10 Most Creative Horror Movies From The 2020s (So Far)

The 2020s have so far seen some brilliantly creative horror movies, which put new spins on well-worn tropes entwined with unique (but not too bizarre) supernatural concepts. Taking inspiration from some of the best fantasy horror movies in general, these terrifying new flicks derive scares from fantastical monsters that still have some thematic substance. On the other hand, some recent thriller movies that are almost perfect are driven by realistic but terrifying psychological horror.

Leaning into multiple genres that have blown up in movies and TV in the past decade, horror movies in the 2020s have been about social commentary and subverting classic tales. However, the decade is only (almost) halfway done. Some of these titles have already spawned obvious imitators, and fans can look forward to other interesting horror movies that build upon the horror themes that define this decade.

10 Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Lisa Frankenstein Turns Mary Shelley’s Classic Into A Coming-Of-Age Romance

Campy and comedic, Lisa Frankenstein was a box office disappointment but is still an enjoyable movie for fans of the classic horror novel. In this goofy romp, a weird high school girl with macabre tastes (possibly inspired by Winona Ryder’s 90s characters) finds herself the girlfriend of a mysteriously reanimated Victorian-era corpse.

Lisa Frankenstein‘s reviews imply that the concept has more merit than the execution, but it is fun nonetheless. Namely, Lisa Frankenstein uses the idea of a sort-of-resurrected person to prompt reflection on the 1980s coming-of-age template, with Lisa having little desire to live up to her “perfect” stepsister’s tastes.

Kathryn Newton is wild and morbid as Lisa, storming her way through the story and all of her character’s disturbing antics. Lisa Frankenstein is at least amusing when its ludicrous nature is primed for very dark comedy, and its heroine is unapologetically herself. It makes Frankenstein the set piece for Lisa to determine her own life (or death).

9 The Substance (2024)

The Substance Is This Year’s Riveting New Take On Body Horror

The Substance puts a unique spin on multiple subgenres of horror, primarily body horror. A famous, accoladed actress longs for her glory days and resorts to taking a black-market drug — but not one that conveniently restores her youth and beauty. Things become physically and psychologically grotesque when the drug creates a second version of Elisabeth, who takes the name Sue and proceeds to steal her older self’s job.

With relative newcomer Margaret Qualley playing the younger version of Demi Moore’s character, The Substance is interesting in both concept and enactment. It is labeled as satire, with the intention behind its gruesome body horror being to comment on the beauty standards of Hollywood and the stress of maintaining them, motivating Elisabeth’s actions. Having arrived in theaters in late September 2024, The Substance was met with strong reviews and box office success.

How Erin escapes the restaurant and The Menu’s ending also make for some clever twists on classic meals.

The Menu found the perfect luxurious experience to elevate to points of absurdity for its commentary on the upper class and losing sight of one’s passion, and is creative with the presentation of each dish. The movie features some nice touches, like the subtitles for every culinary creation, à la cooking TV show. In between, the various guests get some time to converse, showing how they are all well-thought-out and hilarious satires on corporate magnates, movie stars, reviewers, and the like.

How Erin escapes the restaurant and The Menu‘s ending also make for some clever twists on classic meals. A year after The Menu, What You Wish For also used the concept of haute cuisine for a horrific depiction of wealth — one that is more focused on the concept than flowery presentation. However, The Menu‘s basic structure is familiar to those well-versed in horror, but much of its originality lies in smaller details and the lesson taught with each “course.”

7 #Alive (2020)

A New & Terrifying Perspective On The Zombie Apocalypse

#Alive (original title #Saraitda) uses its story premise to show how social media would be used during a zombie apocalypse, something that isn’t properly delved into in other properties when the outbreak usually results in the collapse of all media outlets. The main character sees others’ attempts at a physical or mental escape going badly, increasing his own stress. Coming out later in 2020, #Alive struck upon some anxieties of lockdown.

It’s a relatively basic premise, but interesting because most people would think staying inside is the best option in this scenario. However, #Alive shows how staying in a barricaded residence is just as horrifying, especially when one is alone. Its depiction of confinement is unsettling, demonstrating another kind of survival that The Walking Dead never gets around to. The characters then reach a broadly uplifting ending using tools that creators in this genre rarely think of.

6 Abigail (2024)

The Dracula’s Daughter Revamp Is A Bloody Vampiric Spectacle

Abigail is inspired by Dracula’s Daughter, but still deserves praise for its new execution, which pays homage to multiple iterations of Dracula and delivers a charismatic version of the title character. Like in many horror movies before it, a seemingly unrelated group of characters end up trapped with a monster, but Abigail is no ordinary monster.

Due to the writing surrounding her character and Alisha Weir’s performance, Abigail is satisfyingly, spectacularly dramatic. Letting the vampire child bear her fangs and unleash mayhem, all while Swan Lake blares in the background, is an ingenious combination of elements that puts a new spin on the vampire genre, even when, as the movie points out, it has become oversaturated.

Abigail‘s pacing takes the audience through some surprising twists and turns, with new villains appearing late in the movie and Abigail’s ultimate narrative role becoming something slightly different from expected. The supporting cast has their own creative beats, which contributes to a movie that both feels like a classic and wholly original.

5 Possessor (2020)

Mind Control Technology Drives Possessor’s Haunting Philosophical Discourse

Part body horror and part psychological thriller, Possessor begins with a relatively easy-to-understand concept that spirals into psychedelic consequences for the main character. Tasya Vos is an agent who uses futuristic brain implant technology to “possess” other people, to commit assassinations on behalf of the company she works for. As one might have guessed, this job comes with some major negative ethical and psychological implications, elevated by Brandon Cronenberg’s nightmarish directing decisions.

Possessor is a bigger deal than it might seem, directed by horror icon David Cronenberg’s son, and coming out eight years after this legacy director’s debut full-length movie. The additional time to work on the script was worth it, especially when the concept is somewhat abstract, and its meaning needs to come across. Possessor introduces new beats for mind control plots, which may reappear within this decade as Cronenberg and others continue to direct horror sleeper hits.

4 I’m Thinking Of Ending Things (2020)

I’m Thinking Of Ending Things Uses The Literal To Showcase The Figurative

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a difficult movie to interpret, but it showcases ingenuity in how it illustrates discernible themes. The movie appears to lament the passage of time, reaching old age in the blink of an eye, illustrating this when the unnamed protagonist passes in and out of a room to find that her boyfriend’s parents have aged decades in a moment. Her narration also makes clear how uncomfortable she is, highlighting even the most mundane details.

The parents and some other figures the couple meets along the way are creepy, earning this movie’s classification as a horror. In the final act, I’m Thinking of Ending Things devolves into some abrupt sequences of dance and musical theater. They are illogical on paper but succeed at conveying what the main characters are feeling. Again, it’s hard to find a linear, sensible narrative in this movie, but its strangest moments are very weighty, motivating the audience to unpack them.

3 Last Night In Soho (2021)

If Midnight In Paris Were A Horror Movie

If Last Night in Soho took inspiration from Midnight in Paris, it did a commendable job of emphasizing the new location and tone. When a young fashion student in London begins having visions of the woman who inhabited her room decades earlier, the movie flawlessly moves between them as they travel together during a night in Sandie’s life. Last Night in Soho continues to draw haunting parallels between Eloise and Sandie when the former begins to mimic the latter in her present-day life, as they face obstacles that resonate with each other decades apart.

Last Night in Soho seems like it may stay within the realm of a subtle psychological thriller for the first half of the movie. However, it quickly spirals into a full-blown horror fest. As Sandie’s past life begins to haunt Eloise more and more, she looks for a way out, only to discover a shocking truth. Last Night in Soho blurs the lines between the past and present, only ambiguously hinting at the ultimate effect on the protagonist’s life.

2 Nightbooks (2021)

Nightbooks Is A New “Hansel & Gretel” Full Of Scary Stories & A Brilliant Witch

Nightbooks also plays with the story-withing-a-story concept by having the act of storytelling be important to the plot as Alex and Yasmin navigate their way to freedom.

While some other recent horror movies are loose interpretations of classic fairy tales and literary works, Nightbooks is a very underrated approach to this formula. Two children, a boy and a girl, find themselves captive in a moving apartment inhabited by a charismatic witch in this vibrant, terrifying take on “Hansel and Gretel.”

Both children are only alive because the witch has some use for them, delving into the plot where, like their fairy tale counterparts, they rely on their wits to survive. Meanwhile, the witch Natacha is wonderfully played by Krysten Ritter, with whoever conceptualized the character helping the movie out tremendously by letting her have a sassy personality and sense of style.

Nightbooks also plays with the story-withing-a-story concept by having the act of storytelling be important to the plot as Alex and Yasmin navigate their way to freedom. Additionally, the apartment that moves around the world and is stocked with a massive library is a superior version of the candy cottage, making for a much more interesting fairy tale.

1 Nope (2022)

Jordan Peele’s Latest Genius Horror With An Out-Of-This World Threat

Horror visionary Jordan Peele developed an intriguing alien invasion scenario with an extra-terrestrial being that resembles a flying saucer, prompting this very confusion for the first part of the movie. When the people who encounter this alien are Hollywood horse trainers, the intelligent thematic concept of interacting with animals on their own terms takes shape. Meanwhile, the bizarre and violent backstory of Steven Yeun’s character reinforces this theme.

“Jean Jacket” becomes the horrifying crux of a game of cat and mouse as the human characters try to capture a picture of the visitor. Nope also piles on to its already profound premise with a character who is a brilliant cinematographer, with his own philosophy of capturing the perfect shot. Peele has proven himself to be more than adept at coming up with new concepts for horror movies, which allow fear to be used to convey important stories in modern cinema.