Top 30 Ranked

Best Horror Movies of 2013, Ranked

Essential Modern Classics and Supernatural Chills

Explore the best horror cinema from a standout year. Featuring supernatural hauntings, visceral slashers, and intense psychological thrillers.

Draft Best 2013 Horror Movies with friends and our judges will crown a winner!

About 2013 Horror Movies

If you look back at the cinematic landscape of 2013, it feels like the year the modern horror machine finally found its high gear. For a long time, the genre had been drifting through the exhausting cycle of found footage fatigue and the waning fumes of the torture porn era. But 2013 provided a pivot point. It was the year horror regained its sense of scale, its technical craft, and its ability to dominate the box office without sacrificing its soul.

The undisputed heavyweight champion of the year was James Wan with The Conjuring. Before this film, supernatural horror often felt relegated to the low budget shadows of the paranormal activity clones. Wan changed the game by treated a haunted house story with the reverence and visual language of a 1970s studio classic. He relied on tension, geography, and a masterclass in practical suspense rather than cheap digital jolts. The success of The Conjuring didn't just launch a massive cinematic universe; it restored faith in the idea that a horror movie could be a genuine event for a general audience.

While Wan was perfecting the classical approach, Fede Alvarez was busy reinventing a sacred cow. The Evil Dead remake arrived with a tremendous amount of skepticism surrounding it, but it silenced doubters through sheer visceral commitment. It abandoned the slapstick humor of the original sequels in favor of a relentless, blood drenched descent into madness. It remains one of the most effective and mean spirited studio horror films of the decade, proving that reboots didn't have to be hollow shadows of their predecessors.

Away from the big studio spectacles, 2013 was also a year of incredible subversion. We saw the release of You Are Next, a film that invigorated the home invasion subgenre with a clever, survivalist wit. It took the tropes of the masked killer and flipped them on their head, giving us a protagonist who was significantly more dangerous than the villains prowling outside. Around the same time, James DeMonaco introduced us to The Purge. While the first film in that franchise was a relatively contained thriller, its high concept premise struck a chord in the cultural zeitgeist that still resonates today.

Independent and international cinema also contributed some of the year's most haunting images. We had Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson as an otherworldly predator in Scotland. It was a cold, alienating, and visually arresting piece of science fiction horror that prioritized mood and metaphor over traditional narrative beats. It served as a reminder that horror could be high art, operating on a level of psychological discomfort that lingers long after the credits roll.

Looking back, 2013 was the year horror became diverse again. We had the blockbuster scares, the gory remakes, the inventive indies, and the social commentaries all thriving at once. It was a year that saw the genre move away from the nihilism of the early 2000s and toward a more polished, director driven era. Whether you wanted a high stakes ghost story or a quiet meditation on the human condition, 2013 had a nightmare tailored specifically for you. It remains a vital chapter in the history of the genre, proving that when horror is given the proper resources and vision, it is truly unstoppable.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

See Top Ten
30
2013 Horror in Resolution (2013)
Resolution
2013

A man imprisons his estranged junkie friend in an isolated cabin in the boonies of San Diego to force him through a week of sobriety, but the events of that week are being mysteriously manipulated.

Horror
Thriller
1h 33m
Justin Benson
Peter Cilella, Vinny Curran, Zahn McClarnon, Bill Oberst Jr.
29
2013 Horror in Witching & Bitching (2013)
Witching & Bitching
2013

A gang of gold thieves land in a coven of witches who are preparing for an ancient ritual... and in need of a sacrifice.

Comedy
Horror
1h 49m
Álex de la Iglesia
Hugo Silva, Gabriel Ángel Delgado, Mario Casas, Carmen Maura
28
2013 Horror in Wolf Creek 2 (2013)
Wolf Creek 2
2013

Lured by the promise of an Australian holiday, backpackers Rutger, Katarina and Paul visit the notorious Wolf Creek Crater. Their dream Outback adventure soon becomes a horrific reality when they encounter the site's most infamous local, the last man any traveller to the region ever wants to meet—Mick Taylor. As the backpackers flee, Mick pursues them on an epic white knuckled rampage across hostile wasteland.

Horror
Thriller
1h 46m
Greg McLean
John Jarratt, Ryan Corr, Ben Gerrard, Shane Connor

Draft this topic with friends

Think you'd pick differently? Start a draft with your crew and see who really has the best taste in Best 2013 Horror Movies.

27
2013 Horror in Jug Face (2013)
Jug Face
2013

When a supernatural pit worshipped by a remote community in the woods demands a new blood sacrifice, a young woman struggles to find a way to survive as the pit lashes out in anger.

Horror
Thriller
1h 21m
Chad Crawford Kinkle
Sean Bridgers, Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden
26
2013 Horror in Big Bad Wolves (2013)
Big Bad Wolves
2013

The twisted paths of three very different men brutally collide due to a chain of unspeakable murders: a grieving father who has been doomed to seek vengeance and a police detective who boldly crosses the narrow boundary between law and crime meet a religion teacher suspected of being the murderer.

Comedy
Crime
1h 46m
Navot Papushado
Lior Ashkenazi, Tzahi Grad, Rotem Keinan, Doval'e Glickman
25
2013 Horror in The ABCs of Death (2013)
The ABCs of Death
2013

An ambitious anthology film featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world's leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children's educational ABC books, the film comprises 26 individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death.

Horror
2h 9m
Xavier Gens
Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Erik Audé, Iván González, Kyra Zagorsky
24
2013 Horror in Killer Toon (2013)
Killer Toon
2013

A web-comic artist finds that a series of murders are occurring that have a disturbing resemblance to the images in her work.

Horror
Thriller
1h 44m
Kim Yong-gyun
Lee Si-young, Uhm Ki-joon, Hyun Woo, Kwon Hae-hyo
23
2013 Horror in Curse of Chucky (2013)
Curse of Chucky
2013

After her mother's mysterious death, Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to the mounting bloodshed and chaos.

Horror
Thriller
1h 37m
Don Mancini
Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Summer H. Howell
22
2013 Horror in The House at the End of Time (2013)
The House at the End of Time
2013

The story of Dulce, a mother who has encounters with apparitions inside her old house. She must decipher a mystery that could trigger a prophecy: the death of her family.

Horror
Drama
1h 41m
Alejandro Hidalgo
Ruddy Rodriguez, Gonzalo Cubero, Guillermo García, Adriana Calzadilla
21
2013 Horror in Pee Mak (2013)
Pee Mak
2013

Mak's friends just want to protect him, but his wife Nak won't let a small thing like her own death get in the way of true love.

Comedy
Romance
1h 52m
Banjong Pisanthanakun
Mario Maurer, Davika Hoorne, Nattapong Chatpong, Pongsatorn Jongwilas
20
2013 Horror in Willow Creek (2013)
Willow Creek
2013

Looking to make a splash online with his research videos into the existence of Bigfoot, Jim and his girlfriend Kelly take a camping trip to the small town of Willow Creek, California, and the surrounding mountains where the infamous footage of the supposed sasquatch was filmed.

Horror
Mystery
1h 20m
Bobcat Goldthwait
Alexie Gilmore, Bryce Johnson, Peter Jason, Timmy Red
19
2013 Horror in Torment (2013)
Torment
2013

Newlyweds Cory and Sarah Morgan take Cory's 7-year-old son Liam up to the country for some much needed family time. When it appears as if Liam has run away, psychological suspense becomes straight-out horror, as Sarah and Cory must now confront a sadistic cult-like family who have been hiding in the house all along and have taken Liam for themselves.

Thriller
Horror
1h 22m
Jordan Barker
Katharine Isabelle, Robin Dunne, Peter DaCunha, Stephen McHattie
18
2013 Horror in The Last Days on Mars (2013)
The Last Days on Mars
2013

On the last day of the first manned mission to Mars, a crew member of Tantalus Base believes he has made an astounding discovery – fossilized evidence of bacterial life. Unwilling to let the relief crew claim all the glory, he disobeys orders to pack up and goes out on an unauthorized expedition to collect further samples. But a routine excavation turns to disaster when the porous ground collapses and he falls into a deep crevice. His devastated colleagues attempt to recover his body. However, when another vanishes, they start to suspect that the life-form they have discovered is not without danger.

Science Fiction
Thriller
1h 38m
Ruairi Robinson
Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Romola Garai, Olivia Williams
17
2013 Horror in Escape from Tomorrow (2013)
Escape from Tomorrow
2013

In a world of fake castles and anthropomorphic rodents, an epic battle begins when an unemployed father's sanity is challenged by a chance encounter with two underage girls on holiday.

Horror
Fantasy
1h 30m
Randy Moore
Roy Abramsohn, Elena Schuber, Katelynn Rodriguez, Jack Dalton
16
2013 Horror in Contracted (2013)
Contracted
2013

A young woman contracts what she believes to be an STD—but it ends up being a far worse disease.

Horror
Thriller
1h 24m
Eric England
Najarra Townsend, Caroline Williams, Katie Stegeman, Alice Macdonald
15
2013 Horror in Dark Skies (2013)
Dark Skies
2013

From the producers of Paranormal Activity, Insidious, and Sinister comes Dark Skies: a supernatural thriller that follows a young family living in the suburbs. As husband and wife Daniel and Lacey Barret witness an escalating series of disturbing events involving their family, their safe and peaceful home quickly unravels. When it becomes clear that the Barret family is being targeted by an unimaginably terrifying and deadly force, Daniel and Lacey take matters in their own hands to solve the mystery of what is after their family.

Science Fiction
Thriller
1h 37m
Scott Stewart
Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton, Dakota Goyo, J.K. Simmons
14
2013 Horror in Stoker (2013)
Stoker
2013

After India's father dies in an auto accident, her uncle Charlie, whom she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her emotionally unstable mother Evelyn. Soon after his arrival, she comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives, but instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless girl becomes increasingly infatuated with him.

Drama
Horror
1h 39m
Park Chan-wook
Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney
13
2013 Horror in Haunter (2013)
Haunter
2013

A teenager is stuck in a time loop that is not quite the same each time. She must uncover the truth but her actions have consequences for herself and others.

Horror
Mystery
1h 37m
Vincenzo Natali
Abigail Breslin, Stephen McHattie, David Hewlett, David Knoll
12
2013 Horror in The Green Inferno (2013)
The Green Inferno
2013

A group of student activists travel from New York City to the Amazon to save the rainforest. However, once they arrive in this vast green landscape, they soon discover that they are not alone… and that no good deed goes unpunished.

Adventure
Horror
1h 40m
Eli Roth
Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Sky Ferreira, Ramón Llao
11
2013 Horror in We Are What We Are (2013)
We Are What We Are
2013

The Parkers, reclusive people who cling to ancient customs, find their secret lives threatened when a torrential downpour and the death of the family matriarch forces daughters Iris and Rose to assume special responsibilities.

Drama
Horror
1h 45m
Jim Mickle
Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks
10
2013 Horror in The Lords of Salem (2013)
The Lords of Salem
2013

Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record - a "gift from the Lords". The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts?

Horror
Thriller
1h 41m
Rob Zombie
Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Judy Geeson
Why it ranks

Rob Zombie trades his signature grindhouse grit for a hallucinatory, slow-burn descent into psychedelic Satanism. It is a polarizing, visual tone poem that prioritizes atmospheric rot and surrealist imagery over conventional narrative structure.

9
2013 Horror in V/H/S/2 (2013)
V/H/S/2
2013

Inside a darkened house looms a column of TVs littered with VHS tapes, a pagan shrine to forgotten analog gods. The screens crackle and pop endlessly with monochrome vistas of static white noise permeating the brain and fogging concentration. But you must fight the urge to relax: this is no mere movie night. Those obsolete spools contain more than just magnetic tape. They are imprinted with the very soul of evil.

Horror
Thriller
1h 36m
Adam Wingard
Lawrence Michael Levine, Kelsy Abbott, L.C. Holt, Simon Barrett
Why it ranks

This anthology surpasses the original by embracing the frantic, lo-fi chaos of the found-footage format to deliver some of the decade's most inventive set pieces. The 'Safe Haven' segment alone stands as a frantic, breathless descent into cult-led madness.

8
2013 Horror in Warm Bodies (2013)
Warm Bodies
2013

After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

Horror
Comedy
1h 38m
Jonathan Levine
Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Lio Tipton, John Malkovich
Why it ranks

This clever hybrid breathes fresh life into the skeletal remains of the zombie genre by utilizing a soulful, interior monologue to explore the spark of humanity. It manages the difficult feat of being charmingly romantic without sacrificing its grim, post-apocalyptic textures.

7
2013 Horror in World War Z (2013)
World War Z
2013

Life for former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane and his family seems content. Suddenly, the world is plagued by a mysterious infection turning whole human populations into rampaging mindless zombies. After barely escaping the chaos, Lane is persuaded to go on a mission to investigate this disease. What follows is a perilous trek around the world where Lane must brave horrific dangers and long odds to find answers before human civilization falls.

Action
Horror
1h 56m
Marc Forster
Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale
Why it ranks

Marc Forster reimagines the zombie apocalypse through a lens of global logistics and terrifying, tidal-wave choreography. By shifting the perspective to a massive scale, the film captures the frantic, overwhelming momentum of a worldwide contagion with breathless intensity.

6
2013 Horror in The Purge (2013)
The Purge
2013

Given the country's overcrowded prisons, the U.S. government begins to allow 12-hour periods of time in which all illegal activity is legal. During one of these free-for-alls, a family must protect themselves from a home invasion.

Science Fiction
Horror
1h 25m
James DeMonaco
Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane
Why it ranks

While it functions as a high-concept siege thriller, the film’s true power lies in its provocative social commentary on class and institutionalized violence. It effectively weaponizes the silence of a suburban night to build a persistent sense of political dread.

5
2013 Horror in You're Next (2013)
You're Next
2013

When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of their victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.

Horror
Thriller
1h 34m
Adam Wingard
Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen
Why it ranks

Adam Wingard subverts the tired home-invasion formula with a sharp, cynical wit and a protagonist who treats survival as a professional craft. The result is a propulsive, neon-tinted deconstruction of slasher tropes that rewards the viewer with its ruthless efficiency.

4
2013 Horror in Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
Insidious: Chapter 2
2013

The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.

Horror
Thriller
1h 46m
Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins
Why it ranks

This ambitious sequel doubles down on the surreal mythology of the Further, weaving a complex narrative web that recontextualizes the scares of the original. It leans into a frantic energy, opting for operatic tonal shifts that bridge the gap between ghost story and domestic thriller.

3
2013 Horror in Mama (2013)
Mama
2013

Guillermo del Toro presents Mama, a supernatural thriller that tells the haunting tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their parents were killed. When they are rescued years later and begin a new life, they find that someone or something still wants to come tuck them in at night.

Horror
1h 40m
Andy Muschietti
Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse
Why it ranks

Andy Muschietti distinguishes this supernatural fable with a haunting, painterly aesthetic and a genuinely unsettling creature design that operates on fractured, stop-motion logic. It succeeds as a melancholic exploration of maternal instinct curdled into something monstrous.

2
2013 Horror in Evil Dead (2013)
Evil Dead
2013

Mia, a drug addict, is determined to kick the habit. To that end, she asks her brother, David, his girlfriend, Natalie and their friends Olivia and Eric to accompany her to their family's remote forest cabin to help her through withdrawal. Eric finds a mysterious Book of the Dead at the cabin and reads aloud from it, awakening an ancient demon. All hell breaks loose when the malevolent entity possesses Mia.

Horror
1h 31m
Fede Álvarez
Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas
Why it ranks

Fede Alvarez honors his predecessor’s legacy by drenching the screen in an uncompromising, tactile bloodbath that pushes the limits of the R-rating. This visceral reimagining transforms campy origins into a relentless, claustrophobic nightmare of bodily trauma.

1
2013 Horror in The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring
2013

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.

Horror
Thriller
1h 52m
Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston
Why it ranks

James Wan masterfully revitalizes the classical haunted house subgenre by prioritizing agonizing suspense and practical craftsmanship over modern digital shortcuts. It remains a masterclass in spatial tension, proving that a well-timed clap can be more terrifying than any jump-scare.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

2013 horror movies are marked by a revival of technical craft and scale, moving beyond the found footage and torture porn trends. Films like 'The Conjuring' demonstrate the genre's return to atmospheric tension and strong storytelling, delivering scares without sacrificing quality.

James Wan had a significant impact with multiple films in 2013, including a notable supernatural thriller and its sequel. His work is characterized by expertly crafted scares and strong narrative elements that helped redefine modern horror standards in that year.

The film 'Warm Bodies' uniquely combines horror with comedy and romance, offering a fresh take on the zombie genre. Its blend of humor and heartfelt story distinguishes it from more traditional horror films in 2013.

Yes, several films mix horror with science fiction, such as 'The Purge' and 'World War Z.' These movies broaden the scope of horror by integrating thrilling dystopian and apocalyptic themes.

A unifying theme among many of these films is the blend of supernatural and psychological horror, often involving hauntings, family dynamics, and survival scenarios. Movies like 'Mama' and 'Insidious: Chapter 2' exemplify this trend by combining eerie atmospheres with intense emotional undercurrents.

Films like 'Mama' and 'You're Next' emphasize horror within family or home environments, creating tension through familiar but terrifying situations. This focus on domestic horror deepens the psychological impact by intersecting fear with personal relationships.

The movies listed from 2013 show a shift from gimmicky horror to more polished, story-driven works that attract wider audiences. By combining elements like suspense, character development, and innovative horror concepts, these films reconnect with viewers seeking both entertainment and scares.
Join Thousands of Drafters

Think You Can Pick Better?

Challenge your friends, make your picks, and let AI + human judges decide who has the best taste!

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play