15 Criminally Overlooked Horror Movies With Highest Ratings (& Where to Stream Them)

The horror genre has been on the rise in recent years, with films like It and A Quiet Place proving that horror can hold its own at the box office.

Some of the films we've selected for this list may not be able to compete with those hits in terms of box office, but they're certainly not inferior in terms of quality.

15. The Hallow, 2015

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

Adam and Claire moved to the Irish countryside from London a month ago. Adam doesn't have the best job – he wanders the surrounding woods marking trees to be cut down, so the locals don't like him. And Adam is sure that his neighbors want to get rid of his family as soon as possible, so he refuses to believe the stories about monsters living in the forest.

The movie does not look like a low-budget indie – the humidity of the forest comes off the screen, and the monsters look both original and frightening.

14. Oculus, 2013

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

In 2013, Mike Flanagan set out to change the way we look at antique mirrors forever. His movie stars a mirror of unknown origin that possesses supernatural powers. Anyone who encounters it is subjected to powerful hallucinations and begins to show a tendency toward manic behavior and violence.

Under the influence of the mirror, the Russell family, owners of the mirror, begin to feud with each other. The movie takes place simultaneously in the present and 11 years ago, which allows the plot to take the most unexpected turns.

13. Baskin, 2015

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

This surreal horror film is one of the few Turkish projects released around the world. The movie, which begins as a police thriller, gradually turns into a torture horror. A group of cops are in for a very long night: after discussing their sexual escapades in a diner, they find themselves handcuffed in a mysterious dark room, watched by blindfolded figures.

The cruel leader of the torturers that the cops will have to face is in many ways reminiscent of the iconic Pinhead from Hellraiser. And it should be noted that this is a movie for those who can withstand detailed scenes of ultra-violence.

12. Southbound, 2015

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

This is a collection of five intertwined horror stories that take place on a dusty stretch of abandoned highway. The horror from the beginning makes the viewer realize that he has left the world he knows and finds himself in a deserted and forgotten reality where hitchhikers meet a very sad end.

Lovecraftian in spirit, the collection of short stories mixes occult fears and seems much more consistent than other movies of this format.

11. The Autopsy of Jane Doe, 2016

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86% | Where to Stream: Hulu

The body of a young girl arrives at a small private mortuary. The identity is unknown, there are no signs of violence. The body was found under very strange circumstances, so the coroner and his assistant son have to find out how the girl died in one night.

We are invited to watch the work of two professionals, father and son. The main duo has enough depth: these are not the flat characters of the genre, but real people. From the details scattered here and there, we complete their images, look into their past and feel sympathy for them, which makes the movie even more intense.

10. It Comes at Night, 2017

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88% | Where to Stream: Max

This claustrophobic movie plays on the palpable tension and fear of its characters. The father of the family has managed to hide his wife and son in a remote cabin in the woods from an unknown epidemic that has wiped out half the world's population. But their sense of security is shattered when a stranger and his family join them.

Flawlessly shot and filled with creepy vibes, the horror did worse than expected at the box office. However, this is one case where you don't have to worry about the money – It Comes at Night is much more disturbing than most slasher movies where the blood flows like a river.

9. The Devil’s Candy, 2015

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

Artist Jesse's family moves into a large house whose owners, an elderly couple, have recently died, so the house is being sold for next to nothing.

In the new place, Jesse finds inspiration, and instead of a commissioned mural of butterflies, he paints a picture that includes an inverted cross, the screaming souls of children, and his own daughter on fire. Meanwhile, the son of his former owners visits the house from time to time.

The Devil's Candy may not surprise seasoned horror fans, but it is a movie to watch carefully: the film has unusual visuals and an abundance of hidden details.

8. Nina Forever, 2015

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93% | Where to Stream: Prime Video

Brothers Ben and Chris Blaine's debut film is romantic, funny, and downright creepy. And the lead role became a breakthrough for actress Abigail Hardingham.

The girl Nina, who appears in the title of the movie, died as a result of a terrible car accident, but this fact does not prevent her from returning from the other world and plotting various intrigues for her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend.

7. Barbarian, 2022

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

Tess comes to Detroit for a job interview. But in the house she booked through an apartment rental service, a suspiciously polite and pleasant guy named Keith is already staying. After much hesitation, Tess decides to stay the night.

Keith turns out to be a very good-natured guy, and Tess takes a liking to him. And then Barbarian unexpectedly delivers some incredible plot twists that you wouldn't expect from a low-budget movie.

6. We Are Still Here, 2015

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

A young family moves to a small town and settles into a house on the outskirts. Soon they discover that the house is hiding something dark and sinister, and that the townspeople know more than they are telling.

One of the best horror movies of 2015, and a must see for fans of the genre. Director Ted Geoghegan understands the traditions of horror films very well, but refuses to adhere to them, making it very difficult to predict the further development of events.

5. When Evil Lurks, 2023

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

One of the main horror hits of 2023 is When Evil Lurks by Argentinean director Demian Rugna. Two brothers, Pedro and Jimi, find the body of a man in a remote village. It turns out that he was an exorcist who tried to perform a ritual and cast out a demon from a local man.

The possessed man's mother is certain that evil forces will now break out into the real world and take the rest of them. The brothers decide to help the woman, but they only help the demon. The movie turns from a story about an act of altruism gone wrong into one of the most uncomfortable and gruesome horror films of our time.

4. Huesera: The Bone Woman, 2022

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97% | Where to Stream: Apple TV

Valeria is pregnant, but the joy of expecting her first child gives way to strange fears and paranoia. Her bones ache, her back hurts, and the line between dreams and reality has long since blurred. While friends assure her that it's the hormones, Valeria realizes she's been cursed.

Huesera: The Bone Woman is one of the horror hits of 2022: Michelle Garza Cervera's film combines spectacular body horror, folk elements and reflections on motherhood and the attitude towards women in modern society.

3. The Loved Ones, 2009

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98% | Where to Stream: Prime Video

Six months ago, Brent was distracted while driving and crashed into a tree, killing his father. Now he suffers from guilt and cannot begin to live life to the fullest – even though he has a girlfriend who loves him.

When Brent refuses a classmate's invitation to the school dance, she decides to do something radical – her father kidnaps the guy and gives him to his daughter to do with as she pleases.

After such brilliant films as The Loved Ones, all doors are open for their authors, but Australian director and screenwriter Sean Byrne not only did not get any blockbuster or reboot of a classic horror at his disposal, but also completely disappeared until he released the already mentioned on this list The Devil's Candy.

2. Under the Shadow, 2016

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99% | Where to Stream: Netflix

Iranian movie by Babak Anvari, which tells the story of a family that had the misfortune to stay in Tehran during the military conflict with Iraq. Every day, explosions are heard in the street, neighboring houses come under fire, and an evil spirit seems to appear in their own house.

This is a slow thriller with almost no jump scares, but it is scary thanks to existential motives. The rare appearances of the antagonist are justified by a terrible ending – a face-to-face encounter with the monster.

1. Double Blind, 2023

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% | Where to Stream: Prime Video

Seven strangers sign up for a seemingly routine drug trial at a pharmaceutical company, but soon discover a terrifying side effect: they can't sleep. And if they fall asleep, they will die. The facility suddenly goes into quarantine mode and now the participants must stay awake for another 24 hours despite being awake for almost five days straight.

This is a horror film that creates a unique tense atmosphere largely due to the psychological factor: the film shows the relationships between people who find themselves in mortal danger.