While it may not be the decade people immediately think of when discussinghorrormovies,the early 2000s were actually a very exciting time for the genre, with some of thebest horror moviesemerging in those ten years. This decade marked the beginning oficonic movie franchises likeSawandFinal Destination, as well as offering plenty of unforgettable stories through films likeSignsandThe Mist. With new films popping up for every subset of the genre, the 2000s truly offered something for all types of horror lovers.
Of course, the impressive range of2000s horror moviesextends well beyond the fan favorites that fans of the genre are bound to be quite familiar with by now. Because of the overwhelming success of a handful of films,many exciting, well-made works of horror managed to fly under the radar. Just because they may not have received as much attention does not mean they are any less enjoyable, impressive, and satisfyingly scary. These underrated horror movies of the 2000s deserve more love for their ability to haunt their audiences for decades to come.
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.
Bill Paxton was certainly no stranger to being on camera, appearing in popular movies likeAliens,Twister, andTitanic. However, his feature directorial debut,Frailty, demonstrated that he was just as talented behind the scenes as well. Released in2001, this eerie psychological horror filmuses extended flashbacks to tell the haunting story of two brothers who have very different reactions whentheir father insists that they must execute a series of gruesome murders, believing that a divine power is guiding them to do so.
The impressive performances and clever storytelling style help establish the film as a worthy addition to the genre, one that surely does not disappoint when it comes to its unnerving story.
Along with Paxton himself,Frailtystars Matthew McConaughey, presenting a rare dive into the horror genre for the Academy Award-winning actor. The impressive performances and clever storytelling style help establish the film as a worthy addition to the genre, one that surely does not disappoint when it comes to its unnerving story. Witha dark, surprising ending that few would be able to predict,Frailtyis a chilling film that is bound to stick in the minds of its viewers for a long time after the credits stop rolling.
Lake Mungo
Lake Mungo is a psychological horror film directed by Joel Anderson. The story centers around the Palmer family, who experience a series of unexplained and unsettling events following the tragic drowning of their daughter, Alice. Utilizing a mockumentary style, the film delves into themes of grief, loss, and the supernatural as the family’s investigation into Alice’s death uncovers disturbing secrets and mysteries.
The pseudo-documentary style of filmmaking is something that is used somewhat scarcely in horror movies, butLake Mungoproves that it has the potential to be absolutely terrifying when done properly. At its core,Lake Mungois a film abouta family who begins to observe strange, supernatural occurrences following the death of Alice, their sixteen-year-old daughter/sister.
Lake Mungohas a 95% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
As the film progresses, more and more information is revealed about Alice’s final days alive, creating a complex web of truths and mysteries. Instead of presenting a simple, straightforward narrative following the family’s story from beginning to end,Lake Mungois presented as a fictional documentary, offering a deep exploration of all the relevant information as it is being revealed.
This clever style helps infuse the film with a disturbing sense of reality, making viewers feel as though what they are seeing is completely true. By capitalizing on viewers' natural trust of documentary-style filmmaking,Lake Mungoturns a straightforward story into a gripping journey from beginning to end.
Bug
Bug (2007): Bug follows Agnes, a waitress living in a remote and deteriorating motel in Oklahoma, who forms an unusual connection with Peter, a mysterious man. Together, they navigate a world of paranoia and fear, descending into an increasingly disturbing psychological environment.
One of the scariest feelings for any audience is uncertainty. William Friedkin’s 2006 psychological horror movie,Bug, capitalizes on this fact to a chilling extent. Based on the play of the same name by Tracy Letts,Bugtells the story of a waitress, Agnes, whose life becomes much more complicated when she meets Peter,a man debilitated by his unrelenting belief that he is constantly being followed and swarmed by tiny bugs. As the story develops, viewers must begin to question what is actually real.
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Part of what makesBugsuch an effective horror movie (particularly for an adaptation of a stage show) isthe breathtaking performances by Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon. Their eerie representations of the characters manage to depict their unwavering certainty in what they believe is happening, even when the viewers themselves are unsure who they can trust.Bugcaptures the feeling of paranoia in an impressively effective way, consistently making the most out of this particularly unsettling source of fear.
Pontypool
Pontypool is a psychological horror film directed by Bruce McDonald, based on the novel Pontypool Changes Everything by Tony Burgess. The story unfolds in a small town where a radio DJ and his crew discover a deadly virus is spreading through the English language. As they broadcast from their studio, they grapple with the unfolding chaos and strive to decode the phenomenon.
Zombie movies have been a staple of the horror genre for many years, but the2008 Canadian horror film,Pontypool,offers a refreshingly unique twist on the idea. The film primarily follows Grant Mazzy, a radio announcer who finds himself having to think quickly on his feet when a mysterious, deadly epidemic begins ravaging his town.
Upon discovering that certain words can trigger the infection, Grant must use his access to radio channels carefully to warn people about the virus, without allowing it to spread even further.Pontypoolmay be another zombie movie, but it is truly unlike any other. The localized setting of the radio station offers a captivating perspective on the deadly epidemic, allowing the audience to focus solely on the reactions of a small group of people.
The auditory element of the virus is also a unique twist, providing an unusual look at language and how it is used to communicate ideas, while also highlighting the massive danger it can present if used incorrectly. Witha fascinating premise and a haunting ending,Pontypoolis a horror movie that is nearly impossible to forget.
Willard
Willard is a 2003 horror film starring Crispin Glover as the titular character, a socially awkward man who befriends a colony of rats in his late father’s decaying mansion. As Willard seeks solace from the abuse he endures, the rats become instruments of revenge against his tormentors.
When rejected by all other humans, some people will look in other places for friendship. This idea sets the stage forWillard, the 2003 psychological horror film that puts a modern spin on Stephen Gilbert’s novel,Ratman’s Notebooks. Crispin Glover stars as Willard Stiles, an abused social outcast who finds companionship in the colony of rats living in his ailing mother’s mansion. When Willard continues to be treated even worse by the people in his life, he discovers that his new friends could offer him some deadly assistance.
Although the concept alone is bound to unsettle any horror fan,where the film really shines is in its lead performance. Glover perfectly embodies the titular social outcast, highlighting his isolation from the rest of society in a way that makes his connection to the rats seem entirely logical.Willardserves as a clever depiction of how the real monsters are often simply how human beings treat each other. The creepy conclusion of the film further drives home the message at its core.
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.
In his action-packed 2002 horror film,Dog Soldiers, director Neil Marshall puts a new spin on one of the most iconic monsters in horror history. This British film follows a group of soldiers on a training exercise in the Scottish Highlands, only for their plans to go horribly awry when they are attacked bya cluster of bloodthirsty werewolves. Twists and turns abound as the squad desperately tries to survive through the night.
Dog Soldiersis an exciting horror movie that offers something for all sorts of audiences. The film is jam-packed from beginning to end withfrightening sequences, explosive action, and even delightful moments of humor.Dog Soldiersmay have initially flown under the radar, with many people expecting it to just be a lousy slasher flick, but it has accumulated a loving audience among those willing to give it a try. For a horror movie that’s a blast to watch with friends,Dog Soldiersis an excellent option.
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.
A common trope in horror movies is characters deciding to take a shortcut to get to their destination, which inevitably leads them down a mysterious road somewhere in the remote wilderness. Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s 2003 horror feature,Dead End, takes this idea to a whole new level, having practically the entire film play out on this one dangerous road.
Set on Christmas Eve, the film follows a family who find themselves being tormented by a series of deadly, seemingly inexplicable phenomena as they drive down this unfamiliar path.Dead Endstands out from other horror movies by primarily taking place in one car traveling down one road.
This simple, minimalist structure gives the film an eerie sense of containment, leading the audience to sympathize with the feelings of entrapment being experienced by the characters. AsDead Endeffectively emphasizes, the easiest way to amplify a deadly threat is to make it clear that there is no end in sight. When the film finally reaches its shocking conclusion, viewers will find that they are in for a new kind of fright.
The Skeleton Key
The Skeleton Key is a supernatural thriller film directed by Iain Softley. The movie follows Caroline Ellis, a nurse who takes a job caring for an elderly man in his plantation house, only to discover that he is being cursed by malevolent forces.
Despite having a fairly stacked cast, the eerie 2005 horror film,The Skeleton Key, managed to fly somewhat under the radar compared to other horror movies of the era. Set in rural Louisiana, the film mainly follows Caroline, a hospice nurse who begins a new job as a caretaker at an estate where some supernatural forces seem to be afoot. When more about the residence’s history is revealed, Caroline discovers that she may be getting way more than she signed up for.
In addition to its scary, twist-filled story,what makesThe Skeleton Keyreally shine is the powerful performances by the cast. Kate Hudson stars as Caroline, effectively giving the audience someone who is witnessing all the bizarre events at the estate from the same perspective as them. Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, and Peter Sarsgaard all appear in supporting roles, creating a layered cast that is perfect for cultivating fear in the film’s audience.
House of Wax
House of Wax is a horror thriller directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, and Paris Hilton. The plot revolves around a group of friends who discover a house filled with wax figures that may be extremely realistic for an unnerving reason. The 2005 slasher is a remake of the 1953 horror film of the same name.
Before gaining more recognition in the world of horror withOrphanandThe Shallows, Jaume Collet-Serra made his feature directorial debut withthe 2005 slasher movie,House of Wax. While slasher films are seldom for the faint of heart,House of Waxstands outasa particularly disturbing addition to the genre. The film centers around a group of friends who find themselves coming face to face with a dangerous threat in a mostly abandoned town.
To make matters even more unsettling, the town is occupied by swarms of wax figures, many of which are hiding a dark secret within. While the concept of a group of young adults being slowly picked off by a deadly killer is not exactly unique,few horror movies from the 2000s managed to cultivate an atmosphere quite as terrifying as that ofHouse of Wax.
With its disturbing story and haunting visuals,House of Waxcreates a sense of uneasiness that sticks with its viewers for a long time after the movie is over.
With its disturbing story and haunting visuals,House of Waxcreates a sense of uneasiness that sticks with its viewers for a long time after the movie is over. With a bunch of strong performances to tie everything together, Collet-Serra’s debut feature proves that he would be a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre.
Wolf Creek
Wolf Creek is a 2005 horror film where three friends get stranded in Australia and fall victim to a psychopathic torturer. Wolf Creek was then followed by Wolf Creek 2 in 2013 and a TV show in 2016. The film received mixed reviews upon release but has been viewed in a more favorable light in recent years.
After getting stuck at Wolf Creek National Park, three friends find that their vacation has turned into a nightmare when a crazed killer starts holding them captive after pretending to help them. This chilling premise sets the scene forWolf Creek, an Australian horror movie bound to scare the socks off anyone who has ever encountered a stranger while traveling. Thanks to its ambiguous ending,Wolf Creekproves to its viewers that one of the scariest elements of these violent crimes is when they go unsolved.
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Wolf Creekmay not be exceptionally unique in terms of its premise, but it is nevertheless a well-crafted work of horror that makes the most out of its idea. Withplenty of gruesome imagery and a relentlessly terrifying villain, the film is more than enough to keep even the bravest horror fans on the edge of their seats.Wolf Creekwill have any viewer making sure they lock their car doors next time they go for a drive.
