The horror genre can be very hit-and-miss, with just as many compelling films as disappointing ones. But when done well, horror can be immensely entertaining—and terrifying. As the genre has evolved and grown over the years, some filmmakers have mastered what works and what doesn't, leading to positive reviews and high scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cross-genre films can offer up more than just scares, while indie and foreign offerings can be clever and do surprising new things with the genre. Not only are there plenty of horror movies with high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, but more than a few have earned 100% scores, with reviewers praising their ingenuity and tension.
11 'The Devil's Left Hand' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
In indie horror The Devil’s Left Hand, a demonic entity enters through a medium during a séance at a young couple’s housewarming party. It terrorizes the attendees long after the party is over, homeowner Richie in particular, and its shapeshifting nature makes the friends unsure of who they can trust.
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Despite its familiar plot, The Devil’s Left Hand is surprisingly clever and uses familiar horror tropes to its advantage. It’s especially good at building tension—even if some of it comes from jump scares. Director Harley Wallen had already caught horror fans’ attention, and he delivers again here.
10 'Forest of Death' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
A group of friends heads to a remote cabin for a quiet weekend getaway in the aptly titled indie Forest of Death, and a distrustful, paranoid local entertains—and scares—them with a story of shapeshifters. But as members of the group begin acting strange and disappear then reappear, they begin to think it wasn’t just a story.
While audience reactions have been mixed, reviews praise Forest of Death for its smart use of horror tropes. It wastes no time and kicks off with an unsettling introduction and creepy title sequence setting the tone for the rest of the movie, and the dark, nighttime forest setting makes for some frightening scenes.
9 'Summoning Sylvia' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
A group of friends celebrates a gay bachelor party in a house haunted by a woman who was found dead after murdering her son, and the groom's straight, ex-military brother crashing the party only makes things worse. The cast of Summoning Sylvia includes Frankie Grande and Michael Urie.
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Summoning Sylvia is fun and wonderfully entertaining with a great mix of comedy and horror and great performances from its cast. The movie plays with horror tropes in a way that toes the line between sincerity and parody.
8 'Scream of the Wolf' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
In the meta Scream of the Wolf—previously titled Wolf Manor—a crew is making a vampire movie in an old, abandoned house, but the full moon brings out creatures that are very real and not part of the movie and the cast and crew may not survive the production.
Although overall reaction to Scream of the Wolf is mixed, it holds a strong 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie takes its time getting to the action and builds suspense as it goes, and it also throws in a touch of humor. The werewolf effects are also impressively menacing.
7 'They Wait in the Dark' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
A young woman, Amy, and her son are on the run from Amy’s abusive ex-girlfriend. Their past comes back to haunt them, and Amy’s ex-girlfriend might not be the only thing threatening them in They Wait in the Dark.
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Audience reaction to They Wait in the Dark has been mixed, but reviews praise it for some unexpected moments and overall good writing. Some of its creepiest moments come from Amy’s son, Adrian, especially when Adrian sees things even the audience doesn’t.
6 'Satan's Slaves: Communion' (2022)
5 ![SatansSlavesCommunion]()
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
A follow-up to 2017’s Indonesian horror Satan’s Slaves, Satan’s Slaves: Communion is about a family who learns living in an apartment may not be as safe as they thought. When a bad storm cuts off power to the building, they become isolated, and something starts to terrorize the family.
Satan’s Slaves: Communion was a massive success when it was first released in Indonesia. It’s been praised by horror critics as one of the scariest movies of 2022, and the setting of a dark apartment building is perfect for building suspense.
4 'Surrogate' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Single mother and nurse Natalie starts experiencing pregnancy symptoms in Australian horrorSurrogate, including apparently having given birth, except she was never pregnant. Her doctor and Child and Family Services don’t believe her, though, and accuse her of lying and having done something to the baby, and she’s determined to find out what’s actually happening to her.
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Pregnancy and motherhood are common themes in horror, and Surrogate is a disturbing addition that wastes no time getting to the story. While the premise is alarming enough, things only get worse, and the film is great at building tension as it goes.
3 'When the Screaming Starts' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
When the Screaming Starts is a horror-comedy mockumentary about a struggling investigative journalist invited to the home of an aspiring serial killer, and he thinks the killer is the perfect documentary subject to help revive his struggling career. Meanwhile, the killer is holding interviews to find a new member for his cult.
The movie pokes fun at people thirsty for fame and the popularity of true crime, but it’s not all comedy. When the Screaming Starts made the rounds at a number of acclaimed horror film festivals, and in 2022, it won Best Sci-fi/Horror Feature at the London Independent Film Festival.
2 'Some Like It Rare' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
In French horror-comedy Some Like It Rare—originally titled Barbaque—a struggling butcher accidentally kills a vegan activist who had previously vandalized the shop. He decides to chop up the body, and his wife accidentally sells it, and customers love it. To keep business going, the couple seeks out more victims.
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Some Like It Rare takes some cues from musical Sweeney Todd, but it’s not just about murders sustaining a butcher shop. The couple’s marriage is also a central part of the plot, and the motives of the butcher’s wife are particularly suspect. While he has his limits, she's willing to go farther to keep the money flowing.
1 'Follow the Dead' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
In Follow the Dead, numerous viral videos appear to show a zombie horde taking over Dublin, but four millennials in rural Ireland aren’t sure it’s real. No one’s sure what do about it, including local police.
Follow the Dead is a zombie horror-comedy in the vein of Shaun of the Dead. The movie leaves an impression, as it also serves as commentary on modern life and the influence of technology but also has a lot of heart. The cast delivers entertaining performances.
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