Massacrehad become irrelevant due to a series of disappointing sequels and remakes. Whilesuperhero films began to replace slasher filmsas the most popular form of mass market entertainment, the first decade of the 21st century had many horror gems that have gone on to become classics.
The best horror films of the 2000s took many forms;some were inventive new takes on storied franchises, others were based loosely on real events, and some werehighly artistic projects with deep themes.Here are the best R-rated horror movies of the 2000s.
Directed by Zack Snyder
Dawn of the Deadwas a film that seemed doomed from the moment that it was announced, as the prospect of making a new version ofGeorge Romero’s 1978 classic seemed implausible, particularly coming from a controversial director likeZack Snyder. However,Dawn of the Deadproved to be a worthwhile remakethanks to the strong performances by the entire cast, most notableSarah Polleyin one of her best performances ever.
While she would eventually become best known for her work as a director,Polley was able to capture the anxiety and regret felt by a nurse amidst an apocalyptic event, allowingDawn of the Deadto have a much different perspective on what a “final girl” looked like in the 21st century. Snyder may not have a strong grasp on subtly, but he manages to deliver some particularly morbid death sequences.
Dawn of the Dead
A nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.
Watch on Shudder
9‘30 Days of Night’ (2007)
Directed by David Slade
30 Days of Nightis a brilliant new take on the vampire moviethat goes in a much darker direction than older iterations of the genre have ever attempted. While classics likeDraculaandFright Nightare known for their offbeat, darkly comedic qualtied,30 Days of Nightsucceeded by taking the concept itself and the mythology very seriously.
While the graphic death sequences that directorDavid Slademanaged to conjure up feel like they were lifted directly from a comic book panel,it’s the strong performance by Josh Hartnett that helps transform30 Days of Nightinto a modern classic.Hartnett is perfectly cast as a reluctant herowho realizes that the fate of an entire community is in his hands, even if leadership is something that he had never considered before in his life up until that point.
30 Days of Night
A small Alaskan town is enveloped in darkness for an entire month, setting the stage for a terrifying invasion by a group of vampires. With no escape and communication cut off, the townspeople are thrust into a desperate fight for survival. The local sheriff, alongside a handful of determined survivors, must navigate the frigid, dark landscape while fending off the relentless vampire onslaught. As supplies dwindle and hope wanes, the group must use their wits and resilience to endure the harrowing ordeal.
Rent on Amazon
8‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ (2007)
Directed by Tim Burton
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetwas a major comeback for Tim Burton, as longtime fans of his work had feared that he was leaning too far into his commercial sensibilities and skewing away from the darker material that had made him such an icon in the first place. While musicals and horror films don’t often mix well,Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetcombines the majesty ofSteven Sondheim’s lyrics witha gothic noir sensibilitythat becomes increasingly upsetting as it goes along.
Although it’s just as beautifully crafted on an aesthetic level as anything else that Burton has made,the graphic death sequences inSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetare absolutely shocking, particularly due to the ways in which they are intertwined within elaborate musical numbers from the incomparableJohnny Deppin one of his best roles.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Benjamin Barker, now known as Sweeney Todd, returns to London after being wrongfully imprisoned. Seeking revenge against the corrupt judge who destroyed his life, Todd opens a barbershop and partners with Mrs. Lovett to turn his victims into meat pies, leading to a bloody spree of vengeance.
Watch on Prime Video
7‘The Strangers’ (2008)
Directed by Bryan Bertino
The Strangersisthe quintessential home invasion thriller,as it shows how truly terrifying it can be to contend with masked strangers when it feels as if there are no available resources. While many modern slasher films rely on an extensive amount of mythology in order to teach the audience about the killers,The Strangerssucceeds because the motivations and origins of the titular villains are mostly kept secret, leaving the viewers with some serious questions after the credits wrap up.
The Strangersis particularly effective because of its relative simplicity and lack of social commentary, as it seemed like directorBryan Bertinohad no intention to do anything other than give the audience a good scare. While the film’s sequels have thus far been rather disappointing, the originalThe Strangersis uncomfortably realistic in a way that few modern horror films actually are.
The Strangers
Watch on Max
6‘Bug’ (2006)
Directed by William Friedkin
Bugis based on the acclaimed stage play of the same name by Tracy Letts, and succeeds in tormenting the audience with the concept ofbeing restrained within a confined environment.AlthoughWilliam Friedkinhas directed classical horror films likeThe Exorcist,Bugtells a very modern story about a deranged conspiracy theorist (Michael Shannon) who takes an innocent woman (Ashley Judd) hostage in hopes of exposing her to a latent plot to control his mind.
The notion of a radical conspiracy theorist taking extreme violent action is perhaps even more disturbing todaythan it was whenBugwas first released, ensuring the film will be remembered as a classic in the years to come. While it’s a film that is both upsetting and disturbing in a way that few horror films are,Bugbrings to life important themes about radicalization that have made it very relevant to modern discourse.
Bug is a psychological horror film set in a run-down Oklahoma motel. Agnes, a lonely waitress, begins a relationship with Peter, a drifter with a troubled past. As their bond deepens, they become consumed by Peter’s belief in a government conspiracy involving bugs implanted in their bodies. Their paranoia spirals into madness, leading to a tragic, fiery conclusion.
Watch on Tubi
5‘The Mist’ (2007)
Directed by Frank Darabont
The Mistcomes from legendary director Frank Darabont, who had already proven himself to be a brilliant auteur interested in the work ofStephen Kingwith his adaptations ofThe Shawshank RedemptionandThe Green Mile. While those two were dark prison dramas that examined the possibility of hope amidst challenging circumstances,The Mistis an anxiety-inducing survival thriller about the true evil that mankind is capable of during the midst of a post-apocalyptic situation.
The Mistis a great King adaptation because it puts the audience in the place of the characters, forcing them to question what they would do if placed in a similar situation. The film is best knownfor its shocking endingthat was changed from the book, which is enough to disturb even the most veteran of horror fans because of how unbelievably bleak and uncompromisingly hopeless it was.
Watch on Freevee
4‘Inland Empire’ (2006)
Directed by David Lynch
Inland Empireis the last theatrical film directed by David Lynch, and certainly proved that theEraserheadandBlue Velvetauteur hadnot lost any of the surrealist sensibilitiesthat has turned him into an icon of independent filmmaking. Many of Lynch’s best films take place in somewhat unbelievable versions of reality, butInland Empirebrought to life Hollywood and modern Los Angeles in a realistic way that made it all the more disturbing when the supernatural qualities started making their appearances.
Inland Empireis particularly upsetting because of the way that it was shot, as the viewer often feels like they are a “fly on the wall” watching seedy video camera footage.Laura Dernhas rarely been better than she is inInland Empireas a very subversive modern final girl, even if she did end up collaborating with Lynch once more onTwin Peaks: The Return.
Inland Empire
As an actress begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world becomes nightmarish and surreal.
3‘American Psycho’ (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron
American Psychois one of the rare horror comedies that is just as hilarious as it is disturbing, as the character of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is simultaneously one of the most ruthlessly violent villains in film history and a hilariously absurd epitome of toxic masculinity. AlthoughDavid Cronenbergwas once in consideration to directthe controversial adaptation ofBrett Easton Ellis’ novel,Mary Harronadded the feminist touch toAmerican Psychothat made it such a timeless modern classic.
American Psychowas a brilliant satire of capitalismthat examined “yuppie culture,” whilst also providing an intriguing mystery storyline centered around Bateman’s motivations. It’s hard to imagine another film that has become so immediately influential on popular culture at large, as there have been many attempts (both successful and disastrous) in the years since to capture the same unique sensibilities that Harron mastered with her definitive classic.
American Psycho
In New York City in 1987, a handsome, young urban professional, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by night. The cast is filled by the detective (Willem Dafoe), the fiance (Reese Witherspoon), the mistress (Samantha Mathis), the coworker (Jared Leto), and the secretary (Chloë Sevigny). This is a biting, wry comedy examining the elements that make a man a monster.
Watch on Netflix
2‘28 Days Later’ (2002)
Directed by Danny Boyle
28 Days Laterproved to be the scariest zombie movie since the originalNight of the Living Dead, as directorDanny Boyleand screenwriterAlex Garlandcame up with the genius concept of using fast moving undead creatures as the main antagonists. Thanks to the development of emerging digital technology and a deeper consideration of the science involved,28 Days Laterfelt like a far more realistic interpretation of the zombie concept, which has risked becoming irrelevant.
28 Days Laterended up spawning a significant franchise, as its direct sequel28 Weeks Laterwas able to change out the main characters and take a new look at life in the post-apocalypse. Although there is a tremendous amount of anticipation for the next installmentin the series that reunites Boyle withCillian Murphy, it’s hard to imagine that any sequel could be as chilling and unforgettable as28 Days Laterwas when it was first released.
28 Days Later
Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
Rent on Prime Video
1‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)
Mulholland Driveis simply one of the greatest movies ever made, so to only classify it as a horror movie may be somewhat unusual. Nonetheless, the 2001 masterpiece is such a shockingly graphic examination of the secret villainy that is hiding beneath the seemingly joyous persona of modern Hollywood and the film industry that to call it anything other than a pure work of horror would be inconceivable.
Lynch has a way of bringing to life imagery that feels like it was taken purely from a nightmare, asMulholland Driveis certainly thescariest of his arthouse horror films.Viewers can watchMulholland Drivedozens of times to determine what it actually means, but multiple viewings are only possible for those that can stomach the amount of disturbing content that Lynch manages to intertwine within his epic psychological horror classic.
Mulholland Drive
After a car wreck on the winding Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a perky Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.
