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As those who scroll Rotten Tomatoes for film recommendations can attest, pleasing the critics is a difficult feat indeed.
Horror films have garnered an unfair reputation for often being low-rated and poorly reviewed, with few great gems among the bunch.
But the Tomatometer proves different, with multiple terrifying flicks Certified Fresh from tear-jerking zombie epics to skin-crawling haunted house movies and gorefests galore.
Ryan Coogler’s first genre offering, Sinners, is currently sitting on an impressive 98% after dazzling critics.
Starring Michael B Jordan in a dual role, the action-packed vampire film sees twins Smoke and Stack fighting for their lives after a trio of strangers try to gain entrance to their blues bar by any means necessary
If you’re looking to whet your appetite before taking a trip to the Deep South in Coogler’s sizzling chiller, here are 13 more horror films the critics lauded on Rotten Tomatoes.
His House – 100%
Where to watch: Netflix
Remi Weekes’ feature debut His House shot straight into the coveted 100% club following its Netflix release in 2020.
Starring Sope Dirisu, Wunmi Mosaku, Matt Smith, and Javier Botet, it tells the chilling story of a Sudanese refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war.
Ready to start life afresh, they struggle to adjust to their new life in an English town, soon discovering it has an evil lurking beneath its unsuspecting surface.
What the critics say: ‘Featuring genuine scares through every corridor, His House is a terrifying look at the spectres of the refugee experience and a stunning feature debut for Remi Weekes.’
One Cut of the Dead – 100%
Where to watch: Shudder via Amazon Prime Video
Joining His House in the 100 Club is horror comedy One Cut of the Dead, released in 2017.
Directed by Shinichirou Ueda, it follows hack director Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu) and his crew as they travel to a WWII facility to shoot a low budget zombie film.
However, they soon find themselves fighting for their lives when they’re attacked by real zombies.
What the critics say: ‘Brainy and bloody in equal measure, One Cut of the Dead reanimates the moribund zombie genre with a refreshing blend of formal daring and clever satire.’
The Wailing – 99%
Where to watch: Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
South Korea has produced some of the world’s most iconic horror films, one of which being Na Hong-jin’s paranormal chiller The Wailing.
The film centres on police officer Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) who is tasked to investigate the remote Korean village of Gokseong following a series of mysterious killings and illnesses.
They’re linked to an unknown man (Jun Kunimura) and his cane corso who arrived in the village, triggering a series of events that threaten its inhabitants, including Jong-goo’s daughter.
What the critics say: ‘The Wailing delivers an atmospheric, cleverly constructed mystery whose supernatural thrills more than justify its imposing length.’
Under The Shadow – 99%
Where to watch: Netflix
From South Korea to Tehran, we dive into the War of the Cities in 2016 hidden gem Under The Shadow.
Selected for the 89th Academy Awards, the film stars Narges Rashidi as Shideh, who alongside daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi) find themselves cursed by a malevolent spirit following a missile strike on their apartment building.
Shideh soon becomes convinced the entity is trying to possess Dorsa and must discover its true identity and how to banish it to save her soul.
What the critics say: ‘Under the Shadow deftly blends seemingly disparate genres to deliver an effective chiller with timely themes and thought-provoking social subtext.’
Get Out – 98%
Where to watch: BBC iPlayer
Jordan Peele burst into the world of horror in 2017 with the critically acclaimed Get Out.
Daniel Kaluuya and Alison Armitage appear as Chris and Alison, a young couple visiting the latter’s parents for the first time at their sprawling estate.
The young African-American man soon notices something is amiss with his girlfriend’s white family as their overly accommodating behaviour seems to shield a dark secret among the Black staff at their home.
What the critics say: ‘Funny, scary, and thought-provoking, Get Out seamlessly weaves its trenchant social critiques into a brilliantly effective and entertaining horror/comedy thrill ride.’
The Babadook – 98%
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Long before becoming a gay icon (yes, really), The Babadook haunted the nightmares of cinemagoers in 2014.
The Jennifer Kent horror film offers musings on maternal mental health, rage, and grief through Amelia (Essie Davis) a single mother struggling to raise her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman) in the wake of her husband’s death.
After discovering an unusual storybook that she reads to Samuel, the duo soon find themselves preyed upon by the mysterious Babadook as they desperately try to rid their lives of him before it’s too late.
What the critics say: ‘The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares — and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.’
Let the Right One In – 98%
Where to watch: BFI Player via Amazon Prime Video
Based on the 2004 novel of the same name, Let the Right One In immediately shot to the top of many people’s favourite vampire films list.
The spooky, romantic flick centres on Oskar (Kare Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, who meets his new neighbour, the mysterious and moody Eli (Lina Leandersson).
They strike up a close friendship, but Oskar soon learns a dark secret about Eli.
What the critics say: ‘Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.’
Aliens – 98%
Where to watch: Disney Plus
While Alien sits at 93%, James Cameron’s epic sequel Aliens rises all the way to 98%.
In it, Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley battles against the Xenomorphs once more 57 years after the Nostromo incident when her shuttle is found by the deep space salvage team.
The Marines are dubious of her claims that the LV-426 is infested with hundreds of alien eggs, as it is now a terraforming colony, but when they visit the derelict ship, find a sole survivor of a massacre – a nine-year-old girl named Newt (Carrie Henn).
What the critics say: ‘While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.’
When Evil Lurks – 97%
Where to watch: Shudder via Amazon Prime Video
Demian Rugna horrified audiences with the release of Terrified in 2017, and he topped himself in 2023 with the truly spine-chilling When Evil Lurks.
Jimi (Demián Salomón) and his brother Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) discover a possessed man on a neighbouring farm, and under the pressure of their neighbourRuiz (Luis Ziembrowski) decide to move him far away before the evil within him bursts forth into the world.
However, by disturbing the man they inadvertently unleash hell upon the world, and desperately try and reach their loved ones and move them to safety before they become consumed by the unleashed demons.
What the critics say: ‘A hard-hitting horror film whose surface-level frights are just as engaging as its thematic concerns, When Evil Lurks marks a viscerally unsettling addition to the possession horror canon.’
Huesera: The Bone Woman – 97%
Where to watch: Shudder via Amazon Prime Video
Another chilling take on maternal mental health, the deeply moving Huesera: The Bone Woman explores the physical and emotional toll pregnancy has on the body.
Valeria (Natalia Solián) seems to have it all – a loving husband in Raul (Alfonso Dosal), a beautiful home, and a baby on the way.
However, she yearns for her former life as a hard-partying punk surrounded by friends and fears the loss of her passions and identity by becoming a mother, made all the more terrifying as she is stalked by an unseen, violent entity.
What the critics say: ‘A bone-chilling body horror, Huesera offers genre fans a twisted take on What to Expect When You’re Expecting.’
Talk To Me – 95%
Where to watch: Netflix
Australian horror rears its head on this list once again with the directorial debut from YouTube sensations Danny and Michael Philippou.
Talk To Me stars Sophie Wilde as Mia, a young woman whose life has been turned upside down by the death of her mother, straining her relationship with her father (Marcus Johnson) and friends around her.
She attends a house party alongside her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) and Jade’s brother Riley (Joe Bird), discovering the latest trend sweeping get-together in their town – an embalmed hand that allows the living to commune with the dead.
What the critics say: ‘With a gripping story and impressive practical effects, Talk to Me spins a terrifically creepy 21st-century horror yarn built on classic foundations.’
It Follows – 95%
Where to watch: Mubi and Icon via Amazon Prime Video
It Follows gained an instant cult following and was lauded as a modern horror classic upon its release in 2014 – so much so that it is receiving a sequel that begins filming this year.
The David Robert Mitchell film tells the story of Jay Height (Maika Monroe), a carefree high school student who begins the film on a date with her boyfriend Hugh, having sex for the first time.
After the encounter, Jay becomes the subject of a bizarre and bloody curse that she must pass on to an unsuspecting victim, or find herself brutally mutilated.
What the critics say: ‘Smart, original, and above all terrifying, It Follows is the rare modern horror film that works on multiple levels — and leaves a lingering sting.’
Train To Busan – 95%
Where to watch: StudioCanal Presents via Amazon Prime Video
If you love horror films with a side order of emotional destruction – then Train To Busan is the film for you.
As a zombie virus wreaks mayhem across South Korea, a trainful of passengers struggle to survive on a journey between Seoul and Busan.
Among the passengers is Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), a cynical workaholic and divorced father who is transporting his estranged daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an) wants to her mother Nayoung in Busan for her birthday
What the critics say: ‘Train to Busan delivers a thrillingly unique — and purely entertaining — take on the zombie genre, with fully realized characters and plenty of social commentary to underscore the bursts of skillfully staged action.’
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