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The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong  

Ranker Film
2.1k votes 516 voters 35.9k views 26 items

List Rules Vote up the top horror films in which a fun, carefree vacation turned into a violent, gory nightmare.

A road trip can be a blast - that is, until a chainsaw wielding maniac enters the picture. Then, the vacation's over. The best horror movies about travel gone wrong feature characters out of their element and fighting for their lives. This is a list of the top vacation horror movies including everything from The Cabin in the Woods to Wolf Creek to Joy Ride.

What films will you find on this list of the best horror movies about traveling? In The Evil Dead, a trip that should have been a fun getaway turns into a living nightmare when a group of friends accidentally resurrect a demon. Sam Raimi wrote and directed this classic horror film starring Bruce Campbell. The Shallows is another frightening film about a horrific vacation, this time involving the real-world threat of a hungry shark. Eli Roth's 2005 film Hostel sent a chill down the spine of anyone who has taken backpacking vacations through Europe. Other good films featured here include Vacancy, The Ruins, and A Lonely Place to Die.

Which horror movies about travelers deserve the top spots on the list? Vote your favorites towards the top, and add any terrifying travel flicks that are missing.
 

list ordered by
1
Wrong Turn is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
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
2
Hostel is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Eli Roth, Ashley Robbins, Jay Hernandez
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
3
Vacancy is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Ethan Embry
Vacancy is a 2007 American horror film directed by Nimród Antal and starring Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson. It was distributed by Screen Gems and was released on April 20, 2007. Early ...more
4
The Descent is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Gabi Golan, Keren Miedzinski, Shosh Miedzinski
The Descent is a 2009 short drama film written and directed by Shai Miedzinski.
5
The Cabin in the Woods is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Chris Hemsworth, Sigourney Weaver, Amy Acker
The Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 American horror comedy film directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut, produced by Joss Whedon, and written by Whedon and Goddard. The film stars Kristen ...more
6
The Ruins is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Jena Malone, Bar Paly, Laura Ramsey
The Ruins is a 2008 horror film directed by Carter Smith which stars Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, and Joe Anderson. Released in 2008, the American-Australian ...more
7
The Evil Dead is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi
This film is a 1981 American horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi and executive produced by Raimi and Bruce Campbell, who also stars alongside Ellen Sandweiss and Betsy Baker. This film ...more
8
Joy Ride is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, Walton Goggins
Joy Ride, also known as Roadkill, is a 2001 American thriller road film. The film was written by J. J. Abrams and Clay Tarver and directed by John Dahl and starring Steve Zahn, Paul Walker and ...more
9
Wolf Creek is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
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
10
Eden Lake is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Michael Fassbender, Kelly Reilly, Jack O'Connell
Eden Lake is a 2008 British thriller film written and directed by James Watkins and starring Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender and Jack O'Connell.
11
The Cave is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Lena Headey, Piper Perabo, Morris Chestnut
The Cave is a 2005 American action horror film, directed by Bruce Hunt. It stars Cole Hauser, Eddie Cibrian, Morris Chestnut, Marcel Iureş, Lena Headey, Rick Ravanello, Piper Perabo and Daniel ...more
12
The Shallows is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Blake Lively
The Shallows is a 2016 American survival thriller film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The film follows a surfer (Blake Lively) as she gets stranded 200 yards from shore, and must use her wits ...more
13
Frozen is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore, Kane Hodder
Frozen is a 2010 American thriller written and directed by Adam Green and starring Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore and Kevin Zegers.
14
A Perfect Getaway is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Milla Jovovich, Chris Hemsworth, Timothy Olyphant
A Perfect Getaway is a 2009 American thriller adventure film, written and directed by David Twohy that stars Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez and Steve Zahn. The film was ...more
15
Turistas is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Olivia Wilde, Josh Duhamel, Melissa George
Turistas – released as Paradise Lost in the UK and Ireland – is a 2006 American horror film produced and directed by John Stockwell, and starring Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, Olivia Wilde, ...more
16
Midsommar is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter
Midsommar (Swedish for "Midsummer") is a 2019 American horror film written and directed by Ari Aster. A couple travels to Sweden to visit their friend's rural hometown for its fabled ...more
17
A Lonely Place to Die is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
A Lonely Place to Die Melissa George, Eamonn Walker, Ed Speleers
A Lonely Place to Die is a 2011 British thriller film directed by Julian Gilbey and based on a screenplay from Will Gilbey and Julian Gilbey. It stars Melissa George, Ed Speleers, Karel Roden, ...more
18
And Soon the Darkness is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Amber Heard, Odette Annable, Karl Urban
And Soon the Darkness is a 2010 thriller film directed by Marcos Efron, starring Karl Urban, Amber Heard, and Odette Annable.
19
The Deep is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bissett, Eli Wallach
The Deep is a 1977 adventure film directed by Peter Yates and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. The film stars Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset, and Nick Nolte.
20
He's Out There is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Yvonne Strahovski, Anna Pniowsky, Abigail Pniowsky
He's Out There is a 2018 American horror film directed by Quinn Lasher. A mother (Yvonne Strahovski) with her two young daughters take a break at a house on a lake - unfortunately they must deal ...more
21
The Reef is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Zoe Naylor, Adrienne Pickering, Gyton Grantley
The Reef is a 2010 Australian horror film. The film was written and directed by Andrew Traucki, his second feature film, and is about a group of friends who capsize while sailing to Indonesia. ...more
22
Altitude is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Jessica Lowndes, Julianna Guill, Chelah Horsdal
Altitude is a Canadian horror, television and "direct-to-video" film directed by Canadian comic book writer and artist Kaare Andrews. Anchor Bay Entertainment is set to distribute the ...more
23
Fractured is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Sam Worthington, Lily Rabe, Stephen Tobolowsky
Fractured is a 2019 American thriller film directed by Brad Anderson. After his daughter breaks her arm while on a family road trip, Ray rushes her to the hospital along with his wife, once they ...more
24
Rattlesnake is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Carmen Ejogo, Theo Rossi, Emma Greenwell
Rattlesnake is a 2019 American crime drama mystery film directed by Zak Hilditch. A single mother (Carmen Ejogo) accepts the help from a strange woman after her daughter is bitten by a
25
Mary is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Horror Movies About Travel Gone Wrong
Gary Oldman, Emily Mortimer, Owen Teague
Mary is a 2019 American horror film directed by Michael Goi. A family renovates a boat in hopes of starting a boat chartering business only find out that the boat is haunted.