“Fear is a wonderful thing, in small doses.” – Neil Gaiman, one of the best popular fiction authors in the world. And, yes, fear can be enjoyable—as long as you know you’ll be safe. This is why we love horror movies. They give the sensation of being in the protagonist’s shoes, of being stalked, beset, or haunted by a ghost, demon, vampire, or zombie. Winter is here. This is the time to curl up on your sofa or bed with your loved ones (or alone, if that’s your thing) and watch scary movies.
2022 has been a fantastic year for horror. We got a lot of really good scary movies with a wide range of genres from both major studios and indie filmmakers. Here is a list of the best of the best.
1. Barbarian (Horror, Mystery)
Zach Cregger wrote and directed this American horror film.
Barbarian is the story of a survivor. It is also the story of a mother, an abuser, a victim, and a haunted house; a commentary on capitalism, sharing economies, gentrification, greed, gender politics, trickle-down economics, motherhood, and abuse.
Rating: IMDb – 7 | Rotten Tomatoes – 92%
Platform: Apple TV
2. The Harbinger (Horror, Drama)
The Harbinger, directed by Andy Mitton, manages to create something meaningful and moving from something tragic and tropical.
After being plagued by horrific nightmares, a woman enters a hellish dreamscape to confront her deepest fears. When the daughter (Gabby Beans) leaves to help a friend (Emily Davis) in need, the quarantined family’s isolation bubble is jeopardised. As a result, the protagonist attracts an otherworldly and opportunistic entity that deals in nightmares.
The Harbinger, like the director’s other film, The Witch in the Window, seamlessly blends eldritch fantasy and contemporary realism.
Rating: IMDb – 5.9 | Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Platform: Apple TV
3. Hatching (Horror, Body Horror)
A 12-year-old gymnast discovers an unusual egg. What happens when it hatches is incredible. Tinja is desperate to please her mother, who is obsessed with portraying the ideal family.
Hanna Bergholm’s film was a fantastic addition to the body horror subgenre. It was a success in terms of delivering some fantastic creature practical effects. With themes such as the difficulties of growing up and the dangers of social media obsession, the addition of the creature being the protagonist’s doppelgänger was a chilling one.
Rating: IMDb – 6.3 | Rotten Tomatoes – 92%
Platform: Hulu, Amazon Prime
A slasher film, X, is written, directed, produced, and edited by Ti West. Mia Goth plays both the protagonist and antagonist, with Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, and Scott Mescudi appearing in supporting roles.
X is a horror story set in 1970s Texas and follows a group of young Hollywood hopefuls looking for their big break. This group of young filmmakers set out to shoot an adult film in a remote part of the country, but when their elderly, reclusive hosts caught them in the act, the cast was forced to flee for their lives. Unfortunately for them, their ticket to fame puts them right in the clutches of a killer couple whose interest in the filmmakers has deadly consequences.
Rating: IMDb – 6.6 | Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Platform: Amazon Prime, Apple TV
5. Terrifier 2 (Horror/Slasher)
Damien Leone has written, directed, edited, and produced this American slasher film, “Terrific 2.” It is a sequel to Terrifier (2016) and the third feature-length film to feature Art the Clown. It features the return of David Howard Thornton and Samantha Scaffidi, who respectively portrayed Art the Clown and Victoria Heyes in the first film, and stars Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, Sarah Voigt, Kailey Hyman, and Casey Hartnett.
Art the Clown returns to the fearful town of Miles County after being resurrected by a sinister entity. On Halloween night, he picks on a teenage girl and her younger brother.
Rating: IMDb – 6.2 | Rotten Tomatoes – 85%
Platform: Amazon Prime
6. Dead Stream (Horror, Drama)
“Deadstream” is one of the best horror films of 2022, giving the found footage genre a new lease on life—a Screenlife film that feels purposeful. Director Joseph and Vanessa Winter created a delightfully inventive, hilarious, and eerie film that captured the essence of what Sam Raimi accomplished with “Evil Dead,” but updated for the modern era.
After being disgraced and demonetized as a result of a public controversy, a internet personality attempts to reclaim his followers by livestreaming himself spending one night alone in a haunted house. When he accidentally enrages a vengeful spirit, his comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life (and social relevance) as he battles the sinister spirit of the house and her own powerful following.
Rating: IMDb – 6.5 | Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Platform: Amazon Prime
7. Smile (Thriller, Psychological Thriller)
Deeply creepy visuals and a standout Sosie Bacon further elevate Smile’s unsettling exploration of trauma, adding up to a rare feature that satisfyingly expands on a short.
Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) begins experiencing terrifying occurrences after witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient. As an overwhelming terror takes over her life, Rose must confront her troubled past in order to survive and escape her terrifying new reality.
Rating: IMDb – 6.6 | Rotten Tomatoes – 80%
Platform: Amazon Prime, Apple TV
8. Scream V (Horror, Thriller)
This new Scream is sharp, sassy, and shocking in the best traditions of the franchise. The film is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.
The first three instalments were released all at once, commenting on the boom of ’90s teen horror as well as the tropes that have defined the genre for years.
Twenty-five years after a series of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and is targeting a group of teenagers in order to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.
Rating: IMDb – 6.3 | Rotten Tomatoes – 76%
Platform: Amazon Prime, Apple TV
9. Orphan: First Kill (Horror, Thriller)
Leaning into its ludicrous premise, Orphan: First Kill is a sequel that holds its own — and for fans of campy horror, may even represent an improvement on the original.
In this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit “Orphan,” Esther’s terrifying saga continues. Esther travels to America as the missing daughter of a wealthy family after successfully escaping from an Estonian psychiatric facility. Yet, an unexpected twist arises that pits her against a mother who will protect her family from the murderous “child” at any cost.
The film, directed by William Brent Bell, stars Isabelle Fuhrman, who reprises her role from the previous film, as well as Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, Hiro Kanagawa, and Matthew Finlan.
Rating: IMDb – 5.9 | Rotten Tomatoes – 72%
Platform: Amazon Prime
The smartly unsettling Nanny, led by Anna Diop’s strong central performance, is a promising debut for writer-director Nikyatu Jusu.
Aisha (Anna Diop), a woman who recently emigrated from Senegal, is hired to care for the daughter of a wealthy couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector) living in New York City in this psychological horror fable of displacement. Haunted by the absence of her young son, Aisha hopes that her new job will allow her to bring him to the United States, but she is increasingly unsettled by the family’s volatile home life. As his arrival draws closer, a violent presence infiltrates both her dreams and her reality, threatening the American dream she has painstakingly pieced together.
Rating: IMDb – 5.2 | Rotten Tomatoes – 89%
Platform: Amazon Prime
Also Read: Top 10 Hollywood Movies 2022
