Best Slow-Burn Horror Movies of the 21st Century So Far

Slow-burn horror movies are often accused of being boring, too traditional in terms of genre, and too arthouse for mainstream audiences. It’s hard to argue against some of those points, as this particular style of horror execution isn’t suitable for all viewers. They’re deeper, more nuanced films that perhaps require more than the usual attention you give to genre films. And yes, they’ll probably need a rewatch.

The following movies break the rules by being subversive pieces that don’t resemble anything you’ve ever seen in the genre. If the idea of breaking the rules doesn’t sound good to you, perhaps you’re more into the traditional scarefests, usually playing at your nearest multiplex. But if interestingly bizarre movies that take their time to deliver feel right up your alley, you might want to give the following movies a try.

These are some of the greatest slow-burn horror movies of the 21st century so far.

15 Resurrection (2022)

In Resurrection, a businesswoman named Margaret faces her traumatic past unexpectedly. She’s a single and overprotective mother who starts encountering a man from her past named David. Eventually, it’s revealed David was her abusive partner who she had a child with but who claimed to have “eaten” him.

Paranoia Is Strong Enough

The film’s third act is an intentionally confusing journey where we see her character broken down by the force of a mystical character. David is obviously not telling the truth, but somehow, Margaret’s paranoia and fear materialize. The film’s slow-burn element is based on the constant questioning by the viewer, who will never know if what they’re seeing is real or is just a product of Margaret’s mind.

Rebecca Hall gives one of her best horror performances in Resurrection and she is reason enough to watch this underrated film.

14 In the Earth (2021)

In the Earth follows a scientist named Martin who joins park guide Alma in investigating a bizarre event. The outpost in the middle of the woods has stopped communication, and they have to find out the reason. As they enter the woods, they find that the site looks abandoned. A man viciously attacks them and steals all their supplies, but fortunately, a mysterious man called Zach approaches them and cures their wounds.

The film is anything but ordinary in its execution. It’s not a regular “horror in the woods” film that uses folk-based tales for its horror direction. This is a Ben Wheatley film, of A Field in England and Kill List fame. It’s pretty obvious that he will design a jarring experience without the usual thrills, because that is not how he does horror.

Instead, it’s a slow-burn experience based on a soundscape that will make you constantly grab your head as you fall victim to the terror of the film’s creature: nature itself. And before you ask, no. It’s nothing like Shyamalan’s The Happening.

13 The Wailing (2016)

The Wailing tells the story of Jong-goo, a police officer who’s assigned to investigate a series of strange murders taking place in a small and remote village. As he goes deeper and discovers it may be the work of a Japanese man holding power over the minds of the villagers, his daughter begins showing signs of possession.

The Perfect Folk Horror and Crime Mashup

The South Korean import that blew everybody’s mind in 2016 is a folk horror and crime film that constantly makes you question your eyes. Is this a supernatural horror film, or is it the product of collective hysteria? The film gradually heads over to its conclusion, but the mystery of the real threat is what makes it so interesting and compelling. The film’s imaginative aspect has enamored critics to this day, as it holds a solid 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest on this list.

12 A Dark Song (2016)

In A Dark Song, Sophia is a grieving mother who will do anything to speak with her dead son. Even spending months in absolute distress, as the ritual she has heard about implies. She convinces occultist Joseph to join her and guide her through the process.

Grieving Is a Bizarre Journey

A perfect piece of indie horror, A Dark Song is among the best Irish films ever made. Its bonkers but deliciously honest premise does take its time to deliver its final reveal. But ultimately it’s a thought-provoking piece about loss and the fragility of the human mind. It’s just executed inside four walls of sheer horror that will make you giggle a few times but will keep you on the edge of your seat as it navigates towards its ending, which is impossible to predict.

You can stream A Dark Song on Shudder.

11 Censor (2021)

Censor takes us to Britain in the mid-1980s, where the Video Nasty films were being censored by the minute. Enid works viewing films and banning them every chance she gets. The woman’s past is ridden with tragedy, as her sister went missing when they were children, and her case remains a mystery. When she receives a special request to evaluate a film, she sees the resemblance between the events on the tape and what she remembers of her sister’s disappearance.

The Product of a Corrupted Mind

Enid’s catharsis is a brilliant and stylish journey that takes us to a dark time in which emotional repression was thought to be the solution. Enid represents exactly that: a fragile mind that, even though it can be broken, still maintains its version of the truth as the only one.

Her character’s mental breakdown is beautifully shot by Prano Bailey-Bond, a very interesting director with a singular vision about the effects of too much violence if violence isn’t accepted as a primal reality. This is one of the best films released in 2021.

10 Relic (2020)

In Relic, Kay and Sam are a mother and daughter who are forced to look after Edna, the matriarch and Kay’s mother. Her dementia condition has worsened, and now she appears to be gone from her house. When Kay and Sam arrive, they notice the manor is filled with mold, and the fungus is expanding. However, Edna shows up one morning without any signs of harm. She doesn’t know where she has been.

A Beautiful Take on Acceptance

The film isn’t your regular haunted house film, although it’s what you’ll probably think after its eerie and cryptic first act. However, the usual horror tropes are processed quickly, and Relic early on turns into something else: a mysterious film about legacy represented through the physical decay that old age brings with it.

There’s no better way to represent it than how the film concludes in its “full circle” moment as the three generations come together in a horrific film scene you won’t forget for a few days.

9 Saint Maud (2019)

In Saint Maud, Maud is a nurse and caretaker who decides to leave her job at a medical facility after she fails to save a patient. Maud is now very devout and orthodox, and she tries to show this to her latest patient, a former dancer with cancer who isn’t exactly a Catholic. Maud is eager to convince her of why her life must change if she wants God to consider her for eternal life, but the nurse goes too far in trying to justify her beliefs. Her view of martyrdom is… fruitful.

The Limits of Faith

The riveting film by Rose Glass is a jarring experience, regardless of where you stand in terms of religion and religious practices. Nevertheless, it’s not an explosive and graphic religious horror film of good versus evil or anything like that. Instead, it narrates a character’s progression into the idea of martyrdom and theological theory from a fundamental perspective: what if sacrifice means having to give your life for what you believe in?

8 The Dark and the Wicked (2020)

The Dark and the Wicked follows Louise and Michael, a couple of siblings who decide to spend their father’s last days together as a family. However, their mother isn’t exactly happy when they arrive. In fact, the night they arrive, she decides to hang herself. As the days go by and their father’s condition worsens, Louise and Michael begin realizing the entity preying on their parents has the ability to bend reality to its liking, sending the siblings down a spiral where doubt and violence rule.

Family Values Aren’t Always Convenient

Bryan Bertino’s riveting possession film doesn’t exactly run on the same course as peers like The Exorcist and The Evil Dead. Instead, The Dark and the Wicked is a somber portrayal of pain, as seen from the eyes of siblings who are forced to redeem themselves at the idea of grief and loss but don’t feel the necessity to cope.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t exempt them from having to undergo a slow process of descension into a personal hell where they will face a demon like we haven’t seen in cinema before. The ending will leave you shaking.

You can stream The Dark and the Wicked on Shudder.

7 Possum (2018)

Possum is the story of Phillip Connell, a puppeteer who has seen better days in the craft, and now he’s haunted by one of the puppets named Possum. Connell comes back to his childhood home where his uncle Maurice lives, and each time he tries to explore the areas of the house he doesn’t really remember, Maurice stops him from doing so. Meanwhile, Possum seems to have a life of its own, always returning to Phillip, no matter what he does to dispose of it.

A Twisted Mind Is the Perfect Horror Setting

This obscure but underrated psychological horror film is a jarring journey through the mind of a very disturbed individual. The film teases with the idea of being a creature feature, but writer/director Matthew Holness refrains from banalizing what is essentially a story about trauma and the burden of forgotten memories, all being revealed progressively as Phillip discovers the truth about his childhood. Sean Harris as Phillip gives the performance of his lifetime of nightmare-inducing roles.

You can stream Possum on Tubi.

6 Under the Skin (2013)

Under the Skin takes viewers to a gloomy part of Scotland where a beautiful woman is able to lure men into their doom. Using her looks, the extraterrestrial and gorgeous woman feeds herself with unaware dudes who cross paths with her and fall under her spell. Then, they’re swallowed by a dark and organic abyss of absolute darkness. Eventually, the destructive side of humankind will show itself against the predatory humanoid.

One of the Scariest Alien Invasion Films Ever Made

Jonathan Glazer’s unique take on the alien invasion subgenre of horror stars Scarlett Johansson as the alien in what is undoubtedly one of her unusual roles. Based on the realism provided by the casting of non-actors and an almost guerrilla style of filmmaking, the film is a dark rendering of its simple premise, aided by a fantastic sound design and musical score that will make your spirit crumble.

5 Sator (2019)

Sator follows a family who has always been under the grip of legends that are maintained in the bloodline. Nani is the grandmother whose dementia has allowed an entity called Sator to invade her mind and express itself through “automatic writing” (the psychic ability where the subjects writes whatever the “spirit” says). Adam, her grandson, follows Nani’s footsteps and does his best to document Sator.

A One-Man Horror Show

A creation by horror visionary Jordan Graham, Sator is a low-budget horror film that doesn’t have to indulge in huge theatrics to make you feel part of something otherworldly. Even when Sator is in its most traditional form of “horror in the woods,” it’s not conventional. Far from being a jump scare festival, Sator is an extremely personal film. It’s probably the most obscure film on the list, but it’s also probably the scariest.

You can stream Sator on Prime Video.

4 The Innkeepers (2011)

The Innkeepers is the story of Claire and Luke, the hotel staff working on the last days of operation of the Yankee Pedlar Inn (yes, the real hotel in Connecticut). Given the hotel’s legend about the ghosts that roam inside it, Claire decides to use her last days to document the existence of ghosts for the website. Using ghost-hunting equipment, they’ll discover the truth about the entities that still reside at the hotel, but soon, they find out that some doors are meant to stay closed.

A Great and Simple Ghost Story

Directed by Ti West, before he went on to work on the X trilogy, The Innkeepers is a very creepy film that uses its supernatural approach in a very nuanced fashion. It’s Gothic when it has to, contemplative when the tone requires it, and almost innocent as a horror film. However, West doesn’t pull any punches when it’s time to show the ghosts: great production design and makeup make a worthwhile film.

3 We Are What We Are (2013)

We Are What We Are takes viewers to a mountainous area where Frank Parker lives with his wife and his children. When his wife heads over to town to buy some groceries, she has an attack and dies. Frank’s family holds a secret a dark secret that is soon revealed following this tragedy.

The Rite of Passage You’ll Never Forget

Jim Mickle’s remake of the Mexican film of the same name draws its tone from the grounded film that inspires it. It’s a drama film disguised with a horror premise that isn’t even that graphic. If the film didn’t inevitably progress into its horror-based plot, you could call it a coming-of-age story, led by three superb performances by Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, and the amazing Bill Sage in his best role to date.

You can stream We Are What We Are on The Roku Channel.

2 The Invitation (2015)

The Invitation is the story of Will, a young man living a new life: he left his former wife after being unable to cope with the death of their son. However, Will decides to accept a dinner invitation from Eden, who has found a new partner. When he arrives at the beautiful house in the Hollywood Hills, Will begins to notice that things at the party aren’t quite right.

The One That’ll Make You Afraid of Your Friends

Will’s descent is an honest depiction of mistrust, and for a whole hour, the film doesn’t display horror tropes of any kind. It is possibly just the story of a guy who doesn’t trust his former wife and her new lover. The third act is a beautiful chaos that progresses into a cool-looking ending, but it takes its time to arrive at what is obviously a horror-based conclusion that director Karyn Kusama handles very well. This one will make you lose trust in your own shadow.

1 Unsane (2018)

In Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane, Sawyer has been running from a stalker to the point of moving out of the city. When she tries to date again, it doesn’t go her way, and she ends up checkng into a psychiatric hospital.

A Masterful Experiment

Soderbergh’s horror thriller is uncompromising and decidedly cryptic. It flows at a pace so slow that viewers may get desperate for a solution that takes too long to arrive. Yes, the film is gimmicky, and it’s noticeable because of Soderbergh’s visual restrictions after he decided to shoot the movie entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus.

But it’s also a masterful exercise in storytelling that doesn’t burn its resources and takes its time to deliver its nerve-wracking conclusion. It’s one of Soderbergh’s most underrated films.