Image credit: Lions Gate Films, 360 Pictures, Industrial City Films, Dark Moon Pictures, Chiller Films, Mutoscope Pictures, Modernciné, NaVinci Films, Rogue Pictures, Mena Films, Seven Arts Productions, Bigfoot Entertainment, Fantefilm, Prolific Films, Intrepid Pictures, Brothers Dowdle Productions, Future Films, Screen Australia
The blood-curdling, heart-pounding terror that defined a generation.
The 2000s, a time not so distant in our rearview mirror, served as an era that birthed a unique breed of slasher horrors — many of which have undeservedly slipped into the obscure alleys of cinematic history. Here are just some of them.
20. "High Tension" (2003) Two friends' tranquil weekend getaway turns into a nightmarish fight for survival when a mysterious killer invades the remote country home they're staying in, leading to a shocking twist revealing the true nature of the killer.
19. "See No Evil" (2006) Rotten Tomatoes score: 9% A group of delinquents cleaning an abandoned hotel as part of their community service discover they are not alone, as a psychopathic killer with a gruesome past lurks in the shadows.
18. "April Fool's Day" (2008) Rotten Tomatoes score: 17% A college party on April Fool's Day turns deadly when friends start dying in mysterious circumstances, leading to a surprising twist that questions the reality of the events.
17. "Simon Says" (2006) Rotten Tomatoes score: 20% A group of college friends on a camping trip encounters a deranged twin wielding pickaxes, leading to a gruesome killing spree rooted in a traumatic childhood event.
16. "Cry_Wolf" (2005) Rotten Tomatoes score: 23% A high school student's prank of spreading rumors about a serial killer becomes terrifyingly real when the fictional killer starts murdering students, blurring the lines between the hoax and reality.
15. "Autopsy" (2008) Rotten Tomatoes score: 25% A group of friends, after a car accident, finds themselves trapped in a sinister hospital where a psychotic doctor conducts gruesome experiments under the guise of treating their injuries.
14. "Midnight Movie" (2008) Rotten Tomatoes score: 29% A midnight screening of a cult horror film becomes a deadly reality when the killer from the movie emerges from the screen to hunt the audience, blurring the line between film and reality.
13. "Beneath" (2013) Rotten Tomatoes score: 35% A group of friends on a rowboat in a remote lake find themselves stalked by a giant, man-eating fish, leading to tension and secrets being revealed as they struggle to reach the shore alive.
12. "Malevolence" (2003) Rotten Tomatoes score: 35% Bank robbers on the run stumble upon an abandoned farmhouse, only to discover it's the hunting ground of a serial killer, intertwining their fate with that of the killer's previous victims.
11. "The Abandoned" (2006) Rotten Tomatoes score: 36% A woman returns to her ancestral home in Russia only to find it haunted by the tormented spirits of her ancestors, leading to a harrowing journey of self-discovery and terror.
10. "The Hamiltons" (2006) Rotten Tomatoes score: 38% Following the death of their parents, the Hamilton siblings struggle to maintain a normal life while hiding a dark secret – they are a family of bloodthirsty killers with a mysterious origin.
9. "The Tripper" (2006) Rotten Tomatoes score: 38% A group of friends attending a hippie music festival finds themselves hunted by a deranged, axe-wielding maniac with a twisted obsession with Ronald Reagan.
8. "Home Movie" (2008) Rotten Tomatoes score: 47% A series of home movies reveal the increasingly disturbing behavior of a couple's young children, leading to a horrifying revelation about their true nature and a tragic family breakdown.
7. "The Strangers" (2008) Rotten Tomatoes score: 49% A couple's remote getaway turns into a horrifying ordeal when three masked strangers invade their home, subjecting them to a night of psychological and physical terror seemingly without motive.
6. "Cold Prey" (2006) Rotten Tomatoes score: 55% After a skiing accident, a group of friends takes shelter in an abandoned ski lodge, only to be stalked and killed by a mysterious figure, unearthing the dark history of the lodge.
5. "The Last Horror Movie" (2003) Rotten Tomatoes score: 56% A serial killer uses a horror movie rental to record his real-life murders, providing commentary on his actions and questioning the viewer's fascination with violence and horror.
4. "Cherry Falls" (2000) Rotten Tomatoes score: 63% In a small town, a serial killer targets virgins, prompting the local teenagers to organize a sex party to avoid being the next victims, while the sheriff's daughter uncovers dark secrets about the town's past.
3. "The Poughkeepsie Tapes" (2007) Rotten Tomatoes score: 67% Through a series of discovered tapes, this film chillingly documents the decade-long crimes of a serial killer in Poughkeepsie, revealing his methodical, sadistic approach and the psychological impact on his victims and investigators.
2. "Laid to Rest" (2009) Rotten Tomatoes score: 80% A young woman with amnesia finds herself pursued by a relentless serial killer known as ChromeSkull, who records his murders on camera, and she must unravel her past to survive his sadistic game.
1. "The Loved Ones" (2009) Rotten Tomatoes score: 98% After rejecting a classmate's prom invitation, a teenage boy finds himself kidnapped and tortured by the girl and her father in a twisted revenge plot, culminating in a shocking, blood-soaked climax.
