The best 2022 horror movies have provided a range of exciting scares, as proven by the many genre hits that have impressed viewers and critics alike so far — here are the best horror movies of the year. While 2021 had plenty of options for the year's best horror, 2022 promised to be a great showcase for the genre. New additions to classic franchises like the Firestarter disappointed both critics and general audiences. That said, these wobbles did not stop 2022 from being a stellar year for the horror genre as a whole.
While Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022 might have let down some franchise aficionados and others didn't make it into the year's best horror movies, director Ti West’s southern-fried slasher was a sleeper hit that terrified audiences with its story of a killer stalking young antiheroes in the remote badlands. Meanwhile, the success of Nope both showed that even the horror genre’s more thoughtful side could provide gruesome, unforgettable imagery and clever social commentary at the same time. Here are all the 2022 horror movies fans of the genre are claiming to be the best horror movies of the year.
Scream
The 2022 horror movies slate started strong with Scream 2022’s release on January 15. Despite the meta-slasher franchise being inactive for over a decade, Scream 2022’s return to Woodsboro didn’t feel tired or played out. Scream 2022’s smart satire of “re-quels” kept the horror deconstruction edge of the slasher franchise alive, but it was the sequel’s sparing use of the original series stars that made Scream 2022’s story so effective. Keeping Courtney Cox’s Gale, David Arquette’s Dewey, and Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott offscreen for much of the opening half was a daring gambit that paid off. While Scream 6 losing Campbell’s Sidney entirely may prove far harder for the franchise to come back from, Scream 2022 has shown that the slasher series remains relevant and is one of the year's best horror movies.
Fresh
Another of the best horror movies of the year was the aptly-named Fresh. Fresh was a welcome surprise for horror movie audiences when it arrived on Hulu in March. Newcomer Daisy Edgar-Jones managed to wring real pathos and believable fear out of a somewhat ludicrous premise, while Sebastian Stan proved he could have been a great Patrick Bateman as Fresh’s terrifying, bright-eyed villain. Fresh’s sharp satire of modern dating saw its heroine Noa fall for the seemingly charming Steve before being dragged into a gruesome odyssey that touches on a lot more taboos than any normal romcom and, while saying any more would give away Fresh’s smartest shocks, suffice to say that this horror satire has real bite.
X (And Pearl)
Director X follows a porn production crew as they attempt to shoot an adult movie on a remote ranch overseen by a pair of creepy elderly farmers. Things take a turn for the extremely gross and gruesome late in the game but, until its gory final act, X is remarkably restrained as the movie manages to make viewers truly care for its doomed heroes.
Then, within the same year Pearl, the prequel detailing the earlier life of the titular killer. Pearl was a strong movie in its own right, but the real beauty of the pair comes from the fact they were delivered as a 1-2 punch, with X written as the second entry in a trilogy from the very beginning. With the third installment of the trilogy, MaXXXine, possibly due as early as 2023, it's safe to say that X and Pearl allowed Ti West to use 2022 as a platform to cement his name even further as a legend of horror movies.
Slash/Back
As the stellar reviews for Predator’s prequel Prey prove, audiences are crying out for effective sci-fi horror. Set in Pangnirtung - a small fishing village in the Canadian indigenous territory of Nunavut - Nyla Innuksuk’s feature debut Slash/Back could easily have been a worthy, self-serious attempt at so-called “elevated horror.” However, the alien invasion horror is instead a gory, hilarious, and oddly heartwarming throwback to the gateway horror movies of the 80s. Combining the coming-of-age adventure atmosphere of Gremlins and The Goonies with the splattery gore effects of The Thing, Slash/Back’s tale of a group of indigenous teen girls taking on a shapeshifting alien threat is a disarming, charming delight. While the critical praise heaped on Stranger Things 4 was well earned, those who enjoyed of the Netflix hit should still seek out this underrated tale of lovable teen misfits uniting against a terrifying killer villain.
Men
The Men movie's genuinely surprising ending makes the film compulsory viewing despite its unsubtle, paper-thin social commentary.
The Black Phone
An exercise in effective simplicity, The Black Phone is an adaptation of author Joe Hill’s short story of the same name - something that initially brought concerns from those who suspected the brevity of the written tale wouldn't translate well to a feature-length film. Directed by Sinister’s Scott Derrickson, The Black Phone traps its 13-year-old hero Finn in the basement of Ethan Hawke’s unhinged masked murderer and leaves him there for almost the entire runtime. Early scenes depict the brutal reality of Finn’s home life before his abduction, while hallucinatory conversations with the killer’s earlier victims enliven Finn’s escape attempts. However, this Joe Hill short story adaptation succeeds primarily because of the extraordinary performances from its stars. Hawke is a revelation as the monstrous Grabber while Jeremy Davies is heartbreaking as Finn’s abusive father, but it is young actors Mason Thames as Finn and Madeleine McGraw as his little sister Gwen who steals the movie. Without the duo, The Black Phone could have been an unbearably bleak, miserable slog - but, thanks to their performances, the Joe Hill adaptation is one of 2022’s best horror movies so far.
Nope
Jordan Peele’s first two horror movies were rightfully recognized as instant classics of the genre but, despite this impressive pedigree, the sheer zaniness of Nope’s ambitious premise still gave many fans pause. Could Peele’s take on “Cowboys vs Aliens” really work? The answer proved to be a resounding yes, as Nope took all of the thrills and chills of Peele’s earlier horror movies while adding a touch more sardonic humor than his earlier efforts in the genre. Nope still has more than its fair share of memorably terrifying scenes, but the perfectly paced, thoughtful horror also makes time to establish likable, believable leads before its haunting dénouement. Another stellar effort from Peele, Nope cements the filmmaker's status as a horror legend while also taking its place as one of the best 2022 horror movies.
Halloween Ends
Michael Myers finally gets his in the final film of David Gordon Green's Halloween Ends is one of the best horror movies of the year because it properly ended a franchise — for now.
Terrifier 2
Damien Leone's sleeper hit Stephen King praised Terrifier 2 on his Twitter page. Art the Clown blew up overnight, and thanks to the mute black and white clown's creative methods for murder, he's fully cemented himself among the world's most famous slasher villains. Why Terrifier 2 is one of the best of the 2022 horror movies is because it doesn't pull any punches. The film is supremely gross, hearkening back to splatter flicks of old, and Damien Leone clearly puts his outstanding special effects skills to use.
The Mean One
Everyone loves a good Christmas-themed horror movie, and David Howard Thornton's "The Mean One." After Cindy's mother is killed by the green Santa-suit wearing monster, she leaves the town of Newville, only to return 20 years later at the behest of her therapist. Once the Mean One starts terrorizing the town again, Cindy resolves to find and kill the monster once and for all. The Mean One is a new take on an old classic, and while the 2022 horror movie didn't get the most stellar reviews, it stands out as one of the year's best horror films simply because it's so unique. The Mean One stands out as a great Christmas-themed horror romp, and slides its way onto the list of the best 2022 horror movies.
