Best Horror Films of 2011
I've given every film on this list at least a 6/10, so I recommend them all.
The list in in a vague order, starting with the better ones.
Honourable mentions:
The Thing (2011 version!), The Tunnel, Twixt, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, The Devil's Rock, The Rite, Inbred,
The list in in a vague order, starting with the better ones.
Honourable mentions:
The Thing (2011 version!), The Tunnel, Twixt, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, The Devil's Rock, The Rite, Inbred,
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- DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwanA secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.Much like 'Seven', this serial-killer flick is more of a nasty crime-thriller than a standard horror film. Regardless, it's fantastic and is one of the best films of 2011, and that's considering all genres.
Released in April 2011 - DirectorAndré ØvredalStarsOtto JespersenRobert StoltenbergKnut NærumA group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter.Absolutely fantastic fantasy-horror film, great sense of humour, too! A must watch.
Released in September 2011 - DirectorDrew GoddardStarsKristen ConnollyChris HemsworthAnna HutchisonFive college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.Brilliant subversion of the usual 'teen slasher' horror tropes.
Funny, fast, clever and very entertaining! - DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAntonio BanderasElena AnayaJan CornetA brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.Fantastic mystery-thriller-horror. More a character driven drama-horror than a spooky gore flick, it's still pretty creepy in places tho.
Can't say much without spoilers, so I'll just say that it's great! - DirectorLynne RamsayStarsTilda SwintonJohn C. ReillyEzra MillerKevin's mother struggles to love her strange child despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.A truly haunting film that you'll never forget. Leans more to drama than horror, but is nonetheless horrifying.
- DirectorColin MinihanStuart OrtizThe Vicious BrothersStarsBenjamin WilkinsonSean RogersonAshleigh GryzkoFor their ghost hunting reality show, a production crew locks themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that's supposedly haunted - and it might prove to be all too true.Ignore the critic metascore, this one of the best found-footage horror films ever made.
It starts off just like a thousand other low budget found-footage flicks, but don't be fooled, once it gets going this is one of the most nightmarish, creepy and even Lovecraftian films out there.
Some of the acting is a little ropey, but given the budget the film had I think they knocked it out of the park!
Incredibly clever and relentlessly terrifying. - DirectorJoe CornishStarsJohn BoyegaJodie WhittakerAlex EsmailA teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.Fantastic horror / sci-fi / comedy mash-up.
Extremely enjoyable and makes for brilliant popcorn fodder. The creature designs are particularly cool. Check it out! - DirectorBen WheatleyStarsNeil MaskellMyAnna BuringHarry SimpsonNearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.Fantastic thriller-mystery-horror film that just gets better and better as it goes on. The climax is superb.
Top marks and highly recommended! - DirectorJustin KurzelStarsLucas PittawayDaniel HenshallLouise HarrisBased on true events, 16 year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighborhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder.Shocking and a little uncomfortable to watch in places - it's even more disturbing when you find out the film is based on real events, and not very much was changed for the big screen.
A must watch for true crime fans! - DirectorJason EisenerStarsRutger HauerPasha EbrahimiRobb WellsA homeless vigilante blows away crooked cops, pedophile Santas, and other scumbags with his trusty pump-action shotgun.Thoroughly entertaining Grindhouse-style comedy-horror flick.
Cheesy, gory and very funny. This style of film isn't for everyone, but if you like trashy cinema you can't go wrong with this one. - DirectorJaume BalagueróStarsLuis TosarMarta EturaAlberto San JuanCesar, a miserable man who works as an apartment concierge, takes a special interest in an attractive woman who lives there. He goes to great lengths to trouble her.A very unique kind of horror film, definitely something a little different.
A great premise with some creepy moments and even some humour.
NOTE: Made in 2011 but not widely released until 2013 - DirectorLucky McKeeStarsPollyanna McIntoshBrandon Gerald FullerLauren Ashley CarterWhen a successful country lawyer captures and attempts to "civilize" the last remaining member of a violent clan that has roamed the Northeast coast for decades, he puts the lives of his family in jeopardy.Unique, disturbing and uncomfortable. A very memorable film that might not be for everyone, so approach with caution.
- DirectorAdam WingardStarsSharni VinsonJoe SwanbergAJ BowenWhen the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.Very enjoyable 'home-invasion' horror-thriller with a mystery twist.
I can't see any horror fan not liking this, a least a little bit! It's well paced, well acted, has good production values, doesn't hold back on the nasty bits and keeps the tension high throughout.
NOTE: Made in 2011 but not widely released until 2013 - DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsMatt DamonKate WinsletJude LawHealthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.More of an apocalyptic thriller, but the scenario is nonetheless quite horrifying.
Good film, check it out. - DirectorJames WanStarsPatrick WilsonRose ByrneTy SimpkinsA family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.A fun and very over-the-top horror flick. It's like the movie equivalent of a fairground haunted house ride / attraction!
It still has some creepy moments, despite being incredibly silly. Good fun!
Released in April 2011 - DirectorDarren Lynn BousmanStarsRebecca De MornayJaime KingShawn AshmoreThe sadistic members of a villainous family return to their childhood home to terrorize the new home owners and their guests.Very effective and well made home-invasion flick. Doesn't hold back on the nasty bits!
Released in June 2011 - DirectorAdam GreenJoe LynchBear McCrearyStarsAdam RifkinSarah MutchRay WiseIt's the closing night at the last drive-in theatre in America, and manager, Cecil Kaufman's planned to show 4 movies; films so rare, they've never been exhibited publicly on American soil, until tonight.A Troma-style comedy-horror-trash anthology extravaganza with a 50's theme!
Great fun if you like Troma (Toxic Avanger, Class Of Nuke'Em High, Poultrygeist, etc), Peter Jackson's early films (Bad Taste, Braindead, Meet The Feebles), Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Frankenhooker, etc) and others of that style.
The middle 'werewolf' segment drags on too long, but the other parts are very entertaining. - DirectorJack HellerStarsKatherine WaterstonScott EastwoodSara PaxtonThree strangers arrive one by one at a mysterious cabin in the middle of nowhere only to learn they've been brought together for a reason.More of a mystery-thriller, but with slightly unsettling undertones nonetheless.
Visually, it looks pretty low budget, but you really should stick with it! The story is fantastic and really draws you in after a while, it's definitely worth watching to the end, just don't expect too much in the way of scares. - DirectorTom SixStarsLaurence R. HarveyAshlynn YennieMaddi BlackInspired by the fictional Dr. Heiter, disturbed loner Martin dreams of creating a 12-person centipede and sets out to realize his sick fantasy.Only for all but the most hardy of extreme horror fans, this film will turn the stomach of almost anyone.
Nasty, nihilistic and relentlessly unpleasant, most folks will hate this film. But credit where credit is due; the premise for this sequel is quite clever, the atmosphere is surreal, nightmarish and even a little David Lynchian (that's a word now), the lead actor is very good, and for pure gross-out disgustingness, it definitely tops the original. Take that however you want!
I give it the most cautious recommendation anyone can ever give! - DirectorKevin SmithStarsMichael ParksMelissa LeoJohn GoodmanSet in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex, though they soon encounter fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda.A crazy religious cult goes a bit 'Waco'
Good thriller-horror mix and a great performance from John Goodman. - DirectorMike FlanaganStarsKatie ParkerCourtney BellDave LevineA woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances, including that of her own husband.Very solid Lovecraftian strangeness. Unsettling and with a great mystery element.
- DirectorMatthew ParkhillStarsRachelle LefevreStephen MoyerLorna RaverA young divorcee is getting her life back together by moving into an apartment. But what will she do when a strange person repeatedly calls her, and threatens to change her new life around?
- DirectorEduardo SánchezStarsGretchen LodgeJohnny LewisAlexandra HoldenNewlywed Molly moves into her deceased father's house in the countryside, where painful memories soon begin to haunt her.
- DirectorGonzalo López-GallegoStarsWarren ChristieLloyd OwenRyan RobbinsDecades-old found footage from NASA's abandoned Apollo 18 mission, where three American astronauts were sent on a secret expedition, reveals the reason the U.S. has never returned to the moon.If you don't like found-footage horror films then skip this.
A little slow, but if you let yourself get invested it's actually wonderfully unsettling. I liked it! - DirectorPatrick LussierStarsNicolas CageAmber HeardWilliam FichtnerA vengeful father escapes from hell and chases after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter.If you like Grindhouse-style trash-cinema, you'll dig this!
Super cheesy, silly, violent and extremely entertaining. Don't take this seriously, like, at all! - DirectorAlexandre CourtèsStarsRupert EvansKenny DoughtyJoseph KennedyA group of cooks at an asylum for the criminally insane get locked in with the inmates during a massive thunderstorm.
- DirectorNick MurphyStarsRebecca HallDominic WestImelda StauntonIn 1921, England is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Everything she believes unravels as the 'missing' begin to show themselves.Very solid spooky-ghost-mystery flick. Ticks all the boxes for the sub-genre and does it well, it's just not the most original horror film in the world.
- DirectorAlejandro BruguésStarsAlexis Díaz de VillegasJorge MolinaAndros PerugorríaA group of slackers face an army of zombies. The Cuban government and media claim the living dead are dissidents revolting against the government.Thoroughly enjoyable comedy-horror from Cuba, of all places! Don't pass it up, it's really quite good.
- DirectorCraig GillespieStarsAnton YelchinColin FarrellDavid Tennant"Fright Night" - A new neighbor moves in next to Charley, who discovers that he is an ancient vampire who preys on the community. Can he save his neighborhood from the creature with the help of the famous "vampire killer", Peter Vincent?Fairly decent remake of the 80's classic. Nowhere near as good as the original, but it's not bad by any means. Good fun.
- DirectorXavier GensStarsLauren GermanMichael BiehnMilo VentimigliaSurvivors 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.Uneven acting and some very odd dialogue doesn't entirely derail this quite brutal apocalyptic survival-bunker flick.
It's very character driven as it all takes place in basically one room, but it sucked me in and I became quite invested after about 20 minutes. If you don't mind a horror film that's more drama-focussed then give it a watch, it's not bad, but it does get pretty nasty. - DirectorDavid KeatingStarsAidan GillenEva BirthistleTimothy SpallThe parents of a girl who was killed by a savage dog are granted the opportunity to spend three days with their deceased daughter.Another film with a fantastic premise that stambles slightly in execution. I still really enjoyed it, however.
Released in March 2011 - DirectorScott StewartStarsPaul BettanyCam GigandetMaggie QA warrior priest disobeys church law to track down a pact of vampires who have kidnapped his niece.A decent bit of entertaining action-horror. This is one for fans of films like Blade and Underworld, so you'll know what to expect before jumping in.
- DirectorJulien MagnatStarsMilla JovovichJulian McMahonDavid AtrakchiA horror-thriller centered on a woman living with "face-blindness" after surviving a serial killer's attack. As she lives with her condition, one in which facial features change each time she loses sight of them, the killer closes in.Decent mystery-thriller with a great premise. Worth a look.
- DirectorSteven QualeStarsNicholas D'AgostoEmma BellArlen EscarpetaDeath returns to claim the lucky survivors of a deadly bridge collapse in this fifth frightening installment in the series.Solid fifth instalment in the franchise. Although it's perfectly watchable, the series is starting to wear thin by this point.
- DirectorTi WestStarsSara PaxtonPat HealyKelly McGillisDuring the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel's haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay.Not without its charms, and I like a lot of Ti West's films, but this drama-mystery flick is just a bit too slow and uneventful overall. Great atmosphere tho.
Only check this out if you're in the mood for a really, really slow burn. - DirectorDominic SenaStarsNicolas CageRon PerlmanClaire Foy14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce that her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.Cheesy but fun medieval fantasy-horror.
- DirectorAri AsterStarsBilly MayoBrandon GreenhouseAngela BullockA dark domestic-horror drama about the ties that bind--and the ties that really bind.