The horror genre has achieved a ton of success in recent years, bringing a multitude of near-perfect movies to theaters and streaming. From 2020 onwards, horror films have been some of the film world’s most outstanding pictures. Titles such as Candyman (2021), Smile (2022), Nosferatu (2024), and Frankenstein (2025) attracted widespread praise from critics and general audiences in the wake of their release. Additional recent horror movies like X (2022), M3GAN (2022), and Prey (2022) have made their way into conversations about the best films of the 2020s thus far. Horror fans don’t have to look too far in the past to find amazing stories about aliens, zombies, haunted houses, and other creepy phenomena.
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Terrifying and captivating audiences from start to finish, these seven horror movies are among the best work the genre has seen in the last few years.
7) Barbarian
Barbarian (2022) keeps audiences on edge for the entirety of its run time as it follows a woman’s chilling stay at a seemingly haunted Airbnb. Discovering that a random man has also booked the same house isn’t remotely the strangest or scariest thing Tess (Georgina Campbell) encounters in the film. Creepy noises and frightening secrets in the home’s basement trigger a series of stunning plot twists that make Barbarian a wildly unpredictable narrative. An air of suspense permeates the film, while its heart-pounding third act leaves a lasting impression on viewers. An exceptional haunted house story with very few flaws, writer-director Zach Cregger‘s Barbarian succeeds as a splendid original work of horror.
6) The Substance
For the last year, fans of body horror have been raving about The Substance (2024), which centers on aging movie star Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), who attempts to revive her career by using a drug that creates a younger version of herself. The gruesome transformation and subsequent side effects are excruciating to watch unfold. Aggressively weird and at times humorous, The Substance elicits a wide range of reactions from its audience. Beyond its horrifying visuals, the film delivers a message about the fleeting nature of fame and how the entertainment industry discards women once they are seen as past their prime. Moore and her co-star Margaret Qualley are fantastic in this energetic and cerebral movie, cementing The Substance as a must-watch in the horror genre.
5) Weapons
Weapons (2025) is one of the most unique horror movies in recent memory. What begins as the unexplained disappearance of 17 children from the same school classroom evolves into a jaw-dropping supernatural scheme involving multiple individuals in the town. Weapons features a variety of interesting characters, from the missing kids’ teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) to the lone remaining child’s aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan). Although not overly spooky, Weapons contains many bizarre and laugh-out-loud moments that make the film a thoroughly enjoyable ride. Following the success of Barbarian, Cregger came up with something a lot more outlandish, yet Weapons works so well. It might be challenging for some to decode all of the film’s symbolism and themes the first time, but fortunately, Weapons is entertaining enough to warrant numerous subsequent viewings.
4) Nope
Jordan Peele’s third feature-length film faced extremely high expectations, and it exceeds them. Nope (2022) is an alien invasion story different from all others before it. In the movie, siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em Haywoood (Keke Palmer) seek to capture evidence of a giant alien known as Jean Jacket flying over their California ranch. It’s never easy to tell what Nope‘s mysterious narrative has in store next, as it’s far from a straightforward plot about humans and aliens. Jean Jacket is magnificent and terrifying at the same time, making for some truly breathtaking action sequences. Nope‘s layered narrative spotlights entertainment’s exploitative nature and obsession with spectacle, surrounding its allegory with a great group of characters. Offering humor, terror, and thought-provoking ideas, Nope is a wonderful horror picture that is primed to age well.
3) 28 Years Later
28 Years Later (2025) excellently subverts expectations and solidifies itself as a top-notch recent horror movie. Only loosely connected to its predecessors, 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007), the story takes place nearly three decades after the Rage virus ravaged the United Kingdom. Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife Isla (Jodie Comer), and their son Spike (Alfie Williams) live safely on an island with other survivors, but a journey out into the infected mainland changes everything.
28 Years Later‘s first half proves to be the tense and gory zombie apocalypse action movie its trailers promised, but its second act tells a much more sentimental tale. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland’s film proves that zombie stories don’t have to be defined by guts and gore. The power of memory takes center stage in 28 Years Later, which has enough tricks up its sleeve to prevail as an unforgettable piece of horror cinema.
2) I Saw the TV Glow
I Saw the TV Glow (2024) isn’t nearly as frightening as most horror films, but its profound character development and relevant themes make it a brilliant entry in the genre. Jane Schoenbrun’s sophomore feature fixates on the lives of Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Jack Haven), who bond over a TV show that sparks a deep exploration of their sense of self. Unnerving scenes, vibrant visuals, and a gloomy atmosphere immerse audiences into I Saw the TV Glow as it examines the subjects of gender identity and isolation. The movie’s characters superbly illustrate the experience of being transgender, and it’s fascinating to unpack all of I Saw the TV Glow‘s subtle meanings. Schoenbrun’s masterpiece may not have garnered the attention of the masses, but it deserves endless praise for its creativity and depth.
1) Sinners
A flawless amalgamation of genres, Sinners (2025) is horror’s biggest triumph in recent memory. When identical twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) return to their Mississippi hometown to open their own juke joint, an evil supernatural force descends upon their community as the Sun goes down. Sinners is a hair-raising vampire movie that features tons of riveting action and rousing musical numbers. Ryan Coogler has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most talented writer-directors thanks to his dynamic screenplay and stylish filmmaking. All in all, Sinners boasts every quality a legendary film should have. Decades from now, Sinners will likely be regarded among the greatest movies of its generation.
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