By definition, horror movies have to have plenty of scares, but only some of them are truly hair-raising. On July 18, the publication Collider narrowed down some of the most horrifying movies with a ranking of “the 6 scariest movies released since 2000.”
2007’s Rec, The Conjuringfrom 2013, and The Babadook, released in 2014, were some of the spooky films featured on the list. The publication named Ari Aster‘s 2018 film, Hereditary, which focuses on a family’s connection to a King Paimon cult, as the “scariest movie” released after 2000.
During a panel at the Bleak Week festival in June 2026, Aster explained that he has some mixed feelings about Hereditary, his first film, being so beloved. He said while he appreciates that the movie, which has a score of 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, has amassed a devoted fanbase, it can be a bit frustrating that his other projects, like 2023’s Beau is Afraid, which has 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and 2025’s Eddington, which has a 69 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, haven’t received the same amount of acclaim.
“It’s interesting because it’s my first film, right? And it’s the film that seems to have like, you know, the biggest center of gravity. And so, in some ways, it’s really irritating,” quipped the director. “I’m trying to get better here. So every film I make I actually feel kind of prouder of than the last. It’s like diminishing returns as far as their reception is concerned.”
In addition, Aster rejected the classification of Heredity as “elevated horror.” He explained that he was just “trying to make a really good horror movie.”
“I hate the term elevated horror, especially because it was sort of like a box that I was put in and a lot of horror fans, you know, took umbrage and were like, ‘Who do you think you are?’ ‘I didn’t say it. I didn’t say it.’ I mean, I felt like I was working in a tradition. I didn’t feel like I was trying to change anything,” said Aster while speaking on stage before an audience.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jul 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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