Horror has shown to have not only survived but thrived in the 2020s. Starting off at a rocky start to the decade with a pandemic that took a huge hit on the entertainment industry, horror remained consistently popular during a time of uncertainty. In the last six years, we’ve seen a new era of the genre, marked by tremendous box office success and modern masterpieces. From the meteoric returns of iconic franchises like Final Destination to the rise of more creative, original horror films, it’s safe to say the 2020s are proving to be some of the best years in horror history.
Now, as we move past the mid-point of this exciting time for horror, let’s talk about the best of the best when it comes to 2020s horror. Below are five trailblazing horror movies that are undeniable masterpieces and arguably represent the peak of the genre so far in this decade. Some of these are absolutely terrifying from start to finish, or have shocked audiences with their unique concepts. Most of all, they’ve captivated our minds and shown us that horror is heading in the right direction and will keep getting better in the 2030s and beyond.
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‘When Evil Lurks’ (2023)
A bloodied Jimi is inside a car with the windshield broken in When Evil Lurks.Image via IFC
Let’s start with an absolute nightmare that will scare you out of your wits for a long time. Released in 2023 and hailing from Argentina, When Evil Lurks is a purely horrifying modern classic that excels at giving you something relentlessly dark and unimaginably freaky. It’s a supernatural thriller where terror feels contagious, following two farming brothers as they unintentionally spread a demonic evil presence wherever they go after unsuccessfully trying to remove a possessed boy from their property.
When Evil Lurks is arguably one of the scariest movies in recent memory, a purely unforgiving nightmare flick where anything scary or shocking can happen at any moment. It’s wildly unpredictable in its premise, and it builds with mounting dread so intense that you’ll never forget how uncomfortable it gets. Along with its brutal kills, disgusting body horror imagery, and heartbreaking finale, When Evil Lurks brings so much to the table. It became a massive standout of the 2020s, raising the bar for horror and pushing for other films to match its level of scares.
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‘The Substance’ (2024)
Elisabeth Sparkle, played by actor Demi Moore, holds a snowglobe in her hands and looks depressed in The Substance.Image via Mubi
Taking the genre to huge heights of acclaim in 2024, Coralie Fargeat‘s The Substance is a unique horror marvel of the current decade, a creative blast that’s full of impressive writing, directing, practical effects, and the most exceptional performances. In the most remarkable role of her career, Demi Moore shines as Elizabeth Sparkle, a lonely television personality laid off from her show due to her age, who seeks to save her career by taking a dangerous experimental street drug that creates a younger body for her, but increasing dependence on this drug slowly leads to disastrous side effects.
The Substance instantly hooks you in with a well-executed setup and its commanding lead performance. Throughout its runtime, you’ll never keep your eyes off the screen as the tension mounts, the body horror becomes more explicit and shocking, and the story becomes more bonkers and off the handle. Its brutal ending is a notable highlight, and it’s honestly one of the best closers in horror this decade so far. The Substance is a modern classic that needs no introduction and will likely transcend the decade to become one of the best horror movies ever, period.
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Collider Exclusive · Horror Survival Quiz Which Horror Villain Do You Have the Best Chance of Surviving? Jason Voorhees · Michael Myers · Freddy Krueger · Pennywise · Chucky
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Five killers. Five completely different ways to die — if you’re not smart enough, fast enough, or self-aware enough to avoid it. Only one of them is the villain your particular set of instincts gives you a fighting chance against. Eight questions will figure out which one.
🏕️Jason
🔪Michael
💤Freddy
🎈Pennywise
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🪆Chucky
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01
Something feels wrong. You can’t explain it — you just know. What do you do? First instincts are the difference between the survivor and the first act casualty.
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02
Where are you most likely to find yourself when things go wrong? Setting is everything in horror. Where you are determines which rules apply.
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03
What is your most reliable survival asset? Every survivor has a quality the villain didn’t account for. What’s yours?
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04
What kind of fear is hardest for you to fight through? Knowing your weakness is the first step to not dying because of it.
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05
You’re with a group when things start going wrong. What’s your role? Horror movies are brutally clear about who survives group situations and who doesn’t.
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06
What’s the horror movie mistake you’re most likely to make? Honest self-assessment is a survival skill. Denial is not.
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07
What’s your best weapon against something that can’t be stopped by conventional means? Every horror villain has a weakness. The survivors are always the ones who find it.
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08
It’s the final scene. You’re the last one standing. How did you make it? The final survivor always has a reason. What’s yours?
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Your Survival Odds Have Been Calculated Your Best Chance Is Against…
Your instincts, your strengths, and your particular way of thinking under pressure point to one villain you actually have a fighting chance against. Everyone else — good luck.
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Camp Crystal Lake · Friday the 13th
Jason Voorhees
Jason is relentless, but he is also predictable — and that is the gap you would exploit.
He moves in straight lines toward his target. He doesn’t strategise, doesn’t adapt, doesn’t outsmart. He simply pursues.
Your ability to keep moving, use the environment, and resist the panic that freezes most victims gives you a genuine edge.
The Crystal Lake survivors were always the ones who stopped running in circles and started thinking about terrain, water, and distance.
You think like that. Which means Jason, for all his indestructibility, would face someone who simply refused to be where he expected.
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Haddonfield, Illinois · Halloween
Michael Myers
Michael watches before he moves. He is patient, methodical, and almost impossible to detect — until it’s too late for anyone who isn’t paying close enough attention.
But you are paying attention. You notice the shape in the window, the car parked slightly wrong, the silence where there should be sound.
Michael’s power lies in the invisibility of ordinary suburbia — the fact that nothing ever looks wrong until it already is.
Your spatial awareness and instinct to map every room, every exit, and every shadow before you need them is precisely the quality Laurie Strode had.
You are not a victim waiting to happen. You are someone who already suspects something is wrong — and acts on it.
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Elm Street · A Nightmare on Elm Street
Freddy Krueger
Freddy wins by getting inside your head — using your own fears, your own memories, your own subconscious as weapons against you. That strategy requires a target who can be destabilised.
You are harder to destabilise than most. You’ve faced uncomfortable truths about yourself and you haven’t looked away.
The survivors on Elm Street were always the ones who understood what was happening and chose to face it rather than flee from it.
Freddy’s greatest weakness is that his power evaporates in the presence of someone who refuses to give him the fear he feeds on.
Your psychological resilience — the ability to stay grounded when reality itself becomes unreliable — is exactly the quality that keeps you alive here.
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Derry, Maine · It
Pennywise
Pennywise is ancient, shapeshifting, and feeds on terror — but it has one critical vulnerability: it cannot function against someone who genuinely stops being afraid of it.
The Losers Club didn’t survive because they were braver than everyone else. They survived because they faced their fears together, and faced them honestly.
You ask the questions others avoid. You look directly at what frightens you rather than turning away.
That directness — the refusal to let fear fester in the dark — is Pennywise’s worst nightmare.
It chose the wrong target when it chose you. You are exactly the kind of person whose fear tastes like nothing at all.
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Chicago · Child’s Play
Chucky
Chucky’s greatest advantage is that nobody takes him seriously until it’s already too late. He exploits the gap between how something looks and what it actually is.
You don’t have that gap. You take threats seriously regardless of how they present — and you never make the mistake of underestimating something because of its size or appearance.
Chucky relies on surprise, on the delay between recognition and response. You close that delay faster than almost anyone.
Your instinct to treat every unfamiliar thing with appropriate scepticism — rather than dismissing it because it seems absurd — is the exact quality that keeps you breathing.
Against Chucky, not laughing is already winning. You are very good at not laughing.
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‘Godzilla Minus One’ (2023)
Godzilla chasing after a small fishing boat in ‘Godzilla Minus One’Image via Toho
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Stomping its way into cinema history, next is Godzilla Minus One, the epic, Oscar-winning latest entry in the long-running Godzilla franchise. In a series ranging from historic masterpieces to abominable failures, this one stands out not just in a great way, but for bringing something entirely new to make the next generation fall in love with Godzilla. It is an absolute modern classic, a breath of fresh air that revitalized this iconic movie monster on the big screen and brought him back to his horror roots. Set in a post-WWII Japan, a fighter pilot deserter (Ryunosuke Kamiki) witnesses the rise of the legendary Godzilla from his creation after nuclear testing to his massive, city-wide destruction across the country.
With pulse-pounding action, epic suspense, thrilling music, and award-winning special effects, Godzilla Minus One became an unexpected but massive horror hit that dominated the box office and earned the franchise unprecedented acclaim. Despite having a smaller budget than most Hollywood films, it looks absolutely flawless, breathtaking, and incredibly realistic. It brings the king of the monsters to the big screen in spectacular fashion and makes him look just as epic and intimidating as his first iconic outing in 1954’s Gojira. Honestly, what makes it so special is how it honors Godzilla’s legacy, bringing a fresh new story to the franchise, and keeping a balance between scares and excitement.
‘Sinners’ (2025)
Arguably one of the most compelling and revered modern horror movies in history, Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners is an epic game-changer that defined the year with its fresh take on the genre by blending it with other styles like music, folklore, drama, and action. Michael B. Jordan shines in a well-deserved Best Actor-winning lead dual performance as the SmokeStack twins, two criminal brothers who return to their old hometown in the deep south to open up a juke joint, only for the opening night to be crashed by a trio of bloodthirsty vampires.
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Sinners is the horror movie event of the 2020s, an undeniable masterpiece full of perfect writing, exceptional performances, breathtaking cinematography, and memorable songs. It dares to be bold and creative, breaking away from traditional, overdone tropes and storytelling ideas in other horror movies and offering something different. The music will keep you invested, the horror will shock you, the acting will surprise you, and most of all, the film will just keep you coming back again and again to witness its brilliance. Overall, Sinners deserves its place in horror cinema and will shine throughout the 2020s and beyond.
‘Weapons’ (2025)
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
2025 has cemented its place as one of the most incredible years for horror, being both the most acclaimed and financially successful genre, as well as producing some stellar hits. Among its many memorable hits was a highlight that shone brighter than others: Zach Cregger‘s Weapons. This wild, intense, and twisted supernatural horror thriller produced the biggest scares and some of the year’s finest movie moments. Josh Brolin and Julia Garner star in this mystery about a worried parent and a struggling school teacher who try to figure out why a classroom full of kids willingly left their homes and ran off into the dark one night.
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Weapons brings so much to the table, providing a riveting mystery plot mixed in with a perfect cast, intense suspense, creative storytelling, and epically horrifying scares. It fires on all cylinders to create something legendary, further establishing Zach Cregger as a modern horror icon, thanks to his passionate filmmaking and his desire to tell a unique story. Overall, Weapons is dark and scary, but also perfectly crafted and unforgettable, largely thanks to Amy Madigan‘s Oscar-winning performance. Truly, it represents a peak of the genre this decade.
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