"I Refuse To Watch It Again" – 15 Horror Films That Totally Exceeded Our Expectations
Recently, u/Sans010394 asked r/moviecritic, "What's a horror movie that exceeded your expectations?" So we thought we'd share some of the top responses.
1. The Ritual (2017)
Netflix
"It really is quite fantastic. It was one of the first newer ones I watched upon diving into the genre for the first time. The horror occurs in surprising ways."
– human_not_alien
2. Event Horizon (1997)
Paramount Pictures
" Event Horizon with Sam Neill. I had no idea at the time what it was going in. Was so good it messed me up so much, I refuse to watch it again."
– Ill_Cod7460
3. Prey (2022)
20th Century Studios
"I'd even consider it better than Predator in some regards. It had a fairly linear plot, a main protagonist whom I didn't want to see get hurt, strong leads, and a Yautja costume that looked very well constructed."
– NerdNuncle
4. Train to Busan (2016)
Next Entertainment World
5. Talk to Me (2022)
A24
"It just looked like another gimmick movie, like Ouji or something, but man was it creepy, and that ending hit hard."
– BreathWithMe6
6. Oculus (2013)
Relativity Media
"This movie scared the shit out of me on my first watch. Not a flawless film but Katee Sackhoff really owned her role and the twists/timeline jumps keep you invested and disoriented. Still one of my favourites."
– bobby_portishead
7. Let the Right One In (2008)
Sandrew Metronome
" Let The Right One In is so melancholy and sad and beautiful in a weird way. The American version is really good imo too, just a different vibe. The kids in both of them are so insanely good."
– chainsawbearandco
8. Barbarian (2022)
20th Century Studios
"I'd had some things spoiled and heard that it was a good movie but I was blown away by the quality. It's brilliantly shot, the acting is flawless, it's properly tense and the themes are perfect for this kind of movie and explored in the most interesting of ways, without saying anything too spoiler-y. Just a top tier movie and not what I expected from Zach from WKUK."
– Sea_Cheesecake3330
9. The Wailing (2016)
20th Century Studios
"The suspension was killing me. Never had any scare-jump but the whole time I was freaked out. I have watched it with three different groups of people and every time I was amazed. To date, I'm not sure what happened in in the end."
– nomercy15
10. The Witch (2015)
A24
"I was like 'ok cool, period piece with the 'is it magic or is it mundane'' trope, let's see how it plays out.' It is not mundane, and leans into that full force and it creeped me the hell out."
– Careful-Release
11. Sinners (2025)
Warner Bros. Pictures
"I know it's new, and it's still going. Some things were visually weird a couple times, but the music was great and there was a lot more emotion than I expected. It doesn't even feel like a horror movie somehow."
– feverishh
12. Sinister (2012)
Lionsgate
"Randomly watched it by myself one day thinking it would just be a movie that could kill some time. Messed me up bad to the point where I had trouble sleeping that night."
– robertswoman
13. Midsommar (2019)
A24
"Aesthetic-wise – the colours, camera shots and visual compositions were done amazingly for me."
– Both-Fruit5418
"The fully bright horror movie and the kinda of delusion that ensues is horror in its own way. Loved it."
– immersedmoonlight
14. Terrified (2017)
Aura Films
"I've never been more scared in a film so quickly. The opening shot is immediately gripping and tense. I honestly think the first 15 minutes is one of the best openings in all of horror, and should be studied in film schools. The movie is not perfect, but no horror film has ever pulled me in so quickly."
– kdawgster1
15. The Night House (2020)
Searchlight Pictures
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