Top 30 Ranked

Best Horror Movies of 2015, Ranked

Essential Modern Classics and Supernatural Chills

Discover the top scary films from a standout year for cinema. Explore terrifying supernatural tales, indie gems, and intense psychological thrillers.

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About 2015 Horror Movies

In the long arc of horror history, 2015 often gets overlooked in favor of the massive blockbuster resurgence that followed a few years later. However, looking back with a decade of perspective, it becomes clear that 2015 was the year the genre finally stopped apologizing for its own intelligence. It was a transitional period where the jump-scare factories started losing ground to something far more insidious and atmospheric. The industry began to move away from the loud, clattering ghosts of the early 2010s and toward a style now frequently and controversially labeled as elevated horror.

The crown jewel of this shift was undoubtedly Robert Eggers with his debut feature, The Witch. While it did not see a wide theatrical release until early 2016, its 2015 festival run sent shockwaves through the community. Eggers demanded a level of patience from the audience that felt almost revolutionary at the time. By leaning into authentic seventeenth century dialect and a dread that felt ancient rather than manufactured, he proved that a period piece could be just as terrifying as a slasher in a dark alley. It was a film about the breakdown of a family unit under the weight of religious paranoia, and it signaled the arrival of a major new voice in cinema.

Simultaneously, David Robert Mitchell gave us It Follows, a film that managed to modernize the DNA of John Carpenter for a new generation. By taking a simple, almost urban-legend premise about a sexually transmitted curse and filming it with wide, prowling shots, Mitchell turned every background extra into a potential threat. The movie stripped away the frantic editing typical of modern horror, forcing the viewer to constantly scan the frame for a slow-moving figure. It was stylish, synth-heavy, and deeply unnerving, proving that you did not need a masked killer to create a sense of inescapable doom.

The year also allowed for subversive takes on familiar tropes. M. Night Shyamalan staged a massive comeback with The访Visit, a found-footage film that balanced pitch-black comedy with genuine discomfort. It reminded audiences that the format could still be effective if anchored by strong performances and a tight script. On the more claustrophobic end of the spectrum, Karyn Kusama delivered The Invitation. This masterclass in slow-burn tension turned a simple dinner party into a psychological nightmare. It played on the social anxiety of polite conversation, making the audience question whether the protagonist was losing his mind or if the hosts truly did have a sinister agenda.

Even the world of independent western-horror got a terrifying shot in the arm with Bone Tomahawk. Craig Zahler blended the stoic grit of a classic frontier tale with some of the most visceral, stomach-turning violence seen in years. It was a reminder that horror does not always need a supernatural element to be effective because the cruelty of man can be just as frightening.

When we look back at the landscape of 2015, we see a genre that was reclaiming its dignity. It was a year defined by confidence. Directors were no longer afraid of silence or long takes. They trusted the audience to sit with their discomfort rather than providing a release every five minutes. The films of 2015 laid the groundwork for the modern renaissance of the genre, proving that horror is at its best when it probes the shadows of the human psyche as much as the shadows in the corner of the room.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

See Top Ten
30
2015 Horror in Extraordinary Tales (2015)
Extraordinary Tales
2015

Five tales by Edgar Allan Poe come to life thanks to a pictorical style animation, five tales that exude madness, pestilence, murder and torture.

Horror
Animation
1h 13m
Raúl García
Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, Julian Sands, Guillermo del Toro
29
2015 Horror in Tag (2015)
Tag
2015

As the sole survivor of a horrendous and rather mysterious accident, teenage Mitsuko's day is off to a bad start. An unstoppable force of nature, a doomed field trip, and a strange case of amnesia easily coexist in a bizarre parallel universe, where a desperate Mitsuko is always on the run from something inexplicable, intangible, and utterly deadly. However, amid piles of fresh corpses, mounds of scorching bullet shells, and rivulets of fragrant adolescent blood, Mitsuko must fight to stay alive, before her already messed-up day becomes even stranger. But one question still remains: who or what is the enemy?

Horror
Action
1h 25m
Sion Sono
Reina Triendl, Mariko Shinoda, Erina Mano, Yuki Sakurai
28
2015 Horror in The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence) (2015)
The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence)
2015

Taking inspiration from The Human Centipede films, the warden of a notorious and troubled prison looks to create a 500-person human centipede as a solution to his problems.

Horror
1h 43m
Tom Six
Dieter Laser, Bree Olson, Eric Roberts, Laurence R. Harvey

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27
2015 Horror in The Silenced (2015)
The Silenced
2015

A sickly girl Ju-ran transfers to a new sanitorium boarding school to regain health. But she discovers that students are disappearing and notices abnormal changes happening to her body. She suspects the school for what's happening and tries to discover what secret is hidden.

Horror
Thriller
1h 39m
Lee Hae-young
Park Bo-young, Uhm Ji-won, Park So-dam, Kong Ye-ji
26
2015 Horror in The Gallows (2015)
The Gallows
2015

20 years after a horrific accident during a small town school play, students at the school resurrect the failed show in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy - but soon discover that some things are better left alone.

Horror
1h 21m
Travis Cluff
Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos, Cassidy Gifford
25
2015 Horror in Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
2015

Three scouts and lifelong friends join forces with one badass cocktail waitress to become the world’s most unlikely team of heroes. When their peaceful town is ravaged by a zombie invasion, they’ll fight for the badge of a lifetime and put their scouting skills to the test to save mankind from the undead.

Comedy
Horror
1h 33m
Christopher Landon
Tye Sheridan, Sarah Dumont, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan
24
2015 Horror in Knock Knock (2015)
Knock Knock
2015

When a devoted husband and father is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Horror
Thriller
1h 39m
Eli Roth
Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana de Armas, Aaron Burns
23
2015 Horror in R.L. Stine's Monsterville: The Cabinet of Souls (2015)
R.L. Stine's Monsterville: The Cabinet of Souls
2015

Teenage friends must resist the spell of an evil showman staging a house of horrors show in their small town.

Comedy
Horror
1h 25m
Peter DeLuise
Dove Cameron, Braeden Lemasters, Katherine McNamara, Ryan McCartan
22
2015 Horror in The Nightmare (2015)
The Nightmare
2015

Eight people experience sleep paralysis, a condition which leaves them unable to move, speak or react.

Horror
Documentary
1h 30m
Rodney Ascher
Forrest Borie, Korinne Wilson, Andrew Schwarz, Johnny Depp
21
2015 Horror in Savageland (2015)
Savageland
2015

When a small town near the Arizona-Mexico border is wiped out overnight, suspicion falls on the lone survivor. But a roll of photos the survivor took that night tells a different story.

Horror
Crime
1h 21m
David Whelan
Noe Montes, J.C. Carlos, Lawrence Moss, Edward L. Green
20
2015 Horror in The Priests (2015)
The Priests
2015

To save a girl in danger, a priest and deacon jump into a mysterious case.

Mystery
Thriller
1h 43m
Jang Jae-hyun
Kim Yun-seok, Gang Dong-won, Park So-dam, Kim Eui-sung
19
2015 Horror in Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
Insidious: Chapter 3
2015

A twisted new tale of terror begins for a teenage girl and her family, and revealing more mysteries of the otherworldly realm, 'The Further'.

Horror
Thriller
1h 37m
Leigh Whannell
Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney, Leigh Whannell
18
2015 Horror in Hidden (2015)
Hidden
2015

A family takes refuge in a fallout shelter to avoid a dangerous outbreak.

Thriller
Horror
1h 23m
Ross Duffer
Alexander Skarsgård, Andrea Riseborough, Emily Alyn Lind, Heather Doerksen
17
2015 Horror in Parasyte: Part 2 (2015)
Parasyte: Part 2
2015

Humanity is under attack by human-mimicking flesh-eating alien parasites. One parasite bonds with his young high school student host, and he convinces the parasite to help him stop the others.

Science Fiction
Horror
1h 57m
Takashi Yamazaki
Shota Sometani, Ai Hashimoto, Sadao Abe, Eri Fukatsu
16
2015 Horror in Tales of Halloween (2015)
Tales of Halloween
2015

Ten stories from horror's top directors. Ghosts, ghouls, monsters, and the devil delight in terrorizing unsuspecting residents of a suburban neighborhood on Halloween night. This creepy anthology combines classic Halloween tales with the stuff of nightmares.

Horror
Thriller
1h 37m
Darren Lynn Bousman
Keir Gilchrist, Pollyanna McIntosh, Sam Witwer, Booboo Stewart
15
2015 Horror in Southbound (2015)
Southbound
2015

The film contains five stories set on desolate stretches of a desert highway. Two men on the run from their past, a band on its way to a gig, a man struggling to get home, a brother in search of his long-lost sister and a family on vacation are forced to confront their worst fears and darkest secrets in these interwoven tales.

Fantasy
Thriller
1h 29m
Roxanne Benjamin
Fabianne Therese, Larry Fessenden, Kate Beahan, Zoe Cooper
14
2015 Horror in Hell House LLC (2015)
Hell House LLC
2015

Five years after an unexplained malfunction causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house tour, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.

Horror
Mystery
1h 36m
Stephen Cognetti
Danny Bellini, Ryan Jennifer Jones, Gore Abrams, Jared Hacker
13
2015 Horror in A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
A Christmas Horror Story
2015

Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, peace and goodwill. But for some folks in the small town of Bailey Downs, it turns into something much less festive.

Horror
Fantasy
1h 39m
Steven Hoban
William Shatner, George Buza, Rob Archer, Zoé De Grand Maison
12
2015 Horror in Maggie (2015)
Maggie
2015

There's a deadly zombie epidemic threatening humanity, but Wade, a small-town farmer and family man, refuses to accept defeat even when his daughter Maggie becomes infected. As Maggie's condition worsens and the authorities seek to eradicate those with the virus, Wade is pushed to the limits in an effort to protect her. Joely Richardson co-stars in this post-apocalyptic thriller.

Horror
Drama
1h 35m
Henry Hobson
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson, Douglas M. Griffin
11
2015 Horror in The Hallow (2015)
The Hallow
2015

Deep within the darkness of secluded forest land in rural Ireland dwells an ancient evil. Feared by the nearby superstitious villagers as cursed creatures who prey upon the lost, their secrets have been kept from civilization and remain on their hallowed ground. But when a conservationist from London moves in with his wife and infant child in order to survey the land for future construction, his actions unwittingly disturb the horde of demonic forces. Alone in a remote wilderness, he must now ensure his family's survival from their relentless attacks.

Horror
Fantasy
1h 37m
Corin Hardy
Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novaković, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley
10
2015 Horror in Baskin (2015)
Baskin
2015

A squad of unsuspecting cops go through a trapdoor to Hell when they stumble upon a Black Mass in an abandoned building.

Horror
Thriller
1h 37m
Can Evrenol
Mehmet Cerrahoglu, Görkem Kasal, Ergun Kuyucu, Muharrem Bayrak
Why it ranks

Can Evrenol invites viewers into a surreal, Bosch-like descent into hell that prioritizes nightmarish imagery over conventional narrative logic. This Turkish nightmare stands out for its oppressive, claustrophobic texture and a commitment to visceral, hallucinatory world-building.

9
2015 Horror in Deathgasm (2015)
Deathgasm
2015

Two teenage boys unwittingly summon an ancient evil entity known as The Blind One by delving into black magic while trying to escape their mundane lives.

Horror
Comedy
1h 26m
Jason Lei Howden
Milo Cawthorne, Kimberley Crossman, Sam Berkley, Delaney Tabron
Why it ranks

Exploding with heavy metal energy and New Zealand irreverence, this splatstick gem is a high-octane celebration of demonic excess. It thrives on a kinetic DIY spirit and an unapologetic love for practical gore that keeps the chaotic momentum from ever slowing down.

8
2015 Horror in The Final Girls (2015)
The Final Girls
2015

A young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s, finds herself pulled into the world of her mom's most famous movie. Reunited, the women must fight off the film's maniacal killer.

Comedy
Horror
1h 31m
Todd Strauss-Schulson
Taissa Farmiga, Malin Åkerman, Nina Dobrev, Alexander Ludwig
Why it ranks

A clever, emotionally resonant meta-horror that deconstructs the slasher archetype while maintaining a vibrant neon aesthetic. Unlike its cynical peers, this film finds a surprising amount of heart within its satirical framework, blending grief with high-concept genre subversion.

7
2015 Horror in Goodnight Mommy (2015)
Goodnight Mommy
2015

In the heat of the summer lays a lonesome house in the countryside where nine year old twin brothers await their mother’s return. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before and the children start to doubt whether this woman is actually who she says she is.

Horror
Mystery
1h 40m
Severin Fiala
Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz, Susanne Wuest, Hans Escher
Why it ranks

This Austrian psychological thriller excels at clinical, sterile discomfort, stripping away genre tropes to focus on the terrifying breakdown of the maternal bond. Its icy visual language and escalating tension lead to a sensory assault that challenges the viewer's shifting sympathies.

6
2015 Horror in Krampus (2015)
Krampus
2015

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

Horror
Comedy
1h 38m
Michael Dougherty
Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman
Why it ranks

Michael Dougherty revives the spirit of 1980s creature features by blending festive cheer with a mean-spirited, folkloric edge. The film utilizes impressive puppetry and dark whimsy to punish its dysfunctional protagonists, proving that holiday horror can be both imaginative and genuinely menacing.

5
2015 Horror in We Are Still Here (2015)
We Are Still Here
2015

After the death of their college age son, Anne and Paul Sacchetti relocate to the snowswept New England hamlet of Aylesbury, a sleepy village where all is most certainly not as it seems. When strange sounds and eerie feelings convince Anne that her son's spirit is still with them, they invite an eccentric, New Age couple to help them get to the bottom of the mystery.

Horror
1h 23m
Ted Geoghegan
Barbara Crampton, Andrew Sensenig, Lisa Marie, Larry Fessenden
Why it ranks

Ted Geoghegan crafts a lean, mean tribute to Lucio Fulci that erupts from a slow-burn haunted house mystery into a chaotic, gore-drenched finale. Its commitment to practical effects and a suffocating wintry atmosphere makes it a refreshing throwback for the modern era.

4
2015 Horror in The Visit (2015)
The Visit
2015

A brother and sister are sent to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm for a week, where they discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing.

Horror
Thriller
Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie
Why it ranks

M. Night Shyamalan weaponizes the discomfort of aging through a frantic found-footage lens, balancing pitch-black comedy with genuine geriatric unease. The film succeeds by anchoring its scares in the primal childhood fear of unpredictable, deteriorating authority figures.

3
2015 Horror in Bone Tomahawk (2015)
Bone Tomahawk
2015

During a shootout in a saloon, Sheriff Hunt injures a suspicious stranger. The doctor's assistant, wife of the local foreman, tends to him in prison. That night, the town is attacked and they both disappear—only the arrow of a cannibal tribe is found. Hunt and a few of his men go in search of the prisoner and the foreman's wife.

Western
Horror
2h 13m
S. Craig Zahler
Why it ranks

This gritty fusion of hard-boiled Western and visceral cannibal horror thrives on patient character work and bone-dry dialogue before descending into a final act of unflinching, primitive brutality. It revitalizes the frontier mythos by introducing a terrifyingly silent, predatory antagonist that feels ancient and truly alien.

2
2015 Horror in Crimson Peak (2015)
Crimson Peak
2015

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds… and remembers.

Horror
Mystery
Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam
Why it ranks

Guillermo del Toro delivers a sumptuous gothic romance that bleeds with vivid primary colors and rotting aristocratic rot. It is a masterclass in production design where the crumbling mansion breathes and weeps as much as the tragic specters haunting its corridors.

1
2015 Horror in It Follows (2015)
It Follows
2015

A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.

Horror
Mystery
1h 41m
David Robert Mitchell
Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary
Why it ranks

David Robert Mitchell reimagines the slasher subgenre as a dreamlike, synth-soaked nightmare where dread is an atmospheric constant rather than a series of jump scares. Its brilliant use of deep focus and slow-panning camerawork transforms the mundane periphery into a source of paralyzing, inexorable terror.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

The horror movies of 2015 marked a shift away from typical jump-scares toward more atmospheric and psychologically complex storytelling. Films like 'It Follows' and 'Goodnight Mommy' highlight this trend by focusing on mood, tension, and unique horror concepts rather than relying solely on traditional scares.

'Bone Tomahawk' is an excellent example of genre blending, combining elements of Western, horror, and drama to deliver a gritty and intense experience that sets it apart from typical horror movies.

Yes, several 2015 horror movies incorporate comedy to provide a fresh twist on the genre. Notable examples include 'Krampus' and 'Deathgasm,' which merge horror with humor and fantasy to create entertaining and unconventional horror experiences.

Supernatural themes are prominent in 2015’s horror scene, as seen in films like 'Crimson Peak' and 'We Are Still Here,' where ghosts and otherworldly entities create an eerie atmosphere that intensifies the mystery and suspense.

Movies such as 'Goodnight Mommy' and 'The Visit' emphasize psychological horror by exploring themes of identity, trust, and human perception, effectively unsettling audiences with their intense and ambiguous narratives.

Yes, 2015 showcased a strong presence of indie horror films that received critical acclaim. 'It Follows' and 'Hell House LLC' are great examples of independent productions that used innovative approaches to deliver compelling horror stories.

Indeed, 'Krampus' and 'A Christmas Horror Story' creatively incorporate folklore and holiday elements into their horror narratives, blending festive themes with supernatural horror to offer a unique seasonal scare.
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