2014 was a year of macabre creativity in the realm of horror cinema. Directors from across the globe plunged into the depths of fear, unearthing new nightmares and rekindling old terrors. This list celebrates 25 horror films from 2014 that continue to haunt our dreams, with each filmmaker embroidering the dark tapestry of horror with distinctive threads of dread.
- The Babadook
- Director: Jennifer Kent
- Plot: A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children’s book titled “Mister Babadook” manifests in their home1.
- See No Evil 2
- Directors: Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska
- Plot: An undertaker’s birthday party is interrupted when Jacob Goodnight rises from the dead and proceeds to terrorize her and her friends2.
- Horns
- Director: Alexandre Aja
- Plot: In the aftermath of his girlfriend’s mysterious death, a young man awakens to find strange horns sprouting from his forehead1.
- Oculus
- Director: Mike Flanagan
- Plot: A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon1.
- Afflicted
- Directors: Derek Lee, Clif Prowse
- Plot: Two best friends see their trip of a lifetime take a dark turn when one of them is struck by a mysterious affliction.
- As Above, So Below
- Director: John Erick Dowdle
- Plot: When a team of explorers ventures into the catacombs that lie beneath the streets of Paris, they uncover the dark secret that lies within this city of the dead.
- Annabelle
- Director: John R. Leonetti
- Plot: A couple begins to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll shortly after their home is invaded by satanic cultists.
- The Quiet Ones
- Director: John Pogue
- Plot: A university professor and a team of students conduct an experiment on a young woman, uncovering terrifyingly dark, unexpected forces in the process.
- Deliver Us From Evil
- Director: Scott Derrickson
- Plot: New York police officer Ralph Sarchie investigates a series of crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest, schooled in the rites of exorcism, to combat the possessions that are terrorizing their city.
- Jessabelle
- Director: Kevin Greutert
- Plot: Returning to her childhood home in Louisiana to recuperate from a horrific car accident, Jessabelle comes face to face with a long-tormented spirit that has been seeking her return — and has no intention of letting her escape.
- The Purge: Anarchy
- Director: James DeMonaco
- Plot: A young couple works to survive on the streets after their car breaks down right as the annual Purge commences.
- The Town That Dreaded Sundown
- Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
- Plot: 65 years after a masked serial killer terrorized the small town of Texarkana, the “moonlight murders” begin again. Is it a copycat or something even more sinister?
- A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
- Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
- Plot: In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.
- Late Phases
- Director: Adrián García Bogliano
- Plot: When deadly beasts attack from the forest, it is up to a grizzled veteran to uncover what the residents of a secluded retirement community are hiding.
- Tusk
- Director: Kevin Smith
- Plot: When a man is captured by a maniac and tortured, physically and mentally, into becoming a walrus, his friend and podcast co-host teams up with a former lover to search for him in the backwoods of Canada.
- Housebound
- Director: Gerard Johnstone
- Plot: A young woman is forced to return to her childhood home due to a court-ordered house arrest, where she suspects that something evil may be lurking.
- Starry Eyes
- Directors: Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer
- Plot: A hopeful young starlet uncovers the ominous origins of the Hollywood elite and enters into a deadly agreement in exchange for fame and fortune.
- What We Do in the Shadows
- Directors: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi
- Plot: A look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of three vampires, who’ve lived together for over 100 years, on Staten Island.
- Unfriended
- Director: Levan Gabriadze
- Plot: A group of online chat room friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.
- Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead
- Director: Tommy Wirkola
- Plot: The gruesome Nazi Zombies are back to finish their mission, but our hero is not willing to die. He is gathering his own army to give them a final fight.
- WolfCop
- Director: Lowell Dean
- Plot: An alcoholic cop experiences blackouts and starts turning into a werewolf when the full moon appears in the sky.
- The Canal
- Director: Ivan Kavanagh
- Plot: A film archivist sees footage revealing that his happy home was once the scene of a gruesome murder, which casts an evil influence over his life.
- Creep
- Director: Patrick Brice
- Plot: A videographer answers an online ad for a one-day job in a remote town to record the last messages of a dying man. When he notices the man’s odd behavior, he starts to question his intentions.
- Honeymoon
- Director: Leigh Janiak
- Plot: A newlywed couple finds their lake-country honeymoon descend into chaos after Paul finds Bea wandering and disoriented in the middle of the night.
- Extraterrestrial
- Director: Colin Minihan
- Plot: A group of friends on a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods find themselves terrorized by alien visitors.
The horror films of 2014 were an eclectic mix, venturing into the realms of the supernatural, the bizarre, and the terrifyingly real. Each film brought a unique flavor of fear, showcasing the endless possibilities within the horror genre. Directors and actors showcased immense creativity, whether through spine-chilling narratives, innovative film techniques, or haunting performances. The cinematic landscape of horror was richly textured in 2014, delivering a variety of frightful tales that continue to resonate with audiences. The year marked a strong continuity in the tradition of horror filmmaking, ensuring the genre’s pulse beats strong and eerie.