50 Best Horror Movies in Canada [Most-Updated]

Afflicted

One of the best horror movies made in Canada is actually a found footage film from Derek Lee and Clif Prowse.

The two friends set off to travel the world while filming it, but one of them goes mysteriously missing before they can make it home – leading viewers on an exciting search for answers.

When Derek, whose head previously suffered malformation, starts displaying signs of vampirism.

The approach taken in the film brings out some realism into what is often presented as unrealistic and mythical.


American Mary

The twisting and morbid horror film inspired many Hollywood tropes.

A medical student must supplement her struggling student stipend with illegal work, by covertly performing no-questions-asked personal modifications to people.

The movie found a considerable amount of acclaim in America, mostly due to the way it was filmed and how it showed violence. The film is also the best film made by the Soska sisters. But some people said it was too bloody and one of the best scary movies in Canada.


American Psycho (2000)

American Psycho is a horror movie about a man who kills people. It came out less than 10 years after Silence of the Lambs, another horror movie.

Patrick Bateman is a wealthy banker having the psychopathic disorder, he becomes violent as his desire for blood increases.

It’s a violent one, so shield your eyes from this one if you have a weak stomach. This horror, starring actors Christian Bale, Reese Witherspoon, and Jared Leto. Find out some more terrifying horror movies on Netflix right now.


Annabelle

ANNABELLE’s story is about a doll. It is set before THE CONJURING and tells the story of a young couple who are expecting their first baby.

A pregnant couple moves into a new apartment, and soon, mysterious things begin to happen. Doors slam by themselves; shadows lurk in the hallways.

But there is one final “particularly troubling” visage that had them truly frightened: an image of a demon appearing out of nowhere on their daughter’s nursery wall.

A girl named Mia (played by Alfre Woodard) learns that the doll will not stop until it has a person’s soul.


Backcountry

The backcountry is a fictitious, horror-based film that has gained recognition from its sub-genre of nature survival.

The movie is loosely based on real-life events and follows two people who happen to go camping in the Ontario territory of Canada. Without much warning, they are attacked by a man-eating bear from their campsite.

The movie switches up the creature of the week horror stereotype with a story that’s tense and brutal enough to take your eyes off the screen for part of it, at least.

It doesn’t let its audience have any relief from what they are watching, especially because their ending leaves them feeling more satisfied than disappointed but also kind of sad.


Black Christmas

Almost unbeknown to many outside of Canada, the perfect Halloween movie on Netflix was originally intended as a sequel to the Canadian horror thriller movie Black Christmas.

However, director John Carpenter decided instead to take his film in their own direction and these 2 iconic ’70s horror films remain separate but both equally worthy of praise.

Directed by Bob Clark, a talented director who has also directed A Christmas Story and Porkys, Black Christmas is a suspenseful slasher movie taking place at a Canadian university over the holiday break. To watch best Christmas movies in Canada is a dream and cherry on the top it is a horror Christmas movie which is the best option.

Margot Kidder plays a college student trying to prevent her friends from being murdered during this horror story.


Dead Ringers

Released in 1988Dead Ringers is a Canadian horror movie that stars Jeremy Irons as twins who both work as gynecologists. Elliot and Beverly are brothers and they jointly run a successful practice in Toronto with dark secrets—though their fast-paced lives may be spinning out of control.

Elliot impresses women and brings them back to his clinic. When one gets bored with them, they exchange them with each other, and the women don’t know who is the first one.

When Beverly starts to really like one of the women, the brothers do something bad. This affects everyone.


Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps was one of the first horror films to introduce Canadian werewolves.

The film, which stars Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle as sisters with a fascination for death, tells the story of two teenage girls who get more than they bargained for when one gets bitten by a female werewolf.

The film, “Ginger Snaps,” is often cited as one of the best horror movies of all time.

It takes a unique approach to werewolf films by linking puberty and menstruation cycles with lycanthropy and increased bloodlust. It spawned sequels & prequels.


Insidious

“Insidious” is a perfect example of what horror movies should be like. It has well-developed characters, in-depth atmospheres, and sneaky events that always have consequences.

If you’re looking for substantial gore or Hollywood action scenes, this isn’t the movie for you. But if it’s eerie screams and jump scares you seek.

The movie is about a family moving into a house. The family has not been too suspicious of the big old house they moved into. This is because it is perfect for any horror movie– I even feel that way!


My Bloody Valentine

This 1981 Canadian horror film directed by George Mihalka starts with a mining town in the middle of Valentine’s Day. A serial killer is stalking and killing people when they are having fun celebrating..

The movie is not so popular. It didn’t make enough money at the box office. The story shows a lot of violence and horror graphics, but it was released during Valentine’s week.


Orphan

Even though this cult horror film was shot in Canada, technically it is an international co-production between the US, Canada, Germany, and France. Shot in Canadian cities Toronto; Port Houston; Montreal and St. Thomas.

Though received with mixed reviews, a cult following has developed for the film owing to its premise; it follows an American couple who adopt a young girl from an orphanage and discover she is not actually a child but suffers from microcephaly.


The Cabin in the Woods

A group of friends visiting a remote cabin for a little getaway find it increasingly difficult to differentiate reality from fiction in their imaginations.

This is one of my favorite movies, and I typically watch it more than once. When you think everything is over, it’s not. And, the twist was just too good!


The Changeling

Since 1980, The Changeling has been a Canadian horror film with George C. Scott playing the lead role. After his wife and son die in an accident, he moves to a new home where he starts seeing things that cannot be there.

The man learns that there may be a message left behind for him by his family after some creepy events happen at night.

Filmed in Vancouver, the movie is set in Seattle but uses shots of the Vancouver skyline to represent that location. It’s terrifying and Scott does an excellent performance.


The Dead Zone

The Dead Zone is another movie by David Cronenberg, and it’s based on Stephen King’s novel. The film was filmed in Toronto, which was made to portray Maine in the film.

The film was about a young man, Johnny Smith (played by Christopher Walken), who had the uncanny ability to see into people’s future when he touched them. He met Janey, and she was being haunted by visions of an apocalyptic future that took Johnny a while to figure out – just before it was too late.


The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead (1981) is a low-budget horror film with amateur actors. The movie, written and directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell was considered a surprise hit at the box office because of its convincing special effects for its limited budget.

The cabin the film was shot in at Morristown, Tennessee posed a difficult ordeal for the cast and crew. The forest around it prevented outsiders from coming to help with provisions for its inhabitants which led to creative solutions for Raimi to be able to produce his film.

The report was published to positive reviews, including a rave review from Stephen King who labels the film “the most ferociously original horror film of the year”. This endorsement led to an international distributor’s interest in releasing the movie, New Line Cinema.

Despite maintaining a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is considered to be one of the rare cult films.


The Fly

When Seth Brundle finishes his new teleportation device, he thinks it’s time to test its abilities for himself.

A fly slips into his body, starting to take over it with her cells while initially appearing as if he had successfully teleported.

As he changes more and more, Brundle’s girlfriend becomes horrified by the person she once loved.


A Nightmare on Elm Street:

Jackie Earle Haley reprises his iconic role as Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street, a fresh new take on the same story.

These five teenagers living in Canada all dream of a man with a disfigured face and glove with knives for fingers. But their reality changes when one amongst them dies-then the sinister man appears to kill them while they are awake.

The children of the Elm Street residents are burdened by an old debt that has just come due. To save themselves, they must plunge into the mind of their hometown’s most twisted nightmare: Freddy Krueger.


Bram Stoker’s Dracula

This movie is based on Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula. Jonathan Harker, after accepting an assignment from a shadowy client known as Renfield to travel to the gloomy village in the mists of Eastern Europe, finds himself embroiled in a series of horrifying and mysterious events..

Dracula travels to London in an effort to travel back home. Upon his arrival, he captures and imprisons an Englishman named Johnathan Harker, who becomes distracted from everything when Dracula’s beautiful daughter Mina Murray appears out of nowhere.


Creep

When a videographer accepts a job to document the last messages of an anonymous man on Death Row, it becomes clear that something is amiss. The company he works for must be hiding something about their business partner.

Suddenly, at the end of his first day, when he should have been packing up and leaving work, the videographer can’t locate his keys in what seems like every conceivable place in order to escape before night falls.


Crimson Peak

Edith Cushing is born in the Victorian era, and she craves a life of freedom that her mother was denied.

Thomas Sharpe appears on Edith’s doorstep one day, looking strangely familiar to her despite their never having met before.

After a series of meetings, Elizabeth convinces Thomas to marry her without telling him who she really is- only that she must escape from her father at all costs. They elope and move away together for safety until they can confront their fate head-on. The ghosts of the past appear out of hiding as soon as they arrive at the new house though, putting both Edith and Elizabeth in danger.


Dark Skies

Married couple Lacy and Daniel have had it rough with their kids, Jesse and Sammy. They’ve faced unemployment, financial strains, and constant moves that make them feel like the only middle-class family in sight.

The family members enjoy a happy relationship and communicate with each other via walkie talkies. One day the family finds that strange occurrences happen frequently to them. During the night, things in their kitchen are rearranged differently making it very baffling for them. The alarm system also goes off when it detects people entering through all points of entry simultaneously.

Sammy has a fit when he is playing soccer. Lacy is surprised when hundreds of birds crash into the house. One night, Lacy wakes up because she hears a sound from Sammy’s room. When she goes to check on him, she sees someone standing over his bed and turns the light on to see an empty room. Sammy leaves but cannot remember doing so when he is found walking away from the house.

Lacy, Daniel and Jesse all have catatonic episodes. They wake up but don’t remember what happened.


Dawn of the Dead

Ana went home to her suburban residence, but was disturbed when her husband said he had been attacked by their zombified neighbor.

Ana runs from her once picturesque neighborhood with cop Kenneth and other survivors who decide that their best chances of survival would be in the bombed-out Crossroads Mall.

After realizing they cannot stay at the mall forever, Adán ventures out to find other people trapped elsewhere.


Halloween

Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield on Halloween night 40 years later with his bus transfer going terribly wrong. Laurie has been trying to save herself for the last four decades, but now she will need to fight back in order to survive.


It Follows

The nineteen-year-old Jay should be dealing with school, boys, and weekend trips to the lake. But instead shes plagued by strange visions and an inescapable sense that someone or something is following her. She must work to find a way to escape these apparent horrors, which seem only just about steps behind.


Jaws

It is hot outside, people are scared the beaches will be empty if a shark keeps attacking swimmers. Little by little more people side with the sheriff who wants to close the beaches to stop attacks.

A boy and his mother put a price on the shark. People wanted to make money off of it. Quint, who hunts sharks for a living, agrees to do it for the right price and Brody and Matt Hooper from the Oceanographic Institute go with him. They already know that they need a bigger boat after seeing its size.


Oculus

Dr. Graham lets Tim out of the mental hospital after he heals from a bad life where his dad killed his mom and then got killed himself. Kaylie welcomes him back and tells him they need to destroy an old mirror from an auction house.

Kaylie stole the mirror. Tim followed her. They remembered when their father bought a mirror for his office in their family’s new house. Kaylie and Tim saw a woman with their father in his office and they acted strangely. The family tragedy happened because of the mirror. Kaylie wants to destroy it with Tim. Will they succeed?


Pan’s Labyrinth

In 1944, Falangist Spain, a girl is sent to live with her new stepfather Captain. The night she meets a fairy who tells her that she’s on princess and must survive three gruesome tasks or prove herself as royalty.

After leading a rebellion against her stepmother, the princess is cast out of the castle.


Prom Night

A teen girl’s senior prom night in Canada should be a carefree occasion, but she soon begins to notice things about her friends that make her wonder if they are who she thought they were.

But when the magic of Prom Night gives way to the horror and terror of a ruthless murderer, Donna must face her fears in order to escape.


Psycho

Marion Crane is very unhappy with her life, spending short moments with her meat after seeing him at lunch technically. Marion cannot marry because she needs to pay for alimony from Sam’s ex wife.

Marion’s boss gave her four thousand dollars to deposit. Seeing the chance to start a new life out west, Marion fails to take the money and leaves town for California before she can be held accountable for the stolen cash.

The long drive is exhausting. As she stops outside Bates Motel, the young man Norman seems to be controlled by the manager’s mother.


Rabid

Rose is a quiet, unassuming individual with dreams of becoming a famous designer in the fashion world. But after an horrific accident, Rose’s appearance changes beyond recognition and she can no longer live her dream.

In desperation for a cure, she turns to radical treatments with little known side effects. But when the treatment seems like it’s too good to be true, it probably is.


Ravenous

Capt. John Boyd investigated when reports of missing persons came to Fort Spencer, which is a remote Army outpost on the Western frontier.

Boyd moves to a new post and sees someone who is hurt. He helps him get better. The man tells Boyd about a wagon train that was killed by their supposed guide, Colghoun. Boyd is worried, so he goes with his regiment to see if the story is true.

They find out it’s true and they have to stop Colghoun from hurting anyone else.


Ring

Kevin experiences a nightmare every night and with each new day he begins to forget more about his previous life, including that he was married and had kids. Kevin soon realizes the endless horror in his dreams are replacing certain thoughts when he wakes up, making it even harder to keep track of who he is.


SAW 2010

Despite making more than $700 million over the course of six movies, and how 3D costs more than $20 million to make, the 7th movie felt cheaper. The chapter was about everything going on.

A new character named Bobby is introduced. He was not a target of the killer, but he wrote a book about it and people think he is. There are other Jigsaw survivors too who have also been targets of the killer.

The flashbacks come at an alarming rate, revealing that John Kramer does more than kill in his custom-made death traps. He’s a master manipulator who has no time for anything but killing those he deems evil and then playing with them before moving on to the next soul.

Trying to find a way to stop John’s wicked ex-wife Jill, corrupt cop Hoffman continues the legacy of Jigsaw.

Meanwhile, Bobby the poseur has to work his way through a maze of death traps to save his wife from certain decapitation.

The Saw movies always had a certain level of excitement to them, but in Jigsaw’s latest game, Dr. Gordon joins his old ally as one of the chief contestants which really takes away from the sense at danger.


Shutter

Photographer Ben ends his honeymoon to follow a coveted assignment in Japan. On the night of their arrival, they hit what appears to be a woman who was in their path. Unsure if she is dead or alive, they drove on and never found her body. Soon after they arrived, eerie reminders began appearing when Ben saw ghostly images in the photographs he developed and strange sounds coming from behind closed doors.


Terror Train

A group of friends prank one of their friends and end up sending him to a mental institution. Years later, they graduate from college and meet in costume on a train platform where one is murdered by someone wearing his clothes as Groucho Marx. He then murders Jackson and wears his outfit as the Swamp Thing. Could the conductor Carne be that masked killer?


The Babadook

Amelia and her son Samuel, who lost their husband in a car crash on the way to give birth, struggle with being single parents. They both fear monsters and Samuel has a violent reaction to them when he can’t find any proof that they exist. When things seem hopeless for Amelia, she reads a book about how the Babadook monster escapes in dark areas of homes where its presence is never acknowledged.

The story that follows the family’s dark encounters with the supernatural is also a response to their society’s attempt at burying its fear.

Oliver Grayson

Oliver is an ambivert who scratches his creative itch by writing on different topics of interest. Being a movie buff, he’s almost always updated about the latest movies and shows releasing worldwide. When he’s not writing or binging movies, he’s gaming and socializing online from his couch.

Comments are closed.