Horror: Elusive But Awesome
by samberdina | created - 22 Jun 2014 | updated - 22 Jan 2023 | PublicIndependent and foreign films rarely show previews on TV so they're not easy to find. But some of them are the gems I remember most. A few of these titles are Hollywood movies that aren't talked about as much as others in the horror genre. There are a few classics, elusive in the sense that few people search for the style of horror they offer anymore.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Antisocial (I) (2013)
R | 90 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Five university friends gather at a house party to ring in the New Year. Unbeknownst to them, an epidemic has erupted outside, causing outbreaks around the world.
Director: Cody Calahan | Stars: Michelle Mylett, Cody Ray Thompson, Adam Christie, Ana Alic
Votes: 3,562
Horror with a clever subplot. Well done. Acting, directing, writing and cinematography all made their marks.
2. Shuttle (2008)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A late night airport shuttle ride home descends into darkness.
Director: Edward Anderson | Stars: Tony Curran, Peyton List, Cameron Goodman, Cullen Douglas
Votes: 6,086 | Gross: $0.01M
Like my mom told me, 'if something or someone gives you the creeps, head in the other direction.'
3. The Signal (2007)
R | 103 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A horror film told in three parts, from three perspectives, in which a mysterious transmission that turns people into killers invades every cell phone, radio, and television.
Directors: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry | Stars: Anessa Ramsey, Justin Welborn, Scott Poythress, Sahr Ngaujah
Votes: 21,895 | Gross: $0.60M
There's more to this film than I expected. And some very weird moments. Awesome film.
4. Flu (2013)
Not Rated | 122 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Chaos ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects the population of a South Korean city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul.
Director: Kim Sung-su | Stars: Jang Hyuk, Soo Ae, Min-ah Park, Yoo Hae-jin
Votes: 14,616
Best of its kind.
5. Exam (2009)
Not Rated | 101 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Eight candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a final test with just one seemingly simple question. However, it doesn't take long for confusion to ensue and tensions to unravel.
Director: Stuart Hazeldine | Stars: Adar Beck, Gemma Chan, Nathalie Cox, John Lloyd Fillingham
Votes: 125,339
Superbly clever. I was impressed and tense at the same time.
6. Identity (2003)
R | 90 min | Mystery, Thriller
Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes
Votes: 267,310 | Gross: $52.16M
Awesome film. Unfolds with complexity, suspense, tension and fright. A horror soup.
7. Frozen (I) (2010)
R | 93 min | Adventure, Thriller
Three skiers stranded on a chairlift are forced to make life-or-death choices, which prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death.
Director: Adam Green | Stars: Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell, Kevin Zegers, Ed Ackerman
Votes: 80,758 | Gross: $0.24M
Chilling in every way possible.
8. American Mary (2012)
R | 103 min | Drama, Horror
The allure of easy money sends Mary Mason, a medical student, into the world of underground surgeries which ends up leaving more marks on her than her so-called "freakish" clients.
Directors: Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska | Stars: Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, Tristan Risk, David Lovgren
Votes: 28,334
Katherine Isabelle gives an excellent performance. Wonderful film.
9. Eden Lake (2008)
R | 91 min | Horror, Thriller
Refusing to let anything spoil their romantic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences.
Director: James Watkins | Stars: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Tara Ellis, Jack O'Connell
Votes: 94,888 | Gross: $0.01M
Oh my.
10. Chemical Peel (2014)
R | 95 min | Horror, Thriller
A bachelorette party turns deadly when a chemical reaction overtakes a valley, but being indoors could be just as deadly as being outside.
Director: Hank Braxtan | Stars: Natalie Victoria, Arielle Brachfeld, Stephanie Greco, Lacy Fisher
Votes: 773
Group dynamics in the face of danger. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about this 'B' movie that hits the spot on a rainy day.
11. The Hole (2001)
R | 102 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Four teenagers at a British private school secretly uncover and explore the depths of a sealed underground hole created decades ago as a possible bomb shelter.
Director: Nick Hamm | Stars: Thora Birch, Desmond Harrington, Daniel Brocklebank, Laurence Fox
Votes: 48,264
Unique setting with unusual twists.
12. A Lonely Place to Die (2011)
R | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A group of mountaineers in the Scottish Highlands discover a kidnapped girl and are pursued by her captors.
Director: Julian Gilbey | Stars: Alec Newman, Ed Speleers, Melissa George, Kate Magowan
Votes: 30,710
Just stop going into the woods altogether.
13. Panic Button (2011)
Not Rated | 96 min | Horror, Thriller
Jo, Max, Gwen and Dave win the competition.Then they head off on an all expenses paid trip to New York, courtesy of the social network. As they board the private jet, they are asked to ... See full summary »
Director: Chris Crow | Stars: Scarlett Alice Johnson, Jack Gordon, Michael Jibson, Elen Rhys
Votes: 7,490
Interesting gathering of naughty strangers and great plot, in my opinion.
14. Funny Games (2007)
R | 111 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Two psychopathic young men take a family hostage in their cabin.
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet
Votes: 103,862 | Gross: $1.29M
Creepy from the start. Excellent acting and direction. Flawless film. Gives you an unsettling "worst fear" experience.
15. The Thaw (2009)
R | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A research expedition to the Arctic discovers that a melting polar ice cap has released a deadly prehistoric parasite.
Director: Mark A. Lewis | Stars: Val Kilmer, Martha MacIsaac, Aaron Ashmore, Kyle Schmid
Votes: 12,879
Eek. Meaningful, as well.
16. Teeth (I) (2007)
R | 94 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Still a stranger to her own body, a high school student discovers she has a physical advantage when she becomes the object of male violence.
Director: Mitchell Lichtenstein | Stars: Jess Weixler, John Hensley, Josh Pais, Hale Appleman
Votes: 46,469 | Gross: $0.35M
Another power-indie. Definitely no tropes. 'Unsettling' is subjective, so don't go in with expectations. Underrated and very well done.
17. The Den (2013)
R | 76 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
While studying the habits of web cam chat users from the apparent safety of her own home, a young woman's life begins to spiral out of control after witnessing a grisly murder online.
Director: Zachary Donohue | Stars: Melanie Papalia, David Schlachtenhaufen, Adam Shapiro, Anna Margaret Hollyman
Votes: 15,527
Not predictable. Excellent film with super production. I liked the acting and directing. Quality horror.
18. Dread (2009)
R | 98 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Three college students set out to document what other people dread the most. However, one of the three turns out to secretly be a sadistic psychopath who uses this knowledge to gruesomely torture the subjects.
Director: Anthony DiBlasi | Stars: Jackson Rathbone, Hanne Steen, Laura Donnelly, Jonathan Readwin
Votes: 12,969
Supreme horror. The title is exactly the feeling this film projects.
19. Kill Theory (2009)
R | 85 min | Horror, Thriller
Whilst celebrating a graduation at a secluded vacation home, a group of college students find themselves targeted by a sadistic killer who forces them to play a deadly game of killing one another in order to survive.
Director: Chris Moore | Stars: Don McManus, Ryanne Duzich, Teddy Dunn, Daniel Franzese
Votes: 7,485
Teenagers and mayhem with a smart twist.
20. Girls Against Boys (2012)
R | 93 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
After a series of bad experiences with men, Shae teams up with her co-worker, Lu, who has a simple, deadly way of dealing with the opposite sex.
Director: Austin Chick | Stars: Nicole LaLiberte, Danielle Panabaker, Matthew Rauch, Liam Aiken
Votes: 3,939 | Gross: $0.01M
Not everything is as it seems. Low ratings often reflect a simple lack of mass appeal. This indie is well worth the watch. It's a thinker's horror film.
21. Black Cadillac (2003)
R | 93 min | Horror, Thriller
Three young men become terrorized in a high-speed car chase with a mysterious pursuant.
Director: John Murlowski | Stars: Randy Quaid, Shane Johnson, Josh Hammond, Jason Dohring
Votes: 3,423
When the thrills begin, the pedal stays on the metal.
22. The Final (I) (2010)
R | 93 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
An awkward student with a deadly vendetta leads a group of outcasts who plot to avenge the years of humiliation they faced by the popular students at Hohn High School.
Director: Joey Stewart | Stars: Marc Donato, Jascha Washington, Whitney Hoy, Justin Arnold
Votes: 11,997
Where are the chaperones?
23. Bloody Reunion (2006)
Not Rated | 93 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Buried grudges have disasterous consequences for a class reunion in this unapologetically bloody film from Korean director Dae-wung Lim.
Director: Dae-wung Lim | Stars: Lee Dong-kyu, Seong-won Jang, Seol-ah Yu, Oh Mi-hee
Votes: 2,622
This isn't a typical slasher. In fact, I've never seen an Asian 'slasher.' The horror plot here is too complex to simply be a chop-chop, run. The creep factor is high and there's a lot of grossness. Brace for impact.
24. Alyce Kills (2011)
Not Rated | 90 min | Horror, Thriller
After accidentally knocking her best friend off a roof, Alyce is haunted by guilt and delves into a brutal nightmare wonderland of sex, drugs and violence, her mind tearing itself apart along with anyone else who gets in her way.
Director: Jay Lee | Stars: Jade Dornfeld, Amara Zaragoza, James Duval, Eddie Rouse
Votes: 3,218
"Go ask Alyce. I think she'll know."
25. The Breed (2006)
R | 91 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A group of five college kids are forced to match wits with unwelcoming residents when they fly to a "deserted" island for a party weekend.
Director: Nicholas Mastandrea | Stars: Michelle Rodriguez, Oliver Hudson, Taryn Manning, Eric Lively
Votes: 14,256 | Gross: $0.01M
Excellent acting (A-list stars) and production. Tension, scares and impressive progression of story.
26. Beneath (I) (2013)
Not Rated | 90 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Six high school seniors celebrating in the middle of a lake find themselves trapped on a rowboat due to a man-eating fish.
Director: Larry Fessenden | Stars: Bonnie Dennison, Daniel Zovatto, Jon Orsini, Chris Conroy
Votes: 5,066
Teenagers and mayhem with a twist. I rarely pay attention to low general ratings. Independent films, like this one, are just as full of suspense, scares, conflict, good acting and surprise endings as big Hollywood productions. The presentation is simply more organic, but not less entertaining.
27. Wish You Were Here (I) (2012)
R | 89 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Two Australian couples, two sisters, are on vacation in Southern Cambodia. Jeremy goes missing. What happened? Were drugs involved? Secrets are slowly revealed after the 3 return to Sydney.
Director: Kieran Darcy-Smith | Stars: Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, Felicity Price, Antony Starr
Votes: 6,151 | Gross: $0.05M
Everybody, hold hands.
28. The Hike (I) (2011)
TV-MA | 83 min | Horror
A group of girlfriends embark on a camping trip. As darkness falls, they are forced to rely on each other and new rock-climbing friends, before it becomes the last hike of their lives.
Director: Rupert Bryan | Stars: Jemma Bolt, Stephanie Siadatan, Lisa-Marie Long, Zara Phythian
Votes: 1,785
Everybody needs to stay out of the woods. Organic presentation, but a solid story with its own unpredictable elements.
29. X Game (2010)
119 min | Horror
Hideaki and his 6th grade classmates Takeshi, Chie and Tetsuya, wake up to find themselves in their old elementary school after the suicide of their teacher. They are forced to torture one ... See full summary »
Director: Yôhei Fukuda | Stars: Kazuyuki Aijima, Hirofumi Araki, Shôta Chiyo, Meguru Katô
Votes: 338
Let the horror unfold before you. It keeps getting worse.
30. Pathology (2008)
R | 95 min | Crime, Horror, Thriller
A group of medical students devise a deadly game: to see which one of them can commit the perfect murder.
Director: Marc Schölermann | Stars: Alyssa Milano, Milo Ventimiglia, Keir O'Donnell, Michael Weston
Votes: 33,292 | Gross: $0.11M
Be careful not to get in with a bad crowd.
31. The Mooring (2012)
R | 90 min | Horror, Thriller
Every 40 seconds a person goes missing. In northern Idaho, a group of teenage girls attended a summer camp. They were told it would be a summer of change. It was.
Director: Glenn Withrow | Stars: Hallie Todd, Thomas Wilson Brown, Karli Blalock, Anna Goodwin
Votes: 1,140
You know those teen slashers where you don't actually care who gets slashed? This film actually endeared me with character development, making me sympathize with the unfortunate people involved in the non-stop mayhem.
32. My Little Eye (2002)
R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Five people are offered one million dollars to spend six months together in an isolated mansion, with cameras watching their every move.
Director: Marc Evans | Stars: Sean Cw Johnson, Kris Lemche, Stephen O'Reilly, Laura Regan
Votes: 12,897
More to it than I expected. Impressed.
33. Aftershock (2012)
R | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
In Chile, a group of travelers who are in an underground nightclub when a massive earthquake hits quickly learn that reaching the surface is just the beginning of their nightmare.
Director: Nicolás López | Stars: Eli Roth, Ariel Levy, Nicolás Martínez, Andrea Osvárt
Votes: 12,442 | Gross: $0.04M
I was pleasantly surprised at the way this unfolded.
34. Nine Dead (2009)
R | 86 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Nine strangers are kidnapped and forced to figure out the connection they have to each other as one has to die every ten minutes.
Director: Chris Shadley | Stars: Melissa Joan Hart, William Lee Scott, John Terry, James C. Victor
Votes: 14,272
Strangers-in-a-room storyline but very well done. Thankfully with a twist .
35. Hunger (I) (2009)
R | 101 min | Action, Crime, Horror
Five strangers struggle when a madman imprisons them in an underground dungeon in this nail-biting horror.
Director: Steven Hentges | Stars: Lori Heuring, Linden Ashby, Joe Egender, Lea Kohl
Votes: 5,674
Group dynamic with character development spot on. Never dull and keeps you involved in the plight of the group. Pretty gross moments.
36. Creep (I) (2004)
R | 85 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Trapped in a London subway station, a woman who's being pursued by a potential attacker heads into the unknown labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city's streets.
Director: Christopher Smith | Stars: Franka Potente, Sean Harris, Vas Blackwood, Ken Campbell
Votes: 31,753
This film does an EXCELLENT job with creepy. The acting is great and the details and horror are amazing. Awesome movie.
37. The Killing Room (2009)
R | 93 min | Mystery, Thriller
Four individuals sign up for a psychological research study only to discover that they are now subjects of a brutal, classified government program.
Director: Jonathan Liebesman | Stars: Nick Cannon, Clea DuVall, Timothy Hutton, Chloë Sevigny
Votes: 14,918
Fact is stranger than fiction.
38. The Divide (2011)
R | 112 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Survivors of a nuclear attack are grouped together for days in the basement of their apartment building, where fear and dwindling supplies wear away at their dynamic.
Director: Xavier Gens | Stars: Lauren German, Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Courtney B. Vance
Votes: 38,588 | Gross: $0.02M
Disaster turns safety into a different type of disaster. Disturbing, disgusting. NOT for kids or teens.
39. As Above, So Below (2014)
R | 93 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
When a team of explorers venture into the catacombs that lie beneath the streets of Paris, they uncover the dark secret that lies within this city of the dead.
Director: John Erick Dowdle | Stars: Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, François Civil
Votes: 111,855 | Gross: $21.20M
Excellent film. Structure and development of the entire movie is outstanding. The acting is good and the complex story is well-explained without insulting the viewer. Suspense and tension throughout with moments of terror and uncertainty.
40. Primal (2010)
Not Rated | 80 min | Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi
A group of friends travel into the Australian wilds to view ancient cave paintings but soon find a horrible sickness gripping one of their own, which leaves them with nothing in their mind but a primal blood lust.
Director: Josh Reed | Stars: Zoë Gameau, Krew Boylan, Lindsay Farris, Rebekah Foord
Votes: 6,432
Australian films are growing on me. It takes a lot of skill to pull off a successful horror film on an indie budget. This one is pretty cool.
41. The Dark Hours (2005)
R | 80 min | Horror, Thriller
A beautiful but burnt out psychiatrist goes to the family's winter cottage for a weekend with her husband and sister, which is interrupted when a terrifying and unexpected guest arrives, a violent sex offender and patient of the doctor.
Director: Paul Fox | Stars: Kate Greenhouse, Bruce McFee, Jeff Seymour, David Calderisi
Votes: 5,593
Nice cabin, though.
42. Anatomy 2 (2003)
R | 101 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Jo starts as intern in a Berlin hospital researching bionic muscle enhancement. Despite warnings, he joins an anti-Hippocratic group interested in results, not laws and body count.
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky | Stars: August Diehl, Ariane Schnug, Herbert Knaup, Birgit von Rönn
Votes: 3,948
Sequel to Anatomie (which seems to no longer be listed at IMDB). But watch Anatomie if you can, it's great. And grab your popcorn to spend another evening with high-end sociopaths in Anatomy 2.
43. The Bay (II) (2012)
R | 85 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Chaos breaks out in a small Maryland town after an ecological disaster occurs.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Will Rogers, Kristen Connolly, Kether Donohue, Frank Deal
Votes: 29,630 | Gross: $0.03M
Tell Your Friends