Top 10 Most Original Horror Movies of the Decade (So Far)

These horror movies knocked it out of the park! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most unique horror films of the decade in terms of plot, execution, and theme. Our countdown of the most original horror movies of the decade so far includes “Barbarian”, "Prey", “Possessor”, and more! Can you think of any more original horror movies that have come out this decade? Let us know in the comments below!
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#Horror
#Movies
#Original
#Scary
#Scariest
#Innovative
#2024
#2020s

[@WatchMojo]

Can you think of any more original horror movies that have come out this decade? Let us know in the comments below! For more horror content, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZSkoaJ-d8aEg5o Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

[@Funny.Man101]

What did one toilet say to another? You look flushed

[@Reaperguy67]

​@@Funny.Man101 not even funny. I can tell you copy and paste it alot

[@sonofkarma5461]

You watchmojo guys forgot to add the movie “Smile“ that movie was an original masterpiece

[@Reaperguy67]

@@sonofkarma5461 do you know of any other streaming services that have that one. Never seen it before

[@adriennemeyer3408]

Come True was genuinely unsettling and The Void was proof that practical effects still have a edge over cgi.

[@codyhiginbotham6616]

This proves that original horror movie ideas aren’t gone

[@jimbo9208]

this proves that there are still original ideas

[@codyhiginbotham6616]

@@jimbo9208 Exactly

[@CodyFairlessLee]

If only someone in Hollywood will take a chance on my original horror movie.

[@eurydicesdumpster90210]

"LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL" took my soul and never gave it back, definitely a 10 out 10!

[@khush1894]

I still dont understand if it was all a hypnotism or did the devil really exist.

[@sonofkarma5461]

Smile was a psychological Masterpiece

[@maxpatrickhaynes2194]

I *LOVED* this movie!!!! It blew me away. And the use of practical effects, was outstanding AND soooo creative. Especially the possession scene in particular!!!

[@dyreckta23]

It was good

[@DMBFAN90]

It was ok. But just ok. Easy does it. 6 out of 10 at best.

[@robk.6591]

When Evil Lurks should be on this list. It practically rewrote the demon possession genre.

[@lou.h8131]

Barbarian was fucking insaneeeee

[@BeefStuMacher]

I watched _Late Night with the Devil_ last night. One of the best horror movies I've seen in quite a while.

[@Pukez91]

Really ?

[@furki_21]

You forgot Jordan Peele‘s movies

[@HeiferTheHeliumHuffer]

I'm shocked that Nope is not on here, especially considering all the underlying themes Jordan Peele manages to convey in his movies

[@verbalassault87]

All his films were ok-ish but candy man the remake was not bad kind of slow but still a neat idea

[@tracidavis3565]

Nope is so over rated IMO.

[@Mattyhull1]

Malignant, Thanksgiving and of course... TERRIFIER!!!!!

[@amanwholovesmovies3182]

Terrifier isnt exactly original since it was a sequel to a 2016 movie

[@jamespaul6315]

Malignant was god awful

[@verbalassault87]

You said thanksgiving what a dumbass movie

[@dragonjames7911]

Malignant is the scariest original horror movie I’ve ever seen

[@shawnatowner6459]

I'm surprised Smile isn't on this list.

[@jimbo9208]

it base off a short film

[@RevSven]

Smile is just Drag Me to Hell without the humor

[@verbalassault87]

It was ok lacking at the end but not great like the Harold and kumar brown guy was a stupid character

[@verbalassault87]

@@RevSvendrag me to hell was decent and I don’t even like Justin long

[@garrettpeck4437]

Smile is a good film, but I wouldn't say it's that original. It's reminiscent of several other films (Truth or Dare and It Follows, to name two).

[@RachelNobody]

Late Night With the Devil should be much higher imo. one of the best newer horrors I've seen and I'm a huge fan. Definitely on my recommendation list and I can't wait to see it again

[@maxpatrickhaynes2194]

I’ve seen it 3 times at the theater!!! I *LOVED* this movie!!!

[@mr.decencykeepinitreal6348]

‘Prey’ = THE BEST PREDATOR PREQUEL EVER MADE!

[@chanelhenderson8460]

Its also the only....predator prequel ever made so not much competition

[@JohnTravis1965]

Definitely the best Predator film made after the original.

[@tronman9227]

Yeah... Got a weird feeling you don't know why predator fans like it.

[@DiamondDead]

The feral predator in it acts more like a brute forcing villain than a hunter. the story beats of the movie simply immitate the original. and the girl suddenly at the end overpowering the predator was quite a stretch when even Arnold barely made it out alive through the original movie. It's a very soft and by the numbers rehash of the original. also the new predator face design looked bad. just my opinion.

[@agnosticdevotee]

@@DiamondDead true.

[@phantomrequim]

The Menu was really good.

[@kathrynthegreat1111]

Agree 👍

[@Moonlight-uv4mu]

Was it scary?

[@garrettpeck4437]

The Menu was my favorite film of 2022. And that was a really good year for horror films.

[@Milton2k]

"Censor" and "Men" are quite underestimated IMO. Both kind of artsy flicks, both portraying an specific look. Both great.

[@ViewerOnline101]

First of all, Prey was not a horror movie, nor was it original, as it was a Predator movie in a more primitive time. Second, The Invisible Man, as good as it was, is a remake, thus, by definition, not original.

[@niyabark152]

Womp Womp

[@norestwicked6125]

Acthually

[@mike91mdk45]

I concur

[@jamespaul6315]

It definitely could count as horror. Just because you dont find it scary doesnt mean it isnt.

[@ScarysReviews]

and the invisible man remake, is bad

[@justagamer2672]

Glad to see the shout-out to Censor. I personally would have added Pearl and a smaller film called "Meander" from 2020. It has a few similarities with Cube, but definitely does its own thing.

[@Jeremiahgoff]

Late night with the devil is so good. It scared The living crap out of me still when I bear films of this year in the horror genre

[@dragonjames7911]

Late night with the Devil is the most near flawless horror movie I’ve ever seen in my life!!!💯

[@maxpatrickhaynes2194]

💯

[@Milton2k]

"The menu' is a recent favorite.

[@sonofkarma5461]

You watchmojo guys forgot to add the movie “Smile“ that movie was an original masterpiece

[@jimbo9208]

it bases of a short film

[@sonofkarma5461]

@@jimbo9208 how?

[@jimbo9208]

@@sonofkarma5461 what do you mean how?

[@sonofkarma5461]

@@jimbo9208 lemme rephrase it, what do you mean by “Bases of a short film” and where?

[@jimbo9208]

@@sonofkarma5461 look it up

[@paypaul138]

This is another beautiful lineup 🎉

[@elizabethmusztuk5923]

Couple years ago, we saw "The Menu": it's good but a little scary.

[@Milton2k]

Was expecting from little to nothing from "The Invisible Man"... such a nice surprise.

[@tomcabler3084]

I'm surprised X isn't at least honorable mention? However I do think I agree with some of your pics!

[@jake4974]

Midsommar? Ari Aster is a wizard.

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

That may be a little too much for me to handle.

[@bourbonernie9534]

That wasn't this decade, though

[@jake4974]

@@bourbonernie9534 oh, I was thinking in the last decade. Decade as in the 20s. Yes, you're right. I thought that list was weird. I get it now

[@codyhiginbotham6616]

If someone says “that premise has been told before” remember that now it’s being told in your own way

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

MEGAN...She made The Killer Robot Genre Awesome again.

[@sonofkarma5461]

Yes, they should’ve added that too, and in the movie SMILE

[@jonathancaldwell6342]

Didn't care for Megan or Smile.

[@verbalassault87]

Horrible movie cool practical shit but just boring as hell

[@sonofkarma5461]

@@jonathancaldwell6342 why?

[@jonathancaldwell6342]

@@sonofkarma5461 I didn't think it was scary. Or I'm not a big fan of horror or sci-fi.

[@MsRapture16]

Thanks for this list because I love horror/thriller movies. I just watched "Talk to Me" and loved it!!! The Menu (which was excellently acted and I loved the premise) and I have some more movies to view

[@isaacwilliams7133]

I personally wanna mention SKINAMARINK. Its by far the most original and everyone I know who watched it would agree its an unnerving and difficult movie to get through, but if you can push through you will have watched one of the most interesting and weird movies ever. its filmed completely though liminal imagery like TV sets, scattered kids toys, and empty hallways with our 2 protagonist whispering throughout while they try and survive till their parents return after disappearing along with all the windows and doors. I heard someone say "saying skinamarink poked through my defenses is like saying a wrecking ball poked through a dilapidated building. its a bizarre and even frustrating film".

[@blinkowarner3117]

It might not be for everyone's tastes, but I loved that movie! Wildly original.

[@tonnix86]

Suspiria... pretty original. Should have gotten an honorable mention.

[@DJGamingSmash]

The original or the remake?

[@iorn9814]

Late night with the devil was the best possession movie ever. It got tension right 10 out of 10. Honestly number 1

[@JohnTravis1965]

Might have to check out Beau Is Afraid. The visuals and general description given here make me imagine a head-on collision between David Lynch and Terry Gilliam.

[@Milton2k]

"Host" is a great example of ingenuity. Not the best script, but the way it was executed should be praised.

[@jaydoubleu3419]

Late night with the devil is the best one on this list

[@tonsofcookies]

"Skinamarink" should have been an honorable mention.

[@verbalassault87]

Wasn’t that just an audio sensory deprivation movie I think it was a shit movie and nothing got resolved just horrible had that movie that would come on the audio every time I hated that movie

[@blinkowarner3117]

@@verbalassault87 Learn how to type your crappy opinion in a proper sentence.

[@sneakymia1]

Nosferatu, hammer films, exorcist, birds, Halloween, final destination, Japanese films, it

[@jimbo9208]

all of those are base off books

[@khalidhatim7035]

Birds? Really?? Birds???

[@cringenamehere3920]

Skinamarink was experimental as fuck but it was amazing no jumpscares, no kills, just straight up horrifying sound design and a story clouded in horror

[@Sadik90tom]

Prey and The invisible man shouldn't be on this list since they are prequel and remake of existing franchises and stories.

[@tracidavis3565]

Malignant, Thanksgiving, Smile……We need another list please. Also, The Invisible Man was amazing, should have been #1. I go back and forth with liking The Menu to not. I’ve never had that kind of reaction to a movie before lol

[@chryssmetzler2098]

Malignant was pretty good cheesy but good.

[@chanelhenderson8460]

I still have to watch talk to me & late night with the devil. I'm not a possession horror fan at all but I have to see the hype behind talk to me & with other film I've always liked David Dastmalchian. Prey was so good. The Menu is a masterpiece & Invisible Man was phenomenal

[@giovannidecristofaro8905]

There is a Netflix Italian movie, “a classic horror story”, that bends the demonic cult trope in a spiral of meta, that might have been off the radar for most but it’s worth a watch

[@corymorimacori1059]

“Fish puppets and muppets to stir the fears up, I squeeze screams outta chocolate syrup!” Alfred Hitchcock

[@chanelhenderson8460]

That & Smile have to be the most over hyped films in a long time

[@jamesm3471]

The Menu aka Dessert with Amon Göth was definitely an interesting one.

[@7amart177]

You forgot others like nope, VHS 94, smile, the nighthouse, immaculate and coming home in the dark

[@doublecommenter5161]

Horror and Sci Fi is killing it this past decade.

[@Kingasm06]

‘It Follows’ should’ve made this list

[@sirusbones]

I'm happy to say that I've seen most of these. Late Night With The Devil was absolutely fucking amazing!

[@Cokoshea]

Surprised not to see St. Maud, X, and Pearl on this list.

[@waittillfamewtf2385]

"Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin" (2021)

[@matthewcrome5835]

Titane seems like it has a similar premise to Baurillard's/Cronenberg's Crash.

[@halfghaniteevee3559]

Barbarian = Underrated 💎💯

[@matthewcrome5835]

Is it just me or does David Dalmastalchian look EXACTLY like the guy from Mulholland Drive?

[@bribrigirl115]

A movie I never see brought up that I adore is Fresh starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. It’s so tongue in cheek about today’s dating scene and what we should really be looking out for. Highly highly recommend, phenomenal story and acting and an all around great time!

[@dylansearcy3966]

1:33 bill skarsgard

[@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719]

Yes

[@jBurNaa]

Talk to me was good

[@DJGamingSmash]

In what universe is The Menu remotely original? Especially the whole third act of the film? The sheer amount of movies it shamelessly ripped off by recreating the exact same way killed that movie for me, it's enertaining, but it's not good. Not a single original idea. They even mimicked the score of Midsommar during the scene that they did Midsommar, which is ironic, because that film is basically The Wicker Man and Kill List. Deus Ex Ratatouille made me lose my actual mind, it was the third show that year to reference the film, after EEAAO and Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities ep.6 I would've replaced that entry with i'm thinking of ending things, haven't seen another film quite like it, a Charlie Kaufman staple, of course. Only problem with putting that on the list is that it's based on a book and therefore not original, even with the changed structure and ending.

[@Retrogradegirl]

Stop motion should be on this list

[@israelnevarez3118]

Sputnik was a good alien movie. I also liked Life.

[@shelbyb1550]

I'm surprised that Nope isn't even an honorable mention

[@MrPuzzles]

The lack of Nope pretty much invalidates this list.

[@mdturnerinoz]

Talk to Me and Prey were awesome! The Scamdemic was a HORROR OF ITS OWN! You may have covered "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" before, but it is awesomely creepy!

[@bell6dandy564]

Beau is afraid is definitely very original, but after the lightning in a bottle strikes twice of Hereditary and Midsommar I won't lie, I was disappointed. Still I do appreciate all of Mr. Asters works. Also, why no When Evil Lurks? I can see how it's not TRULY unoriginal ad in it's main story evolves around the birth of Evil/possession, but DAMN if that movie didn't take it to some untrod paths! The story, visuals, everything was absolutely stunning, and even though it's script is spoken in Portuguese, making subtitles necessary I feel like it def ADDED to a story with an added folk take that m8ght not be real, but to dizzy Americans it most likely upps the scare factor! My kids and I have spent years watching subtitled anime etc, so have zero issue with reading them and still seeing the whole story but I know that most people might find it distracting, depending on thier reading skill. I confess, though, that the children I had after we started watching anime started to read, understand, and read QUICKER at every level once exposed to them.

[@Milton2k]

Have heard great things about "Beau is Afraid"... yet also in my "to watch" list still. Most likely my kind of movie yet most likely not for everyone by the looks of it.

[@furkanbozdag8198]

Nice video

[@gabrielcruz1656]

Have you seen a movie called: "When Evil Lurks". Maybe not, because is from Argentina. You know, the mexican south. You shoul look for it, you may consider it some time in your videos

[@pulkittorres]

Some of the movies here aren't really horror genre. The Menu , Prey etc.They are more suspense thriller & action sci-fi tbh.

[@sheemalmighty]

Would You Rather is 1 of the most underrated horror movies of all time

[@CodyFairlessLee]

I only like THE INVISIBLE MAN and I can't wait for the sequel!

[@Luke-ko8hq]

Where's The Wailing ???. The Babadook ??? Pearl ???

[@maymay1974]

You mentioned awesome movies but you need to expand your horizons.

[@dylansearcy3966]

2:14 why is it called barbarian? When i hear barbarian i think of an outsider of a civilization or society otherized as uncivilized and foreign

[@jusjinx6664]

When Evil lurks Cobweb The Offering The Blackening

[@michellewesterfeld740]

Orphan should definitely be on this list

[@stewsmith3189]

UMMMM. Hello???? Mandy. X. Color outer space. Was yall sleeping

[@ROS1101]

Late night with the devil was fantastic right up until the very end. The ending was its biggest failure

[@andrewjmcquinn9996]

I thought X might make it even in Honorable mentions

[@shawnflynn357]

I really thought that Pearl should’ve been on this list

[@Milton2k]

I really liked "Infinity Pool", yet I have not watched "Possessor"... tnx for the reminder.

[@neilbender3050]

BONES AND ALL, RESURRECTION & INCANTATION

[@mike91mdk45]

Thought the guy in the thumbnail was the exploding head from scanners

[@jfgibson73]

I really expected Mad God would get a mention.

[@KMacMerlin]

How is the invisible man original?

[@randomreviews4278]

10:08 yess God yes

[@problematicgoose]

Sooo... a lot of recent movies have the same concept of some video games, no?

[@giovannidecristofaro8905]

Titane…I’m very fond of elevated horror and, as an European, I can connect with the language of film d’essay…but Titane for me was crap, pardon my French

[@LPGamerOo]

The goofy part when the monster Kool aid man's threw the ass in Barbarian was a little random but didn't ruin the otherwise great movie

[@johnnystrangelove]

Well ... Where "When the Evil Lurks"? That's a movie with an original twist.

[@josh72456]

I’ve only seen The Menu and The Invisible Man.

[@harryhill8543]

Late Night With The Devil original? Not really. If you know about horror you will know about Ghost Watch (BBC). I encourage you to not only seek it out, but the real story about the impact it had when it was shown on TV for the first and only time. It makes Late Night With The Devil look like a kiddies movie.

[@lls3676]

Late Night With the Devil is the first movie I enjoyed this year. 👍

[@Ceazurhaha]

WHEN EVIL LURKS?!

[@hannahdelvecchio7521]

I have a Gastonia suggestion

[@christiancampbell3825]

Ive seen all and Talk to Me hits different

[@tylergoodman3560]

The menu is my favorite. 🎉

[@evannShipley83]

forgot about invisible man it was so good

[@jimbo9208]

that not an original idea

[@randomreviews4278]

4:25 if only I can find this

[@XJIcequeen]

I love The Menu

[@JOjoMunich]

What about „Smile“?

[@jimbo9208]

base off a short film

[@user-my6tn8wc6f]

Barbarian was really good