With just two more months to go in 2022, there are still plenty of chances for horror fans to enjoy some new movies. The Menu will be in theaters November 18th, and Bones And All is coming November 23rd, which will blend horror elements with some romance. When looking at the releases from this year, there are so many well-made movies to choose from, whether fans are looking for a funny slasher, more traditional slasher, or a twist on home invasion.
From a movie that was filmed on Zoom to horror comedies and a 2022 release with a villain who has become memorable, there are many scary movies released in 2020, 2021, and 2022 that make fans of the genre excited for what's to come in 2023 and the rest of the decade.
Host (2020)
When horror fans found out that Rob Savage would film an entire movie on Zoom, it sounded like a brilliant idea right away. The result is a fascinating and genuinely scary story about a group of friends who are chatting on video during the COVID-19 pandemic. While this was familiar to fans watching in 2020 who were doing the same to keep in touch with loved ones, the characters encounter a ghost, which brings this movie out of real life.
Host is one of the most important 2020 horror movies since it felt relevant at the time. But besides its creative filmmaking style, Host is creepy and the story delivers the chilling message that the characters are powerless as they're just sitting at home.
Freaky (2020)
Freaky has some of the funniest Blumhouse movie quotes, as Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) swaps bodies with the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). The movie stands out for the hilarious fact that audiences get to see Vaughn talking like a teenager and getting swept up in the dramatics typical of that time of life. It's also a solid story.
The 2020 movie is both an excellent comedy and a fresh new slasher. Playing off the popular Freaky Friday movies, it creates a new slasher villain in the Blissfield Butcher, who brutally kills people and is wild and chaotic.
The Rental (2020)
Dave Franco directed The Rental, which sees two couples renting a vacation home for the weekend and walking right into a sinister and frightening situation. Mina (Sheila Vand) and Josh (Jeremy Allen White) go away with Charlie (Dan Stevens), Josh's brother), and Michelle (Alison Brie). The movie works because there is suitable conflict between the siblings and some romantic drama thrown in there, too, which adds an extra layer.
The Rental is an underrated movie from 2020 and it avoids any tropes or cliches from movies about home invasions or vacations. The characters are what make the story sing as they are totally believable and the dialogue is great too.
The Night House (2020)
The Night House is packed with a massive surprise that is one of the best movie plot twists in recent years. Rebecca Hall's character Beth wants to know why her husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit) died as he took some secrets with him, and as she unravels what he was keeping from her, she is stunned.
When a horror movie has one main setting, it can be tough to keep the tension and it can be easy to get bored. That's definitely not the case here, as The Night House creates a scary atmosphere at all times. When Beth wakes up in the middle of the night and feels paranormal disturbances, it's very creepy.
Watcher (2022)
Maika Monroe's horror movie Watcher flew under the radar a bit earlier in 2022, but it has everything that horror fans look for: a wise main character, a big city full of potential suspects and killers, and the smart theme that women are stared at all too often.
As Julia (Monroe) relocates to Bucharest with her partner Francis (Karl Glusman), her realization that someone is watching her in their apartment leads her down a horrifying path. The movie's direction and cinematography result in one of the smartest and most artistic horror movies in years.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
A24's slasher comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies was a stand-out hit of 2022. The cast is impressive (Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson) and the setting evokes the idea of an old-school murder mystery taking place at a mansion.
From intelligent dialogue about social media and podcasts and the way that people pretend to be someone they aren't in order to seem cool, the movie hits all the right notes. The mystery is also wise as it's hard to guess who has been killed and what actually happened. It has a satisfying horror movie ending that feels flawless.
X (2022)
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Ti West's horror trilogy starring Mia Goth will get a third movie, MaXXXine, with the prequel Pearl in theaters in September 2022. The first movie, X, is an impressive achievement that horror fans will watch for years.
While it's true that the premise of X makes people stand up and take note, as actors and filmmakers are shooting an adult movie that they hope will make them super famous, the movie has such a high production value that it sticks out. It's fun watching Goth play both young Maxine and older Pearl and it's a well-paced slasher.
The Black Phone (2022)
The Black Phone's scary moments are one reason to love this adaptation of the Joe Hill short story. Horror fans loved seeing Ethan Hawke as The Grabber, a villain who follows the same pattern of kidnapping kids, keeping them in an absolutely eerie basement, and then killing them.
The movie has an emotional center as the main characters Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) and Finney (Mason Thames) Blake are as smart as they are cute and sweet. Seeing the characters realize that they have to keep each other safe and happy is definitely sad, but the movie is also a well-plotted examination of how a smart child character can figure out a killer's future plans.