Highlights
- The 2000s introduced some of the best horror films Britain had produced, showcasing a fresh take on the genre and training ground for future Hollywood stars.
- Ultra-low-budget film Colin demonstrates that a talented filmmaker only needs a camera and a great idea to make an interesting film, despite its lack of budget.
- The Descent remains one of Britain's best horror movies, combining terrifying cave-dwelling creatures with tense and complicated relationships between the characters.
The 2000s was a decade of change, moving from the relative calm and prosperity of the 90s into a chaotic decade of recession, terrorism, and uncertainty. Movies can often reflect the changes happening in society, and none more so than in horror cinema.
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Britain has always been a major producer of horror films, going back to the classic era when Hammer Horror dominated the genre and stars such as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing terrified audiences worldwide. The 2000s would introduce some of the best horror films Britain had produced to date, and would also act as a training ground for a generation of stars that would go on to become the Hollywood elite.
10 Colin
IMDB Rating: 4.7
- Director: Marc Price
- Released: 2008
- Running Time: 97m
Colin represents ultra-low-budget filmmaking at its best. It shows that a talented filmmaker only needs a camera and a great idea to make an interesting film. Colin’s production cost was only £45 and was filmed solely by actor, director, and comedian Marc Price. It would go on to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Colin follows the title character as he explores the streets of London after he has been turned into a walking undead. The premise is a fresh take on the zombie film and is an engaging watch. Viewers shouldn’t go into this expecting high-quality work though, as it certainly suffers from its lack of budget.
9 Evil Aliens
IMDB Rating: 5.2
- Director: Jake West
- Released: 2005
- Running Time: 1h 33m
This gory comedy-horror film from director Jake West is a ridiculous, over-the-top splatter movie that is a lot of fun. The film follows a TV crew investigating strange UFO incidents on a remote farm in Wales. They soon discover that the aliens haven’t left, and are forced to fight for their lives.
Evil Aliens follows in the grand tradition of movies such as Peter Jackson’s Braindead and Evil Dead 2, pushing the gore to absurd levels, where no actor escapes without being covered in a bucket of blood. The film features cult British scream queen Emily Booth and Red Dwarf actor Norman Lovett.
8 Wake Wood
IMDB Rating: 5.5
- Director: David Keating
- Released: 2009
- Running Time: 1h 30m
Wake Wood follows the story of a grieving couple who are offered the chance to spend three days with their deceased daughter, brought about by a bloody ritual carried out by the locals. The film follows in the tradition of folk-horror films such as The Wicker Man and Blood On Satan’s Claw.
It features great performances from Timothy Spall and Aidan Gillian, who would find worldwide fame playing Littlefinger in Game of Thrones. Wake Wood is an Irish and UK co-production and is notable as one of the films that reintroduced the Hammer Horror brand back to the public.
7 Creep
IMDB Rating: 5.6
- Director: Christopher Smith
- Released: 2004
- Running Time: 1h 25m
For anyone who’s stood alone in an empty London tube station, this film will give them the shivers. Creep tells the story of a woman who gets trapped in the underground late at night and is hunted by an unknown assailant. Forced into the maze of tunnels that stretches around London, she must survive the darkness that lives below the UK’s capital.
Creep is a traditional gory horror movie that is reminiscent of films such as The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The film takes the idea of a deformed maniac who hunts people and moves the setting from the wilderness into the London Underground.
6 Eden Lake
IMDB Rating: 6.7
- Director: James Watkins
- Released: 2008
- Running Time: 1h 31m
Many horror films are reflections of the times in which they are made, and Eden Lake is no different. The film deals with the increase in violent youth crime and the idea of a broken Britain and features great performances from its cast. However, the film was also criticized for its class prejudice and depiction of working-class people as thugs.
The film follows a couple on a romantic retreat, only for them to be hounded by a group of loutish youths who take things too far. Eden Lake is a brutal and unrelenting horror film that features Jack O’Connell and Michael Fassbender, who would go on to be one of Hollywood's top actors.
5 Severance
IMDB Rating: 6.4
- Director: Christopher Smith
- Released: 2006
- Running Time: 1h36m
This underrated comedy-horror film delivers a perfect combination of laughs and scares that always stays true to its characters and story. The film includes some fantastic performances from its cast and features some truly creepy moments when the inevitable horror starts.
Severance follows a group of office workers on a team-building retreat in the woods who are slowly being hunted by a group of unknown men. The story is simple and effective and draws the audience in more than expected. The characters feel both real and absurd, yet are all unique from each other. Severance is a comedy-horror gem that punches far above its weight and entertains from start to finish.
4 Dog Soldiers
IMDB Rating: 6.8
- Director: Neil Marshall
- Released: 2002
- Running Time: 1h 45m
Neil Marshall's feature debut is a classic of British horror. Dog Soildiers pits a pack of werewolves against a squad of British soldiers in the Scottish wilderness. The film is simple and to the point, with guns against claws, and is all the better for it. It features all the gore, action, and banter one would expect from a film like this, with great performances from the cast.
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Dog Soldiers has become a cult horror classic, with its director Neil Marshall going on to become one of Britain's most accomplished genre film and TV directors. His credits include two of the highest-rated episodes of Game of Thrones.
3 Shaun Of The Dead
IMDB Rating: 7.9
- Director: Edgar Wright
- Released: 2004
- Running Time: 1h 39m
Shaun Of The Dead is the first film in Edgar Wright’s legendary Cornetto Trilogy. One of the best British comedy-horror films ever made, it blends the perfect amount of laughs, drama, and gory zombie action. It made Simon Pegg and Nick Frost household names and features great performances from its entire cast.
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The film follows Shaun, as his life is going nowhere except to the pub. A zombie outbreak forces him to take charge and push himself more than he ever has before. Shaun Of The Dead is a bonafide classic and a must-watch for fans of the genre.
2 The Descent
IMDB Rating: 7.2
- Director: Neil Marshall
- Released: 2005
- Running Time: 1h 39m
Neil Marshall's horror classic remains one of the best horror movies Britain has produced and never fails to terrify new audiences. It tells the tale of a group of women on a caving expedition who become the prey of a group of cave-dwelling creatures.
Not just another monster movie, the film has a heartbreaking story at its core. The relationship between the women is tense and complicated and helps to elevate the drama of their situation. The characters are pushed to their limit, not only by the creatures hunting them but by each other as well. The Descent is a must-watch for any horror fan.
1 28 Days Later
IMDB Rating: 7.5
- Director: Danny Boyle
- Released: 2002
- Running Time: 1h 53m
28 Days Later was a groundbreaking horror movie by one of the most talented directors Britain has ever produced. Danny Boyle’s film redefined the zombie movie, turning the infected from slow-lumbering creatures to fast-running enemies. It kick-started a zombie movie craze that would dominate the genre for many years and introduced the world to star Cillian Murphy.
The film follows a man who wakes up from a coma to find everyone in London has seemingly disappeared. He soon discovers the terrible truth: that a virus has turned most of the population into rabid rage-fuelled monsters.