Horror fans have been spoiled for choice in recent years, with a wide array of releases landing in theaters and on streaming platforms. From the return of old franchises like Final Destination and new takes like Bring Her Back, the sophomore effort from Talk to Me directors Danny and Michael Philippou, there are no shortage of options. And fans have been treated to an international influx as well, with Asia, Australia, and Eastern Europe making significant strides. One Cut of the Dead shows that there is still fun to be had in the found footage subgenre, while Lake Mungo delivers a worthy update to the faux documentary mixed with horror that will scratch your curiosity; all come hot on the heels of films like Wolf Creek, The Babadook, Train to Busan, and so many others.
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One place the current crop of horror films is pushing boundaries is in the aura of dread and tension that oozes from scene after scene. While it’d be easy to just focus this piece on jump scares, the idea of what is “scariest” in modern films pushes to enhance them beyond expectations. To subvert what could be seen as a cheap scare, modern films seem to hold shots longer, push in closer, and subvert the audience’s expectations. They give fans what they expect, followed closely by the unexpected.
Horror has always been hitting home runs, but the modern options seem to push for more and succeed with acclaim thanks to scenes like those compiled below. Just don’t assume we’re pushing these films as the best in the modern age. We’re also not trying to create a firm hierarchy between films. Horror contains multitudes, and there are fantastic examples from across all subgenres and styles. These are just five of the best that personally left us feeling the pressure in the theater and caught us off guard.
Spoilers ahead for some of the best horror in the past decade.
1) Hereditary – Final Sequence
There are quite a few frightening scenes throughout Hereditary that would propel it into “all-time great” territory. The first half of the film features horrors we could all face at some point in our lives, like the weight of losing a child or the dissolution of a family are out front in the beginning, with some hints at the demon cult bubbling through from under the surface.
But then the finale kicks off and the film shifts into horrifying overdrive. Cult members that we were introduced to at a support group now surround the Graham home in the shadows, sporting rictus smiles and naked bodies. It’s chilling and unnerving enough as is before Toni Collette crawls across the ceiling behind Alex Wolff’s Peter. He has just awoken to find his father burned to a crisp after being possessed at school earlier, leaving her in tatters as Collette strikes. After a sudden chase through the house, the action ends up in the attic and Collette’s beheading herself with piano wire before Peter jumps from the attic window and ends up possessed himself.
We’ll stop there because you really should just go watch the movie right now. There is still plenty yet to creep you out. Ari Aster almost tops it with Midsommar, but this one will always have a special place to me for the wave of surprise I felt in the theater.
2) Barbarian – Truth Revealed
Zach Cregger’s career wouldn’t scream horror if you only followed his comedy career with The Whitest Kids U’Know. But after 30 minutes with Barbarian, you might be asking what took him so long to try his hand with horror movies. The movie directs the misdirection for audiences across the opening thirty minutes, hiding the true nature of Bill Skarsgård’s Keith and implying a more sinister motivation. Georgina Campbell’s Tess almost flies against the tropes of a horror heroine, even opting to leave for a moment once Keith disappears into the basement. That’s where the real shock hits.
He appears out of the blackness, scared to death, urging Tess to run with him to safety. Then a nude, mutated woman makes her presence known and bashes Keith until his head is jelly. Cut to black. It doesn’t take long to be hooked, and it only gets better from there.
3) It Follows – Tall Man
The atmosphere and tone of It Follows are just the start with this modern classic from David Robert Mitchell. But the movie also carries plenty of shocking moments within, mainly due to the nature of the monster at the center of the movie. The killer entity that has cursed Jay can shapeshift into any person, is in constant pursuit of its victims, and only the victim can see it.
The latter demonstrates just how frightening the situation can be, proving that Jay is not even safe in her own home and surrounded by friends. The creature still follows her, no longer looking like an older woman. Instead, it now it looks like a giant eyeless man that confidently strides into the room behind an unsuspecting friend. Everybody is caught by surprise, including the audience, who likely assumed a safe haven exists. It does not.
4) The Witch – The Cave Scene
Robert Eggers’ debut The Witch was a total surprise upon its 2016 release, at least for me. The firlm turned into a hit, which should be equally as perplexing for a story set in 1630s Puritan New England. Buckled hats aren’t exactly the most thrilling environment for a horror movie. But then Thomasin, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, loses track of her baby brother, Samuel, while playing outside. We then immediately cut to a dark cave where women we assume to be the titular witches operate.
We are focused on the baby, lying on a table when a knife appears in the shot and almost presses against the child’s stomach. Your expectations quickly change. The next cut shows a naked woman using a mortar and pestle to mix what is revealed to be flying ointment, sourced from the unbaptized baby who they are now wiping over their skin. It makes clear that the disappearance is the very start of torment for the family, and that even a baby is not safe from the evil explored in the film. The audience should strap in from this scene forward, following it like a curveball wherever it lands. You just can’t help but to be blown away that the film went to the depths it ended up and continued from there.
5) Get Out – Georgina & Chris
Jordan Peele’s debut horror film Get Out became a cultural force almost immediately upon release, pushing audiences to theaters in droves. And while it can be considered more of a thriller, a few scary moments do persist, like the Sunken Place scenes and the creepy backyard party that turns into a silent auction. Lakeith Stanfield’s opening scene and his party performance stand out with most audiences, but for my money, it’s Betty Gabriel’s apology scene with Daniel Kaluuya.
It’s a simple interaction that demonstrates that something within Georgina is in conflict, hinting at the true nature of the Armitage family. Secondly, the creep factor is enhanced thanks to Gabriel’s stunning performance, complete with the tear that punctuates the terror under the surface. We’ve all been opposite a person who just seems off and quietly threatening in a way that’s unsettling from top to bottom. And for the film, it’s the moment that confirms for the audience that something rotten awaits in the later parts of the film.
6) Smile – P.S. From Sister
Smile and Smile 2 are both great additions to the horror landscape, even if they’re not recreating the wheel. The films are instead doing their best to bend the wheel to their whims. In the first film, Sosie Bacon’s tortured Rose is desperate for answers to the curse placed on her by the Smile entity, so she goes to her sister for guidance. This ends poorly, with Rose leaving and seemingly breaking down in the car at the end of her rope.
Then her sister, Holly, comes out of the front door in the background of the shot, walking toward Rose in her car. You might be expecting a nice moment where their sisterly bond shines through, but you’d be wrong. Holly is revealed to be the entity, haunting Rose again by portraying her sister and swinging her head around like a whip. She also does a good job scaring the crap out of everybody else. In a movie full of jump scares and misdirection, this moment takes the cake. It’s also a point where the film makes you question if what we’re seeing are hallucinations or reality spinning out of control. If Rose’s sister can be mimicked and used, who can you trust?
Do you have any special scary moments in modern horror that would make your list? Let us know in the comments.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
