Top 30 Ranked

The Best Horror Movies of 2019, Ranked

Dark Visions and Modern Nightmares

Explore the top rated horror cinema releases from the year of Midsommar and Us. Discover must watch slasher sequels, supernatural hits, and indie chills.

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About 2019 Horror Movies

If you want to understand the exact moment horror fully shed its reputation as the basement dweller of cinema, look no further than 2019. It was a year that felt like a victory lap for the genre, proving that the elevated horror movement of the mid-2010s was not just a phase, but a permanent architectural shift. By the time the decade closed, the genre was doing more than just delivering cheap thrills. It was dissecting the nuclear family, reckoning with ancestral trauma, and becoming the primary vessel for social commentary in a way that blockbuster dramas simply could not match.

The year was anchored by Ari Aster’s Midsommar, a film that dared to suggest that the most terrifying place on earth is not a dark basement, but a field of flowers under a sun that never sets. Following the success of Hereditary, Aster skipped the sophomore slump and went straight for a technicolor nightmare about grief and the toxic codependency of a dying relationship. It was a bold, bright, and agonizing piece of folk horror that forced audiences to sit with discomfort in broad daylight. It signaled that modern audiences were finally ready for long, patient, and deeply psychological storytelling.

Simultaneously, Jordan Peele proved his debut success was no fluke with Us. If Get Out was a laser-focused critique of racial dynamics, Us was a sprawling, ambitious myth about the people we leave behind in the shadow of the American dream. Lupita Nyong'o delivered what remains one of the most snubbed performances in awards history, playing two versions of herself with a physical precision that was nothing short of haunting. The film was a massive box office hit, further cementing the idea that horror could be both high-concept art and a genuine cultural event.

The landscape of 2019 was also remarkably diverse in its subgenres. While the big names took the headlines, smaller films were pushing boundaries in different directions. Robert Eggers gave us The Lighthouse, a grimy, black and white descent into maritime madness that felt like it was unearthed from a time capsule. It was weird, funny, and deeply hallucinogenic, anchored by career-best work from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. Meanwhile, Radio Silence brought a much-needed sense of fun back to the multiplex with Ready or Not, a slick slasher-comedy that turned class warfare into a literal game of hide and seek.

Even the studio sequels felt more purposeful. Mike Flanagan took on the impossible task of bridging the gap between Stephen King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s film with Doctor Sleep. It resulted in a soulful, surprisingly moving meditation on addiction and recovery that managed to stand on its own two feet. Even the blockbuster machine found a way to make old tropes feel fresh, seen in the sheer craft of It Chapter Two.

Looking back, 2019 was the year horror became the most reliable genre in Hollywood. It was the year we realized that these movies were the best tools we had for processing the anxieties of the modern world. Whether it was the existential dread of a cult in Sweden or the literal monsters lurking in our own basements, the films of 2019 reminded us that horror is at its best when it reflects the things we are most afraid to say out loud. It was a high-water mark for the genre, leaving a legacy of ambition that still defines the movies we see today.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

See Top Ten
30
2019 Horror in Belzebuth (2019)
Belzebuth
2019

While leading a police investigation of a massacre in a public school at the border of Mexico and U.S.A, special Agent Emanuel Ritter links this strange case to the coming and rising of the ancient demon Belzebuth. But in order to stop the trail of upcoming infanticides, Ritter shall have to confront himself before dealing with the forces of good and evil.

Horror
Fantasy
1h 54m
Emilio Portes
Joaquín Cosío, Tobin Bell, Tate Ellington, José Sefami
29
2019 Horror in In Search of Darkness (2019)
In Search of Darkness
2019

An exploration of '80s horror movies through the perspective of the actors, directors, producers and SFX craftspeople who made them, and their impact on contemporary cinema.

Documentary
Horror
4h 24m
David A. Weiner
Tom Atkins, John Bloom, Doug Bradley, Lori Cardille
28
2019 Horror in K-12 (2019)
K-12
2019

Cry Baby, a strong and sensitive girl, is sent off to a disturbing sleepaway school that’s hidden underneath a grandiose façade. Luckily, she has a sweet and unapologetic best friend who sticks up for her when she gets bullied by the other students whose brains are under control by the Principal and his wicked staff. With the help of the magical friends they meet along the way, as well as an Angelic Spirit Guide, they are able to gain the strength they need to fight off the school’s belligerent patriarchal conditioning.

Fantasy
Horror
1h 32m
Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez, Elita Harkov, Megan Gage, Maggie Budzyna

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27
2019 Horror in Little Monsters (2019)
Little Monsters
2019

A washed-up musician teams up with a teacher and a kids show personality to protect young children from a sudden outbreak of zombies.

Horror
Comedy
1h 34m
Abe Forsythe
Lupita Nyong'o, Alexander England, Josh Gad, Diesel La Torraca
26
2019 Horror in The Furies (2019)
The Furies
2019

A young woman faces her darkest fears with seven other unwilling participants in a deadly game — a game that can only have one winner.

Horror
Action
1h 22m
Tony D'Aquino
Airlie Dodds, Linda Ngo, Taylor Ferguson, Ebony Vagulans
25
2019 Horror in Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
Velvet Buzzsaw
2019

Big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.

Thriller
Mystery
1h 53m
Dan Gilroy
Rene Russo, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zawe Ashton, Tom Sturridge
24
2019 Horror in The Jack in the Box (2019)
The Jack in the Box
2019

When a vintage Jack-in-the-box is un-earthed and opened, it's new owners soon have reason to believe the creepy clown doll within has a life of its own.

Horror
1h 27m
Lawrence Fowler
Ethan Taylor, Robert Strange, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Philip Ridout
23
2019 Horror in Luz: The Flower of Evil (2019)
Luz: The Flower of Evil
2019

In the thickness of the mountains, in an isolated community led by a preacher known as El Señor, a presumed new Messiah is brought, unleashing a wave of violence and pain.

Drama
Fantasy
1h 44m
Juan Diego Escobar Alzate
Yuri Vargas, Conrado Osorio, Sharon Guzman, Andrea Esquivel
22
2019 Horror in 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
47 Meters Down: Uncaged
2019

Four teenage girls go on a diving adventure to explore a submerged Mayan city. Once inside, their rush of excitement turns into a jolt of terror as they discover the sunken ruins are a hunting ground for deadly great white sharks. With their air supply steadily dwindling, the friends must navigate the underwater labyrinth of claustrophobic caves and eerie tunnels in search of a way out of their watery hell.

Horror
Thriller
1h 30m
Johannes Roberts
Sophie Nélisse, Corinne Foxx, Brianne Tju, Sistine Rose Stallone
21
2019 Horror in In the Tall Grass (2019)
In the Tall Grass
2019

After hearing a child screaming for help from the green depths of a vast field of tall grass, Becky, a pregnant woman, and Cal, her brother, park their car near a mysterious abandoned church and enter the field, discovering that they are not alone and, for some reason, they are unable to escape a completely inextricable vegetable labyrinth.

Horror
Drama
1h 41m
Vincenzo Natali
Laysla De Oliveira, Harrison Gilbertson, Avery Whitted, Will Buie Jr.
20
2019 Horror in Bliss (2019)
Bliss
2019

In need of creative inspiration, a professionally stagnant and hard-partying Los Angeles artist recklessly indulges in a series of drug binges. As the narcotics fly out of control, so does her newfound and inexplicable, yet unquenchable, craving for blood.

Horror
1h 20m
Joe Begos
Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield, Jeremy Gardner
19
2019 Horror in Sweetheart (2019)
Sweetheart
2019

Jenn has washed ashore a small tropical island and it doesn’t take her long to realize she’s completely alone. She must spend her days not only surviving the elements, but must also fend off the malevolent force that comes out each night.

Horror
1h 22m
J.D. Dillard
Kiersey Clemons, Emory Cohen, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Benedict Samuel
18
2019 Horror in The Dead Don't Die (2019)
The Dead Don't Die
2019

In the sleepy town of Centerville, the lives of a number of interconnected characters are disrupted by the undead.

Comedy
Horror
17
2019 Horror in Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Zombieland: Double Tap
2019

Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.

Horror
Comedy
1h 39m
Ruben Fleischer
16
2019 Horror in Haunt (2019)
Haunt
2019

On Halloween, a group of friends encounter an extreme haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. The night turns deadly as they come to the horrifying realisation that some nightmares are real.

Horror
Thriller
1h 33m
Scott Beck
Katie Stevens, Will Brittain, Lauryn McClain, Shazi Raja
15
2019 Horror in Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Annabelle Comes Home
2019

Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing. But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, who all set their sights on a new target—the Warrens' ten-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends.

Horror
1h 46m
Gary Dauberman
Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Michael Cimino
14
2019 Horror in Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
Happy Death Day 2U
2019

Collegian Tree Gelbman wakes up in horror to learn that she's stuck in a parallel universe. Her boyfriend Carter is now with someone else, and her friends and fellow students seem to be completely different versions of themselves. When Tree discovers that Carter's roommate has been altering time, she finds herself once again the target of a masked killer. When the psychopath starts to go after her inner circle, Tree soon realizes that she must die over and over again to save everyone.

Comedy
Horror
1h 40m
Christopher Landon
Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Charles Aitken, Ruby Modine
13
2019 Horror in Ma (2019)
Ma
2019

Sue Ann is a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a new teenager in town, to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own.

Horror
Thriller
1h 39m
Tate Taylor
Octavia Spencer, Juliette Lewis, Diana Silvers, McKaley Miller
12
2019 Horror in The Prodigy (2019)
The Prodigy
2019

A mother concerned about her young son's disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him.

Horror
Thriller
1h 32m
Nicholas McCarthy
Taylor Schilling, Jackson Robert Scott, Colm Feore, Brittany Allen
11
2019 Horror in Child's Play (2019)
Child's Play
2019

Karen, a single mother, gifts her son Andy a Buddi doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature. A contemporary re-imagining of the 1988 horror classic.

Horror
Thriller
1h 30m
Lars Klevberg
Mark Hamill, Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry
10
2019 Horror in Brightburn (2019)
Brightburn
2019

What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?

Horror
Science Fiction
1h 31m
David Yarovesky
Jackson A. Dunn, Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Matt Jones
Why it ranks

By subverting the traditional superhero origin story, this film provides a grim, fascinating look at what happens when power meets adolescent psychopathy. It is a gnarly, mean-spirited subversion of Cape-and-Cowl tropes that leans heavily into visceral body horror.

9
2019 Horror in The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
The Curse of La Llorona
2019

In 1970s Los Angeles, the legendary ghost La Llorona is stalking the night -- and the children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother, a social worker and her own kids are drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope of surviving La Llorona's deadly wrath is a disillusioned priest who practices mysticism to keep evil at bay.

Horror
1h 33m
Michael Chaves
Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velásquez, Roman Christou
Why it ranks

Drawing from deep-seated folklore, the film utilizes high-tension sound design and period detail to bolster its place within the broader Conjuring universe. Its strength lies in its commitment to a relentless, predatory pacing that rarely allows the audience to catch their breath.

8

Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, move from Boston to Ludlow, in rural Maine, with their two young children. Hidden in the woods near the new family home, Ellie, their eldest daughter, discovers a mysterious cemetery where the pets of community members are buried.

Horror
1h 41m
Dennis Widmyer
Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Jeté Laurence
Why it ranks

This update justifies its existence by leaning into a nihilistic atmosphere that feels even more suffocating than the original adaptation. By subverting key plot expectations, it recaptures the profound, sickly dread inherent in King’s most disturbing meditation on mortality.

7
2019 Horror in Crawl (2019)
Crawl
2019

When a huge hurricane hits her hometown in Florida, Haley ignores evacuation orders to look for her father. After finding him badly wounded, both are trapped by the flood. With virtually no time to escape the storm, they discover that rising water levels are the least of their problems.

Horror
Thriller
1h 27m
Alexandre Aja
Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark, Ross Anderson
Why it ranks

Alexandre Aja strips the survival thriller down to its primal, muddy bones in this lean masterclass of tension. It avoids unnecessary flourish, focusing instead on the punishing physical geography of a flooded basement and the relentless efficiency of its apex predators.

6
2019 Horror in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
2019

Mill Valley, Pennsylvania, Halloween night, 1968. After playing a joke on a school bully, Stella and her friends decide to sneak into a supposedly haunted house that once belonged to the powerful Bellows family, unleashing dark forces that they will be unable to control.

Horror
Mystery
1h 48m
André Øvredal
Zoe Colletti, Dean Norris, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush
Why it ranks

André Øvredal brilliantly translates Gammell's iconic, ink-smudged nightmares into a cohesive creature feature with a refreshing Amblin-esque spirit. The film treats its young protagonists with a rare gravity while delivering some of the year's most grotesque practical effects.

5
2019 Horror in Doctor Sleep (2019)
Doctor Sleep
2019

Still scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance faces the ghosts of the past when he meets Abra, a courageous teen who desperately needs his help -- and who possesses a powerful extrasensory ability called the "shine".

Horror
Fantasy
2h 32m
Mike Flanagan
Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis
Why it ranks

Mike Flanagan accomplishes the impossible task of reconciling King’s literary vision with Kubrick’s cinematic legacy. The result is a soulful, visually inventive expansion of a mythos that prioritizes psychological recovery over cheap jump scares.

4
2019 Horror in Ready or Not (2019)
Ready or Not
2019

A young bride's wedding night turns into her worst nightmare when her ridiculously rich in-laws force her to play a gruesome game of hide-and-seek.

Horror
Comedy
1h 35m
Tyler Gillett
Samara Weaving, Mark O'Brien, Adam Brody, Henry Czerny
Why it ranks

This razor-sharp satire of the ultra-wealthy excels through its frantic energy and Samara Weaving’s visceral, blood-soaked charisma. It manages to be both a sadistic game of hide-and-seek and a scathing indictment of dynastic preservation.

3
2019 Horror in It Chapter Two (2019)
It Chapter Two
2019

27 years after overcoming the malevolent supernatural entity Pennywise, the former members of the Losers' Club, who have grown up and moved away from Derry, are brought back together by a devastating phone call.

Horror
Thriller
2h 49m
Andy Muschietti
Why it ranks

While the scale expands to epic proportions, the film succeeds by anchoring its surrealist cosmic horror in the heavy, melancholic reality of forgotten childhood trauma. Bill Hader provides a career-best performance that balances the grand guignol spectacle with genuine emotional stakes.

2
2019 Horror in Midsommar (2019)
Midsommar
2019

Several friends travel to Sweden to study as anthropologists a summer festival that is held every ninety years in the remote hometown of one of them. What begins as a dream vacation in a place where the sun never sets, gradually turns into a dark nightmare as the mysterious inhabitants invite them to participate in their disturbing festive activities.

Horror
Drama
2h 27m
Ari Aster
Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter
Why it ranks

Ari Aster trades shadows for a blinding, claustrophobic sunlight that proves far more terrifying than any darkness. It is a floral-drenched nightmare of communal grief that reinvented folk horror for the contemporary era.

1
2019 Horror in Us (2019)
Us
2019

Husband and wife Gabe and Adelaide Wilson take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends. But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.

Horror
Mystery
1h 56m
Jordan Peele
Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker
Why it ranks

Jordan Peele solidifies his status as a modern master by weaponizing the uncanny valley of the self. This dual-performance powerhouse transcends home-invasion tropes to offer a chillingly rhythmic interrogation of American privilege and identity.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

Jordan Peele's 'Us' tops the list because of its innovative blend of horror and mystery, coupled with a thought-provoking social commentary that set it apart from typical horror fare. Its complex narrative and chilling atmosphere made it a critical and audience favorite in 2019.

Ari Aster's 'Midsommar' is notable for its unique use of bright daylight terror and folk horror elements, creating an unsettling experience. Its exploration of grief and toxic relationships beneath a visually stunning facade elevated it to one of the year's most memorable horror dramas.

The list showcases a diversity of horror sub-genres, ranging from slasher sequels like 'It Chapter Two' to supernatural hits like 'Doctor Sleep' and indie chills such as 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.' This variety illustrates the genre's flexibility in 2019, appealing to broad horror audiences.

Yes, films like 'Brightburn' blend horror with science fiction, offering a fresh take on the genre, while 'Ready or Not' mixes horror with dark comedy, providing unique tones that diverge from traditional scares. These inclusions highlight the year's creative experimentation.

Although 'Annabelle Comes Home' continues the popular Conjuring Universe, it ranks lower due to its more conventional scares and less innovative storytelling compared to other 2019 horror hits. The list favors films that push boundaries or offer fresh perspectives.

2019 horror strongly focused on dissecting family dynamics, ancestral trauma, and societal fears, as seen in 'Us' and 'Midsommar.' This thematic depth signaled horror's evolution beyond simple jump scares to more complex narratives.

'It Chapter Two' ranks highly at number three for its successful continuation of a beloved story blending horror with emotional depth, while 'Happy Death Day 2U' offers a lighter, sci-fi-infused horror-comedy twist. Both demonstrate how sequels maintain relevance through innovation.

Yes, 'Doctor Sleep' revisits and revitalizes the classic horror trope from 'The Shining' with new supernatural twists, while 'Crawl' innovates survival horror with its intense alligator attacks. These films reflect 2019's blend of nostalgia and originality.
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