To be honest, 2022 has been a great year for horror. With fan favourites coming back to haunt and excite us and some shocking new ones leaving us chilled and thrilled, the year has been rewarding and utterly chaotic for a number of reasons.
With 2023 right around the corner, though, the time has come for us to make a list of the best out of them all. Of course, ‘the best horror movies of 2022’ cannot be an exhaustive list, but these are the ones that left us scratching our heads, utterly confused at the madness in front of us. ‘Wait, did I see this right?’ is a question I was forced to ask myself frequently while watching almost all of these movies.
Thus, if you’ve missed out on these oddly satisfying albeit terrifying titles, check out this list for a horrifyingly awesome end of the year!
The Best Horror Movies of 2022 (in no particular order)
Hellbender
Isolation is a helluva drug but not more than teenage hormones and angst. The movie, directed, written and starring John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser is a treat as a horrifying coming-of-age movie that leaves you thinking back to your younger years with a ‘what-if?’ question.
Witchcraft forms the central theme of the movie and how that becomes a part of an already difficult situation for Izzy, whose isolated and lonely life kicks up a storm when she meets other teenagers and goes down a rabbit hole of self-discovery.
It’s brutal, eye-opening and very uncomfortable. Plus, who doesn’t like a mother-daughter rock band?
Watch the movie here.
Barbarian
This year’s smash hit that left audiences questioning their sanity for various reasons, Barbarian is seriously a chaotic ride from start to finish. With the weirdest revelation that makes you more confused and extremely disgusted, the movie provides one shocking twist after another, leaving us with a final girl whom we hate to love.
Starring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long and written and directed by Zach Cregger, the movie has a lot happening, and we love that. Honestly, sometimes we need a goofy horror to keep things simple yet complicated, and that’s exactly what this movie gives us.
Does the movie always make sense? Not really. But hey, neither does an in-bred monstrosity with a mom complex.
Watch the movie here.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Bodies Bodies Bodies, directed by Halina Reijn, and written by Sarah DeLappe from a story by Kristen Roupenian, stars Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson.
Ok, this one isn’t as horrible and fckd up as the other movies on this list, but the comedy-slasher is everything you need if you’re having a rather bad holiday. Filled to the brim with annoying and entitled Gen Z-ers whose way of thinking is the real issue here, the movie is rather intriguing and extremely thrilling, with a slap-in-the-face twist in the end.
The story follows a group of 20-somethings who take shelter at one of their mansions during a hurricane, only for a rather innocent party game to go extremely awry and bloody. The movie captures the essence of a bunch of entitled and vain adults perfectly and delivers a slasher which remains true to its name. It’s definitely a very interesting and entertaining watch, one with an ending you definitely weren’t ready for!
Watch it here.
Nope
The horrible thing about Jordan Peele’s latest horror tale isn’t the horrifying alien that lurks in the clouds. Oh no, no. It’s the terrifying real-life flashbacks that we see in the course of understanding an extraterrestrial being.
Nope is a horrifying tale of just letting things be, sprinkled with a ton of social commentary and dipped in great performances. The movie’s stunning visuals will leave you reeling as you try to understand how in the world a blood rain would work as you comprehend the horrible implications of a rather dreadful and hopeless tale.
Watch it here.
Scream
Our beloved horror franchise and the OG slasher is back for another round of shock and intrigue, complete with our fan-favourite characters as well as a shocking death. Adapted for new-age fans of the original series, the newest addition of the Scream franchise is more of the same but with the added intrigue of nostalgia.
The film is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick and stars Melissa Barrera, Kyle Gallner, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Dylan Minnette, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Sonia Ammar. It satisfies that itch that we all have when it comes to movies from our childhood, especially when it starts with dreaded phone calls and ends with our besties slashing our throats.
Watch it here.
Smile
Well, what a shocking entry to this list that I was totally not expecting. Smile reminds me of Truth or Dare and movies on those veins, but creepily better. It’s also great that the horror flick did some great (and creepy) marketing that set the tone for this rather heartbreaking drama that drowns in blood and tears pretty soon.
Is it really something supernatural, or is it just a combination of horrible trauma for our protagonist? I guess you’ll have to figure it out yourselves. The film is written and directed by Parker Finn and is based on his 2020 short film Laura Hasn’t Slept. It stars Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Robin Weigert, Kal Penn, and Rob Morgan.
Also Read: Barbarian Review: Graphic Horror Film That Will Send Chills Down Your Spine
Incantation
A horror movie list is incomplete with a found footage entry, and that title this year goes to Incantation, the Taiwanese supernatural horror film that is just the perfectly horrifying watch for a lazy night. Directed by Kevin Ko and starring Tsai Hsuan-yen, Huang Sin-ting, Kao Ying-hsuan and Sean Lin, the film is just a wild ride from start to finish.
With a creepy atmosphere, a disturbing backstory and great performances from everyone around, the Netflix film is a treat to watch. If you love being spooked to your core and want a dose of the macabre and disturbing, Incantation is everything you need and more.
Sure, there are some jumpscares, but there’s just something so horrifying about the eerie atmosphere surrounding Li Ronan that you can’t help but want to run away and hide somewhere.
Watch the movie here.
The Menu
We love watching rich people get what they deserve, more so when they get brutally murdered. Yes, yes, I know this all sounds very odd, but honestly, there’s an odd satisfaction in movies such as these. Some brutal murders, shocking revelations and a very odd escape from a horrible situation.
The black comedy horror film is directed by Mark Mylod, written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, and stars an ensemble cast including Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Reed Birney, Judith Light, and John Leguizamo
Speak No Evil
This one really is not for the faint-hearted. I mean, comedy and all are fine, but let’s be real – Speak No Evil is one horrible ride from start to end. It’s uncomfortable, fear-inducing and will make you scream at the screen for our protagonists to run away. But do they?
The haunting atmosphere of the movie is what will drive you to keep watching a twisted ride that just is one slap across the face after another. Plus, you might just be put out of making friends forever after watching this rather horrible flick.
Watch it here.
X
Slasher film X is written, directed and produced by Ti West and stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, and Scott Mescudi. Pornographic films aside, the movie goes from one direction to another – absolutely leaving you confused by the end of it.
Who knew that growing old would result in such issues – as if joint pains weren’t enough? Either way, the movie is a love letter to filmmaking in general and horror movies in particular. It’s an atmospheric and haunting movie that goes down the slasher route pretty quickly, and after that, it’s just blood, gore and tons of nudity!
Which of these movies is your favourite? Tell us in the comments below!
Also Read: Incantation Review: Horror Like No Other