Thehorror genreis slightly underrated in the cinema. Despite having many followers worldwide,scary movies often struggle with the low expectationsof the critics and the general public. Sometimes dismissed as “cheap” thrills or gory entertainment, it is easy for cinema enthusiasts to ignore them in favor of more “sophisticated” productions, overlooking the hidden complexities behind or the creative genius required to craft such unusual stories.
That also depends on the production of the films. For instance, if the names of the director and the cast are still relatively unknown, and the budget is tight,the chances of a horror story having low to no expectationsare even greater. It would not be the same, for example, if tomorrow, Academy Award winnerJordan Peele were to release another masterpiece likeGet Out. Nevertheless, despite this unfortunate fame, plenty of horror movies in cinema history shockingly exceeded our initial expectations.
Evil Dead Rise
Cast
The Evil Dead franchise continues with Evil Dead Rise, a dark fantasy/horror film written and directed by Lee Cronin. This fifth entry in the Evil Dead named series follows two sisters, played by Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan, as they try to survive a demonic assault from a Deadite. Beth (Sullivan) heads on a road trip to visit her sister Ellie (Sutherland) and her children. However, when the Necronomicon is discovered in Ellie’s L.A. apartment building, the Deadites rise back from their demonic realm and begin to bring hell back to earth once again. Evil Dead Rise, initially an HBO Max streaming exclusive, instead arrived in theaters on July 11, 2025.
As the fifth installment of a notorious franchise, the announcement ofEvil Dead Risewas initially met with some skepticism on behalf of the fans. Nevertheless, Lee Cronin,the writer and director of the film, successfully honored the legacy of the serieswhile also incorporating his personal vision.
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Although Cronin embraced the shameless brutality that characterized the original movies, he turned away from the traditional setting of the story, leading the franchise into a new, unexplored direction. Instead of taking place in the classic cabin in the woods associated with the previous films, the movie unfolds in a rundown building in Los Angeles. The risky decision turned out to be successful.Evil Dead Risedid not only becomethe highest-grossing film of the series, but was also nominated at The Saturn Awards for Best Horror Film.
Smile 2
Smile 2 is the sequel to the 2022 psychological horror film by director Parker Finn that centers on a therapist who witnesses a patient’s suicide, leading to a series of terrifying supernatural events. The sequel will see the return of Finn as director, with Paramount continuing distribution.
Similar to its predecessor,Smile 2has taken the world by surprise, defying the expectations that would see it as the usual lower-quality sequel. Although the first movie contained some ambiguous plot holes to leave room for another chapter, the producers were not too optimistic about the chance of creating another installment. However,given the success of the original, the project was quickly greenlit. Unfortunately, horror sequels are not known for being particularly strong, often falling into repetitive storytelling.
Parker Finn’s movie proved otherwise.Smile 2builds upon the foundation of its predecessorwhile adding psychological depth and introducing a spectacular and emotionally complex new lead, played by Naomi Scott, whose intense performance received critical acclaim. The movie’s box office gain was significantly higher than it needed to be to break even with the original one. Without a doubt,Smile 2exceeded expectations and set up another chapter.
Happy Death Day
Happy Death Day is a horror-comedy film directed by Christopher Landon. Released in 2017, it follows college student Tree Gelbman, played by Jessica Rothe, who is forced to relive the day of her murder repeatedly until she can identify her killer and stop her death. The film blends elements of slasher horror with dark humor, creating a unique entry in the genre.
Happy Death Daymight seem like the traditional ’90s-inspired slasher movie that borrows elements from the supernatural genre. Although the premise of a woman reliving her death infinite times is fascinating, our expectations for the film were initially not too high. Especially considering that the movie was produced on a limited budget of only $4.8 million. However,Tree Gelbman’s story conquered the public.
The main character, played by Jessica Rothe, irreverent and slightly self-absorbed at first, is far from the classical heroine of the genre. Unlike the typical final girl, Tree’s deeply flawed and snarky persona makes her a compelling protagonist with a transformative arch that makes the story more entertaining and meaningful. Through Rothe’s performance,the film becomes a blend of fear, mystery, and wit.Happy Death Dayended up being a box-office success and went on to have a sequel.
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods strictly follows the traditional slasher movie dynamic: a group of teens heads to a remote location for the weekend only to find themselves beset by monsters. However, what they don’t know is that the inevitable horrors they will face have all been arranged by a mysterious team watching from a facility deep underground.
When its trailer first premiered,Cabin in the Woodsseemed to have a pretty basic plot. A group of college kids go on a vacation in the middle of nowhere only to discover something sinister lurking beneath them. As fun as the story could be, the film appeared like a classic slasher and supernatural combo to entertain the fans of the genre with spooky jump scares and funny one-liners. However, there was much more behind.
Cabin in the Woodstakes traditional horror tropes and subvert them, delivering a shockingly clever story that deconstructs the very foundations of the genre.
Cabin in the Woodstakes traditional horror tropes and subvert them, delivering a shockingly clever story that deconstructs the very foundations of the genre. What appeared to be a simple scary movie about unfortunate kids turns into a satire that analyzes typically used cinema conventions, touching upon more upsetting themes that angry monsters or vengeful ghosts. The main plot twist, unexpectedly absurd yet ingenious, and the hopeless conclusion, far exceeded any expectations.
Get Out
Jordan Peele made his directorial Horror debut with Get Out, a terrifying Psychological Horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya. In the 2017 release, Chris Washington heads to Upstate New York to meet the family of his girlfriend, Rose. What follows is a horrifying ordeal for the anxious photographer.
Although the trailer forGet Outalready hinted at an intriguing horror story with a socio-political twist, not many predicted the cultural impact it would have. Jordan Peele, now recognized as one of the major exponents of the horror genre, was at its directorial debut back then. Furthermore, the film was produced on a tight budget. As a consequence, to forecast the level of success it achieved was almost impossible.
Peele, however, proved to the world his masterful storytelling techniques and creative genius, craftingone of the most thought-provoking horrors of the last years. Although some parts of the film might veer into the realm of science fiction, the underlying realism of the societal dynamics explored and its psychological twists make the movie the chilling masterpiece it turned out to be.Get Outwas not just a box office success but alsoearned Peele an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and is highly regarded as one ofthe best horror movies of the 2010s.
Open Water
Open Water is a survival horror film directed by Chris Kentis, based on the true story of an American couple abandoned at sea by a scuba diving crew. Starring Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis, the film depicts their harrowing ordeal as they struggle against nature and hunger in the open ocean. The minimalist filming style enhances the film’s tension and realism.
If you haven’t watched it, it would be easy to dismissOpen Wateras another low-budget shark horror. The premise, although terrifying, is simple—a couple on vacation ends up stranded in the open sea. Inspired by real events, the 2003 film was made on a low budget of barely $120,000. Despite the limitations,with its cleverly portrayed suspense and emotional performances, the survival horrorexploited humans' fear of the unknown to craft a chilling yet heartbreaking tale.
Instead of using jump scares typical of many shark stories,Open Waterdepicts with chilling accuracy the sense of isolationand rising hopelessness felt by the main characters. At the same time, the performances of Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis as Susan and Daniel add a romantic and tragic layer to the story, allowing the viewer to become emotionally invested in the film. The movie ended up grossing $55.5 million and became one of thebest ocean thrillers against all expectations.
M3GAN
M3GAN follows a toy company roboticist who creates an AI doll designed to emotionally bond with her orphaned niece. As the doll’s programming becomes excessively protective, it leads to unforeseen and alarming consequences. The film explores themes of artificial intelligence and emotional connections.
The concept of the cursed killer doll has been relentlessly used in the history of horror films. Therefore, our expectations forM3GANwere not as high. Furthermore, the killer doll category has often struggled to be a complete success at the box office in the last few years. However, the geniality of the director and writers was to add the frightening element of artificial intelligence into it.
M3GAN is neither possessed nor cursed: she is an AI product that develops a keen self-awareness while becoming increasingly attached to her owner.The movie exploits humans' modern fears of rapid technological advancementand its possibility of overtaking our control. Instead of relying on classical tropes of vengeful demons and supernatural entities, the film explores an unsettling yet more realistic alternative. With this blood-curling twist and the extra touch of humor,M3GANturned out to be a huge success andshockingly became one of 2023’s best horror movies.
The Invisible Man
Inspired by H.G. Well’s novel of the same name, The Invisible Man is a modern retelling of the sci-fi horror classic. After narrowly escaping her abusive and powerful tech mogul boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) is relieved to hear of his death. However, she soon becomes convinced that he’s watching her, and little by little, she comes to believe that he’s found a way to not only cheat death but the laws of reality, too.
Inspired by H.G. Wells’s 1897 novel,The Invisible Manisa remake of the 1933 film of the same name. The subjects covered, from stalking and gaslighting to abuse and trauma, are far from easy, adding heavy emotional weight to the story. As a result, although the film is categorized as horror, the filmmakers needed to exert an added layer of sensitivity to portray the protagonist’s trauma.
One of the factors that contributed to the success of the movie wasthe powerful performance of Elizabeth Moss, who captured Cecilia’s inner turmoil, fear, and despair. Despite having a budget of only $7 million,The Invisible Manturned out to be more than a scary movie: it became a gripping journey into the trauma of a scarred woman. The psychological depth of the story allowedThe Invisible Manto become a commercial success when it premiered,exceeding initial expectations with an opening of $29 million.
Unfriended
Unfriended is a supernatural horror film released in 2014, focused on a group of high school friends who encounter the spirit of a deceased classmate during a video chat. As the entity unveils their hidden secrets, the friends face escalating terror, realizing they are confronted with a malevolent force.
Perhaps the premise ofUnfriended, a scary movie featuring a group of teenagers told through a MacBook screencast, might have initially raised some doubts about the potential of the story. However,the most unusual storytelling techniques can create an immersive experiencethat, if well-executed, will capture the viewer in ways conventional methods cannot. When it comes to horror, this type of immersion can be even more effective at achieving its goal: terrifying the public.
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Unfriendeddid not only receive mostly mixed-to-positive reviews from the critics, but was alsoa major success at the box office. Over the first weekend, it achieved the highest opening for a horror film sinceThe Conjuringin 2013. The factors that helped the production exceed its initial expectations were the realistic atmosphere of the story and the intense performances of its young yet talented actors.
Barbarian
Barbarian follows a young woman who discovers her Airbnb has been double-booked with a stranger already present. Despite initial hesitation, she decides to stay, only to uncover disturbing secrets within the unsettling rental. The film, released in 2022, explores themes of trust and unease in unexpected encounters.
WhenBarbarianwas first announced,it seemed like a scary yet rather expected storyabout a home rental gone wrong. The film was Zach Cregger’s solo writing and directorial debut. On top of that, the marketing for the movie was quite limited- the trailer teased very little about the overall story, letting the viewers come up with their interpretation. Because of the casting of Bill Skarsgård as one of the unfortunate tenants, known for his work as the terrifying Pennywise, most people thought he would be the ultimate villain of the movie.
The film subverted every expectation, rejecting conventional typecasting and defying classical horror tropes.
However,the film subverted every expectation, rejecting conventional typecasting and defying classical horror tropes.Barbariancombines various genres, using psychological tension, jump scares, and comedic sequences to create an intricate story that keeps the viewer on edge. Thehorror movieended up being a massive success, earning a score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing $45.4 million worldwide, against a limited $4.5 million budget.
