Growing up, horror was everything. It was something to help escape. Something fun to scare friends. Something to help cope. I love horror so much and always look for what’s next. In my opinion, each year that passes we get more and more horror, and 2022 was one of the best in recent years for the genre. There was so much to love this year but here are my top ten best horror movies of 2022.
10. Bodies Bodies Bodies
When a group of rich spoiled 20-something-year-olds gather to party in a mansion, they decide to play a little game called Bodies Bodies Bodies. When one of them turns up dead, the game becomes all too real as they start to turn on each other.
This fun horror comedy stars Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, and Pete Davidson. The movie is a great whodunnit that leaves the viewer with anxiety as it explores the toxicity that can surround so-called friends. The performances are great as everyone is giving their all. The script and dialogue are smart and full of wit. There aren’t really characters that you root for but that is actually part of the fun as the movie ends with a clever twist.
9. Piggy
Sara is an overweight teen who is bullied all the time by a group of girls. They call her piggy, they steal her clothes, and they try to drown her. When she sees a stranger kidnapping the group of bullies she keeps quiet. Will she tell the truth? Or protect the man who saved her?
This is a Spanish film based on a short film that stars the same actress, Piggy is not easy to watch. Laura Galan is amazing as the main character Sara. She plays the shy, confused teenager perfectly. We go on this journey with her of inner struggle as she clearly has no idea what to do. The bullies torment her, her parents torment her, and the town torments her. She knows she should do what is right and tell the police but she also feels bad about possibly betraying the only person who has shown her kindness.
The movie is full of varying emotions and very well acted.
8. Terrifier 2
Art the Clown is back to harass a girl and her brother on Halloween night.
The first Terrifier movie came out in 2016 and ever since then, Art the Clown has become massive in the horror community. Merchandise was everywhere and it seemed people could not stop raving about him. I was not one of those people. I thought the first movie was fine but nothing so amazing or memorable.
This sequel does a much better job in my opinion. The gore and kills are better. The acting is better this time around, especially from lead heroine Sienna, played by Lauren LaVera. The plot is better and the stakes are higher. Terrifier 2 gives enough intrigue that I am definitely now looking forward to a part 3.
7. Nope
A man and his sister discover there is something strange in the skies above their California ranch.
Nope is Jordan Peele’s 3rd movie behind the camera and he has honestly yet to miss. This is a movie that is filled with tension and great visuals. It speaks on being obsessed with spectacle and how dangerous that can truly be. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer have great chemistry as brother and sister with Keke being the standout. When the script calls for comedy it hits. When it calls for terrifying scenes it hits as well. Another example of why Jordan Peele is one of the best working directors today.
6. The Menu
A young couple goes to eat among other guests at an exclusive restaurant on a secluded island. What the guests are not aware of is that the head chef plans to serve them more than food.
The movie filled me with both tension as well as hunger. It is shot beautifully and you can tell there is a strong care and consideration for food in this film. It has one of the smartest scripts of the year as we get a story about the dangers of obsession and what happens when we focus all our time on one thing. We lose the sense of other things and who we are as people.
Anya Taylor-Joy is a great lead and she happens to be in everything these days. Overall though, this is Ralph Fiennes’ movie. He gives one of the best performances of his career as he comes off as both terrifying and sympathetic. After watching this movie, I definitely wanted a cheeseburger.
5. The Black Phone
When 13-year-old Finny gets taken by the “grabber” and put into the basement, he thinks all hope is lost. That is until he finds out he can hear, through a disconnected phone, the voices of the grabber’s previous victims. The victims as well as Finny’s sister do what they can to help him escape before it’s too late.
This film was directed by Scott Derrickson who has previously had hits such as Doctor Strange and Sinister. It was based on a short story written by Joe Hill, who just so happens to be the son of Stephen King. The movie definitely has a Stephen King kind of feel. Finny and his sister both seem to have “shining abilities”. Finny can talk to the dead and his sister has visions. This adds to the story and makes the characters have more layers in my opinion.
Ethan Hawke is fantastic in this and he comes off as so terrifying and creepy. I have to give credit as well to Madeleine McGraw who plays Gwen, Finny’s younger sister. She is a huge standout giving such a strong heartfelt performance. Whenever she is on screen, you can’t take your eyes off of her.
4. X
A group of adult actors plan to shoot on the land of an elderly couple. When the elderly couple finds out what the actors are up to, the actors find themselves fighting for their lives.
This is in my opinion Ti West’s best film. The movie has shades of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The cast consists of Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, and Kid Cudi. It is gritty and raw and dirty and scary. It is not a comfortable watch whatsoever but it is one that you can’t take your eyes off. Mia Goth is the star and she plays 2 characters. She plays the adult star Maxine as well as the elderly woman Pearl. As Pearl though, she gives off a sadness that helps add to the movie. The gore and kills are great but there is also a great message in the fear of getting older that really sticks with you.
3. Scream
Ghostface is back with someone else under the mask killing the people of Woodsboro.
Scream is my favorite horror franchise. The first movie was the first horror movie that really made me love the genre and seek out more horror. Hearing a 5th entry was being made did not sit easily with me at first. A Scream movie not directed by Wes Craven and not written by Kevin Williamson. When Wes died, I believed the franchise died with him and it would be impossible to put out another good respectful sequel. I am happy to say how wrong I was.
This movie is directed by the group Radio Silence who have had some hits in the past such as V/H/S and Ready or Not. We have the return of Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette as well as some great new additions such as Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, and Dylan Minnette. The commentary is still there as the movie talks about reboots and elevated horror. It is scary and thrilling and it also is the goriest Scream film we have gotten to date. A 6th installment comes out next year and I cannot wait.
2. Watcher
As a serial killer is on the loose, a young woman and her boyfriend move to another country. The problem is there is someone that seems to be watching her from the building across the street.
Damn this movie is scary. This could have been just another random horror thriller but a tight script and some great cinematography set it apart. The setting of being in a new country where you don’t speak the language is already scary enough. Julia feels cut off from everyone and it leaves her more vulnerable when she thinks she’s being followed. We go on this journey with her as we question if everything is just in her head. Maika Monroe plays Julia and is fantastic in the role.
The movie never lets us let our guard down and feels like a classic Hitchcock film. It is tense, smart, and definitely worth checking out.
1. Barbarian
A young woman discovers the rental home she booked is already occupied……and that is all I want to say about the plot because you definitely should go into this movie blind.
The reason this movie is my favorite horror of 2022 is that I was not prepared. I love my comfort movies but I am always ready for something different to surprise me. Barbarian definitely surprised me. Each scene is filled with tension and creative detail. I never knew what was coming next and I loved that. The cast is amazing. Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long, and Georgina Campbell are perfectly cast. The movie is scary, gory, funny, and just has a little bit of everything.
The film is disturbing and highly entertaining with a fantastic set design and in my opinion, is the best of 2022.
This was truly a great year for horror and a lot of these movies could be number 1 honestly. What was your favorite horror movie of 2022? Let me know in the comments below.
