Horror movies come and go every year, with some ranging from horror-comedies (Evil Dead II: Army of Darkness) to slasher horror (Halloween). Other horror films are remakes of classics (Friday the 13th) or sequels to ongoing franchises (The Conjuring). However, despite the many, many releases of horror cinema, hardly any ever holds a candle to the true darkness that a horror film can possess. Some do that very well—Sinister, for example—but for some of those that do, there are restrictions placed for younger audiences.
Those younger audiences deserve a good, dark—but not too graphic—horror film that will scare them away from the dark, follow them to their sleep, and haunt their hallways. Everyone deserves a dark horror film, and here are some of the best that will keep viewers awake at night.
10’The Boogeyman' (2023)
Directed by Rob Savage
Sadie Harper (Sophie Thatcher) is a young high schooler who is still dealing with the trauma and aftermath of her mother’s death. Will Harper (Chris Messina), Sadie’s father and a therapist, is also coping horribly after the loss of his wife, and one day, a disturbed man by the name of Lester (David Dastmalchian) visits Will, and Lester explains that his children have died by a supernatural entity. When Will goes to call the police, Lester disappears, and Sadie finds his body hanging in a closet in their home. His death leaves behind a supernatural entity that haunts Sadie’s family.
The Boogeymanis based on aStephen Kingshort story of the same name. Like most of Stephen King’s films—The Mist,Carrie,The Shining—The Boogeymanis a dark film that approaches the topic of trauma through the emotional performance of the cast.Viewers are able to relate to the vulnerabilities displayed by the cast while simultaneously being frightened.
The Boogeyman (2023)
Still reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her younger sister find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it’s too late.
Watch on Apple TV+
9’Mama' (2013)
Directed by Andy Muschietti
Jeffrey Desange (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) murders his wife and coworkers after a financial crisis. On a whim, he takes his two daughters to an abandoned cabin and attempts to kill them. However, before he is able to, a shadowy entity kills him first, and the two girls are left in the presence of this entity. Five years later, Jeffrey’s twin brother Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) finds the two girls in a search-and-rescue party, and he takes them in to care for them. However, the two girls act feral due to living in isolation for so long. Then eventually, though they grow accustomed to Lucas, something attacks Lucas, and the girls are left in the care of Lucas' girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain). However, though she isn’t particularly motherly, she begins to learn that something is attached to these girls.
Mamahas an incredibly dark premise, with two girls likely witnessing the murder of their mother and father. Being abandoned in the middle of nowhere and having no one at first,it’s a dark beginning for a toddler and baby. This is especially the case when viewers learn that the entity haunting the girls is that of a mother who killed herself and lost her child in the process. While it’s hard not to feel empathy for the entity’s life,Mamaalso proves to be a terrifying scare with the designand atmosphere that hides this clinging entity.
After a young couple take in their two nieces, they suspect that a supernatural spirit named Mama has latched onto their family.
Watch on Prime Video
8’Five Nights at Freddy’s' (2023)
Directed by Emma Tammi
After being fired as a mall security guard, Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) is offered a position as a night guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Mike reluctantly accepts this position so that he can take care of his sister, but he quickly learns that the pizzeria has since been closed due to the murders of children in the 1980s. Then after Mike’s babysitter goes missing, he brings his sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), to work, where the animatronics—containing the ghosts of the murdered children—befriend her.
Five Nights at Freddy’sis a horror film based on a video game franchise of the same name. Early on,the film establishes an eerie tone and a sense of unease that viewers can’t quite explain. There are a few wholesome scenes that take the viewer by surprise, but ultimately the twists will surprise viewers, old and new. Not to mention, learning that the animatronics contain the ghosts of murdered children establishesa dark storyline that will catch viewers by surprise. For those interested in murderous animatronics, be prepared for the horrors that these possessed animatronics will bring to the screen.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Can you survive five nights? The terrifying horror game phenomenon becomes a blood-chilling cinematic event, as Blumhouse — the producer ofM3GAN,The Black Phone, andThe Invisible Man— bringsFive Nights at Freddy’sto the big screen. The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.
7’The Ring' (2002)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
There is a tape that exists that when the viewer watches it, they die seven days later. Teenager Katie (Amber Tamblyn) ends up passing away seven days after viewing the tape, and her aunt Rachel (Naomi Watts), a journalist, decides to investigate the tape with her ex-husband Noah (Martin Henderson).
The Ringisan incredibly dark telling of vengeance, caused by a girl who was murdered by her mother because of the mysterious power she honed. A film can’t get much more dark than that—especially when Samara, the terrifying creature from the videotape, is out to kill others.Terrifying and eerie,The Ringis a dark horror film that viewers will have nightmares about.
A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape that seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.
Watch on Fubo
6’M3GAN' (2023)
Directed by Gerard Johnstone
When Cady loses her parents, she goes to live with her aunt Gemma who is a roboticist creating toys for children. She then creates the ultimate companion for child: M3GAN, a humanoid robot with artificial intelligence. Things go wrong when M3GAN goes on a murderous rampage, attempting to get rid of anything that may upset Cady.
M3GANis a PG-13 film that features the horrors of AI technology and the dark side of using such advanced technology. Obviously overblown to scare viewers,M3GANis still an accurate portrayal of what the future could hold, and it serves as a valuable warning for tech that is not properly monitored.M3GANis the film to watch for late-night scares, and the terror can be seen within its antagonist and violent robot or in its commentary on the technical scene.
5’Lights Out' (2016)
Directed by David F. Sandberg
Textile factory boss Paul (Billy Burke) is working after closing hours. As his employee Esther (Lotta Losten) leaves, she encounters a mysterious silhouette of a woman who disappears when she turns on the light. She leaves, bidding Paul safe travels. However, Paul also confronts this figure, who ends up killing him. After his death, this same figure begins showing up at his son, Martin’s (Gabriel Bateman), home, where his mother is found talking to this mysterious figure. Martin confides in his estranged step-sister, who attempts to take Martin out of the situation anduncover the mystery behind this woman.
Though not the most perfect horror film out there,the premise and concept alone are terrifying. Sure, things exist in the dark, but what happens when you can’t escape the darkness?Lights Outsets to do something new and original, and it is executed excellently, reminding viewers of why they should be afraid of the dark.
Lights Out
Rebecca must unlock the terror behind her little brother’s experiences that once tested her sanity, bringing her face to face with a supernatural spirit attached to their mother.
4’A Quiet Place' (2018)
Directed by John Krasinski
When sightless aliens have invaded the Earth, a family of four must survive: Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt), the mother; Lee Abbott (John Krasinski), the father; Marcus Abbott (Noah Jupe), the son; Regan Abbott (Millicent Simmonds), the daughter. However, in the process of surviving,they are all also grieving over the loss of their other son, Beau (Cade Woodward), and preparing for Evelyn’s future delivery.
A Quiet Placeis one of the more popular horror films to release, with several sequels following in its steed (A Quiet Place Part II,A Quiet Place: Day One). What makes it a good and interesting horror film is its setting and plot: sightless aliens exist, so they rely purely on sound.A Quiet Placefollows a family that must remain quiet throughout the entirety of the film, which proves to be difficult when a baby is coming.With great emotional performances,A Quiet Placereminds viewers of the dark world it lives in, where grieving is hard to communicate in a silent world.
A Quiet Place
A family struggles for survival in a world where most humans have been killed by blind but noise-sensitive creatures. They are forced to communicate in sign language to keep the creatures at bay.
3’Drag Me to Hell' (2009)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), a bank loan officer, has to prove that she can make tough decisions so that she can earn the promotion she is competing for. This means denying Sylvia Ganush’s (Lorna Raver) third mortgage extension and humiliating her in front of people. In return, Sylvia curses Christine, causing her to be tormented and eventually dragged to hell if she cannot break the curse.
Paranormal torment is common in movies involving the supernatural. However, it is rare when haunted or possessed individuals are literally pulled to hell, and that is what makesDrag Me to Hellso interestingly yet eerily unique. As a tragic character,Christine is bound to torture and sufferingbefore being sent for eternal suffering. It’s a scary thought—a terrifying premise, to be exact—andthat’s what makesDrag Me to Hellso dark for a PG-13 film.
Drag Me To Hell
A loan officer who evicts an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.
2’The Possession' (2012)
Directed by Ole Bornedal
Ten-year-old Emily (Natasha Calis), otherwise known as “Em,” finds a strange box at a yard sale. Her parents purchase the box for her, seeing no harm to it, but begin to question the box as it seems to change their daughter and turn her into something far more disturbing.
The Possessionis a genuinely good horror filmthat terrifies viewers without the need for sudden jumpscares. Focusing on the possession of a young girl, the film relies on the stellar acting of the cast, andThe Possessionis a very disturbing film that will terrify viewers easily—and make them think twice about visiting a yard sale.
1’Insidious' (2010)
Directed by James Wan
The Lambert family has moved into a new home. While exploring, young Dalton (Ty Simpkins) climbs into the attic, only to run into a mysterious entity and fall down the ladder. This leads to his unexplained coma the next day, and months later, the Lamberts bring Dalton home, only to experience odd paranormal events. The Lamberts then bring in psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) and two other paranormal investigators, and they quickly learn that Dalton has been using astral projection and is trapped in a nightmarish realm calledThe Further.
Insidiousis not your typical film. It deals with a unique concept of astral projection and applies it to a horror film,creating a terrifying experience that will keep viewers from sleeping. Focusing on young Dalton and his ability to use astral projection,Insidiousis an all-around scary film that will haunt viewers for days. It is also one of the darkest films viewers can watch.
A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
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