2017 Horror Films Ranked from Worst to First

Written by:
November 17, 2017
Updated on April 1, 2019
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2017 Horror Films Ranked from First to Worst

After enduring the at the box office in recent memory, the powers that be in the film industry would be forgiven, if they didn't have a glass-half-full approach to the backend of 2017. The summer season resulted in about $3.8 billion in domestic box office sales, representing a staggering 14.6% decline from the previous year. Given that nightmarish reality, it's only fitting that the horror genre would be the hero Hollywood needed.

Almost by accident, we are entering what's being called the "" of horror films. From big-budget studio projects like "It," to small-scale indie films like "Get Out," scary movies really cashed in at the box office and scored big with critics this year. By the start of November, horror movies had grossed over in ticket sales, easily the most in history.

Still, how do this year's horror films stack up against each other? To answer that question, we've created an index called the 麻豆原创 Score, which incorporates a movie's IMDb Rating, Metascore, and Tomatometer. In order to qualify, a movie had to have available ratings for all three score components and at least 1,000 IMDb votes.

Among the top five horror films of the year are two Stephen King adaptations 鈥 the aforementioned "It" and "Gerald's Game;" the latter was released on Netflix. The rest of the bunch features ill-conceived sequels ("Rings"), comedy-horror hybrids ("Dave Made a Maze"), and perhaps the movie of the year ("Mother!").

#32: The Gracefield Incident

麻豆原创 Score: 25.75
IMBD Rating: 4.1
Metascore: 21
Tomatometer: 0%

With a rare 0% Tomatometer rating, 鈥淭he Gracefield Incident鈥 secures the worst 麻豆原创 Score of the field. This film follows a group of friends on a weekend cabin trip, when a nearby meteor crash unleashes havoc. Filmed from the point of view of the protagonist 鈥 who captures the action using a self-inserted camera in his prosthetic eye (seriously) 鈥 鈥淭he Gracefield Incident鈥 is the latest entry in the long list of movies that have tried, yet failed to replicate the success and style of 鈥淭he Blair Witch Project,鈥 (1999).

#31: Eloise

麻豆原创 Score: 26.25
IMBD Rating: 4.5
Metascore: 15
Tomatometer: 0%

Another film that was shot out by the Tomatometer, 鈥淓loise鈥 is about a group of friends who misguidedly break into an insane asylum called Eloise in order to find a death certificate that would grant one of them a hefty inheritance. In the abandoned building that contains terrors none of them could have imagined, the team gets more than they bargained for, unsurprisingly. For the most part, 鈥淓loise鈥 is as routine a horror movie as it gets, and was by Dennis Harvey (Variety) as 鈥渞easonably slick but empty.鈥

#30: Rings

麻豆原创 Score: 30.50
IMBD Rating: 4.5
Metascore: 25
Tomatometer: 7%

鈥淩ings鈥 is the third installment of 鈥淭he Ring鈥 series, which includes 鈥淭he Ring鈥 and 鈥淭he Ring Two鈥 starring Naomi Watts. Set 13 years after the events of 鈥淭he Ring,鈥 the latest edition centers on Julia, whose boyfriend becomes involved with a group obsessed with the notorious, cursed video from the first two films. In order to save him, Julia watches the tape herself, and the pair is stuck in a race against the clock, to rid themselves of Samara鈥檚 deadly curse. Lenika Cruz (The Atlantic) wrote a review of 鈥淩ings鈥 titled 鈥,鈥 and that鈥檚 really all you need to know about this sequel, which still managed to pull in over $83 million worldwide on a $25 million budget.

#29: Flatliners

麻豆原创 Score: 33.00
IMBD Rating: 5.0
Metascore: 27
Tomatometer: 5%

Despite featuring a talented cast led by Ellen Page, Diego Luna and Kiefer Sutherland, 鈥淔latliners,鈥 鈥 a remake of the 1990 film of the same name 鈥 well, fell flat with critics and audiences (we鈥檙e sorry). The movie is about a group of medical students who share a curiosity of the afterlife. This proves costly after they undergo dangerous experiments, using a defibrillator to temporarily stop their heartbeats, resulting in them experiencing haunting visions that put their own lives in peril. 鈥淔latliners鈥 made over $33 million worldwide, on a $19 million budget.

#28: The Snowman

麻豆原创 Score: 33.75
IMBD Rating: 5.2
Metascore: 23
Tomatometer: 8%

Based on the popular 2007 novel of the same name, "The Snowman" should have worked as a major motion picture. Set in harsh winter, it stars Michael Fassbender as Detective Harry Hoyle, sent to investigate the crimes of a serial killer known as "The Snowman." The film was derided for its lack of clarity and scattered plotline; a surprise given the track record of director Tomas Alfredson, who previously helmed tight, acclaimed thrillers such as "Let the Right One In," (2008) and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," (2011). "The Snowman" made only $6.7 million domestically and $36.4 million worldwide, on a $35 million budget.

#27: The Bye Bye Man

麻豆原创 Score: 36.50
IMBD Rating: 4.3
Metascore: 37
Tomatometer: 23%

鈥淭he Bye Bye Man鈥 posits the question that there is one singular, evil being, the Bye Bye Man, responsible for all of the horrible things that occur throughout the world. Once his name enters a person鈥檚 mind, they are doomed. The film follows a group of friends who discover the terrible truth and must fight against the Bye Bye Man in order to survive. Though it was criticized for its largely formulaic and uninspiring plot, 鈥淭he Bye Bye Man鈥 performed well ($26.7 million worldwide) for its modest $7 million budget.

#26: Wish Upon

麻豆原创 Score: 37.75
IMBD Rating: 5.1
Metascore: 32
Tomatometer: 17%

The plot of 鈥淲ish Upon鈥 sounds like a mash-up of 鈥淭he Box鈥 and 鈥淔inal Destination.鈥 When 17-year-old Clare finds a magical music box that grants her seven wishes, she becomes hooked on getting everything she ever wanted. However there鈥檚 a catch 鈥 each time a wish is granted, someone in her life dies in dramatic and complex ways. 鈥淲ish Upon鈥 is directed by John R. Leonetti, who helmed the 2014 hit horror movie 鈥淎nnabelle,鈥 which pulled in over $256 million on a mere $6.5 million budget. 鈥淲ish Upon鈥 didn鈥檛 fare nearly as well, making $20.7 million worldwide on a $12 million budget.

#25: Ghost House

麻豆原创 Score: 38.50
IMBD Rating: 4.6
Metascore: 33
Tomatometer: 29%

鈥淕host House鈥 is basically a film meant to warn any would-be naive tourists from doing anything that might upset the locals. The film follows a young, American couple vacationing in Thailand who unwittingly upsets a demonic spirit which haunts them as they try to escape. Bemoaned by Justin Lowe of the Hollywood Reporter for its , 鈥淕host House鈥 was labeled 鈥渢oo foolish to be frightening.鈥

#24: Amityville: The Awakening

麻豆原创 Score: 40.00
IMBD Rating: 4.9
Metascore: 42
Tomatometer: 20%

In what鈥檚 remarkably the 10th installment of the 鈥淎mityville鈥 film series, 鈥淎mityville: The Awakening鈥 is framed in the 鈥渞eal world,鈥 whereas the previous films are all works of fiction. 鈥淎wakening,鈥 follows a family that moves into the infamous 112 Ocean Avenue, where the real-life murders committed by Ronald DeFeo Jr. took place in 1974. The family soon becomes haunted, proving that the horrors of the previous films aren鈥檛 as fictional as they originally thought. The Weinstein Company produced the film which in its opening weekend pulled in a mere $742 domestically. It was released shortly after the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein came to light.

#23: Jackals

麻豆原创 Score: 40.75
IMBD Rating: 4.7
Metascore: 33
Tomatometer: 36%

"Jackals" is about a cult deprogrammer who is called upon by a family to rescue its son from a deadly cult. In the midst of trying to cure the boy, the cultists come to reclaim their former member. John DeFore of the Hollywood Reporter  "competent but completely forgettable," which isn't the worst thing to say about a movie, but certainly not the best thing to say either.

#22: The Vault

麻豆原创 Score: 43.50
IMBD Rating: 4.7
Metascore: 50
Tomatometer: 30%

鈥淭he Vault鈥 follows a pair of bank-robbing sisters who, in pursuit of millions of dollars, unwittingly enter a haunted vault. In a positive review, Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times as a 鈥済ripping mystery, punctuated by gory violence.鈥 鈥淭he Vault鈥 stars Francesca Eastwood and Taryn Manning, with an appearance from James Franco.

#21: Death Note

麻豆原创 Score: 43.75
IMBD Rating: 4.6
Metascore: 43
Tomatometer: 40%

Based on the Japanese Manga of the same name, 鈥淒eath Note鈥 is about a high school student who finds a notebook that brings death to anybody whose name is written in it. The film was released on Netflix to mixed reviews, and stars Nat Wolff as protagonist, Light Turner and Willem Dafoe as Ryuk, a demonic god of death.

#20: Leatherface

麻豆原创 Score: 43.75
IMBD Rating: 5.1
Metascore: 40
Tomatometer: 33%

The eighth film in the 鈥淭exas Chainsaw Massacre鈥 franchise, 鈥淟eatherface鈥 serves as a prequel to the 1974 original horror classic. It is an origin story of sorts for the titular character, who becomes the primary villain in previous installments of the series. 鈥淟eatherface鈥 stars Sam Strike as Leatherface and Stephen Dorff as a Texas Ranger in pursuit of the murderous Sawyer family.

#19: Phoenix Forgotten

麻豆原创 Score: 45.25
IMBD Rating: 5.2
Metascore: 33
Tomatometer: 44%

Inspired by the 鈥楶hoenix Lights,鈥 鈥 a mass reported UFO sighting that occurred in Phoenix on March 13, 1997 鈥 鈥淧hoenix Forgotten鈥 revolves around the disappearance of three teenagers who set out to discover the truth about the event. The film relies on found-footage style camerawork and barely made an impact at the box office; making $3.6 million on a $2.8 million budget. Like 鈥淭he Gracefield Incident,鈥 鈥淧hoenix Forgotten鈥 was to 鈥淭he Blair Witch Project鈥 and failed to make a positive impact on critics.

#18: VooDoo

麻豆原创 Score: 46.75
IMBD Rating: 5.6
Metascore: 42
Tomatometer: 33%

"VooDoo" is about a young Southern girl named Dani who moves to Los Angeles to escape her mysterious past. As the film unfolds, we learn that her past involves an affair with a married man. The problem with this is that man's wife is a voodoo priestess who, for revenge, is out to curse Dani. In his review for, Simon Abrams praised the "intoxicatingly deranged" depiction of Hell that makes up most of the finale.

#17: Jigsaw

麻豆原创 Score: 48.50
IMBD Rating: 6.2
Metascore: 39
Tomatometer: 31%

Seven years after the release of 鈥淪aw 3D鈥 鈥 which was presented as the finale of the gory 鈥淪aw鈥 franchise 鈥 comes 鈥淛igsaw,鈥 which picks up about 10 years after the Jigsaw killer from the previous films has died. The plot focuses on the investigation of a new series of murders that resembles Jigsaw鈥檚 modus operandi. 鈥淛igsaw鈥 drew lackluster reviews but scored well at the box office, making $79.3 million worldwide compared to a $10 million budget.

#16: 47 Meters Down

麻豆原创 Score: 55.00
IMBD Rating: 5.7
Metascore: 52
Tomatometer: 54%

鈥47 Meters Down鈥 鈥 the surprise, small-budget, summer hit starring Mandy Moore 鈥 is about two sisters whose cave diving trip in Mexico goes horribly wrong when they are forced to fight for survival against a herd of sharks. The film cost $5.5 million but pulled in nearly $54 million internationally. That success has led to the announcement of a sequel, creatively titled 鈥48 Meters Down,鈥 set for a 2019 release.

#15: XX

麻豆原创 Score: 57.00
IMBD Rating: 4.6
Metascore: 64
Tomatometer: 72%

鈥淴X鈥 is an anthology film comprised of four vignettes, each by a different director. One of the entries, 鈥淭he Birthday Party,鈥 is directed by Annie Clark鈥 better known by her musical stage name St. Vincent鈥 in her directorial debut. All four stories are directed by women, and the film scored well with critics.

#14: Life

麻豆原创 Score: 63.25
IMBD Rating: 6.6
Metascore: 54
Tomatometer: 67%

鈥淟ife鈥 follows a group of astronauts aboard the International Space Station as they are on the brink of discovering life on Mars. The organism proves to be hostile and more powerful than expected, putting the crew and humankind in danger. 鈥淟ife鈥 stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds, and made $100.5 million worldwide on a $58 million budget.

#13: Happy Death Day

麻豆原创 Score: 64.50
IMBD Rating: 6.6
Metascore: 57
Tomatometer: 69%

In what's basically a grizzly reboot of "Groundhog Day," "Happy Death Day" centers on college student Theresa, who becomes trapped in a time loop on her birthday during which she is repeatedly murdered. After being killed, she wakes up each time, to start the whole day over again, and the only way out is to find her killer and prevent her death. "Happy Death Day" stars Jessica Rothe and was a hit at the box office, making $88.3 million on a mere, $4.8 million budget.

#12: Dave Made a Maze

麻豆原创 Score: 65.25
IMBD Rating: 6.2
Metascore: 60
Tomatometer: 77%

鈥淒ave Made a Maze鈥 is a low-budget, genre-bending film about an artist who unwittingly builds a supernatural, dangerous maze out of cardboard boxes, in his living room. The plot focuses on his girlfriend, Annie, as she assembles a team to go in and rescue him. Meera Rohit Kumbhani stars as Annie, while Nick Thune plays Dave in what Justin Lowe of the Hollywood Reporter  鈥渁 likeably goofy creative achievement.鈥

#11: Alien: Covenant

麻豆原创 Score: 66.00
IMBD Rating: 6.5
Metascore: 65
Tomatometer: 69%

鈥淎lien: Covenant鈥 is the sixth installment in the 鈥淎lien鈥 franchise, and the sequel to 鈥淧rometheus,鈥 (2012). It stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup and Danny McBride as members of an excavation crew in search of a remote planet to be used for colonization. Their mission is disrupted by the encounter of a hostile, extraterrestrial life-form. 鈥淐ovenant鈥 received generally positive reviews and made $240.7 million worldwide from a $97 million budget.

#10: Annabelle: Creation

麻豆原创 Score: 66.50
IMBD Rating: 6.7
Metascore: 62
Tomatometer: 70%

鈥淎nnabelle: Creation鈥 is a prequel to 鈥淎nnabelle鈥 (2014), depicting the possessed doll鈥檚 origin. Like its predecessor, 鈥淐reation鈥 cost little to make ($15 million), and was a smash with audiences, scaring in over $305 million internationally. Collectively, the 鈥淎nnabelle鈥 films are part of the 鈥淐onjuring鈥 film series, with a fifth installment 鈥 鈥淭he Nun鈥 鈥 set to be released in 2018.

#9: Berlin Syndrome

麻豆原创 Score: 67.00
IMBD Rating: 6.3
Metascore: 70
Tomatometer: 72%

Based on Melanie Joosten鈥檚 novel of the same name, 鈥淏erlin Syndrome鈥 is about a young, female tourist in Germany who has a one-night stand that turns into a nightmare鈥攖he man traps her and keeps her prisoner in his house. The film follows her attempts at escape and also scored well with critics.

#8: Mother!

麻豆原创 Score: 71.25
IMBD Rating: 7.1
Metascore: 74
Tomatometer: 69%

In one of the most controversial movies in recent memory, this Darren Aronofsky-directed film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem whose calm, rural life together is jolted by the unexpected arrival of a mysterious couple. The disturbing plot of this Arthouse Film rubbed audiences the, although "Mother!" scored well with critics. Coming from the director who has made movies like "Requiem for a Dream" and "Black Swan," generating such a strong reaction is not a total shock.

#7: 1922

麻豆原创 Score: 71.50
IMBD Rating: 6.4
Metascore: 70
Tomatometer: 88%

Based on the Stephen King novella of the same name, 鈥1922鈥 is about a rancher who, with his teenage son, plots to murder his wife for financial gain. It stars Thomas Jane (lead) and was released on Netflix in October.

#6: It Comes at Night

麻豆原创 Score: 72.75
IMBD Rating: 6.2
Metascore: 78
Tomatometer: 89%

In this post-apocalyptic thriller, 鈥淚t Comes at Night鈥 centers on a family of survivors who take another family into their home. The two sides form an allegiance to keep the unknown evil outside, while distrust festers within the house. 鈥淚t Comes at Night鈥 stars Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott and Carmen Ejogo, and made $19.3 million on a $2.3 million budget.

#5: Gerald's Game

麻豆原创 Score: 75.50
IMBD Rating: 6.8
Metascore: 76
Tomatometer: 90%

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, 鈥淕erald鈥檚 Game鈥 is about a couple鈥檚 sex game gone horribly wrong. The two are on a romantic, weekend getaway at a remote cabin. While Jessie is handcuffed to the bed, Gerald suffers a fatal heart attack, leaving Jessie trapped. Tasha Robinson of The Verge the film as one of the best Stephen King movies, adapted from one of his worst books.

#4: The Killing of a Sacred Deer

麻豆原创 Score: 77.00
IMBD Rating: 7.9
Metascore: 74
Tomatometer: 76%

In 鈥淭he Killing of a Sacred Deer,鈥 Colin Farrell plays a renowned cardiovascular surgeon, whose connection to the son of a former patient has a drastic effect on his family. The film is one of mystery and revenge that earned favorable reviews from critics. 鈥淭he Killing of a Sacred Deer鈥 is the second pairing of Farrell and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, who previously teamed up in 鈥淭he Lobster,鈥 (2015).

#3: It

麻豆原创 Score: 77.75
IMBD Rating: 7.8
Metascore: 70
Tomatometer: 85%

"It" is the second adaptation of Stephen King's 1986 novel, and is the poster child for the current swell of success in the horror film genre. With a worldwide gross of $683 million, "It" is the highest-grossing R-rated, horror movie of all time. That's the second-highest total of any R-rated film, only trailing "Deadpool" ($783 million, 2016). The film is about children in small-town Derry, Maine, who are stalked by "It" 鈥 an evil being that takes the form of each child's worst fear.

#2: The Shape of Water

麻豆原创 Score: 83.50
IMBD Rating: 7.5
Metascore: 87
Tomatometer: 97%

In the latest effort from acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro, 鈥淭he Shape of Water鈥 is a fantasy horror film about a mute woman named Elisa, who works as a janitor in a government laboratory. She discovers the classified secret of the lab: a large, scaly, aquatic creature. The two form a bond, and Elisa tries to save the creature from a dark fate. 鈥淭he Shape of Water鈥 stars Sally Weaver, Michael Shannon and Octavia Spencer, and has been as del Toro鈥檚 best film since 鈥淧an鈥檚 Labyrinth.鈥

#1: Get Out

麻豆原创 Score: 84.25
IMBD Rating: 7.7
Metascore: 84
Tomatometer: 99%

This directorial debut from Jordan Peele 鈥 best known as half the comedy duo from Comedy Central鈥檚 sketch show, 鈥淜ey & Peele鈥 鈥 examines race in an authentic, psychological horror setting. The film focuses on Chris, a black man, as he travels with his white girlfriend to meet her family for the first time at their isolated, countryside estate. Once there, he uncovers a terrifying conspiracy in which black people are being captured and held against their will. 鈥淕et Out鈥 received widespread acclaim and was a rousing financial success, grossing over $253 million worldwide on a $4.5 million budget.

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