Top 20 Horror Movies You Probably Haven't Seen (2022 Update)

Another year has come and gone and we are back to ARKTOBER, so bring on the horror movies! Every year I like to shout out some of my favorite genre’s hidden gems, so below is my annual article, updated with some new quality flicks. Enjoy 2022’s 20 Best Horror Movies You Probably haven’t seen! 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Not because you can finally get your pumpkin-spiced everything that you’ve been waiting for, though that certainly doesn’t hurt. Not because the leaves are starting to change to beautiful colors. Tis’ the season of Halloween, bringing with it the annual bingeing of our favorite spooky stories, but great horror movies can be hard to find. So here is a list of my personal favorites that you probably haven’t seen. (less than 50,000 ratings on IMDB). So let’s get to it.

20. The Devil’s Candy (2015) 20,000 Streaming: Amazon Prime

This isn’t a flick that is likely to give you nightmares or stick with you long after you’ve finished watching but it is a lot of fun and does have a few moments guaranteed to make you feel squirmish. It’s a short and stylish homage to occult films and adds another strong film to Byrne’s resume.

19. One Cut of the Dead (2017) - 24,000 Streaming: Amazon Prime

What starts as what looks like a student film, quickly develops into one of the most creative zombie movies to date. One Cut of the Dead brings cleverness to the zombie subgenre while honoring those that came before. Also, don’t let it fool you. Though this may seem like a cheaply produced horror-comedy, One Cut of the Dead truly has some of the most ingenious camera-work in recent memory. 

18. Men (2022) - 32,000 Digitally Available for Rental/Purchase

Alex Garland’s folk horror could certainly be described as polarizing. Garland does a masterful job of creating tension while exploring the cycle of toxic masculinity. Though the themes aren’t subtle, a strong performance from Jessie Buckly and the rest of this small ensemble deliver them with a haunting grace that allows tension to grow slowly as the story unfolds. Then be prepared for all subtly to fly out the window in the last 20 minutes.

17. Possessor (2020) - 36,000 Streaming on Hulu

Brandon Cronenberg gives us a fever dream of a film that is cerebral and brutal. This unrelenting venture is outlandish but strangely grounded. Brilliant performances give life to a bloody story that is guaranteed to leave audiences in a state of shock and awe.

16. Eyes Without A Face (1960) - 32,000 Streaming on HBO Max

This chilling fairy tale of guilt and obsession, which made audiences faint when it was first released, still holds up almost 60 years later and is poetically horrific.

15. Lake Mungo (2008) - 23,000 Streaming on Tubi and Sling TV

Another strong story that uses the frame of a documentary to help shape a creepy movie-going experience that is guaranteed to satisfy those who are patient. Not to mention the performces are underpplayed in such a way that brings a genuine sense of realism that only adds to the eeriness.

14. Host (2020) - 29,000 Streaming on Amazon Prime

This is not the first time that conference-call cinema has been used but it is certainly the most effective attempt that I’ve seen. Rob Savage and his team have delivered a quarantine flick that is tonally spot-on while delivering genuinely creepy jump scares and some brutal imagery. The short runtime allows for this flick to give you feature-length frights without overstaying its welcome.

13. A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) - 35,000 Streaming on Tubi and Pluto TV

This unique genre-bending vampire film is equal parts romantic, emotional, and creepy as all of the elements come together to create something truly astounding. Ana Lily Amirpour’s directorial debut is one that surely should not be missed.

12. Tigers Are Not Afraid (2019) - 7,600 Streaming on Amazon Prime

Issa López gives us a wonderfully dark fairy tale about a group of children fighting to survive the violent environment created by drug cartels. The imagery is unforgettable as we watch this story perfectly blend grounded realism with magical fantasy, with a result that is guaranteed to garner an emotional reaction. 

11. Pearl (2022) 4,300 Currently in Theaters

2022 has been a banner year for Horror Cinema and Ti West has been leading the pack, bringing us 67% of a  terrifying trilogy in one year. Though “X”, a wonderfully wild movie in its own right, doesn’t qualify for this list due to its viewing numbers, its prequel Pearl certainly does and may even be better than it’s predecessor. Mia Goth takes us on a gripping journey into the world of Pearl as we slowly start to see her unwind, culminating in a 9-minute monologue that is nothing short of Oscar-Worthy. 

10. Black Christmas (1974) - 41,000 Streaming on Amazon Prime

When you think of incredible slasher movies, very rarely does this movie get mentioned along with the other greats. That is a travesty as this could very well be the best the genre ever was. The imagery is downright terrifying and sets the stage for all those that came after. Almost 50 years later, Black Christmas holds up as a must watch for any fan of the slasher sub-genre.

9. The Loved Ones (2009) - 41,000 Stream on Pluto TV

Sean Byrne has made two movies and they are both on this list. The Loved Ones is horrifically mesmerizing and filled with so many WTF moments that you will wonder why you are still watching but won’t want to turn away. 

8. Honeymoon (2014) - 26,000 Stream on Hulu

This incredibly uncomfortable film will have your skin tingling by the end of it and it’s stars (Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway) give two all-out performances that make the horror feel so real because of its roots in real-life fears and anxieties.

7. Titane (2021) - 44,000 Stream on Hulu

Julia Ducournau follows up her Masterpiece “Raw” (a movie once on this very list), with a sophomore effort that is even more mind-bending than her debut. This absolutely wild and shocking tale depicts very grounded human experiences in a hyperbolic way that sticks with you days after the credits roll. 

6. Thirst (2009) - 47,000 Stream on Tubi

This unique story adds a refreshing breath of life into the Vampire sub-genre that has been poorly done so many times before. Add Chan-Wook Park’s insane ability to make every frame breathtakingly beautiful and you have a movie that shouldn’t be missed.

5. Murder Party (2007) - 11,196 Streaming on Prime Video

The Horror/Comedy sub-genre is one filled with incredible films but Murder Party may very well be the best! The first outing of Jeremy Saulnier is top-notch filled with incredible banter and a gnarly finale that is unlike any other.

4. Barbarian (2022) - 11,000 Currently In Theaters

From start to finish, Barbarian is one of those rare films that gets weirder and weirder with each passing minute without ever losing the thread. Darkly humorous in moments and paralyzingly tense in others, Barbarian delivers an incredible viewing experience. The jury is still out on whether or not it will have the mileage to hold up after multiple viewings but as of now, I would consider it a must watch for horror fans. 

3. Speak No Evil (2022) - 7,600 Streaming on Shudder

Placing Speak No Evil this high on the list feels, for lack of a better word, icky. Performances are pitch perfect. Themes around respectability politics in times of crisis resonate deeply. It is disturbing, infuriating, and holds zero punches. I say this without an ounce of hyperbole; this is the one of the most disturbing watches in the last 20 years. Approach this movie with an abundance of caution.

2. Watcher (2022) - 17,000 Streaming on Shudder

Chloe Okuno presents us with a coldy gorgeous film that perfectly mondernizes the hitchcockian thriller. Watcher is a  bleak and purposefully unkind look into navigating anxiety in a patriarical world. A world that constantly invalidates the experience of women, taking the protagonist, masterfully played by Maika Monroe, and the audience through feelings of doubt and unease, with a finale that moved me out of my seat.

1. The House of the Devil (2009) - 47,000 Streaming on Prime Video

This is a nostalgic homage to 70’s horror that is downright perfect! Perfect pacing and well-placed scares elevate The House of the Devil to a level rarely achieved. Tension never leaves the air in a story that seems familiar but at the same time, incredibly unique. A Must Watch.