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The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century 

Ranker Horror
Originally by
Updated June 30, 2020 28.2k votes 1.5k voters 32.4k views 154 items

List Rules Full-length horror films released in theaters since January 2000, anywhere in the world

A list of the Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century. Looking for some recently-made horror movies to enjoy? This list provides a comprehensive view of all the best horror movies of the 21st century so that you can pick a movie that everyone is still talking about to watch tonight. Ranked in order of the most popular horror movie of the 21st century to the least popular, you will be able to see which movies got the most votes and watch them for yourself.

If you don’t agree with the voting, go ahead and vote for your favorite horror movie from the 21st century and see it get raised higher on the list. If you don’t see a particular favorite 21st century horror movie, go ahead and add it to the list. Then others will be able to see your favorite horror movie too. It may even get voted number 1 on the list of the best horror movies of the 21st century!

If you are a die-hard horror movie fan, this is a great list to see which recent movies came out that you might have missed. From “The Conjuring” to “Mama,” the 21st century has provided some great scary horror movies that shouldn’t be missed. Go ahead and pick out a few from the list and enjoy a 21st century horror movie marathon!
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1
The Conjuring is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Joey King

Released: 2013

Directed by: James Wan

The Conjuring is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and the first installment in the Conjuring series. Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) are ...more

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2
The Descent is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid

Released: 2005

Directed by: Neil Marshall

The Descent is a 2005 British adventure horror film directed by Neil Marshall. Six women enter an unmapped cave system, become trapped, and are hunted by flesh-eating subterranean humanoids.

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3
28 Days Later is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Cillian Murphy, Christopher Eccleston, Naomie Harris

Released: 2002

Directed by: Danny Boyle

28 Days Later is a 2002 British post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland. The film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, ...more

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4
Saw is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Shawnee Smith

Released: 2004

Directed by: James Wan

Saw is a 2004 horror film written by Leigh Whannell and directed by James Wan, in Wan's directorial debut. In the film, Adam (Whannell) and Lawrence (Cary Elwes) awaken chained in a large ...more

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5
The Mist is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden

Released: 2007

Directed by: Frank Darabont

The Mist is a 2007 American science fiction horror film directed by Frank Darabont, and based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King. After a storm of never-before-seen proportions ...more

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6
Final Destination is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Ali Larter, Seann William Scott, Devon Sawa

Released: 2000

Directed by: James Wong

Final Destination is a 2000 American horror film directed by James Wong. It is the first installment of the Final Destination series. The screenplay was written by James Wong, Glen Morgan, and ...more

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7
Insidious is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson

Released: 2010

Directed by: James Wan

Insidious is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan, written by Leigh Whannell, and starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Barbara Hershey. It is the first installment ...more

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8
Dawn of the Dead is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Ving Rhames, Ty Burrell, Kevin Zegers

Released: 2004

Directed by: Zack Snyder

This film is a 2004 American horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his feature film directorial debut. A remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name, it is written by James Gunn and ...more

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9
Shaun of the Dead is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Martin Freeman, Simon Pegg, Bill Nighy

Released: 2004

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British horror comedy film directed by Edgar Wright. In a small flat on the outskirts of London, Shaun (Simon Pegg), a 30-something dull loser, must protect his ...more

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10
The Grudge is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Sarah Michelle Gellar, KaDee Strickland, Bill Pullman

Released: 2004

Directed by: Takashi Shimizu

The Grudge is a 2004 American horror film and the first installment in The Grudge franchise. It is a remake of the Japanese film Ju-on: The Grudge. The film was released in North America on ...more

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11
The Others is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
dee123 added Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Michelle Fairley

Released: 2001

Directed by: Alejandro Amenábar

The Others is a 2001 horror-thriller film written, directed and scored by Alejandro Amenábar. It stars Nicole Kidman and Fionnula Flanagan. It won eight Goya Awards, including awards for ...more

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12
Let the Right One In is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Lina Leandersson, Tom Ljungman, Philip Hersh

Released: 2008

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

Let the Right One In is a 2008 Swedish romantic horror film directed by Tomas Alfredson. A 12-year-old boy (Kåre Hedebrant) develops a friendship with a vampire child (Lina Leandersson) in ...more

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13
Sinister is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
wonderfuldevil@gmail.com added Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Fred Thompson

Released: 2012

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. It stars Ethan Hawke as fictional true writer Ellison Oswalt who ...more

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14
The Devil's Rejects is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Diamond Dallas Page, Danny Trejo, Ginger Lynn

Released: 2005

Directed by: Rob Zombie

The Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is centered on the run of three members of ...more

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15
Drag Me to Hell is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Octavia Spencer, Justin Long, Lia Johnson

Released: 2009

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Drag Me to Hell is a 2009 American horror film co-written and directed by Sam Raimi. The plot, written with his brother Ivan, focuses on loan officer Christine Brown, who reluctantly, under ...more

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16
It is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
TeenaLand added It Jaeden Lieberher, Bill Skarsgård, Jeremy Ray Taylor

Released: 2017

Directed by: Andy Muschietti

It (also known as It: Chapter One) is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti, based on the 1986 novel by Stephen King. In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied ...more

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17
The Babadook is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
angelop24 added Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Adam Morgan

Released: 2014

Directed by: Jennifer Kent

The Babadook is a 2014 Australian psychological horror film, written and directed by Jennifer Kent, in which a woman and her son are tormented by a "boogie-man" type monster. The film ...more

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18
REC is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Manuela Velasco, Javier Botet, Ana Isabel Velásquez

Released: 2007

Directed by: Paco Plaza, Jaume Balagueró

REC is a 2007 Spanish horror film, co-written and directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. The film was shot in Barcelona, Spain and the title is an abbreviation of the word ...more

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19
A Quiet Place is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe

Released: 2018

Directed by: John Krasinski

A Quiet Place is a 2018 American supernatural horror film directed by John Krasinski. A family living on a farm hides from a supernatural evil attracted to sound by avoiding making sound and ...more

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20
Evil Dead is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
willyboymcoy added Jane Levy, Jessica Lucas, Shiloh Fernandez

Released: 2013

Directed by: Fede Alvarez

This film is a 2013 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Fede Alvarez. It is the fourth installment of the franchise, serving as both a reboot, a remake and as a loose ...more

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21
The Ring is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Naomi Watts, Pauley Perrette, Brian Cox

Released: 2002

Directed by: Gore Verbinski

The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring, which was based on the novel Ring ...more

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22
Mama is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Daniel Kash

Released: 2013

Directed by: Andres Muschietti

Mama is a 2013 horror film written by Neil Cross, Andres Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti and directed by Andres Muschietti.

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23
The Exorcism of Emily Ro... is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
dee123 added Laura Linney, Jennifer Carpenter, Tom Wilkinson

Released: 2005

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 American courtroom drama horror film directed by Scott Derrickson, loosely based on the story of Anneliese Michel. A self-proclaimed agnostic lawyer (Laura ...more

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24
Final Destination 2 is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Sarah Carter

Released: 2003

Directed by: David R. Ellis

Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural American horror film directed by David R. Ellis. The screenplay by J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress was from a story by Gruber, Bress, and series ...more

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25
Hostel is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Eli Roth, Ashley Robbins, Jay Hernandez

Released: 2005

Directed by: Eli Roth

Hostel is a 2005 American horror film written, produced, and directed by Eli Roth and starring Jay Hernandez. The film tells the story of two college students traveling across Europe, who find ...more

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