Over the last decade or so, the horror genre has experienced something of a renaissance. Naturally, there have been horror staples on the scene, like Halloween (2018), Scream (2022), Scream VI (2023), and several Paranormal Activity films. These movies are fantastic and help keep the horror genre alive, but underneath these major blockbuster releases, there is a whole slew of amazing independent horror films.

Most horror buffs will agree that more often than not, independent horror films are better than some of the mass-budget films. It Follows (2014), Hereditary (2018), and Midsommar (2019) are some of the greatest horror films of the last decade, and they're all independently made. The last four years have been huge for independent horror movies of all sub-genres, proving the genre still has so much to offer.

10 Relic Is Highly Praised By Critics

• Relic was released in the US on July 3, 2020
• It is an Australian film that first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020
• Natalie Erika James directed the film
• Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 92% Tomatometer and a 51% Audience Score

Relic is a psychological horror film that had critics raving. Critics and moviegoers often disagree about the quality of specific films, but Relic is a strange case where critics couldn't get enough of it, but viewers found it misleading and slow-paced. The film is about an elderly woman named Edna. Edna has Dementia and the entire film explores the true horrors that plague a person whose mind is slipping.

The film has a fantastic premise. It uses traditional paranormal horror tropes as a metaphor for what it's like, not only to live with Dementia but also to take care of a person who has Dementia. It also ominously hints at how Kay, Edna's daughter, is destined to end up just like her mother. This film can be hard to watch, especially for people who deal with Dementia in some capacity themselves. Unfortunately, the movie is a slow burn to the point that it risks some viewers growing bored.

9 Infinity Pool Is A Wild Ride From Start To Finish

• Infinity Pool was released on January 27, 2023
• It first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023
• Brandon Cronenberg wrote and directed the film
• Rotten Tomatoes gives it an 87% Tomatometer and a 52% Audience Score

Infinity Pool is a science fiction horror film that critics raved about. Much like Relic, this is an odd case where film critics loved the movie more than moviegoers. Most negative critiques about the film come from how confusing it is. To be fair, the film can be difficult to follow, especially on a first watch, but the story goes hard.

Infinity Pool tells the story of James and Em Foster going on vacation. The film takes place in the fictional country of Li Tolqa. James is a struggling author searching for inspiration, but things go sideways when he meets a book fan. After James accidentally kills someone while driving under the influence, he realizes he's able to get away with his crime if he's willing to pay to be cloned. His clone is executed for his crime and he is free to go. James becomes addicted to this cycle, which tells a story about how someone loses their humanity when there is no punishment for their wrongdoings.

8 Bodies Bodies Bodies Disguises Social Commentary With Humor

• Bodies Bodies Bodies was released on August 5, 2022
• It first premiered at South by Southwest on March 14, 2022
• Halina Reijn directed the film
• Rotten Tomatoes gives it an 85% Tomatometer and a 69% Audience Score

Bodies Bodies Bodies is a slasher comedy film about a group of friends who ride out a hurricane at a remote mansion. During the "hurricane party", the group decides to play a game called "Bodies Bodies Bodies" where one person is assigned to be the killer and has to secretly "kill" at least one other player. The surviving players need to figure out who the killer is. This game inevitably leads to a fight between friends. Soon after one participant storms off, he turns up dead with his throat slashed.

Due to the storm, the group is stuck in the mansion without reception and has no way to safely leave. Throughout the night, more people drop dead. While the film is hilarious from start to finish, it has a lot to say about the modern era of social media where everything is "problematic", but no one is willing to take responsibility for themselves. This film also delivers an iconic twist ending that goes down in the history books.

7 Titane Is A Bizarre & Unique Body Horror

• Titane is a French-Belgian film that first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on July 13, 2021
• Julia Ducournau wrote and directed the film
• Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 90% Tomatometer and an 85% Audience Score

Titane is a body horror and psychological drama that tells the story of Alexia. When she was young, Alexia was in a horrible car crash that nearly killed her. To save her life, she needed a titanium plate inserted into the side of her head. The film jumps forward to when Alexia is an adult working as a showgirl. After work one night, Alexia is confronted by a man who tries to force himself on her, and she kills him.

The film slowly peels back the curtain on Alexia. This man isn't the first person she's killed, but being a serial killer isn't the only strange thing about her. She's also aroused by cars instead of people. Alexia discovers she's pregnant, but her child isn't normal. The titanium plate Alexia received as a child slowly morphed her into something that was more machine than human.

6 Last Night In Soho Is As Beautiful As It Is Terrifying

• Last Night in Soho was released in the US on October 29, 2021
• This British film first premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2021
• Edgar Wright directed the film and Wright also wrote the screenplay with Krysty Wilson-Cairns
• Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 75% Tomatometer and a 90% Audience Score

Last Night in Soho is a psychological horror film about a fashion student named Ellie. Ellie moves to London to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer, but she isn't an ordinary girl with a dream. Since her mother's death, she has occasionally seen what she believes to be her mother's spirit. This trait fo