10 Best Horror Movies With No Subtext or Social Commentary

There was a time when the scariest image to be put on to film was a train pulling into a station. In the century since then, cinema has come a long way, and the things that terrify audiences have come just as far. This century in particular has seen a marked shift in horror cinema. Mid-century classics like Psycho and Halloween explored the raw and simple terror of the boogeyman. The 80s and 90s reveled in gratuitous gore that audiences ate up.

For the most part, the defining characteristic of this generation of horror has been reckoning. Whether reckoning with grief, trauma, oppression or a combination of all three, there is no denying that modern horror has a lot to say. But while this new crop of films includes modern classics like Hereditary and His House, sometimes audiences want to skip the trauma metaphors and political allegories and enjoy some guilt-free blood and guts.

10 ‘Skinamarink’ (2022)

Directed by: Kyle Edward Ball

In the mid 90s, two young siblings wake up late at night and find that something strange is happening in their home. Their parents are nowhere to be found and all the doors and windows have disappeared. Unable to fully understand what is going on, the children explore their once familiar home, which is now fraught with danger.

The plot is thin in Skinamarink, and that’s part of its appeal. The experimental film is a lo-fi, low budget, low concept outlier among other horror films of recent years. Its lack of plot, character, pace and even subtext will frustrate most viewers. But Skinamarink provides an almost ASMR-like horror experience. Overflowing with deep-fried visuals, crispy sound effects and a few ear-splitting audio spikes, Skinamarink is one hour and forty minutes of pure spooky vibes.

Skinamarink

Release Date

January 13, 2023

Director

Kyle Edward Ball

Cast

Jaime Hill , Dali Rose Tetreault , Ross Paul , Lucas Paul

Runtime

100 minutes

Watch on Shudder

9 ‘Terrifier’ (2016)

Directed by: Damien Leone

Last Halloween, a vicious massacre left one sole survivor and a trail of bodies behind her. The survivor identifies the killer as Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), and she believes he died at the scene. This couldn’t be further from the truth and Art is enraged to hear that people think he’s dead. He plans to resolve this misunderstanding by returning this Halloween with an all-new killing spree.

Heinously violent, free from discourse and utterly obsessed with blood and guts, Terrifier is a horror-hound’s dream come true. Although the film wasn’t tame enough to appeal to a broad audience, its boundary-pushing edginess made Terrifier a hot ticket among horror-groupies. So much so, that the scantily plotted film scored itself a sequel in 2022, and Terrifier 3 is set to release in October 2024.

Terrifier

Release Date

October 15, 2016

Director

Damien Leone

Runtime

82

Watch on Apple TV+

8 ‘Wolf Creek’ (2005)

Directed by: Greg McLean

Three backpackers are enjoying a trip through the Australian outback, traveling through increasingly unique and isolated bush land. The trio eventually make a stop at Wolf Creek. After exploring the area, they find that their car has broken down. Thankfully for the group, helpful local Mick (John Jarratt) spots them and offers to tow their car to a nearby mechanic. But, after a few hours with Mick, things take a dark turn.

One of Australia’s grisliest crimes heavily inspired one of its grisliest films. Wolf Creek lifts many of its most harrowing and stomach-turning details from the tragic and brutal Backpacker Murders that remain a dark stain on the Australian psyche to this day. Despite the raw familiarity of the subject matter, and the broad and complex persona of the outback, Wolf Creek is not interested in exploring the deeper context of its landscape or the blood it is soaked with. Instead, the breakout hit film is content with milking the outback, and its victims, for all the terror they have to give.

Wolf Creek

Release Date

September 16, 2005

Director

Greg Mclean

Cast

John Jarratt , Cassandra Magrath , Kestie Morassi , Nathan Phillips , Gordon Poole , Guy O’Donnell

Runtime

99

Watch on Prime

7 ‘Dead Silence’ (2007)

Directed by: James Wan

Shortly after receiving a ventriloquist doll as a gift, Jamie’s (Ryan Kwanten) wife is murdered. Despite being the prime suspect in the killing, there isn’t enough evidence to charge him. In the wake of his wife’s death, Jamie returns to his hometown and begins making funeral arrangements. All the while, Jamie digs deeper into the mysterious ventriloquist dummy, and the detective (Donnie Wahlberg) working his wife’s case digs deeper into his past.

Not only is Dead Silence outlandish and silly, it is also lacking in any subtext or metaphor. Since its release, the film’s director and writer (James Wan and Leigh Whannell, respectively) have gone on to create some of the best regarded horror films and franchises of all time. Wan helmed the series of Conjuring films and directed Malignant, which was the best and weirdest horror film of 2021. In that time, Whannell stepped into the role of director and gave audiences back-to-back classics with Upgrade and The Invisible Man. Although they are now known for their layered and thematically rich work, everyone has to start somewhere. Dead Silence feels more like a feature length adaptation of a creepypasta than a credible horror film. But, every film has its place. For those looking to switch off their hardworking brains and enjoy some dummy-based mayhem, Dead Silence delivers.

Dead Silence

Release Date

March 16, 2007

Cast

Ryan Kwanten , Amber Valletta , Donnie Wahlberg , Michael Fairman , Joan Heney , Bob Gunton

Runtime

89

Watch on Apple TV+

6 ‘The Strangers’ (2008)

Directed by: Bryan Bertino

James (Scott Speedman) and Kristen (Liv Tyler) are on the brink of estrangement, and the tensions in their relationship only intensify when Kristen turns down James’ marriage proposal. The couple is staying in an isolated cabin for the weekend so they can attend the wedding of a friend being held nearby. When they return to the cabin after the wedding, they get a knock at the door. What starts as a late night visit from some strangers turns into a home invasion from hell.

The simple terror of a home invasion has petrified audiences since Straw Dogs. But the 1971 Sam Peckinpah film had a lot to say about marriage, identity and manhood. In Straw Dogs, the home invasion is the vehicle for these complex and controversial themes. The Strangers is no such vehicle. What the film lacks in thematic complexity, it makes up for in eerie tension and stomach-dropping realism. The Strangers has stuck in the minds of audiences and garnered several sequels.

The Strangers

Release Date

May 29, 2008

Director

Bryan Bertino

Runtime

107

Watch on Apple TV+

5 ‘No One Lives’ (2012)

Directed by: Ryuhei Kitamura

A quiet couple are traveling through a small town. When they’re spotted by a group of ne’er do well locals, the group assume the clean cut man (Luke Evans) and his partner (Laura Ramsey) are wealthy. The group attempts to rob the couple, but when the robbery starts to get weird, they realize they may have chosen the wrong target.

If it wasn’t obvious from the film’s title, No One Lives is far from subtle or hopeful. Predating John Wick by two years, this horror film also explores the schadenfreude which results from a bully choosing the wrong victim. Luke Evans’ nameless character quickly flips from prey to predator, with gory and hilariously dark consequences for everyone involved. Thought-provoking and multi-layered horror films get most of the praise (as they should). But the shallow and satisfying cruelty of films like No One Lives provide a cathartic entertainment that is just as valuable.

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4 ‘Chopping Mall’ (1986)

Directed by: Jim Wynorski

The town mall was the place to be in the mid-80s. But with technology advancing and teen shoppers getting more rowdy, the Park Plaza Mall has taken the next logical step in mall security; high-tech weaponized security robots. Unfortunately for a few teen employees, the robots work a bit too well and go on an after-hour rampage that results in a bloodbath.

Teen victims, retail obsession and murderous robots, Chopping Mall ticks every box on the 1980s pop culture bingo card. The carnage obsessed robot-slasher film wears its vapid heart on its sleeve, and audiences reap the benefits of its unabashed boldness. Chopping Mall is all the proof needed to show that a lack of subtext doesn’t equal a subpar viewing experience.

Chopping Mall

Release Date

March 21, 1986

Director

Jim Wynorski

Cast

Kelli Maroney , Tony O’Dell , Russell Todd , Karrie Emerson , Barbara Crampton , Nick Segal

Runtime

77

Watch on Prime

3 ‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999)

Directed by: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez

Three students enter the dark woods of Maryland to make a documentary about the mysterious and little-known legend of the Blair Witch. As they venture further into the woods, their grip on reality becomes more fluid and their surroundings become more terrifying.

The Blair Witch Project managed to catch lightning in a bottle. Released in the early days of both the internet and decent quality consumer electronics, the conditions were just right for a mysterious film, claiming to be made from ‘found footage’, to take the world by storm. Where other horror films are remembered as a result of their iconic twists or chilling thematic resonance, The Blair Witch Project is remembered for the absolute choke hold it had on audiences and the cultural conversation as a whole. Its plot and characters are sparse and uncomplicated, but the absence of subtext or a deeper meaning is exactly what enabled the film to flourish. It was just plain enough to seem real, and just unreal enough to be terrifying.

The Blair Witch Project

Release Date

July 30, 1999

Director

Daniel Myrick , Eduardo Sánchez

Cast

Heather Donahue , Michael C. Williams , Joshua Leonard

Runtime

81 minutes

Watch on Apple TV+

2 ‘Final Destination 2’ (2003)

Directed by: David R. Ellis

Kimberly (A.J. Cook) and her friends are on their way to Daytona Beach for Spring Break. While the group are driving to their destination, Kimberly has a vision. She sees a freak accident that results in a multi-vehicle pile up on the highway and kills her, her friends and many others. Because of her vision, Kimberly saves her friends and others. But the group encounters grave consequences as a result of cheating death.

The Final Destination franchise is certainly a one-trick pony, but what a good trick it is. The repetitive plot, which was solidified in Final Destination 2, has it all. Archetypal characters who are as bland as they are disposable, gory and creative set pieces and ridiculous Rube Goldberg-esque deaths. Sure, there isn’t much going on under the surface (or even above it) but the franchise, and Final Destination 2 in particular, don’t need depth or complexity to give audiences a roaring good time.

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1 ‘Paranormal Activity’ (2007)

Directed by: Oren Peli

After suspecting there might be a ghost in their home, Katie (Katie Featherstone) and Micah (Micah Sloat) set up a series of cameras around the property to see what’s going on. The young couple get more than they bargained for, and the more footage they capture, the worse things get.

Despite only being released eight years apart, Paranormal Activity felt like The Blair Witch Project for a new generation. While the films are incredibly similar, their differences speak to the impact that a few years can have on an art-form and its associated technology. Paranormal Activity put the 21st century touch on found-footage and ushered in a found-footage trend that persists to this day. Much like The Blair Witch Project, the lack of subtext in Paranormal Activity is a defining feature of its success. Its plainness and mundanity make its horrors just dull enough to feel real.

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