10 Great Horror Movies That Turn 20 In 2025

2005 was filled with great slasher, spooky, and creature-feature movies. Early 2000s horror movies weren’t afraid to push boundaries and scare audiences in new and exciting ways. Movies like Saw 2, Hostel, and The Devil’s Rejects displayed a whole new type of brutal horror subgenre and showed just how terrifying the world could be in these franchises. These graphically violent movies weren’t the first of their genre, but they brought the shock value that audiences felt worldwide.

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Released in the same year, movies like The Ring 2 and The Exorcism of Emily Rose were about ominous, supernatural horror. These movies were about suffering from within and the vengeful spirits inside the main characters. There was such a wide range of horror movies, proving that people loved all subgenres of horror movies and were open to anything unsettling. 2005 was the year of fear in movies, from realistic, sadistic killers to supernatural horror that explores fears outside of reality. Some films from 2005 even set the foundation for many successful horror franchises.

10 Hostel

Directed by Eli Roth

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ScreenRant logo 6/10 7/10 Hostel RHorror

Eli Roth’s Hostel is a horror film set in Europe where a group of tourists from America seeks a life-changing adventure during the height of their youth. When Paxton and Josh travel abroad, they enjoy the nightlife of Amsterdam until they find themselves locked out of their hostel. Invited by a man to stay with him, they follow him to Slovakia, tempted by two women that promise them a night they won’t forget. However, they wake up after their encounters to find themselves trapped in a torture dungeon and must do what it takes to escape and survive.

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*Availability in US Release Date January 6, 2006 Cast Jay Hernandez , Derek Richardson , Eythor Gudjonsson , Barbara Nedeljakova , Jan Vlasák , Jana Kaderabkova Director Eli Roth Writers Eli Roth

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

Blended image of Vera Jordanova as Alexa and Lauren German as Beth from Hostel 2 next to Jay Hernandez as Paxton in Hostel Related An Upcoming Horror TV Show Proves The Genre’s Most Controversial Trend May Finally Be Over

The news that Eli Roth’s upcoming Hostel TV show will be an “elevated thriller” proves that the most infamous horror genre is likely dead and gone.

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Prior to Hostel, violent horror movies were already trending, including the start of the Saw franchise and Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses. Hostel was a success on its own for taking a different perspective on torture horror, by examining the outside world and the unthinkable violence that other people can inflict on others, making it a standout movie for the year. 20 years later the franchise is still a success with three films in the series, each featuring a different storyline.

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9 The Descent

Directed by Neil Marshall

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9.3/10 The Descent RHorrorAdventureThriller

The Descent is a horror film that follows a group of thrill-seeking friends who find themselves fractured after one of them loses their husband and daughter in a car accident. Attempting to rejuvenate her friend Sarah and bring her back to the group, Juno convinces her to follow her and their friends to a mysterious cave system they find in the mountains. However, when they find themselves traped with no way out, she reveals she took them to an uncharted region with no chance of rescue, hoping to give them the adventure of the life time. Angry, fearful, and low on supplies, the group travels further into the caves only to discover they’re not alone.

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*Availability in US Release Date August 4, 2006 Cast Shauna Macdonald , Saskia Mulder , Alex Reid , Natalie Mendoza , MyAnna Buring , Nora-Jane Noone Director Neil Marshall Writers Neil Marshall Sequel(s) The Descent Part 2 Expand

The Descent is a terrifying, creature-feature horror movie with violent human-looking monsters that want to devour a group of friends who are stranded in the monsters’ cave. After suffering a terrible ordeal where a young woman loses her husband and child, Sarah, played by Shauna MacDonald, is trying to move forward with her life. She agrees to a cave exploration trip, and unbeknownst to the group, the cave is filled with blind, hungry creatures. The Descent is a contained thriller and one of the few all-female-led cast horror movies from 2005.

A group of women placed in fight-or-die roles has made this movie stand out from other creature features and is still loved by audiences 20 years later.

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The Descent is different from other horror movies released in 2005 because it’s British and one of the few horror movies in which women are portrayed as strong and resilient instead of being portrayed as damsels in distress. The strengths are showcased when the group tries to figure out a way to escape by using their climbing and navigational skills and fighting back when the monsters attack. A group of women placed in fight-or-die roles has made this movie stand out from other creature features and is still loved by audiences 20 years later.

8 The Amityville Horror

Directed by Andrew Douglas

The Amityville Horror 2005 Movie Poster

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The Amityville Horror RHorrorSupernatural

The Amityville Horror is a 2005 horror film directed by Andrew Douglas. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George as George and Kathy Lutz, who move into a house in Amityville, New York, only to experience disturbing paranormal activities. The film is a remake of the 1979 classic and is based on the purportedly true events that inspired Jay Anson’s book of the same name.

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*Availability in US Release Date April 15, 2005 Cast Ryan Reynolds , Melissa George , Philip Baker Hall , Jesse James , Jimmy Bennet Director Andrew Douglas Writers Scott Kosar

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

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The Amityville Horror strays away from the traditional haunted house movie patterns like The Grudge and The Others, where the premise focuses more on paranormal events. Even though The Amityville Horror was a supernatural movie, it included gore and violence, which seemed to be part of the overall direction and trend of horror movies in 2005. Audiences love spooky house movies and the Amityville franchise has over 30 movies to its name, making it a haunting success even 20 years later.

7 The Skeleton Key

Directed by Ian Softley

The Skeleton Key (2005) - Poster - Kate Hudson

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The Skeleton Key PG-13DramaHorrorMysteryThriller

The Skeleton Key is a supernatural thriller film directed by Iain Softley. The movie follows Caroline Ellis, a nurse who takes a job caring for an elderly man in his plantation house, only to discover that he is being cursed by malevolent forces.

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*Availability in US Release Date July 29, 2005 Cast Kate Hudson , Gena Rowlands , Peter Sarsgaard , John Hurt , Joy Bryant Director Iain Softley Writers Ehren Kruger

The Skeleton Key is a horror-mystery movie about a nurse, Caroline, played by Kate Hudson, who is hired to take care of an elderly, bedridden man in a house with a scary past. While very different than The Amityville Horror, this haunted house movie features more menacing twists, turns, and psychological aspects. It’s set on a plantation in Louisiana, and the remote bayou location makes the horror movie feel contained, by keeping it authentic to the culture and murky, hot atmosphere.

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The Skeleton Key involves Voodoo, and ghosts and doesn’t incorporate excessive bloodshed, unlike other horror films from 2005. It’s one of the few movies from the early 2000s that explores spellwork and the supernatural world of the South. Similar to Get Out, the movie’s narrative centers around body possessions and dark practices. If The Skeleton Key were released 20 years later, it would still be a success because of the suspenseful lore and the body-swapping movie storyline, which audiences still love.

6 Wolf Creek

Directed by Greg McLean

wolf creek poster

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6/10 Wolf Creek RHorrorThriller

Wolf Creek is a 2005 horror film where three friends get stranded in Australia and fall victim to a psychopathic torturer. Wolf Creek was then followed by Wolf Creek 2 in 2013 and a TV show in 2016. The film received mixed reviews upon release but has been viewed in a more favorable light in recent years.

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*Availability in US Release Date December 25, 2005 Cast Kestie Morassi , Cassandra Magrath , Andy McPhee , John Jarratt , Nathan Phillips Director Greg Mclean Writers Greg Mclean Sequel(s) Wolf Creek 2

Wolf Creek is an Australian horror movie about a menacing killer, Mick Taylor, played by John Jarratt. Mick is a hunter and killer who chases his victims across the Australian outback. Similar to the Saw franchise, Wolf Creek doesn’t stray away from gore, blood, and violence. It also features a similar premise to Hostel about travelers running into danger. Wolf Creek is about the darker aspects of humanity and people being too trusting of others, especially while traveling.

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Wolf Creek: Legacy,
the third film in the franchise, is moving forward with John Jarratt returning as Mick. Filming is scheduled to start in early 2025.

Wolf Creek has kept Mick Taylor’s character and narrative the same throughout the franchise — an intense cat-and-mouse journey between Mick and his victims. With two movies and two TV seasons to the Wolf Creek franchise, the 2005 movie is still successful even after 20 years. It features ordinary characters going against a smart murderer, which makes for an intriguing franchise that always stays consistent.

5 The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Directed by Scott Derrickson

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The Exorcism of Emily Rose PG-13ThrillerDramaHorror

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 horror film that explores the legal and spiritual dimensions of the death of a young woman named Emily Rose. Directed by Scott Derrickson, the film stars Laura Linney as an attorney defending a priest, played by Tom Wilkinson, accused of negligent homicide after performing an exorcism. The narrative alternates between courtroom drama and supernatural horror, presenting differing viewpoints on faith and science.

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*Availability in US Release Date September 9, 2005 Cast Colm Feore , Campbell Scott , Tom Wilkinson , Jennifer Carpenter , Laura Linney Director Scott Derrickson Writers Paul Harris Boardman , Scott Derrickson

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

“The film saw huge returns at the box office, making $145.1 million worldwide on an estimated $19 million budget. This success helped put Derrickson on the map as a director, as The Exorcism of Emily Rose was the director’s feature film debut.”

Hannah Gearan

ScreenRant’s
Director Revisits First Breakout Horror Movie 19 Years Later

The Exorcism of Emily Rose was based on a true story about a young girl, Anneliese Michel who had schizophrenia and epilepsy. Anneliese grew up religious and was convinced she was possessed. Two priests performed multiple exorcisms, and she passed away due to dehydration and malnourishment. 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 didn’t stick to a one-note possession story and incorporated factual elements.

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4 Boogeyman

Directed by Stephen Kay

The Boogeyman follows a young man who witnessed his father being taken by the Boogeyman, and now, in his adult years, he does everything in his power to make sure it doesn’t come after him. After his mother’s passing, he meets a young girl who tells Tim, played by Barry Watson, that she’s being haunted by the entity. He returns to his childhood home, where the boogeyman starts to torment his life again. It’s a classic, haunting movie that’s about childhood fears.

There have been many movies about the boogeyman, and while the 2005 version is not the best movie involving the supernatural legend, it’s still a satisfying mythical monster feature. The Boogeyman has class jump scares and a decently scary-looking portrayal of a child’s worst fears. A new movie surrounding the legend with the same title, The Boogeyman, was released in 2023, proving that even after a few decades, people love a classic ghost story of something going bump in the night.

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3 The Devil’s Rejects

Directed by Rob Zombie

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The Devil’s Rejects RHorror

Director Rob Zombie steps back into the world of horror with the second film in his Firefly Trilogy, The Devil’s Rejects. The film switches gears from its predecessor, now spotlighting villains instead of potential victims. The family continues their carnage on the road on the run from Texas State Troopers for their murderous criminal record.

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*Availability in US Release Date July 22, 2005 Cast Sheri Moon Zombie , Sid Haig , William Forsythe , Bill Moseley , Ken Foree Director Rob Zombie Writers Rob Zombie prequel(s) House of 1000 Corpses Sequel(s) 3 From Hell Expand

The movie trilogy, all directed by Rob Zombie, is also part of the wave of torture horror movies from the early 2000s. The Devil’s Rejects is the sequel to House of 1000 Corpses, where a menacing family brings terror to those who cross their paths. 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 trade to evade law enforcement.

Two years after the release of the first film, The Devil’s Rejects takes gore to the next level as the characters, including Baby, played by Sheri Moon Zombie, step into their murderous psychopathic selves and rain hell on innocent people.

The Devil’s Rejects
showcased Zombie’s development as a filmmaker, as his skill for brutal, relentless, and nasty horror movies only became more impressive.

Stephen Holland

ScreenRant’s
10 Best Horror Sequels From The 2000s

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The Firefly family and trilogy was inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. Rob Zombie created a terrifying, dysfunctional family much like the Sawyer family presented in The Texas Chainsaw movies. They both are gritty, disturbing movies with the premise that family comes first — even if it means killing others and justifying their behaviors for the sake of family. The third film in the installment, 3 From Hell was released in 2019, and the trilogy is still widely successful, even after many years.

2 Saw 2

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman

Saw 2 2005 Movie Poster

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Saw 2 RHorrorMysteryThriller

Saw II is the follow-up to James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s 2004 body horror film, Saw. In the sequel, a group of ex-convicts are kidnapped by Jigsaw and must work together to find an antidote to a toxin that is scheduled to kill them all in two hours. Darren Lynn Bousman took over directing duties for Saw II after Wan directed the original.

Release Date October 28, 2005 Franchise(s) Saw Cast Donnie Wahlberg Director darren lynn bousman , Franky G , Glenn Plummer , Beverley Mitchell , Dina Meyer , Emmanuelle Vaugier , Erik Knudsen , Shawnee Smith , Tobin Bell Writers darren lynn bousman , Leigh Whannell prequel(s) Saw Sequel(s) Saw 2 , Saw 3 , Saw 4 , Saw 5 , Saw 6 , Saw 3D , Jigsaw , Spiral: From the Book of Saw , Saw X , Saw 11 Expand

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It’s hard to believe the Saw franchise started in the early 2000s since there have been ten movies in the Saw universe, each with its own horrifying storyline and centering around Jigsaw’s gruesome games. Saw 2 is one of the best Saw movies in the franchise because of the compelling characters, the group tension, and the elaborate traps. It’s the first movie where the audience hears more about Jigsaw’s story and his macabre plans, while also expanding the world past the four walls set in the first Saw movie.

Tobin Bell as John Kramer looking annoyed in Saw X Related John Kramer’s Saw 11 Role Confirmation Is Good News After Jigsaw Replacement Return

The promise that John Kramer will still be active as Jigsaw in Saw 11 is a huge relief after his disappointing replacement earlier in the series.

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20 years later, audiences still remember the needle pit scene as one of Jigsaw’s best traps in the movie. Amanda, played by Shawnee Smith, is thrown into a pit filled with hundreds of needles and must find a key to unlock the door as she’s stabbed by needles continuously. While Saw 2 is gory, it also incorporates more thrilling elements, including different villains and deeper, personal storylines. Jigsaw is presented as more of a mastermind, and the idea of punishing those who harm others as his MO takes shape in Saw 2 with his new group of victims.

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1 The Ring 2

Directed by Hideo Nakata

The Ring Two Movie Poster

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ScreenRant logo 5/10 7/10 The Ring Two PG-13HorrorDocumentaryMysteryThriller

The Ring Two is a horror film directed by Hideo Nakata. It is a sequel to the 2002 film The Ring. Naomi Watts reprises her role as Rachel Keller, who, along with her son Aidan, moves to a small town to escape the haunting memories of the cursed videotape. However, Samara’s malevolent spirit returns, forcing Rachel to confront the dark forces again to save her family.

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*Availability in US Release Date March 17, 2005 Cast Naomi Watts , Simon Baker , David Dorfman , Elizabeth Perkins , Gary Cole , Sissy Spacek Director Hideo Nakata Writers Ehren Kruger

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

Each movie in
The Ring
has different characters and storylines, making the franchise successful and terrifyingly nostalgic for a time when renting a movie could bring actual terror.

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2005 was the perfect year for the release of this movie since the idea of a haunted videotape could be believable since people checked out videos at their local Blockbuster and had family movie nights where the video they watched could be entirely different than the one they intended to watch. Including the original Japanese movies, The Ring franchise has 14 movies. Each movie in The Ring has different characters and storylines, making the franchise successful and terrifyingly nostalgic for a time when renting a movie could bring actual terror.

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