The 2000s were a great time for horror, including both box office hits and lesser-known films that were just as good. Frombrilliant and hilarious teen horror moviesto supernatural tales likeThe Ring,there is a wide range of choices for any fan that might feel nostalgic. However, between widespread acclaimed blockbusters andgreat sequels of beloved movies, some of the decade’s finest works have gone under the radar despite their exceptional narrative and blood-curdling plots.
While the mainstream horrors dominated the industry, some not-very well-known movies many probably haven’t seen are not less deserving of attention and praise, as they often offered an innovative and unexplored perspective that challenged more traditional tropes.Whether through impressive visuals, disturbing and macabre twists, or even emotionally charged narratives, some underrated films deserve a spot among the great horrors of the 2000s.
Frailty
Cast
Frailty is a psychological horror-thriller directed by and starring Bill Paxton. The film centers on a man’s confession to an FBI agent about his father’s disturbing religious visions, which led to a series of murders, as the family became entangled in a mission to rid the world of supposed demons.
This psychological horror marked Bill Paxton’s directorial debut and stars a young Matthew McConaughey.The story revolves around two brothers whose widowed father (played by Paxton) in the late 1970s claimed he was sent by God to eliminate demons disguised as humans. Twenty years later, one of the two siblings shows up to the FBI to denounce his brother for a series of recently committed, religious-founded murders.
Paxton’s portrayal as a fervent man of faith whose fleeting sanity appears tricky to decipher adds a profoundly unsettling edge.
Frailtydelivers a disturbing narrative with a spiritual and religious component and a haunting atmosphere.Paxton’s portrayal as a fervent man of faith whose fleeting sanity appears tricky to decipher adds a profoundly unsettling edge. The more the viewer delves deep into the story, the more it escapes their understanding. With its unexpected twists,Frailtyis one of the greatest2000s serial killer horror movies you probably haven’t seenand a hidden gem worth checking out.
Dog Soldiers
Dog Soldiers is a 2002 British horror film directed by Neil Marshall. It follows a squad of British soldiers conducting a training mission in the Scottish Highlands who encounter a pack of werewolves. As they fight for survival, the soldiers must confront their fears and utilize their combat training to withstand the relentless onslaught. The film stars Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, and Liam Cunningham.
Before earning an Emmy nomination forThe Watchers on the Wall, one of the best episodes ofGame of Thrones,Neil Marshall debuted withDog Soldier, agreat 2000s home invasion action-horror movie.The British film focuses on a group of soldiers on a military training mission who find themselves attacked by a pack of vicious werewolves. The remote setting, in the Scottish Highlands, adds further suspense to an already anxiety-ridden story.
Despite its status as a hidden gem, the movie earned mainly positive reviews when it came out and has a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.The story is not merely scary but also shines with its witty dialogue and charismatic characters, making it a clever blend of fun and dread. Although it may not have made too much noise,Dog Soldiersnow has a loyal following, which is a testament to its brilliance and a motive to give it a chance.
May
May is a psychological horror film released in 2003, following a socially awkward veterinary assistant with a lazy eye. Her obsession with perfection leads to a descent into depravity after developing a fixation on a boy with perfect hands, exploring themes of loneliness and the quest for acceptance.
A psychological horror,Maycleverly explores themes of loneliness and alienation through a compelling yet chilling narrative.The plot follows a lonely, perfectionist woman, May (played by Angela Bettis), whose only friend is a glass-encased childhood doll. Haunted by a difficult youth where she was relentlessly bullied for her lazy eye, the girl attempts to connect with the people surrounding her, leading to unsettling and disturbing consequences.
Maystands out for its emotional depth, making it a unique case for the horror genre.
The subtle vulnerability portrayed by Bettis makes the story even more disturbing, leading the viewer to sympathize and feel pity for the character despite her increasingly deranged actions.Although it did not make too much noise when it came out, this great, Frankenstein-inspired,overlooked 2000s horror movie can stay with the viewer by touching upon universal themes of connection and belonging.
Dead End
Dead End is a 2003 horror film written and directed by Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa. A family on the road during Christmas Eve turns into a fight for their lives when a near-accident nets them an unwanted pair of followers - a ghostly woman with a baby chasing them with a hearse.
Perfect for the festive season,Dead Endis a French horror film that follows a family driving to a Christmas Eve gathering.As the father decides to take a shortcut along a desolate forest road, the trip devolves into a nightmare, where the main characters find themselves followed by a ghostly hearse along an endless path. The film’s constricted setting gives a sense of constant claustrophobia and amplifies the tension.
Despite being a low-budget project, its brilliant plot and execution are not once sacrificed throughout the movie. The film blends moments of dark humor with chilling jumpscares, making it an eerie addition to holiday-themed horror. The dysfunctional familiar dynamics between a group of characters on their way to celebrate Christmas create a relatability that makes their horror journey even more disturbing. Before becoming the legendary protagonist of theInsidioussaga, Lin Shaye shined in this 2003 underrated gem.
A Tale of Two Sisters
A Tale of Two Sisters, directed by Jee-woon Kim, follows a recently released mental institution patient and her sister as they return home. They encounter unsettling occurrences involving their stepmother and otherworldly forces, all tied to a troubling family history. Released in 2003, the film is a South Korean psychological horror drama.
Directed by Kim Jee-Woon,A Tale of Two Sistersis a South Korean psychological horror that emerged as a masterpiece of storytelling and narrative manipulation. The plot follows a teenage girl who has recently been discharged from a mental health institution and reunites with her sister and the rest of her family, including their cruel stepmother.Her return sets off a series of disturbing supernatural events.
Based on a Joseon-era folktale, the film has had a significant impact on the cinema industry in South Korea, influencing the future of the country’s horror genre.
With a profoundly distrustful and constantly evolving narrative,A Tale of Two Sistersisa chilling Korean ghost horror movie from the 2000sthat blends reality and fiction, simultaneously confusing and haunting the viewer. Based on a Joseon-era folktale, the film has had a significant impact on the cinema industry in South Korea, influencing the future of the country’s horror genre. Despite its success in its original country and the theatrical release in the U.S.A., it definitely deserves more recognition.
Toolbox Murders
Toolbox Murders, directed by Tobe Hooper and released in 2004, follows a young couple, Steve and Nell, who move into a dilapidated Hollywood apartment block. They soon discover that several young tenants have died violently, prompting Nell to uncover unsettling truths about the building’s manager and residents.
Thisless brutal horror movie remake you probably haven’t seenis a chilling slasher work based on the 1978 film of the same name that was briefly banned in the U.K. for its excessive violence. Directed by horror maestro Tobe Hooper, known for his iconic work onThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre,the story follows a couple of new tenants of a historic apartment in Los Angeles who find themselves in a nightmare of dark secrets and prey of a masked killer who takes an interest in them.
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The movie’s blend of typical slasher elements with a mysterious and secrets-filled narrative makes it truly a stand-out work of the genre.Despite being less graphic than the original, or perhaps because of this, the story manages to scare and keep the viewer attached to the screen until the last minute.
4Them
Released In 2006
This French-Romanian horror directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud is an overlooked gem that greets its viewers with the chilling premise of being based on a true story.Themfollows a couple, Clementine and Lucas, who have just moved to a remote house in the countryside near Bucharest and end up being terrorized by a group of mysterious assailants.However, the identities of the aggressors are far from what anyone can imagine.
The film’s approach focuses more on suspense rather than gore, making the watch an anxiety-ridden 77 minutes.The absurd, disturbing twists keep the viewers on the edge of their seats while simultaneously never sacrificing their realistic aspects. The lack of supernatural elements, which might, in a different case, have made the movie less frightening, turns the terrible events portrayed into a grounded and, thus more menacing, threat.Themis a 2000s horror worth discovering.
The House of the Devil
The House of the Devil is a Horror film starring Greta Gerwig, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, and Jocelin Donahue. The film was released in 2009 and was written and directed by Ti West. Blending together the “haunted house” and “slasher film” genres, this Horror ride takes place in a remote mansion and follows a student named Samantha Hughes that accepts a babysitting job and gets more than she bargained for.
Directed by Lucky McKee,The Woodsis a terrifying supernatural horror set in the 1960s.The movie follows a troubled girl, Heather, who is sent to a remote all-girls boarding school in New England, where she starts to unveil dark secrets about the school and the eerie woods surrounding it. The disturbing atmosphere and unsettling visuals play a huge part in the film’s growing suspense and blood-curdling plot.
Instead of relying on jumpscares and gore,The Woodstakes on a more sophisticated approach to scare the audience, playing with their doubts and suspicions.Thedirector of the great horrorOld Manproved his skills at terrifying yet drawing the viewer in with captivating characters and an eerie aesthetic.The film’s dreamlike quality and fantasy component, reminiscent ofSuspiria, add to its unique and unsettling charm. For any fan of Dario Argento, this is a great choice.
A tribute to the horror genre of the 1970s and 1980s,The House of the Devilis a brilliant film that blends slasher and haunted house elements into a successful and terrifying mix.The story follows Samantha, a college student who is hired as a babysitter at an isolated mansion inhabited by a seemingly ordinary family who soon reveals sinister intentions. The plot uses the 80s epidemic of “satanic panic” as a central theme.
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Jocelin Donahue delivers a raw portrayal of Samantha, enhancing the suspense in every scene and making her descent into the nightmare unfolding before her eyes even more dreadful. Thisdisturbing satanic cult horror movie from the 2000sdeserves more recognition for its ability to effortlessly intertwine different themes and tropes from equally terrifying subgenres.Simultaneously, its stylistic homages and chilling and meticulous execution should not be overlooked.
Triangle
This psychological thriller follows a group of friends stranded on a yacht in the Bermuda Triangle, where they board a passing ship only to experience terrifying temporal distortions and duplications of themselves.
A psychological horror written and directed by Christopher Smith,Triangleintegrates elements of thriller and sci-fi. The film features Melissa George, who plays Jess, a single mother who goes on a sailing trip with her friends, only for their yacht to be caught in a storm, forcing them to abandon the ship and board an abandoned ocean liner. Initially a refuge in open water, the vessel hides something more sinister.
Triangle’s sci-fi twist helps not only frighten the viewers but also captivate them, creating a sense of disorientation and excitement together. Inspired by the Greek myth of Sisyphus,Triangleweaves its philosophical undertones into the narrative, offering a thought-provoking and disturbing story that entertains instead of just confusing the audience. Smith maintains the intricate storyline compelling and effortlessly takes advantage of the subtly eerie and disturbing qualities of sci-fi.
