5 Horror Movies of the 2010's That Were Better Than Expected

One major criticism of the horror genre as of late is that the genre simply isn't performing. With more blockbuster releases, and endless sequels within the same franchise, horror fans have become a bit disillusioned with the genre. Whether it's the same monsters, the same tropes, same characters, or same stories being played on repeat, it's safe to say that a lot of moviegoers go into horror films with low expectations.

Fortunately for those of us who love all things scary, there have been some solid releases since the year 2010. In the past decade, we have started to see a bit of a horror revival and its come as a bit of a surprise because, let's face it, a lot of us started to lose faith in our favorite genre. With this list, we'll take a look at five horror films of the 2010s that were a lot better than we expected them to be. While all smash hits might not be 100% original, you can't deny the staying power that these five movies have. Not only were they smash hits with audiences, they were also surprise hits with critics and/or the box office.

Enter if you dare!

5. 'The Babysitter' (2017)

Kicking off the list, we have this Netflix original that definitely beat the odds in terms of expectation. A story about a wimpy teen who still has a babysitter didn't sound like a promising horror flick, but the story delivered and The Babysitter wound up being a hilarious, slasher hit. Similar to the Scream franchise, it pokes fun at the slasher sub-genre but it did a little better job at not taking itself too seriously - at least in my opinion.

If The Babysitter wouldn't have went direct-to-Netflix, the movie would easily be a PG-13 horror offering that would have been a box office smash with teenagers and adults alike. We are even still getting a sequel sometime in 2020.

4. 'Mandy' (2018)

If you've ever seen the remake of The Wicker Man, or the YouTube video by editor Harry Hanrahan titled "Nicolas Cage Loses His Shit," then you probably had some warning going into Mandy. This 2018 horror film from director Panos Cosmatos features Nicolas Cage truly as his most maniacal - and every second of it is better than the last.

The 80s set movie follows Cage's character Red Miller as his lover, Mandy, is abducted by a cult leader. After she refuses to give into the cult's demands, they burn her alive with Miller watching. Mandy reflects the purity and insanity that only Nicolas Cage can offer and it really is a fun horror movie that features little more than watching Cage murder a cult with his bare hands.

3. 'Ready or Not' (2019)

Ready or Not was advertised in a bit of a strange way. The initial marketing played the movie off as a rather serious take on a murderous game that was no doubt going to be bloody. However, the final product turned out to be a witty satire of the genre that had elements of both mystery and surprise. The story follows a young woman named Grace as she marries an heir to a gaming fortune. Per tradition, each new in-law must participate in a game on the night of the wedding. Grace obliges but soon finds herself running for her life as her new husband's family hunts her down with various weapons during a game of hide and seek.

I went into Ready or Not with low expectations given the state the horror genre has been in the past decade, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun this movie was. And yes, I fully believe horror should be fun to watch. The story was unique, the humor was spot on, and the game (aka, the plot) kept you invested until the very end.

2. 'The Cabin in the Woods' (2012)

Speaking of going into a movie with low expectations and being blown away, let's talk about The Cabin in the Woods. Like I mentioned with The Babysitter, this movie was another that poked a lot of fun at the slasher genre and took elements from movies like Scream and amplified them. The difference between Scream and The Cabin in the Woods is the latter did a better job at roasting the genre.

The movie is a typical horror trope of friends going to a cabin and facing sudden doom. The twist of this movie, however, is you not only find out that the outcome of their fate is being watched, but that it's been planned from the very start. From mermaids to zombies to mythical creatures, there is more than meets the eye regarding the horror genre as we knew it... and there is a lot of fun in finding out how.

1. 'Evil Dead' (2013)

Let me start off by saying that on a personal level, I thought Evil Dead (2013) was a lousy remake of Sam Raimi's 1981 cult classic. I say that because it was hardly a remake at all. The original concept was basically stepped on and kicked aside while director Fede Alvarez created a brand new story with some elements from the original - all while trying to say it was a continuation and/or soft reboot. Some films shouldn't be remade and Evil Dead is one of them, in my opinion.

Now with that said, Evil Dead is a damn good horror movie on its own.

There are plenty of movie buffs who love their horror to be gritty, bloody, and downright graphic. Those moviegoers had their expectations shattered with the 2013 release as it brought the concept into a more modern take with updated special effects, more shocking visuals, and fresh characters. It was even so jarring there were reports of moviegoers walking out of the theater because it was so graphic.

Honorable Mentions:

• The Babadook (2014)
• It Follows (2014)
• Scream 4 (2011)
• Hereditary (2018)
• Get Out (2017)
• The Witch (2015)