10 Modern Horror Gems You Can Stream Right Now

Hidden Horrors

Halloween may be long over, but there’s no bad time to put on a good old-fashioned horror flick. Many have said that horror is a dying genre, and that modern horror can’t hold a candle to the terrors of the past. To those people, I say: you’re not looking hard enough. Not only is the genre thriving, but many of its underseen standouts are just a click away. Today, in no particular order, we’re bypassing the genre mainstays with some under-appreciated gems from the modern era you can stream right now. Although this post is not sponsored in any way, many of the films on this list can be found on the relatively new horror streaming service, Shudder. If you’re a horror fan, Shudder gives the most bang for your buck with a diverse library of frights and thrills at a fraction of the cost of Netflix or Hulu. Onto our list…

Satan’s Slaves (2017)

A remake-slash-prequel of the 1980 cult classic of the same name, Satan’s Slaves is a chilling Indonesian ghost story. Dealing with a struggling family that is haunted by the death of their bedridden mother after a long illness, Satan’s Slaves quickens the pulse and brings tactful scares to a creepy mashup of the haunting/possession genres. Streaming on Shudder

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

S. Craig Zahler’s violent precursor to the brutal Brawl in Cell Block 99 (which we reviewed here) is more of a slow-burn Western than outright horror, but the film is peppered with some of the most sickening gore ever committed to celluloid. When a local doctor and sheriff’s deputy are abducted by savage troglodytes, an ensemble of townsfolk (Kurt Russell, Matthew Fox, Patrick Wilson, and Richard Jenkins) trek out to rescue them. Available to rent on Amazon Prime

I Saw the Devil (2010)

Perverse, sick, and twisted, Korea’s I Saw the Devil is a revenge flick wearing the skin of a horror film. Both Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun give revelatory performances in this critically-acclaimed tale of vengeance. When Korean intelligence agent Kim Soo-hyun’s (Lee Byung-hun) fiancée is brutally murdered by a serial killer (Choi Min-sik), he embarks on a self-destructive and violent journey of revenge. Streaming on Kanopy

Lake Mungo (2008)

When their only daughter Alice drowns in a tragic accident, the Palmers begin experiencing strange phenomena in their home. Lake Mungo is the perfect horror mockumentary, featuring realistic interviews and sympathetic talking heads. Forgoing easy jump scares and obvious hauntings, the film’s greatest assets are its realistic portrait of grief and its convincing storytelling. The movie’s scares fall just on the right side of outlandish - its chilling moments amplified by their real-life possibility. Streaming on Shudder

Black Death (2010)

Sean Bean and a pre-Oscars Eddie Redmayne star in this medieval plague thriller. Set during the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk (Redmayne) sets out to learn the truth about reports of people being resurrected in a small village rumored to be untouched by disease. Witchcraft, necromancy, and explicit violence lead way to a fantastic twist ending that is both logical and satisfying. Streaming on HBO Max

Noroi: The Curse (2005)

Another horror mockumentary, Noroi: The Curse is a Japanese found-footage gem that delves into the disappearance of a renowned paranormal investigator. Full of creepy and unsettling imagery, Noroi is also unusually complex and involved with its sprawling cast of characters and nesting doll narrative. Mood and atmosphere trump cheap tricks as the investigation gets weirder and weirder in this cult-classic. Streaming on Shudder

Terrified (2017)

Don’t let its incredibly hokey and off-putting beginning fool you, Terrified (or Aterrados in its native Argentina) will scare the pants off you. Grotesque apparitions and impressive practical effects are the highlights of this quasi-anthology that explores a suburban neighborhood beset by different paranormal events. The story itself is relatively thin, but Terrified does an excellent job of accomplishing its primary goal: for you to bust out the night lights. Streaming on Shudder

The Invitation (2015)

Karyn Kusama’s (Girlfight, Jennifer’s Body) return to cinema brings us to the dinner party from hell with The Invitation. A simmering drama with an undercurrent of unease, The Invitation follows Will (Logan Mashall-Green) and Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) as they attend a dinner party hosted by Will’s ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard). Awkwardness evolves into paranoia, leading to a truly bonkers third act that definitely qualifies the film for the horror genre. Streaming on Tubi

Hush (2016)

Before Mike Flanagan gave us The Haunting of Hill House, his first collaboration with writer/actress Kate Siegel (now his wife) was Hush, a simple yet razor-sharp home invasion thriller with a unique twist: our heroine is deaf and mute. Playful and inventive, Hush gets fantastic mileage out of its premise with powerful sound design and tense storytelling. Streaming on Netflix

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Yorgos Lanthimos’ dark followup to The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is a cauldron of beauty and terror. Barry Keoghan, in a star-making performance, plays Martin, an incredibly odd teen that befriends Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell), a skilled surgeon. This strange friendship then veers into sinister territory on par with films like The Witch and Hereditary. Streaming on Netflix