Whether you’re a horror movie veteran or looking to dip your toes into some for the Halloween season, this list is perfect for you! The genre goes way back, but we’ll be looking at 10 of the best horrors to come out of the 2010s. Offered on an array of online platforms, hopefully, you can find the perfect one (or several) for your October 2022 viewing experience!
Now that it’s October, only one word comes to mind: Halloween! Since it’s finally spooky season, the question of what to watch always falls back to the next horror movie. While there are many classics to please any horror lover, plus their sequels, we’re taking a look at recent releases of the 2010s. Here are 10 horror movies to watch this month in a dark setting, with your favorite snacks, and alongside a friend (if you’re afraid of getting too scared).
Hereditary (2018)
When it’s an A24 horror movie, you know it’s going to be good. Ari Aster’s directorial debut (which he also wrote), Hereditary stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne as the Graham family after Annie’s (Collette) mother passes away. The film deals with grief throughout, as the foundation beneath the Grahams begins to crumble. It’s a dark and disturbing movie that explores the cryptic, cultish family secrets the characters have inherited against their will or knowledge. All of the cast members have gripping performances, but Collette is especially a stand-out, deserving of all the awards and accolades on just this role alone. Without spoiling that terrifying scene (if you know, you know), Collette’s chilling, realistic scream as Annie’s reaction is one that’s sure to be ingrained in your brain forever. Plus, the movie’s music adds to the tonal atmosphere, truthfully sending chills down your spine. The plot may make you uneasy due to how intrusively horrifying and sudden the events that affect a seemingly average family are. Even so, if a horror movie is truly scary, that means it’s done its job correctly, and Hereditary will always be one of the genre’s greats.
You can experience the movie for the first time (which is the best way, spoiler free) or do one of your many rewatches on Showtime, Paramount+, Hulu premium, and Amazon Prime Video premium, among others.
Get Out (2017)
Get Out was Jordan Peele’s breakout debut as a director, and this psychological horror will have you thinking about it for days. The movie is led by Black photographer Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) visiting his white girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) family as he becomes increasingly uneasy about their perception of him and his race. Chris uncovers their disturbing deeds in this distinctive horror concept that you can further appreciate on rewatches. Peele delivers one of his finest works, which is both thrilling and commentating on prevalent real life social issues. Besides Kaluuya’s career breakthrough — which garnered him an Academy Award Best Actor nomination — the supporting cast delivers spectacularly, consisting of LaKeith Lee Stanfield, Lil Rey Howery, Bradley Whitford, Betty Gabriel, Catherine Keener, and Caleb Landry Jones. The movie has multi-genre layers and real depth to it. When it comes to crazy situations that can happen to anyone in normal, real life, they make for a good scary movie narrative, which is why Get Out is one of the best.
Catch it on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, and Hulu premium.
Us (2019)
After Peele’s success with Get Out, he continued down the horror movie director path, truly solidifying a name for himself with the release of Us. The movie features Lupita Nyong’o as the lead Adelaide Wilson, wife and mother to her family costars Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex. The cast has to pull double duty in this one, playing a mirrored, monstrous version of their “normal” selves. The plot follows the family on a trip to Adelaide’s childhood beachfront home where she had a traumatic experience, causing her to become paranoid (eventually for the right reasons). It’s super intriguing and mixed with actually scary elements and some good comedic timing. Peele’s sophomore film is filled with tension and sharpness in this modern spin on a home invasion. Once you’ve watched this one for the first time, you’ll be sleeping with one eye open, bound by the nightmarish thought of having an evil clone somewhere in the world. And, you’re sure to return for rewatches in the future because of how enjoyable the movie is all around.
You can catch Us on Hulu premium, FXNOW, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
Ready or Not (2019)
Let’s be real, horror movies that actually do a good job of thoroughly scaring the audience are hard to come by. More often than not, they’re entertaining and fun to laugh at with a friend. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett capitalized on the black comedy horror genre with Ready or Not, an all-around fun movie that just happens to include some gore and a hunt to the death. After Grace (Samara Weaving) marries Alex (Mark O’Brien) of the rich Le Domas family, she soon realizes just how eccentric the family is when a wedding night tradition turns into a deadly game of hide and seek. The movie costars Adam Brody, Andie MacDowell, Henry Czerny, Melanie Scrofano, and Kristian Bruun. The story was unique, and after watching more recent releases that try to do something similar, Ready or Not always prevails as the better choice. It’s honestly timeless and works for those who aren’t big horror fanatics looking to get scared to the bone. Weaving shines brightly in this, becoming a “final girl” icon that truly feels like a real person in a horrible situation with the extremist version of in-laws.
You can watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and Hulu premium.
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring started a chain of horror movies set in the same universe, but the original still remains to be arguably the best. Directed by James Wan — a horror movie veteran — the supernatural horror stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. It’s based on the real-life story of the Perron family and the spirits that terrorized them after moving into a new farmhouse, resulting in a seance by Lorraine. It has two features of classic horror: the exorcism and the haunted house. If you love ghost stories, you can’t go wrong with The Conjuring. Wan certainly knows how to handle the environment of a horror movie that is full of tension. Of course, there are quite a few cheesy jumpscares, but they add to the atmosphere overall and still make for a fun viewing experience. Farmiga once again proves she’s a masterful horror actress, with Wilson following her closely behind. The supporting cast also gives convincing performances. There’s no wonder why this movie has been a Halloween staple for over seven years.
The movie is currently streaming on HBO Max, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
Black Swan (2010)
Darren Aronfsky’s psychological horror Black Swan makes the audience fall down the rabbit hole of ballet dancer Nina’s (Natalie Portman) mind. If you haven’t seen this 12-year-old movie yet (crazy how long it’s been), you’ve been missing out. There’s a reason why Portman won the Oscar for Best Lead Actress that year. The movie follows Nina as she’s newly cast for the leading role in “Swan Lake,” embodying the perfection and purity of the White Swan. Her competition Lily (Mila Kunis) takes a liking to the Black Swan, and she ultimately brings out the worst in Nina. The passion of the film shows in its intensity, from casting performances, and the story, to the overall artistic style. The movie’s madness is sure to have you hooked in its twists. It’s such a memorable moment in filmmaking that is certain to cause thrills.
Black Swan is playing on Hulu, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
It (2017)
It’s been five years since the remake of Stephen King’s It came out, and it still holds to be one of the core memorable movies in recent years. Even if you’ve seen it at least once, you can jump in at any moment of the film and instantly be familiarized with what’s happening. Bill Skarsgard is fantastic as the titular, terrorizing killer clown Pennywise, but the ensemble cast of kids is really the standout. Finn Wolfhard, Jaeden Martell, and Jack Dylan Grazer, among a few others, are featured members of the Losers Club, who have to face their own worst nightmares to defeat Pennywise. This movie has some hair-raising moments — particularly the opener — but it’s also really funny, in large part to the chemistry between the kids. There’s also drama and action mixed with the classic horror story, so everything about it feels like a gift with a neatly wrapped bow.
You can watch It on Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Starring real-life (and on-screen) married couple Emily Blunt and John Krasinski — who is also the film’s director — A Quiet Place was a unique horror movie of its time. A big role in the plot is sound, or the lack thereof. It’s a mostly silent film that is gripping with tension, which also creatively intertwines sign language as Reagan (Millicent Simmonds), one of the kids, is deaf. Horror movies usually rely on their scores and sound to evoke the feeling of fear, but this one does it in a different way, as the family must live in silence to avoid being hunted and killed by mysterious, alien-like creatures. The theme of family is prevalent, leaving plenty of room for emotional moments amidst the rundown despair of the world. Just as the characters are, the audience is sure to be on edge, as the movie makes for a very intense atmosphere. It’s a highly effective movie that is sure to have you scared of making the slightest bit of noise after watching.
Watch A Quiet Place on Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.
Midsommar (2018)
A folk horror film directed by Ari Aster, Midsommar is the ultimate breakup movie, and it’s not like your typical rom-com. Taking place in rural Sweden during its midsummer festival, the colors pop, and everything (for the most part) is so mesmerizing to look at, as it’s not the typical look for a horror. In fact, you could say that about the entire movie, as compared to a lot of others on this list, it feels more out of place as it’s less blatant. Of course, this depends on your scary meter for movies. But it still has its violence and explores the bizarre world of a pagan cult, while also taking the viewer on an emotional journey of grief and a toxic relationship. Florence Pugh will not only be remembered for the image of her as the May Queen but also for the killer performance she gives as main character Dani, really showing her psychological thriller skills. Jack Reynor plays the terrible boyfriend Christian, and the cast’s supporting members include Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper, and Isabelle Grill.
Midsommar is streaming on Paramount+, Hulu premium, Showtime, and Amazon Prime Video.
Sinister (2012)
In Sinister, Ethan Hawke plays true crime writer Ellison past his heyday, as he moves his family into a new home to solve the murder of the family who lived there before. The supernatural horror uses the tool of snuff films on Super 8 to showcase the deaths of different families, something unique that comes back later in its sequel. Like many other horrors, Sinister uses kids as one of its main elements to scare, creating a nightmare of a normal family being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The film has a lot of great development of characters and background lore, along with some genuinely disturbing imagery that is sure to stick in your mind. Directed by Scott Derrickson, it stars James Ransone, Juliet Rylance, Clare Foley, and Michael Hall D’Addario. It has tons of atmosphere using techniques of both old school and modern day, creating a constant lingering creepiness.
You can see Sinister on Peacock, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Vudu.
