6) You’re Next (2011)
Director Adam Wingard makes another entry on this list with the anarchic home invasion slasher You’re Next. Sure, it’s a little over over six years old, but it’s still very much a high watermark in the creatively ailing slasher sub-genre. It’s arguably one of the most fresh and rewarding modern entries into it as well.
When a family reunion comes under fire from a gang of cold blooded masked murderers, the only thing that escalates faster than the guest’s heart rates is the film’s mighty body count, which it delivers with blood splatteringly reckless abandon.
Bold, visceral, with a tongue-in-cheek attitude and a wondrously inventive central twist, You’re Next is nerve shredding stuff that forks out some clever cat-and-mouse slasher action that’s bound to get your blood pumping.
5) Hush (2016)
Before adapting the aforementioned Gerald’s Game, director Mike Flanagan turned heads with a horror thriller with a simple, eerie premise. A deaf, voiceless author is tasked with fending off a maniacal killer from her remote cottage in the middle of nowhere.
The true strength of Hush is in its smart and slick execution. What it lacks in snappy dialogue (the script is pretty much threadbare due to the heroine’s condition), it makes up for by having a great atmosphere, top-notch acting, clever cinematography and some ample pacing.
Kate Siegel shines brightly as resourceful protagonist Maddie, as she goes one-on-one with an unstoppable killer with a penchant for defenseless girls. This is a modern classic that should be on every horror aficionado’s radar.
