Lying somewhere between total trash and artistic genius is a unique horror movie genre niche. These horror films’ statuses as cult classics or examples of tacky excellence hinges on several factors; often overlooked by casual viewers who can fail to see the bigger picture. They fail to recognize the brilliance of some horror films that have transcended their seemingly tacky foundations.
Of all cinema’s many genres, perhaps the most forgiving is horror. Its often ludicrous settings, premises, characters, and lore may appear, on the surface, totally ridiculous. Yet audiences return repeatedly, drawn by the genre’s capacity to surprise and innovate. The key lies in the filmmakers’ ability to reinvent familiar tropes and have the audience ask themselves what new and exciting ways the filmmakers approached demonic possession, alien abduction, and the shark movie. That leaves plenty of rooms for perfectly absurd horror movies that are actually brilliant in their execution.
10 Deep Blue Sea
Genetically enhanced sharks outsmart expectations
While watching Deep Blue Sea for the first time, the viewer may think that this is a campy shark horror movie that has a lot of blood and jump scares, but not much to say. However, if the viewer is willing to look a little deeper to see the clever subversion of expectation, that these sharks are not your average Bruce, and are instead genetically enhanced with heightened intelligence capable of opening doors, then perhaps the brilliance of this film shines a little brighter.
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This take on the famous man vs nature theme, with characters who must outsmart their monsters instead of just trying to outrun them, is somewhat original and holds up despite the film being over 20 years old. Furthermore, a great performance from Samuel L. Jackson, with its own unexpected twist, highlights how daring the filmmakers of Deep Blue Sea were to make a movie that went further than audiences expected. Special mention should be made to LL Cool J’s surprisingly solid performance.
9 Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County
A year before the famous found footage classic and game changer The Blair Witch Project was released, a TV movie called Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County was broadcast on the now-shut-down UPN network. Though often overlooked, this found footage film effectively captures something special in a story that has the McPherson family caught in the middle of an Alien encounter.
From wonderfully camp red lights (used to indicate the aliens are close) to fantastic costumes, this film created a sense of authenticity so strong that many at the time believed it was a true story, and they were watching a real alien abduction on their TV sets. Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County may not have grabbed the mainstream attention and acclaim of The Blair Witch Project, but it still highlights how effective and timeless found footage can be as a horror device.
8 Orphan
Elevating the evil child trope with psychological depth
- Director
- Jaume Collet-Serra
- Release Date
- July 24, 2009
- Writers
- David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick , Alex Mace
- Cast
- Vera Farmiga , Peter Sarsgaard , Isabelle Fuhrman , CCH Pounder , Aryana Engineer , Jimmy Bennett , Margo Martindale , Karel Roden , Rosemary Dunsmore , Jamie Young , Lorry Ayers , Brendan Wall , Genelle Williams
- Character(s)
- Kate Coleman , John Coleman , Esther , Sister Abigail , Max Coleman , Daniel Coleman , Dr. Browning , Dr. Värava , Grandma Barbara , Brenda , Joyce , Detective , Sister Judith
The evil child trope was not new in 2009 when Orphan hit theaters. However, there is an argument to be made that this movie’s take on the evil child elevated the horror device to a new level because Orphan is based on a true story. Its combination of psychological depth and a spine-tingling performance from Isabelle Fuhrman, as the aforementioned Orphan, gives the audience something more than just a quick scare.
Orphan delves into the complexities of what it means to be a family and the consequences of keeping secrets, as a result, creating a narrative that actually resonates on an emotional level but still leaves the viewer frightened as to what will happen next. Esther, the evil Russian child, is both unsettling and captivating, proving that although a horror trope may appear to be overused, there are still unappreciated gems that deserve a chance to shine.
7 The Haunting in Connecticut
A haunted house tale with deeper themes
The Haunting in Connecticut (2009) follows the Campbell family as they move into a Victorian house to be closer to their son’s medical treatment facility. Unbeknownst to them, their new home has a dark history and is haunted by malevolent spirits. Directed by Peter Cornwell, the film is based on what is claimed to be a true story, blending supernatural horror with a family’s emotional struggle.
- Director
- Peter Cornwell
- Release Date
- March 27, 2009
- Studio(s)
- Gold Circle Films , Integrated Films
- Writers
- Adam Simon , Tim Metcalfe
- Cast
- Virginia Madsen , Kyle Gallner , Martin Donovan , Amanda Crew , Elias Koteas
- Runtime
- 92 Minutes
While The Haunting in Connecticut story may appear to be the standard based on a true haunted house story, this movie does distinguish itself through its exploration of life and death. The film’s protagonist is suffering from cancer and when his family moves into a large house near the hospital, he soon discovers that the house used to be a funeral home. Furthermore, the ‘based on a true story’ trope might be what gives a tacky edge to this movie yet, the exploration of maintaining one’s faith in the face of adversity suggests there is more than just a ghost story here.
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The Haunting in Connecticut also uses its setting well, with the funeral home and use of practical effects creating an unsettling atmosphere in a story that is already upsetting. With each new stage of Matt’s sickness comes a new level of supernatural threat that the family must battle in an attempt not just to save the soul of their son, but the souls of all those who are trapped within the walls of the house.
6 Infestation
Balancing comedy and horror in an insect apocalypse
A world overrun by large insects does not always signal a horror movie that will be taken seriously, and that is the case with Infestation because it shouldn’t be taken seriously. It’s ridiculous, but it’s fantastic. Its comedic approach to body horror and an apocalyptic world, led by the underrated Chris Marquette, is exactly the tone that viewers love to watch when they tune into a horror movie of this type.
By not taking itself too seriously but still delivering some genuine moments of horror, Infestation allows the audience to enjoy the story and fear the world that it has created. From hard-to-watch sequences of metamorphosis to slapstick humor, Infestation is a diamond in the rough that was released in 2009 to little fanfare but is still worth watching now.
5 The Devil Inside
When science and religion are used to exorcise demons
- Director
- William Brent Bell
- Release Date
- January 6, 2012
- Studio(s)
- Room 101 , Prototype
- Writers
- William Brent Bell , Matthew Peterman
- Cast
- Fernanda Andrade , Simon Quarterman , Evan Helmuth , Ionut Grama , Suzan Crowley
- Runtime
- 83 Minutes
Possession movies are always fun and The Devil Inside is no different. Despite receiving mixed reviews when it was released, it does deserve some credit and a second look because of its somewhat innovative approach to the found footage horror device. With a story that follows multiple scary demonic exorcisms, it takes the viewers to Rome in a blurring of the lines between reality and fiction.
The exploration of science and religion was also somewhat new for the possession movie, as the majority before and after The Devil Inside focused far more on a religious-based approach instead of a blending of the two. This highlights a subtle level of depth to the exploration of exorcism that filmmakers took. Despite the aforementioned bad reviews, the movie was still able to take home $100 million at the box office, which is even more impressive because the cost of production was only $250,000.
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4 Chernobyl Diaries
Radioactive thrills in a real-world disaster zone
- Director
- Bradley Parker
- Release Date
- May 24, 2012
- Writers
- Oren Peli , Carey Van Dyke , Shane Van Dyke
- Cast
- Ingrid Bolsø Berdal , Dimitri Diatchenko , Olivia Dudley , Devin Kelley , Jesse McCartney , Nathan Phillips
- Runtime
- 86 minutes
Chernobyl will never not be interesting and when you add found footage, radioactive mutants, and dumb American tourists seeking a dangerous thrill, then you’re on for a win. All of these factors can be found in the criminally underappreciated Chernobyl Diaries. It is a film littered with familiar horror tropes and styles, but it doesn’t matter because the scares are genuine, and the story is compelling.
With each new piece of media that comes out about the Chernobyl disaster, more of the mystery of what happened unfolds, but the Chernobyl Diaries is everyone’s most sadistic speculation about what might have happened in the years since. The film also does not need to try that hard to create an eerie atmosphere, as its real setting unlocks the imagination of all who watch in horror as the hidden, albeit tacky, secrets of this version of Chernobyl unfold.
3 Tusk
A podcast-inspired body horror
- Release Date
- September 6, 2014
- Studio(s)
- A24
- Runtime
- 101minutes
- Distributor(s)
- A24
Kevin Smith is his own kind of filmmaker and that is never more evident than in Tusk, his misunderstood horror masterpiece. A film that began as a funny episode on the director’s podcast, where Smith read a hilariously messed up listing on the website Gumtree, it went on to become something even freakier. What followed was a story of a man being surgically transformed into a Walrus.
With an eccentric villain, delivering some of Smith’s famous dialogue, in Michael Parks, an underrated performance from Justin Long, and a sensational cameo in Johnny Depp, Tusk delivers on its promise to take a quirky idea and create something special. It also manages to balance a surprisingly poignant exploration of what it means to be human with some terrific body horror. Tusk is a film Kevin Smith was so excited to make and his telling of how the movie got made is as compelling as the final product. Even if Kevin Smith’s Tusk 2 sequel won’t happen, Tusk should be appreciated on its own merits.
2 Lights Out
From a viral short film to an underrated horror classic
- Director
- David F. Sandberg
- Release Date
- July 22, 2016
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Writers
- Eric Heisserer
- Cast
- Billy Burke , Lotta Losten , Teresa Palmer , Gabriel Bateman , Maria Russell , Alicia Vela-Bailey , Maria Bello , Alexander DiPersia
- Runtime
- 81minutes
Beginning as a terrifying viral short horror film on YouTube, Lights Out went on to be a fantastic theatrical follow-up that doesn’t get enough love. It is a movie that takes the simple, primal fear, of darkness and crafts an effective horror film around this central fear. What is scarier than a monster that can only attack you in the dark? Well, probably a lot of things, but that’s not the point.
While the script may be less than perfect, it’s the direction of Swedish director David F. Sandberg that sets this film apart as a great piece of horror. His maximizing of limited locations and a fun concept allowed him to be creative in the use of different light sources to create tension. From mobile screens to candles, the film is set in our world and will leave audiences rushing to turn on the lights in every part of their homes.
1 The Dead Don’t Die
A deadpan zombie apocalypse
- Director
- Jim Jarmusch
- Release Date
- June 14, 2019
- Studio(s)
- Focus Features
- Writers
- Jim Jarmusch
- Cast
- Tom Waits , Selena Gomez , Austin Butler , Adam Driver , Chloe Sevigny , Bill Murray , Danny Glover , Tilda Swinton , Steve Buscemi , Caleb Landry Jones , Iggy Pop
- Runtime
- 103minutes
No one asked famed indie director James Jarmusch to make a zombie movie, but he did and it’s subtly brilliant. In a genre where over-the-top performances and action sequences are plentiful, Jarmusch’s deadpan The Dead Don’t Die is a unique take on zombies. Audiences who tuned in to see a horror movie where Selena Gomez is saved by an unsuspecting nerdy hero, Caleb Landry Jones, might be disappointed when the two only awkwardly flirt about impressive film knowledge.
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This is a James Jarmusch movie first and a horror film second, and that is what makes it special. Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, and Adam Driver deliver performances in that Jarmusch droll tone of irony and monotony with a deliberate pacing that defies the expectations of those not familiar with the director’s work. Yet, if audiences allow themselves to buy into the self-referential humor, and its commentary on consumerism, then it is a universally rewarding watch for those who love the unique sensibilities of Jarmusch and those who are watching his work for the first time.
