The 10 Greatest Horror Movie Masterpieces of the 2020s So Far, Ranked

Horror has been one of the most versatile and widely celebrated genres of film since its inception, with few other art forms having the ability to truly instill fear in the hearts and souls of audiences while watching. Whether it be through buckets of blood and gore or spine-tingling tension and dread, horror filmmaking will continue to be a staple of the genre. The 2020s have been an exceptional decade for the genre, marked by numerous groundbreaking experiences and demonstrating that horror is in one of its best eras to date.

From massive blockbusters that stand as some of the most successful horror movies of all time to critically acclaimed darlings that managed to be at the center of awards conversation, horror as a genre has been more celebrated in the 2020s than any previous era. The stigma surrounding the genre in previous eras has seemingly evaporated, with everyone now understanding the craft and cinematic brilliance that horror filmmaking is capable of. These films especially hammer home just how great horror can be, with this truly great decade in horror not even finishing yet.

10 'Titane' (2021)

A wild yet unexpectedly heartfelt body horror experience, Titane proves to be wildly impactful with its themes of bodily autonomy amidst its story of murder and deceit. The film follows serial killer car model Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), who, after a string of murders and a sexual encounter with a Cadillac, finds herself on the run from police. Her plan of staying hidden involves taking on the identity of a young boy who disappeared ten years ago. However, her plan begins to go awry when her car-induced pregnancy begins to take form.

It's clear from the plot alone that Titane is far from the most approachable horror story out there, yet between all the wild sequences and overwhelming body horror, there's a genuinely emotional story of familial connection that makes it all so compelling. It easily makes for one of the standout foreign horror movies of the past decade, consistently going for wild concepts and creating an experience unlike anything else that has been released this decade.

9 'I Saw the TV Glow' (2024)

While I Saw the TV Glow may not have the same levels of gore or in-your-face scares as other traditional horror films, its overwhelming sense of uneasing dread and psychological torment makes it a powerful and haunting experience. The film follows young teen Owen (Justice Smith), finding refuge through his teenage years thanks to a mysterious TV show and a friendship with his classmate Maddy (Jack Haven). However, Owen begins to experience terrifying visions as his view of reality begins to crack all around him.

A lot of the praise and appreciation that the film has received relates to its themes and symbolic messaging, being easily one of the most prominent and acclaimed transgender allegory films to have ever been released. A lot of the horror and unsettling nature of the film is meant to parallel and symbolize those feelings of gender dysphoria and confusion, with feelings of being in the wrong body and being afraid to make a change deeply resonating with audiences.

8 'Barbarian' (2022)

The first horror film from now highly-acclaimed auteur of modern horror and former The Whitest Kids U' Know founder Zach Cregger, Barbarian took the horror world by storm with its wildly unexpected twists and turns. The film follows young woman Tess (Georgina Campbell) in town for a job interview, only to realize that her Airbnb has been double-booked with a mysterious man already staying there. As she begrudgingly spends the night anyway, she begins to pick up on some mysterious occurrences in the basement of the Airbnb.

Barbarian is a film best experienced knowing as little as possible going in, as it plays into the audience's expectations and perceptions of this style of story to completely catch them off guard with its scares as well as its humor. It stands as one of the greatest examples of how a film can simultaneously be terrifying and hilarious, as it weaves and balances these two distinct elements to make it an absolute blast to watch.

7 'Longlegs' (2024)

A terrifying evolution of the paranormal crime procedural horror film from modern horror visionary Osgood Perkins, Longlegs quickly took the world by storm as one of the most terrifying horror movie experiences of the 21st century. The film follows FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), assigned to the unsolved case of a mysterious serial killer known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). With over 30 confirmed murder suicide cases associated with the killer, the hunt for his whereabouts grows more terrifying when Harker uncovers a personal connection to the killer.

Longlegs style of horror gets a lot of mileage thanks to its more subtle editing and camerawork, keeping the audience on edge as it weaves together a story of trauma and familial murder. It isn't afraid to delve into an array of deeply unsettling and strange concepts with its filmmaking and story, although it grounds itself thanks to some great, elevating performances from Monroe and Cage. The film is widely considered to be Perkins' best film to date and an icon of what modern crime horror is capable of.

6 'The Invisible Man' (2020)

With so many different lackluster reboots and remakes of classic horror properties being released year after year, it's all the more impressive when a film like The Invisible Man evolves the classic concept of the original to create something new and truly exceptional. Leigh Whannell's reinterpretation of the classic Universal monster is perfectly tailored to the modern world, telling a powerful story of manipulation and gaslighting that is amplified thanks to some exceptional directing and camerawork.

The film brilliantly sets up shots and sequences to the point of tricking and gaslighting the audience with its direction, with them second-guessing whether the Invisible Man is actually on-screen or what he could be planning. It creates a true sense of terror and unsettling that none of the classic Invisible Man films came close to creating in their horror filmmaking. As one of the first truly great horror films of the decade, the film continues to stand as one of the 2020s' best in horror.

5 'Mad God' (2021)

A meticulously crafted labor of love and cinematic craft that took 30 years to complete, Mad God has a sense of scale and awe with its practical stop-motion visuals that is unlike any other animated horror film to ever be released. Its story is largely secondary to the true weight and impact of the film, being the cacophony of nightmare visuals and concepts that make the film as beautifully impressive as it is absolutely disgusting and unsettling.

It's clear from watching just a few seconds of Mad God just how deeply impressive and impactful the very existence of the film is, utilizing Phil Tippett's masterful practical effect talents to create a wild world of monstrous creation and cruelty. It makes for a film that, above all else, leaves the audience impressed with its sheer craft and magnitude, as the effort and weight put into each minute detail of the film makes it a deeply compelling horror experience.

4 'Nope' (2022)

After Jordan Peele already flipped the horror world on its head with his iconic films Get Out and Us, he would further redefine what a horror blockbuster is capable of in the modern day with Nope. The mysterious and deeply original sci-fi horror film makes the absolute most out of its blockbuster scale and budget. It utilizes sprawling setpieces and beautiful visual effects to amplify the fear and electrifying nature of its story.

It also helps that, like Peele's other films, Nope is deeply layered with a sense of underlying messages and meaning that continue to give it narrative weight well after the credits roll. It simply has something for every type of horror fan, finding an angle of strength between its terrifying kills, insightful commentary on animal treatment in performance, and exceptional performances across the board. The film, at times, even rivals the likes of Get Out with its brilliantly paced narrative strengths and possibly even surpasses Peele's debut film in terms of its overall filmmaking strengths.

3 'Nosferatu' (2024)

Acting as a remake of one of the most important horror movies of all time, Robert Eggers' take on Nosferatu elevates and evolves the story to the conventions and tastes of modern horror audiences. From its masterful cinematography and usage of darkness to the awe-inspiring production design and costumes that transport the audience into the time period, it's about as well-crafted and distinct as a Nosterafu adaptation can get.

However, the film didn't become a massive horror phenomenon simply by relaying the same classic story of Nosferatu, as Eggers' own distinct flavor of filmmaking craft and original vision is what has made the film such an enthralling and distinct experience. It transforms the classic story into one more hard-focused on one of yearning and sexual desire, amplifying the themes of the original vampire mythos and further defining it for a modern audience. At the same time, Bill Skarsgård's performance as the haunting Count Orlok even rivals his work as Pennywise as his best horror performance to date.

2 'The Substance' (2024)

Utilizing buckets upon buckets of gore and body horror like a sledgehammer to the very concept of subtlety to create one of the most effective and well-received horror movies of recent memory, The Substance is the defining body horror masterpiece of the modern era. From its legendary central performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley to its infectious editing style and ramping up of chaotic tendencies, The Substance latches onto the audience and takes them on a wild ride of toxic beauty standards and substance abuse.

It proves that a horror film doesn't need to be subtle with its messaging to have an effective story and conceit, as it hammers home its point more clearly than most other films without losing any impact by being too abrasive. In fact, the film embraces this in-your-face attitude in every aspect of its filmmaking, ramping up the madness and stakes of its disturbing body horror until it reaches a generational breaking point in its chaotic third act. The fact that a film this gory and chaotic managed to be nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Picture speaks volumes to its overwhelming quality and strengths.

1 'Sinners' (2025)

Despite the film having just been released this past year, it's hard to deny the craft and brilliance behind Sinners that has easily made it the defining horror masterpiece of the 2020s so far. Ryan Coogler weaves together a story of heightened action, incredibly deep and well-crafted characters, and a sense of worldbuilding that comes second-to-none as far as modern horror is concerned. Even with the film's more blatant horror elements not entering the picture until its second half, Sinners is still an absolute blast that became an instant classic of the genre.

It stands as the type of striking original blockbuster experience that audiences have been clamoring for and demanding for so long, yet it just so happens to utilize horror and the raw appeal of vampires as the key to its success. Yet its vampire action is just the major selling point for what is an exceptional tale of escaping the past and the strength of music within a community. It's difficult to imagine a future where the film isn't considered the best horror film of the 2020s when the decade ends, as it has provided some monumental competition for the great horror movies of 2026 and beyond.