10 Scariest Movies Released Since ‘Hereditary,’ Ranked
It’s been some time since Ari Aster‘s Hereditary carved its spot in the annals of horror history. Widely considered one of the scariest horror films of the 21st-century, this spine-chilling masterpiece rightfully earned its status as a brilliant nightmare flick that continuously scares. With deep themes, powerful direction, and some of the best acting in the genre, it’s skipped the waiting period to be rightfully called a classic today.
Now, with seven years under its belt, Hereditary remains a go-to for horrifying modern entertainment. Its terror hasn’t truly been matched in recent years, save for a few notable exceptions. While it reigns as the scariest in recent years, the following horror flicks are almost or just as terrifying as Hereditary. Some could be considered subjectively more terrifying; others are perhaps on the same level as it. But, no matter what, they each provide incredible scares.
10
‘Saint Maud’ (2019)
Marking a tremendous feature-length debut in the horror genre, director Rose Glass showed her immense storytelling strength and creativity, creating Saint Maud, a religious psychological horror drama. Delivering an eerily skin-crawling tale, it’s about a pious young nurse with a tragic past who slowly spirals into a misguided sense of fanaticism while caring for a dying patient.
Hereditary and Saint Maud explore deep-rooted themes of trauma, mental illness, and the harms of loneliness, all brought together in a compellingly written story that has a shocking psychological edge to it. There’s a slow-building of terror as the character following the titular Maud (Morfydd Clark) descends further into her paranoia, resulting in a horrifying and complex ending that, much like Ari Aster’s classic, is mind-blowingly intense.
9
‘Weapons’ (2025)
One of the most uniquely unsettling entries in recent years is Weapons, director Zach Cregger‘s nonlinear psychological thriller that has the right mix of horror, mystery, and a splash of unexpected dark comedy. Told out of sequence, it follows a disgraced school teacher and a worried working-class father as they slowly solve what made an entire classroom of children disappear one night.
It’s intense, shocking, and wonderfully different. Though it’s fairly recent, Weapons is on track to be one of the decade’s biggest horror standouts. Much like Hereditary, it’s bold and creative storytelling that really sets it apart from other films of our current era, daring to be both undeniably scary and a blend of other interesting genres. As it currently stands, its popularity will only grow.
8
‘Nosferatu’ (2024)
Paving his way to becoming one of the 21st century’s most notable horror filmmakers, Robert Eggers delivered one of his most frightening hits, Nosferatu, a compelling remake of the 1922 silent classic. With a heavy emphasis on atmosphere and dread, it’s an unforgettable film filled with so much terror. Much like its predecessor, it follows the rampage of a centuries-old vampire as he leaves his Transylvanian castle to spread death and misery to a small German town.
From its striking visuals, flawless direction, and Oscar-caliber acting, Nosferatu is a modern masterpiece that can rival Hereditary in style and a bit in its scares. At the center of its scarily brilliant success is the performance of rising legend Bill Skarsgård as the menacing vampire Count Orlok. He brings an intensity and otherworldy presence that sparks a feeling of doom just by looking at his appearance and hearing his booming voice.
7
‘The Dark and the Wicked’ (2020)
Breathing new life into the typical haunted house formula, Bryan Bertino‘s 2020 film The Dark and the Wicked provides unexpected thrills and chills, the likes of which eerily feel similar to Hereditary. Taking a simple premise by elevating the terror to the maximum, it follows two adult siblings returning to their childhood farm to be by their dying father’s side, but they become plagued by a strange, deadly presence that surrounds them.
Like Hereditary, The Dark and the Wicked is a slow burning haunting that explores the damage caused by unresolved grief and generational trauma, and how a dysfunctional family life affects one’s adulthood. While it’s got a supernatural edge, it’s more deeply psychological and provokes the mind into feelings of immense dread and despair, and by the end, you’re left emotionally drained as well as shaken to the core.
6
‘Smile’ (2022)
Taking into account how many thrilling and utterly spine-chilling monster movies have come out since Hereditary, 2022’s Smile is arguably the scariest. Directed by Parker Finn, Smile is one of the 2020s’ most intense standouts so far, a unique and unforgettable thriller about a troubled therapist plagued by visions of a sinister entity stalking and smiling at her after witnessing a traumatic death.
Smile is a mind-bending mix of psychological horror, drama, and monster mayhem to leave viewers shaking in their seats. It takes them on what feels like an inescapable nightmare where it can only end with more terror. Both this and Hereditary share premises that are dream-like and scarily different from some average horror movies that come out today, and for that, it’s one of the most horrifying films of the decade currently.
5
‘Talk to Me’ (2022)
Delivering something so terrifyingly unique, Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou took the horror genre by storm with their feature directorial debuts, Talk to Me. It follows a young teen whose life spirals out of control when she and her friends become obsessed with a mysterious hand statue that has the power to take them into a euphoric state where they can see and communicate with the dead.
The scares are enough to leave you sleeping with the lights on at night, and have you constantly coming back for more watches just to fully take in what happened. It’s perfectly paced, profoundly nail-biting and suspenseful, and rich with remarkable acting, courtesy of its talented cast of rising and established actors. With a story that chills to the bone and fascinates the mind with its thought-provoking idea, Talk to Me is steadily becoming a modern classic.
4
‘Oddity’ (2024)
Arguably the scariest horror film of 2024, Irish director Damian Mc Carthy‘s Oddity is a must-watch for those seeking an edge-of-your-seat fright. It is a nail-biting experience from start to finish that follows a supernatural mystery about a blind medium who, in an attempt to prove her despicable former brother-in-law conspired to murder her sister, shows up at his home one night with a terrifying, magical wooden mannequin that she uses to serve out her own form of justice.
The terror comes from its slow building tension as it leads up to a hair-raising, exciting finale. Oddity is a blast that’s decently paced, perfectly acted, and filled with so many effective and well-placed jumpscares. It noticeably leaves an impression on you right after seeing it, much like the effect Hereditary has on viewers as well.
3
‘Incantation’ (2022)
The found footage horror subgenre is thriving in the 2020s, thanks to great chillers like Incantation, an international folk horror drama by Taiwanese filmmaker Kevin Ko. It’s a profound and deeply unsettling experience that proves found footage is still monumentally terrifying going into any decade. It’s about a troubled woman who fears her daughter may be the target of a sinister entity after accidentally setting off a terrible curse in her past.
It’s filled with intense dread and frightening imagery that’s hard to fully wrap the mind around. Incantation offers an unforgettable viewing experience that, much like Hereditary, has scares that are unimaginable and sure to leave an impression.
2
‘Host’ (2020)
Continuing with more found footage, next is Host, a 2020 screen-life supernatural horror thriller directed by Rob Savage and made and released during the COVID-19 pandemic Lockdown. Capturing the claustrophobic paranoia that was present during this difficult time, the story follows a British friend group on a Zoom call as their night of friendly chat turns deadly when they unwisely perform a seance, which unleashes a demon that claims them one by one.
Though it’s not the most original or compelling premise, Host is elevated today to some of the scariest horror films of all time thanks to its well-executed concept, tense suspense, and, of course, its many hair-raising jump scares. This will have you leaping right out of your seats. The scares get quite intense and shocking that which makes for a thrilling experience that won’t be forgotten.
1
‘When Evil Lurks’ (2023)
An undeniable masterpiece of unimaginable terror, Demián Rugna‘s When Evil Lurks is one of modern horror’s most notable highlights. It follows two reclusive farming brothers in Argentina who, in an attempt to remove a demonically possessed boy from their property, accidentally unleash the demon’s evil essence upon the land, spreading death and misery wherever the two brothers go.
Dark, dreadful, and bleak from beginning to end, this international thriller provides scares straight out of one’s worst dreams. And it’s hard to watch as the brutal carnage and bloodshed intensify as the story unfolds, and the possibility of the characters making it out alive or if there will ever be a peaceful resolution to the story slowly becomes unlikely. When Evil Lurks creates an unending feeling of unease, and has you feeling unsafe. There’s no doubt it’s one of the most chilling horror experiences in recent years, and can rival that of Hereditary in terms of scare factor.
When Evil Lurks
- Release Date
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October 6, 2023
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Demián Rugna
- Writers
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Demián Rugna
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Ezequiel Rodríguez
Pedro
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