The Best of Horror by Year (2000s)
The first decade of horror in the new millennium was extremely strong. Over time it may even prove that it was a Silver Age of Horror beginning with the release of Scream (1996) in 1996. The biggest change for this decade was how word of mouth spread. The advent of the Internet allowed for cult films to become widely known and helped foster the development of fantastic international scenes in Japan, France, Spain, and Scandinavia.
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- DirectorMary HarronStarsChristian BaleJustin TherouxJosh LucasA wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.Runners-Up: Audition - Ginger Snaps (2000)
American Psycho is by and large the superior film of 2000, but fans of gore clamor for Audition and purists look to Ginger Snaps. Vampires and slashers ruled the box office, but Christian Bale owned the screen as the deranged Patrick Bateman. An early first taste of talent for one of the dominating actors of the decade. - DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsMarisa ParedesEduardo NoriegaFederico LuppiAfter Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets which he must uncover.Runners-Up: Session 9 (2001) - Frailty (2001)
If you had asked me in 2001, I would have said Jeepers Creepers (2001). Over time vastly better films have gained widespread recognition and acclaim. The Devil's Backbone is a brilliant period horror that blows its Spanish sister The Others (2001) out of the water. Session 9 and Frailty round out some rare chiller titles for the 00's. - DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyNaomie HarrisChristopher EcclestonFour weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the United Kingdom, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.Runner-Up: The Ring (2002)
There are a ton of good indie horrors in 2002 such as May (2002), Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) and Dog Soldiers (2002), but 28 Days Later is largely responsible for blowing the levees that were holding back the horror flood. It only slightly edged out The Ring, that was equally important for sparking the studio rush for foreign language horror films. Danny Boyle's zombies were down right terrifying and the whole motif fit perfectly with societal concerns in a post-911 world. - DirectorAlexandre AjaStarsCécile de FranceMaïwennPhilippe NahonBest friends Marie and Alexia decide to spend a quiet weekend at Alexia's parents' secluded farmhouse. But on the night of their arrival, the girls' idyllic getaway turns into an endless night of horror.Runner-Up: Underworld (2003)
In comparison to other years of the decade, 2003 is slightly underwhelming as a flood of remakes and lackluster tentpoles went up in Hollywood. The biggest note is that High Tension helped begin the New French Extreme, but most Americans wouldn't get a taste of it until 2005. A few years ahead of its time, High Tension's level of gore really set it apart from other horror movies at this time. - DirectorJames WanStarsCary ElwesLeigh WhannellDanny GloverTwo men awaken to find themselves on the opposite sides of a dead body, each with specific instructions to kill the other or face consequences. These two are the latest victims of the Jigsaw Killer.Runner-Up: Shaun of the Dead (2004)
2004 featured a massive burst of horror films. Saw introduced the world to torture porn while a torrent of zombie films began to overwhelm the genre. Hollywood still continued to remake old and foreign films, but there were some good ones this time in Dawn of the Dead (2004) and The Grudge (2004). Saw proved to be the new face of horror and helped to shape the rest of the decade. - DirectorNeil MarshallStarsShauna MacdonaldNatalie MendozaAlex ReidA caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.Runner-Up: The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Following Saw and High Tension's examples, the rest of the genre took off its gloves and got brutal. The Descent stormed through the United Kingdom, while Rob Zombie and Eli Roth shocked American audiences. The Devil's Rejects may have been utterly depraved and frightening, but The Descent provided one of the tightest horrors since Alien (1979). - DirectorScott GlossermanStarsNathan BaeselAngela GoethalsZelda RubinsteinThe next great killer and psychopath has given a documentary film crew exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of terror over the quiet town of Glen Echo.Runner-Up: Slither (2006)
Behind the Mask is a great film for fans of the genre and provided a fresh look at the stale slasher sub-genre. Slither probably is a little more recognized, especially with Nathan Fillion's wildly devoted fanbase. A fairly lackluster year for horror compared to the rest of the decade. - DirectorJaume BalagueróPaco PlazaStarsManuela VelascoFerran TerrazaJorge-Yamam SerranoA television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.Runners-Up: The Orphanage - The Mist (2007)
2007 proved that Spain could produce some seriously awesome horror titles and that Stephen King was still vastly relevant to the industry. It was an extremely strong year with tons of sequels and plenty of great new originals. [REC] stands out though with its masterful pacing and immaculate use of the shaky cam. - DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsKåre HedebrantLina LeanderssonPer RagnarOskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.Runners-Up: Eden Lake (2008) - Martyrs (2008)
In terms of quality, this is perhaps the strongest year of the decade. Independent and foreign filmmakers provided tons of great pure horror films, while Cloverfield (2008) stomped into theaters. Let the Right One In is a seriously quirky film that is utterly memorizing and perhaps the best of the decade. A must see, even if its not a bit scary. - DirectorSam RaimiStarsAlison LohmanJustin LongRuth LivierA loan officer who evicts an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.Runners-Up: Trick 'r Treat (2007) - Zombieland (2009)
Tough year with a lot of films that the jury is still out on. As the economy started to tank, it became hard for many films to find distributors. Drag Me to Hell was definitely a pure delight to watch as Sam Raimi returned to his roots armed with a budget. Trick 'r Treat may have been ready in 2007, but virtually no one had a chance to see it until it finally got a release in 2009.