The decade spanning from 2000 to 2010 was widely considered a dark time for the horror genre. PG-13-rated remakes, "torture porn" Saw clones, and clumsy imitations of Japanese horror attempting to chase The Ring's wild success dominated multiplexes and video stores (in their final, dying days), with the only overt bright spot for fans of the genre being the New French Extremity movement. The genre was in a bad enough place, overall, that at least one entire iconic film, The Cabin in the Woods, exists almost entirely to satirize the dire state it was in.
However, as time has passed, nostalgia for the decade has grown linearly. Generation Z has made no secret of their love for their childhoods, even if it was during an era that reads as tacky, and that extends to formative horror films. Between this, and the simple passage of time separating the wheat from the chaff, a good few movies have become notable for standing out in this era.
10 The Host (2006)
In this early Bong Joon-ho work, a creature mutated by toxic waste attacks Seoul, prompting a bumbling father to attempt to fight it in order to save his daughter.
Letterboxd user Naughty aka Juli Norwood describes the film accurately as "part social commentary and part moral tale about the dangers of harming our natural environment." Equally rooted in the kaiju genre and in South Korean anxieties about American encroachment, this film manages to perfectly balance silliness and poignancy. As one would expect from a director who would go on to win Best Picture, The Host is an incredible film and a feather in the cap of Korean cinema as a whole.
9 The Others (2001)
In this gothic horror film, a religious woman begins to suspect her house is haunted in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
RELATED: 10 Great Horror Movies That Make Perfect Use of Their Settings
"Ah, the many joys of Nicole Kidman," Letterboxd user Graham begins his review, and it's easy to see why. From the first frame to the last, The Others is a Kidman showcase; every emotional beat, every scare, every twist hinges on her performance. It's fortunate, then, that her performance is one of the best in the history of the horror genre. While The Others is a slower burn than horror fans may be accustomed to, it stands as one of the unquestionable all-timers of the 2000s.
8 28 Days Later (2002)
In this classic not-quite-zombie film, a British man waking up from a coma finds himself in the midst of a viral "rage" apocalypse.
RELATED: 10 Best Socially Conscious Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Letterboxd user Anna Bean sums this movie up perfectly by stating that "the true horror lies not in what the monsters do to people, but in what normal people choose to do to each other." While the infected pseudo-zombies are certainly threatening, they quickly take a back seat to the 9/11-era social critique at 28 Days Later's heart. In the pantheon of horror films where humans are the true monsters, this filmstands as one of the very best.
7 The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)
\n "">In this Takashi Miike-directed cult classic, a rural Japanese family attempts to open a bed-and-breakfast, only to find it quickly becoming a dead-and-breakfast as the patrons drop like flies.
Letterboxd user Tony the Terror 666 opens his review by stating that "every single second of this wild and wonderful movie is 110% [his] jam," and it's hard to disagree. Katakuris manages to hit nearly every genre imaginable at some point or another, balancing absurd slapstick comedy, pitch-black jokes about death and suicide, and musical numbers with astonishing flair. The film was one of Miike's earlier breakthroughs into the foreign market, and it's easy to see why.
6 Little Otik (2000)
In this Jan Švankmajer-directed oddity, a couple dealing with infertility attempts to fashion a pseudo-baby out of a tree stump, and then things get... particularly weird.
Letterboxd user Darthemed describes the film as "filled with pointed imagery and bursts of fantasy," a statement that holds true of Little Otik as much as any of Švankmajer's work.While undeniably a strange little beast of a film, the film stands as one of its director's most accessible, telling a relatively conventional (if dark) narrative using familiar live-action in addition to his surreal animation. For anyone looking to dive into the legendary Czech animator's work, this film is the best entry point.
5 The Devil's Backbone (2001)
In this Guillermo del Toro-directed slow-burner, an orphan discovers ghosts and gets drawn into their machinations against a backdrop of the Spanish Civil War.
Letterboxd user Kársten describes the film as "more captivating and unsettling than it [is] scary," and with good reason. The Devil's Backbone bears a stronger resemblance to del Toro's later Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water than it does to traditional horror, being a slow-paced story that frequently draws more horror from its historical background than from the ghosts. However, the film is incredibly acclaimed, and any fan of del Toro's later work owes it to themselves to watch this as well.
4 Inland Empire (2006)
This three-hour-long experimental David Lynch piece follows Laura Dern as she takes part in the production of a cursed film.
The most popular review on Letterboxd for the film, from user Grooveman, merely reads "?". That stands as a testament to the type of film Inland Empire is; it's hard to really figure out a plot beyond the above, let alone make coherent sense of it. However, one thing is undeniable about Inland Empire, and it's that the film is absolutely terrifying on a deep, primal level most movies are unable to even touch. The film feels like staring upon a Lovecraftian object more than watching a film, and nothing else is truly like it.
3 Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)
In this adaptation of a long-running series of Japanese horror novels, a half-vampire (or "dunpeal") living in a post-apocalyptic world must attempt to save a young woman from a vampire known as Count Meier Link.
Per Letterboxd user Kaijuman, "this film is one of the coolest anime films you’ll ever see." Every single second, every frame, every line of dialogue in Bloodlust oozes style. It holds a solid claim to being one of the most gorgeous animated films ever produced, from any country, and is a solid contender for the best animated horror film of all time (if mostly for lack of proper competition).
2 Shaun of the Dead (2004)
In Edgar Wright's directorial debut, two British pals must contend with a zombie apocalypse (ideally by getting to the pub and waiting for it to blow over), and attempt to work out their personal differences in the process.
Letterboxd user Matthew Christman (otherwise of Chapo Trap House fame) notes that "it's almost impossible to make a fully successful parody... unless you're Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg." Shaun of the Dead stands out among all horror-comedies for how well it blends its tones; it manages to be both a send-up of and a love-letter to the zombie genre, skewering tropes and using them for incredibly effective scares in equal measure. It's simple to see why Wright shot to the stratosphere after this film.
1 Let the Right One In (2008)
In this Swedish vampire film, a bullied young boy, Oskar, makes friends with a girl, Eli, who very quickly turns out to be more than he bargained for (in more ways than the obvious).
Letterboxd user DirkH notes that "the biggest mistake you can make when watching this film is approaching it as a horror film." While technically within the genre due to its bloodsucking subject matter, LTROI is much more of a tragic arthouse romance. Importantly, it is very, very good at being that, to the point where its lack of scares seems like more of a feature than a bug; overt horror would almost cheapen the film's impact.
NEXT: 13 Terrifying Horror Movies That Perfectly Explore Trauma
