There’s a unique excitement and celebration that surrounds the cinematic experience. Television has been able to seriously indulge in the horror genre as of late, but there’s just such an undeniable, special energy about getting scared with an audience in a movie theater.
Blumhouse has turned into one of the leading names in horror ever since they hit the scenes in the early 2000s. Blumhouse is responsible for many of this generation’s biggest horror franchises, but they’ve also helped reboot and remake some older hits, too.
10 Original: Sinister Creates Some Genuinely Disturbing Visuals
Blumhouse has been able to cultivate successful horror series like Insidious, The Purge, and Paranormal Activity, but Sinister is the darkest of the lot. Scott Derrickson has proven himself to be an incredible filmmaker that thrives in the horror genre and Sinister gets exceptional mileage out of its depiction of raw home video footage that depicts brutal family murders. Sinister’s sequel leans a little too far into the supernatural aspect, but the first is still incredibly effective and Ethan Hawke’s performance never wavers.
9 Reboot: Blumhouse’s The Town That Dreaded Sundown Depicts A Town Lost In Terror
American Horror Story's Ryan Murphy and Riverdale's Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa both love heightening genre material to its apex. They're also both involved with Blumhouse's 2014 The Town That Dreaded Sundown, a very meta update to the 1976 original movie.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown looks at a town that's paralyzed in fear by the murderous actions of a masked serial killer. Even though the Blumhouse movie makes some sly nods to the original which prove that this film is actually a covert sequel, The Town That Dread Sundown replicates the plot of the original enough that it still falls into remake and reboot territory.
8 Original: Jordan Peele’s Us Presents A Twisted Premise As A Dark Reflection Of The World
Jordan Peele has already become one of the most exciting, new names in horror and both of his Blumhouse contributions, Get Out and Us, are absolute genre classics. Get Out may be the more popular of the two films, but Us presents such a beautifully simple, yet macabre premise that unravels in a satisfying manner.
Just like in Get Out, there’s some strong social commentary present in Us, but it never overwhelms the disturbing visuals. Lupita Nyong'o is always a strong performer, but her work in Us is an absolute revelation and needs to be seen.
7 Reboot: The Invisible Man Is A Modern Masterpiece That Embraces Current Themes
The Universal Monsters are iconic and entrenched in the very nature of the genre that they almost feel more like archetypes than their own entities. There had been unsuccessful efforts to reboot these totems of horror with the “Dark Universe,” but Blumhouse’s reinvention on The Invisible Man is groundbreaking.
The Invisible Man becomes a grim story about gaslighting, toxic relationships, and feeling invisible in society. This pivot and Elisabeth Moss’ performance are major factors for the reboot’s success, but it’s also genuinely frightening, too.
6 Original: Happy Death Day Is One Of The Better Genre Mashups
There have been an increasing number of movies that attempt to subvert the Groundhog Day premise of a character that’s trapped in a time loop. Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day is a fantastic blend of horror, comedy, and even science fiction as the film’s frazzled protagonist, Tree, continually faces her own death and must figure out who’s the crazed killer that’s after her. The sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, adds even more to the formula and is a satisfying evolution of its predecessor. Christopher Landon’s latest contribution for Blumhouse, Freaky, is also another satisfying original horror-comedy hybrid.
5 Reboot: The Craft: Legacy Brings The Witchy Classic To A New Generation
The Craft: Legacy is a prime example of the modern trend to reboot old properties, only to surprise the audience with connections that prove that they’re actually also functional sequels that continue the original story through a new generation of characters.
The Craft: Legacy looks at a group of teenage outcasts that bond through the power of witchcraft and it can absolutely be enjoyed without any knowledge of the original craft. However, ties are made which prove that Legacy is set in the same universe as its predecessor and part of a larger whole.
4 Original: Creep Presents A Raw Look Into An Uncomfortable Character
It’s always nice when some of the more overdone sub-genres of horror, like found footage, actually get used in inventive ways. Creep is an unflinching character study that gives an intimate look at the developing relationship between Mark Duplass’ eccentric serial killer and Aaron, the man he hires to film him for the day. Creep offers the ultimate unreliable narrator experience and the audience has no clue what to believe or when danger might strike. Creep 2 is also a rare example of a sequel that’s just as strong as the original.
3 Reboot: 2019’s Black Christmas Is A Fresh, Forward-Thinking Holiday Horror Film
The original 1974 Black Christmas is a foundational holiday horror film that helped establish the slasher genre and any reboot is going to pale in comparison. There was a fairly faithful Black Christmas remake in 2006, but 2019's version from Blumhouse takes some major swings and verges from the original.
Blumhouse's Black Christmas leans into a female empowerment narrative that's not out of place and Sophia Takal's direction is one of the production's assets. There are some gruesome kills and the movie actually has something to say, but its connections to Black Christmas can sometimes seem more superficial.
2 Original: Oculus Is A Terrifying Tale About A Haunted Mirror
Mike Flanagan is without a doubt one of this generation’s most important names in horror, whether it’s his many television contributions for Netflix or the various films that he’s made that range from big blockbuster sequels like Doctor Sleep to more intimate Blumhouse fare like Oculus.
Oculus is one of Flanagan’s earlier works, but it’s incredibly polished and truly terrifying. Oculus depicts a family’s grudge against a haunted mirror that’s caused them, and others, endless pain. The movie is full of chilling sequences and its methodical nature paired with Karen Gillen’s focused performance make Oculus a winner.
1 Reboot: Paranormal Activity: Next Of Kin Returns To One Of Blumhouse’s Earliest Hits
The original Paranormal Activity was one of Blumhouse's earliest hits and helped them establish their low-budget, high rewards model that they continue to follow to this day. The Paranormal Activity series very quickly cycled through six films and ran its course, but demand for the found footage supernatural series has returned. Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin explores the same ideas as the previous movies, but in a considerably different setting and revised elements that help the series feel fresh. It's just a unique case where Blumhouse have been around long enough that they're actually rebooting their own horror properties at this point.
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