11 contemporary American horror films

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Lifehacker has collected the brightest and most inventive horror films of the past seven years.

11. Gatehouse

• UK, Canada, USA, 2019.
• Thriller, drama, horror.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 0.

A mother of two committed suicide after a painful separation from their father. And the man has already managed to get a new wife. He wants the children to get along with her. Dad works for Christmas. Therefore, the brother and sister will have to spend a couple of days in a wooden house in the wilderness alone with their stepmother, who experienced a terrible trauma in childhood.

The Watchtower is the second film directed by Veronica Franz and Severin Fiala, the first to be filmed in English. Like their debut Goodnight Mommy, the film was produced by Ulrich Seidl, Franz's husband and Fiala's uncle. The tape was shot by the Greek Timios Bakatakis, who previously collaborated with Yorgos Lanthimos, a master of absurd paintings ("Favorite", "Lobster"). This operator is excellent at working with space, making the audience flinch from just one long camera ride along the corridor.

10. It comes at night

• USA, 2017.
• Horror, drama, detective.
• Duration: 91 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 2.

Post-apocalyptic world. Civilization and the usual way of life were destroyed by an epidemic of an unknown terrible disease. One of the few surviving families is hiding from strangers who can be carriers of the infection in a house at the edge of the forest. The relative calm is disturbed by a couple that has appeared on the doorstep, offering to join forces against a common enemy.

Trey Edward Schultz's second feature film is similar to his debut film "Krisha" except perhaps with a family theme. The arrival of strangers is equated with a possible death, the metaphor of a closed world as a value is clearly read. The director skillfully whips up suspense, knowing that the worst must remain hidden from the viewer's eyes until a certain moment.

9. Visit

• USA, 2015.
• Horror, thriller, detective.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 2.

Many years ago she fled from her parents' home, and today she is a mother of two children. Their grandparents have forgotten old grievances and invite their grandchildren to stay. And all would be fine, but the old people are very strange. And there is no one around for many kilometers. Brother and sister themselves will have to figure out the secrets of elderly relatives.

After successful first works at the turn of the century M. Night Shyamalan went into the shadows for several years. Inventive and combining comedic and scary moments, Visit is his big comeback. The director was assisted by horror producer Jason Bloom. With a modest budget of $ 5 million, the film grossed almost 20 times more at the world box office.

8. Mandy

• USA, UK, Belgium, 2017.
• Horror, action, fantasy.
• Duration: 121 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 5.

1983 year. The woodcutter and his artist friend live in harmony with nature near the lake. They do not need anyone, each other's company is enough. Their idyll is violated by a religious cult, which includes local bikers. They kidnap the girl and burn her at the stake for sacrifices. A man is forced to avenge his beloved.

The second film in the career of director Panos Kosmatos is a real gift for fans of bright worlds and psychedelic horror. It is not for nothing that the author places the action in 1983: paintings from that period inspired him to create an amazing visual series. The sight is sometimes terrible, sometimes funny. And the viewer has not seen such a beautiful Nicolas Cage in a central role for a long time.

7. It

• USA, 2014.
• Horror, thriller, detective.
• Duration: 100 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 8.

After having sex on the first date, the girl has terrible visions. It seems to her that someone is pursuing her, she is afraid to be alone. If It touches you, you will die. Slow and painful. The curse appears to be sexually transmitted. Is it possible to get rid of it or just "present" to another?

The main special effect of David Robert Mitchell's innovative horror film is the slow movement of the camera towards the frightened characters. The viewer is involved in what is happening from the very first minutes. And scary and wondering what will happen next. The originality of the plot allowed the second tape in the American's career to get to the Cannes Film Festival.

6. We

• USA, China, Japan, 2019.
• Horror, thriller, comedy, detective.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

A black family (dad, mom, daughter and son) head to their summer home in Florida. Many years ago, in these parts, a woman in an amusement park dreamed of her double. She remembered that terrible meeting for the rest of her life. In the evening, four people in red overalls appear on the doorstep of those who have come to rest, as if the reflections of the main characters.

Following the colossal success of his debut Get Out, director Jordan Peele is returning to the horror genre. This time, he rethinks the theme of doubles in an interesting and modern way, adding social connotations to it. This is not only a scary movie, but also an opportunity to imagine your dark reflection coming to life in front of your eyes. With a budget of $ 20 million, the film grossed nearly 13 times more worldwide.

5. Green room

• USA, 2015.
• Horror, thriller, crime.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

Four friends have formed a punk band and perform concerts all over America. There is always not enough money, so the heroes agree to even the most unusual offers. This includes a concert in a club where skinheads gather. In the green-walled dressing room, after the performance, the musicians witness a brutal murder. The owner of the club is not going to release the young people alive.

Very dynamic and striking with a mass of bloody scenes, the horror film by Jeremy Saulnier was first shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Both critics and viewers were immediately attracted by the dashing plot and excellent work of young actors (Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Aliya Shokat and Joe Cole). The well-chosen soundtrack, consisting of rock compositions, is also pleasing.

4. Reincarnation

• USA, 2018.
• Horror, thriller, drama, detective.
• Duration: 127 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

A grandmother dies in one family. After the funeral, someone opens the grave and the cemetery workers cannot find the corpse of an elderly woman. At the same time, all family members begin to be disturbed by strange sounds and visions that cannot be controlled. Perhaps the spirit of the old woman is in no hurry to leave her beloved place.

The debut film by American Ari Astaire was screened at the Sundance Film Festival. The source of horror in this truly scary film is the closest relatives and the secrets they hide. The young director skillfully combines several subgenres of horror in one work. His first tape made people talk about him as a great talent in American cinema.

3. It

• USA, Canada, 2017.
• Horror, fantasy, drama, detective.
• Duration: 135 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Seven young friends from Derry, Maine begin their investigation of the recent missing children. It is soon revealed that boys and girls disappear into this cursed place every 27 years. The teenagers find a cold-blooded killer - the clown Pennywise. To defeat the ancient evil, each of them will have to face their main fears.

Director Andres Muschetti is filming the first part of Stephen King's famous novel It. Nostalgic horror movie with a budget of 35 million dollars grossed 700! Unsurprisingly, the sequel was not long in coming. The picture successfully combined both standard screamers and the vibrant world of America in the 80s.

2. Lighthouse

• USA, Canada, 2019.
• Horror, fantasy, drama.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

The last years of the XIX century, a small rocky island a few tens of kilometers off the coast of New England. A young man named Ephraim Winslow comes here as an assistant lighthouse keeper. The bearded and grumpy old man Thomas Wake, who has an unhealthy love for the source of light, becomes the boss. The weather in these parts is harsh, and loneliness can easily go crazy.

The second film in the career of Robert Eggers could be seen at the Cannes Film Festival. The American again turned to historical material and very reliably showed the harsh realities of the past. There are only two characters in the black-and-white picture, but the brilliant images of Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe do not leave the screen. Jarine Blaschke's masterly camera work was nominated for an Oscar.

1. Quiet place

• USA, 2018.
• Horror, fantasy, drama.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Near future. American hinterland. Mom, Dad and two children live on a secluded farm and lead the most quiet lifestyle. The world survived the apocalypse: now the main people on the planet are not people, but monsters with a very sensitive ear. They do not smell and are blind, but very fast and are able to literally catch the movement of a blade of grass. Nobody knows how to kill them. Humanity's only chance to survive is not to make any sounds.

Director John Krasinski introduced the world to a completely new type of monster: blind, but empathetic and impetuous. A seemingly simple but effective plot twist keeps the viewer in constant tension. This truly immersive experience gave birth to one of the most terrifying horror films of recent years.