Greetings to all the brave souls and enthusiasts of Palace of Horror! The year 2016 was a goldmine for horror aficionados. With groundbreaking entries, the cinematic universe of horror not only expanded but also redefined what it means to be truly terrified. As we reminisce about the shadows and the screams, let’s delve into the top 25 horror movies of 2016.
- “The Conjuring 2” – James Wan strikes again, transporting us to England, where the Warrens investigate the infamous Enfield Poltergeist.
- “Don’t Breathe” – Fede Alvarez crafts an intense thriller about burglars trapped in the house of a blind man with dark secrets.
- “Train to Busan” – This South Korean zombie apocalypse film directed by Yeon Sang-ho is as heart-wrenching as it is horrifying.
- “Lights Out” – Based on a viral short film, David F. Sandberg explores the terror lurking in the darkness.
- “The Witch” – (Note: This film debuted at festivals in 2015 but had its wide release in 2016) Set in 1630s New England, Robert Eggers’ directorial debut is a chilling portrait of a family’s descent into madness.
- “10 Cloverfield Lane” – Dan Trachtenberg’s psychological thriller about a woman trapped in a bunker is both claustrophobic and gripping.
- “Hush” – Mike Flanagan’s home-invasion thriller features a deaf-mute writer fighting against a masked intruder.
- “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” – A father-son coroner duo faces supernatural horrors while examining an unidentified body.
- “Raw” – Julia Ducournau’s visceral exploration of a vegetarian’s descent into cannibalism after a hazing ritual.
- “The Wailing” – Na Hong-jin delivers a South Korean horror masterpiece filled with suspense, demons, and an ever-growing sense of dread.
- “Blair Witch” – A sequel to the groundbreaking found footage film of 1999, it revisits the cursed Black Hills Forest.
- “The Neon Demon” – Nicolas Winding Refn presents a visually stunning, yet deeply disturbing tale of beauty and jealousy in the LA fashion scene.
- “Ouija: Origin of Evil” – A prequel to the 2014 film, Mike Flanagan steers the story to a more horrifying direction.
- “The Boy” – The chilling tale of a nanny who discovers that the boy she’s looking after is actually a life-sized doll with sinister intentions.
- “The Shallows” – Blake Lively delivers a nail-biting performance in this survival horror, battling a great white shark.
- “Under the Shadow” – Set during the war-torn 1980s Tehran, a mother and daughter face an ancient evil in their apartment.
- “The Other Side of the Door” – An intense supernatural thriller that delves into the consequences of disturbing the balance between life and death.
- “The Forest” – A woman searches for her twin sister in Japan’s infamous Aokigahara Forest, only to confront supernatural horrors.
- “Morgan” – A sci-fi horror film about a bioengineered child who begins to show violent and uncontrollable tendencies.
- “I Am Not a Serial Killer” – A teenager, obsessed with serial killers, discovers that his elderly neighbor might be a supernatural murderer.
- “Before I Wake” – A young couple discovers that their foster child’s nightmares manifest physically while he sleeps.
- “The Monster” – A mother and daughter are trapped and tormented by a terrifying creature after a car breakdown.
- “31” – Rob Zombie returns with a brutal film about carnival workers kidnapped and forced to play a deadly game.
- “Bite” – A disturbing body horror film that follows a woman’s transformation after a mysterious insect bite.
- “The Eyes of My Mother” – A haunting black-and-white tale of a woman’s disturbing journey into madness and obsession.
2016 solidified the horror genre’s capability to reflect societal fears, engage in deep psychological studies, and at the same time, scare the living daylights out of us. A blend of traditional scare tactics and innovative storytelling, this year was truly a treat for horror fans.
Stay connected to Palace of Horror for more horrifying recommendations and remember – the darkness hides the most uncanny tales. Sleep tight!