*Keep up with our ongoing end of the decade coverage here*
While trends come and go in film, horror has steadfastly remained reliable at the box office. No matter what decade, you can count on horror to pull in the numbers at the box office. Even when most snub their noses at the genre. While the 2010s have proven horror’s theatrical worth with record-breaking numbers, that’s not the only reason the decade has been touted to be a new renaissance, or a Golden Age, for horror. It’s also the wealth of debut voices delivering fresh takes on our favorite genre. An explosion of new talent that’s created a critical reappraisal of the genre.
Between the box office-shattering horror films and the wave of new filmmakers dominating both the box office and streaming, it’s been one hell of a decade. So much so that there are still many great titles waiting for discovery. Like these ten fantastic horror movies that, for one reason or another, are still waiting to find their audience.
Here are ten overlooked 2010s films you might not have seen.
The Alchemist Cookbook
Young outcast Sean isolates himself in the woods with only his cat as his companion. He’s determined to master the arts of alchemy and black magic, with delusions of fortune and wisdom on his mind. The more he dabbles in it, though, the more things go awry as he awakens something dark and sinister from deep within the woods. Joel Potrykus’s indie horror is almost entirely a one-person show, with Ty Hickson turning in a captivating performance as Sean. Potrykus builds an eerie atmosphere with almost imperceptible subtly that crescendos into near Evil Dead levels of chaos. Be warned; this is a slow burn on a minuscule budget. But for those in search of something refreshingly different with a new twist on the cabin in the woods trope, this is a must.
Banshee Chapter
After a friend who’d been dabbling with mind-altering drugs goes missing, journalist Anne Roland is determined to find answers. Her search leads her to team up with a conspiracy counter-culture writer (Ted Levine), and together they entangle themselves in a dangerous world of top-secret government chemical research and an otherworldly radio signal. One part found footage, one part traditional, and wholly Lovecraftian, Banshee Chapter offers up characters we love and effective scares. For those looking for some fantastic world-building and bleak mythology, this should scratch that itch.
Good Manners
This Brazilian horror fairytale is told in two distinct halves connected by Clara. Clara is a lonely nurse hired by the wealthy Ana to be the nanny for her unborn child. The two develop an unexpected bond, but a fateful night of the full moon changes everything. Good Manners is a genre-bender that deftly merges romance, fantasy, and a monster movie. In other words, it’s an unconventional and pleasant surprise. Just when you think you have this movie pegged, it shifts gears dramatically.
Hidden
Before the Duffer Brothers dominated Netflix and nostalgia-loving hearts with TV juggernaut Stranger Things, and Wayward Pines before that, they proved just how far they could stretch a tiny budgeted chamber piece thriller. Set mostly within a fallout shelter, Hidden revolves around a small family of three trying to survive an outbreak and avoid mysterious entities they’ve dubbed “breathers.” Alexander Skarsgård (The Stand, True Blood) and Andrea Riseborough (Mandy, The Grudge) play the parents of Zoe (Emily Alyn Lind, Doctor Sleep), and much of the effectiveness rests on their shoulders. But the Duffer Brothers proved early on they knew how to parcel out mystery and suspense, taking what could’ve been a standard outbreak feature and turning it into something far more unique.
I Am a Hero
Hideo is a manga artist with a failing relationship. When a mysterious virus that turns people into carnivorous maniacs spreads across the city, Hideo is forced to flee Tokyo. Though it’s not as easy as it sounds. This Japanese horror film combines many of the same plot beats as George A. Romero’s original Living Dead trilogy, but with modern and smart commentary. Hideo isn’t your average hero; he’s a timid introvert with a debilitating fear of breaking gun laws. Even when law and order cease to exist. Moreover, those afflicted with this zombie-like disease can be terrifying in that chilling J-horror way.
Juan of the Dead
Juan is a 40-year-old content to slack off and get into trouble with his slacker friends in his Cuban neighborhood, much to the chagrin of his estranged daughter. Then a zombie outbreak happens, though the Cuban government and media initially brush it off as part of the revolution. Soon, Juan and his friends realize that the homicidal citizens aren’t dissidents, but zombies. In this zombie comedy, Juan and company find inventive ways of dealing with the infected. A satire that seamlessly blends life in Cuba with gory humor, Juan of the Dead makes good use of its unlikely heroes. It also makes you want Alejandro Brugués to do more horror.
Kill List
This Ben Wheatley feature bides its sweet time getting to the horror. For the most part, you might think you’d mistakenly chosen a drama-thriller that follows a hitman trying to overcome a botched job in his past by taking on a new deadly assignment. All the while, his home life deteriorates. But this is a horror film, and the hit man’s journey to complete his new assignment spirals into a bizarre descent into a disturbing world. The climax explodes into visceral horror that leaves a deep impression.
Livid
Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s follow up to brutal horror film Inside is inexplicably still without stateside release. It is, however, easy to find on DVD as long as you have a multi-region player. Lucie is an at-home nurse, and the last stop on her roster is a remote mansion inhabited by bedridden recluse Mrs. Jessel. Mrs. Jessel is rumored to have a treasure hidden away somewhere on the property, so Lucie and her friends sneak in on Halloween night to steal it. What they find instead is a night full of unexpected terror, and Maury and Bustillo deliver a fun entry in fantasy horror. Look for fun homages to Halloween III: Season of the Witch. It’s gorgeous, it’s creepy, and it offers a unique take on a tried-and-true horror staple.
Lovely Molly
Newlywed Molly moves into her former childhood home with her new husband. It’s an isolated countryside home, which doesn’t help matters when painful memories of her past haunt Molly. It seeps into her waking life. Is it evil, malevolent forces stalking Molly? Or is she drowning in depression and psychosis? Blair Witch’s Eduardo Sanchez moves away from found footage to give his creepy twist on haunted house fare, bolstered by Gretchen Lodge’s heartbreaking performance as Molly. The film’s final shot is an all-timer.
Lesson of the Evil
Touted as Dexter meets Battle Royale, leave it to Takashi Miike to bring the disturbing horror. The plot sees a popular high school teacher concoct a plan to address rising bullying and bad behavior among the student body. If you guessed death and mayhem, then you’d be correct. There’s a whole lot of taboo-breaking and bloodletting in this gruesome feature revolving around a sociopath, but with Miike’s distinct sense of humor.
