This article highlights ten horror films that most agree are close to perfection but fall short of greatness. It explores films like "Us" (2019), "Tigers Are Not Afraid" (2017), "Freaks" (1932), "Saint Maud" (2019), and "The Invitation" (2015), discussing their memorable aspects and flaws.
Horror has shaped cinema for decades. It has not just created a legacy beyond entertainment, but beyond our wildest dreams, providing timeless entertainment that we can never forget.
The genre has dominated the box office every decade, reached the heights of the Academy Awards, and influenced pop culture as we know it today. In short, what would we be without some of horror's greatest hits? But we can't just talk about the best of the best. We also got to discuss the near-perfect.
The ones we all love but admittedly see flaws with. I'm talking about the horror hits throughout the years that most of us agree are close to perfection, but not quite. These ten featured below are memorable, widely praised, but clearly with some faults that rank them lower than, say, The Thing, Halloween, or The Silence of the Lambs. These are well above average and just come up short of greatness, and here they are now.
'Us' Riding off the success of his early horror masterpiece Get Out, Jordan Peele was quick to make a name for himself in the genre and released another massive standout, Us, a flawed yet incredibly fascinating modern cult favorite. Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o leads in this bizarre, one-of-a-kind chiller about a family on vacation as they fight for their lives when the U.S. is invaded by murderous doppelgängers.
You'll laugh, you'll shiver in terror, but you'll never forget Us, as it's a mind-bending and utterly freaky thriller unlike anything else. Its premise is beyond unique, exploring multiple ideas about society and issues, and evoking different emotions from those who watch it. Is it perfect? That's up to interpretation.
Its confusing premise, combined with the slow pace, might push some viewers away, but it's well worth the watch still and competes alongside Jordan Peele's two other tremendous trailblazers in his filmography.
'Tigers Are Not Afraid' Take a strange journey in this near-perfect dark fantasy tale. Hailing from Mexico, 2017's Tigers Are Not Afraid isn't that well-known, but it's one of the most gripping hidden-gem horror movies in recent memory. It's darkly creative and visually twisted, featuring an excellent story about a young girl in a damaged, crime-ridden neighborhood as she follows a local orphaned street gang while seeing visions of the dead.
It's a story that's unlike anything else, combining fantasy elements, horror, and social commentary all into one flawlessly crafted film. While some might find it hard to get behind its strange imagery, uneven scares, and lack of star power, Tigers Are Not Afraid more than makes up for these shortcomings with well-structured storytelling and creativity.
It may not have made a huge splash when it was released in a highly competitive year for horror cinema, but it's slowly gaining more traction.
'Freaks' Cited as one of the earliest influences on horror cinema, 1932's Freaks was a true standout of the genre during its rise in the pre-code Hollywood era, but admittedly, it's far from perfect. It's a unique tale that combines drama, suspense, and chilling body horror, following the story of a greedy, prejudiced circus artist as her attempt to marry into one of the sideshow performers' wealth backfires once he and his friends realize her deception.
Freaks was well ahead of its time, a boundary pusher that influenced violence in horror and dared for more mature storytelling. It was a fascinatingly creepy horror tale that was unlike anything audiences back then ever experienced, becoming quite controversial as a result. But it's not without some criticisms, as it is flawed in its uneven tone, and with the editing being all over the place in parts, which was brought on by heavy censorship issues by the studio.
Regardless of its faults, Freaks is still widely considered a revolutionary cult classic.
'Saint Maud' A shockingly bold and undeniably creepy exploration of fanaticism and mental illness, 2019's Saint Maud takes religious horror to unsettling new heights of terror. Directed by Rose Glass in her feature film debut, Saint Maud shows the terrifying effects of obsession and blind faith being taken to the extreme. It follows a troubled young nurse as her misguided belief that she's being called for a divine purpose causes a spiraling mental breakdown.
It's a slow-burning, dreadful, and hauntingly bleak modern cult classic that knows just how to get under your skin. Some might find its lack of intense scares and slow build-up boring and not worth the wait, but these truly lead to a satisfying and brutal payoff that's certainly unforgettable. Saint Maud isn't flawless or the most remembered, but it's undeniably scary and a definite horror highlight in recent years.
'The Invitation' Settle in for one nail-biting experience. Released in 2015, The Invitation is a slow-burning mystery horror thriller where the terror is subtle and takes its time, and its few moments of shocking terror are undeniably effective. Starring Logan Marshall-Green, it follows a man, still grappling with the death of his son, as he's invited to his ex-wife's dinner party, only to slowly suspect she and her strange-acting new support group of friends are hiding a murderous plot.
It feels much like a Hitchcock thriller, meaning it's the mounting sense of dread and atmosphere that's really holding the audience's attention. There is so much build-up to the obvious yet eerily unexpected reveal that we, the audience, have been waiting for the entire first two acts. Admittedly, the slow pace and quiet horror aren't for everyone, and it does meander at points.
However, that doesn't distract from its well-constructed premise and gut-punching third act. Overall, The Invitation is solid and can provide decent chills, so long as you're willing to wait.
'Re-Animator' Get ready for the gory, spectacular thrill ride that defined '80s horror B-movie cinema. Released in 1985, Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator is the cheesy, blood-soaked splatter fest that best represented the campy spirit of this awesome decade. Starring cult favorites like Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, and David Gale, it follows ambitious, half-crazed medical student Herbert West as he creates a re-animating serum that brings dead bodies back as unstable monsters.
Re-Animator is an ultimate horror comedy cult classic that, despite its admitted ridiculousness, holds a special place in the hearts of fans. Sure, it doesn't have the most convincing effects, acting, or production quality, but it never tried to be anything short of campy fun. It's possibly the ultimate B-movie classic of its decade, a quaint but undeniably disturbing movie that has earned its current status as a foundational piece of horror cinema.
'The Mist' From the incredible collaboration between director Frank Darabont and horror writer Stephen King comes one of their most fascinating combined efforts that showed the unique talents of both storytellers, The Mist. Thomas Jane and Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden lead this story about a small group of townsfolk as they hold out in a grocery store while a mysterious mist, brought on by government testing, rolls in, unleashing a horde of flesh-hungry monsters.
The story is simple yet well-executed and full of compelling themes and interesting character development. It's also perfectly acted, eerily mysterious, and shockingly bloody in parts, making it truly a horror lover's delight. Its issues, however, are noticeable as its writing is a bit uneven, it's full of frustrating character moments, and there's no looking past the fact that the CGI monsters' effects range from decent-looking at their best and mediocre at their worst.
But, The Mist is still an impressive feature regardless of the few problems stopping it from being so close to being one of the all-time greats.
'Oddity' Scaring its way to becoming arguably the most spine-chilling horror movie of 2024, Damian McCarthy's underrated cult classic Oddity deserves a mention as a film so close to becoming a masterpiece. It's haunting, atmospheric, and powerfully unsettling, telling a memorable tale of a greedy doctor who conspires to have his wife murdered over possession of their new home.
His new life is threatened when the deceased wife's blind medium sister comes to visit one night to enact some supernatural justice. Subscribe to the newsletter for smarter horror picks Hungry for deeper horror discoveries and sharper takes? Subscribing to the newsletter gives curated recommendations, scene-by-scene analysis, and hidden-gem spotlights that help you build a smarter horror watchlist and understand what makes near-classics tick.
Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Oddity is a fascinating gem that more and more people truly need to see. The mystery is gripping and can hold your attention until the very end, and it's full of perfectly placed jumpscares.
Its story is also very twisted and layered, and just makes you wonder what will happen next. It's a shame it's been massively overshadowed by other, more recognizable and successful films of the year it was released. It didn't make the biggest splash, but perhaps over time, its impact will be felt over time.
'Carnival of Souls' Herk Harvey's 1962 indie masterpiece Carnival of Souls is one of the most influential and timeless horror classics you probably never heard of. It's about a woman who was the sole survivor of a horrible car accident and moves to a new town to cope with the grief. But strange hallucinations and the appearance of ghostly individuals draw her to a mysterious abandoned carnival at the edge of town.
It's a film boosted by impressive scares and eerie dread, despite being made on such a small budget. Carnival of Souls was not the biggest hit when it was released, and quietly slipped under the radar for most people, but it has since garnered well-deserved recognition as a trailblazer of the genre. Its story feels ageless and constantly freaky, and its indie style has helped give rise to more independent filmmakers to tell their stories.
'Repulsion' Finally, the last spot goes to Roman Polanski's Repulsion, a 1965 psychological horror nightmare flick. It's a twisted, surreal nailbiter that, like the others in Polanski's iconic apartment-centered horror trilogy consisting of The Tenant and Rosemary's Baby, is a claustrophobic terror that confines the audience to mostly a single location. It follows a woman with a deep fear of men as her days-long isolation in her sister's apartment slowly unravels her mind.
Repulsion is near flawless, featuring exceptional writing, direction, and performances. Despite its age, it can still quite unsettle even the most seasoned horror lovers thanks to its haunting tone and mounting tension. It doesn't often get brought up in the discussion about the greatest horror movies in history, as much as it is being mostly obscure, and because Polanski's other masterpiece, Rosemary's Baby, is the most recognizable hit from his time in the horror genre.
But, still, it's a remarkable achievement that truly is perfect, even though it doesn't quite often get mentioned. Repulsion Not Rated Drama Thriller Horror Release Date October 2, 1965 Cast Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser, Yvonne Furneaux, Patrick Wymark, Renée Houston, Valerie Taylor, James Villiers, Helen Fraser, Monica Merlin, Hugh Futcher, Imogen Graham, Mike Pratt, Roman Polanski Runtime 105 Minutes Director Roman Polanski Writers Roman Polanski, Gerard Brach Powered by Expand Collapse
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