Happy Halloween! It’s the perfect time to munch some popcorn, curl up on the couch and catch a flick for fright night.
For years, we’ve ranked the best scary movies of all time with “The Exorcist,” “The Shining,” “Psycho,” “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Rosemary’s Baby.”
But this year we decided to shake things up and rank the best of the modern era.
How did we define modern? We capped it at the last 20 years, so 1999 and later.
Full disclosure: the recent remakes of Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers didn’t make the cut (I still hold up the originals!), although we made an exception for “It,” which had never hit the big screen before (only a two-part TV miniseries).
So without further ado, here are the best scary movies of the modern era:
50. Bird Box (2018) — Susanne Bier
Love it or hate it, a social media phenomenon with a blindfolded Sandra Bullock.
49. Don’t Breathe (2016) — Fede Alvarez
A trio of thieves break into the home of a blind man who ferociously fights back.
48. Jeepers Creepers (2001) — Victor Salva
A blaring truck horn and a hat-wearing figure still cause us nightmares.
47. The Skeleton Key (2004) — Iain Softley
Kate Hudson’s hospice nurse tackles Voodoo at a New Orleans plantation.
46. Insidious (2010) — James Wan
A family move traps a comatose child in a spirit realm called The Further.
45. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) — Eli Craig
Preppy teens mistake lovable hillbillies as cabin killers in horror comedy.
44. World War Z (2013) — Marc Forster
Brad Pitt navigates the zombie apocalypse in an adaptation of Max Brooks’ novel.
43. Split (2016) — M. Night Shyamalan
James McAvoy plays 24 split personalities in a surprise sequel to “Unbreakable.”
42. Us (2019) — Jordan Peele
Lupita Nyong’o and family battle dopplegangers who haunt their beach vacation.
41. The Purge (2013) — James DeMonaco
Ethan Hawke weaves social commentary as crime becomes legal for one day.
40. Scary Movie (2000) — Keenen Ivory Wayans
“Scream” spoof finds the Wayans Bros. at the top of their horror-comedy game.
39. Crimson Peak (2015) — Guillermo del Toro
Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain carry this tale of a bloody haunted house.
38. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) — Scott Derrickson
Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson argue a homicide case over a priest’s exorcism.
37. It (2017) — Anthony Muschietti
Pennywise the Clown returns in the first big screen take on Stephen King’s novel.
36. The Host (2006) — Joon-Ho Bong
Before “Snowpiercer” and “Parasite,” Bong delivered a Korean monster movie.
35. The Strangers (2008) — Bryan Bertino
Liv Tyler and husband are tormented by strangers in an isolated vacation home.
34. The Descent (2005) — Neil Marshall
A caving expedition unravels as explorers are pursued by an underground breed.
33. Wolf Creek (2005) — Greg McLean
Backpackers face spine-tingling horrors in this Australian take on the Outback.
32. The Village (2004) — M. Night Shyamalan
Bryce Dallas Howard faces wooded creatures in an isolated countryside village.
31. Warm Bodies (2013) — Jonathan Levine
This horror comedy flips conventions by turning a zombie film into a romance.
30. What Lies Beneath (2000) — Robert Zemeckis
Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford are haunted at their lakeside Vermont home.
29. Under the Skin (2013) — Jonathan Glazer
Scarlett Johannson seduces #MeToo men to their liquid deaths in Scotland.
28. The Witch (2014) — Robert Eggers
Anya Taylor-Joy’s family is torn apart by witchcraft in 1630s New England.
27. Hereditary (2018) — Ari Aster
Toni Collette carries a grieving family haunted by tragic and disturbing events.
26. Ready or Not (2019) — Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet
Samara Weaving’s wedding night turns into a deadly game of hide and seek.
25. Cabin in the Woods (2011) — Drew Goddard
Joss Whedon’s script flips conventions as five friends visit an “Evil Dead” cabin.
24. Shaun of the Dead (2004) — Edgar Wright
Simon Pegg roasts the zombie genre by cracking skulls with a cricket paddle.
23. The Grudge (2002) — Takashi Shimizu
This Japanese J-horror was so freaky that it became a Hollywood blockbuster.
22. Signs (2002) — M. Night Shyamalan
Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix wrestle with faith amid mysterious crop circles.
21. Paranormal Activity (2007) — Oren Peli
This found footage hit not only launched a franchise but a studio in Blumhouse.
20. Saw (2004) — James Wan
Jigsaw took the premise of “Se7en” and launched the “torture porn” subgenre.
19. Hostel (2005) — Eli Roth
European travelers thought twice about lodging after watching Eli Roth’s horror.
18. The Babadook (2014) — Jennifer Kent
Australian gem finds a single mom and her son haunted by a children’s book.
17. Nightcrawler (2014) — Dan Gilroy
Jake Gyllenhaal’s creepy cameraman stages crime scenes: “if it bleeds, it leads.”
16. Zombieland (2009) — Ruben Fleischer
Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson whack a zombie Billy Murray.
15. 28 Days Later (2002) — Danny Boyle
“Trainspotting” director teams with “Ex Machina” writer for zombie gold.
14. Gone Girl (2014) — David Fincher
Rosamund Pike delivers the freakiest femme fatale since “Fatal Attraction.”
13. The Conjuring (2013) — James Wan
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson shine as a pair of paranormal investigators.
12. American Psycho (2000) — Mary Harron
Christian Bale’s white-collar killer hacks his victims to Phil Collins tunes.
11. Audition (1999) — Takashi Miike
A widower auditions new brides until it backfires in this shocking Japanese flick.
10. The Blair Witch Project (1999) — Dan Myrick, Ed Sanchez
This low-budget film stormed Sundance and birthed the found footage genre.
9. The Ring (2002) — Gore Verbinski
Naomi Watts leads a remake about a videotape that kills you in seven days.
8. Prisoners (2013) — Denis Villeneuve
Hugh Jackman and Viola Davis search for abducted kids in chilly suburbia.
7. The Others (2001) — Alejandro Amenabar
Nicole Kidman cares for her photosensitive kids in a dark, WWII-era estate.
6. The Orphanage (2007) — J.A. Bayona
Spanish horror gem explores a haunted orphanage for handicapped children.
5. Black Swan (2010) — Darren Aronofsky
Natalie Portman braves ghostly stalkers, body horror and split personalities.
4. A Quiet Place (2018) — John Krasinski
Emily Blunt must give a silent bathtub birth in this masterful creature feature.
3. Let the Right One In (2008) — Tomas Alfredson
A child vampire loves and protects a bullied boy in this Swedish masterpiece.
2. The Sixth Sense (1999) — M. Night Shyamalan
Haley Joel Osment “sees dead people” in the greatest ghost story ever told.
1. Get Out (2017) — Jordan Peele
You haven’t seen this “Sunken Place” masterpiece until you’ve seen it again.
