Horror is a genre that lends well to a broad spectrum of emotion, and in 2021, we got horror films that were weird, funny, bleak, and also cathartic experiences. So, we put together a list of the Top Horror Movies of 2022. From Prime Video darlings that take bad dates to the next level to South African genre-bending Westerns on Shudder, to another Peele masterclass, there was no shortage of horror films to be in love with this year.
To make our Top Horror Movies in 2022 list, the film had to have a release available to United States audiences in the calendar year of 2022. That means festival films that have not come out in theaters or on digital platforms can’t make the Top Horror Movies of 2022 list.
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Additionally, films that had delay after delay despite being screened at festivals in 2021 could. Additionally, horror is a broad genre that intersects with others. Films included here are either pitched as horror by the studios, on a horror streaming platform or categorized as such — save the “this isn’t horror” argument for social media. So, without further ado, here are our Top 15 Horror Movies of 2021.
15. Run Sweetheart Run
Director: Shana Feste
Writer: Shana Feste, Keith Josef Adkins, Kellee Terrell
Stars: Ella Balinska, Pilou Asbæk, Clark Gregg, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Dayo Okeniyi
Where to Watch: Prime Video
“Run Sweetheart Run is heart-pounding and unsettling. It’s frustrating to see Cherie thought to be a liar by everyone around her and stalled at every turn she tries to take. Cherie isn’t running from just Ethan, she’s running from the power he wields, the people who put him there, and the people that allow what happened to Cherie to keep happening. But this frustration as every door closes all happens all serves a tension-building purpose for the film’s ultimate playoff.”
14. See For Me
Director: Randall Okita
Writer: Adam Yorke & Tommy Gushue
Stars: Kim Coates, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Laura Vandervoort
Where to Watch: Hulu
“Invasion horror is usually simple, but that also means that the writers, directors, and actors have nothing to hide behind. See For Me is tense, claustrophobic, and executed perfectly.”
13. Master
Director: Mariama Diallo
Writer: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Noa Fisher
Stars:
Where to Watch: Prime Video
“Master is a hard pill to swallow, but it is a reality lived by Black women across academia, what brown and Black academics suffer through. As someone who was chewed up and spit out by higher ed, it hurts to watch. That said, it’s a necessary watch that contextualizes the ills of academia in a genre format that just works.”
12. Nanny
Director: Nikyatu Jusu
Writer: Nikyatu Jusu
Stars: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector
Where to Watch: Prime Video
“Folkloric horror that captures the racism and misogynoir that Black women, specifically Black immigrants, face for simply existing. An immigration drama and a horror movie that brings commentary and tension as well as well-played bumps in the night, Nanny is one of the bests of the year. Poignant and eerie, Diop’s performance solidifies this as a genre masterpiece.
11. The Sadness
Director: Rob Jabbaz
Writer: Rob Jabbaz
Stars: Berant Zhu, Regina Lei, Ying-Ru Chen, Tzu-Chiang Wang
Where to Watch: Shudder
“There is no mercy in The Sadness. The film is shocking, mean, and as bleak as can be. It’s stunningly graphic, and I can’t say I’ve watched a film that has made me more unbearably uncomfortable. From the sexual violence to the mutilation and the unrelenting push of sound that offers no escape even if you turn your head, The Sadness is something I can’t recommend to people. That doesn’t mean that the film doesn’t succeed in its goal. I genuinely wish I had never watched it. But even with my inability to score this film, Jabbaz does exactly what he wanted to do. He delivers a viscerally unsettling onslaught of ultra-violence with a good story nestled within it. And if that’s your jam, this one should be top on your list.”
10. Watcher
Director: Chloe Okuno
Writer: Zack Ford, Chloe Okuno
Stars: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman
Where to Watch: Shudder
“Slow-burning tension ramps up in Watcher. A simple film built on what we can’t see as much as we can, Okuno’s ability to build layers of dread in ordinary moments from the unknown is terrifying and expertly done. A serial killer film has never been so atmospheric.”
9. Bones & All
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Writer: David Kajganich, Camille DeAngelis (based on the novel by)
Stars: Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, Mark Rylance
Where to Watch: Prime Video
“Bones & All isn’t two genres pulled together, but one seamless story that understands that romance isn’t clean and clear, but instead accepting the ugly parts of others and yourself. It’s about rectifying paths to a future with elements that will always prevent you. The leads just so happen to be cannibals.”
8. Scream (2022)
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writer: James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick
Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega
Where to Watch: Showtime
“Directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett return to Woodsboro with a bloody bang and manage to capture lightning in a bottle once again with Scream (2022) by embracing the past and solidly carving out a road to the future.”
7. Sissy
Director: Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes
Writer: Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes
Stars: Aisha Dee, Hannah Barlow, Emily De Margheriti
Where to Watch: Shudder
“Nearly every genre is having its own “let’s talk about social media” moment, but horror is just doing it better; Sissy is an example of that. Hilarious, bloody, and just damn fun, Sissy turns influencer horror on its head by making the moments of tension and dread mount not from parasocial relationships but real ones instead. With a stellar performance and moments that have made reviewers call for “strong stomachs” Sissy is a must-watch this year.”
6. The House
Director: Paloma Baeza, Emma De Swaef, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Marc James Roels
Writer: Enda Walsh, Johannes Nyholm, Paloma Baeza, Emma De Swaef, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Marc James Roels
Stars: Mia Goth, Matthew Goode, Claudie Blakley, Jarvis Cocker, Sven Wollter, Susan Wokoma, Paul Kaye
Animation Studio: Nexus Studios
Where to Watch: Netflix
“The House works as an anthology because, despite its spanning time period and atmosphere, it’s united in a call to see beyond the house that is just bricks and to look for something to keep us alive. A push against the capitalistic dream of homeownership, I can’t praise The House enough. In dark and humble narratives with fantastical animation, The House is a home to reclaim yourself.”
5. Mad God
Director: Phil Tippett
Writer: Phil Tippett
Stars: Alex Cox, Niketa Roman, Satish Ratakonda
Animation Studio: Tippett Studios
Where to Watch: Shudder
“Mad God is a nightmare of gore, machinery, and violence that exploits human fears. It’s a beautifully deranged artistic achievement of epic proportion and an uncompromising vision brought to life with mind-bending imagination and some of the best animation you will ever see.”
4. Bodies Bodies Bodies
Director: Halina Reijn
Writer: Sarah DeLappe, Kristen Roupenian
Stars: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace
Where to Watch: Prime Video
“With a stellar twist ending, a strongly connected cast, and a lot of humor (even if it doesn’t all land) Bodies Bodies Bodies is a fun time. It’s a film that launches itself head-on into the chaos of entitled rich kids on drugs who are all just pretending to like everything about each other and it’s better for it.”
3. Barbarian
Director:Zach Cregger
Writer: Zach Cregger
Stars: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long,
Where to Watch: HBO Max
“Barbarian is unhinged goodness. Somehow Cregger has shoved every millennial anxiety into one movie and made it work exceptionally well. Truly weird and filled with thrills, Barbarian is better entered with no information. There isn’t anything like it this year.”
2. Saloum
Director: Jean Luc Herbulot
Writer: Jean Luc Herbulot, Pamela Diop
Stars: Yann Gael, Evelyne Ily Juhen, Roger Sallah, Mentor Ba
Where to Watch: Shudder
“Saloum is a genre-bending gem of a film, expertly weaving together a revenge narrative with notes of horror, action, and Westerns. Definitely check it out if you have the chance – it’s one of the most surprising films of the year, and is more proof that foreign films are the place for action fans to get their fill.”
1. Nope
Director: Jordan Peele
Writer: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun
Where to Watch: Peacock
“Loose threads and all, NOPE is proof of Peele’s genre mastery. When all is said and done and the credits roll, NOPE is what sci-fi-horror should be. It’s imaginative, kinetic, smart, and one hell of a ride.”
Whether you want b-movie comedy or deep stories about grief, these are our Top Horror Movies of 2022. Did your favorite film make our top horror movies of 2022 list? Let us know on social media: @butwhythopc.
