Top 20 Best Indie Horror Movies
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best horror movies that were independently released and made on miniscule budgets. Do you think indie movies are better than mainstream fare? Let us know in the comments below!
#20: “You’re Next” (2013)
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It’s easy for home invasion thrillers to fall into lazy traps, but “You’re Next” certainly doesn’t do that. A very clever movie, “You’re Next” is exceptionally well constructed and contains many complexities that add a fresh twist on the home invasion concept. It’s also wickedly brutal, surprisingly funny, and contains a strong female lead in Sharni Vinson’s Erin, who is unlike any other Final Girl you’ve seen. And to think, it was all made on a relatively low budget of $1 million. The film was shot at a local mansion in Missouri and debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival before getting picked up by Lionsgate. It went on to gross over 25 times its budget, finishing its box office run with $26.9 million.
#19: “X” (2022)
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Many classic slashers from the 1970s were made on small budgets. “X” continues that tradition. Inspired by the gritty, made-for-peanuts horror films of old, “X” is about a team of adult filmmakers who find themselves hunted by an old serial killer couple. “X” was made for a paltry $1 million and was filmed mainly in rural New Zealand. It ultimately grossed 15 times its budget and received praise for its performances, practical effects, and atmosphere, with many calling it a nostalgic throwback to the 1970s. The success of “X” and its prequel “Pearl” continue to prove the decades-long argument that you don’t need a lot of money to make a scary horror flick.
#18: “Rec” (2007)
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The found footage format was all the rage in the 2000s, and “Rec” is undeniably one of the finest entries in the subgenre. The film follows a news reporter and her cameraman as they find themselves stuck in an apartment complex during a zombie-like breakout. The film was made for $2 million and was shown at various film festivals, and word of mouth spread faster than a zombie virus. “Rec” was universally praised for its atmosphere, acting, and effective use of tension, utilizing its confined setting to absolute perfection. It won numerous awards at the Sitges Film Festival, grossed over $30 million, and spawned a franchise.
#17: “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” (2014)
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We don’t know about you, but we think more horror films should be inspired by Spaghetti Westerns. It’s a very unique blending of genres, as exemplified by the Persian-language “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.” The story takes place in the sleepy Iranian town of Bad City and concerns a vampire stalking its residents. The movie is the very definition of indie - it was made for peanuts and was entirely funded by an Indiegogo campaign. But budget doesn’t equate with quality. The film received universal acclaim after premiering at Sundance, with most critics singling out its atmosphere, soundtrack, and performances for praise. It’s gorgeous to look at, fun to listen to, and deeply interesting to consider - what’s not to love?
#16: “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer” (1986)
As we’ll discover throughout this list, the most controversial horror films are often the cheapest. There’s just something about that low-budget grit that gets to people. And it doesn’t get much grittier than “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.” The name alone is enough to turn heads, and it was loosely adapted from the activities of a real killer named Henry Lee Lucas. The movie was shot in 28 days for just $110,000, with director John McNaughton hiring friends as actors and using props like cars and clothes that belonged to the crew. The finished product attracted significant controversy for its raw depiction of violence, but it has also garnered acclaim for its gritty realism and the excellent lead performance of Michael Rooker.
#15: “Green Room” (2015)
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A struggling punk band gets offered a gig at a seedy club in the middle of the woods in Oregon. What they soon discover, however, is that the club is filled to the brim with fascist thugs, leaving them considerably on edge. Things take an even darker turn when they discover a corpse and get locked in the green room, forced to fight their way out to survive the violent onslaught of goons and their calculating boss. This thriller takes its top-notch cast for a violent ride, striking fear into its audience, while also making them think about what they’d do in the same position.
#14: “Let the Right One In” (2008)
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In 2004, Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist published “Let the Right One In,” and he adapted it for the big screen four years later. Dark yet beautiful, it follows a boy named Oskar who befriends a mysterious girl from out of town. This child, the quiet and enigmatic Eli, turns out to be a vampire, and the two develop a violent but undeniable bond. The film was made on a small budget and premiered at the Gothenburg Film Festival, where it was met with critical acclaim. Many praised the movie for its touching story and dark atmosphere, mixing beauty and bloodshed with grace. The acclaim grew and grew throughout the festival season, culminating in a BAFTA nomination for Best Film Not in the English Language.
#13: “Cannibal Holocaust” (1980)
There are controversial films, and then there’s Ruggero Deodato’s “Cannibal Holocaust.” The film was made for a measly $100,000 yet had an incredible cultural impact. It contains dual storylines. One follows a group of filmmakers who encounter cannibal tribes in the Amazon, and the other follows the anthropologist who attempts to find them. When the film premiered in Milan, acclaimed director Sergio Leone told Deodato “you will get in trouble with all the world.” He was right. Deodato was charged with murder, with many convinced that the graphic violence was real. He was acquitted, and his film went on to gain a significant cult following for its shock value, innovative filmmaking techniques, and perceived social commentary.
#12: “Saw” (2004)
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In this disturbing horror flick, two men wake up in a room with their legs shackled to the wall, with only an audiotape to tell them what to do next. With the choice of either murdering each other or cutting off their own feet to escape, the two quickly realize they’re trapped by the Jigsaw Killer, who captures victims he considers guilty and forces them to solve bloody puzzles to get away. Full of gore, and plenty of twists and turns, “Saw” not only launched a successful franchise, but popularized torture game films as well.
#11: “Funny Games” (1997)
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This horror classic from Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke openly antagonizes and provokes the audience, and it’s unlike anything else we’ve seen. A highly provocative film, “Funny Games” is about two young men named Peter and Paul who enter a home and torment the owners for their own sick amusement. Made on a small budget and contained to one primary location, “Funny Games” uses its story to subvert the movie-going experience and bluntly make the viewers complicit in the violence. When it played at Cannes, a third of the audience left the theater, having grown upset and disgusted at what they were seeing. But by subverting expectations and playing with narrative structure, “Funny Games” became a cult classic and a part of the Criterion Collection.
#10: “The Babadook” (2014)
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What if the monsters you read about were real? As widow Amelia tries to raise her young son Sam, he becomes troubled and almost uncontrollable after reading a book about the scary Mister Babadook. He even has his own creepy nursery rhyme that you just know will come back to haunt the characters. Thanks to the book’s mysterious powers, the story comes to life, and Amelia becomes more and more troubled and exhausted, trying to deal with Sam and keep her home in one piece. Packing a surprisingly powerful message about grief, this indie horror success wooed fans and critics alike.
#9: “Paranormal Activity” (2007)
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How do you make a haunted house movie scarier? Make it seem like it really happened. Bringing found footage horror back from the dead, this groundbreaking spook-fest follows a couple as they move into what they find out is a haunted house. From a few unexplained items moving in the night to full-on shrieks and burning Ouija boards, things quickly descend into darkness for this poor couple. Possessions and weird footage abound, and there’s no end to the creeps this film offers. Leaving viewers to catch everything the characters miss, the sense of helplessness this movie prompts made this an instant classic not soon forgotten. And thus a franchise was born.
#8: “The Witch” (2015)
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One of the few timeless fears is fear of the unknown. Taking place in 1600s New England, a family of puritans is struggling to survive in their secluded house in the woods. After their infant disappears, the finger is pointed at their daughter Thomasin, who’s believed to be a witch that’s cursed their family to suffer. With mystical happenings and mysterious strangers luring the family closer and closer to their ruin, and coincidences further incriminating Thomasin of witchcraft, the horrors of humanity surround her as her family tries to purify her of evil. Newcomer director Robert Eggers successfully created an atmosphere of terror, depicting historical events in a terrifying new light.
#7: “It Follows” (2014)
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STIs are scary enough, but what if they actively tried to kill you? Jay scores an amazing date, but after sleeping with him, she soon finds out that she’s the target of a mysterious It. This entity starts to follow her, and there’s the added terror that it will kill her if it touches her. Forced to either die or pass it on through sex, she and her teenage friends sort out rules and make plans to escape the terrifying being. With cinematic and musical nods to horror masters like John Carpenter – as well as some of the most bone-chilling scenes in recent years – this quickly became a fan favorite.
#6: “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
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George A. Romero changed the horror landscape, and he did it all with $125,000 and some chocolate sauce. Arguably one of the most influential horror movies ever, “Night of the Living Dead” revolted viewers in 1968 and spawned the zombie subgenre that is still going strong. Despite its violence (which was enormously graphic for the time), the film has received praise for its social commentary, innovation, and influence on pop culture. And to think, this was a real rinky-dink little movie. They shot in an abandoned farmhouse without running water, chocolate sauce was used for blood, and zombie extras were forced to eat donated offal. But hey, the results speak for themselves!
#5: “Hereditary” (2018)
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A lot of great filmmakers get their start in horror, and Ari Aster is a recent example. Aster made a number of short films after graduating from the AFI Conservatory, but he made his feature length debut with “Hereditary.” And what a debut it was. The film debuted at Sundance in January 2018 and was eventually heralded as one of the best horror movies of the decade. “Hereditary” stunned audiences with its heavy themes, brilliant filmmaking, and an amazing lead performance from Toni Collette. Having confidence in the film, A24 gave “Hereditary” a wide release, and with a gross of $82 million, it became their most successful movie ever. It has since been supplanted, but the film’s legacy is undeniable.
#4: “The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
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This forefather of found-footage horror was so scary, even the screams of its stars were genuine. Film students hunting a legendary witch in the woods are bound to get themselves into trouble, but watching from their perspective was more than most viewers bargained for. Putting the audience in the middle of every scare, the mounting spooks perpetrated against the students during their camping trip get harder and harder to explain away, as it becomes clear something nefarious is afoot. With film crews creeping through the woods at night to scare the film’s stars, their fright was often real, as they had no idea what was happening.
#3: “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974)
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Meat is definitely murder in this gruesome tale. When a group of teens hops in a van to go to visit their old family home, they aren’t prepared for the gory terror that awaits them. After finding the neighbors’ house seemingly unattended, they soon get picked off one by one by the skin-masked Leatherface. With brutal impalement by meat hooks, furniture made from human bones and of course death by the titular chainsaw, this was one of the bloodiest affairs on film. Intensely gritty, the movie’s horror goes in many demented directions, ensuring you leave uncomfortable one way or another.
#2: “The Evil Dead” (1981)
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Ever hear the one about some teens alone in the woods? After shacking up for a vacation in an old cabin, Ash and his friends accidentally unleash evil upon themselves with a demonic book and some incantations. As they’re attacked and transformed by the vicious demons, as well as attacked by the trees outside, it becomes seemingly impossible to win or escape when even dismemberment doesn’t work anymore. Thanks to its low-budget ingenuity and endless amounts of blood, the film launched Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell to fame, and its ensuing sequels quickly turned the genre on its head through their comedic hijinks.
#1: “Halloween” (1978)
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No one knows horror quite like John Carpenter. Back when he was filming on a more limited budget, Carpenter directed this story about teens that get stalked and killed by a masked lunatic on the one night everyone’s wearing masks. Following Laurie Strode as her friends drop like flies around her, she has to survive being hunted by the grisly Michael Myers. With some creative kills, and one of the most haunting point-of-view sequences ever committed to celluloid, it quickly became a go-to for horror fans, and its referential love of the genre and eerie soundtrack by Carpenter himself certainly didn’t hurt.
