Blumhouse continues to be one of the most successful horror studios in the film industry. Founded in 2000 as Blum Israel Productions, the studio became known for releasing many low-budget, directorial hits made by James Wan, Mike Flanagan, Jordan Peele and M. Night Shyamalan.
As with any studio, not all of their films are as beloved, but they remain a source of modern scares for many horror fans. With the release of the studio’s latest film, Imaginaryit’s time to check out the top 10 best scary movies from Blumhouse.
10. Paranormal Activity (2007)
In one of Blumhouse’s first-ever productions, a couple films themselves to observe an evil spirit haunting their new house. Paranormal activity makes the most of its tiny budget to build throbbing tension as an unseen entity makes things go bump in the night and ultimately tears the two leads apart.
Thanks to its viral marketing and resulting box office success, the film not only revived the found footage genre, but also made Blumhouse a household name in its own right.
9. Insidious (2010)
After a young boy (Ty Simpkins) falls into a coma, he becomes a beacon for malevolent spirits that follow his family from house to house. Receiving signals from Poltergeist and Nightmare on Elm Streetthis low-budget film from director James Wan unleashes a unique horror house built on palpable tension and some incredible jump scares.
The last act might be a bit clunky, but Insidious still lands firmly as a solid and shocking roller coaster in the world of ghosts and demons. The fifth and final entry, Insidious: The Red Dooris just as good, and some might argue even better, than the original.
8. Sinister (2012)
When a true crime novelist moves into a new house, he discovers a collection of movies carrying a demonic presence targeting him and his family.
sinister may resort to jump scares and overused tropes, but director Scott Derrickson makes the most of them and his unnerving score to create a chilling nightmare that crawls under the audience’s skin. In fact, the film was even named the scariest of all time based on a scientific study of audience pulses, which speaks volumes.
7. Ouija: Origins of Evil (2016)
Ouija never should have even gotten a backstory after the critics slammed it so hard. However, director Mike Flanagan (Midnight club) proved that it has a great movie buried in it, thanks to this terrifying, nostalgic story that explores the Zander family’s tragic encounter with the paranormal. Over the past 50 years, there have been many movies about obsession, but Ouija: Origin of Evil ranks among the best of them thanks to its clever scares and well-rounded story.
6. The Black Phone (2021)
What you get when you pair up sinister director Scott Derrickson and writer Joe Hill, son of author Stephen King? The black phone, this is what. This film follows a young boy (Mason Thames) who is kidnapped by a child killer (Ethan Hawke) and uses a switched off phone that allows him to talk to the ghosts of his previous victims.
Reminds of The glow and Itthis film delivers a chilling throwback to the 80s with incredible performances from the cast, with Hawke delivering a terrifying villain for the ages with his portrayal of the mysterious masked Marauder.
5. Silence (2016)
Also directed by Mike Flanagan (The Fall of the House of Usher), this home invasion film follows a deaf woman (Kate Siegel) who finds herself the target of a crossbow-wielding assassin (John Gallagher Jr.) in her isolated house.
With its simple yet inventive concept, silence immerses the audience in its terrifying game of cat and mouse. Every twist and sound keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, eager to see who will prevail.
4. M3GAN (2023)
When a roboticist (Allison Williams) becomes the legal guardian of her orphaned niece (Violet McGraw), she gives her an experimental toy with artificial intelligence that begins to protect her new friend – and increasingly violent. The “killer doll movie” has already been done to death with characters like Chucky and Annabelle. However, the camp sci-fi slasher M3GAN presents an exciting new story that pokes fun at modern consumerism while also presenting a harrowing tale of people’s overdependence on technology, especially when it comes to raising children.
3. The Invisible Man (2020)
This remake of The invisible man follows a woman (Elisabeth Moss) who fears she’s being stalked by her abusive ex-boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) in a high-tech invisibility suit.
After Universal’s Dark Universe landed dead on arrival with The mummythis movie proved that classic monster movies can be made right in the 21st century, thanks to its clever scares, tense atmosphere, and deep social commentary.
2. Halloween (2018)
Before David Gordon Green earned the hatred of many classic horror fans, he breathed new life into the Halloween franchise with this critically acclaimed reboot. Forty years after going on the rampage in Haddonfield, institutionalized Michael Myers is on the run again to wreak havoc on Halloween night.
By recreating the mythos established in previous films, this 2018 film returned the franchise to its roots, reinstating Myers as a mysterious stranger unrelated to Laurie Strode while exploring new ideas about what makes him work. It also continues Laurie’s story as she struggles to connect with her estranged family and live with her trauma. And in the process it usurps the original film in terms of character development.
1. Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele changed the horror landscape forever with his directorial debut. Get out follows a young black man (Daniel Kaluuya) who visits his white girlfriend’s parents and becomes increasingly uncomfortable as a sinister plot comes to light.
This truly chilling satire examines the racism that is still ingrained in American society, as well as the systematic repression that African Americans are subjected to in the modern world, epitomized by the terrifying Sunken Place. This film gets better with each viewing as it reveals some new details that show just how meticulously crafted this recent masterpiece is.
Editors’ recommendations
