Top 50 Fresh-Take Horror Movies
Best fresh-take horror movies
A fresh-take (new or creative approach) of horror films:
Definition: Horror film calculated to cause intense repugnance, fear, or dread. Horror films may incorporate incidents of physical violence and psychological terror, they may be studies of deformed, disturbed, psychotic, or evil characters, stories of terrifying monsters or malevolent animals, macabre and the supernatural or mystery thrillers that use atmosphere to build suspense.
Characteristics: mounting suspense, macabre, eerie atmosphere, dreadful sense, nightmarish fears, jump scares, physical violence, psychological terror, paranormal phenomena, evil characters, serial-killers, gore, monsters, malevolent animals, fear of unknown.
Essential / Must-see : fresh-take horror movies:
Other Lists:
Top 100 Horror Movies (All Time)
Top 100 Art-Horror Movies
Top 100 Psychological Horror Movies
New France Extremity Movement
J-Horror Wave
A fresh-take (new or creative approach) of horror films:
- independent films, or indie films, produced outside of the traditional studio system offers a unique element of independence and creativity.
- Art-house films that are intended to be a serious artistic work rather than a piece of popular entertainment, such as foreign films or ones made by small film companies.
- Alternative films that use alternative styles or forms (experimental, avant-garde, etc)
- Under-the-Radar films that made a big impressions on the global festival circuit
Definition: Horror film calculated to cause intense repugnance, fear, or dread. Horror films may incorporate incidents of physical violence and psychological terror, they may be studies of deformed, disturbed, psychotic, or evil characters, stories of terrifying monsters or malevolent animals, macabre and the supernatural or mystery thrillers that use atmosphere to build suspense.
Characteristics: mounting suspense, macabre, eerie atmosphere, dreadful sense, nightmarish fears, jump scares, physical violence, psychological terror, paranormal phenomena, evil characters, serial-killers, gore, monsters, malevolent animals, fear of unknown.
Essential / Must-see : fresh-take horror movies:
- A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)
- We Are The Flesh (2016)
- Under The Shadow (2016)
- Climax (2018)
- When Evil Lurks (2023)
Other Lists:
Top 100 Horror Movies (All Time)
Top 100 Art-Horror Movies
Top 100 Psychological Horror Movies
New France Extremity Movement
J-Horror Wave
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42 titles
- DirectorAna Lily AmirpourStarsSheila VandArash MarandiMarshall ManeshIn the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)*
Horror – Romance – Horror Romance – Fictional Iranian Industrial Ghost-Town – Enigmatic Hijab-Clad Female – Lone Vampire – Crime Underworld Vigilante – Karmic Avenging Angel – Young Hardworking Iranian Man – Melancholy – Loneliness – Emptiness – Romantic Love – Sexual Awakening – Gothic Horror – Art-Horror – Surrealism – Bizarre – Mise-en-Scène – Others – Spaghetti Western – Political Parable – Culture Study – Dysfunctional Patriarchy – Female Oppression – Feministic Rage – Castration Anxiety – Symbolism – Vampirism – Fatalism – Alternative – Indie Film – Best 10's – F a v e – Re-Watch Value – Cult Status – Foreign Language – U.S.A.
★★★★★★★ (7/10)-M - DirectorEskil VogtStarsRakel Lenora Petersen FløttumAlva Brynsmo RamstadSam AshrafDuring the bright Nordic summer, a group of children reveal their dark and mysterious powers when the adults aren't looking. In this original and gripping supernatural thriller, playtime takes a dangerous turn.The Innocents (De Uskyldige) (2021)*
Drama – Fantasy – Horror – Thriller – Drama – Endless Nordic Summer – Large Norwegian Housing Apartment-Complex – Four Neglected Children – Loneliness – Bullying – Family Problems – Friendship – Strange Bond – Supernatural Horror Fantasy – Mysterious Hidden-Powers – Deadly Supernatural Powers – Telekinesis – Telepathy – Escalate Tension – Malevolence – Violence – Murders – Psychic Manipulation – Psychological Horror – Simmering Danger – Existential Dread – Unsettling Horror – Body Horror – Art-House – Bizarre – Uncanny Experience – Existentialism – Surrealism – Allegorical – Others – Coming-of-Age Story – Good-vs-Evil Battle – Moral Complexity – Slow-Burn – Re-Watch Value – Foreign Language – European – Norway
★★★★★★★ (7/10)-M - DirectorGaspar NoéStarsSofia BoutellaRomain GuillermicSouheila YacoubFrench dancers gather in a remote, empty school building to rehearse on a wintry night. The all-night celebration morphs into a hallucinatory nightmare when they learn their sangria is laced with LSD.Climax (2018)
Drama – Horror – Music – Thriller – Music Drama – Remote Dance-Hall – 24-Members Dance Troupe – Rehearsal's After-Party – Sangria Laced-With LSD – Drug-Trip Ride – Nausea Effects – Psychotic State – Hallucinations – Suspicions – Whodunit – Uncertainty Stress – Claustrophobic Tension – Conflict – Violence – Degradation – Confusion – Madness – Delirium – Hysteria – Paranoia – Downward Spiral – Mental Breakdown – Chaos – Tragedy – Psychological Horror Thriller – Internal Angst – Destructive Impulses – Unsettling Atmosphere – Discomfort Sense – Existential Dread – Psychedelic Nightmare – Psychosexual Experiment – Sex Addiction – Voyeurism – Hedonism – Sensual – Pansexual – Sexual Assault – Human Sexuality Study – No-Taboo Movie – Art-Horror – Surrealism – Nihilism – Psychedelic – Experimental – Extravaganza – Bizarre – Long Continuous Takes – Others – Shock Value – No-Exit Finale – Slow-Burn – Alternative – New France Extremity Movement – Foreign Language – European – France
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorDemián RugnaStarsEzequiel RodríguezDemián SalomónSilvina SabaterIn a remote village, two brothers find a demon-infected man just about to "give birth" to evil itself. They decide to get rid of the body, only to end up unintentionally spreading chaos.When Evil Lurks (Cuando Acecha la Maldad) (2023)
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorEmiliano Rocha MinterStarsNoé HernándezMaría EvoliDiego GamalielAfter wandering a ruined city for years in search of food and shelter, two siblings find their way into one of the last remaining buildings. Inside, they find a man who will make them a dangerous offer to survive the outside world.We Are The Flesh (Tenemos la Carne) (2016)
Drama – Horror – Fantasy – Horror Fantasy – Mexico City – Unknown Apocalyptic-Event – Societal Collapse – Hostile Environment – Poverty – Despair – Young Brother-and-Sister Survivors – Abandoned-Building Find-Shelter – Devilish Old-Man – Dangerous Offer – Inescapable Challenge – Hardcore Actions – Sexual Violence – Brutality – Torture – Atrocities – Murders – Cannibalism – Gore – Psychological Horror – Disturbing – Unsettling Atmosphere – Discomfort Sense – Dystopian Nightmare – Claustrophobic Threat – Existential Terror – Body Horror – Psychosexual Horror – Paraphilia – Humiliation – Incestuous Rape – Sexual Sadism – Voyeurism – Sado-Psychedelic Descent – Stockholm Syndrome – Art-Horror – Allegorical – Bizarre – Grotesque – Avant-Garde – Psychedelic – Surrealism – Nihilism – Others – Sacrilegious Overtones – Repulsive – E x t r e m e – WTF Factor – Shock Value – Indie Film – Alternative – Foreign Language – Mexico
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorChristian TafdrupStarsMorten BurianSidsel Siem KochFedja van HuêtA Danish family visits a Dutch family they met on a holiday. What was supposed to be an idyllic weekend slowly starts unraveling as the Danes try to stay polite in the face of unpleasantness.Speak No Evil (Gæsterne) (2022)
Drama – Horror – Thriller – Drama – Conservative Danish 3-Member Family – Free-Spirited Dutch 3-Member Family – Past Vacation Fast-Friends – Reunion Plans – Remote Dutch Country-House – Misunderstandings – Eccentric Behaviour – Uncomfortable Moments – Frustration – Uncertainty Stress – Horror – Malevolent Hidden-Agenda – Impending Horror – Escape Thriller – Tragedy – Psychological Horror – Discomfort Sense – Claustrophobic Tension – Nightmarish Fears – Simmering Threat – Unsettling Horror – Others – Human-Psychology Study – Decision-Making Theory – Social Satire – Amoralism – Nihilism – Misanthropy – Slow-Burn – Disturbing – Shock Value – No-Exit Finale – Indie Film – Foreign Language – Denmark
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorBabak AnvariStarsNarges RashidiAvin ManshadiBobby NaderiAs a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war-torn Tehran of the 1980s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home.Under The Shadow (2016)
Drama – War – Horror – Thriller – War Drama – Iran-Iraq War-of-the-Cities (1980-1988) Era – Warzone Desolate Building – Mother and Daughter Last Inhabitants – Horror – Mysterious Malevolent Presence – Supernatural Creature (Jinn) – Disturbed Behavior – Suspicions – Anxiety – Fear – Paranoia – Psychological Horror Thriller – Claustrophobic Threat – Nightmarish Domestic Terror – Supernatural Dread – Folk Horror – Personal Struggles – Obsessive Phobias – Female Oppression – Repressed Emotions – Patriarchal Pressures – Defense Mechanism Theory – Art-Horror – Symbolism – Feminism – Religious Fundamentalism – Allegorical – Others – Political Subtext – Slow-Burn – Indie Film – Foreign Language – Asian – Iran – 1001 Must-See Movies
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorChloe OkunoStarsMaika MonroeKarl GlusmanBurn GormanA young American actress moves with her husband to Bucharest, and begins to suspect that a stranger who watches her from an apartment window may be a serial killer.Watcher (2022)
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorDemián RugnaStarsMaximiliano GhioneNorberto GonzaloElvira OnettoWhen strange events occur in a neighborhood in Buenos Aires, a doctor specializing in the paranormal, her colleague, and an ex police officer decide to investigate further.Terrified (Aterrados) (2017)
Horror – Thriller – Supernatural Horror – Buenos Aires Small Neighbourhood-Block – Multiple Supernatural Events – Malevolent Creatures – Brutal Murders – Police Investigation – Three Paranormal Investigators Join-Forces – Paranormal Activity – Supernatural Havoc – Deadly Attacks – Extreme Violence – Gore – Anxiety – Uncertainty Stress – Claustrophobic Tension – Nightmarish Fears – Simmering Threat – Unsettling Horror – Others – Haunted-House Thriller – Grotesque – Surrealism – Nihilism – Scare Tactics – WTF Factor – Shock Value – Indie Film – Foreign Language – Argentina
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorAlex van WarmerdamStarsJan BijvoetHadewych MinisJeroen PercevalA vagrant enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process.Borgman (2013)
Drama – Mystery – Horror – Thriller – Horror Mystery Drama – Enigmatic Homeless-Man – Malevolent Parasitic Persona – Supernatural Ability – Mind Control – Arrogant Upper-Class Family Intruder – Psychological Manipulation – Catastrophe – Psychological Horror – Occult Horror – Nightmarish Fears – Simmering Threat – Existential Dread – Cryptic Dread – Claustrophobic Terror – Unsettling Horror – Art-House Horror – Satirical Fiction – Allegorical – Symbolism – Surrealism – Evil Metaphor – Others – Home-Invention Thriller – Twisted Humor – Cynicism – Nihilism – Bizarre – Disturbing – WTF Factor – Indie Film – Alternative – Foreign Language – European – Netherlands
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorHalina ReijnStarsAmandla StenbergMaria BakalovaMyha'laWhen a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly.Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)*
Comedy – Mystery – Horror – Thriller – Horror Mystery Thriller – US Southern Coastal – Stormy Night – Remote Family Mansion – Eight Rich Teenagers – Hurricane Party – Party-gone-Awry – Friend's Brutal Murder – Shock – Amok – Murder Mystery – Whodunit – Suspicions – Tension – Accusations – Insecurity – Mistrust – Paranoia – One-by-One Death – Claustrophobic Terror – Comedy – Social Satire – Caustic Humour – Horror Parody – Others – Slasher Film – Social Commentary – Gen-Z Study – LGBT – Racism – Narcissism – Nihilism – Plot Twist – A24 Production – Indie Film – Re-Watchable – U.S.A.
★★★★★★ (6/10)-M - DirectorJosiah AllenIndianna BellStarsBrendan RockJordan CowanElena CarapetisPatrick, a strange and lonely resident, lives in a mobile home at the back of an isolated trailer park. After a violent storm, a mysterious young woman appears at his door seeking shelter from the elements.You’ll Never Find Me (2023)
★★★★★★ (6/10) - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsElle FanningChristina HendricksKeanu ReevesAn aspiring model, Jesse, is new to Los Angeles. However, her beauty and youth, which generate intense fascination and jealousy within the fashion industry, may prove themselves sinister.The Neon Demon (2016)
Horror – Mystery – Thriller – Psychological Horror – Los Angeles Fashion Industry – Shy-Innocent Young Aspiring Model – Natural Talent - Carrier Successful Beginning – Fellow-Models Envy – Personal Inner-Struggles – Sexual Proclivity – Vanity – Wrath – Amok – Paranoia – Downward Spiral – Occult Horror – Body Horror – Psychosexual Thriller – LGBT– Lesbian Desire – Sexual Predators – Sexual Urges – Voyeurism – Fetichism – Paraphilia – Necrophilia – Rape – Self-Gaze – Female Fears – Art-Horror – Bizarre – Psychedelic – Surrealism – Mise-en-Scène – Others – Beauty-Obsessed Society Satire – Cannibalism – Narcissism – Nihilism – European – Denmark
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorDaniel GoldhaberStarsMadeline BrewerPatch DarraghMelora WaltersAlice, an ambitious camgirl, wakes up one day to discover she's been replaced on her show with an exact replica of herself.Cam (2018)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorEgor AbramenkoStarsOksana AkinshinaFedor BondarchukPyotr FyodorovThe lone survivor of an enigmatic spaceship incident hasn't returned home alone - hiding inside his body is a dangerous creature.Sputnik (Спутник) (2020)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorJulia DucournauStarsVincent LindonAgathe RousselleGarance MarillierFollowing a series of unexplained crimes, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for ten years.Titane (2021)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorAli AbbasiStarsEva MelanderEero MilonoffJörgen ThorssonA customs officer who can smell fear develops an unusual attraction to a strange traveler while aiding a police investigation which will call into question her entire existence.Border (Gräns) (2018)
Drama – Crime – Mystery – Horror – Romance – Fantasy – Crime Drama – Female Customs-Inspector – Ape-Like Face – Extraordinary Sense – Human Emotions (Guilt/Fear) Smell-Ability – Missing-Childs Investigation – Local-Police Operation – Child-Pornography Case – Pedophile Network – Mystery – Mysterious Odd-Man – Remarkably Similar Physical-Features – Mystical Life – Suspicions – Mistrust – Obsession – Romance Fantasy – Strange Attraction – Romantic Relationship – Phantasmagoria – Troll Folklore – Folklore Horror – Psychological Horror – Discomfort Sense – Simmering Threat – Unsettling Horror – Supernatural Horror – Body Horror – Art-House Horror – Grotesque – Surrealism – Others – Animality – Disturbing – Shock Value – Slow-Burn – Ajvide Lindqvist's 2005 Short-Story – Foreign Language – European – Sweden
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorCameron CairnesColin CairnesStarsDavid DastmalchianLaura GordonIan BlissA live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation's living rooms.Late Night With The Devil (2023)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorTi WestStarsMia GothJenna OrtegaBrittany SnowIn 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the crew find themselves fighting for their lives.X (2022)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorParis ZarcillaStarsEva-Jane WillisLeanne BestDavid HaymanAn undocumented Filipina immigrant lands a job as a care-worker for a terminal old man, securing a better life for her and her daughter. But a dark discovery threatens to destroy everything she's strived for and holds dear.Raging Grace (2023)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorJohn RosmanStarsSonya WalgerHayley ErinTony AmendolaA mysterious woman on the run, and the resourceful fixer assigned to bring her in. Their two unique stories inextricably link, as the stakes of the pursuit rise to apocalyptic proportions.New Life (2023)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorBrandon CronenbergStarsAlexander SkarsgårdMia GothCleopatra ColemanJames and Em Foster are enjoying an all-inclusive beach vacation in the fictional island of La Tolqa, when a fatal accident exposes the resort's perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism, reckless violence and surreal horrors.Infinity Pool (2023)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorPrano Bailey-BondStarsNiamh AlgarMichael SmileyNicholas BurnsAfter viewing a strangely familiar video nasty, Enid, a film censor, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister's disappearance, embarking on a quest that dissolves the line between fiction and reality.Censor (2021)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorIssa LópezStarsPaola LaraJuan Ramón LópezNery ArredondoA dark fairy tale about a gang of five children trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels and the ghosts created every day by the drug war.Tigers Are Not Afraid (Vuelven) (2017)
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorLukas FeigelfeldStarsAleksandra CwenCelina PeterClaudia MartiniAfter the loss of her tormented mother, the erratic behavior of a 15th century woman living in an isolated mountain village becomes a threat to the safety of her infant child.Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse (Hagazussa) (2017)
Drama – Horror – Fantasy – Horror Fantasy – Europe’s Dark Ages (15th Century) Era – Remote Alpine Village – Goat-Herder Young Girl – Social Pariah – Dark Memories – Psychotic Delusions – Witchcraft – Superstitions – Insanity – Mounting Paranoia – Macabre Sadomasochistic Sex-Ritual – Psychological Horror – Unsettling Atmosphere – Simmering Danger – Supernatural Threat – Psychedelic Nightmare – Cannibalistic Horror – Art-Horror – Atmospheric – Hypnotic – Avant-Garde – Surrealism – Occultism – Paganism – Minimalism– Gothic Horror – Folk-Horror – Others – Lovecraftian Fears – Bestiality – Slow-Burn – Indie Film – Foreign Language – European – Germany
★★★★★ (5/10) - DirectorJordan PeeleStarsDaniel KaluuyaKeke PalmerBrandon PereaThe residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.Nope (2022)
★★★★ (4/10) - DirectorRob SavageStarsHaley BishopJemma MooreEmma Louise WebbSix friends hire a medium to hold a seance via Zoom during lockdown, but they get far more than they bargained for as things quickly go wrong.Host (2020)
★★★★ (4/10) - DirectorNikyatu JusuStarsAnna DiopMichelle MonaghanSinqua WallsPiecing together a new life in New York City while caring for the child of an Upper East Side family, immigrant nanny Aisha is forced to confront a concealed truth that threatens to shatter her precarious American Dream.Nanny (2022)
★★★★ (4/10) - DirectorValdimar JóhannssonStarsNoomi RapaceHilmir Snær GuðnasonBjörn Hlynur HaraldssonA childless couple discovers a mysterious newborn on their farm in Iceland.Lamb (2021)
★★★★ (4/10) - DirectorJeremy GillespieSteven KostanskiStarsAaron PooleKenneth WelshEllen WongShortly after delivering a patient to an understaffed hospital, a police officer experiences strange and violent occurrences seemingly linked to a group of mysterious hooded figures.The Void (2016)
★★★★ (4/10) - DirectorJohn AdamsZelda AdamsToby PoserStarsZelda AdamsToby PoserLulu AdamsA lonely teen discovers her family's ties to witchcraft.Hellbender (2021)
★★★★ (4/10) - DirectorGyörgy PálfiStarsCsaba CzeneIstván GyuriczaGina MorenoThree generations of men, including a pervert that constantly seeks for new kinds of satisfaction, an obese speed eater and a passionate embalmer.Taxidermia (2006)
★★★★ (4/10) - DirectorAmat EscalanteStarsRuth RamosSimone BucioJesús MezaA couple in a troubled marriage locate a meteorite, initiating an encounter with a mysterious creature. Their lives are turned upside down by the discovery of the creature, which is a source of both pleasure and destruction.The Untamed (La Región Salvaje) (2016)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorMalgorzata SzumowskaStarsRaffey CassidyMichiel HuismanDenise GoughA girl born into an all-female cult led by a man in their compound begins to question his teachings and her own reality.The Other Lamb (2019)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorRichard Bates Jr.StarsAnnaLynne McCordRoger BartAriel WinterA disturbed, delusional high-school student with aspirations of a career in medicine goes to extremes to earn the approval of her controlling mother.Excision (2012)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorTi WestStarsMia GothDavid CorenswetTandi WrightIn 1918, a young woman on the brink of madness pursues stardom in a desperate attempt to escape the drudgery, isolation, and lovelessness of life on her parents' farm.Pearl (2022)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorPanos CosmatosStarsEva BourneMichael J RogersScott HylandsDespite being under heavy sedation, a young woman tries to make her way out of the Arboria Institute, a secluded, quasifuturistic commune.Beyond The Black Rainbow (2010)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorJustin BensonAaron MoorheadStarsAaron MoorheadJustin BensonCallie HernandezAs kids, they escaped a UFO death cult. Now, two adult brothers seek answers after an old videotape surfaces and brings them back to where they began.The Endless (2017)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorHanna BergholmStarsSiiri SolalinnaSophia HeikkiläJani VolanenA young gymnast, who tries desperately to please her demanding mother, discovers a strange egg. She hides it and keeps it warm, but when it hatches, what emerges shocks them all.Hatching (Pahanhautoja) (2022)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorMitchell LichtensteinStarsJess WeixlerJohn HensleyJosh PaisStill a stranger to her own body, a high school student discovers she has a physical advantage when she becomes the object of male violence.Teeth (2007)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorAna Lily AmirpourStarsSuki WaterhouseJason MomoaJayda FinkIn a desert dystopia, a young woman is kidnapped by cannibals.The Bad Batch (2016)
★★★ (3/10) - DirectorAli AbbasiStarsEllen Dorrit PetersenCosmina StratanPeter ChristoffersenLouise and Kasper want to become parents but Louise is unable to have children. She seals a pact with her Romanian maid, Elena, to bear Louise's child, but things don't turn out as they planned.Shelley (2016)
★★★ (3/10)