The 10 Best British Horror Movies, Ranked
British horror movies have a different kind of scare to them.
Since the silent movie era, British filmmakers and studios have been producing terrifying and original horror films. In particular, the British Isles have excelled in the folk horror and gothic horror subgenres, due to the rural landscapes and architecture of England, Scotland, and Wales.
Although often overlooked in favor of Hollywood-produced films with higher budgets and greater studio involvement, many British horror films have successfully established themselves as cultural landmarks while others have gained cult followings as hidden gems. Taking into account cultural significance, scare factor, and overall quality, these are our picks for the 10 best British horror films.
10 PHOTOS
10. 'The Innocents' (1961)
Directed by Jack Clayton
Adapted from the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw written by Henry James, The Innocents is a 1961 gothic horror film directed by Jack Clayton. The film follows a kind-hearted but psychologically fragile governess (Deborah Kerr) who begins to care for two children (Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin) in a remote mansion. When she becomes convinced that the children are becoming possessed by spirits, the lives of those around her begin to crumble.
The film is an underrated horror classic, featuring strong scares of both the supernatural and psychological variety. The central tension of The Innocents is the question of whether the protagonist is genuinely being haunted or if she is experiencing paranoid delusions, and the film explores this ambiguity with an impeccable screenplay, written by William Archibald, Truman Capote, and Sir John Mortimer, and clever filmmaking.
9. '28 Days Later' (2002)
Directed by Danny Boyle
One of the most influential post-apocalyptic horror films of the 21st century, 28 Days Later is a 2002 horror film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. The film follows Jim (Cillian Murphy), a man who wakes up in hospital from a coma to discover that Britain has been destroyed by the highly infectious 'Rage Virus' - a disease that makes sufferers extremely violent and aggressive.
Although not technically a zombie film, 28 Days Later bears many similarities to the very best of the subgenre. The film's vision of a post-apocalyptic Britain is haunting, with its early sequence of Jim walking around a deserted London being particularly memorable. Both Boyle and Garland are well-respected names in the British film industry, with a new sequel in the works together, and 28 Days Later is their best collaboration to date.
8. Saint Maud (2019)
Directed by Rose Glass
Saint Maud is a 2019 psychological horror film written and directed by Rose Glass. The film follows Maud (Morfydd Clark), a devout Catholic hospice nurse who becomes fixated on saving the soul of her patient Amanda (Jennifer Ehle). Haunted by her traumatic past, Maud's religious devotion begins to consume and destroy her life as she experiences what she believes to be direct communication with God.
Exploring themes of sapphic relationships, faith, and self-destructive tendencies, Saint Maud is a challenging and artistic horror film. The film is criminally underrated and shows sides of Britain rarely represented in mainstream horror, taking place in the seaside town of Scarborough and with star Morfydd Clark delivering lines in Welsh as the voice of God.
7. 'The Devils' (1971)
Directed by Ken Russell
Written and directed by Ken Russell, The Devils is a 1971 historical horror film. Adapted from the true historical account of the downfall of 17th-century priest Urbain Grandier, the film follows Grandier (Oliver Reed) and a convent of nuns led by the sexually repressed and mentally unstable Jeanne des Anges (Vanessa Redgrave). When Sister Jeanne becomes romantically fixated on Grandier, she accuses him of witchcraft and begins a widespread possession scare.
Due to its graphic sexual and violent content juxtaposed with religious imagery, The Devils was an extremely controversial movie and was subject to significant censorship. Championed by film critic Mark Kermode, the restoration of the director's vision has been a popular cause among British horror fans for decades. The Devils hold great merit even beyond its scandalous reputation, dealing with complex themes of sexuality and religion and featuring a formidable performance from Vanessa Redgrave.
6. 'Kill List' (2011)
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Kill List, written and directed by Ben Wheatley, is a 2011 psychological folk horror film. Kill List follows Jay (Neil Maskell), a retired assassin experiencing PTSD symptoms and marital turmoil with his wife Shel (MyAnna Buring). When Jay is brought back to the contract killing business by his former partner Gal (Michael Smiley), he soon finds himself thrown into the midst of a sinister conspiracy.
One part crime thriller, one part marital drama, and one part disturbing folk horror, the film is undeniably unique. The film is unflinchingly brutal in its portrayal of violence and features one of the most shocking gut-punch endings in British film. Ben Wheatley's eclectic filmography contains numerous strong horror films and thrillers, and Kill List is his very best.
5. 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004)
Directed by Edgar Wright
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 horror-comedy co-written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright and directed by Wright. The film follows Shaun (Pegg), a man stuck in arrested development, as he deals with his lack of motivation, family drama, and the breakdown of his relationship with his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield). When Shaun and his slacker flatmate Ed (Nick Frost) find themselves caught in a zombie apocalypse, they are forced to assemble a team of Shaun's friends and family and find refuge.
Simultaneously a great parody of the zombie subgenre and a genuinely compelling example of it, Shaun of the Dead provides plenty of blood and gore to satisfy horror fans as well as hilarious jokes and physical comedy for general audiences. The film is the first in Wright, Pegg, and Frost's famous 'Cornetto Trilogy' - a series of comedy films that satirize and explore blockbuster genres - and is a quintessentially British piece of horror cinema.
4. Under the Skin (2013)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
Written and directed by Jonathan Glazer, Under The Skin is a 2013 science fiction horror art film. Set in Glasgow, the film centers on the story of an alien (Scarlett Johansson) who preys on men by using her powers of seduction to lure them into a mysterious - and fatal - black void. Centering the perspective of its inhuman and often villainous protagonist, the film shows her progressing from an alien being to an individual who begins to relate to humanity and identify with her womanhood.
Jonathan Glazer is one of the UK's most exciting filmmakers, and Under the Skin proves that he has a complete mastery of the sci-fi horror genre. Performed largely by non-actors through candid hidden camera cinematography, the film's explorations of gender dynamics and what it means to be human are incredibly compelling and often very disturbing.
3. Possum (2018)
Directed by Matthew Holness
Written and directed by Garth Marenghi's Darkplace creator/star Matthew Holness, Possum is a 2018 psychological horror film. Set in Norfolk, the film follows Philip (Sean Harris), a puppeteer who moves in with his abusive uncle Maurice (Alun Armstrong). Plagued by his traumatic past and by the disappearance of a local boy, Philip is haunted by his horrific spider-like puppet Possum, which keeps returning to him regardless of how he attempts to dispose of it.
The film is tonally extremely dark and grim, with its nightmarish titular puppet eliciting unique uncanny valley scares. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the puppet is a physical manifestation of Philip's childhood trauma, with its disturbing appearance reflecting the ways Philip's psyche has been warped by abuse. Possum is certainly not an easy watch, with its allusions to children's entertainment bringing to mind memories of the Operation Yewtree abuse investigation, but it is one of Britain's best and most powerful modern horror films.
2. 'Hellraiser' (1987)
Directed by Clive Barker
Hellraiser is a 1987 supernatural body horror film written and directed by Clive Barker and adapted from his own 1986 novellaThe Hellbound Heart. The film revolves around the consequences of the amoral actions of human couple Julia (Clare Higgins) and Frank (Sean Chapman) and the summoning of a group of sadomasochistic demons called the Cenobites. Frank and Julia's murderous plan is challenged by the film's heroine Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), Frank's niece and Julia's stepdaughter.
Rebooted in 2022 by David Bruckner, the original Hellraiser spawned a horror movie franchise due to its Lovecraftian lore and iconic villain Pinhead (Doug Bradley). Taking aesthetic inspiration from queer culture and BDSM, Hellraiser has a visually gorgeous and unique look that sets it apart from its genre contemporaries. With its ongoing legacy and the sheer quality of the first film, Hellraiser is one of Britain's best horror films.
1. 'The Wicker Man' (1973)
Directed by Robin Hardy
The Wicker Man is a 1973 folk horror film written by Anthony Shaffer and directed by Robin Hardy. The film follows Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward), an officer tasked with investigating the disappearance of a young girl on the mysterious Scottish island of Summerisle. As he attempts to solve the case, the devoutly Christian Howie is disturbed by the island's Celtic Pagan culture and the residents' total lack of help in the investigation.
Also starring the fantastic Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle, The Wicker Man is a tremendous example of the horror genre even 50 years later. The film explores themes of sexuality, repression, and religion, with the central tension being the clash between Howie's straight-laced Christian attitude and the free-spirited Pagan culture of the island. One of the best horror films of the 1970s, The Wicker Man is an example of British horror at its very best and most iconic.
Keywords: Horror movies | British horror movies | Scary movies | Cinema | Horror films | Films