The larger conversations surrounding horror filmmaking often center themselves around the various Hollywood releases and American filmmaking as a whole. However, there are various rich and layered cultures of horror filmmaking across the world, with various countries having their own distinct tastes and approaches to the horror genre. One specific region that has especially made a name for itself throughout the 21st century in the world of horror is Australia, with countless great horror films coming from Australian filmmakers in this time.
The 21st century has proven to be one of the absolute best times for Australian horror as a whole, seeing some of the absolute biggest horror successes for the region that have crossed the global barrier and become influential icons of the genre as a whole. Their smaller scale and focus on impactful original storytelling over larger franchises of Hollywood horror has also led to Australian films being much more experimental and artistic in their approach to horror, resulting in so many exceptional films worth seeking out.
10
‘Hounds of Love’ (2016)
As opposed to the traditional supernatural or fantasy-focused sources of fear that are at the center of many horror films, Hounds of Love instills feelings of deeply rooted dread and terror from its disturbingly realistic portrayal of sickening real-life crimes and abuse. The film follows young teenage girl Vicki Maloney (Ashleigh Cummings), who finds herself randomly abducted by a disturbed couple. Vicki soon realizes that she must utilize the cracks in their relationship to her own benefit, driving a wedge between them so she can survive.
What makes Hounds of Love so effective as a serial killer story is that it isn’t afraid to delve into the dark, twisted reality of its true story, not hiding the depraved mentality that would lead to someone committing such vicious acts of depravity. It does a brilliant job of exploring such toxic relationships built upon abuse and lies, and how people must fight such abuse at its core so as not to create more victims in the future.
9
‘Little Monsters’ (2019)
Zombie storytelling reached untold heights of popularity throughout the 21st century, so it would only make sense that Australian filmmakers would provide their own spin on the classic living dead horror subgenre. However, it doesn’t take long for Little Monsters to set itself apart from its contemporaries, being an incredibly charming horror comedy experience built upon some exceptional comedic performances and a premise filled with comedic potential.
The film follows a wholesome preschool field trip suddenly taking a turn for the deadly when an outbreak of zombies beings laying waste to all the people around them, leaving them stranded in a gift shop. It soon becomes up to the lovely preschool teacher (Lupita Nyong’o), a washed-up chaperone (Alexander England), and an alcoholic children’s entertainer (Josh Gad) in order to keep the children both safe and happy amidst the death and destruction around them. There’s an inherent charm that helps set Little Monsters apart from the other zombie movies of the era, still holding up long after zombie fervor has died down.
8
‘Relic’ (2020)
Utilizing the lingering terror and dread of dementia for a layered, deeply intelligent horror mystery film, Relic brilliantly utilizes its heavy themes to create a truly haunting cinematic experience. The film follows the daughter of an elderly woman rushing to help after her inexplicable vanishing and an ever-decaying home. As she finds more clues as to the weight and impact of her mother’s increasing dementia, she comes to realize that there is something much more sinister lurking in the shadows of their home.
Relic does a great job of combining the systemic pain and difficulty of living with a family member with dementia with a classic haunted house horror story. The film largely uses its terror as a metaphor for the impact and pain of dementia as a whole, working wonders narratively while also creating some absolute spine-tingling scares. The slow-burn horror film proved to be especially effective when it was released in the midst of the pandemic, when original filmmaking as a whole was at a complete standstill.
7
‘Dangerous Animals’ (2025)
An exceptional combination of torture horror and shark movies to create one of the best recent additions to both horror subgenres, Dangerous Animals utilizes its sleek style and gruesome bloody carnage to make for an unexpectedly entertaining time. The film follows a sadistic, shark-obsessed serial killer (Jai Courtney) who has been kidnapping tourists and free-spirits as a way to prune the populace of what he perceives to be weak links. As he readies up his latest victim (Hassie Harrison) for yet another shark-feeding ceremony, she does all that she can to fight for her life and escape his clutches.
While both shark movies and torture horror movies have individually been largely worn out in terms of their large appeal and originality, the combination of the two of them here proves to bring out the best in one another to create a wildly engaging horror experience. The film is made that much more compelling by the performances at its center, with Courtney delivering a deliciously sadistic performance and Harrison playing a pitch perfect final girl for the ages.
6
‘Lake Mungo’ (2008)
An exceptional variation on the classic found footage genre of horror that was dominating the 2000s, Lake Mungo‘s pseudo-documentary style amplifies the realism and impact of its story, constantly blurring the lines between perceived fiction and reality. The film follows the grieving Palmer family, who are still reeling from the recent loss of 16-year-old Alice Palmer, who drowned at a local dam. Even more shocking is how, in the wake of her death, the family has been experiencing mysterious paranormal apparitions combined with shocking revelations about Alice’s hidden life.
From the inherent mystery and slow-drip of reveals surrounding the truth of Alice’s life to the brilliantly grounded approach to the paranormal occurrences that the characters experience, Lake Mungo still stands as one of the most singular and unique films in the found footage genre. Its sense of terror and scares is much more subtle than in a traditional horror film, but leads to a greater insidious nature when its monumental twist comes into play and the full picture is revealed.
5
‘Better Watch Out’ (2016)
Playing out like a twisted, blood-soaked version of Home Alone, Better Watch Out completely flips the home invasion concept on its head in a hilarious horror comedy satire. The film starts off with a familiar home invasion premise, with a lovable babysitter and the rambunctious boy that she’s looking over having their cozy night take a turn for the deadly when signs of a home invasion begin to occur. However, after an exceptional twist that shall not be revealed here, it becomes brazenly apparent that this home invasion is anything but familiar.
Simply making a horror riff on Home Alone would have been compelling enough, but the directions that Better Watch Out takes with its story, kills, and overall comedy make it easily one of the best holiday horror comedies of recent memory. It plays into the expectations and perceptions of home invasion films as a whole, creating an ingenious satire of the genre while also not shying away from an array of carnage and death at every corner.
4
‘The Loved Ones’ (2009)
Yet another exceptional horror film from director Sean Byrne, The Loved Ones takes all of the carnage and bloodlust of a torture film and combines it with the anxieties and overwhelming angst of the high school social ladder. The film follows Lola Stone (Robin McLeavy), who finds herself in complete shock and disarray after her classmate Brent (Xavier Samuel) declines her invitation to the prom. She soon begins planning a wildly violent plan of revenge against Brent, getting back at him for ruining what was supposed to be her perfect prom.
Bryne’s signature blend of exhilarating charm and comedy mixed with over the top carnage and bloodshed helped make The Loved Ones a substantial cult classic of the era, with it largely being considered a classic of the torture horror genre. The film’s lasting appeal comes from the fact that, especially when compared to the normally dour and dreadfully bleak torture horror films, The Loved Ones manages to have a lot of fun and comedic with with its displays of sickening torture.
3
‘Triangle’ (2009)
A psychological horror film that amplifies its fear and tension with a striking isolated setting and the inescapable dread of a time loop, Triangle has made a name for itself as one of the absolute best horror time loop movies. The film follows a group of friends setting sail on the high seas on a luxury yacht, only to grow increasingly suspicious of their situation as a myriad of strange things begin to occur. The flim is about as concrete and impactful as psychological horror films get, utilizing dread and horror than any other time loop film out there.
Like many great time loop films before and after, it’s the type of film that lives and dies by its rewatchability, only growing more and more special as a cinematic experience thanks to its subtle details that only become apparent when the audience has the full picture. Acclaim and appreciation for the film has only continued to grow with each passing year, as it stands in a league of its own among horror time loop films as one of the absolute best of its subgenre.
2
‘Talk To Me’ (2022)
An exceptional blending of classic supernatural horror with the wild, unrestrained chaos of youthful social media hype culture, Talk To Me has bursted out of the gate to be considered among the scariest movies of recent memory. The film follows a group of various teens who have been having all sorts of fun messing with the spirits beyond, communicating with lost souls and having them take control of their bodies as a fun party activity. However, when one experience goes wrong, it begins to haunt and tear away at the psyche of them as it unlashes deadly supernatural consequences.
From the compelling relatability of its characters to its overarching messages of not only the impact and destructive power of grief, but the impact and deadly nature of substance abuse, Talk To Me has the best of both worlds in terms of top-notch scares and narrative brilliance. It’s one of the best recent examples of a horror film having its cake and eating it too, having some of the best and most impactful scares of recent memory while also having a deeply layered and intelligent narrative and characters to amplify said scares beyond the initial shock.
1
‘The Babadook’ (2014)
While there have been and will continue to be many exceptional horror movies to come out of the Australian film industry, it’s difficult to imagine a film other than The Babadook topping this list as the absolute best horror film to come from an Australian filmmaker. The film completely revolutionized and redefined the horror genre for many audiences, being one of the core films that ushered in the wave of “elevated horror” that would not only define the late 2010s, but has continued strong into the 2020s as well.
The classic story of a deadly apparition haunting a family quickly became iconic not just because of the excellence of its scares and tension, but the film’s brilliant usage of said scares and paranoria as a symbolic parallel to grief and depression following the loss of a loved one. The Babadook cuts to the heart of the pain left in one’s heart and soul after such a destructive life event, leaving the people impacted in a pit of despair ready to be swallowed up by darkness itself.
The Babadook
- Release Date
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November 28, 2014
- Runtime
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94 Minutes
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Noah Wiseman
Samuel Vanek
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