YOLO: Best Horror Movies of the 2010s

In the 2010s, horror did its big one. What do I mean by that? We went from remakes to reboots, from inventing new ways to play with the genre to making iconic first films; the 2010s really had something going on for horror. See? It did its big one. We can’t forget the time when Godzilla stomped on screen for the first time in a long time. Or when we got our first Evil Dead movie since “Army of Darkness” in 1992.

The 2010s were the years of reboots, remakes, and original films that have stuck with us. And now, let’s talk about some of the best horror films from the 2010s, the bloody baes that stayed on our minds long after the credits rolled.

10. “Evil Dead” (2013)

When five friends take a trip into the woods to get one of them sober, they read from a book bound in human flesh that unleashes them into a night from hell. The Evil Dead films have consistently proven they can tap into what works while getting even gnarlier. “Evil Dead” is no different, bringing back the thrills of what we loved about the first two movies, but creating something fresh and feral for everyone to slice their tongues with.

9. “Shin Godzilla” (2016)

The Government of Japan has to deal with a monster traveling on land. No one knows what it is or what it wants, but many have called the evolving creature Godzilla. There’s nothing like a new Godzilla movie, and with “Shin Godzilla,” it was a delight seeing this creature on land. In this new Godzilla, we not only have the politicians trying to scramble and figure out their next moves, but also the evolution of Godzilla — from crawling like a toddler to the monument he stands at today. From its cinematography to the acting, everything about “Shin Godzilla” is an achievement from top to bottom.

8. “Green Room” (2015)

A band travels on tour trying to land gigs and finds themselves in a bar surrounded by neo-Nazi skinheads and witnessing a murder. Now, they must fight for their lives to get out of this bar. “Green Room” is a claustrophobic nightmare on an epic scale. It’s a film that I wish I could watch for the first time again. It’s not only a horror thriller, but is firmly placed in the “confined space” genre with films such as “Funny Games” and “VFW.” High-octane with no slowing down for a millisecond, “Green Room” will have you on the edge of your seat with a stunning performance by all of its actors, including the late Anton Yelchin, and a fight-or-flight response that will fill you with anxiety (in a good way).

7. “The Witch” (2015)

When a Puritan family is kicked out of their homestead, they move deeper into the woods where they believe someone has taken their newborn baby, but not just someone — a witch. Director Robert Eggers never misses, and “The Witch”, as his feature film debut, is no small feat. Brimming with tension, steeped in folklore, and weaving in deep knowledge that delivers strong historical accuracy, “The Witch” will stand the test of time in folk horror history.

6. “Tigers Are Not Afraid” (2017)

In a crime-ridden city that drug cartels overrun, Estrella (Paola Lara) finds herself surviving with haunting visions of her mother, three wishes, a group of kids, and an imagination that doesn’t shield her from the reality of life, but makes it bearable. Issa López’s take on magical realism reminds me of Guillermo Del Toro’s take on the genre. There’s this underlying supernatural element to it while also staying true to what’s happening around them. Estrella and her friends live in a dark and terrifying world, but that blur of reality and fiction, especially for children, makes it so much more compelling to watch.

5. “Ready or Not”(2016)

Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving) is set to marry Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), the son of a successful game company, Le Domas Family Games. On their wedding night, she meets his family, and as part of family tradition, they make her draw a card. She draws Hide & Seek, and she soon becomes prey for their powerful family to hunt. “Ready or Not” is another film that I wish I could watch for the first time! It’s the perfect blend of horror and comedy, which can be notoriously hard to accomplish. It also has perfect cast chemistry — Grace and Daniel (Adam Brody) 4Life! — and an incredibly unique take on the classic game of hide-and-seek.

4. “Train to Busan” (2016)

When a father boards a train from Seoul to Busan with his daughter, they unexpectedly get caught up in an outbreak that threatens everyone on board. “Train to Busan” is a high-voltage, no-nonsense, anybody-can-get-it take on the zombie genre. It brings another dynamite film to the outbreak zombie subgenre, and a series of “hell yeah” or “hell no” moments that will leave you holding your breath. However, all of this wouldn’t be possible without its utterly fantastic cast, especially the acting of Gong Yoo and Ma Dong-seok, who play two men, opposite of one another, but find common ground as they get their family to the finish line.

3. “Suspiria” (2018)

Directed by Luca Guadagnino, this 2018 homage to Dario Argento’s “Suspiria” (1977) plays with different aspects of Argento’s Three Mothers Trilogy, which includes “Suspiria”, “Inferno”, and “The Mother of Tears”. When Susie (Dakota Johnson) leaves for a prestigious dance school in Berlin, she uncovers a coven of witches running the academy. As a certified “Suspiria lover,” this remake not only respects the original works but also creates a work distinct from its predecessor. “Suspiria” (2018) adds to the coven’s lore, the mother-daughter dynamic, and succumbs to the psychosexual darkness within its dance.

2. “The Cabin in the Woods” (2011)

College friends go to a cabin in the woods where they’re surveilled, watched, and made into archetypes of the horror genre. Few movies can deconstruct the horror genre’s tropes and clichés while also making it funny and wildly entertaining, but it turns out that “The Cabin in the Woods” succeeds where others fall flat. This film brings us the archetypes of horror, with characters stereotyped as the Virgin, the Jock, the Whore, etc., but it also brings us different subgenres of horror, such as the slasher and meta horror (horror that breaks the fourth wall). If you haven’t seen this movie, go in completely blind.

1. “Midsommar” (2019)

After Dani (Florence Pugh) loses her family to a tragedy, she goes to Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends to attend a midsummer festival. Yet things aren’t always what they seem, and as the days go by, events take a sinister turn. Daylight brings more terror than night in folk horror films, and as we watch Dani and her friends enter this commune, we see everything that happens. We can’t look away. “Midsommar” overflows with emotion and depth, builds intense tension, and is anchored by Pugh’s stunning performance. Go into this movie blind. Fear what happens in the day.

Best horror movies of the 2010s — Honorable Mentions

• The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
• Black Swan (2010)
• The Crazies (2010)
• Don’t Breathe (2016)
• Insidious (2010)
• A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)
• Grave Encounters (2011)
• Hereditary (2018)
• The Lure (2015)
• One Cut of the Dead (2017)
• Possum (2018)

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