Best Modern Horror Slasher Movies

Building on thrillers such as Psycho and Peeping Tom, the slasher movie genre rose to prominence in the ’70s and ’80s through releases like Black Christmas, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Child’s Play. These franchises are still revered today, with a few of them even producing solid entries in the last few years.

Slasher horror movies feel like they belong to another era, but the genre hasn’t really gone anywhere since the ’80s. There just haven’t been all that many modern films with villains who have left an immediate impact on pop culture to match the likes of Freddy Krueger or Chucky. That said, in terms of quality, the last few years have been kind to slasher fans. This Halloween (or any other day of the year), perhaps consider giving these great modern slasher horror movies a spin.

Updated October 29, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Halloween is right around the corner, so this article has been updated to include a new movie, along with galleries and updated streaming information for each modern slasher film. Also, anyone looking to go to theaters should pick Terrifier 3. It is the only option.

18 Thanksgiving (2023)

Born From Grindhouse

Eli Roth’s movies tend to have a love-or-hate quality to them. The director has enjoyed a fairly successful career in the grand scheme of things, particularly when it comes to horror. Sure, he has tried his hand at action with the ill-fated Death Wish and Borderlands, but Roth’s comfort genre is undoubtedly grindhouse slasher flicks. Fittingly enough, Thanksgiving started as a mock trailer in 2007’s Grindhouse. Similar to Machete and Hobo with a Shotgun, Thanksgiving not only ended up being turned into a feature film but also blew away expectations, and an argument could be made that it is the best of those three projects (although they are all fantastic in their own right).

For the most part, Eli Roth put together a quintessential holiday slasher that does not necessarily take all that many risks. However, Thanksgiving is shockingly well-written and shows quite a lot of nuance, at least in its dissection of the feast’s commercialization. The kills are consistently gory and memorable, and the characters are fairly likable, which is something that cannot be said for most of Roth’s slasher victims.

17 Scream (2022)

The Return Of A Slasher Staple

Except for perhaps the third movie, Scream has consistently delivered decent-to-great slasher flicks. 2022’s fifth entry marked the start of a new era for the franchise, introducing fresh faces to the mix while allowing some fan-favorite characters to spill blood.

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In terms of kills, Scream more than holds its own compared to its predecessors, including one especially violent moment involving someone’s throat. The plot’s decision to go full meta might not be to everyone’s tastes, but it is at least a unique direction that fits the franchise’s history.

16 Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Divisive Film About Watching Unlikable Characters Meet Gruesome Ends

A24’s positive reputation for horror mastery is well-earned. Bodies Bodies Bodies might not rank among the distributor’s highest-tier projects, but the slasher film still has plenty of things going for it. A group of (mostly) insufferable twenty-somethings meet at an isolated mansion to cut loose; naturally, people start to die.

Bodies Bodies Bodies utilizes a strong cast to bring to life realistic characters who do not need to be likable to be engrossing. The film cleverly establishes its core relationships in a way that leaves room for nearly every character to be considered a possible suspect.

15 Wrong Turn (2021)

A Refreshing Revival Of An Uneven Franchise

2003’s Wrong Turn is a serviceable slasher movie that went on to produce a string of largely forgettable sequels. 2021’s entry opted to go down the reboot route, and it was exactly what the franchise needed. Wrong Turn doesn’t hold back on the gory kills, but the reboot is also preoccupied with presenting an interesting narrative driven by two conflicting ideologies.

This is a movie that tries to say something, and it manages to be fun in the process. While Wrong Turn takes a few missteps, the overall experience is a memorable one.

14 Totally Killer (2023)

A Movie Perfect For Halloween

On Halloween, Jamie’s plans get derailed when she travels back in time to the same year when three girls were brutally murdered, a crime that continues to cast a shadow over her town. Naturally, Jamie tries to change history, although she finds that accomplishing the task is easier said than done.

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Most slasher films are defined by their killers, but there are some exceptions that are carried by their leads. Totally Killer is one such movie as its female protagonist is by far the strongest part of the flick. While the kills are fine, the film arguably shines brighter when focusing on comedy, which it regularly nails.

13 Happy Death Day (2017)

Groundhog Day, But Death

Somehow, Groundhog Day has inspired a genre of its own, and few movies have more fun with the “repeating the day” formula than Happy Death Day. The concept is simple: Tree gets killed and begins to relive her final day, driving the college student to search for her mask-wearing murderer.

Happy Death Day uses its premise to execute plenty of creative kills, and the movie throws out quite a bit of comedy alongside its horror. The sequel might be even better, but it is more of a sci-fi comedy than a traditional slasher movie.

12 Hush (2016)

Quietly Horrifying

A sadistic killer stalks a target who is alone in the woods – this could describe approximately a billion slasher movies. Hush sets it apart by centering itself around a deaf protagonist, bringing a whole new dimension to proceedings.

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A home invasion horror movie, Hush boasts fantastic performances from its two leads. The movie takes a protagonist who is seen as an “easy target” by the killer and turns her into one of the most resourceful characters in modern horror.

11 The Funhouse Massacre (2015)

A Grungy, Slimy Trip

Not every movie must provide an insightful look into humanity’s inner demons; sometimes, it is just entertaining to watch six killers turn a Funhouse into a river of blood and brains. The Funhouse Massacre quickly sets up its core murderers, most of whom start the movie in an asylum, and protagonists before jumping right into the meat of things: gore.

The Funhouse Massacre is an ideal horror party movie; the type of slasher flick that demands nothing out of its audience outside of a love for gnarly chaos.

10 The Blackening (2023)

A Horror Comedy Slasher Done Extremely Well

A hilarious satire of slasher tropes while also being a satisfying entry in the genre in its own right, The Blackening is silly, clever, and unforgettable. A group of friends decide to spend a night at a cabin in the woods, only to find themselves locked in a struggle with a twisted killer. Suddenly, the deadliest ever game of trivia commences, and any wrong answers will have dire consequences.

The Blackening balances horror and comedy ridiculously well, all the while leaving plenty of room to explore its brilliantly acted characters and touch upon genre-specific constructs. 2023 has produced more than its share of memorable slasher flicks, but The Blackening is one of a kind.

9 Sick (2022)

A Very Early 2020s Slasher

On paper, Sick seems like a bog-standard slasher with a timely (and now slightly dated) premise. Set during the pandemic, the story follows two girls who head to a lake house for a gateway, only to be naturally stalked by an unknown killer. It is also standard stuff, but the movie manages to differentiate itself from the crowd.

Hyams’ direction is patient and effectively slow-moving, allowing the audience to soak in each setting rather than just fast-forwarding through death scenes. When the latter moments finally happen, they are vicious and genuinely uncomfortable. While not groundbreaking or especially deep, Sick is a confident and impactful watch that knows how to execute some gory slasher kills.

8 Halloween (2018)

A Return To Form That Was Mostly Squandered With Sequels

After an array of frustrating and polarizing sequels, 2018’s Halloween reverts back to basics by focusing on Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. This simplification goes beyond just the movie ignoring every other sequel in the series, as Halloween eliminates most complications in favor of a cat-and-mouse dynamic.

Halloween is a respectful tribute to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic movie, and it comes packed with the kills and tension one would expect. If someone loves this entry, they can check out the two sequels, which are both more daring entries, in the sense that they try to take the series in a different direction. They are also far more polarizing.

7 Freaky (2020)

A Really Freaky Friday

As its name suggests, Freaky smashes Freaky Friday into a slasher movie to wickedly refreshing results. A prolific serial killer finds a magic knife and, long story short, trades bodies with a teen girl. While the Blissfield Butcher sees some positives to this life-changing event, Millie is slightly less thrilled about the situation.

Freaky pays homage to classic body swap comedies and teen slashers; more impressively, the movie juggles both genres well, delivering a funny and violent ride for the ages.

6 Terrifier (2016)

The Start Of Something Creepy But Special

Now, that is an effective costume. Horror has seen plenty of deranged clowns over the decades, and Terrifier‘s smiling monstrosity puts approximately 90% of them to shame. In a desolate apartment building, Art the Clown plays a devilish game of hide-and-seek with Tara and Dawn, and the clown has a vicious sense of humor.

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Terrifier is not for everyone and only people with a strong stomach should give this one a try. The murders are disgustingly violent, a factor amplified by the film’s ugly aesthetic and setting. It all feels slightly more “real” than most slasher movies.

5 Terrifier 2

A Wildly Ambitious Sequel, Especially For A Slasher

Even though it might seem like overkill to also promote the sequel, Terrifier 2 is even better than its predecessor, which is saying something. The 2022 entry is unexpectedly ambitious, being perhaps the closest thing to a modern “epic” slasher movie. Fans of the original film should undoubtedly watch its successor; meanwhile, people who hate the first flick but love a good slasher should still consider giving the sequel a try.

4 Werewolves Within (2021)

Not That Scary, But A Lot Of Fun

A great adaptation of a VR video game, Werewolves Within takes the premise of Werewolf, the tabletop game, and runs with it. A winning collection of people are trapped and lean there just might just be a werewolf among them. Hilarity and surprises ensue.

Werewolves Within doesn’t focus too much on inspiring screams of terror, opting to be a lighthearted but clever horror comedy instead. That said, it doesn’t cheapen out on the fun kills either.

3 Candyman (2021)

A Respectable Revival With Modern Themes

A modern update to one of the slasher genre’s most thematically rich movies, 2021’s Candyman doesn’t shy away from tackling complex topics revolving around racial tension and history. And, like its highly regarded predecessor, these ideas stand alongside viscerally uncomfortable imagery that is off-putting but effective.

Even if it quite doesn’t reach the heights of 1992’s original movie or co-writer Jordan Peele’s directorial efforts, Candyman is still one of the best modern slasher movies​​​​.

2 Fear Street Trilogy (2021)

A Throwback Trilogy

A trilogy of movies based on R.L. Stine’s books of the same name, Fear Street follows multiple generations of teenagers as they seek to put an end to a pesky curse. Unsurprisingly, the story gets progressively more complex, but Fear Street has one thing squarely on its mind: to create fun traditional slasher films.

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Through its three entries, Fear Street takes a stab at a multitude of slasher tropes, and it affectionately recreates them with plenty of charm and confidence. This series is perfect for Halloween.

1 X (2022)

A Grindhouse Masterpiece That Spawned A Pretty Interesting Trilogy

A homage to filmmaking and exploitation flicks of the ’70s, X follows a group of young performers and creators as they head to a farm to film a porno. Although clearly not welcome by the location’s owner, the characters ignore any warning signs as they focus exclusively on bringing their project to life. Then, a horror story happens.

X is confident, witty, and fun. Ti West’s direction is stellar throughout, and all the actors play their parts expertly. The 2020s have produced quite a few memorable horror films, and X is a top contender for the best recent slasher movie.

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