Horror film fanatics are always looking for gems that they might have missed. That’s why recommendations from other movie buffs can be so rewarding. To that end, people in the BuzzFeed and Reddit communities are goldmines of suggestions. Now start the popcorn and get ready for some seriously scary binge-watching.
1. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
“Truly the most underrated of John Carpenter’s films. This one completely freaked me and my husband out. I don’t want to give TOO much away, but let’s just say that it definitely does NOT have a feel-good ending.”—queenemily
2. Under the Skin (2013)
“This is an unsettling, beautifully-shot film starring Scarlett Johansson, in what I personally think is her best role to date. It’s about an alien seductress…and I’ll leave it at that. DO NOT look up spoilers or trailers, just watch it — if you can make it through to the end.”—jconway
3. Thirst (2009)
“It’s an absolutely amazing Korean horror film by the same director who made Oldboy about a priest-turned-vampire and his love interest. It’s so visually stunning and has a great plot.”—nathanvh
4. Creep (2014)
“This movie kept getting recommended to me on Netflix forever before I finally gave in and watched it. At just over an hour long, it’s so simple and only has two actors. It has a great sense of timing, making things really suspenseful. It was the first movie in a while that made me want to sleep with the lights on.”—alimcar1133
5. Mirrors (2008)
“I worked myself up to a near heart attack each time I got in the shower for at least a week (probably two) after seeing this movie. Seriously, the first time I showered after I saw this, I was so freaked out that I actually whimpered when I thought I saw something move from the corner of my eye. I was 25 at the time.”—anoukvanderz
6. Sleepaway Camp (1983)
“This movie disturbed me on so many levels. The subject matter covered and some of the imagery they got away with 36 years ago is shocking by today’s standards.”—popculturefan4
7. Resolution (2012)
“This one does Cabin in the Woods better than Cabin in the Woods. It has a lot of fun with the horror genre without ever going over-the-top. It’s a great film in general and I often tell people it’s the best horror movie post-2000.”—arcoleman13
8. The Changeling (1980)
“My mom and I used to watch horror movies together allthe time when I was a kid, and this one has stuck with me the most. It doesn’t rely on gratuitous gore. If you haven’t seen it yet, you need to!”—donielleleem
9. The Haunting of Julia/Full Circle (1977)
“I saw it for the first time several years ago. Maybe I was just in the right mood that day but there’s a twist that made me audibly gasp. That’s a rarity. This one truly scared me.”—katwal1
10. Would You Rather (2012)
“My sister and I were looking for something scary to watch one night and we found this. I had to pause it halfway through just for a mental break, it was so intense. The twist at the end is absolutely thrilling. No matter who I recommend this movie to, they tell me they loved it.”—katelynk4907bdf96
11. Macabre (2009)
“If you haven’t seen this Indonesian horror/thriller, then you need to jump on Amazon and buy it ASAP. What starts off as a simple “finding a stranger in distress while driving” story quickly leads to the most excellent game of cat-and-mouse I’ve seen on-screen in a very long time.”—anieferreira
12. Paperhouse (1988)
“It’s about a little girl who has nightmares about a house that she draws. Reality and fantasy begin mixing together, and her alcoholic dad is also a part of it. It’s spooky and weird and was made by the same director as the classic Candyman!”—razedbywolves
13. Found (2012)
“A 12-year-old boy finds out his horror-film obsessed teenage brother has a human head in his closet. I don’t want to spoil anything past that, but it is disturbing and unexpected from beginning to end.”—jmh475
14. Hell House, LLC (2015)
“This movie truly made me piss-in-my-pants level scared for the first time EVER. It’s a found-footage horror film about a small group of friends who find older houses/locations to host incredibly scary haunted houses in around the country. It has a really good mix of jump scares and suspense and kept me lying awake in bed for hours after watching it.”—thethumbchild
15. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
“It has a really good story that actually takes the time to develop while maintaining all the best elements of horror. I’ve seen it several times and people I have suggested it to agree with me.”—gracelee32
16. Goodnight Mommy (2014)
“Goodnight Mommy is an Austrian movie that left me with my mouth open towards the end, you never expect the ending! Is a very good psychological thriller.”—Sara Pérez Ospina
17. The Houses October Built (2014)
“It’s about this group of people making a documentary to find the most intense haunted house. It’s a little slow to start but, once stuff starts happening, it hits the fan full-force. For a while I forgot I was even watching a horror movie until it kicked in, and I think that made it even better because it catches you unaware.”—tristenl3
18. American Mary (2012)
“American Mary. It’s about a college student who takes to performing extreme and illegal body modification surgeries to pay for medical school. All the effects are practical and features actual members of the body modification community.”—Monika Porch
19. The Wailing (2016)
“The Wailing f*cked my life up for a while. It coincided with me having sleep paralysis for the first time, and I was horrified. Something about the demon spirits and shit. Wow, it is so good and so frightening, but also strangely funny and calloused.”—HunterSTolkien
20. REC (2007)
“The original [REC] freaked the hell out of me the first time I watched it.”—eaglesnakefight
21. High Tension (2003)
“I’ve never been more disturbed in the first 15 minutes of a movie than when I first watched this one. It’s highly suspenseful and incredibly violent. A well done movie, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch it again.”—jennig41cc7364f
22. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)
“The Blackcoat’s Daughter sucked me in! It’s one of those films that rewards those who pay attention. So so creepy!”—caitlinm18
23. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
“A tale of two sisters is a good one as long as you don’t mind reading subtitles. Scared the hell out of me.”—TheMainMan3