Get Ready to Get Scared

Anyone serious about horror movies doesn’t need Halloween as an excuse to keep tabs on the genre. Still, it’s a great time of the year to look at the state of scary movies beyond the constraints of Hollywood. While “The Conjuring 2” managed both to satisfy critics and generate box office heat, it’s hardly the standard-bearer for spooky storytelling. Anyone paying attention to the wide variety of options outside of the studio arena knows that the rabbit hole goes very deep, dark and downright terrifying the more you crawl around. Every year, we’ve offered the following survey of the best recent independent horror movies. Our criteria is flexible, but we don’t include anything older than two years and never repeat titles (sorry, “It Follows,” but you’re last year’s news). This time around, we’ve cast a wide net, with more flavors than your average Halloween candy grab bag. Our list highlights a range of options that include an anthology series, two Asian phenomenons, a pair of taut home invasion thriller, an animated miniseries and one disgusting documentary. Some of them are perfect for viewing at home or in theaters for this spooky holiday, while others lurk just around the corner on the release calendar.
There’s something for everyone in the mood to get creeped out, but no list is ever complete — so let us know what we’re missing by tweeting us @IndieWire.