Horror is one of the most profitable genres in all of cinema. Since the early days of motion pictures, horror has been dominating the box office, drawing in viewers to experience some of the most chilling movies imaginable. Yes, there have been many compelling horror movies over the years, even a few masterpieces, and there have been a lot of flops.

They have a lot of great ideas but also a few flaws that make them shy of being some of the greats. From 's to 's , these mostly stellar horror flicks are scary and remarkable but have some notable issues. They may not be the best, but they sure are entertaining. Here are ten near-great movies for all you horror lovers to enjoy.

Starting off, let's talk about James DeMonaco's 2013 low-budget smash hit The Purge, starring and . A brutal, claustrophobic home invasion flick, it's a gripping tale that's set in an alternate future where all crimes, including murder, are legal for one night. Dark and often intense, there are lots of thrills and decent suspense here to make it a fun watch, so long as you look past its absurd premise.

Admittedly, it's not the most well-made film; the characters are a bit one-dimensional, the plot is nonsensical, and the overall social commentary doesn't get all that explored, but The Purge is not as dumb as some might remember. It's a very fun but flawed horror film that's become a standout of the early 2010s.

Proving that folklore and survival horror make a perfect combination, is a 2017 horror film directed by and based on a novel of the same name by . It's an intense mix of supernatural and psychological scares, a thrilling tale about four hiking friends who are stalked by a mysterious, sinister beast while hiking in the woods of Sweden.

A frightening film with near-perfect acting, powerful suspense, and superb cinematography, The Ritual is an impressive modern horror movie destined to become a classic. It may not be for everyone's liking, but it doesn't frustrate you when watching it.

Looking for a chilling haunted house flick that doesn't get much attention these days? Check out ' , a 1976 supernatural horror mystery thriller starring and . With a plot that feels similar and actually predates 's , the story follows a couple and their son as they rent a 19th-century mansion for the summer only to be plagued by sinister spirits trying to collect their souls.

A slow-burn mystery with great performances and eerie psychological tension, Burnet Offerings is a decent '70s horror flick that anyone calling themselves a horror buff should not skip over. Admittedly, It's an underappreciated gem that often gets overshadowed by the other more memorable horror films of the 1970s.

From visionary modern horror filmmaker comes his scariest project yet: , the 2019 psychological horror thriller starring Academy Award winner . A thought-provoking bind-bender with decent twists and riveting performances, it's an intense tale about a family of four trying to survive after the country is attacked by murderous doppelgängers.

Us is one of the more one-of-a-kind types of film that excites and terrifies viewers with its original and bizarre story. And there's no looking past the absurd idea that the film tries to make that everyone in the country seemingly has an identical copy living in hidden tunnels underneath the group. It just requires a lot more suspension of disbelief.

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Taking the horror genre by storm in the post--era slasher boom, 's came and blew audiences away with a shocking concept. Starring , , and the late , it's a paranoia-inducing story about a high schooler who saves a lucky few from disaster after having a premonition of a plane crash but struggles to save them again when the actual grim reaper comes back to claim their lives.

It's a genuinely thrilling horror flick that came to define the horror genre in the early 2000s, but admittedly, it's not the most perfect. The characters are also not the most well-written. Besides Sawa's Alex Browning and Larter's Clear Rivers, the rest are mostly unlikable, forgettable characters who make dumb decisions like ones typically found in any generic teen slasher flick.

From the late great comes one of his true underrated horror gems, the 1973 outbreak movie . After a military plane carrying a deadly bioweapon crashes near a small town, the contents contaminate the local drinking water and cause infected residents to turn into violent killers, leading the government to try and put an end to this fast-spreading epidemic at all costs.

Though not one of his zombie-related masterpieces, this is still a fantastic tale booming with social commentary. It's a truly horrifying film with a few forgivable filmmaking issues.

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's 2015 intense horror drama is a thrilling film that mounts with rising tension. Starring , best known for and , here he delivers a powerful performance as a grieving father who slowly suspects his ex-wife has been manipulated into joining a sinister cult after he's invited to her dinner party one night.

A modern psychological horror cult classic that brilliantly explores trauma and loss, The Invitation is quite an engaging film that keeps viewers invested from start to finish.

Venturing into the found-footage territory, here is one of the scariest entries of the subgenre, , directed by . This nightmarish flick has everything one could expect from these types of movies: haunting, brutal, and filled with unimaginable terror. Shot in a documentary style, it follows a film crew investigating what really happened five years ago at a Halloween haunted house that turned deadly for fifteen people.

Admittedly, It's incredibly terrifying, definitely for audiences who are deep fans of this subgenre. It may not be the most put-together film, but it certainly entertains and delivers scares that will surely one up at night.

From French director comes his most famous horror movie, It is a 2003 psychological slasher horror flick starring Cécile de France and Philippe Nahon. It follows two college friends on a trip to meet one's family at a secluded farmhouse in the countryside, which turns deadly when they're attacked by a sadistic serial killer.

High Tension has become a standout over the years for its violence and shocking suspense. Though it's a thrilling film for the most part, most would agree it flounders near the conclusion, and boy, is it a let-down. The finale is one of the most disappointing endings in horror history, one that nearly ruins the rest of the film with its clichéd, confusing plot twist that barely makes any sense. Though it doesn't go out on a high note, High Tension still has its moments in the first two acts and can still be quite intense to watch, so long as you can forgive what it leads up to.

Finally, taking the top spot is Osgood Perkins' Longlegs, the 2024 horror crime thriller starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage. A thrilling story with psychological and supernatural elements, it follows newly recruited FBI agent Lee Harker as she's assigned and tries to link a connection between a series of grizzly family murders to a mysterious devil worshiper who's only referred to as Longlegs.

Praised as one of the scariest movies of 2024, Longlegs is a shocking thrill ride with a decent mystery and intense scares. Admittedly, it's not the best, as some have noted it doesn't quite live up to the hype it generated, seeing issues in its story and tonal shift. It doesn't quite know what it wants to be, whether a grounded crime thriller or a demon horror film. It's up to viewers' interpretation whether they like the film's lean more toward supernatural horror in the second act, but it still never loses its scare factor. It may not be great, but Longlegs is a decent modern horror movie with flaws, but it is still worth watching.

NEXT: 10 Found-Footage Horror Movies That Were Almost Perfect