The 35+ Best Horror Movies Of 2005, Ranked
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List of the best 2005 horror movies, ranked by how many upvotes they've received by other fans of the genre. All types of scary movies are represented below, including thrillers, slashers, gore, psychological horror films and more. These are all the horror movies that defined the year 2005, so vote for your favorites and help them rise to the top. This poll is also a great resource for finding new movies that you haven't already seen, especially since you can watch trailers for each film right on this page. To make sure this list is as accurate as possible, please don't downvote a movie if you haven't seen it.
War of the Worlds and Hostel are included in this list. This isn't necessarily a list of all horror movies from 2005, but it does contain all the ones worth watching.
1Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex ReidThe Descent, a British horror film, plunges you into the depths of uncharted subterranean territory. The story follows six women, led by Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) and Juno (Natalie Mendoza), who embark on a caving expedition deep in the Appalachian mountains. Unbeknown to them, the caverns are home to a horde of flesh-eating creatures. As survival instincts kick in, friendships are tested and secrets surface. Directed by Neil Marshall, this claustrophobic thriller won the British Independent Film Award for Best Director in 2005. Amidst darkness and despair, The Descent is a chilling exploration of fear itself.More The Descent
- Dig Deeper...A Look Behind The Scenes Of 'The Descent,' The Classic Claustrophobic Nightmare Film
- #33 of 397 onThe Best Horror Movies Of All Time
- #31 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
2Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon ZombieIn The Devil's Rejects, Rob Zombie thrusts us into a visceral, violent world. The story follows the murderous Firefly family - Otis (Bill Moseley), Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie), and Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) - as they evade a vengeful sheriff (William Forsythe). This 2005 horror film is not for the faint-hearted, with its raw brutality and relentless pursuit of terror. It's a grimy road trip through America's underbelly, filled with macabre humor and chilling scenes that have garnered it cult status in the horror genre. The movie won Best Horror Film at the Scream Awards.
3Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John HurtCaroline Ellis (Kate Hudson), a good-natured nurse living in New Orleans, quits her job at a hospice to work for Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands), an elderly woman whose husband, Ben (John Hurt), is in poor health following a stroke. When Caroline begins to explore the couple's rundown Bayou mansion, she discovers strange artifacts and learns the house has a mysterious past. As she continues to investigate, she realizes that Violet is keeping a sinister secret about the cause of Ben's illness.More The Skeleton Key- #49 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
- #126 of 397 onThe Best Horror Movies Of All Time
- #29 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- 4Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jesse JamesWhen George Lutz (Ryan Reynolds) and his wife, Kathy (Melissa George), find a beautiful new house in the small town of Amityville, N.Y., they think the place is too good to be true. After they move in with their kids, they find out the cheap price tag is thanks to the house's sordid history: The former tenant murdered his family after supposedly being possessed by the devil. Believing the home is haunted, the couple find a priest (Philip Baker Hall) to help them rid the place of evil spirits.
- #71 of 397 onThe Best Horror Movies Of All Time
- #24 of 64 onThe Best Horror Movie Remakes Of All Time
- #38 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
5Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell ScottIn the haunting film The Exorcism of Emily Rose, we delve into the chilling tale of a small-town girl, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), who becomes possessed by an unsettling demonic force. The narrative unfolds through the perspective of skeptical defense lawyer Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), tasked with defending priest Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) - accused of negligent homicide following Emily's death during an exorcism. This courtroom drama-horror hybrid, directed by Scott Derrickson, threads together elements of faith, legal proceedings, and supernatural terror. It won the 2006 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film, testament to its unique blend of genres and compelling performances.- #68 of 397 onThe Best Horror Movies Of All Time
- #50 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- #164 of 240 onThe 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
6Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor GudjonssonHostel, an unsettling horror film, introduces us to Paxton (Jay Hernandez) and Josh (Derek Richardson), two adventurous backpackers. Following a tip about a Slovakian hostel filled with beautiful women, they find themselves entangled in a horrifying reality beyond their comprehension. The director, Eli Roth, crafts a compelling tale of deception and the dark underbelly of human nature. This film, renowned for its graphic violence and grim narrative, not only challenges the viewer's comfort but also leaves an indelible mark on the horror genre.More Hostel- #107 of 397 onThe Best Horror Movies Of All Time
- #9 of 125 onThe 100+ Grossest Movies Ever
- #72 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
7Donnie Wahlberg, Tobin Bell, Shawnee SmithOn the hunt for the twisted vigilante and serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) and his team must apprehend the elusive murderer to rescue eight people trapped in an abandoned house, before they succumb to his torturous and murderous games. One twist to this task is that Matthews' own son, Daniel (Erik Knudsen), is among the eight people Jigsaw has chosen to test for their lack of morality. With nerve gas pumping through the house, every second counts.More Saw II- Dig Deeper...Behind The Scenes Of The Infamous Needle Pit Scene From 'Saw II'
- #122 of 397 onThe Best Horror Movies Of All Time
- #18 of 118 onThe Best Horror Movie Sequels
8Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van HoltIn the 2005 horror film House of Wax, a group of friends, including Carly Jones (Elisha Cuthbert) and her brother Nick (Chad Michael Murray), stumble upon an eerily deserted town during a road trip. They discover a wax museum with startlingly lifelike sculptures. However, as night falls, they realize that there is something sinister about these sculptures. The unsettling truth is that they're not statues at all, but victims of two deranged brothers who have turned them into their personal gallery of wax-coated corpses. A chilling game of survival ensues, as the friends desperately try to escape this macabre house of horrors.More House of Wax- #34 of 64 onThe Best Horror Movie Remakes Of All Time
- #88 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- #24 of 80 onThe Best Teen Horror Movies Of All Time
9Lena Headey, Piper Perabo, Morris ChestnutThe Cave is a 2005 American action horror film, directed by Bruce Hunt. It stars Cole Hauser, Eddie Cibrian, Morris Chestnut, Marcel Iureş, Lena Headey, Rick Ravanello, Piper Perabo and Daniel Dae Kim.
10Teresa Palmer, John Jarratt, Kestie MorassiWolf Creek is a 2005 Australian horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Greg McLean, and starring John Jarratt. The story revolves around three backpackers who find themselves held captive and subsequently hunted by a man in the Australian outback. The film was ambiguously marketed as being "based on true events"; the plot bore elements similar to the real-life incidents of tourists in Australia by Ivan Milat in the 1990s and by Bradley Murdoch in 2001. Wolf Creek premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2005, and premiered in Australia in March 2005 in Adelaide.More Wolf Creek- #231 of 397 onThe Best Horror Movies Of All Time
- #7 of 35 onThe Best Movies Based on Real Murders
- #33 of 57 onThe Best Horror Movies Based On True Stories, Ranked
11Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Asia ArgentoIn a world where zombies form the majority of the population, the remaining humans build a feudal society away from the undead. Ruthless Paul Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) rules and protects this microcosm but enforces painful class distinctions. Second-in-command Cholo DeMora (John Alberto Leguizamo) attempts to lead a secret rebellion against Kaufman's tyranny, but when the zombies begin to evolve, the survivors must discover a way to protect themselves from a zombie hoard that can learn and adapt.
12Doug Bradley, Katheryn Winnick, Henry CavillGamers who participate in an online role-playing game (MMORPG) are invited to a rave whose host plans to show them all the truth behind the Cenobite mythos.
13Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Tim RothDahlia (Jennifer Connelly) wants to move away from her ex-husband, Kyle (Dougray Scott), and take her daughter, Ceci (Ariel Gade), with her. Relocating to a dreary tower block, Dahlia and Ceci discover eerie, dark water leaking through the ceiling of their new apartment. Dahlia petitions the supervisor (Pete Postlethwaite) and the building's owner (John C. Reilly) to fix the leak, yet it only gets worse. Now having nightmares about the dripping, Dahlia is driven to confront the problem herself.More Dark Water- #116 of 133 onThe Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
- #75 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- #42 of 57 onThe Best Horror Movies About Parenting
14Edward Furlong, David Boreanaz, Tara ReidEx-con Jimmy Cuervo (Edward Furlong) and his girlfriend (Emmanuelle Chriqui) are targeted by satanists, who murder them as part of a ceremony to resurrect the devil. However, a crow brings Jimmy back, and as an invulnerable spirit of justice, he begins hunting down his murderers. While the satanists meet grisly ends one at a time, the leaders, Luc "Death" Crash (David Boreanaz) and his lover, Lola (Tara Reid), attempt to complete the ritual, which will make them even more powerful than Jimmy.
15Karan Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch, Joey GrecoDevon's Ghost: Legend of the Bloody Boy is a 2005 independent action-horror film starring Power Rangers alumni Johnny Yong Bosch and Karan Ashley. The film is directed by Koichi Sakamoto and Johnny Yong Bosch. It is about a town haunted by a boy's ghost that turns into a bloody terror. The UK Film 2000 DVD release was re-titled Sawed.
16Fujiko, Mai Takahashi, Masumi MiyazakiStrange Circus is a 2005 Japanese horror drama film written and directed by Sion Sono.
17Charlotte Salt, Josep Maria Pou, Michael McKellBeneath Still Waters is a 2005 horror film directed by Brian Yuzna. It stars Michael McKell, Raquel Meroño and Charlotte Salt. It was based on a novel by Matthew Costello.
18Ramon Allen, Leslie Baldwin, Daryl BallA man (Matt Foyer) tells his psychiatrist of the struggles that led to his downfall, beginning at his great-uncle's bedside, where he receives a key to a locked collection of his papers. The papers reveal a lifelong obsession with an underwater deity, Cthulhu, around which a cult has formed. Using the style of a 1920s silent film, director Andrew Leman retells H.P. Lovecraft's short story, in which the documents reveal individuals who had contact with Cthulhu.
19Marisa Ramirez, Travis Wester, Nichole HiltzWhen young lovers Joss (Travis Wester) and Alicia (Marisa Ramirez) arrive in a small Mexican town, they inadvertently stumble upon an attempted human sacrifice. Eventually they find their way to the local sheriff, Blanco (David Keith), and begin to piece together the supernatural puzzle, which involves the dead rising from their graves. As the village's dark history is revealed, it becomes clear that the evil stems from the immortal Vargas Diaz (Danny Trejo), who must be stopped at any cost.
20Jaime Pressly, Brooke Burns, Sung-Hi LeeDeath to the Supermodels is a 2005 black comedy starring Jaime Pressly, Brooke Burns, Kimberley Davies, Taylor Negron, Matt Winston, Diane Delano and Jason Acuña. It was written and directed by Joel Silverman.
21Calista Flockhart, Richard Roxburgh, Elena AnayaHaunted by memories of a patient's death, a nurse (Calista Flockhart) takes a job at an antiquated hospital for children. Soon she learns that the kids fear a ghost that prowls the floors and will not allow anyone to leave. Amy tries to protect them and convince the other staffers of the evil that lurks there.
22Bruce Campbell, Renee O'Connor, Peter JasonAlien Apocalypse is a 2005 Sci Fi channel original movie, directed and written by Josh Becker, and starring Bruce Campbell, Renee O'Connor, Remington Franklin, Michael Cory Davis and Peter Jason. It was released on DVD on March 26, 2005.
23Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke JanssenWatch for Free with Amazon Prime Free TrialFollowing the suicide of his wife (Amy Irving), psychologist David Callaway (Robert De Niro) decides to take his daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), away from New York City to a house in the country for a fresh start. Unfortunately, Emily is too grief-stricken to really appreciate her new surroundings, and she hasn't made any friends, save Charlie, who is imaginary. When Charlie begins to harbor resentment toward David, an already bad situation gets worse.More Hide and Seek- #93 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
- #111 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- #68 of 168 onThe 160+ Scariest Psychological Thrillers
24Bruce Taylor, Dominic Koulianos, Ashleigh HolemanDead Life is a 2005 horror film directed by William Victor Schotten. Necrotizing Faceitis M is running rampant through Midwest America killing the living and reviving the dead. Life changes quickly for Maxx and his friends as survival becomes a struggle. The group is consumed one by one as Maxx prepares for his final face off with the walking dead.
25Kim Sung-soo, Park Yeon-ah, Seo Ha-rimEver since leaving her husband, Sun Jae (Kim Sung-soo) has lived with her daughter (Seo Ha-rim) in a creepy old apartment -- and it's about to get a lot more spooky. One night on the subway she discovers a pair of lovely red shoes. But, when she brings them home, she carries a horrific curse into her life. As nightmarish visions dominate her mind and those around her suffer grisly deaths, Sun Jae must discover the secret of the shoes' destructive power if she wants to survive.
26Benjamin McKenzie, Ryan Barrett, Pete Soltesz
27Naomi Watts, Simon Baker, David DorfmanA female journalist (Naomi Watts) must prevent evil Samara from taking possession of her son's (David Dorfman) soul.More The Ring Two- #99 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- #15 of 16 on16 Horror Movie Sequels You (Maybe) Never Knew Existed
- #8 of 12 onThe Best Paranormal Movies Streaming on Hulu
28Glenn Plummer, Randy Brooks, Patrick Scott Lewis
29Peter Coyote, Jenny Mollen, Cory HardrictReturn of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave is a 2005 zombie horror film directed by Ellory Elkayem, starring Cory Hardrict, John Keefe, Jenny Mollen, and Peter Coyote. It is the fifth installment of the Return of the Living Dead series. The film was in development as Return of the Living Dead 5: Rave to the Grave but once it was released, the number 5 was removed from the title, as it's only relation to the previous Return of the Living Dead films is the substance Trioxin, being a direct sequel to Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, and a zombie cameo.
30Rajinikanth, Nayantara, NassarChandramukhi is a 2005 Indian Tamil comedy-horror film written and directed by P. Vasu, and was produced and distributed by Ramkumar Ganesan of Sivaji Productions. The film features Rajinikanth, Prabhu, Jyothika and Nayantara leading an ensemble cast that includes Vadivelu, Nassar, Sheela, Vijayakumar, Vinaya Prasad, Sonu Sood, Vineeth, Malavika and K. R. Vijaya. The film is a remake of Vasu's Kannada film Apthamitra, which itself is a remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu. The soundtrack album and background score were composed by Vidyasagar. Cinematography was handled by Sekhar V. Joseph and editing was done by Suresh Urs. Chandramukhi's plot revolves around a woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder that affects a family, and a psychiatrist who intends to solve the case while risking his life. The film was made on a budget of 190 million. Principal photography began on 24 October 2004 and was completed in March 2005. It was released on 14 April 2005 on the eve of the Tamil New Year. The film received positive reviews and was a box office success, grossing 650-750 million worldwide.
