There are many examples of groups of friends in horror movies that prove the ensemble approach is an effective storytelling tool in the genre. Some of the most exciting horror movies are about a group of friends who have fun while hanging out, only to realize they are in terrifying danger. Whether they're about teenage serial killers or supernatural forces at work, these movies add emotional stakes. The most endearing and engaging horror movies are the ones where friends are in it together and look out for each other, even if not all of them make it out alive.

Slasher movie characters often fit the "group of friends" horror trope, usually involving young friends fleeing from some masked killer. However, there are a lot of interesting ways to explore the idea of friendship in horror movies with some stories telling genuinely touching stories of these close companions in horrific scenarios, while others test the limits of friendship with people turning on each other. While there are a lot of ways to approach horror movies, making a group of friends the center of the story has proven to add another layer to some of these standout horror gems.

35 Red State (2011)

Three Friends Are Captured By A Religious Cult

While Kevin Smith is mostly known for the Jay and Silent Bob movies, the filmmaker branched out into a new direction with Red State, his first horror project. Red State is a grounded take on the genre, mixing social commentary with a bleak tone and a bit of dark humor. The movie follows three high school friends who seek to lose their virginity with a local sex worker only to find they have been kidnapped by a radical and extreme religious group who seek to sacrifice them due to their sins.

Those familiar with Smith's other movies might be shocked by how dark and cynical much of the movie is. Even the young main characters are not overly likable people. However, it is all the more effective when they find themselves in such a dire situation, fighting for their lives, and the audience is suddenly terrified for them. Smith is comfortable breaking storytelling norms in delivering some shocking outcomes for these characters that add to the impact of the movie.

34 Wrong Turn (2021)

A Hike In The Woods Pits A Group Of Friends Against A Savage Community

The entire Wrong Turn franchise tends to deal with a group of friends becoming targeted by the sadistic and gruesome mutant cannibals. However, while many of the direct-to-video sequels only have these characters as one-dimensional slasher movie fodder, 2021's Wrong Turn explored the main characters in more interesting ways while still putting them in thrilling danger. The reboot goes for a more grounded and serious tone that still works for the story.

Of course, there is a brutality to the community which makes for some gruesome moments.

It follows a group of friends who go on a hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail. However, when they go down the wrong path, they find themselves confronted with an isolated community of hill people. What is interesting about the movie is that it doesn't make these people outright villains. Instead, the conflict arises because of how these urban tourists make assumptions. Of course, there is a brutality to the community which makes for some gruesome moments. Unlike the other Wrong Turn movies, the kills matter beyond the gore with the friends feeling real loss.

33 Talk To Me (2022)

Young Friends Communicate With The Dead

Communicating with the dead is a concept that has been explored in plenty of horror movies, but Talk to Me is one of the most effective. The horror film follows a group of high school friends who experiment with the supernatural rather than drugs and alcohol as they use a relic that allows them to speak to souls on the other side and even allow them to temporarily possess their bodies. However, this experience soon becomes an obsession for one young girl who lost her mother.

The supernatural world-building is made more effective by the fact that it feels like these are real young people hanging out.

One of the most effective things about this low-budget horror movie is how effectively it creates the feeling of these young friends hanging out. The supernatural world-building is made more effective by the fact that it feels like these are real young people hanging out. That setup adds to the terror when things inevitably take a turn later in the story.

32 In A Violent Nature (2024)

A Masked Killer Hunts A Group Of Campers

One of the most talked-about horror movies of 2024 is a loving throwback to the kind of horror movies like Friday the 13th. It follows a group of friends on a retreat into the woods where they accidentally awaken a relentless supernatural murderer, a masked horror movie killer known simply as Johnny. They are then stalked through the woods and gruesomely dispatched.

While it might sound like a typical horror movie, In a Violent Nature sets itself apart with the intriguing approach of telling the story from the perspective of the killer rather than the victims. This is a fun new take on the genre and it puts the friend characters in a unique position where they feel like this other presence in the movie instead of the main focus. The movie also stands out in the genre thanks to its particularly gory kills.

31 Alien: Romulus (2024)

A Group Of Friends Encounter A Xenomorph On An Abandoned Space Station

Alien: Romulus was a welcome return for the Alien franchise, paying homage to many of the best moments from this iconic series. However, the movie also takes a new approach in of the main characters. Rather than focusing on a group of marines, space transporters, or prisoners like the other films, it focuses on a group of young friends who become targeted by the terrifying xenomorph.

The age and close relationship of the characters add a lot to the movie. While the Alien franchise has typically had strong characters, the audience can really feel fear for these young friends who are trying to get out of this situation alive. They care about each other which makes the audience care as well, even though it is clear not all of them are going to make it out alive.

30 X (2022)

Friends Making An Adult Film Run Afoul Of A Murderous Elderly Couple

Ti West's horror movie trilogy kicked off with the 70s-set exploitation homage X. The movie is set up like a typical story of friends on an easygoing trip who find themselves in a dangerous situation. However, there is a bit of a twist to this tale as the group of friends in this case are looking to shoot an adult movie.

Unfortunately, they picked the wrong farm to film on as the elderly couple who own it targets the young characters in brutal ways. In the era of 70s slasher movies, a group of adult filmmakers would have been easy fodder to be butchered.

However, X uses the stereotypical presentation of such characters to create an ensemble of more complex characters than audiences might expect. They care for each other, take pride in their work, and are genuinely decent people. While the prequel Pearl focused on a single titular character, X has a lot of fun with its solid collection of colorful characters. It's also ideal to watch ahead of MaXXXine, the third entry in the series.

29 Jennifer's Body (2009)

A Timid High Schooler Deals With Her Best Friend Becoming A Demon

Jennifer's Body presents an interesting question about what someone should do if their best friend becomes a man-eating demon. The horror-comedy written by Oscar-winner Diablo Cody stars Megan Fox as a young high schooler who is possessed and begins preying on the boys in her school to keep her sustained.

Amanda Seyfried plays her best friend who is dealing with Megan's change in personality as well as suspecting she might be a danger. It is a funny movie that plays on high school popularity and the awkwardness of teen years while also being a fun gory monster movie.

However, the female friendship in the horror movie is one of the best aspects of Jennifer's Body as it is not something usually explored in the genre. The changing dynamic between these friends feels grounded and relatable even if the supernatural aspects are not.

28 Urban Legend (2000)

Friends At College Are Targeted By A Hooded Serial Killer

Urban Legend is one of the most forgotten slasher movies to come out in the wake of the success of Scream. It presents a clever premise as it follows a group of young friends at a university as the people around them start dying. It soon becomes clear that the unknown killer is picking off these students based on popular urban legends.

The whodunnit aspect of the movie is not as effective as it is in Scream or even I Know What You Did Last Summer. There are too many red herrings thrown at the audience, but it becomes clear that one of the central friends is the real killer, which ends up being a solid reveal.

There is also an interesting aspect in that the final girl at the center of the movie is being targeted with those around her being killed simply for being friends with her, adding to how crucial the group of friends is to the overall story.

27 The Ritual (2017)

Adult Friends Encounter Evil During A Hike

One of the great hiking horror movies, The Ritual follows a group of friends who set out on a trek into the woods, reuniting to their friend who was killed. They soon encounter strange things within the dense forests of Sweden and eventually find that the forest seems to be expanding with no way of getting out. The nightmare truly sets in when they become stalked by a supernatural entity that commands a cult within the woods.

The Ritual is a vastly underrated horror movie with some beautiful imagery and one of the most unique horror movie monster designs in recent memory. It is also an interesting examination of this central friendship as one of the friends is grappling with the guilt he feels over the death of their late friend. It is a rare look at adult friendship in the genre and is surprisingly moving in that regard.

26 Attack The Block (2011)

A Gang Of Youths Take On Invading Aliens

Attack the Block is one of the rare group of friends horror movies that focuses on a young cast. The movie follows a group of troublemaking youths, led by John Boyega in his breakout role before his Star Wars fame. While they spend their time doing petty crimes and intimidating people, they find their chance to be heroes when aliens begin invading their city.

They are easy to root for, and it's genuinely heartbreaking when they don't all make it out alive.

Writer-director Joe Cornish is a longtime collaborator of Edgar Wright, and it is clear to see their similar styles with Attack the Block using the same comedic energy while never undercutting the thrills of the story. The young heroes make for an endearing group of friends who are much more complex than they initially seem. They prove themselves brave heroes as well as formidable foes for these aliens to face. They are easy to root for, and it's genuinely heartbreaking when they don't all make it out alive.