6 Modern Indie Horror Movie Gems That Deserve More Love

Horror has never been more diverse or more inventive, but beyond the blockbuster jump scares and familiar franchises, a wave of modern indie horror films is redefining the genre.

These are movies that take risks and explore ideas mainstream audiences rarely see. That’s the power of Indie horror: it often thrives on creativity rather than big budgets, delivering chilling experiences that linger long after the credits roll.

Here are six standout modern indie horror gems that we think deserve more love…

1. In a Violent Nature

There’s still a very real possibility you haven’t heard of one of 2024’s best horror movies. This one absolutely breaks the mold, and how often can you say that about the horror genre? Many newer efforts default to the same beats and ideas, even ones that Scream skewered back in the ’90s.

Chris Nash’s innovative slasher isn’t really interested in emulating horror movies you’ve seen before. It takes a familiar slasher-film setup (a group of teens in the woods, a resurrected killer, gruesome kills) and flips it completely on its head. Rather than lead the story from the victims’ perspective, In a Violent Nature follows its Vorhees-esque killer’s perspective as he slowly tramps through the woods towards his prey. No musical score, just the steady dread of his approach.

“Slow” and “steady” are the focus here. There are long shots of the killer just… walking. Think Gus Van Sant’s Friday the 13th. This kind of pacing is, admittedly, not for everyone. But when “Johnny” finally finds his victims and sets about eliminating them, his kills are so cold and visceral that seasoned gore fans will be taken aback. If you’re a patient viewer, this is worth a look.

2. Caveat

When memory-impaired drifter Isaac is hired by an acquaintance to babysit a psychologically disturbed young woman called Olga at an isolated house, he’s baffled by the rules he has to follow, which include wearing a leather harness that restricts his movement to certain rooms. It soon becomes clear that there are good reasons he shouldn’t stray too far from (relative) safety, but where would the fun be in his staying put? 

Quite a few people checked out Damian McCarthy’s Oddity in 2024, but his 88-minute feature film debut, Caveat, still needs more love! Arguably, it’s better than Oddity and creates a much more effective atmosphere through a kind of sheer dread that justifies its scares. The moments when Isaac attempts to navigate the house while tethered to the harness will absolutely shit you up. Good stuff.

3. Deadstream

Shawn  Ruddy is a disgraced internet personality who has built his whole career on high‑stunt live streams, but having been demonetized after a particularly unethical stunt, he’s looking to get those precious views and subscriber numbers back up with a ghostly lock-in that he hopes will bring in new and old fans alike.

Shawn’s found footage escapades at “Death Manor” are a real hoot. The film is still scary and gross, but its main character’s terrifying encounters are deftly undercut by his painful need for validation and his relentlessly annoying YouTuber persona. The live chat reactions also provide consistently fun commentary as Shawn’s situation deteriorates in real time.

Deadstream might not be the only gory influencer horror movie out there, but it’s for sure the funniest.

4. His House

If you’re looking for political and emotional weight in your horror flicks, His House is a real gem. 

Crafted by British filmmaker Remi Weekes, the movie dips into the lives of a refugee couple called Bol and Rial as they try to build a life in England after fleeing war-torn South Sudan. They’re assigned a rundown house and told to integrate, but as they start to settle in, they experience eerie occurrences. Not only that, they’re suppressing traumatic memories of losing their daughter on their treacherous journey over to the U.K.

Many of the movie’s scares stem from traditional strange noises, creepy visuals, and jumps, but there are powerful social themes here. Refugee trauma, racism, assimilation, and identity are at the core of the couple’s escalating conflict in their new house. They can’t ever truly escape the past.

5. The Rule of Jenny Pen

The Rule of Jenny Pen is a New Zealand psychological-horror thriller grounded in fears we can all understand. The story follows former judge Stefan Mortensen (a phenomenal Geoffrey Rush), who suffers a near‑fatal stroke and ends up confined to a retirement home. With his mobility and power extremely compromised, resident psycho Dave Crealy (John Lithgow) finds Stefan easy to terrorize.

Crealy roams the retirement home’s halls at night, wielding a strange “therapy” puppet named Jenny Pen. He uses it as a tool of cruelty, forcing the other residents into humiliating obedience under her rule, while staff turn either a blind or ignorant eye to Crealy’s horrors. This is a tale of aging and institutional neglect. It feels more like it could happen to any of us than slasher-killer attacks or supernatural nonsense, which is why it’s so damn effective. That, and Lithgow’s balls-to-the-wall performance as an unhinged Crealy, make it a must-watch.

6. Daddy’s Head

Another psychological horror worth checking out is Benjamin Barfoot’s 2024 movie, Daddy’s Head. That’s an inspired title, isn’t it? However, there’s a chance you’d not have a single clue what you were in for, because said title kinda makes it sound like a horror-comedy (it isn’t).

The film centres on Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) and his stepmother, Laura (Julia Brown). In the wake of the sudden death of Isaac’s architect father, James, the grieving pair relocates to a remote house in the woods that he designed. Except, it seems like he’s still there because Isaac keeps hearing him and seeing his face. It’s not really a spoiler to tell you that Daddy is definitely not home. The slow burn reveal of who Isaac has been talking to, and the movie’s terrific creature effects, are well worth your time.