11 of The Best Modern Horror Movies That Could Become Classics In 20 Years

Jordan Peele's Get Out was more than just a stellar feature debut from the director; it was a genuine pop culture phenomenon. People might not remember, but the audience that I watched it with was on pins and needles and cheered at the end. Everyone in the theater was invested in this story, no matter who they were. It not only changed the way modern horror films were perceived, especially those featuring leads who are people of color and those with Black actors as leads, but it changed the way all such films were perceived and welcomed by movie fans.

The Witch carved out its place in film history. It made the reputation of the writer and director Robert Eggers, catapulting him to instant fame with a period horror movie with a goat at its center. The goat, Black Phillip, became a beloved character. If this sounds strange, it's also true. Eight years later, fans still speak fondly of the film and insist it is one of the greatest films of the turn of the century. It is a strong candidate because the enthusiasm for the film hasn't waned in almost a decade. Read more about how We'll Make A Couch Potato Out Of You: Five Great Made-For-TV Horror Movies.

Vanessa and Joseph Winters' rollicking horror comedy has made a great impression on horror fans. Commenters believed it could become famous as fan favorites like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Of all of the recent spate of fright films that have been made about influencers and internet personalities, Deadstream is the funniest and one of the most universally well-regarded. I think it is one that many people can relate to, either as the protagonist or the commenters of the livestream. It certainly was one of the best films to have utilized the live-stream format in horror films.

Rob Jabbaz's boundary-breaking film is not for everyone, but as films such as Martyrs have proved, not everyone has to be able to watch it for it to be a classic. Some movies are so extreme that their reputation is built on that extremity. Sometimes, it draws more viewers; sometimes, people don't watch it but still talk about it. But the film is more than just extreme gore; its themes of undying love, the darkest humor, and the satire of our society make it something that is not to be forgotten. The Sadness does have this kind of reputation. Read more about Oldboy At 20: Director Park Chan-Wook Waxes Existential On The Re-Release.

Travis Stevens' neo-Giallo is an art film with a capital A. The artists who lovingly render everything in the movie are at the top of their game. It doesn't pander to the fads of today but hews to its vision. It is a classic that only needs to be discovered. People will start to flock to it as time progresses as they find out its wonders. It is filled with insights into the male and female mind and powerful music, performances, cinematography, costume, and set design. It is audacious in a way that used to be popular in the 70s and the films of Argento, but different. The credit sequence is an all-time favorite of mine. Read more about our Exclusive: Check Out The Trailer For Hyper-Violent French Horror Megalomaniac.

What Danny and Michael Philippou have done with Talk To Me is astounding. With the addition of a straightforward prop, they have reinvented the idea of possession. For too long, possession stories have been rooted in the legacy of William Friedkin's classic The Exorcist. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that because The Exorcist rules. These two Australian brothers and YouTubers have shown that the audience and the genre of possession stories can differ in a significant way and be very successful. Their audacity is one of the ingredients of a classic film. It has violence and gore but an emotional connection with the audience.

Christian Tafdrup had a very simple idea but one that was so universal that fear translates worldwide—the concept of trust between friends and other human beings and our societal conditioning to be polite. I've brought it up before, but the fact that this film angered so many people with its hopeless conclusion is another one of the building blocks of an archetypal movie. Remember that everyone hated the ending of The Mist intensely, too, and it is widely regarded as one of horror's definitive films now.

Train to Busan is already a modern classic. When you ask most people what their favorite zombie film is these days, the odds are that at least one of the films that horror fans will name is Train to Busan. Yeon Sang-ho's epic has everything: emotion, gore, thrilling danger, and people fighting for their lives. It has two of the best horror dads in the genre, and it makes people react with tears. People love the film because it has an emotional connection with the audience that is so strong and rare that it became a phenomenon when the film went to streaming.

Brandon Cronenberg's Possessor managed a feat that wasn't easy in 2020. During the lockdown, it was still a hit with horror fans and made Cronenberg a force to be reckoned with, even with the ultimate problem of almost no theaters being open while it was in theaters. It did this and captured the zeitgeist when hardly anyone could see the film in a theater. When it went to streaming, people were so insistent on seeing the unrated version that I had to write a guide on where to find it—an artistic success on all levels and a film that will not likely be forgotten.

Panos Cosmatos' Mandy is another art film with a cult of adoring fans. After Beyond The Black Rainbow, which is a great film, this is the Cosmatos film that caught fire with the audience. The psychedelic and mystical qualities of the film resonated with fans in a big way. The entire cast's performances, especially those of Nicolas Cage, Andrea Risborough, and Linus Roach, touched the heart. It is a horrifying fairy tale and a gorgeously sad love story. That's a modern horror movie classic right there.

Ari Aster's Midsommar is another phenomenon. It has been endlessly discussed, meme'd, argued over, and been the subject of so many essays on the film's meaning. There's nothing else that is quite like it. Aster's sensibilities as a filmmaker are intangible. He wants to try new things, and he wants to horrify you as much as possible. It seems like he delights in it. He's not the only filmmaker like that, but his films have their unique way about them. With Hereditary and Midsommar, both modern classics, Aster reaches for something beyond the typical jump scare, and the audience can feel it.