The British horror renaissance
by Mighty_Emperor | created - 26 Aug 2012 | updated - 4 days ago | PublicInspired by this piece from the Garudian:
Interest in homegrown horror was rekindled by Danny Boyle's film 28 Days Later in 2002 and grew with the success of Shaun of the Dead, Neil Marshall's The Descent and Christopher Smith's two films Creep and Severance.
So this list deals with the last decade (and counting) revival in the fortunes of the British horror movie (you can monitor new releases here, and there is one for short films), I'm sure the creative people were out there but it was 28 Days Later than got the purse strings loosened. Defining "British" is always going to be subjective, Hammer, for example, made a return in 2007 but some of the films they've produced have been co-productions filmed abroad (like Let Me In), but we'll include them as this this list is partly to show the strength of the British film industry when it comes to horror films. For that reason I will also include movies filmed in the UK as it all helps bolster the home-grown efforts (like World War Z).
Of course, that isn't to say that all these films are great, some of them are awful, but the level of quality is higher than I've found on most of my other lists.
Also making 2002 a cut-off is pretty arbitrary as it includes Dog Soldiers and Deathwatch that can't have benefited much from the 28 Days Later effect, and it excludes many interesting films that pre-date it, like The Bunker and Lighthouse, but it is still a good line in the sand if we want to look at recent British horror films and it does seem to be a genuine phenomena.
See also: Contagious violence, it shouldn't be a surprise, given the film that kickstarted everything that a lot of the films here also feature over there but the sub-genre (and zombie films) are easy to do with simple make-up and effects, and there is also an explosion in them in general. Also hoodie horror films feature strongly as a reflection of modern concerns. In addition there are quite a few films that fit into the backwoods horror and folk horror, both of which are undergoing a resurgence too (both of which can also be done on a limited budget). In fact, in most sub-genres I've been tracking, a big hit film has combined with improved distribution and cheaper technology to give a spike in the number of films produced.
Links: British horror revival blog from MJ Simpson, the co-founder of SFX magazine and the author of the upcoming book Urban Terrors: New British Horror Cinema 1997-2008, a guide to the 114 key films of that period. I only found it part-way through making the list but it has proved invaluable for filling in the gaps here (it also helped confirm I was on the right lines with the list name), so if you like this list follow his blog and be sure to pick up his book (if it goes well there is chance of a sequel - there are clearly going to be more films in the few years after 2008 than in the decade before). He has also provided round-ups of the releases in 2010 and 2011, noting that in 2001 there were 3 British horror films but in 2010 there were 48 (the 2010 round-up only includes 32 because he discovered more afterwards) and in 2011 there were 41 (not counting further revisions), my count below is different but the proportions are similar. There were more again in 2012, 14 of them zombie films, more than one a month and more than the annual total for most years (in fact so many I made a list for British zombie films). Which does flag up that something is going on here. Frightfest is also worth keeping an eye on, it is the UK's leading horror film festival (I have yet to attend but I will one day) with a strong focus on British movies and, even if you can't make it, because it is run in conjunction Film4, they run a week's worth of films and interviews on their TV channel (it is where I first heard about Kill List, for example).
The count: I have gone through and counted all the full length British horror films and put them into a spreadsheet and graph.
Which really does show an upwards trend, from less than one a month to one ever 3 days, just in the noughties - rapidly passing the levels of the boom period for British horror: the 60s and 70s. If you look back further you'll see that horror film production in the 90s were often down to similar levels to the early 50s when we were shaking off the effects of a world war (the chilling effect of the video nasty era? after all hardline BBFC chief James Ferman retired in 1999 and it was only then that a lot of the banned movies started to be passed uncut). A really impressive upswing , although it makes it impossible to keep up with all of them even if you wanted to. However, the number do suggest the renaissance was under way before 28DL, even if the success of films like it (Shaun of the Dead, etc.) have inspired film-makers and made financiers take British horror films seriously, helping to build momentum. I'd also flag up my comments above, as the growth in some horror sub-genres parallels what we see here, suggesting that the ease of film-making and distribution now means there will be more films but there is also clear evidence for successful films have an important effect on the types of films being made (the best example of zombie films - the first 3 Romero films created a spike in zombie movies with a lag of a year or two - I have rather a fine graph to prove my point).
I did also stumble across this piece about horror fiction and Tory governments:
A cursory glance at the points where horror fiction did enjoy periods of resurgence do tend to follow an upward graph with Tory fortunes.
...
Now, after two years of government by coalition of the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, horror is on the rise again.
So we can see a big spike in British horror films after 2010 (a jump of 50%) but there is usually a lag of a few years between inspiration and realisation, plus the Thatcher/Major years (1979-1997) saw a real dip in output between high points of the 60s/70s and the current upswing. So I'm not buying this when it comes to films, and if we are talking about fiction then... show me your numbers - I've shown you mine after all.
Caveats: There could be a recentist bias to an internet movie data base but IMDB has been going since 1990, so you'd imagine that'd be smoothed out by now and the British horror film industry isn't that large, but does attract a lot of rabid fans, so you'd imagine it'd be difficult for too many films to fall through the gaps. The opposite might also be a problem - there might be a bias against more recent movies as it can take a while for information to trickle through. However, this seems to largely apply to tagging and working out what sub-genres films fit into which are user added features and can be a bit arbitrary and subjective, while the location of production company is going to be a well-defined fact and much more likely to be properly registered here when the film is added (I have found a couple of examples so far when compiling this list, but not many). So I suspect neither is so serious to make a mockery of the numbers, as is a big enough sample that a few films won't make any difference (famous last words, I'm sure). One factor I do think might have an impact on the current year peak is that I've already seen some unreleased films shifted back to the following year or just whenever. So I expect the patter of each year is the peak will grow, as the full slate of films in production becomes clear, and then it will drop a bit as some get rescheduled or disappear into development hell, never to be seen again. Which means the current year is always going to be provisional until we reach the end and perhaps do a little tidy up too, so there might be a drop off of a dozen or so, but that might be compensated for after the inclusion of some films that might not get listed here until they're released.
Other films: There are some adult films that I'm wary of listing as they seem to cause problems for the list: Cathula 2: Vampires of Sex.
Length: Sorry it is a long list and this might be a little off-putting but you can use the filters to break it down if you don't want to browse through all the pages (even if I recommend you do it at least once). So you can, for example, rank only the feature films by quality if you were perhaps looking some of the better movies on the list to watch (even then you should do your homework, because some obscure films don't have many votes which can lead to people gaming the system).
Videos: I've tried to provide links to online videos of films where they appear to be official, if you want me to add a video or remove/swap a link then leave a note in the comments.
Comments: As I don't have a Facebook account I cannot interact with the new comments system, so have switched it off and replaced it with a thread on the message board.
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101. Scarred (2004 Video)
Not Rated | 72 min | Horror
Bill Conrad will stop at nothing to find his daughter. A year to the day Bill makes his weekly trip to the site of his daughter's disappearance to put up her poster. But on this fateful day... See full summary »
Director: Steve Looker | Stars: Neville Millar, Shiv Nagpal, Rebecca Scales
Votes: 28
102. Dæmos Rising (2004 Video)
53 min | Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Trapped in an isolated cottage, Captain Cavendish thinks he is seeing ghosts. The only person who might understand and help is Kate Lethbridge-Stewart ... but when she arrives, she realises... See full summary »
Director: Keith Barnfather | Stars: Beverley Cressman, Miles Richardson, Andrew Wisher, Amanda Evans
Votes: 74
Dr Who spin-off.
103. The Sisterhood (2004 Video)
R | 85 min | Horror
Teen horror flick about a vampire that corrupts a college sorority.
Director: David DeCoteau | Stars: Barbara Crampton, Jennifer Holland, Michelle Borth, Storm David Newton
Votes: 364
104. Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten (2004 TV Movie)
117 min | Horror, Music
The operatic version of the famous story about a governess who fears her two charges are possessed.
Director: Katie Mitchell | Stars: Lisa Milne, Mark Padmore, Diana Montague, Catrin Wyn Davies
Votes: 46
105. Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (2004)
TV-MA | 24 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
This parody series is an unearthed 80s horror/drama, complete with poor production values, awful dialogue and hilarious violence. The series is set in a Hospital in Romford, which is situated over the gates of Hell.
Stars: Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Matthew Holness, Alice Lowe
Votes: 20,164
Superb spoof of earlier horror and a quite mad and wonderful series in its own right.
106. Hex (2004–2005)
TV-14 | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Cassie is a shy and lonely student who is only really loved by her best friend Thelma.
Stars: Jemima Rooper, Jamie Davis, Amber Sainsbury, Colin Salmon
Votes: 5,193
107. Angry and Moist: An Undead Chronicle (2004)
23 min | Horror, Short, Comedy
Herbert West's half brother continues his bid to conquer brain death.
Director: James Raynor | Stars: Scarlett Victoria Carson, Alex Eamonson, Nick Thompson, Nicola Ford
Votes: 60
108. Syrup (2004)
5 min | Short, Horror
A bald man and a man with long hair meet in a run-down pub. They drink the night away, and then return to the bald man's flat. Then the evening's activities take a turn for the worse.
Director: Richard Baggaley | Stars: Andrew Elias, Steven Dykes, Pascale Nicholls, Tina Wallis
109. Witch's Spring (2004)
5 min | Horror, Short
"Witch's Spring" is a cautionary tale for anyone who's ever wondered how internet dating works but was afraid to ask...
Director: Brian Barnes | Stars: Tom Wontner, Gillian MacGregor
Votes: 32
Watch here on IMDB and Google Video (which I believe is being phased out)
110. Jennie: A Fathers Loss (2004)
5 min | Short, Horror
Andy Rolfe visits the grave of his dead daughter, who later haunts him as he pleads forgiveness.
Director: Craig Smith | Stars: Tim Paley, Janet Baron, Jenny Parker, Alicia Coppack
111. The Catch (2004)
Short, Horror, Thriller
Stephen is an arrogant and cheating husband whose affair with a young Emily has unimaginable consequences. Only Stephens's wife, knows how far beyond the ordinary the terrible secrets of ... See full summary »
Director: Adam Randall | Stars: Philippa Johnson, Gerardine Coyne, Debbie Terry, Tom Wontner
Votes: 67
112. Jemima: Photographic Trophy (2004)
14 min | Horror, Short
A psychological thriller centered around a young woman damaged by failed relationships. Jemima has almost given up on her search for true love. A neglected voice from her youth is heard and... See full summary »
Director: Uisdean Murray | Stars: Joy McAvoy, Duncan Edwards, Hollie Gallen, Nicola Roy
Votes: 26
113. Conceptual (2004 Video)
6 min | Horror, Short
Conceptual is dark and surreal in tone, while bright and beautiful in look. A young woman enters an art gallery, unaware that her death is the art she will whitness.
Director: Owen Tooth | Star: Fiona Doyle
Votes: 15
114. Zombies in the Wood (2004)
Not Rated | 10 min | Short, Horror
A deal has gone wrong which leads to a hitman on the hunt for a conrad who heads deep into the woods only to discover a zombie out break in which he must stand his ground and fight the living dead to the death.
Director: Jason Impey | Stars: Ken Dirke, Peter Watson, Jason Impey
Votes: 26
Jason Impey is a prolific director of low budget horror films, so appears a lot in this list. A lot of them, including this one, were compiled into Tales of Terror 1 and 2
115. The Tell-Tale Heart (2004)
Short, Horror
Set in the late 19th Century, a slightly unhinged man begins to obsess about his neighbour's 'vulture eye'. He is kind to him in the day but spies on him nightly at midnight, slowly ... See full summary »
Director: Stephanie Sinclaire | Stars: Oliver Bradshaw, Stephen Lord, Michael Roberts, Mark White
Votes: 30
116. Monsters (2004)
17 min | Horror, Short
A young boy, from a wicked and largely disinterested family, begins to turn to animal cruelty for satisfaction.
Director: Robert Morgan | Stars: Jack Daly, Jessica Ashworth, Samantha Lynch, Barry Lee-Thomas
Votes: 247
Watch on Vimeo and Robert Morgan's site
117. The Eel (2004)
6 min | Short, Horror
A short horror film about an eel that escapes from it's tank.
Director: Dominic Hailstone
Votes: 26
Watch on YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion
118. Rat a Tat Tat (2004)
15 min | Short, Horror
Director: Peter Stanley-Ward | Star: Simon Stanley-Ward
Watch on YouTube and BBC Southhampton
119. Danger! 50,000 Zombies! (2004)
25 min | Short, Comedy, Horror
Nick Frost presents a special spoof edition of his documentary "Danger! 50,000 Volts!" purely on the subject of the living dead.
Director: Jon Riley | Stars: Tony Bowden, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Peter Rnic
Votes: 688
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg's zombie-hunting short, an extra for the DVD release of their 2002 TV series Danger! 50,000 Volts!. As it isn't on the Shaun of the Dead DVD I assume I must have seen it when it surfaced on YouTube (as it does periodically like the Flying Dutchman).
120. Fun Dead (2004 Video)
1 min | Short, Comedy, Game-Show
An excerpt from a fictional television series titled "Fun Dead" set in the world of Shaun Of The Dead.
Director: Edgar Wright | Star: Keith Chegwin
Votes: 207
An extra on the Shaun of the Dead DVD, think It's a Knockout with zombies with a voiceover from Cheggers.
121. Fate (I) (2004)
20 min | Short, Horror
When two innocent 17year old girls talk about visiting a psychic neither of them knew it would be their first steps on a chilling journey. While Lucy's reading gives her all the answers she... See full summary »
Director: S.J. Evans | Stars: Kelly Morris, Katy Kardasz, Helen Grady, Diane Bevell
Votes: 15
122. Fate: Part 1 (2004)
35 min | Horror, Short
Creepy tale set on a remote island telling of the legacy of an occult obsessed man. Karswell grooms his two sons to participate in a dangerous ritual on their 18th birthdays. But he's ... See full summary »
Directors: Thomas Hamilton, Tracy Jenkins | Stars: Alex Walker, Denis Delahunt, Hannah Kelly, Nick Ewans
123. Fate: Redux (2004)
6 min | Horror, Short
Companion piece to "Fate - Part 1" - reimagining the central images in the form of an extended nightmare.
Director: Tracy Jenkins | Stars: Maria Bergman, Denis Delahunt, Thirl Drew, Nick Ewans
124. Paranormal (2004)
17 min | Horror, Short
Jen Chapman is seeking a brand new start in life and finds an apartment within the suburbs. The apartment isn't what she's after, but its all she can afford so she settles there. However, a... See full summary »
Director: Matthew Muller | Stars: Ruth Tapp, Jen Hainey, David Whitney, Rachel Wisson
Votes: 10
125. Bloodline (I) (2004)
20 min | Short, Horror, Thriller
Fleeing a series of atrocities in their northern English town, three friends head for the countryside. But out in the wilderness, the desperate trio soon realise that they are not alone. Something is out there. And it won't let them go.
Stars: Chris Austin, Daniel Austin, Nathan Byrne, Nathan Byrne
126. Televisual Man (2004)
4 min | Short, Drama, Horror
A man watches a television, obsessively flicking through channels until a glitch occurs on his TV set and he finds himself the subject of surveillance footage, he looks on confused as we pull wide the see that he also is being watched.
Director: Steve Piper | Star: Dave Smith
Votes: 22
127. Japanese Box (2004)
13 min | Horror, Short
Director: Tobias Tobbell | Stars: Masayo Aizawa, Jean-Marc Aka, Maye Choo
129. Never Ever After (2004)
14 min | Short, Horror
A woman's dissatisfaction with her body leads her to agree to a strange operation.
Director: Mariano Baino | Stars: Abby Leamon, Jackie Stirling, Jacqueline Wilkie, Ellie Sprack
Votes: 36
130. Stay with Me (2004)
6 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
A lonely force takes hold of it's unsuspecting victims.
Director: Gabriel Amaral | Stars: Daniela Amaral, Gabriel Amaral, Nicholas Mandri
131. Danger Zone (2004)
12 min | Comedy, Horror, Short
Jerry is an ordinary office worker, until the day his penis grows to enormous proportions. Plagued with anxiety, he struggles to control it and to protect his new girlfriend from the shock ... See full summary »
Director: Dylan Keeling | Stars: Murray Lachlan Young, Tamsin Pike
Votes: 24
132. Fix (2004)
8 min | Short, Horror
A day in the life of Luke, a nurse with a powerful addiction.
Director: Bobby Webster | Stars: Toby Fisher, Rosanna Lavelle, Dan Starkey, Emma Baines
133. The Chemist (2004)
Short, Horror
A nerve shattering psychological thriller. Following the story of a mild mannered Chemist, who soon realises that no one is quite who they seem, and that horrifying forces are closing in on the Chemist himself.
Director: Lawrence Gough | Stars: Alan Pattison, Emma Kanis, Nichola McHugh
134. Undone (2004)
6 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
Director: Lucy Moore | Stars: Emma Cunniffe, Yvette Richardson, Patrick Thornton
135. Bella (2004)
12 min | Horror, Short
Director: Sally Pearce | Stars: Ruth Posner, Rayyah McCaul, Jeremy McWilliam
136. Lucy (2004)
15 min | Short, Horror
A lovestruck woman makes a pact with the devil to get the man of her dreams. Seven years later the devil returns to claim what is owed.
Director: Christian Daniel Hazelwood | Stars: Marina Barry, Tess Beck, Taylor Caldwell, Marietta LaFarge
137. Informatica (2004)
7 min | Horror, Short
what if a computer virus starts spreading... to humans
Director: Tobias Tobbell | Stars: Maye Choo, Jonty Reason
139. Twisted (II) (2004)
10 min | Short, Horror
Stuart Who? and Wayne G cut a dance record called Twisted in 1997. This is the story of the promotional tour that followed. A look at life in the fast lane on three continents and a diary of the circuit party scene.
Stars: Emily Schaub, Javier Yanez
Votes: 26
140. The Descent (2005)
R | 99 min | Adventure, Horror, Thriller
A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.
Director: Neil Marshall | Stars: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder
Votes: 247,178 | Gross: $26.02M
141. The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael (2005)
TV-MA | 96 min | Crime, Drama
Robert Carmichael, is a talented cello player in the town of Newhaven. He becomes associated with several other unsavory teenagers and he is soon tempted into the use of hard drugs like cocaine and ecstasy.
Director: Thomas Clay | Stars: Nikki Albon, Zoey Campbell, Stephanie de Whalley, Phil Deguara
Votes: 1,392
The first hoodie horror film.
142. Evil Aliens (2005)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
A TV crew, desperate to boost ratings, arrive on a remote Welsh farming island to investigate an intriguing incident. A local girl and her boyfriend had been abducted by aliens, who also impregnated her.
Director: Jake West | Stars: Emily Booth, Jamie Honeybourne, Samuel Butler, Jodie Shaw
Votes: 6,095
Impressively gory alien invasion film - Jake West's films can be a little... hit and miss, this was a bit of a hit for me.
143. Spirit Trap (2005)
R | 91 min | Horror, Thriller
Five students unwittingly set off a spirit clock in a rundown London mansion. As the boundaries between fantasy and reality become blurred, the friends reveal their darkest secrets and begin to lapse into a haze of paranoia and violence.
Director: David Smith | Stars: Billie Piper, Luke Mably, Emma Catherwood, Sam Troughton
Votes: 1,547
144. The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005)
91 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
The notorious fictional town of Royston Vasey is under threat and its inhabitants are forced to leave.
Director: Steve Bendelack | Stars: Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, Michael Sheen
Votes: 5,925
The TV series also did some great foundation work bringing British horror influences to TV screens and they (especially Mark Gattiss) would go on to make important contributions to British horror, so it seems fitting that they'd round things off with a film. I loved the series but had avoided the film as it sounded poor, however, when I did watch it I rather enjoyed it.
145. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
G | 85 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.
Directors: Steve Box, Nick Park | Stars: Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Kay
Votes: 146,164 | Gross: $56.11M
146. Isolation (2005)
R | 95 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
On a remote Irish farm, five people become unwilling participants in an experiment that goes nightmarishly wrong.
Director: Billy O'Brien | Stars: John Lynch, Essie Davis, Sean Harris, Marcel Iures
Votes: 8,002
A well-done body horror film made in Ireland with British, Irish and American backing.
147. The Dark (2005)
R | 93 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
In mourning over the tragic drowning of their daughter Sarah, James and Adèle are visited by Ebrill, a young girl who claims she died 60 years ago - and bears a startling resemblance to Sarah.
Director: John Fawcett | Stars: Sean Bean, Maria Bello, Sophie Stuckey, Abigail Stone
Votes: 11,408
Welsh horror
If you are looking for other Welsh horror films, then Wales Online has an article: Top 10 Welsh Horror Films. There is also a revival of Welsh horror films going on and this piece details the history. There is even a Welsh horror film festival: Abertoir
148. Doom (2005)
R | 105 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Space Marines are sent to investigate strange events at a research facility on Mars but find themselves at the mercy of genetically enhanced killing machines.
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak | Stars: Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Dwayne Johnson, Deobia Oparei
Votes: 118,773 | Gross: $28.21M
Not to shabby for a video game adaptation although most of the rest have been made by Uwe Boll so...
149. Boy Eats Girl (2005)
R | 80 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A boy declares his love for his girlfriend, only to die the same night. He is brought back to life by his mother as a flesh-craving zombie, who sires more teen undead while trying to control his, er, appetite for his beloved.
Director: Stephen Bradley | Stars: Samantha Mumba, David Leon, Tadhg Murphy, Laurence Kinlan
Votes: 4,009
A UK/Irish zombie movie filmed in Dublin.
150. TrashHouse (2005)
82 min | Comedy, Horror
Monsters. Zombies. Chainsaws. Somebody Doesn't Love Lucy...
Director: Pat Higgins | Stars: Amber Moelter, Tom Wontner, Hannah Speller, Richard Collins
Votes: 375
May contain some zombies.
151. Cold and Dark (2005)
R | 94 min | Crime, Horror, Thriller
When Detective Mortimer Shade is somehow killed in a freezer, a parasite called a grail possesses his body, revives him, but he needs blood to stay alive. His partner John Dark accepts the ... See full summary »
Director: Andrew Goth | Stars: Luke Goss, Kevin Howarth, Matt Lucas, Carly Turnbull
Votes: 1,018
Sounds similar to The Revenant.
152. Forest of the Damned (2005)
R | 95 min | Horror
A group of friends go on a roadtrip and come to a stop in a forest where legend has it a group of naked bisexual female monsters lurk. Will they awake them? And if so will they survive?
Director: Johannes Roberts | Stars: Tom Savini, Daniel Maclagan, Nicole Petty, Sophie Holland
Votes: 1,212
153. House of 9 (2005)
R | 90 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Nine strangers, with no apparent connection between them are abducted: drugged, kidnapped and sealed in a house together.
Director: Steven R. Monroe | Stars: Kelly Brook, Dennis Hopper, Hippolyte Girardot, Ashley Walters
Votes: 10,770
154. Beneath Still Waters (2005)
R | 96 min | Horror
In 1965, in Northern Spain, a dam will be built to bring progress to the location of Desbaria and the town of Marienbad is near to be completely flooded. Two boys, Teo and Luis, cross the ... See full summary »
Director: Brian Yuzna | Stars: Omar Muñoz, Santiago Pasaglia, Eva Pont, Norberto Morán
Votes: 2,015
Yuzna and chums tend to make their movies in Spain but this still counts as a partly British production.
155. Wild Country (2005)
R | 67 min | Horror
In Glasgow, the teenager single mother Kelly Ann is forced by Father Steven "Steve" Gillis to deliver her baby boy for adoption. Six weeks later, Father Steve organizes a hike in the ... See full summary »
Director: Craig Strachan | Stars: Samantha Shields, Martin Compston, Peter Capaldi, Alan McHugh
Votes: 670
Scottish werewolves? Jings!!
156. The Nun (2005)
R | 101 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Years ago, a cruel and merciless nun turned boarding school into a living hell for her students until they could no longer bear the abuse, and she mysteriously disappeared. Now the alumnae are being brutally murdered one by one.
Director: Luis de la Madrid | Stars: Aníta Briem, Belén Blanco, Manu Fullola, Alistair Freeland
Votes: 3,559
157. Survival Island (I) (2005)
TV-MA | 95 min | Drama, Thriller
Three people - a rich couple and a crew member - are shipwrecked on a tropical island and their subsequent fight for survival becomes even tougher when they begin to turn on each other.
Director: Stewart Raffill | Stars: Billy Zane, Kelly Brook, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Todd Collins
Votes: 10,478
158. Ghost of Mae Nak (2005)
Not Rated | 101 min | Horror
A young couple reawaken the spirit of a famous old Thai legend.
Director: Mark Duffield | Stars: Pataratida Pacharawirapong, Siwat Chotchaicharin, Porntip Papanai, Jaran Ngamdee
Votes: 855
British production filmed in Thailand.
159. Room 36 (2005)
89 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Director: Jim Groom | Stars: Paul Herzberg, Portia Booroff, Brian Murphy, Norman Mitchell
Votes: 74
160. An American Haunting (2005)
PG-13 | 83 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
An invisible entity haunts a 19th century family, and family secrets soon begin to surface.
Director: Courtney Solomon | Stars: Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood, James D'Arcy
Votes: 26,877 | Gross: $16.30M
The haunting might have been American but the film didn't make it to the silver screen without British, Canadian and Romanian help.
161. Experiment (2005)
R | 95 min | Thriller
A man and woman walk the streets of a foreign city with no memory of who they are and plagued by nightmarish visions. Unknown to them their every action is being guided by unseen forces from the dark underground shadows of the city.
Director: Dan Turner | Stars: John Hopkins, Georgina French, Mem Ferda, David Gant
Votes: 1,033
162. Fragile (2005)
PG-13 | 101 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
At her new job in a rundown children's hospital, a nurse desperately tries to keep her patients safe from a plague of random, mysterious attacks.
Director: Jaume Balagueró | Stars: Calista Flockhart, Richard Roxburgh, Elena Anaya, Gemma Jones
Votes: 17,537
163. Naina (2005)
104 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
After receiving an eye transplant, a young woman realizes that she can see into the supernatural world.
Director: Shripal Morakhia | Stars: Urmila Matondkar, Anuj Sawhney, Malavika Nair, Amardeep Jha
Votes: 880
164. P (2005)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama, Horror
Whilst growing up in rural Thailand, a young orphan girl is taught the ways of magic by her grandmother. But when grandmother falls sick, Dau is lured to Bangkok to find work so that she ... See full summary »
Director: Paul Spurrier | Stars: Suangporn Jaturaphut, Opal, Dor Yodrak, Narisara Sairatanee
Votes: 1,307
165. Lie Still (2005)
R | 80 min | Horror
After breaking-up with his girlfriend Veronica, the unemployed John Hare rents a cheap room in an old boarding house owned by the nice Martin Stone and the landlord tells him that the house... See full summary »
Director: Sean Hogan | Stars: Tim Barlow, Robert Blythe, Susan Engel, Stuart Laing
Votes: 286
166. Time of Her Life (2005)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama, Fantasy
Two ghosts, separated by time, who have roamed the grounds of a historic English mansion, searching for each other are brought together by Ally (LAURA PENNEYCARD), a photography student who... See full summary »
Director: Steven M. Smith | Stars: Laura Penneycard, Geoff Shaw, Colin Bower, Robert Pheby
Votes: 248 | Gross: $0.01M
167. The Toybox (2005)
Not Rated | 81 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
It all began so innocently for two children growing up in the deepest countryside, their imaginations set ablaze by a book on local myths and legends. Berenice convinces her younger brother... See full summary »
Director: Paolo Sedazzari | Stars: Alexander Abadzis, Russell Barnes, Suzanne Bertish, Sara Bispham
Votes: 385
168. Puritan (2005)
94 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Victorian inspired modern day supernatural film noir, set against the backdrop of Whitechapel, mediums and the work of supposed pagan architect Nicholas Hawksmoore.
Director: Hadi Hajaig | Stars: Nick Moran, Georgina Rylance, David Soul, Ralph Brown
Votes: 386
169. Snuff-Movie (2005)
R | 92 min | Horror
Boris Arkadin is a horror film maker. His pregnant wife was brutally murdered by a Manson-like gang of hippy psychopaths during the 1960s. He becomes a virtual recluse - until years later ... See full summary »
Director: Bernard Rose | Stars: Jeroen Krabbé, Lisa Enos, Teri Harrison-Keaton, Alastair Mackenzie
Votes: 762
170. Within (I) (2005)
R | 93 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
While traveling in Czech Republic, the American friends Brad, Christina, T.K. and Kelly find a map with the route to an ancient castle and they decide to visit the place. They force the ... See full summary »
Directors: John A. Curtis, Merlin Ward | Stars: Amy Perfect, Fiona Glascott, Derek Hamilton, Boyan Vukelic
Votes: 104
171. Skyggen (2005)
Not Rated | 75 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
Max, suffers from memory loss, and is stalked by a serial killer who is framing Max for all his killings. Max is positive that he is innocent. He knows that he has been framed, but what he ... See full summary »
Director: Jemshaid Ashraf | Stars: Jemshaid Ashraf, Bianca Cheng, Gino Evans, Ralph Ferraro
Votes: 39
172. Soul Searcher (2005)
98 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Street sweeper Joe Fallow is approached by the ailing Grim Reaper who offers to train him as his replacement, becoming the new 'face of death'. Elsewhere in town, an evil force threatens to... See full summary »
Director: Neil Oseman | Stars: Ray Bullock Jnr, Jonny Lewis, Katrina Cooke, Christopher Hatherall
Votes: 159
173. Expiry Date (2005)
72 min | Comedy, Horror
Reece is the school loser - no money, nerdy friends and the girl of his dreams doesn't know he exists! That is until he discovers a mysterious credit card with an unlimited balance. Now ... See full summary »
Director: Karen Bird | Stars: Gaz Edwards, Ally Goodman, Dav Hall-Williams, Paul Keddie
Votes: 35
174. Exterminator City (2005 Video)
Not Rated | 80 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
The Year is 2027. A robot pest controller turned serial killer has embarked on a murderous rampage, carving his way through the population of Atro City. Following in the wake of his ... See full summary »
Director: Clive Cohen | Stars: Julie Strain, Brinke Stevens, Teresa May, Cathy Barry
Votes: 264
175. Jack, the Last Victim (2005)
83 min | Crime, Horror, Musical
In a little Victorian theatre in the east end of London, the infamous story of the five victims of Jack the Ripper is being recreated in a rock musical. The film takes us away from the ... See full summary »
Director: Phil Peel | Stars: Gillian MacGregor, Tom Wontner, Roy Hudd, John Higgins
Votes: 19
176. The Veil (2005 Video)
Not Rated | 150 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A small town is infected by a virus and a frantic cover up is taking place. Three days later, several special forces teams are sent in on a reconnaissance mission. Their objective - to measure the effect of the virus and locate survivors.
Director: Richard Chance | Stars: Russell Allen, Jonathan Chance, Pauline Chance, Richard Chance
Votes: 67
Zombies
177. Infestation (2005 Video)
89 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
The not too distant future. A deadly virus has swept across the Earth. Billions perished. The survivors moved underground . . . 30 years on and plagued with self-blame following a ... See full summary »
Director: Edward Evers-Swindell | Stars: Ross Evison, Susan Riley, Paul Sutherland, William Evers-Swindell
Votes: 239
Contagious violence
178. Abducted by the Daleks (2005 Video)
55 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
A group of young women gets abducted by the Daleks.
Director: Roman Nowicki | Stars: Katarzyna Zelnik, Eliza Borecka, Sonja Karina, Lina Black
Votes: 170
179. Hacked Off (2005 Video)
71 min | Horror
Seven friends on a weekend away, miles from anywhere. Just as the party's getting started, a serial killer shows up!
Director: Andrew Weild | Stars: Layla Anna-Lee, Liam Browne, Maria Conciarro, Ross Maxwell
Votes: 62
180. A View from a Hill (2005 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 40 min | Drama, Horror
In fact Dr Fanshawe is not on holiday. As an archaeologist, he has been engaged by the squire to catalogue a private collection of local artefacts.
Director: Luke Watson | Stars: Mark Letheren, Pip Torrens, David Burke, Simon Linnell
Votes: 677
Nicely creepy adaptation.
181. Marian, Again (2005 TV Movie)
180 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
School teacher Chris Bevan is a dutiful husband to his dull wife, Josie, and ingrate daughters. His best friend knows Chris' heart always belonged to Marian, his vibrant, flippant fiancée, ... See full summary »
Director: David Drury | Stars: Stephen Tompkinson, Owen Teale, Samantha Beckinsale, Kelly Harrison
Votes: 266
182. Doctor Who (2005–2022)
TV-PG | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
The further adventures in time and space of the alien adventurer known as the Doctor and his companions from planet Earth.
Stars: Jodie Whittaker, Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Smith
Votes: 246,734
I'd argue that the return of Doctor Who has helped get the wider British audience introduced to a range of horror themes, doing a lot of groundwork for future films.
183. Afterlife (I) (2005–2006)
TV-14 | 668 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
University lecturer Robert Bridge becomes involved in a series of supernatural events surrounding medium Alison Mundy in this chilling TV series.
Stars: Lesley Sharp, Andrew Lincoln, Kate Duchêne, Anna Wilson-Jones
Votes: 2,235
184. Twisted Tales (2005– )
30 min | Comedy, Drama, Horror
Darkly comic stories with a mysterious twist, the tales set out to spook the brain and tickle the funny bone. A follow-up to the earlier Spine Chillers series.
Stars: Yoel Goldenberg, Margaret Henshaw, Marc Warren, Simon Woods
Votes: 72
185. Rubber Johnny (2005)
6 min | Animation, Short, Horror
An experimental music video about a wheelchair-bound boy who morphs and moves to an Aphex Twin song. The experience gets weirder when he takes cocaine and everything gets out of control.
Director: Chris Cunningham | Stars: Shelly Weiss, Elvis Fetic, Percy Rutterford, Chris Cunningham
Votes: 3,101
Genuinely strange and disturbing, as you'd expect from the director of the "Come to Daddy" and "Windowlicker" videos. Now when can we see your first feature Mr Cunningham?
Watch on YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion.
186. Maxzilla (2005)
2 min | Short, Horror, Musical
The story of a young filmmaker wanting to make movies, suffering nightmares at the hands of a monster movie he makes
Director: Lawrence Mallinson | Stars: Edward Johnson, Daniel George, Max Hollis
Watch here on IMDB, Vimeo and Dailymotion
187. Breakfast at Barbie's (2005)
20 min | Comedy, Drama, Horror
A night of heavy drinking for Rubix Smith results in an extended stay at the remote farm house of Barbie of the Moors - a giant, lovelorn madwoman!
Director: Mike Baranik | Stars: Andy Gillies, Jamie Wilson, Catherine Clare, Stephen Lamb
Votes: 26
Watch here on IMDB
188. The Helix (2005)
42 min | Horror, Short, Thriller
Director: John Fairfield | Stars: Katherine Fish, Alan Peacock, Darren Revill, Lesley McCallum
Votes: 64
189. Inside (II) (2005)
6 min | Short, Drama, Fantasy
A man living in a manufactured world is forced to take drastic action in an attempt to return to a more natural life.
Director: Brian Philip Davis | Stars: Damian McDonald, Tony Brown, Adrienne Madden
Votes: 36
Watch on Vimeo
190. Make Me Bad (2005 Video)
7 min | Short, Comedy, Horror
Working a rubbish job is getting to Bill. He does all the things other people don't want to do. So when a menial task at work turns into a murderous affair - he can only hope his minimum wage life doesn't get worse.
Directors: James Bartle, Elliott Rothon | Stars: Elliott Rothon, James Bartle, Rebecca Rothon
191. Sugar and Shit (2005)
11 min | Drama, Thriller, Horror
Karl, an inmate, sits in solitude to talks about life, sex, and the pursuit of an under aged girl to his "cellmate" before he ends his life.
Director: Alex J. Cameron-Sinclair | Stars: Georgie Calverley, Erica Evens, Mark Thomas
Votes: 21
192. Katalog (2005)
14 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
What happens when a government agent finds his body at the mercy of a lethal kind of state control and his life hijacked by a cigarette-smoking monster, a carnivorous nurse, and a beautiful blonde.
Director: Rania Ajami | Stars: Judith Malina, John Casey, Ilion Troya, Alexandria Kryzaniwsky
Votes: 42
193. The Hellraiser Chronicles: A Question of Faith (2005)
30 min | Short, Horror
Troubled young Priest Father Farrell returns to deserted house that cost his friends their lives nearly 20 years ago. Plagued by guilt, flashbacks and curiosity, Father Farrell attempts to ... See full summary »
Director: R.N. Millward | Stars: Andy Dingley, Leila Gray, Kieron Hazel, Ben Humphrey
Votes: 64
194. Cherry Orchard (2005)
27 min | Short, Horror, Thriller
Single girl Gemma is having a night out. Attracted to Barry in a local bar, she leaves with him that night and enters a surreal world of madness.
Directors: James Eastope, R.N. Millward | Stars: James Eastope, Eleanor James, Kate Moore, David Swain
Votes: 10
195. Soccer of the Dead (2005)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
A zombie and human go head to head in a football match to the death.
Director: Jason Impey | Stars: Jason Impey, Peter Watson
Votes: 19
196. The Libertines (I) (2005)
Short, Horror, Thriller
A modern day Casanova manages his affairs as if they were sales deals, with tragic consequences when he becomes the key suspect in a serial murder investigation. A Hitchcockesk urban thriller.
Director: Nicholas A.J. Sherard | Star: Ben Bishop
197. Death by Dawn (2005)
3 min | Short, Horror
Director: Darran Robinson | Stars: Christian Serritiello, Arthur Patching
198. Finding Harry (2005)
Short, Horror
A weekend break with a group of friends goes wrong, when slowly one by one they are all either infected, killed or maimed by the zombie. Can Christine find Harry in time?
Director: John Sellings | Stars: Marie Brock, Kerry Finlayson, Miranda Keeling
Zombies
199. Cage (2005)
9 min | Short, Horror
A woman hears strange noises from the inside of a garage. She discovers, to her horror, that a psychotic girl is trapped inside a small animal cage. The girl needs her help...or does she?
Director: Nick Karner | Stars: Anna Parker-Naples, Anna Scaife
Votes: 22
200. Things Best Left (2005)
3 min | Short, Horror
Scar, (n.): A lingering sign of damage or injury, either mental or physical. Madeleine wakes each morning to find fresh scars on her body, cut while she slept.
Director: Anthony Carpendale | Star: Sarah Tortell
Votes: 15
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