Top 5 Underrated Horror-Thriller Movies

Stills from movies Censor and Watcher | Image Credits: X

Top 5 Underrated Horror-Thriller Movies That Deserved More

1. Censor (2021)

Niamh Elgar in a still from the movie Censor

Starring Irish actress Niamh Elgar in the lead role, Censor comes across as one of the most underrated British psychological horror-thrillers that escaped by without getting much attention when it was officially released in the year 2021. The initial plot of the movie revolves around the lead character believing that one of the violent movies going through censorship practices might involve someone close to her. The movie holds a score of around 90% on Rotten Tomatoes as of now.

2. Watcher (2022)

Maika Monroe in a scene from the movie Watcher

Starring It Follows and Longlegs fame Maika Monroe in the lead role, Watcher is one of the most engaging slow-burn horror-thrillers that one could ask for. The movie manages to build an atmosphere laced with palpable tension and is equally matched by Maika Monroe's measured performance. Released back in 2022, Watcher currently holds an average IMDb rating of around 6.3, tagged in by approximately 50K viewers. The psychological thriller also has till now maintained a Rotten Tomatoes score of around 90%.

3. Stay (2005)

Ryan Gosling in a scene from the movie Stay

Stay was severely panned by critics when it hit the theaters back in 2005. The psychological thriller had a mouth-watering cast including names like Ryan Gosling, Ewan McGregor, and Naomi Watts, though negative reviews galore the feedback as potential audiences were kept aside from a flick that was actually a decent one to watch. Stay remains one of the must-watch for the fans of the psychological thriller genre. The movie was way ahead of its time. Whenever it's up on TV, it looks so elegantly presented dark story that you sometimes forget that it actually was released approximately two decades back.

4. The Watchers (2024)

Dakota Fanning in a still from the movie The Watchers

Warner Bros' 2024 Supernatural horror flick - The Watchers starring Dakota Fanning in the lead didn't turn out to be a critics' favorite. The movie was based on the book 'The Watchers' by 'A.M. Shine'. However, talking about the upsides of the movie, the cinematography by Eli Arenson does stand out matching the atmospherical ambiance of the movie. Despite having fewer jump scares, the movie itself stands out to be one that deals with a subject that can engross and chill the viewer. The Irish locations chosen for the filming of the movie including Dublin, Galway, and Ardmore make the overall screen presence of the movie quite notable.

5. Polaroid (2019)

Kathryn Prescott in a still from the movie Polaroid

The 2019 American Supernatural horror movie Polaroid delivers a strong and fast-paced narrative. The horror flick directed by Lars Klevberg is exactly what it looks like from the outside. The movie may have perished at the box office compared to its initial budget, but it certainly makes for a very entertaining and chilling digital watch. There may lie some branded cliches in the movie that have been seen over the years but still are well executed. The main good thing is that the film never tries to go beyond its' narrative and delivers. If you could hold on with a bit of patience at the start, you may be in for a surprise. Kathryn Prescott leads this ensemble cast horror flick. 

Note: In article images credit- Google.