This week?Sinister 2?is hitting cinemas, which is unsurprisingly the sequel to?Sinister,?one of the better horror films of the last five years. Modern horror has a bit of a bad reputation (“it’s all gore and jump scares!”), but there have been some great films in amongst the?Paranormal Activity?sequels. Without any further ado, here are the ten best horror films since 2010.
Sinister
Not a surprise to see this one on here, as It’s already been mentioned. Sinister?has a wonderful creepy tone, with the old film reel footage and the strange music. It also has one of the best looking evil entities not just on this list, but ever. Yes, it does have some of the modern horror tropes, but it’s head and shoulders above the rest of it’s competition.
The Conjuring
Again, this one won’t surprise many people. It made a huge splash when it came out simply for being really good, and you won’t find any arguments about that here. A wonderful ensemble cast combined with James Wan’s masterful direction?to make what might be the best film on this list.
The Cabin in the Woods
This is my personal favourite entry on the list, and it’s not just one of the best?horror film of the last few years, but one of my favourite films of all time. Some might say calling it a horror film isn’t quite accurate, and that’s true to an extent, but it doesn’t really fit into any other genre. It’s intelligent, unique, and has something to say about the industry.
Insidious
It might have spawned two less than great sequels, but the first?Insidious?has a lot to like about it. Much like?The Conjuring, a great cast helped this film rise above other modern horror, and there were some interesting ideas that were crying out to be explored more deeply.
The Conspiracy
This is one I caught recently on Netflix, and I was really impressed. It starts slow, and the found footage might put a few people off, but stick with it and you’re in for a real treat. I could barely breath for the last 20 minutes, and it succeeds in building tension throughout, with a topic that doesn’t immediately seem interesting.
Oculus
This is one a lot of people might not have seen. The pitch is simple, there’s an evil mirror that’s tormented people for generations, but it’s a lot better than it sounds. It’s not particularly scary, but it’s smart, and the editing near the end of the film has you questioning everything you’re seeing.
The Babadook
I personally didn’t like this film, but I’m in a tiny minority, and due to the nature of this list (10 best?films), I couldn’t leave out one of the highest critically rated horror film of recent years.
Mama
A film so scary I punched the person I was watching it with,?Mama?is another underrated gem. The climax of this film isn’t quite as good as the rest, but the vast majority is very tense and scary, and it also has a lot of European influence, so it doesn’t feel like a typical English language horror.
The Woman in Black
So many horror films have poor sequels, and?The Woman in Black?is one of those examples. Apart from the fact that Daniel Radcliffe is way too young to play the character he’s meant to be playing, everything here works, and it’s a great example of how spot on direction can make long, silent sequences work.
Afflicted
Another found footage film on Netflix, this is a unique look at vampires, but not in the same way?Twilight?is. It’s filled with good ideas and unexpected moments, and for anybody that does watch it be sure to hang around for the scene during the credits…
Are there any essential horror films from the 2010’s that I missed? Are there any that you don’t agree with? Share your thoughts in the comments.
