If you told freshman year Isabel that she’d be writing an article solely devoted to horror movies, she’d call you crazy. I used to be TERRIFIED of horror movies, blood, violence — basically everything that made up the genre. However, in the summer between freshman and sophomore year I learned more about the genre, found some ways to find out what scares and fear tactics were in some movies, and fell in love with the genre. While the horror genre is massive (too big to cover in one article), I’ve picked 10 of my favorite modern horror films that you must watch if you’re in the mood to be scared.
Midsommar (2019)
Starting off strong with the movie I said I would never watch: Midsommar. This movie is the literal embodiment of everything I feared in horror movies, but I quickly grew to love it. Centered around Dani, who has recently experienced a severe trauma, she follows her boyfriend and his friends to the Harga cult for their Midsummer festival. However, things aren’t as light and fun as they seem to be on the surface, and the trip quickly turns sinister. I’ll be so honest, this movie is what got me hooked on cult movies. While I (no joke) cried from stress and fear after watching it the first time, I’ve seen it several more times, including once in theaters, and it’s a (slightly) problematic favorite of mine.
X (and subsequent films) (2022)
This movie franchise has a special place in my heart. X was the first true horror movie I ever watched, and MaXXXine was the first horror movie I ever took myself to see in theaters. X follows adult film star Maxine Minx and the rest of the amateur film crew as they set out to make a film on a farm that’s less than accepting of their life style. Pearl, the second film in the series, is a prequel to X, and shows the life of X’s killer Pearl when she was Maxine’s age. MaXXXine is the conclusion to the series (and the weakest film in my opinion), and shows Maxine trying to make her big break in Hollywood while being stalked by a serial killer. These movies are phenomenal, and are short for movies, with each one clocking in at around 100 minutes, give or take.
Heretic (2024)
This movie is so intriguing to me, and one of my more recent favorites even though it genuinely disturbed me to the point of tears and feeling sick after watching it. But it’s so, so good. Heretic follows two young Mormon girls serving their mission and quickly become ensnared in the deadly religious game of a man named Mr. Reed, who is determined to find the “one true religion.” This movie perfectly uses sound and the twisted nature of Mr. Reed to create a horrifying environment, and it leaves your mind twisted and confused. Part of the reason why I love this movie is, without fail, I always end up having long conversations afterward about the movie and its ending, which I love.
Companion (2025)
I love this movie, to the point where it’s on my Letterboxd Four (it’s that good, in my opinion). While I would love to tell you in depth about the plot, part of the fun of the movie is the shock of the twist, which even describing the base plot will give it away. What I can say is that it is a science fiction film, wrapped in a gorgeous mountain setting, and as one of my favorite Letterboxd reviews puts it, “a very welcome addition to the good for her cinematic universe”.
Weapons (2025)
The most recent movie on this list is a new favorite, Weapons. I personally loved this movie, and yet had (and continue to have) a discourse about whether or not this movie was truly good or over-hyped. I’m firmly in the camp that Weapons was good, and masterfully done. The plot of the movie follows a grief-stricken town after, at 2:17 AM, Ms. Gandy’s second grade class walks out of their respective houses and isn’t seen again. This movie follows the aftermath of this event through the eyes of Justine Gandy, Archer (a father of one of the missing students), Marcus (the elementary school principal), and Alex (a student in Ms. Gandy’s class). I loved this movie, and felt that it kept me on the edge of my seat. This movie also perfectly balances humor and terror, and a standout moment of the movie for me was at the end, where I’ve never heard a theater go from laughter to horrified silence so fast.
Ready or Not (2019)
I love this movie! I make everyone watch this movie! While every movie on this list is an original concept and is done brilliantly, this is the movie I point people to when I say they should go support original concepts in the movie theater. Ready or Not centers around new bride Grace on her wedding day, as she marries into the prestigious billionaire Le Domas family. However, a marriage ceremony isn’t the thing that lets Grace be a Le Domas, as she has to play a game to gain entry into the family. Things seem simple enough until Grace pulls the Hide and Seek card — the one card that means that the Le Domas family has to kill Grace to ensure their survival. This movie is darkly funny, with jokes and kills trading off perfectly to create what is definitely the worst wedding night in the world.
The Substance (2024)
This movie was one of the darlings of the Oscars last year, and for good reason. The Substance is terrifying, thought-provoking, and echoes the real world in a bone-chilling fashion. The Substance follows actress Elisabeth Sparkle, who has recently been cast out of Hollywood for being “too old” (she’s 50?). To try and fight her way back in Hollywood’s good graces, Elisabeth decides to take The Substance, a black-market drug that splits her consciousness between herself and her new, younger body she names Sue. However, the novelty of being young again quickly wears off, and Elisabeth begins to resent Sue for everything that she’s being given, and Sue begins to resent Elisabeth for holding her back. This movie is body horror and psychological horror done perfectly, making you squirm from the gore and making your head hurt from the way the movie twists itself in your brain.
Blink Twice (2024)
God, when I say tread lightly with this one, I mean tread lightly. If it helps you decide on whether or not to watch this movie, I watched it for the first time this past February and haven’t dared to watch it again. While I’ve mentioned that several of these movies deeply affected me, this is the only movie on the list that left me physically trying to retreat into my chair to try and get away from what I saw on my screen, complete with eyes closed and hands over ears. Blink Twice features a billionaire named Slater who invites waitress Frida to his private island. While things seem fine at first, Frida begins to realize that she can’t remember some days and nights, and that things might be going more wrong than she realized. This movie is so well-done and is the perfect embodiment of a psychological horror film, but God did it make me feel physically ill. It’s on this list because while I haven’t brought myself to watch it again, it was so fantastically done and a great example of psychological horror done right.
The Strangers (2008)
When I say that you should watch The Strangers I mean you should watch the 2008 version of The Strangers, not the 2024 version with Madelaine Petsch. The 2024 reboot of the movie was unnecessary, and felt like a poorly done, shot-for-shot remake of the 2008 film. But the original film was so good, and so eerie, that It earns a spot on this list despite being older than all of the other movies on this list. The Strangers follow a couple in a cabin in the woods following an argument between the two of them. The two are then made aware that they are being stalked by a trio of masked killers, of whom are hellbent on psychologically torturing and killing this couple. The worst part? There was no reason for this couple to be targeted — they were just there.
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
This movie deserves more love than it got during its theatrical release, and I do believe that it is on it’s way to becoming a cult classic. It’s fun and campy, while still using a good bit of gore and violence to get its point across. The film follows Lisa Swallows, who is struggling to acclimate to her new blended family after the murder of her mother. When she wishes that she could join one of the deceased bachelors in the cemetery she likes to go to, he comes back to life in a very Frankenstein-esque manner. Lisa falls in love with this newly reanimated man, and the two of them go on a killing spree to bring him fully back to live. This movie is campy horror at its finest, complete with the 80s aesthetic and setting to match, and is such an enjoyable time.