The 2000s brought some of thebest horror moviesand introduced several longstanding horror franchises audiences still enjoy. Gory slasher movies became popular, like theHostelfranchise, while audiences also enjoyed intense,psychological horror movieslikeThe Others.Horror movies of the 2000s had something for everybody, but many of them were overlooked or forgotten about among the decade’s greatest horror movies.
Many horror fanatics have a special place in their heart for movies about haunted houses or crazy twist endings where they learned their beloved main character was dead all along. There are some horror movies that have an impactful story that will always be worth a watch or re-watch.Among the huge blockbusters, there are a few hidden gemsthat people might have overlooked, and many of them incorporate the compelling twists audiences love to see on their screen.
The Others
Cast
Alejandro Amenábar wrote and directed this cult-classic 2001 Horror film starring Nicole Kidman and Fionnula Flanagan. The premise follows a mother and her two young photosensitive children as they attempt to deal with a mysterious and possibly sinister presence in their New Jersey home.
Nicole Kidman is no stranger to starring increepy horror movies.Three years afterDead Calm, The Otherswas released and was an immediate audience favorite that earned Kidman award nominations. Playing the role of a mother and military spouse waiting for her husband’s return, Grace and her two children experience supernatural phenomena in their countryside home while the new housekeepers start to wreak havoc on their quiet lives.
The Others Ending, Explained
The Others is a haunting and memorable horror movie about the Stewart family, and its ending includes a twist that answers many questions.
Released in the same year asThirteen GhostsandJeepers Creepers,The Othersstands out among them for the cold, gothic atmosphere and ghostly twist ending.The Othersis a contained, ghost story that allows all the characters to shine in their own creepy, dramatic way. The horrors come from the simple scares like curtains going missing, fleeting apparitions, and low whispers. Even if rewatching this psychological horror film, the ending is incredibly powerful andleaves audiences wondering if the movie they’ve just watched was disturbing, a horror masterpiece, or even both.
The Devil’s Backbone
The Devil’s Backbone is a Spanish Gothic horror film directed by Guillermo del Toro. Set during the Spanish Civil War, the film follows a young boy named Carlos who is left at a remote orphanage. As he navigates the eerie and troubled environment, Carlos uncovers the dark secrets of the orphanage, including ghostly apparitions and hidden pasts. The film explores themes of loss, betrayal, and the lingering effects of war.
In the same dark atmosphere asThe Others,The Devil’s Backboneis a ghost,gothic horror moviefrom the 2000s. Set in the late 1930s during the Spanish Civil War, the movie is about a young boy in an orphanage who is haunted by an apparition with dark secrets.The Devil’s Backboneexplores childhood fears and the feeling of helplessness, all while telling an eerie ghost tale over the typical tormenting ghost narrative.
The Devil’s Backboneexplores childhood fears and the feeling of helplessness, all while telling an eerie ghost tale over the typical tormenting ghost narrative.
Released in 2001, supernatural horror movies were dominating the big screen with other movies likeDonnie DarkoandThe Others.These movies, includingThe Devil’s Backbone,are all about the internal struggles of the main characters and their morality. While the movie is slower-paced, the tension constantly builds and allows audiences to connect with the characters and sympathize with their ordeals.
The Hole
The Hole is a psychological thriller exploring the harrowing experience of four teenagers at a British private school who clandestinely investigate an abandoned underground bomb shelter. Released in 2001, the film delves into themes of trust, fear, and deception as the group navigates their precarious situation.
One of Keira Knightley’s lesser-known roles, she stars as Frances in this gritty horror movie about a group of friends who are trapped in an underground shelter and must fight to survive as they all turn on each other.The Holeis an incredibly disturbing movie all the way through since it plays on simple fears of hunger and isolation. The group of friends know they are trapped, and without any hope in sight,they start to separate and turn into the worst version of themselves.
The Holeis an incredibly disturbing movie all the way through since it plays on simple fears of hunger and isolation.
The British teen horror movie is incredibly unsettlingand one of the best horror movies featuring a starvation subplot. On top of the extreme hunger the teens are facing,The Holealso portrays the catty drama of young girls, gossip, and high school bullying that people wouldn’t expect to see when fighting for survival. A movie that features simple,frightening concepts like hunger and lonelinessand adds dark, relatable characters makes it an excellent horror story that everyone should watch.
7Quarantine (2008)
Directed by John Erick Dowdle
Quarantineis afound footage horror moviefeaturing Jennifer Carpenter, released three years after her breakout role inThe Exorcism of Emily Rose. It follows Carpenter, portraying a reporter and her camera operator documenting a story about firefighters. They find themselves trapped by the CDC in an apartment building with virus-infected residents.Quarantinebrings great scares with shaky camera movements that catch glimpses of the zombie-looking monsters.
Quarantineis based on the movieREC,a Spanish found-footage horror movie released in 2007.
Released in 2008, among other found-footage style movies likeCloverfieldandLake Mungo,the POV ofQuarantinestands out among the other movies since Carpenter’s character is an ordinary woman who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. While most of the movie is about her panicking and trying to escape the deadly situation,it’s an authentic portrayal of a scared woman who probably wishes she would’ve stayed home that night.
Thirteen Ghosts
Thirteen Ghosts is a horror film directed by Steve Beck. The story revolves around a family that inherits a mysterious mansion from a deceased relative. Inside the house, they discover a complex machine designed to open the eye of hell, while being haunted by twelve volatile spirits. The cast includes Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, and Matthew Lillard, who must navigate the perilous environment to save themselves.
A naive family, murderous ghosts, and a haunted house will always be the perfect mix for a horror movie. This 2000s supernatural movie is a remake of the 1960s movie,Thirteen Ghosts. After a family inherits a house with a dark past,they are trapped inside with demonic-looking ghosts that aren’t visible to the naked eye.
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In 2001, there weren’t many murderous ghost movies, andThirteen Ghostsstood out among other horror movies. It not only featured a unique storyline with a grieving family but incorporated sci-fi elements that weren’t cheesy. The characters in the movie use “ghost glasses” to see the menacing ghosts who are haunting and killing them. By adding sci-fi components and portraying the ghosts as gritty, sinister monsters,Thirteen Ghostsis a must-watch for any horror fan.
This French horror film is about two friends on a family farm visiting for the weekend who are terrorized by a killer. French horror movies are known for their horrifying, realistic depictions of normal, everyday characters going through extreme terror.High Tensiondoesn’t lack the shock value factor as the killer’s POV is kept hidden, andviewers are left wondering if the killer in the movie is someone who has a dark drudgewith the family.
Director Alexandre Aja intended forHigh Tensionto be a tribute to splatter horror films of the 70s and 80s.
Released in 2003 along with other great slashers in the same year,The Texas Chainsaw Massacreand another French horror film,Dead End.High Tension stands out among them for the surprising ending that leaves horror fans speechless as itfeels like one long personal nightmare.High Tension isn’t like other home invasion thrillers and one of the most overlooked gory horror movies.
Three… Extremes
Three… Extremes is a horror anthology film directed by Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook, and Takashi Miike. The film consists of three segments, each with its own unique story and style, exploring themes of fear, obsession, and the grotesque. With each director bringing distinct cultural and narrative perspectives, the film delves into the darker aspects of human nature and psychological terror.
Three…Extremes is ahorror anthology moviefrom different East Asian countries, with each story shot by a different director. This anthology movie is very different from Western horror movies as each story strays away from typical horror tropes and tells a chilling, uncomfortable tale.Asian horror cinema excels at giving audiences scares that are symbolicrather than dramatic, jump scary.
It focuses on society’s obsession with unattainable beauty standards and tells the story in a non-linear narrative that will resonate with women everywhere.
In the first story in the anthology, a young woman is looking to maintain her youthful appearance and succumbs to eating dumplings made out of aborted fetuses as she believes it will accentuate her beauty. It focuses on society’s obsession with unattainable beauty standards and tells the story in a non-linear narrative that will resonate with women everywhere. Released in 2004,The GrudgeandShutter, other horror films based on Asian storylines,Three…Extremespushes boundaries that, even for the early 2000s, feel extreme.
Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, follows four childhood friends whose lives changed after an encounter with a mysterious force. On a hunting trip in Maine, they face both a malevolent alien presence and a ruthless military operative, testing their supernatural gifts and friendship. Released in 2003, the film is based on Stephen King’s novel.
Based on Stephen King’s novel,Dreamcatcheris about a group of friends being overrun by a parasitic infection. Thisalien invasion moviefeatures a star-studded cast with Morgan Freeman, Damian Lewis, and Thomas Jane.Dreamcatcherincorporates some of the best elements of a great horror movie, including a snowy, secluded setting, gore, and aliens. For fans of theAlienfranchise,this movie should be on their viewing list as it’sa thrilling story with freaky, tiny-looking to large-scale aliens.
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While it’s not the most beloved Stephen King adaptation, it’s one that deserves audiences' attention. Released in the same year asWillardandHouse of 1000 Corpses, this alien movie was a different type of horror movie among the slashers and other creature features. Just like other Stephen King movies, the characters are dynamic, and it feels like watching a horrifying journey between close friends rather than a simple, alien-takeover movie.
The Collector
The Collector follows a desperate man who, attempting to repay a debt, breaks into a wealthy family’s home only to discover a masked psychopath has rigged the residence with deadly traps. The narrative delves into themes of survival and moral ambiguity, presenting a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere that maintains suspense throughout the film.
The Collectoris the first installment of the gory, sadistic franchise that centers around a psychopath’s sick fascination with entrapment and torture. After a cash-strapped man decides to break into a family home and steal their items, he realizes he broke in on the wrong night and is now stuck inside the house with no way out. With a masked serial killer who remains unknown and his over-the-top brutal traps,he gives Jigsaw a run for his money.
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The Collector horror franchise is soon set to continue with The Collected, with filmmaking duo Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton back at the helm.
Released in 2009, the same year asSaw VIandThe Human Centipede,The Collectoris an overlooked movie among the torture horror movies.The Collectorisa thrilling cat-and-mouse journeythat incorporates slasher elements that audiences love. It features a straightforward storyline, a menacing killer, and compelling characters. Arkin, played by Josh Stewart, is a hard-core protagonist who goes up against the masked killer. The characters, combined with the graphic torture plot, make it one of the best 2000s horror movies.
I Know Who Killed Me
I Know Who Killed Me follows the story of Aubrey Fleming, a young woman from a small town who is abducted and tortured by a serial killer. After her escape, she claims to be someone else, insisting that the real Aubrey is still in danger, unraveling a complex mystery.
I Know Who Killed Mestars Lindsay Lohan in this macabre horror movie about a girl who is kidnapped by a serial killer and escapes. After the horrifying ordeal, she’s convinced her identity is of someone else. Taking elements of body horror andbody swap movies, this overlooked movie is about a dark tale of a woman who wants to be believed and goes unheard.She has to convince herself and those around her that the serial killer isn’t finished with herand he’s still tormenting her even though she’s free.
The tale of a woman’s strange journey to finding herself, combined with the visually pleasing scenes, makes this an overlooked, compelling horror movie.
Released in 2007, the same year as30 Days of Nightand1408,I Know Who Killed Mestands out because it’s a women-led horror film about two very different women who are interconnected in a strange way. The murder mystery horror movie goes a different route than other movies from this time, including featuring dismemberment scenes andan artistic take on torture horror. The tale of a woman’s strange journey to finding herself, combined with the visually pleasing scenes, makes this an overlooked, compelling horror movie.
