Last updated March 2024
Looking for acclaimed Best Horror Movies 2012 worth adding to your watch list? Check out our selection of 30 stellar, must-see Best Horror Movies 2012 available for your immediate viewing pleasure. Universally beloved by IMDB critics and our knowledgeable community of users, these top-tier Best Horror Movies 2012 earn high praise across the board. Help other viewers discover hidden gems by voting for the titles you consider keepers. We value your contributions toward spotlighting the cream of the crop!
It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
Plot Summary:
Bill struggles to put together his shattered psyche, in this new feature film version of Don Hertzfeldt's animated short film trilogy
Duration: 62 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: surrealism, illness, mental health, mental illness, dark humor, nightmare, hospital, divorced parents, narration, death, loneliness, depression, destiny, life & death, existentialism, introspection, obsession, art, imagination, self discovery, direction and purpose, hopes, trippy, conversation, love
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (2012)
Plot Summary:
The Band of the Hawk participates in the Midland war campaign. On the bloody battlefield, they conquer decisive victories that lead them to Doldrey, an old fortress that will decide the outcome of the war
Duration: 95 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Japan
Plot tags: battles, danger, one against many, vengeance, good versus evil, rivalry, imaginary, female warrior, heroes, escapades, demon, military, supernatural, master warrior, uninhibited rivalry, curses spells and rituals, fight, king, violence, female nudity, torture, warrior, memory, duel, desperation
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (2012)
Plot Summary:
Guts, an immensely strong sword-for-hire, has little direction in his life, simply fighting one battle after the next. However, this all changes suddenly when he meets and is bested by Griffith, a beautiful and charismatic young man who leads the Band of the Hawk mercenary army. After Guts joins the Band and the relationship between the two men begins to blossom, Casca, the tough, lone swordswoman in the Band of the Hawk, struggles to accept Guts and the influence he has on the world around her. While the two men begin to fight together, Griffith continues to rise to power, all seemingly in order to reach his mysterious, prophesied goals. What lengths will Guts and Griffith go to in order to reach these goals, and where will fate take the two men?
Duration: 76 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Japan
Plot tags: battles, heroes, supernatural, supernatural ability, vengeance, good versus evil, shape shifting, military, danger, imaginary, uninhibited rivalry, curses spells and rituals, medieval, friendship, superhero, mature, vigilante, gore, sword and sorcery, androgyny, demon, sorcery, master warrior, escapades, rivalry
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Plot Summary:
Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed. One special weekend, Dracula has invited all his best friends to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. For Dracula catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem but the party really starts when one ordinary guy stumbles into the hotel and changes everything!
Duration: 91 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 275000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Country: USA, Canada
Plot tags: vampire, hotel, monster, dracula, creature, father daughter relationship, mummy, love and romance, supernatural, supernatural romance, magic, werewolf, frankenstein, witch, female vampire, single father, bigfoot, zombie, good versus evil, magical creature, invisible man, love, teenage love, parents and children, frankenstein's monster
Frankenweenie (2012)
Plot Summary:
When a car hits young Victor's pet dog Sparky, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them that Sparky's still the good, loyal friend he was
Duration: 87 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: dog, stop motion, frankenstein, supernatural, life & death, mad scientist, experiment, macabre, afterlife, loss of loved one, reincarnation, animal, monster, halloween, pets, animal death, death of dog, creature, love, suburbs, back from the dead, friends, life, death, science
Sinister (2012)
Plot Summary:
Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity
Duration: 110 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 274000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Canada
Plot tags: supernatural, haunted house, ghost, fear, supernatural horror, murder, danger, occult, investigation, evil force, paranormal activity, writer's life, macabre, family in danger, videotaping, surprising revelation, demon, graphic violence, small town, blood, attic, monster, brutality, haunted, found footage
Byzantium (2012)
Plot Summary:
Two mysterious women seek refuge in a run-down coastal resort. Clara meets lonely Noel, who provides shelter in his deserted guesthouse, Byzantium. Schoolgirl Eleanor befriends Frank and tells him their lethal secret. They were born 200 years ago and survive on human blood. As knowledge of their secret spreads, their past catches up on them with deathly consequence
Duration: 118 min
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB Votes: 45000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: UK, Ireland
Plot tags: vampire, prostitution, supernatural, fall in love, mother daughter relationship, female protagonist, immortality, dangerous attraction, supernatural romance, monster, murder, female vampire, love and romance, deadly creature, family secret, goth, fantasy world, vengeance, transformation, brutality, adaptation, leukemia, decapitation, family relations, small town
Sightseers (2012)
Plot Summary:
Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn
Duration: 88 min
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Horror, Romance
Country: UK, France
Plot tags: dark humor, tourist, serial killer, caravan, murderous pair, vacation, gory, misfit, jealousy, road trip, satire, macabre, crime gone awry, hit and run, on the road, tourism, psychopath, countryside, odd couple, misfit partners, cycling, male nudity, violent, folk horror, twists and turns
The Woman in Black (2012)
Plot Summary:
The story follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who is ordered to travel to a remote village and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in the client’s isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Receiving only silence from the locals, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true identity
Duration: 95 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 191000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: UK, Canada, USA, Sweden
Plot tags: ghost, haunted house, estate, isolation, supernatural, afterlife, curses spells and rituals, haunting, vengeance, blood, haunted, loss of son, tragic event, curse, old dark house, grief, uncover truth, village life, danger, mysterious character, terrorizing, social relations, fear, paranormal, adaptation
Resolution (2012)
Plot Summary:
Michael is committed to getting his best friend Chris to sober up and get his life back on track. With the best of intentions, Michael implements a plan to convince Chris to go to rehab before his drug addiction leads to an early death. But what begins as an attempt to save his friend's life quickly takes an unexpected turn as the two friends confront personal demons, the consequences of past actions, and forces beyond their control
Duration: 93 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: friendship, drug addict, supernatural, mysterious character, cosmic horror, isolation, danger, confined, wilderness, buddies, woods, gore, time, puzzle, addiction, supernatural horror, slow burn, ghost, junkie, hippie, paranormal, fire, profanity, dialogue, unhappy ending
Chained (2012)
Plot Summary:
A serial killer kidnaps a young boy after murdering his mother, then raises him to be his accomplice. After years in captivity, the boy must choose between escaping or following in his captor's bloody footprints
Duration: 94 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 20000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: Canada
Plot tags: serial killer, captivity, slave, misogynist, kidnapping, serial rapist, psychopath, childhood trauma, abuse, escape attempt, confined, slavery, confinement indoors, taxi driver, isolated house, moral dilemma, sexual perversion, missing child, sexual deviant, starving child, kidnapped, strong violent content, hostage, protege, child abduction
Resident Evil: Damnation (2012)
Plot Summary:
U.S. federal agent Leon S. Kennedy sneaks into the "East Slavic Republic" to verify rumors that Bio-Organic Weapons (BOWs) are being used in the country's civil war, which the U.S. and Russia are making preparations to jointly intervene in. Right after his infiltration, the U.S. government orders him to leave immediately. Determined to uncover the truth, Leon ignores the order and enters the battlefield to end the chain of tragedies caused by the BOWs
Duration: 100 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Animation, Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: zombie, infection, transformation, infected, virus, resident evil, video game, monster, lone hero, cyborgs, deadly creature, genetic mutation, fight, fantasy world, brutality, chase, life & death, good versus evil, crime gone awry, fight scenes, apocalypse, dystopian future, mind control, survival horror, deadly virus
Grabbers (2012)
Plot Summary:
Something sinister has come to the shores of Erin Island, unbeknownst to the quaint population of this sleepy fishing village resting somewhere off Ireland’s coast. First, some fishermen go missing. Then there is the rash of whale carcasses suddenly washing up on the beach. When the murders start, it’s up to two mismatched cops – an irresponsible alcoholic and his new partner, a by-the-book woman from the mainland – to protect the townsfolk from the giant, bloodsucking, tentacled aliens that prey upon them. Their only weapon, they discover, is booze. If they want to survive the creatures’ onslaught, everyone will have to get very, very drunk!
Duration: 94 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Ireland, UK
Plot tags: monster, alien invasion, alien, island, survival, creature, drunk, space and aliens, evil alien, kaiju, village, supernatural, alcohol abuse, escapades, danger, partner, disorder, deadly creature, giant monster, satire, creature feature, water, alcoholic, absurd humor, alien monster
John Dies at the End (2012)
Plot Summary:
A new drug promises out-of-body experiences, but users are coming back changed forever, and an otherworldly invasion of Earth is underway
Duration: 99 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: invasion, dark humor, end of the world, save the world, dog, twists and turns, fictional reality, monster, heroes, out of body experience, buddies, anti hero, psychic power, gore, portal, plot twist, puzzle, trippy, drug, alternate universe, zombie, apocalypse, alien, travel, post apocalypse
The Battery (2012)
Plot Summary:
In rural Connecticut, baseball players Ben and Mickey are trying to survive a zombie plague. They are forced to form a battery: a catcher and a pitcher who work together to outwit the batter, the one who hits the ball. And the batter in this case just happens to be a zombie. Tough Ben and gentle Mickey frequently disagree on the best way to go about the situation. Then they suddenly hear a human voice through their walkie-talkies. Is salvation nearby, like Mickey thinks, or is Ben’s suspicion justified?
Duration: 101 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Horror
Country: USA
Plot tags: zombie, post apocalypse, survival, undead, supernatural, on the road, baseball, zombie apocalypse, reluctant partners, friendship between men, escapades, chaos, danger, partner, odd couple, ego clash, masturbation, baseball player, survival horror, rivalry, countryside, chaos and mayhem, male nudity, friendship, friend
Underworld: Awakening (2012)
Plot Summary:
After being held in a coma-like state for fifteen years, vampire Selene learns that she has a fourteen-year-old vampire/Lycan hybrid daughter named Nissa, and when she finds her, they must stop BioCom from creating super Lycans that will kill them all
Duration: 88 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 160000
Genere: Action, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Canada
Plot tags: vampire, werewolf, supernatural, monster, tough girl, immortality, mythology, female warrior, one woman army, fantasy world, survival, vengeance, supernatural power, creature, fictional war, good versus evil, distopia, genetically altered, revenge, chase, blood, transformation, superpower, virus, post apocalypse
The Conspiracy (2012)
Plot Summary:
A documentary about conspiracy theories takes a horrific turn after the filmmakers uncover an ancient and dangerous secret society
Duration: 84 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: Canada
Plot tags: secret society, conspiracy, found footage, human prey, corporation, uncover truth, new world order, manhunt, hidden truth, occult, secret movement, missing person, conspiracy theory, paranoia, masked killer, journalist, slow burn, folk horror, witch, ghost, food, sect, religion, witchcraft, politics
Dark Shadows (2012)
Plot Summary:
Vampire Barnabas Collins is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate and family have fallen into ruin
Duration: 113 min
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
IMDB Votes: 277000
Genere: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Country: USA, Australia, UK
Plot tags: vampire, witch, eccentric family, immortality, dark humor, magic, supernatural, curse, werewolf, witchcraft, ghost, curses spells and rituals, old mansion, mansion, estate, dysfunctional family, vampire human love, reincarnation, black magic, undead, lost love, tombs and skeletons, imaginary, wizards and magicians, revenge
Berberian Sound Studio (2012)
Plot Summary:
In the 1970s, a British sound technician is brought to Italy to work on the sound effects for a gruesome horror film. His nightmarish task slowly takes over his psyche, driving him to confront his own past
Duration: 92 min
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: UK, Germany
Plot tags: movie business, filmmaking, movie studio, hysteria, workplace, workplace situations, torture, actress, arthouse horror, hunting, macabre, mental disorder, puzzle, underground, parallel universe, darkness, nightmare, torment, eccentricity, scared, folk horror, unsettling, witch, screaming, interrogation
American Mary (2012)
Plot Summary:
A young med student struggling with her tuition fees is drawn into the shady world of underground body modification
Duration: 103 min
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Drama, Horror
Country: Canada
Plot tags: torture, amputation, rape and revenge, plastic surgery, surgery, stripper, gore, rape, blood, gory, violence, doctor, organized crime, revenge, brutality, student, medical student, medical, female nudity, police detective, nightclub, physical appearance, body horror, vengeance, murder
The Seasoning House (2012)
Plot Summary:
The Seasoning House - where young girls are prostituted to the military. An orphaned deaf mute is enslaved to care for them. She moves between the walls and crawlspaces, planning her escape. Planning her ingenious and brutal revenge
Duration: 90 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: kidnapping, confinement indoors, revenge, rapist, strong violent content, sexual abuse, rape and revenge, danger, dehumanization, vengeance, escape attempt, life is a bitch, torture, misfit, orphan, drug abuse, prostitute, mute or deaf, woman in danger, deaf, gore, rape, male nudity, drug use, war crime
Maniac (2012)
Plot Summary:
As he helps a young artist with her upcoming exhibition, the owner of a mannequin shop's deadly, suppressed desires come to the surface
Duration: 89 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: France
Plot tags: serial killer, obsession, insanity, mental illness, maniac, murder, gore, sadism, loneliness, mannequin, torture, violence spree, brutality, psychopath, violence, extreme violence, scalping, killer, psychological trauma, violent, gory, childhood trauma, homicidal maniac, fear, hallucination
Excision (2012)
Plot Summary:
Alienated teen Pauline struggles with the pressures of fitting into high school, pleasing her mother and a burning desire to lose her virginity. With a grotesque curiosity for the darker side of life, Pauline is considered a social outcast by everyone around her. Enticed by flesh, she retreats into her own fantasies and hopes to become a great surgeon - that is, if she doesn't go insane first
Duration: 81 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Horror
Country: USA
Plot tags: social outcast, body horror, dysfunctional family, gore, high school, sister sister relationship, gory, surgical operation, surgeon, mentally unstable, teacher, erotic dream, mentally unstable protagonist, social relations, illness, obsession, mental disorder, losing-it hero, mental illness, sexual frustration, violent, coming of age, teenager, strong female character, teenage girl
The Collection (2012)
Plot Summary:
Arkin escapes with his life from the vicious grips of "The Collector" during an entrapment party where he adds beautiful Elena to his "Collection." Instead of recovering from the trauma, Arkin is suddenly abducted from the hospital by mercenaries hired by Elena's wealthy father. Arkin is blackmailed to team up with the mercenaries and track down The Collector's booby trapped warehouse and save Elena
Duration: 82 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 53000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, gory, trap, kidnapping, torture, masked killer, sadistic horror, massacre, survival, gore, psychopath, escape, crazy, serial murder, survival horror, mysterious villain, revenge, brutality, police investigation, violent, insanity, rescue mission, child in peril, danger, strong violent content
No One Lives (2012)
Plot Summary:
A gang of ruthless highway killers kidnap a wealthy couple traveling cross country only to shockingly discover that things are not what they seem
Duration: 86 min
IMDB Rating: 6.0/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: kidnapping, psychopath, serial killer, serial murder, murder, hunt down, hostage, massacre, trap, danger, woman in danger, strong violent content, captivity, gang, murder of a nude woman, college student, torture, self mutilation, police, revenge, kidnapped, home invasion, female nudity, criminal, graphic violence
The Tall Man (2012)
Plot Summary:
When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children
Duration: 106 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada, France
Plot tags: kidnapping, missing child, abduction, urban legend, mysterious character, uncover truth, conspiracy, danger, small town, twists and turns, dysfunctional family, paranoia, justice, parents and children, family problems, rescue, legends and myths, social commentary, plot twist, deception, child in peril, serial killer, kidnapped, slow burn, child abduction
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
Plot Summary:
President Lincoln's mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers
Duration: 105 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 160000
Genere: Action, Fantasy, Horror
Country: USA, Russia
Plot tags: vampire, undead, president, supernatural, american civil war, vampire hunter, tough heroes, violence, civil war, warrior, blood, head of state, good versus evil, imaginary, u.s. president, superhero, monster, brutality, slavery, transformation, danger, revenge, usa president, assassin, politics
Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)
Plot Summary:
A gang of bank robbers team up with the residents of an old people's home to try to survive a zombie outbreak
Duration: 88 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 20000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: zombie, infected, undead, survival, rescue, living dead, retirement home, dark humor, danger, supernatural, gory, chaos, elderly, vulgar language, zombie apocalypse, crime gone awry, apocalypse, group of friends, gore, heist, gang, hostage, criminal, corpse, struggle for survival
The Possession (2012)
Plot Summary:
A young girl buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl's father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child
Duration: 92 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 63000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Plot tags: exorcism, supernatural horror, supernatural, evil force, family in danger, curse, father daughter relationship, danger, ghost, curses spells and rituals, demonic possession, parents and children, paranormal activity, obsession, artifact, possessed girl, hospital, possession, family drama, demon, family relations, zombie, devil, haunted house, great ending
V/H/S (2012)
Plot Summary:
When a group of misfits is hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 5.8/10
IMDB Votes: 67000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: found footage, supernatural, ghost, demon, zombie, macabre, danger, halloween, ghost child, videotaping, gory, nudity, haunted house, male nudity, confined, petty criminal, vampire, brutality, monster, supernatural power, breaking and entering, survival, gore, juvenile delinquency, terror