Horror Movies and TV The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked  

Ranker Film
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List Rules Vote up your favorite independent horror films.

This list contains information on the best indie horror movies, ranked from best to worst by user votes. The best indie horror films come in many forms. Some indie horror movies are based on classic literature while other good indie horror films feature completely original characters and storylines. A few of the best indie horror films even generated sequels.

What films will you find on this top independent horror movies list? The Blair Witch Project has to be at the top. This 1999 horror film turned its $60,000 budget into over 248 million box office dollars worldwide. Part of this film's unique appeal was its ability to convince movie-goers that it was a real documentary. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is another great indie horror film.

The independent Australian horror movie, The Babadook, terrified people all over the world when it was released in 2014. Other good independent horror films include Halloween, Evil Dead, and The House of the Devil.

Do you have a favorite indie horror movie? Give the best films a thumbs up and please add any good features we may have missed.

list ordered by

1
47 12
Halloween is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle Richards, Donald Pleasence Halloween is a 1978 American independent slasher horror film directed and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with producer Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her ...more

2
39 11
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American slasher film, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim ...more

3
36 9
Evil Dead is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Jane Levy, Jessica Lucas, Shiloh Fernandez Evil Dead is a 2013 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Fede Alvarez. It is the fourth installment of the Evil Dead franchise, serving as both a reboot, a remake and as a ...more

4
42 14
It Follows is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Linda Boston It Follows is a 2014 Horror film written by David Robert Mitchell and directed by David Robert Mitchell.

5
46 18
Get Out is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Daniel Kaluuya, Catherine Keener, Allison Williams Get Out is a 2017 satirical horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele. A young African American man visits his white girlfriend's family estate where he learns that many of its residents, ...more

6
43 16
Saw is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Shawnee Smith 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

7
30 11
Wrong Turn is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Kevin Zegers Wrong Turn is a 2003 American horror film directed by Rob Schmidt and written by Alan B. McElroy. The film was shot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and starred Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku, ...more

8
31 12
Insidious is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson 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

9
28 11
Nosferatu is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Max Schreck, John Gottowt, Alexander Granach Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens is a 1922 German Expressionist horror film, directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film, shot in 1921 and released ...more

10
36 18
The Babadook is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Adam Morgan 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

11
28 12
House of 1000 Corpses is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Rob Zombie, Chris Hardwick, Karen Black House of 1000 Corpses is a 2003 American exploitation horror film written, co-scored and directed by Rob Zombie, and starring Chris Hardwick, Rainn Wilson, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon ...more

12
36 21
The Blair Witch Project is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American found footage horror film written, directed and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production ...more

13
23 10
Wolf Creek is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Teresa Palmer, John Jarratt, Kestie Morassi Wolf Creek is a 2005 Australian horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Greg McLean, and starring John Jarratt. The story revolves around three backpackers who find themselves held ...more

14
26 13
Cabin Fever is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Eli Roth, Cerina Vincent, Jordan Ladd Cabin Fever is a 2002 American black comedy horror film directed by Eli Roth and starring Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, James DeBello and Giuseppe Andrews. It was produced by Lauren Moews & ...more

15
21 9
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Katrina Bowden, Alan Tudyk, Chelan Simmons "“The hillbillies from the store captured Alison!” Tucker and Dale, two hillbillies heading to their “fixer-upper” cabin for some relaxin’, discover they ain’t alone in them woods. They ...more

16
14 6
You're Next is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Sharni Vinson, Barbara Crampton, Amy Seimetz You're Next is a 2011 American independent action-horror slasher film directed by Adam Wingard, written by Simon Barrett, and starring Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, A. J. Bowen, ...more

17
18 11
Re-Animator is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Barbara Crampton, Jeffrey Combs, David Gale Re-Animator is a 1985 American science fiction horror comedy film loosely based on the H. P. Lovecraft episodic novella "Herbert West–Reanimator." Directed by Stuart Gordon, it was the ...more

18
21 14
Creep is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Mark Duplass, Patrick Kack-Brice Creep is a 2014 comedy horror film directed by Patrick Brice, based on a script written by Brice and Mark Duplass. The movie, which is Brice's directorial debut, had its world premiere on March ...more

19
26 19
Paranormal Activity is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Randy McDowell Paranormal Activity is a 2007 American supernatural horror film written, co-produced, photographed, edited, and directed by Oren Peli. The film centers on a young couple, Katie and Micah, who ...more

20
16 11
The House of the Devil is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Lena Dunham, Greta Gerwig, Dee Wallace The House of the Devil is a 2009 horror film written, directed, and edited by Ti West, starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, and Mary Woronov. It combines elements of both the slasher film and ...more

21
14 9
The Collector is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Daniella Alonso, Madeline Zima, Andrea Roth The Collector is a 2009 horror film written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton and directed by Dunstan. Originally titled The Midnight Man, the script was originally intended to be a Saw ...more

22
18 15
V/H/S is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Joe Swanberg, Adam Wingard, Drew Sawyer V/H/S is a 2012 American anthology horror film. It features a series of found-footage shorts written and directed by Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and the ...more

23
10 9
Clown is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Norman Reedus Clown is a 2008 short horror thriller film directed by Tate Steinsiek.

24
9 8
The Bay is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Will Rogers, Kristen Connolly, Andrew Stahl Chaos breaks out in a small Maryland town after an ecological disaster occurs.

25
10 10
Resolution is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Sarah Oliver, Zahn McClarnon, Bill Oberst Jr. Resolution is a 2012 horror, mystery and thriller film written by Justin Benson and directed by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson.

26
9 9
The Void is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Malcolm McDowell, Amanda Tapping, Adrian Paul The Void is a 2001 American direct-to-DVD science-fiction thriller film which follows a scientist who has discovered that a man who's been attempting to solve an energy crisis has inadvertently ...more

27
17 18
Teeth is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Jess Weixler, Josh Pais, Nathan Parsons Teeth is a 2007 American black comedy horror film directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein. Still a stranger to her own body, a high school student (Jess Weixler) discovers she has a physical advantage ...more

28
10 11
The Lords of Salem is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
María Conchita Alonso, Dee Wallace, Bruce Davison The Lords of Salem is a 2013 independent horror film written, produced and directed by Rob Zombie, and starring Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Judy Geeson, Patricia Quinn, Dee Wallace, ...more

29
9 10
Kill List is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
MyAnna Buring, Ben Crompton, Emma Fryer Kill List is a 2011 British horror film directed by Ben Wheatley, co-written and co-edited with Amy Jump, and starring Neil Maskell, Michael Smiley, and MyAnna Buring. When a British soldier ...more

30
9 11
Willow Creek is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Peter Jason, Bryce Johnson, Alexie Gilmore Willow Creek is a 2013 independent found footage film about a couple interested in Bigfoot lore, written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. The film was premiered at the 2013 Independent Film ...more

31
8 11
The Final Girls is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Nina Dobrev, Malin Åkerman, Taissa Farmiga The Final Girls is a 2015 American slasher comedy film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson. Max Cartwright (Taissa Farmiga)'s mother was scream queen Nancy (Malin Åkerman), who starred in ...more

32
7 10
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Nig... is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marnò, Dominic Rains A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a 2014 American film directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. Tagged as "The first Iranian vampire Western", it was chosen to show in the "Next" ...more

33
7 10
The Amityville Haunting is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Luke Barnett, Jason Williams, Casey Campbell The Amityville Haunting is a direct to video film released on December 13, 2011. It is the tenth production to be inspired by the 1977 book The Amityville Horror. The film was produced by The ...more

34
6 9
Dark Skies is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Keri Russell, J.K. Simmons, Josh Hamilton Dark Skies is a 2013 American science fiction horror film written and directed by Scott Stewart and produced by Jason Blum starring Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton and Dakota Goyo. The film was ...more

35
4 7
Antiviral is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Malcolm McDowell, Sarah Gadon, Nicholas Campbell Antiviral is a 2012 Canadian horror film directed by Brandon Cronenberg. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Cronenberg re-edited the film after ...more

36
4 8
Devil May Call is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Devil May Call Traci Lords, Tyler Mane, Daniel Hugh Kelly Devil May Call is a 2013 horror film directed by American filmmaker Jason Cuadrado and written by Jason Cuadrado and Wyatt Doyle. The film stars Corri English as Samantha, a crisis hotline

37
10 16
The ABCs of Death is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Harold Torres, Erik Audé The ABCs of Death is a 2012 anthology horror comedy film produced by International producers. The film contains 26 different shorts, each by different directors spanning fifteen countries. It ...more

38
3 9
The Afflicted is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Kane Hodder, Leslie Easterbrook, Tammy Trull The Afflicted is a 2010 horror thriller film directed by Jason Stoddard.

39
2 9
Smiley is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Indie Horror Movies, Ranked
Keith David, Shane Dawson, Roger Bart Smiley is a 2012 horror film written by Glasgow Phillips and Michael J. Gallagher and directed by Michael J. Gallagher.