From fawn dread to heart - stopping jump scares , thehorrorgenre is immensely pop and constantly acquire , and one of its bragging appeal is its versatility with underappracited subgenres . However , the most well - known horror picture genre tend to dominate the horror world . There are countless unholy or ghostly narrative of terror , slasher movie , andstereotypical horror movie characters . However , there are many more room to scare mass while still telling a good tale . Horror has countless obscure and underrated revulsion subgenres , giving audiences fresh options , twists , and scares .

Some of the more apart horror movie subgenres are imaginative and surprising . Some , like art horror , prioritize sensational visuals while the plot keeps audiences estimate . The most originative horror moviesmay have an unexpected villain , like the eco - horror subgenre , or mix horror melodic theme with other music genre , like western . Even if a horror movie subgenre is less well - known , it does not mean that filmmakers have overlook it , and it therefore has few good film . Many of the overlooked and unsung horror subgenres that are presently lurking in the shadows are packed with movie that you should watch .

10Abandoned Horror

When Being Alone In The World Is Horrifying Enough

Many revulsion movies can remind viewers ofhow terrifying it can be to feel truly alone , but submarine sandwich - genres like abandoned horror use this terror as the main root . One of the earliest and most well - hump example is 1964’sThe Last Man On Earth , which stars Vincent Price alone in a post - apocalyptic world .

The concept was later used to inspireI Am Legendand theunforgettable opening scene in28 Days Later , in which Cillian Murphy wanders around a deserted London . InBokeh , a Modern couple on holiday in Iceland become the last citizenry on Earth , with no hint as to what happened to everyone else . As the relationship unravels , Bokehstays both haunting and disturbing until the tragical end .

desolate Horror

Custom image of Smile, Terrifier 2, Us

Movie

Director

The Last Man On Earth(1964 )

Annabelle Wallis in Malignant and Jessie Buckley in Men with clapperboards on either side

Richard Matheson

I Am Legend(2007 )

Francis Lawrence

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

28 Days Later(2002 )

Danny Boyle

Bokeh(2017 )

Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh inspecting a mutated Alligator in Annihilation

Image By Paramount Pictures

Geoffrey Orthwein & Andrew Sullivan

Curve(2016 )

Tim Egan

Movies

The abandoned horror subgenre does n’t even need an elaborate bent . Theterrifying brusk revulsion flick , Curve , point its quality alone on a shelf , fight to halt herself from slipping into the abysm below . It ’s an ideal way to isolate a role and increase the latent hostility of the account .

9Suburban Horror

The Monotony Of A Domestic Setting Becomes Terrifying

suburb is supposed to be ease , domestic , and rather flat . Suburban repulsion plays with this expectation to make an " uncanny vale " vogue sense of unease . The Stepford Wivesmakes a fifties homemaker stereotype horrifying , as the husbands in Stepford wrench their wives into subservient automaton by implant a nanochip in their encephalon .

Suburban Horror

The Stepford Wives(1975 )

Bryan Forbes

Do n’t vex Darling(2022 )

Olivia Wilde

The ' Burbs(1989 )

Joe Dante

Get Out ( 2017 )

Jordan Peele

Do n’t occupy Darlinguses elements of the suburban horror subgenre , andresembles an update variation ofThe Stepford Wives . The revulsion comedy movieThe ' Burbsis a parody of suburban horror , with Tom Hanks playing a suburban hubby who is convinced that his new neighbour are sequential killers .

The Stepford Wiveswas first released as a 1972 satirical " feminist horror " novel by Ira Levin , inspiring two film adaptations .

The ' Burbsparodies the fear of raw , " strange " neighbors , which pays off in the picture show . However , a more sinister take on this reverence is Jordan Peele ’s excellentGet Out , which features the " brainwashing " suburban horror theme while highlight the racialism found in many suburban area .

8Cosmic Horror

A Horror That Cannot Be Put Into Words

Also do it as " Lovecraftian " repulsion after the cosmic horror writer H. P. Lovecraft , cosmic repugnance center around experiential apprehension . This , understandably , affects the mental state of many cosmic horror characters , and madness is often a running paper in this horror subgenre . The Lighthouse , asterisk Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson , hold an unknown horror for anyone who look into the lamp at the top of the lighthouse and leaves the secret around the beacon light open to interpreting .

Cosmic Horror

The Lighthouse(2019 )

Robert Eggers

Underwater(2020 )

William Eubank

Annihilation(2018 )

Alex Garland

Event Horizon(1997 )

Paul W. S. Anderson

For behemoth buff , H.P. Lovecraft ’s most famed creation is Cthulhu , who appears at the end of the movieUnderwater . This is an underrated horror flick that resemblesAlienif it had been set under the sea . Alex Garland ’s cosmic horror pic , Annihilation , is packed with monstrous germinate brute and unexplained phenomenon , anda gorier cosmic horror movie isEvent Horizon , which is set on a spaceship that has been to hell and back .

7Campy Horror

The Horror Comedy Subgenre For People Who Don’t Like Horror

Campy can be a immanent term , with many critics take that " they have sex it when they see it . “Campy revulsion generally boast more playfulness than fear , but with some horror genre staples like spooky character and melodic theme . This have campy repugnance a good repulsion subgenre for hoi polloi who do n’t like authentically scary movies .

Campy Horror

The Rocky Horror Picture Show(1975 )

Jim Sharman

Little Shop Of Horrors(1986 )

Frank Oz

Lisa Frankenstein(2024 )

Zelda Williams

Killer Klowns from Outer Space(1988 )

Stephen Chiodo

demise Becomes Her(1992 )

Robert Zemeckis

The Rocky Horror Picture Showhas aliens , a secret science laboratory , and kidnapping , but it is a musical with iconic song and few ( if any ) scary bits . A slightly shivery but still fun campy repugnance with a monstrous twist isthe presently - to - be rebootedLittle Shop Of horror , with its killer plant , Audrey II , and nefarious dentist .

2019 - 2024 marks a potent time for the repugnance literary genre , and the best horror movies of the last five age showcases exactly why .

camp horror tends to be deliberately exaggeratedso that even the acting is queer in films likeLisa FrankensteinandKiller Klowns From Outer Space . dying Becomes Her , while containing some outdated here and now , still holds up as a camp horror comedy about two warring women bet to a laughable height by Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn . The CGI was groundbreaking at the time , but its dated aspect bring to the drollery now .

6Eco-Horror

A Horror Subgenre With A Lesson To Teach

Many horror movie are specify in the forest , butthe woods is often the villain in the eco - repulsion subgenre . The Ruinsis one of the most disturbing and memorableeco - repugnance movies , especially when watch it for a second meter . The villainous vine are in the shot almost from the first present moment , before they are unwrap to be dangerous .

Many eco - horror pic feature a morals tale as part of the game , casting humankind as the baddie while nature is defending the planet .

The Ruinsbrings eubstance horror to the eco - horror subgenre , and the alternative ending makesThe Ruinseven more distressing . Other eco - teras were the villains in moving-picture show likeThe Thing From Another WorldandThe Guardian . Many eco - horror pic sport a morality tale as part of the game , casting mankind as the baddie while nature is defend the major planet .

Eco - Horror

The Ruins(2008 )

Carter Smith

The Thing From Another World(1951 )

Christian Nyby

The Guardian(1990 )

William Friedkin

Long Weekend(1978 )

Colin Eggleston

The Happening(2008 )

M. Night Shyamalan

The quintessential eco - horror movie is 1978’sLong Weekend , in which a couple with no respect for nature go off for a weekend , during which nature fights back . In M. Night Shyamalan ’s eco - repugnance moving picture , The Happening , plant develop a justificatory toxin that targets humans , forcing them to belt down themselves . It ’s an understated but effective kind of scare .

5Art Horror

Horror That Is Both Beautiful And Terrifying

Art does not have to be gleeful , and while the artistry - horror hero sandwich - writing style is often difficult to define , art - repulsion picture show are more often than not both visually stunning and horrible . The controversial butinfluential horror film director Lars von Trier ’s movies are often distinguish as graphics - horror , withMelancholiacentering on two horrors at once .

The narration follows the gloomy Justine , played by Kirsten Dunst , as she faces an impending Revelation of Saint John the Divine . Both depression and the earth ’s end are treated as every bit awful , and yetMelancholiais beautiful to learn . The Cellis an underrated art - horror movie that sets many scenes within a worrying and fantastical landscape in the mind of a serial grampus , which child psychologist Catherine ( played by Jennifer Lopez ) must navigate .

Art Horror

Melancholia(2011 )

Lars von Trier

The Cell(2000 )

Tarsem Singh

The Neon Demon(2016 )

Nicolas Winding Refn

Black Swan(2010 )

Darren Aronofsky

Suspiria(1977 )

Dario Argento

artwork - horror often combines brutality with stereotypical stunner , andThe Neon DemonandBlack Swanboth do this by combining female grace with body repulsion , as does the iconicSuspiria . However , Black Swancenters on ballet and leans toward psychological revulsion , whileThe Neon Demonis about models , and is much gorier .

4Techno Horror

When Technology Turns On Humanity

Techno horror , at first , sounds like science fable , with motion picture likeThe Matrixfocusing on engineering , not to bring up activity film likeThe Terminator . However , thetechno revulsion subgenre embraces the horror aspect of technologyrather than guess into action flick territory .

physical structure repulsion film are still alive and well in the modern era , with many motion picture earning their place in the increasingly pop subgenre .

The Ring ’s scariest sceneuses the frame of a television screen door to not bad impression , with the unforgettably foolish VHS - manner persona of Samara crawl out of the TV screen being the defining prototype in the movie.eXistenZis a techno revulsion moviebyacclaimed horror director David Cronenbergthat expend his theme song body horror in new ways , as character test a potentially unsafe videogame that plugs into the drug user ’s prickle .

Techno Horror

The Ring(2002 )

Gore Verbinski

eXistenZ(1999 )

David Cronenberg

Pulse(2006 )

Jim Sonzero

Upgrade(2018 )

Leigh Whannell

MEGAN(2022 )

Gerard Johnstone

WhileeXistenZ ’s videogame is not as malevolent as its creators , the estimator computer virus in Jim Sonzero’sPulseis . Pulsecasts a computer virus as the agent for the destruction of humankind , and the concept was successful enough to exhort two DVD sequels . Other horror movies likeUpgradeandMEGANhave dribble tech concepts through horror .

3Screenlife Horror

The Modern Answer To Found Footage Horror

In the screenlife horror subgenre , all the action takes post on a cover . This genre is comparatively new , butscreenlife revulsion is growing in popularityand is a forward-looking alternative to the found footagehorror subgenre . One of the more worrisome screenlife horror movies is 2011’sMegan Is Missing , which focuses on the disappearance of a adolescent girl . Megan Is Missingdoes not stop well , and serves as a warning against internet predator ( as does standardized films like 2023’sMissing ) .

Megan Is Missing(2011 )

Michael Goi

Host(2020 )

Rob Savage

Unfriended(2014 )

Levan Gabriadze

Dashcam(2021 )

Missing(2023 )

Will Merrick & Nicholas D. Johnson

Many screenlife horror movies are torture - heavy , butHostwas base on a viral jump scare prank . It has a more supernatural melodic theme and is both filmed and set over Zoom during the 2020 pandemic lockdown . Hosthas a 99 % Rotten Tomatoes score , many skip panic , and is about friends who hold a sitting over Zoom , summoning a supernatural entity who begins vote down them one by one . Other memorable screenlife repugnance films likeUnfriendedhave set up up entire franchises , whileDashcamexplored the other manner the subgenre could be reimagined .

2Childhood Horror

A Horror Subgenre That Ruins Your Childhood Memories One By One

The puerility horror subgenremakes beloved puerility memories and type into something terrific . As the rights to the characterWinnie The Pooh became public land , it was only a matter of time before Winnie starred in a repugnance movie . Winnie The Pooh : Blood And Honeywas a decisive unsuccessful person , earning just 3 % from Rotten Tomatoes critic . However , the premise was too fun not to make a subsequence , and , surprisingly , rake And Honey IIwas an consultation success , earning a 74 % positive rating .

Childhood Horror

Winnie The Pooh : Blood And Honey(2023 )

Rhys Frake - Waterfield

Winnie - the - Pooh : descent and Honey 2(2024 )

Snow White : A Tale Of Terror(1997 )

Michael Cohn

Skinamarink(2022 )

Kyle Edward Ball

Brothers Grimm(2005 )

Terry Gilliam

puerility repulsion is not confined to the Twisted Childhood Universe Franchise , which madeBlood And Honey . Sigourney Weaver starred inSnow White : A Tale Of Terror , which is dark , bloody , and underrated . The disturbing data-based puerility horror movieSkinamarinkwas a viral sensationand took a different approach . Skinamarinktook a normal - looking childhood menage and family and warp them into something atrocious and unaccountable . Other films likeBrothers Grimmtwist queer tales into nightmarish introduction .

1Western Horror

Western Settings Make Surprisingly Versatile Horror Movies

westerly flick are a genre of their own , but the preferences and tropes that make a good westerly movie bring themselves to the horror literary genre . westerly repulsion movies have often been overlooked , but the vital success of the terrifyingBone Tomahawkhas brought a new undulation of interest to the subgenre . Bone Tomahawkbegins as a typical westerly movie , with a kidnapping and a good - guy wire sheriff , diddle by Kurt Russell , before turning into a disturbing and brutal ogre horror .

westerly horror movies have often been overlooked , but the critical achiever of the terrifyingBone Tomahawkhas brought a new wave of interest to the subgenre .

Other westerly / horror fusions likeOrgan Trail , Place of BonesandThe Burrowershighlight how well the music genre come together . The Pale Doortakes another Western movie figure - a heist - and combines it with a uncouth repulsion motion-picture show baddie : witches .

Western Horror

Bone Tomahawk(2015 )

S. Craig Zahler

Organ Trail(2023 )

Michael Patrick Jann

Place of Bones(2023 )

Audrey Cummings

The Burrowers(2008 )

J. T. Petty

The Pale Door(2020 )

Aaron B. Koontz

InThe Pale Door , outlaws witness themselves at the mercifulness of witcheswho were once burn at the interest and now demand to keep one of the man . The story may not be as creepy as some revulsion movies and it lacksBone Tomahawk ’s horrifying expiry scenes , but it is a fun and scary blend of genres . These subgenres of revulsion do n’t get enough tending , and deserve a greater showcase .