When it comes to horror fare, the most famous and revolutionary movies in this genre are well known. Everyone on the planet can hum the “Halloween” theme song and reference Hannibal Lecter’s most memorable “Silence of the Lambs” attributes. Unfortunately, being a high-quality horror feature doesn’t automatically mean also being a household name. On the contrary, the sheer volume of horror titles released annually means that tons of sublime entries into this genre become only a blip on the pop culture radar, if even that. For whatever reason, the 12 most underrated frightening motion pictures in history never got the respect they deserved. 

It’s time to change that by giving these productions their roses and appreciating how masterfully they instilled unease in moviegoers. These movies vary wildly in their respective filmmaking styles and thematic ambitions, not to mention the atmospheres they conjure up. There are so many ways to get chilled to the bone in the real world. Why shouldn’t outstanding horror titles also go all over the map in terms of how they generate frights? Make sure to have your night light and weapon of choice close by, because it’s time to delve into the most terrifyingly underrated horror movies of all time.

Director Karyn Kusama is nothing short of a filmmaking genius in subverting audience expectations. From “Destroyer’s” non-linear storytelling to “Jennifer’s Body’s” radical new definition of what constitutes a movie “monster,” Kusama obliterates audience expectations to give moviegoers images and stories they’ve never seen before. That extends to one of her quietest and most intimate directorial efforts, “The Invitation.” This project followed Will (Logan Marshall-Green), who attends a seemingly normal dinner party at his ex-wife’s domicile. Still shaken by his son’s death, Will is constantly reminded of yesteryear at this event, while the cult his former lover has joined incessantly creeps him out. This story (penned by screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi) emphasizes eerie build-up and all the uneasiness of tense social interactions.

Constant hints about something grislier bubbling just beneath the surface make it clear that “The Invitation” will inevitably go down more warped paths. However, the road getting there is endlessly absorbing, thanks to Kusama’s control of atmosphere and tension. Some may find this production “boring.” In reality, it’s a masterclass in wringing chilling sights out of minimal material. Performances from cast members like Marshall-Green and John Caroll Lynch absolutely flourish within these tight-knit creative confines. If you’re craving a horror movie that gives you something different, not to mention memorably unnerving, then Kusama’s “The Invitation” is, like so many of her works, a must-watch. 

Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman

Director: Karyn Kusama

Rating: R

Runtime: 100 minutes

Where to Watch: Tubi

Many horror movies scare people. How many, though, leave viewers murmuring “What on Earth?” the moment the credits begin to roll? Andrzej Żuławski’s “Possession” does just that with its unhinged exploration of Anna (Isabelle Adjani) slowly losing her mind after proposing a divorce to her spy husband Mark (Sam Neill). This could be the set-up for a deeply grounded domestic drama. Instead, “Possession” goes down surrealistic and dreamlike avenues in chronicling this couple dissolving across 124 minutes of screen time. These qualities, destined to shake even the most hardened moviegoer, get much of their power from Isabella Adjani’s unforgettable performance. Rarely has any lead turn in the history of cinema (regardless of genre) radiated such unbridled conviction as Adjani’s work as Anna —she throws herself completely into the unpredictable physicality consuming this woman.

An iconic sequence of Anna breaking down in a subway tunnel, screaming, bleeding, and running her fingers through her hair, is magnetic and terrifying because of Adjani’s acting chops. Even when she’s not on screen, though, “Possession” radiates a chilling aesthetic stemming from all the uncertainty of what’s going on with this woman. As Mark and other figures try to get to the bottom of Anna’s predicament, answers evade these characters. Only further inexplicable, shocking discoveries greet them instead of cathartic resolution. What traumatizes and kills these “Possession” characters proves endlessly gripping for horror geeks everywhere. No matter what your imagination conjures up, nothing can prepare you for “Possession’s” audacious frights. 

Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Heinz Bennent

Director: Andrzej Żuławski

Rating: R

Runtime: 124 minutes

Where to Watch: Prime Video 

There’s an artistry to maximalist horror that bombards the senses with relentlessly terrifying noises and visuals. There’s also something to be said for horror fare that keeps viewers on their toes and girding themselves for nightmares with the most restrained sensibilities. So it is with 1988’s “The Vanishing,” one of the best suspense movies ever that’s somehow never quite become a household name. This story of Rex (Gene Bervoets), his missing girlfriend Saskia (Johanna ter Steege), and the devious Raymond (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) fits the mold of subdued, quietly unnerving horror perfectly. Director George Sluizer exudes an impressive command of his craft when it comes to realizing this eerie yet subtle tale of loss.

Hopping back and forth across time, “The Vanishing’s” script lets viewers witness the fateful day Saskia went missing as well as Rex grappling with the aftermath of this event years later. The former sequences are all mundane activities between lovers, yet Sluizer injects a palpable, unsavory sense of impending doom into every frame. Even when things look normal, an ominous atmosphere creeps in. Naturalistic performances from Donnadieu and Bervoets amplify this compelling (though very unsettling) notion that terrifying elements of humanity lurk everywhere. Surely there’s room in the great horror cinema canon for something as subtly disquieting as “The Vanishing.”

Cast: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege

Director: George Sluizer

Rating: Not rated

Runtime: 110 minutes

Where to Watch: Available to rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV

Master filmmaker Samuel Fuller was famous for his provocative works that challenged societal and American cinema standards. However, his chilling 1982 film “White Dog” apparently reached particularly extreme levels of transgression, inspiring distributor Paramount Pictures to basically shelve the movie. Subsequently, the studio refused to give it either a normal theatrical release or even let it be screened, period, for years. Paramount’s concerns of blowback from both the NAACP and Ku Klux Klan charters led to this horror movie becoming hard to find. Thankfully, “White Dog” is more accessible in the modern world, thus allowing a new generation of horror fans to discover its artistic prowess. This production concerned a woman who brings home a random dog that was previously trained to viciously attack Black people. What follows is a meditation on whether or not it’s possible to “unlearn” systemically ingrained racism.

This heavy feature refuses to pull its punches, but it also doesn’t reduce the concept of a racist dog to being a cheap shock value gimmick. There’s real danger and power in “White Dog’s” depiction of how racism is so entrenched in American society that even canines aren’t impervious to internalizing its evil. Fuller’s tremendous control of tension and a reliably sublime Ennio Morricone score make “White Dog” a must-see horror film deserving of being watched far and wide.

Cast: Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Burl Ives

Director: Samuel Fuller

Rating: PG

Runtime: 82 minutes

Where to Watch: Available on DVD and Blu-Ray

You know what’s even more terrifying than Leatherface chasing after you in a cornfield? Horrors rooted in chillingly real history. Juraj Herz’s 1969 masterpiece “The Cremator” exemplifies this truth from its very first frame with its story of 1930s Czech cremator Karel Kopfrkingl (Rudolf Hrušínský) growing increasingly unhinged and bloodthirsty as he begins operating the ovens at Nazi concentration camps. This already endlessly disturbing intersection with real-world genocides takes on new levels of horror since Kopfrkingl truly believes he’s doing something right with his actions. By killing these people, the cremator believes he’s ensuring their souls ascend to an infinitely superior existence. Herz and fellow screenwriter Ladislav Fuks delve deep into the ways human beings justify their roles in historical atrocities, which gives “The Cremator” a whole other level of vivid horror.

Kopfrkingl’s madness is ingeniously and unnervingly reflected in disorienting pieces of camerawork and editing that work magnificently well in putting viewers on edge. Rarely do standard visual hallmarks of conventional filmmaking swoop in during “The Cremator” to provide moviegoers some stability. Instead, the erratic imagery perfectly captures that this is a world ghoulishly off its axis, where the slaughter of human beings is somehow considered “normal” and “good.” Now that’s the kind of material that underscores truly unshakeable horror fare.

Cast: Rudolf Hrušínský, Vlasta Chramostová, Jana Stehnová

Director: Juraj Herz

Rating: Not rated

Runtime: 100 minutes

Where to Watch: The Criterion Channel

Tragically, “Companion” didn’t quite break out at the box office in its early 2025 theatrical run. Though technically profitable on a $10 million budget, Warner Bros./New Line Cinema’s dismal marketing campaign (which included refusing to drop a poster for the film until 23 days before its debut) doomed “Companion” to not get the attention it deserved. That’s a crying shame, since this wry horror film is a terrific crowdpleaser full of compelling twists. Writer/director Drew Hancock’s script begins with Iris (Sophie Thatcher) growing concerned about a weekend getaway at a cabin with the friends of her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid). She always feels ostracized by these pals and worried she’ll “embarass” Josh. 

Turns out, though, there’s more going on with Iris than meets the eye and she ends up getting ensnared in a bloody conspiracy centered on robbing her of her autnonomy. To say more would ruin “Companion’s” excellent twists. Needless to say, Hancock’s script is full of exceedingly clever turns, toe-curling suspense set pieces, and fantastically executed Chekhov’s guns. The proceedings are also a mesmerizing showcase for Sophie Thatcher’s immense talents. Her absorbing qualities make Iris a character audiences would follow anywhere in a criminally under-seen horror film like “Companion.”

Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage

Director: Drew Hancock

Rating: R

Runtime: 97 minutes

Where to Watch: Max

“Cannibal Mukbang’s” eye-catching title isn’t the only standout element of one of 2023’s most underrated features. This marvelously warped creation from writer/director Aimee Kuge is a remarkable feat of indie cinema, particularly in how it blends potent character beats with sicko horror material. The plot of this delectable enterprise concerns ordinary guy Mark (Nate Wise) running into the girl of his dreams, Ash (April Consalo). This woman, who makes a living doing mukbang videos online, also spends her nights as a cannibal vigilante taking down the scum of the world. With Mark now succumbing to his cannibal tendencies, the pair’s relationship grows more passionate and deranged.

Kuge’s script widely shifts between genuine displays of romantic and sexual connection to grotesque displays of Ash slurping up blood to a heartbreaking flashback sequence to Ash’s traumatizing childhood captured on film. So much gets crammed into “Cannibal Mukbang,” the audacity is as impressive as the execution. It’s all held together by Kuge’s commitment to realizing each disparate part with equal levels of craftsmanship. Consistently impressive gory practical effects and Consalo’s unforgettable central turn further amplify “Cannibal Mukbang” as a cinematic dish worth chowing down on.

Cast: April Consalo, Nate Wise

Director: Aimee Kuge

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 104 minutes

Where to Watch: Available to rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV

“We live in a society,” as the saying goes. Oh, if only modern American society produced more anti-capitalist horror films with such joyfully grotesque imagery as “Society.” This Brian Yuzna directorial effort follows William “Bill” Whitney (Bill Warlock) beginning to suspect that his uber-wealthy parents aren’t normal people. Instead, he thinks they’re monstrous, gooey beings in a larger cult made up of the rich and powerful. What follows is a memorable indictment of class disparity and the inhumanity of the rich. As the 1% grew to control more and more of America in the decades since “Society’s” release, this project’s political commentary has only gotten more essential and vivid.

What really gives “Society” its horrifying punch are the various visuals and outstanding practical effects chronicling human beings whose bodies can morph at will. An extended third-act sequence depicting the bourgeoisie engaging in “shunting” is the stuff both nightmares and practical effects “best-of” reels are made of. With his first time behind the camera, Yuzna demonstrated remarkable finesse and fear-inducing imagination. This unabashedly oddball piece of filmmaking is an unforgettable blend of heightened body horror and all-too-real social commentary. 

Cast: Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez, Evan Richards

Director: Brian Yuzna

Rating: R

Runtime: 99 minutes

Where to Watch: FuboTV

Thanks to it being a Netflix streaming movie and not spawning a deluge of memes since its November 2018 debut, “Cam” has fallen through the cultural cracks as far as late 2010s Blumhouse Productions go. That’s an outright tragedy. This motion picture deserves infinitely more praise and attention than subpar theatrical Blumhouse titles from the same era like “Truth or Dare” or “Ma.” Directed by Daniel Goldhaber and written by Isa Mazzei, “Cam” is the story of a camgirl Alice Ackerman (Madeline Brewer) determined to be the most popular performer on the website she works for. Both this goal and her entire life begin crumbling as another cam performer with her exact appearance and identity, Lola, begins taking over her account.

That’s where “Cam” generates its terrifying atmosphere. Alice’s odyssey hinges on the chilling concept of losing control of your image and life. Society’s generally dehumanizing attitude towards sex workers underscores the suffocatingly eerie stress of this narrative. Though far from a household name in 2010s horror cinema, moviegoers everywhere should be obsessed with “Cam’s” uber-specific and riveting take on horrifying upheavals to modern existence.

Cast: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters

Director: Daniel Goldhaber

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 95 minutes

Where to Watch: Netflix

“Frankenhooker” is certainly no realistically grisly or harrowing horror film like “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.” However, this Frank Henenlotter directorial effort (he also penned the script with Robert Martin) is still full of freaky imagery echoing the kind of deranged and gnarly visuals packed into great horror/comedies like “The Evil Dead.” Images of sentient organs or bodies exploding into smoke are inevitable in a warped reimagining of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” that centers the story on Jeffrey Franken (James Lorinz) reanimating his dead girlfriend, Elizabeth Shelley (Patty Mullen), using the body parts of deceased sex workers.

The entire feature is a darkly comical riot utilizing some inspired practical effects and shiver-inducing body horror. The former element especially lends a sense of tactility to the narrative’s most freakish segments. “Frankenhooker’s” most enthralling sequences, though, concern the resurrected Shelley as the titular being. Mullen’s exquisite facial expressions and idiosyncratic physicality as this undead character must be seen to be believed. Her bravura performance anchors a feature that’s squirm-inducing and hysterical in equal measure. There are many “Frankenstein” movie adaptations out there, but few have the unhinged imagination of “Frankenhooker.”

Cast: James Lorinz, Patty Mullen

Director:  Frank Henenlotter

Rating: R

Runtime: 85 minutes

Where to Watch: Tubi and Prime Video 

Michael Karthikeyan (Vijay Sethupathi) is just an average pizza delivery man. He didn’t want to get trapped in a spooky, paranormal horror movie. Unfortunately, he’s the lead of writer/director Karthik Subbaraj’s 2012 film “Pizza.” That means he eventually delivers a pizza to a bungalow where haunted hijinks are afoot. What follows is a story of claustrophobic terror (since Karthikeyan’s plight occurs largely just in this one house), uncertain levels of reality, and Subbaraj’s wry screenplay that keeps viewers on their toes as to what really is going on.

Outside of India, Karthik Subbaraj is a relatively unknown filmmaker. That’s absolutely unfair, since his features like “Jigarthanda DoubleX” are tremendous enough accomplishments to make him a globally-renowned filmmaker. His talents were on full display in “Pizza,” his directorial debut. There’s an impressive level of control behind the camera, particularly when it comes to executing eerie thrills. It’s high time Subbaraj got his roses from moviegoers across the planet. A good place to start that operation would be lavishing more praise on a scrumptious slice of horror cinema like “Pizza.”

Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Remya Nambeesan, Naren

Director: Karthik Subbaraj

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 128 minutes

Where to Watch: Rental from Prime Video

Sure, writer/director/editor Brendan Steere’s late 2010s trashy B-movie homage “The VelociPastor” has spawned some humorous memes that have put the film on people’s radar. Despite that virtual ubiquity, how many folks have actually taken the time to sit down and watch all 75 minutes of this comedy horror feature? Turns out there are a lot more joys to “The VelociPastor” than just an eye-catching title and equally gripping DVD poster. As the title implies, Steere’s script concerns Roman Catholic priest Doug Jones (Gregory James Cohan) who, after an encounter with a dangerous artifact, finds that he can transform into a dinosaur. It’s time to put this gift to crime-fighting good.

It’s a challenge to make a comedy playing on tropes of unintentionally hilarious, sincere B-movie features like “The Miami Connection.” “The VelociPastor,” though, leaps over those hurdles by bringing its own infectious passion for ludicrous cinema. This isn’t a motion picture snarking on vintage cheapie horror/action filmmaking. It’s an ode to those titles that’s building on the past to make something new. That “newness” materializes in excellent material like perfectly-timed visual gags and bursts of clap-inducing graphic carnage involving the titular beast. Infinitely superior to all four “Jurassic World” movies, “The VelociPastor” is so much more than the memes it birthed.

Cast: Gregory James Cohan, Alyssa Kempinski, Daniel Steere

Director: Brendan Steere

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 75 minutes

Where to Watch: Tubi and Prime Video