The Strangers: Chapter 1, the latest film in the terrifying The Strangers franchise, has been newly released in theaters. Directed by Renny Harlin, it is the first in an upcoming trilogy of horror movies set in the unsettling The Strangers universe. The film follows Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), a couple who find themselves stranded at a remote woodland lodge and become victimized by the iconic gang of masked killers.

An unexpected hit, The Strangers is one of the most prominent home invasion horror films of the 21st century, with its highly eerie premise making audiences feel unsafe in their own homes. Continuing in the vein of what made the original film so scary, The Strangers: Chapter 1 takes advantage of its isolated location, creepy imagery and the relationship dynamic between its lead characters. For fans of this chilling story, these similar horror movies will provide a similar atmosphere and great scares.

10 'Sick' (2022)

Directed by John Hyams

Directed by John Hyams from a screenplay by Katelyn Crabb and Scream writer Kevin Williamson, Sick is a 2022 slasher film. Set during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, the film follows students Parker (Gideon Adlon) and Miri (Beth Million) as they quarantine together at a remote vacation property. Soon, they find themselves attacked by a masked killer with a personal vendetta against Parker.

At a lean 83 minutes, Sick gets right to its action and rarely lets up, creating an exciting and very fast-paced slasher film. Kevin Williamson is a master of teen horror with credits including The Faculty, Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, and the timely pandemic-themed horror of Sick is a great modernization of his writing style. For fans of home invasion slashers like The Strangers: Chapter 1, Sick is likely to be a great hit.

9 'Becky' (2020)

Directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion

Becky is a 2020 action-horror film directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion. The film follows Becky (Lulu Wilson), a young teenage girl attacked alongside her family by a gang of violent neo-Nazis led by the menacing Dominick (Kevin James). As the gang searches for a mysterious key, Becky fights back and reveals herself to be a formidable opponent.

Anchored by a badass lead performance by teenage scream queen Lulu Wilson and a genuinely threatening villainous turn from Kevin James, Becky is a thrilling and gory action-horror film. Set apart from other movies of its kind due to its young heroine, Becky offers a welcome and fresh update to the home invasion subgenre. With its gruesomely creative kills and strong performances all around, Becky is sure to appeal to fans of home invasion horror.

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8 'Vacancy' (2007)

Directed by Nimród Antal

Directed by Nimród Antal, Vacancy is a 2007 slasher film. The film follows Amy (Kate Beckinsale) and David (Luke Wilson), a troubled couple who seek shelter at a remote motel after their car breaks down. Later that night, Amy and David make the horrifying discovery that their room is equipped with cameras meant to record their murder as a snuff film.

Featuring an excellent Hitchcock-inspired title sequence, Vacancy takes influence from classic horror and thriller films. Rather than relying on shocking content, the film is restrained with its graphic visuals and instead generates fear through its use of suspense and its central terrifying premise. Far more subtle than its 2000s horror contemporaries, Vacancy is an enjoyable, thrilling, and severely overlooked horror film with plenty of scares to excite fans of The Strangers: Chapter 1.

7 'What Keeps You Alive' (2018)

Directed by Colin Minihan

What Keeps You Alive is a 2018 Canadian psychological horror film written and directed by Colin Minihan. The film follows Jules (Brittany Allen) and her wife Jackie (Hannah Emily Anderson) as they celebrate their wedding anniversary in the picturesque forests of Muskoka, Ontario. However, Jules' marital bliss is soon soured by the reveal that Jackie is, in fact, an emotionless killer intent on murdering her to gain life insurance money. Soon, Jules enters into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

What Keeps You Alive is a worthy, tense, and chilling recommendation for fans of The Strangers: Chapter 1.

The film is an underrated gem of sapphic horror, anchored by Jackie and Jules' twisted romance. Containing intense chase sequences through its beautiful landscape and anxiety-inducing psychological games between Jackie and Jules, What Keeps You Alive is full of disconcerting horror that explores the dark secrets people can keep within a marriage. With its remote location and compelling central relationship, What Keeps You Alive is a worthy, tense, and chilling recommendation for fans of The Strangers: Chapter 1.

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6 'The Rental' (2020)

Directed by Dave Franco

Helmed by Dave Franco in his directorial debut, The Rental is a 2020 psychological horror film starring Dan Stevens, Jeremy Allen White, Alison Brie and Sheila Vand. It follows two couples whose joint vacation turns sinister with they discover they are being surveilled. Events only become more horrific when an intruder begins actively toying with the group, exploiting their weaknesses and the secrets they have kept from one another.

With a stellar cast, The Rental includes strong performances that greatly heighten the story's emotional drama and complicated interpersonal dynamics. Creating a powerful sense of mystery surrounding the film's antagonist, the film's slasher elements are well-executed and tense, consistently avoiding predictability. The Rental is an underrated and subtle home invasion film that will thrill and intrigue horror fans.

5 'Them' (2006)

Directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud

Them is a 2006 French-Romanian "New French Extremity" horror film written and directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud. The film follows teacher Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) and her husband Lucas (Michaël Cohen) as their remote Romanian house is invaded by a gang of sadistic assailants dedicated to toying with them for sadistic entertainment.

Them builds up a mysterious and threatening ambiance through the use of darkness and the senselessness of the home invasion.

Far less gory than its New French Extremity contemporaries, Them is nevertheless an exhilarating and frightening watch. The film builds up a mysterious and threatening ambiance through the use of darkness and the senselessness of the home invasion. With a fast pace, shocking reveal of the attackers' identities, and a creative use of its settings, Them is a great example of the home invasion subgenre that will be appreciated by fans of eerie, vague stories that keep things close to the chest.

4 'Us' (2019)

Directed by Jordan Peele

Us is a 2019 psychological horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele as the follow-up to his highly acclaimed Get Out. The film follows Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o), her husband Gabe (Winston Duke), and their children as they find themselves at the center of a nationwide uprising of doppelgängers determined to replace those they resemble. Led by Adelaide's "tethered" analog Red (also played by Nyong'o), the doppelgängers threaten to destroy the status quo.

Shockingly high-concept for a home invasion film, Us uses its sci-fi horror premise to explore themes of wealth and class inequality in the United States. As well as being politically and philosophically compelling, the film features great scares and thrilling spectacle, with its twists and turns making it among the most rewatchable horror movies of the 2010s. Since his horror debut, Jordan Peele has emerged as a major voice in the genre, and Us is an essential recommendation for home invasion horror enthusiasts.

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3 'I See You' (2019)

Directed by Adam Randall

I See You is a 2019 crime-horror film directed by Adam Randall. The film is full of drastic twists and turns and is told from several different perspectives. The story revolves around Jackie (Helen Hunt) and her police detective husband, Greg (Jon Tenney), as mysterious events plague their home in the aftermath of Greg's investigation of a young boy's abduction.

Revolving around the limitations of individuals' perception, I See You is a very rewarding watch for attentive viewers, setting up a variety of compelling mysteries and paying them all off in satisfying ways. The film is intelligently written and stylishly directed, with a great use of suspense throughout and a slow-burn approach that will often prove near-unbearable. Enigmatic and thrilling, I See You is a unique and very rewatchable crime-horror film.

2 'Creep' (2014)

Directed by Patrick Brice

Creep is a 2014 found-footage psychological horror movie directed by Patrick Brice. The film follows Aaron (Brice), a videographer tasked with filming a video diary for Josef (Mark Duplass), a man with a terminal illness. However, as Josef and Aaron spend more time together, it becomes apparent that Josef, in fact, has malicious ulterior motives for having hired Aaron, putting him in terrifying danger.

Using its found-footage aesthetic to great effect, Creep places its audience into the mind of Aaron as he grows increasingly uneasy about his relationship with the unstable Josef. One sequence involving Aaron being trapped in a remote house with Josef is genuinely anxiety-inducing due to its strong performances and excellent use of tension. Creep is an excellent horror film about the dangers of trusting the wrong people and how vulnerable everyone is, considering an unstable mind can be everywhere, including where one least expects it.

1 'Black Christmas' (1974)

Directed by Bob Clark

One of the most influential slashers ever made, Black Christmas is a 1974 Canadian horror film directed by Bob Clark. Set in a sorority house plagued by mysterious obscene phone calls, the film follows a sorority sister named Jess (Olivia Hussey) as she and her friends are stalked and attacked by a sinister killer who has infiltrated the house.

Drawing inspiration from true crime cases and classic urban legends, Black Christmas has a deliciously creepy atmosphere. In a particularly inventive and frightening move, rather than outright showing him, the film opts instead to keep the killer obscured for most of the plot, favoring POV shots, shadows, and a particularly ominous shot of his eye peeking from behind a door. Setting the standard for countless future movies, including the seminal John Carpenter classic Halloween, Black Christmas is a slasher classic that is especially rewarding for fans of subtle and creepy horror.

NEXT: The 10 Most Rewatchable Horror Movies Of The 2010s, Ranked