Top 10 Horror Films of the 2010's

By Caleb Leger

I just want to start by saying this is my personal Top 10. Not a definitive list or anything. Just the films that stood out to me in an exceptionally strong decade for the horror genre. We saw the rise of studios like Blumhouse and A24, the return of a slasher icon, and James Wan becoming one of the biggest forces to be reckoned with in the genre. The 2010's definitely saw a variety with horror between the big studio offerings and the smaller scale streaming offerings. With this type of variety and a bigger push for diversity, I look forward to what the genre has in store for us in the upcoming decade.

10.) Insidious (2010)

“It’s not the house that is haunted. It’s your son.”

The film where the house wasn’t haunted, their son was. James Wan has created three huge franchises in the genre and this turned into his second one. After having a rough time following his debut, Wan came back strong with Insidious. And let me tell you this, at the time, was the only horror film to seriously scare the daylights out of me. The way he films the scares and leaves little things in the background just gets under your skin. While the sequels would dilute the horror of this franchise considerably, the first one is still a ghostly good time.

9.) Evil Dead (2013)

“I will feast on your soul!”

I won’t lie. When this was first announced, I was pissed. The Evil Dead franchise and Bruce Campbell are untouchable to me and I was very against doing a movie without his character. But, boy was I pleasantly surprised at how good this movie is. The theater experience is one I’ll never forget as the audience was engaged from beginning to end. There wasn’t a moment where people weren't squirming and screaming in their seats. As for the movie itself, director Fede Alvarez is clearly a fan of the franchise. His Evil Dead is brutal, gory, and a hell of a good time. Groovy!

8.) Don't Breathe (2016)

“There is nothing a man cannot do once he
accepts the fact that there is no god.”

That’s right. Both of Fede Alvarez’s films are on this list. And for good reason. When making this film, Alvarez wanted to prove he could do a movie with virtually very little blood. Thus, we got Don’t Breathe. This is a masterclass in suspense that firmly cemented Alvarez as a force to be reckoned with. He wasn’t alone, though. The other star of this show is Stephen Lang. Playing the blind man, he is absolutely terrifying. From the way he utilizes his other senses to the reveal of what’s in his basement, Lang puts on a hell of a performance and creates an iconic character. I just can’t look at turkey basters the same way now.

7.) Get Out (2017)

“I’m TS-motherfuckin’-A. We handle shit. That’s what
we do. Consider this situation fuckin’ handled.”

The first time I seriously doubted a comedian when they announced they were doing a horror movie. Boy, was I wrong to doubt. Jordan Peele has created one of the most timeless horror films in recent years. An old school style of horror that relies heavily on atmosphere and social commentary, Get Out took the world by storm when it was released. And for good reason. Between the direction and performances, this is one of the most flawless horror films I’ve seen. As for his output after this, that can definitely be up for debate. But, we’ll always have this knockout debut feature.

6.) Hereditary (2018)

"I never wanted to be your mother."

I honestly had no idea what to expect from this movie. The only thing I knew was that it was the newest A24 film. Considering I’ve really enjoyed their previous horror outings, I gave this one a chance. It was a good call. Hereditary is another example of old school horror that just gets under your skin as the film progresses. Toni Collette delivers a knockout performance as a grieving mother trying to figure out what’s going on. Too bad the Oscars hate horror and completely snubbed her. Either way, this is a movie that will never leave my brain.

5.) Halloween (2018)

“He’s waited for this night…he’s waited for me…I’ve waited for him…”

The second time I doubted a comedian. And the second time I was very wrong. With many of the classic slashers seemingly dead, it was surprising to hear of a new Halloween movie. Especially one that would serve as a direct sequel and bring back star Jamie Lee Curtis. Luckily, we ended up with one of the franchise’s best installment. Curtis gives an honest, sincere performance as iconic final girl, Laurie Strode. And as for Michael. Holy shit, is he more brutal and terrifying than ever. The Shape is back, and death has come for Haddonfield once again.

4.) It (2017)

“Beep Beep Richie!”

It’s a good time to be a Stephen King fan again. After years of false starts and numerous production issues, it seemed we were never getting this adaptation. But we did and never did I foresee the success that would come with it. It made a huge killing at the box office, becoming one of the highest grossing horror films and kickstarting the current King renaissance. Bill Skarsgård plays the titular clown, Pennywise, and he is terrifying. A performance that will be forever remembered. The kids are also very good and do an incredible job of bringing the more human moments from the novel to life. We all float down here.

3.) Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

“Justin Bieber is a zombie!”

This is probably the most recent film on my list. I watched this after hearing about it for a while and I couldn’t be happier that I did. I’m usually not a fan of musicals, but, by God, I couldn’t help but start singing along as the film progressed. Anna and the Apocalypse is a movie that should have failed miserably. But thanks to strong direction and a committed cast, this is one of the most fun movies I’ve seen in a while. A zombie, comedy, musical, Christmas set, horror film. Who would have thought this would work so well? I didn’t. Now, back to listening to the soundtrack I downloaded.

2.) Mandy (2018)

“You are a vicious snowflake.”

Try telling me Nicolas Cage can’t act and I will direct you to Mandy. This is a tour de force of a film. The direction and set design are out of this world good. The film supposedly takes place somewhere in the Northwest but becomes more dreamlike as you near the conclusion. It’s never really clear if this is because we are in some sort of Hell or Cage’s character is extraordinarily high. Doesn’t matter since the story and performances are so damn good. Like I said, Cage is a revelation. After years of not very good films, this was the movie that had people talking about him positively again. And for good reason. Please, Nicolas Cage, continue making movies like this.

1.) Upgrade (2018)

“I cannot allow us to be killed.”

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my number one pick. Now, I get this is probably the least horror on my list, but I’m sticking with it. There are several elements of horror to be found in this gem of a movie. Specifically, the idea of losing control of our own body. That idea alone is terrifying. Upgrade is the movie that finally showed audiences Leigh Whannell would not be in buddy James Wan's shadow. Logan Marshall-Green delivered one of his best performances. And the action is some of the slickest, most well-choreographed I’ve seen. This is a dark sci-fi movie with clear horror roots.