The Best Horror Movies Of 2021 (2024)

Here are the best horror movies of 2021, ranked in no particular order. 2021 has not been a stellar year for the horror genre, despite a few highly anticipated releases finally hitting theaters—although there have been solid entries worthy of consideration. With the circ*mstances surrounding the pandemic being terrifying enough, it is natural for the majority of audiences to turn to fantastical escapism, although hardcore horror fans would argue that there is comfort to be found in the portrayal of the unsettling and the macabre.

What makes a horror offering “best”is of course open to interpretation, as one needs to weigh in a plethora of factors, such as the balance between atmosphere and cheap scares, the handling of the subject matter, and whether the characters are worth rooting for. 2021 granted a promising line-up of horror films, some of which elicited mixed feelings at best instead of eclipsing expectations,such as James Wan’s Malignantand David Gordon Green’s Halloween Kills. While these films featured visuals and narrative chunks worthy of praise, they were, in the end, deeply flawed in terms of storytelling and the overall aura they emitted.

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There are smaller horror entries in 2021 that might not warrant inclusion among the best of the best horror films, but deserve consideration nonetheless—key among them being The Empty Man, Willy’s Wonderland, and My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To. There is still plenty worth celebrating, from an Icelandic folk horror that adds a touch of the macabre to the concept of motherhood, to a twisted tale about an artist plagued by the spirit of a vengeful bogeyman. Here are the best movies in the horror genre, in the year 2021.

The Fear Street Trilogy

Directed by Leigh Janiak and based on R.L.Stine’s eponymous book series, the Fear Street Trilogy successfully managed to meld various horror sub-genres into a comprehensive whole, whilst converting a tale brimming with scares, thrills, and heart. The popular horror trope of characters in a group dropping dead is somewhat subverted here, as Simon and Kate’s deaths are preceded by considerable character development, allowing audiences to care deeply about the characters in question. Fear Street not only succeeds in introducing fascinating monster figures who terrorize the town of Shadyside for decades but also exposes the meaning of true evil. From a purely slasher point of view, the kills throughout the series are expertly executed, while the grounding presence of its core characters sets the trilogy apart from its standard counterparts.

Lamb

Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Icelandic drama, Lamb, is a truly unsettling film, equal parts sweet and terrifying. Distributed by A24, which helmed gems in the genre such as Robert Eggers’ The Witch and Ari Aster’s Hereditary, Lamb manages to be permeated in a permanent sense of uneasiness. Lamb completely subverts the traditional expectations associated with motherhood and family, transporting the audience into a bleak, rural landscape rife with terrors lurking within the shadows. Not only is Lamb expertly crafted in terms of storytelling, but also unfolds in a taut, slow-born manner that manages to haunt even the most non-threatening shots of inanimate objects.

PG: Psycho Goreman

Crafted along the veins of The Mask of Fu Manchu and Think Fast, Mr. Moto, PG: Psycho Goreman presents a fascinating case of self-aware B-horror that is both hilarious and sincere at heart. Steven Kostanski’s Psycho Goreman celebrates its absurdist elements with much bravado, such as the scene in which a child is transformed into a pink blob with emotive eyes, who struggles to adjust back into everyday existence due to his tentacled arms. The central characters, Mimi and Luke, have wonderful chemistry, and their dynamic with the Archduke of Nightmares is a lot of fun, to say the least. Psycho Goreman puts its practical effects to good use, especially in the design of the monster suits, which are brought to life in flamboyant vibrancy. Although too campy in tone for some, Psycho Goreman is a solid comedy horror, the best the year has to offer.

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Last Night in Soho

Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho is an era-spanning psychological thriller with discordant coming-of-age and horror elements. Foraying into the past, Last Night in Soho is a cautionary tale about the trappings of nostalgia and the complicated nature of memories, and what the past can represent for each individual. Wright unfolds the narrative like a mystery whodunnit, skillfully alternating between two points in time via the character of Ellie, who helps keep the tale rooted in reality. The use of vibrant Suspiria-like reds, immaculate sound design, and dizzying camerawork elevates Last Night in Sohofurther than its counterparts, although some might find the thirdact of the film as lacking and half-baked in comparison to the rest of the solid runtime.

The Amusem*nt Park

George A. Romero’s lost daylight horror, The Amusem*nt Park, has been recovered after 45 years and restored in 4K. A harrowing allegory about the terrors of ageism, The Amusem*nt Park is horrifying in its own unique way, managing to elicit anxiety with the absence of haunting nighttime shots and jumpscares. Actor Lincoln Maazel guides the audiences through this hellish ride, helping stitch together the deliberately discordant vignettes of the narrative that are intended to disorient. There is mindless violence and abject cruelty displayed in an unending cycle of events, infused with just the right amount of surrealism that truly grants The Amusem*nt Park the title of an almost-lost, daylight horror gem.

The Boy Behind The Door

The mere premise of two teenage boys being kidnapped in broad daylight and taken to a murky, dilapidated house is enough to elicit anxiety among viewers. Writer directors David Charbonier and Justin Powell’s The Boy Behind the Door injects this premise with measured skill and thoughtful execution, creating a tale that is deeply disturbing. While The Boy Behind the Door is a single-location film much like We Need To Do Something, the former utilizes its space and limited budget remarkably well, crafting tangible tension with the aid of lurking shots and an aura of foreboding. Although the final act might feel anticlimactic to some, The Boy Behind the Door is a solid horror thriller with great performances and genuine chills.

Candyman

A spiritual sequel to the 1992 horror classic of the same name, Nia DaCosta’s Candyman delves deep into the psyche of troubled artist Anthony, who is lulled by the mystery and mythos that surround Candyman. The social commentary in Candyman is incisive, and the unfolding of the terror of the central figure takes place in visually thrilling ways, upping the ante with each progressing shot. There’s dark humor framing most of the frenetic sequences, such as the kill sequences inside the art exhibition space and the ending of the film, infusing the fabric of the narrative with an unstated sense of the macabre. Established horror tropes are often subverted, and at other times, oft-repeated, leaving a cluttered film that still manages to narrate a profound tale peppered with gut-level scares.

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Sator

Jordan Graham’s Sator is bound to cast an ancient spell on those who favor the folk horror genre, as it introduces a world that is a mix of low-resolution footage and stark, colorful bursts of terror. One of the true triumphs of Sator is the clever use of its soundscape, employed to create a disturbing work of art without an over-reliance on gore. The title, Sator, begins to haunt the tale from the get-go, an unspeakable presence of an entity that seems to be a part of a ritualistic evocation. The story is both supernatural and rooted in the complex entrails of familial discord, resulting in a refreshing, and completely terrifying occult drama that warrants more exposure among hardcore fans, as it is among the best horror movies in 2021.

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