10 great horror films turning 20 in 2025

2005 was full of great horror, spooky, and creature feature films. Horror films of the early 2000s weren't afraid to push boundaries and scare audiences in new and exciting ways. Films like Saw 2, Hostel, and The Devil's Rejects showcased a whole new kind of brutal horror subgenre and showed how terrifying the world could be in these franchises. These graphically violent films were not the first of their kind, but they brought the shock value that audiences felt around the world.

Released in the same year, films such as The Ring 2 and THE Exorcism of Emily Rose they were about sinister, supernatural horror. These films were about the internal suffering and vengeful spirits of the main characters. There was such a wide variety of horror filmsproving that people loved all subgenres of horror films and were open to anything disturbing. 2005 was the year of fear in cinema, from sadistic and realistic killers to supernatural horror that explores fears outside of reality. A few 2005 films laid the foundation for many successful horror franchises.

10

Hostel

Directed by Eli Roth

Eli Roth Hostel films made travelers everywhere afraid of sketchy people and places to spend the night. It's about three men on a backpacking trip through Europe who head to a city filled with a dark secret. Unbeknownst to travelers, many people in this city are involved in capturing tourists and torturing them for sport. Hostel It features intense torture and violent murders, and there is no shortage of raunchy adult sex scenes.

Before Hostel, Violent horror films were already trending, including the beginning of the Mountain range franchise and Rob Zombie House of 1000 Corpses. Hostel was a success in itself for having a different perspective on the terror of torture, while examining the outside world and unthinkable violence that other people can inflict on others, making it a standout film of the year. 20 years later, the franchise remains a success with three films in the series, each featuring a different plot.

9

The Descent

Directed by Neil Marshall

The Descent is a terrifying horror film with violent creatures and human-looking monsters who want to devour a group of friends who are trapped in the monsters' cave. After suffering a terrible ordeal in which a young woman loses her husband and son, Sarah, played by Shauna MacDonald, tries to move on with her life. She agrees to a cave exploration trip and, unbeknownst to the group, the cave is full of blind and hungry creatures. The Descent is a contained thriller and one of the few horror films with an all-female cast 2005.

THE Descent is different from other horror films released in 2005 because it is British and one of the few horror films in which women are portrayed as strong and resilient rather than being portrayed as damsels in distress. Strengths are demonstrated as the group tries to figure out a way to escape using their climbing and navigation skills and fighting back when monsters attack. A group of women thrown into fight-or-die roles made this film stand out from other creatures and is still loved by audiences 20 years later.

8

The Amityville Horror

Directed by Andrew Douglas

Based on the 1979 film and the story surrounding the original Amityville House, The Amityville Horroris about George Lutz, played by Ryan Reynolds, and his family experiencing a supernatural force within their home that influences George and his strange behavior. The Amityville Horror was a different kind of haunted house movie because of the true events surrounding the house.

The Amityville Horror moves away from traditional haunted house movie standards as The grudge and The otherswhere the premise focuses more on paranormal events. Although The Amityville Horror was a supernatural film, it included blood and violence, which seemed to be part of the general direction and trend of horror films in 2005. Audiences love scary home movies and the Amityville franchise has over 30 films to its name, making it a hit haunting even 20 years later.

7

The master key

Directed by Ian Softley

The master key is a horror mystery film about a nurse, Caroline, played by Kate Hudson, who is hired to care for an elderly man bedridden in a house with a frightening past. Although very different from The Amityville HorrorThis haunted house movie features twists and more menacing psychological aspects. It's set on a plantation in Louisiana, and the remote bayou location makes the horror film feel restrained, keeping it authentic to the culture and dark, warm atmosphere.

The master key It involves voodoo and ghosts and does not incorporate excessive bloodshed, unlike other 2005 horror films. It is one of the few films from the early 2000s that explores spells and the supernatural world of the South. Similar to To go outthe film's narrative revolves around bodily possessions and dark practices. If The master key was released 20 years later, it would still be a hit because of the film's thriller tradition and body-swap plot, which audiences still love.

6

Wolf Creek

Directed by Greg McLean

Wolf Creek is an Australian horror film about a menacing killer, Mick Taylor, played by John Jarratt. Mick is a hunter and killer who stalks his victims across the Australian outback. Similar to Mountain range franchise, Wolf Creek doesn't shy away from gore, gore and violence. It also presents a similar premise to Hostel about travelers running into danger. Wolf Creek it's about the darkest aspects of humanityand people trust others too much, especially when traveling.

Wolf Creek kept Mick Taylor's character and narrative the same throughout the franchise – an intense journey of cat and mouse between Mick and his victims. With two films and two TV seasons to the Wolf Creek franchise, the 2005 film is still successful even after 20 years. It features everyday characters facing off against a clever killer, which makes for an intriguing franchise that always remains consistent.

5

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Directed by Scott Derrickson

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a paranormal horror film about a young girl, Emily, played by Jennifer Carpenter, who becomes possessed and dies during an exorcism. The film follows the court cases and hauntings that follow his death. It was a standout film in 2005 because it wasn't your typical possession film. The Exorcism of Emily Rose it was about examining a young woman's psyche and investigating the supernatural elements of her possession, adding scientific and psychological approaches to her case.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose it was based on a true story about a young woman, Anneliese Michel, who had schizophrenia and epilepsy. Anneliese grew up religious and was convinced she was possessed. Two priests performed several exorcisms and she died due to dehydration and malnutrition. Audiences love movies based on true stories, and the early 2000s were no exception, especially since The Exorcism of Emily Rose told an engaging story and was not limited to a one-note possession story and incorporated factual elements.

4

Bogeyman

Directed byStephen Kay

The bogeyman follows a young man who witnessed his father being taken by the Boogeyman, and now, as an adult, he does everything in his power to make sure it doesn't come after him. After his mother's death, he meets a young woman who tells Tim, played by Barry Watson, that she is being haunted by the entity. He returns to his childhood home, where the bogeyman returns to torment his life. That's it a classic and scary film about childhood fears.

There have been many films about the bogeyman, and while the 2005 version isn't the best film involving the supernatural legend, it's still a satisfying mythical monster feature. The bogeyman It has class scares and a decently scary portrayal of a child's worst fears. A new film around the legend with the same title, The bogeymanwas released in 2023, proving that even after a few decades, People love a classic ghost story of something going on in the night.

3

The Devil's Rejects

Directed by Rob Zumbi

The trilogy of films, all directed by Rob Zombie, is also part of the wave of torture horror films of the early 2000s. The Devil's Rejects is the sequence of House of 1000 Corpses, where a threatening family brings terror to anyone who crosses their path. After their home is raided by police, the Firefly family is on the run, but that doesn't stop them from torturing people as they negotiate their way out of law enforcement.

Two years after the release of the first film The Devil's Rejects takes blood to the next level while the characters, including Baby, played by Sheri Moon Zombie, take on their murderous psychopathic character and wreak havoc on innocent people.

The Firefly family and trilogy were inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. Rob Zombie created a terrifying and dysfunctional family, much like the Sawyer family featured in The Texas chainsaw films. Both are Gritty and disturbing films with the premise that family comes first – even if it means killing other people and justifying their behavior for the good of their family. The third film in the edition, 3 From Hell was released in 2019, and the trilogy is still a huge success, even after many years.

2

Saw 2

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman

It's hard to believe the Mountain range franchise began in the early 2000s, as there were ten films in the Mountain range universe, each with its own horrific plot and centered on the horrible Jigsaw games. Saw 2 is one of the best Mountain range films in the franchise because of the compelling characters, group tension, and elaborate traps. It is the first film where audiences hear more about Jigsaw's story and his macabre plans, while also expanding the world beyond the four walls set in the first film. Mountain range film.

20 years later, audiences still remember the pit of needles scene as one of Jigsaw's best traps in the film. Amanda, played by Shawnee Smith, is thrown into a hole filled with hundreds of needles and must find a key to unlock the door while being continually stabbed by needles. While Saw 2 it's bloody, but it also incorporates more exciting elements, including different villains and deeper personal stories. Jigsaw is presented more as a mentor, and the idea of ​​punishing those who harm others as your MO takes shape in Saw 2 with his new group of victims.

1

The Ring 2

Directed by Hideo Nakata

The Ring 2 is a sequel to the 2002 film, The ring. It's a supernatural horror film that follows the same characters from the first film, Rachel, played by Naomi Watts, and Aidan, played by David Dorfman. Samara Morgan, the menacing entity from the first film, returns to possess Aidan. The premise still involves a cursed videotape. Films about vengeful spirits were becoming popular in 2005and The Ring 2 it was a mix of a possession movie and a scary entity.

2005 was the perfect year for this film's release, as the idea of ​​a haunted videotape could be believable, as people watched the videos at the local Blockbuster and had family movie nights where the video they watched may be completely different from the one they intended to watch. Including the original Japanese films, The Ring franchise has 14 films. Every film in The ring has different characters and plots, making the franchise a success and terribly nostalgic for a time when renting a movie could bring real terror.