With the 2010s drawing to a close and the decade’s final Halloween season descending upon us, Cory and I collaborated to assemble a list of twenty essential horror films released in the last ten years. Even between the two of us, we have not seen anything close to every horror movie released in that span. However, we have watched enough contemporary horror to feel pretty confident that, even if these aren’t the decade’s only essential horror films, they’re up there alongside the period’s very best and most influential cinematic works. We think they’ll provide plenty of suitable viewing material in the lead-up to Halloween. If you’re looking for even more, check out our currently-running article series on streamable horror flicks.

On some picks, we agreed. On others, we differed. Accordingly, this article is split into two sections. In the first, you’ll find the consensual picks. In the second, each of us makes a case for five essentials, followed by rebuttals by the dissenting party. In those cases, you’ll have to decide who to trust. And lastly, if you’re interested in hearing more of our thoughts, be sure to check out this week’s podcast episode, which is a companion to this article.

Without further ado, here are our picks.

The ones we agree on

Get Out (2017) • Directed by Jordan Peele

Truly great horror movies don’t just make up scary situations; instead, they draw from the fears surrounding their viewers, depicting real-life horrors that many refuse to discuss in polite conversation. By taking this risk on his directorial debut, Jordan Peele confirmed the power of racial and class division as a horror film topic, altering film history in the process. Alongside his impressive direction, Peele’s story unfurls perfectly with thoughtfully-crafted creepiness, and a well-chosen cast rounds out one of the most essential films of this decade — horror or not.

— Cory Cogley

Hereditary (2018) • Directed by Ari Aster

If there’s a ‘what-the-fuck-holy-fucking-shit’ horror movie of the 2010s, it’s gotta be Hereditary. Ari Aster’s directorial debut is unforgettable for its diabolical first-act turn of events but is propulsively creepy and blackly humorous throughout. Fueled by sheer, demented vision, Hereditary stands in hallowed ground alongside The Exorcist and The Blair Witch Project as films capable of thoroughly horrifying even the strongest-stomached of contemporaneous cinema audiences.

— Isaac Handelman

It Follows (2014) • Directed by David Robert Mitchell

The distinctive dread of It Follows is one example of how social commentary drives classically conceived horror: here, the lingering despair that follows a horrible sexual encounter becomes a physical entity. Whether close or far, it is always present. This unique storyline is further augmented with 70s horror vibes that draw the viewer into the characters’ situation, a special trait compared to the brutally alienating films of the 2000s.

— Cory Cogley

Annihilation (2018) • Directed by Alex Garland

It’s tempting to categorize Alex Garland’s Annihilation as a science-fiction film. Though it certainly contains elements of that genre, as far as arbitrary classifications go it’s more aptly described as a psychological horror film. The Natalie Portman starrer is an audiovisual odyssey whose hypnotic finale caps off a smart, unnerving exploration of mental turmoil and suppressed traumas. Garland’s aesthetic filmmaking craft is backed by terrific effects work, making for a beautifully horrific cinematic experience. We can only hope it returns to the big screen at some point.

— Isaac Handelman

Train to Busan (2016) • Directed by Yeon Sang-ho

With a story as heart-wrenching as it is horrifying, this truly effective zombie film feels fresh in a stale subgenre. The movie draws the viewer into the events directly surrounding the main characters, who are played by Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi (both of the 2011 true-crime film The Crucible), and the internationally renowned Ma Dong-seok. This intimacy makes the humanity and survival of numerous characters feel significant, and echoes the successful ensemble of Shaun of the Dead — though instead of laughing, the viewer has to cover their eyes to avoid the visceral horror of this special apocalypse.

— Cory Cogley

Midsommar (2019) • Directed by Ari Aster

Ari Aster dodges the sophomore slump with Midsommar, a tale of daylight dread that brilliantly modernizes the cult horror film. With its simple but effective emotional core carried by an electric Florence Pugh, Aster focuses his efforts on subtly nightmarish compositions. The result is a film that earns its long running time while making the case that existing genre conventions can be mined to great effect when repurposed to tap into relevant social anxieties — and lathered with a suitable dose of absorbing stylistic panache.

— Isaac Handelman

The Cabin in the Woods (2012) • Directed by Drew Goddard

If you haven’t seen it, there’s not much to tell without major spoilers — in fact, when you watch, let your guard down and don’t have expectations. Opening on a well-chosen ensemble that appears to be just another group of senseless horror film fodder, The Cabin in the Woods will keep you guessing at every twist and turn, and of course scare you in the process. Thanks to its initial red herrings, literally nothing is quite what it seems.

— Cory Cogley

The Witch (2015) • Directed by Robert Eggers

Who knows how in hell Robert Eggers managed to get this esoteric tale of rural American horror, in which characters speak in barely-comprehensible Early Modern English, made in the first place. Someone must have realized early on that the man was an auteur to be reckoned with. Quiet and intentionally paced, The Witch crafts an atmosphere of slow-burn horror that leads to a deterioration of its characters’ mental states — and of viewers’ nerves. The film’s depictions of paranoia and distrust rank right up there with the most believable in all of horror cinema.

— Isaac Handelman

The Babadook (2014) • Directed by Jennifer Kent

Despite a relatively unsatisfying ending, the Babadook restrains its urge to scare with a storybook monster by keeping the horror always on the fringe of appearance. Combined with human drama, this creates a ball of ever-present anxiety throughout the film. An impressive and popular debut from Jennifer Kent proved that she’s one to look out for in the future.

— Cory Cogley

The Wailing (2016) • Directed by Na Hong-jin

The Wailing is Na Hong-jin’s contribution to the Korean horror renaissance. This sweeping genre amalgam toys with viewers with gleeful sadism. It’s a roller-coaster ride, best-of album that somehow manages to tie everything together with a bleakly funny bow. Despite its constant copping of genre tropes, The Wailing ultimately feels like a beast all its own thanks to its uniquely epic stylings, colorful cast of characters, and clear sense of reverence that never crosses the line into regurgitation.

— Isaac Handelman

The ones we don’t agree on

A Quiet Place (2018) • Directed by John Krasinski

Famously turning the entire concept of sound into a scare tactic, this unique horror film is an ambitious risk that easily could have failed in execution. Luckily, everyone involved in the filmmaking process delivered top-notch material, from the inspired direction of The Office star John Krasinski to the brilliant sound design to the effective and memorable ensemble performance.

— Cory Cogley

A Quiet Place has its central sound gimmick, which makes for some tense sequences. However, it doesn’t have much else. It’s a frivolously fun watch, one that feels technically engineered to keep viewers on seat’s edge for ninety enjoyable-enough minutes, but none of it, aside from the premise, is particularly crafty or memorable.

— Isaac Handelman

Ready or Not (2019) • Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Undoubtedly the best movie about murderous in-laws since Get Out, Ready or Not is a biting — if blunt — critique of the familial elitism inherent in wealthy lineages, all wrapped up in a propulsively entertaining, deadly cat-and-mouth game. This pulpy, self-aware treat is right up there with the 21st century’s best horror-comedies.

— Isaac Handelman

Ready or Not is a highly entertaining film, no doubt, but I question whether the film is critiquing elitism or merely using it as a jumping-off point for a simple cat-and-mouse story. Granted, Samara Weaving puts her all into the role and the cast works very well together — but I still can’t get the cheap ending out of my head as a sour moment that confuses more than confirms the film’s intentions.

— Cory Cogley

The Conjuring (2013) • Directed by James Wan

The start of a horror franchise directed by James Wan (Saw, Insidious) sounds like a lark in hindsight, but the results, preceding the classic horror revival films like The Babadook and It Follows, were unexpectedly revelatory. Using classic, atmospheric dread-inducing scares established from minute one, Wan dismissed his usual abundance of gore and cheap jump-scares to sustain a constant level of creepiness, leading the charge to a new generation of classic horror films.

— Cory Cogley

Horror laden with Christian symbolism and resolved through exorcism doesn’t usually do much for me. As far as that sub-genre goes, The Conjuring is admittedly effective. It’s got several delightfully freaky set-piece scares (I’m looking at you, old-lady-on-top-of-the-wardrobe — Jesus Christ, no pun intended) but it’s not subversive enough to do much beyond proving that, when executed well, good ol’ devil-in-a-haunted-house stories can still make viewers sweat.

— Isaac Handelman

Us (2019) • Directed by Jordan Peele

If Jordan Peele’s debut Get Out reveals the director’s lean, mean, spaghetti-and-red-sauce brilliance, then Us is his first whack at a multi-level lasagna. It’s understandably messy, but man does the brilliance of that homemade pasta shine through. Us is a wildly ambitious, harrowing, hilarious cinematic anomaly. It burrows deep into your head.

— Isaac Handelman

Us stays with you a long time after you watch it. Why, exactly, is unclear. The film is enigmatic from start to finish; it’s telling that you can hear what Peele has to say about the film and still not fully understand it. There is a statement in there about America and society, but the film’s elusiveness (and frequent humor) dulls that meaning a bit despite its high-quality entertainment value.

— Cory Cogley

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) • Directed by Dan Trachtenberg

10 Cloverfield Lane took the sequel playbook and entirely threw it out the window. While Cloverfield took the monster/alien invasion genre and fused it with found-footage filmmaking, 10 Cloverfield is something much more significant, tackling the psychological aspects of the invasion while demonstrating the tense dramatic potential of the series. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., and the always exceptional John Goodman wrestle with what could be outside their “safe” bunker setting, and as each character’s motivations and backgrounds are made clear, the final act feels shocking yet well-earned in its reveal.

— Cory Cogley

I really like 10 Cloverfield Lane and agree with pretty much everything Cory said. It’s brilliantly tense and features a sublimely menacing John Goodman. Its mystery-box nature might dampen its effect on subsequent viewings, and I’m not sure it brings quite enough new to the table to be considered truly essential. But, it’s a wicked good watch.

— Isaac Handelman

Gerald’s Game (2017) • Directed by Mike Flanagan

Gerald’s Game is without a doubt Netflix’s best-ever original horror film. Driven by Carla Gugino’s excellent work in the lead role and Mike Flanagan’s lingering hand in the director’s chair, this film evokes lasting horrors with shiver-inducing effectiveness. Its setting may be confined, but its potential for impact is far-reaching.

— Isaac Handelman

Another excellent case that Netflix can produce quality films at the caliber of the general theater experience, but like many Stephen King adaptations, there are things that work and things that don’t. The narrated wrap-up conclusion is tonally off-putting, leaving an otherwise good movie a wide leap away from its harrowing midpoints. Still, a few important changes make the first 90% a horrifying journey that resonates with the viewer long after the disappointing conclusion.

— Cory Cogley

It (2017) • Directed by Andy Muschietti

By distilling the “past” of the Loser’s Club into one film, the first of the two-part It saga shakes up the Stranger Things 80s nostalgia overkill by focusing on character-building interactions and downright disturbing clown-based nightmares. The well-crafted narrative takes enough liberties to make It its own film, but the heart of the book, using these teen’s conquering of fear to drive the story, is excellently captured in this updated setting.

— Cory Cogley

It is one of the 21st century’s better blockbuster horror outings, for sure. However, it doesn’t ever transcend that categorization. Namely, it feels really straightforward and preoccupied with slick scares over plotting and character development — an issue that’s partially corrected in the grander and more complex sequel, which I preferred.

— Isaac Handelman

You’re Next (2013) • Directed by Adam Wingard

There’s just so much to love in Adam Wingard’s You’re Next. The film balances trope-bucking self-awareness with genuine chills and thrills to deliriously entertaining effect. Plus, Sharni Vinson’s Erin is one of the most cheer-able protagonists in modern horror. Good luck not getting wrapped up in her ridiculously gory worst night ever. It’s best-movie-night-ever material.

— Isaac Handelman

You’re Next gives us a taste of the innovation that Wingard is capable of. While not revolutionary, it blends slasher horror with humor very effectively. But since The Guest, while not a horror film, far better conveys Wingard at peak craft, it’s hard for me to call You’re Next essential viewing.

— Cory Cogley

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) • Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour

While technically a vampire western film, writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour’s incontestably individual film blends slow-burn atmosphere with a bizarre yet unexpectedly captivating story. The black-and-white noir vibe perfectly captures the despair of “Bad City,” and the thrilling genre contrasts show that the film wears its influences proudly while simultaneously being a work of its own.

— Cory Cogley

I need to see this.

— Isaac Handelman

The Little Stranger (2018) • Directed by Lenny Abrahamson

When I reviewed The Little Stranger for the Inlander, I called it “a case study for the artificial, limiting nature of genre classification.” Though not straightforwardly a horror movie, Lenny Abrahamson’s period piece slowly reveals a creeping psychological rot that unfurls amidst a quiet character study. Ultimately, it proves smarter and more unsettling than most of its more traditional genre brethren. Cory (and reader), you need to see this under-appreciated gem.

— Isaac Handelman

Thoughts? Feelings? Angry disagreements? Unbelievable omissions? Leave a comment. And Happy Halloween viewing to all!