2005 was filled with great slasher, spooky, and creature-feature movies. Early2000s horror moviesweren’t afraid to push boundaries and scare audiences in new and exciting ways.Movies likeSaw 2,Hostel,andThe Devil’s Rejectsdisplayed a whole new type of brutal horrorsubgenre and showed just how terrifying the world could be in these franchises. These graphically violent movies weren’t the first of their genre, but they brought the shock value that audiences felt worldwide.
Released in the same year, movies likeThe Ring 2andTheExorcism of Emily Rosewere about ominous, supernatural horror. These movies were about suffering from within and the vengeful spirits inside the main characters.There was such a wide range of horror movies, proving that people loved allsubgenres of horror moviesand were open to anything unsettling. 2005 was the year of fear in movies, from realistic, sadistic killers to supernatural horror that explores fears outside of reality. Some films from 2005 even set the foundation for manysuccessful horror franchises.
Hostel
Cast
Eli Roth’s Hostel is a horror film set in Europe where a group of tourists from America seeks a life-changing adventure during the height of their youth. When Paxton and Josh travel abroad, they enjoy the nightlife of Amsterdam until they find themselves locked out of their hostel. Invited by a man to stay with him, they follow him to Slovakia, tempted by two women that promise them a night they won’t forget. However, they wake up after their encounters to find themselves trapped in a torture dungeon and must do what it takes to escape and survive.
Eli Roth’sHostelmoviesmade travelers everywhere afraid of sketchy people and places to stay for the night. It’s about three men on a backpacking trip through Europe who make their way to a city filled with a dark secret. Unbeknownst to the travelers, many people in this city are involved in capturing tourists and torturing them for sport.Hostelfeatures intense torture and violent killings, and there’s no shortage of raunchy, adult sex scenes.
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Prior toHostel,violent horror movies were already trending, including the start of theSawfranchise and Rob Zombie’sHouse of 1000 Corpses.Hostelwas a success on its own for taking a different perspective on torture horror, byexamining the outside world and the unthinkable violencethat other people can inflict on others, making it a standout movie for the year. 20 years later the franchise is still a success with three films in the series, each featuring a different storyline.
The Descent
The Descent is a horror film that follows a group of thrill-seeking friends who find themselves fractured after one of them loses their husband and daughter in a car accident. Attempting to rejuvenate her friend Sarah and bring her back to the group, Juno convinces her to follow her and their friends to a mysterious cave system they find in the mountains. However, when they find themselves traped with no way out, she reveals she took them to an uncharted region with no chance of rescue, hoping to give them the adventure of the life time. Angry, fearful, and low on supplies, the group travels further into the caves only to discover they’re not alone.
The Descentis a terrifying,creature-feature horror moviewith violent human-looking monsters that want to devour a group of friends who are stranded in the monsters' cave. After suffering a terrible ordeal where a young woman loses her husband and child, Sarah, played by Shauna MacDonald, is trying to move forward with her life. She agrees to a cave exploration trip, and unbeknownst to the group, the cave is filled with blind, hungry creatures.The Descentis a contained thriller andone of the few all-female-led cast horror moviesfrom 2005.
A group of women placed in fight-or-die roles has made this movie stand out from other creature features and is still loved by audiences 20 years later.
TheDescentis different from other horror movies released in 2005 because it’s British and one of the few horror movies in whichwomen are portrayed as strong and resilientinstead of being portrayed as damsels in distress. The strengths are showcased when the group tries to figure out a way to escape by using their climbing and navigational skills and fighting back when the monsters attack. A group of women placed in fight-or-die roles has made this movie stand out from other creature features and is still loved by audiences 20 years later.
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror is a 2005 horror film directed by Andrew Douglas. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George as George and Kathy Lutz, who move into a house in Amityville, New York, only to experience disturbing paranormal activities. The film is a remake of the 1979 classic and is based on the purportedly true events that inspired Jay Anson’s book of the same name.
Based on the 1979 film and story surrounding the original Amityville House,The Amityville Horror, is about George Lutz, portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, and his family experiencing a supernatural force inside their home that influences George and his strange behavior.The Amityville Horrorwas a different type of haunted house movie because of the true events surrounding the house.
The Amityville Horrorstrays away from the traditional haunted house movie patternslikeThe GrudgeandThe Others, where the premise focuses more on paranormal events. Even thoughThe Amityville Horrorwas a supernatural movie, it included gore and violence, which seemed to be part of the overall direction and trend of horror movies in 2005. Audiences love spooky house movies and the Amityville franchise has over 30 movies to its name, making it a haunting success even 20 years later.
The Skeleton Key
The Skeleton Key is a supernatural thriller film directed by Iain Softley. The movie follows Caroline Ellis, a nurse who takes a job caring for an elderly man in his plantation house, only to discover that he is being cursed by malevolent forces.
The Skeleton Keyis a horror-mystery movie about a nurse, Caroline, played by Kate Hudson, who is hired to take care of an elderly, bedridden man in a house with a scary past. While very different thanThe Amityville Horror, this haunted house movie features more menacing twists, turns, and psychological aspects. It’s set on a plantation in Louisiana, and the remote bayou location makes the horror movie feel contained, by keeping it authentic to the culture and murky, hot atmosphere.
The Skeleton Keyinvolves Voodoo, and ghosts and doesn’t incorporate excessive bloodshed, unlike other horror films from 2005. It’s one of the few movies from the early 2000s thatexplores spellwork and the supernatural world of the South. Similar toGet Out, the movie’s narrative centers around body possessions and dark practices. IfThe Skeleton Keywere released 20 years later, it would still be a success because of the suspenseful lore and thebody-swapping moviestoryline, which audiences still love.
Wolf Creek
Wolf Creek is a 2005 horror film where three friends get stranded in Australia and fall victim to a psychopathic torturer. Wolf Creek was then followed by Wolf Creek 2 in 2013 and a TV show in 2016. The film received mixed reviews upon release but has been viewed in a more favorable light in recent years.
Wolf Creekis an Australian horror movie about a menacing killer, Mick Taylor, played by John Jarratt. Mick is a hunter and killer who chases his victims across the Australian outback. Similar to theSawfranchise,Wolf Creekdoesn’t stray away from gore, blood, and violence. It also features a similar premise toHostelabout travelers running into danger.Wolf Creekis aboutthe darker aspects of humanity and people being too trusting of others, especially while traveling.
Wolf Creek: Legacy,the third film in the franchise, is moving forward with John Jarratt returning as Mick. Filming is scheduled to start in early 2025.
Wolf Creekhas kept Mick Taylor’s character and narrative the same throughout the franchise —an intense cat-and-mouse journeybetween Mick and his victims. With two movies and two TV seasons to theWolf Creekfranchise, the 2005 movie is still successful even after 20 years. It features ordinary characters going against a smart murderer, which makes for an intriguing franchise that always stays consistent.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 horror film that explores the legal and spiritual dimensions of the death of a young woman named Emily Rose. Directed by Scott Derrickson, the film stars Laura Linney as an attorney defending a priest, played by Tom Wilkinson, accused of negligent homicide after performing an exorcism. The narrative alternates between courtroom drama and supernatural horror, presenting differing viewpoints on faith and science.
The Exorcism of Emily Roseis a paranormal horror movie about a young woman, Emily, played by Jennifer Carpenter, who gets possessed and dies during an exorcism. The movie follows the court proceedings and the hauntings that follow her death. It was a standout film in 2005 because it wasn’t a typicalpossession movie.The Exorcism of Emily Rosewas about examining a young woman’s psyche and investigating the supernatural elements of her possession by adding scientific and psychological approaches to her case.
“The film saw huge returns at the box office, making $145.1 million worldwide on an estimated $19 million budget. This success helped put Derrickson on the map as a director, as The Exorcism of Emily Rose was the director’s feature film debut.”
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The Exorcism of Emily Rosewas based on a true storyabout a young girl, Anneliese Michel who had schizophrenia and epilepsy. Anneliese grew up religious and was convinced she was possessed. Two priests performed multiple exorcisms, and she passed away due to dehydration and malnourishment. Audiences love movies based on true stories, and the early 2000s were no exception, especially sinceThe Exorcism of Emily Rosetold an engaging story and didn’t stick to a one-note possession story and incorporated factual elements.
4Boogeyman
Directed by Stephen Kay
The Boogeymanfollows a young man who witnessed his father being taken by the Boogeyman, and now, in his adult years, he does everything in his power to ensure it doesn’t come after him. After his mother’s passing, he meets a young girl who tells Tim, played by Barry Watson, that she’s being haunted by the entity. He returns to his childhood home, where the boogeyman starts to torment his life again. It’sa classic, haunting movie that’s about childhood fears.
There have been manymovies about the boogeyman, and while the 2005 version is not the best movie involving the supernatural legend, it’s still a satisfying mythical monster feature.The Boogeymanhas class jump scares and a decently scary-looking portrayal of a child’s worst fears. A new movie surrounding the legend with the same title,The Boogeyman, was released in 2023, proving that even after a few decades,people love a classic ghost story of something going bump in the night.
The Devil’s Rejects
Director Rob Zombie steps back into the world of horror with the second film in his Firefly Trilogy, The Devil’s Rejects. The film switches gears from its predecessor, now spotlighting villains instead of potential victims. The family continues their carnage on the road on the run from Texas State Troopers for their murderous criminal record.
The movie trilogy, all directed by Rob Zombie, is also part of the wave oftorture horror moviesfrom the early 2000s.The Devil’s Rejectsis the sequel toHouse of 1000 Corpses,where a menacing family brings terror to those who cross their paths. After their home is raided by police, the Firefly family is on the run, but that doesn’t stop them from torturing people as they trade to evade law enforcement.
Two years after the release of the first film,The Devil’s Rejectstakes gore to the next levelas the characters, including Baby, played by Sheri Moon Zombie, step into their murderous psychopathic selves and rain hell on innocent people.
The Devil’s Rejectsshowcased Zombie’s development as a filmmaker, as his skill for brutal, relentless, and nasty horror movies only became more impressive.
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The Firefly family and trilogy was inspired byThe Texas Chainsaw Massacremovie. Rob Zombie created a terrifying, dysfunctional family much like the Sawyer family presented inThe Texas Chainsawmovies. They both aregritty, disturbing movies with the premise that family comes first— even if it means killing others and justifying their behaviors for the sake of family. The third film in the installment,3 From Hellwas released in 2019, and the trilogy is still widely successful, even after many years.
Saw 2
Saw II is the follow-up to James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s 2004 body horror film, Saw. In the sequel, a group of ex-convicts are kidnapped by Jigsaw and must work together to find an antidote to a toxin that is scheduled to kill them all in two hours. Darren Lynn Bousman took over directing duties for Saw II after Wan directed the original.
It’s hard to believe theSawfranchise started in the early 2000s since there have been ten movies in theSawuniverse, each with its own horrifying storyline andcentering around Jigsaw’s gruesome games.Saw 2is one ofthe bestSawmoviesin the franchise because of the compelling characters, the group tension, and the elaborate traps. It’s the first movie where the audience hears more about Jigsaw’s story and his macabre plans, while also expanding the world past the four walls set inthe firstSawmovie.
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20 years later, audiences still remember the needle pit scene as one ofJigsaw’s best traps in the movie. Amanda, played by Shawnee Smith, is thrown into a pit filled with hundreds of needles and must find a key to unlock the door as she’s stabbed by needles continuously. WhileSaw 2is gory, it also incorporates more thrilling elements, including different villains and deeper, personal storylines. Jigsaw is presented as more of a mastermind, andthe idea of punishing those who harm others as his MO takes shapeinSaw 2with his new group of victims.
The Ring Two
The Ring Two is a horror film directed by Hideo Nakata. It is a sequel to the 2002 film The Ring. Naomi Watts reprises her role as Rachel Keller, who, along with her son Aidan, moves to a small town to escape the haunting memories of the cursed videotape. However, Samara’s malevolent spirit returns, forcing Rachel to confront the dark forces again to save her family.
The Ring 2is a sequel to the 2002 movie,The Ring. It’s a supernatural horror movie that follows the same characters from the first movie, Rachel, played by Naomi Watts, and Aidan, played by David Dorfman. Samara Morgan, the menacing entity in the first movie, returns to possess Aidan. The premise still surrounds a cursed videotape.Movies about vengeful spirits were growing popular in 2005, andThe Ring 2was a mix of a possession and haunting entity movie.
Each movie inThe Ringhas different characters and storylines, making the franchise successful and terrifyingly nostalgic for a time when renting a movie could bring actual terror.
2005 was the perfect year for the release of this movie since the idea of a haunted videotape could be believable since people checked out videos at their local Blockbuster and had family movie nights wherethe video they watched could be entirely different than the one they intended to watch. Including the original Japanese movies,The Ring franchise has 14 movies. Each movie inThe Ringhas different characters and storylines, making the franchise successful and terrifyingly nostalgic for a time when renting a movie could bring actual terror.
