Entertainment

Best Horror Movies of the Decade: 2000-2009

The 20 Best Horror Movies from the First Decade of the 21st Century

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Who says there aren't any good horror movies anymore? Arguably, the 21st century has witnessed a resurgence in horror movie quantity and quality not seen since at least the early '80s. Here are my top 20 horror movies of the century...so far. (For the sake of argument, I'm considering the year 2000 as the start of the 21st century.)

Honorable Mentions: 30 Days of Night, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Calvaire, Dance of the Dead, Dead Snow Frailty, Hatchet, May, The Others, Satan's Little Helper, Wrong Turn.

Final Destination (2000)

What could've been another standard teen slice 'n dicer instead revitalized the slasher format with a unique supernatural slant and an invisible killer -- death itself -- who kills by staging an elaborate "accidents" that infuse the film with a morbid sense of fun as viewers anticipate the next mishap.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Long before Diablo Cody began writing screenplays, Ginger Snaps channeled witty teen angst by cleverly relating a teen's transformation into a werewolf with the perils of puberty.

Pitch Black (2000)

Before Vin Diesel became famous enough to infect his films with a stench of self-importance, he starred in this exhilarating monster movie as antihero extraordinaire Riddick, whose night vision helps him battle the carnivorous creatures that inhabit the planet on which his space ship crashes. The big-budget sequel The Chronicles of Riddick sadly removed the horror elements.

Session 9 (2001)

A work crew hired to clean up an abandoned insane asylum (a location that never turns out well in a horror movie) run head-long into an evil entity that tears them apart in this film that's low on budget but high on skin-crawling creepiness.

28 Days Later (2002)

British director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) applied his gritty indie style to this visceral tale of a highly infectious "rage virus" that turns people across England into red-eyed, zombie-like marauders, reinventing the zombie genre for the 21st century in the process.

Blade II (2002)

Bigger, bolder and more action-packed than the original, Blade II ramps up the comic book thrills with a horde of vampire-killing mutants and the sharp eye of director Guillermo del Toro.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Neil Marshal (The Descent, Doomsday) broke on to the scene with this audacious debut, a full-throttle blend of horror and action with a sly comic streak that follows a group of British soldiers battling werewolves in the Scottish highlands.

The Eye (2002)

This influential Hong Kong ghost story about an eye transplant recipient who develops the ability to see ghosts has inspired an American remake, an Indian remake and two sequels, in addition to bringing twin directors Oxide and Danny Pang international exposure that has led to their American releases, The Messengers and Bangkok Dangerous

The Ring (2002)

The only Hollywood remake of an Asian horror movie to perhaps outshine the original, The Ring oozes atmosphere, thanks to director Gore Verbinski, and delivers genuine freak-out moments courtesy of its iconic villain, well-dwelling ghost girl Samara.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

A remake of the 1978 George Romero original struck some as heresy, but Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead silenced many detractors with its hectic pace, terrifyingly fast zombies, ample gore and apocalyptic scope.

Readers Respond: 21 Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)

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