Happy Goat Horror

Dark bleetings, everyone! Horror is my life but with age, I think I’m getting grumpy. I don’t know if I’m steadily getting harder to please as I compare every new horror release to my favourites, which are mostly from the 1980s, or if movies these days really are – in general – not as good as they were in the old days.

With that in mind, here are 50 horror films made in the last decade or so (between 2012 – 2023 – at the time of writing, it is May 2023) that I think are worth a watch. I’ve done my best to include a range of subgenres and movie styles so hopefully there’ll be some new suggestions in here for everyone.

Disclaimer: as much as I eat up all the horror I have time for, I have not seen every single horror movie ever made. Please let me know if I’ve neglected your favourites in case I haven’t seen them – I’m always looking for recommendations!

50. Possum (2018)

A while after a dark event, Philip – a children’s puppeteer – returns home and has to confront horrible secrets.

I can’t say I actually “enjoyed” this, as such, but some of the imagery is deeply unsettling and scary and I found it pretty unique.

49. The Open House (2018)

A mother and son move into a new house and end up terrorised by something unseen.

People hate this but I was creeped out and oh man, the ending. THE ENDING. I wasn’t expecting it.

48. Would You Rather (2012)

A sociopathic rich dude hosts a deadly game of ‘Would You Rather’.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t give this any awards, but it’s good fun to watch!

47. Circle (2015)

50 strangers wake up and find themselves trapped in a room, in a circle facing each other, and a deadly game begins!

If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s this kind of concept. I love films that get me wondering how I’d survive the plot. It’s nowhere near perfect but I was thoroughly engaged for the whole thing.

46. The Odds (2019)

A woman joins an underground game of pain endurance. She isn’t quite prepared for what she will actually have to endure.

Once again, I found myself trying to think my way out of this scenario.

45. Knock at the Cabin (2023)

Based on the book ‘The Cabin at the End of the World’ by Paul Tremblay, this M. Night Shyamalan adaptation tells the story of a family holidaying in a remote cabin, when strangers turn up and give them the most awful ultimatum imaginable.

I will say that despite the movie following the book quite closely for the most part, I do think this works better in the book. However, the performances were excellent and I enjoyed the story as it escalated. This definitely isn’t for people who don’t like a slow burn though!

44. Maggie (2015)

A teenage girl is afflicted with a horrible zombie disease and her doting daddy Arnold Shwarzenegger tries to help her.

Definitely one of the more unique zombie films I’ve seen. And I’ve seen a lot. Possibly all of them.

43. Bird Box (2018)

Something terrifying just turns up and if you look at it, you’ll lose your mind and off yourself. Those who wish to survive must make their way through the world blind.

Look, I’m not “blind” to its flaws – of which there are many. But I love apocalyptic fiction, and the mystery of what the hell the thing is had me hooked. I wasn’t a massive lover of the ending, but that wouldn’t stop me from recommending this to anyone.

42. The Visit (2015)

A brother and sister go to visit their estranged grandparents, who they have never met before. But…

Listen, I’m as surprised as you are that M. Night Shyamalan is appearing for a second time on this list, but what can I say? I love found footage and there are scenes in this that sincerely scared me. I didn’t care for the ending and there are plot holes galore but I just went in for a good time, and a good time was had!

41. Oculus (2013)

A woman tries to clear her convicted brother’s name of a heinous crime by proving that the real culprit is something supernatural.

There are several films with this name so in case you have trouble finding it, it’s the one by Mike Flanagan. I was scared watching this… genuinly scared! Also, I’m probably biased because the protagonist’s name is Kaylie, and this is only the second time ever that I’ve seen a character with my name appear in anything (the first was Kaylee from Firefly). It does get a little predictable but the main thing I hope for when I watch horror is to be scared, so mission accomplished.

40. They Look Like People (2015)

A man unexpectedly reconnects with an old university friend, but the friend isn’t doing so well. He’s freaked out. He claims that there are things that look like people, but aren’t.

I sincerely didn’t know if this guy wasn’t very well or if what he said was true. It did a great job of keeping me guessing until it wanted me to know the answer, and it was excellent. Very low budget and executed really well. I have a friend… let’s call him…. “Justin Park”…. who recommends low budget films to me all the time, so I have him to thank for putting this on my radar.

39. As Above, So Below (2014)

Some explorers get lost in the catacombs in Paris, and things go nuts.

Some mighty fine found-footage horror right here!

38. Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)

Some dude gets a laptop but the previous owner isn’t too happy about it and pulls a virtual Jigsaw – they want to play a game.

I’ll probably get teased for including this but I thought it was enjoyable and quite well made! I’m very fond of the trend of making movies through webcams – I know there’s only so much you can do with it but I love the format.

37. Apostle (2018)

A guy goes on a solo mission to find and rescue his kidnapped sister, and finds himself in a cult.

This is one I just happened upon and I think it’s a real gem that not enough people are talking about. I do love a cult, they’re one of my favourite plot devices.

36. Host (2020)

Filmed entirely on Zoom during the pandemic, this is about a bunch of people who decide to do a seance. Guess what happens.

I thought it was creative and engaging, and it’s less than an hour long so if you only have time to pop in for a quick spook, this is a great choice.

35. Eli (2019)

A young boy goes to a facility to get treatment for an auto-immune disorder, and starts discovering disturbing things.

I thought this was surprising and creepy, and loved the direction it went in!

34. Life (2017)

On the International Space Station, scientists discover a new life form that rapidly grows and poses what could be the biggest threat to human existence ever known. So…. almost exactly the same plot as Alien, really. But with Rebecca Ferguson and Jake Gyllenhaal at the helm.

Despite how derivative it is, I can’t help it – I really like it. The life form was so cool.

33. Hush (2016)

A deaf woman who lives alone in a gorgeous remote area finds herself at the mercy of a masked maniac who wants to murder her… just because.

This is the second movie made by Mike Flanagan on this list (and it won’t be the last!). I loved this concept and the cat and mouse concept had me on the edge of my seat.

32. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)

A young nurse moves into a house to take care of an elderly author, and it gets spooky.

The problem with this movie is that I never know who to recommend it to because honestly, most of you will likely find it really boring. I personally am a sucker for a slow burn and a gently crafted terrifying atmosphere, so I enjoyed it immensely. If you’d like to give this one a go, in order to get the most out of it, I strongly advise watching it late at night with all the lights turned off, completely alone in your home.

31. Cadaver (2020)

A starving couple and their child are invited to a charity banquet in a mansion, and snap up the opportunity. But…

This Norweigen gem has the plot that just keeps giving. You know something’s wrong, but you don’t know what, and the more you discover, the more horrifying it becomes! It’s a great time!

30. The Conjuring (2013)

A family are spooked in their house.

I think we probably all know this one. There are some really scary scenes. I did think it went a bit too balls out at the end but for the most part I thought it was a good scary film. The sequels and spinoffs, however – every single one of them can flip off.

29. Sinister (2012)

A true crime writer moves his family into a house in which the previous family were mysteriously murdered, and finds tapes that elude to what happened to them.

I really loved this movie alllllll the way up until the last three seconds or so, when for some goddamn reason they felt the need to throw in the cheapest jump scare the world has ever seen. But mostly, it’s pretty good!

28. Veronica (2017)

A teenage girl finds herself under attack from something absolutely horrible after playing a good old game of Ouija with some friends.

This Spanish possession movie doesn’t break the mould for this subgenre but it was executed better than most movies of this ilk, in my opinion, and I thought it was great.

27. Run (2020)

A disabled, homeschooled teenager being raised by her single mum starts to suspect that…

I’m sorry I keep using that meme but it applies so often, and I love Bubbles.

This is probably more a thriller but I was sufficiently horrified so in the list it goes. I’m sure other movies like this must exist but I’ve never seen any, and the performances are outstanding. There’s nothing I love more than a protagonist who makes all the smart decisions but… that might not be enough.

26. Mother! (2017)

A writer’s wife works day and night to lovingly restore his childhood home, and then all these dickheads turn up and start wrecking the joint.

This is definitely an acquired taste because it’s a pretty heavy handed metaphorical depiction of the Bible, basically. However, kind of hamfisted as it was, I couldn’t take my eyes off it and I was never bored. It made me really anxious, actually. I don’t normally enjoy anxiety but if it’s conjured through a horror film I can usually lean into it and enjoy it as part of the viewing experience.

25. Gerald’s Game (2017)

Based on the book by Stephen King (a book that was hitherto believed to be “unfilmable”), this is the story of a couple that try to spice up their marriage with a kinky game, but it goes hideously awry.

Carla Gugino is outstanding as she carries the entire movie, handcuffed to a bed. I love this film!

24. Hereditary (2018)

After the death of the matriarch (dear old granny), a family rapidly falls apart thanks to outside influences.

Man, this movie. I went to the cinema twice to see it, and just can’t bring myself to watch it again. I thought the climax was really scary and worth the journey (which I thought was great but I often hear people whinging about it being slow). Thanks to the truly outstanding acting, the tone of this film is really depressing, hence my unwillingness to go through it again. However, I think it might be a slice of genius and the sets and camera work are so creative and interesting.

23. The Silence (2018)

Based on the book by Tim Lebbon, this is about an apocalyptic event, mostly seen through the eyes of our deaf teenage girl protagonist. And if you think this sounds familiar, let me tell you, the book came well before A Quiet Place. I’m not saying that AQP completely ripped off The Silence rather than having the decency to buy the movie rights to Tim Lebbon’s book. I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that the plot is incredibly similar and so is the protagonist. What a coincidence.

Anyway, the book is excellent and the movie adaptation is pretty great.

22. Cam (2018)

An ambitious camgirl one day happens upon her own live stream… which is incredibly weird because she is, in fact, NOT streaming, and yet she’s watching “herself” on her own live stream.

This is another lesser-heard-of gem with a great hook and I am here for it.

21. Vivarium (2020)

A couple are taken to view a house in a new neighbourhood but the estate agent inexplicably leaves them there, and no matter how hard they try, they can’t get out by themselves.

This film gets weirder and weirder and just when I thought it was going a bit too bizarre, I found that I was totally on board with wherever it wanted to take me. It’s a stress-inducing nightmare!

20. The Night House (2021)

A widow, now living alone, starts to realise that her husband wasn’t quite who she thought he was.

I watched this in the middle of the night, in the dark, alone, and had a great time with it! A weird mystery with lots of horror elements thrown in.

19. The Invisible Man (2020)

A woman escapes her abusive husband…. or so she thinks.

I have never cared for the character of The Invisible Man before, but this iteration was so compelling to me. The opening scenes were some of the most suspenseful viewing I’ve ever experienced, and the rest of the movie did not let me down!

18. Doctor Sleep (2019)

The story of a grown up Danny Torrance (from The Shining), living his not best life.

Mike Flanagan strikes again! Making the sequel to the one of the most beloved horror movies of all time is already plenty of pressure, so imagine trying to make both a movie sequel and a book adaptation, when the original movie veered so wildly off the first book. The Shining ends very differently in the book to how it ends in the Stanley Kubrick movie, and I didn’t envy Flanagan’s task of trying to consolidate both properties into a coherent movie that works with both. He did an excellent job, and it makes me sad that this movie bombed upon its release because I don’t understand why. It’s great!

17. A Dark Song (2017)

A bereaved mother finds an occultist and together they perform a ritual, but it backfires.

This is not your average occult movie. No screeching jump scares, no stereotypical black robes. It’s really immersive and thoughtful, and gets pretty scary. I absolutely love it.

16. Train to Busan (2016)

This South Korean feature of awesomeness has sprinting zombies on a train.

It sounds stupid but it really isn’t. This is one of the best zombie movies in decades.

15. The Ritual (2017)

Based on the book by Adam Nevill, this is about four friends who go hiking in the Swedish wilderness to honour the memory of their late friend. But there’s something in the wilderness with them.

This is such a great adaptation, and the climax really pays off.

14. Saint Maud (2019)

A deeply religious carer gets obsessed with her client, and then suspicious of her.

This is another film that was recommended to me by “Justin Park” and I loved it. I wasn’t sure what was happening for most of it, though I had some ideas, and the ending blew me away with its savagery!

13. Brightburn (2019)

A couple struggling to conceive a child strike gold when something mysterious crashes onto their property, carrying a live baby with it, and they decide to raise the lil fella. But it’s not an ordinary child.

Such an awesome film and an awesome concept. If you’ve ever wondered what might happen if Superman was hormonal and unhinged, this is a film for you.

12. The Menu (2022)

A bunch of mostly pretentious rich people go to an island for an exclusive dining experience, but things take a shocking turn.

This film isn’t as clever as it thinks it is, and message-wise has the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the nads, but it’s really enjoyable if you just go with it. The protagonist is really likeable and relatable, in that she’s our voice as we’re watching it, and it has some great moments of dark comedy. I was tittering away through the whole thing.

11. Men (2022)

After suffering through an extremely dark event, Harper goes off to stay in a remote cottage to gather her thoughts and spend some time alone. But….

This is a weird film laced with folklore, symbolism, and metaphor, with gender-orientated abuse as its central theme. To me, this is a film showcasing what tends to happen when a woman makes smart decisions and tries to fight back (very often, the consequences are dire and exactly as the woman fears). Alex Garland, the writer/director makes some unique decisions and it’s a really interesting watch.

I’d like to pause here just for a moment to revel in my excitement, because now we’re into my Top 10 Movies of the Last Decade, and I LOVE counting down my Top 10 anything. Here we go!

An understandly emotional teenager performs a ritual after an argument with her mother, but soon regrets it when the damn thing actually works.

I hear that the title of this one puts people off because it sounds silly, but I LOVE this film. There are some really REALLY creepy moments that had my skin crawling. It’s one of my favourites of this subgenre for sure.

After a sexual encounter, a young lady is relentlessly followed by something scary as f***, and the only way to get rid of it is to intentionally pass it on to another unsuspecting victim.

What an awesome concept. I’ve never seen anything like this.

Char’s mother goes missing and when she returns, something is very off.

The less you know about this one going in, the better. Obviously, the title eludes to something but it’s not what you think. Deeply unsettling and great folklore.

“A vertical prison with one cell per level. Two people per cell. Only one food platform and two minutes per day to feed. An endless nightmare trapped in The Hole.”

This Spanish sci-fi horror is one of the most original films on this list and it’s a really fun watch as you try to figure out how or even if it’s possible to survive this plot.

A group of friends go to stay in a remote cabin and then obviously it turns out that there’s something weird going on.

If you’ve somehow missed this, then rectify this mistake immediately! And go in with as little knowledge as possible. One of the greatest humorous horrors of all time, and definitely one for horror junkies.

A father and son pair of coroners stay late at work one night when a Jane Doe is brought in, and everything they discover as they try to solve the mystery of her death just opens up more questions.

Don’t look this up whatsoever if you haven’t seen it. Again, go in as blind as possible. This is an excellent offering to the horror genre and in particular, its subgenre.

A family in puritanical, seventeenth century New England are cast out and go to live on their own land, isolated from society. There’s somethiiiiing in the wooo-oooods.

Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? Then soak up the atmosphere of this gorgeous, horrible movie.

A man and his girlfriend are invited to a dinner party, hosted by his ex. It’s a reunion of friends, but the ex has changed and has some weird new ideas.

I can’t put my finger on why I love this film as much as I do. The protagonist’s growing unease really hit me and I was watching the whole thing unfold with the most delicious creeping dread and anxiety. There are scenes and images in this that just replay at random in my mind. The writing is wonderful. I wouldn’t recommend this to people who like popcorn horror – it’s definitely more for people who like their horror a little more quiet (to start, anyway).

After suffering an unbelievably dark tragedy, Dani joins her boyfriend and his friends on a research trip to a tiny commune in Sweden, to observe and partake in a special festival. It’s the sunniest, friendliest place on the planet… or is it?

I’ve watched this so many times. I didn’t like it at all the first time I saw it and couldn’t understand the hype. But it kept bouncing around in my brain and eventually, I decided to watch it again just to be rid of the gnawing obsession. It was like an ear worm. And then, I found I love it. I was all in. Fully on board. And now I’m devoted to it entirely. Sort of like I’ve been indoctrinated into a cult…..

Two girls are left behind at an all-girls boarding school during the winter break, and something appears to be wrong. Something’s amiss. Meanwhile, another mysterious woman hitchhikes on a mission to get somewhere.

This movie has all of my favourite themes and it’s one of my favourite subgenres, and it’s set during my favourite season, and I love isolated locations, and also the acting is unreal. Kiernan Shipka is so convincing in this role and I love her. I went from curious, to confused, to quite unsettled, and then I was panicking for someone in particular. It’s quiet and takes its time, and I love the direction it goes in. My favourite film in years!

I hope there are some new movies in this list for you to check out, and I hope you enjoy them! Let me know what your favourites are, and which awesome horror films I’ve missed!