10 Horror Movies That Define the Millennial Generation

The debate over which years constitute the millennial generation has been ongoing for a while now, but it is now generally considered to be between 1981-1996. Some people think the starting year should be later to include all people born in the ’90s, which to be fair might make more sense. Being born before the turn of the century should probably make you part of the millennial generation. The odd cutoff year of ’96 has left some ’90s babies unsure of whether they relate to millennials or Gen Z more. Still, one thing that can certainly be agreed upon is that both millennials and Gen Z have felt the impact of technology more than any other generation. Advancements in technology have seeped into every form of media we consume, therefore shaping the movies, TV shows, music, and books that we grew up with.

While much of Gen Z has also experienced the dramatic impact of technology on the world, all millennials experienced it firsthand. It’s not just technological advancements that have inextricably changed the way society works, it’s also major world and life events that millennials endured in their formative years. All of these things have affected the media we have consumed. Horror movies in particular were instrumental in defining the ways in which millennials grew up and consumed media.

Having the advantage of ready access to horror classics such as Halloween or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre paired with the slew of modernized or experimental horror films of the ’90s and 2000s has made the genre a fond one for millennials. The oldest millennials were around 15 when the youngest millennials were born, so we’ll be looking into horror movies that were released when we were kids and teenagers. With that being said, here are ten horror movies that define the millennial generation:

Related: 20 Horror Movies That Raised Gen Z

10 The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The film that kick-started the found footage phase of the 2000s started in the summer of 1999. On a small budget of $60K, The Blair Witch Project ended up making $248.6 million globally and has since been one of the highest regarded horror films in history. The film follows three film students who vanished in the Maryland woods after deciding to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.

The film was actually shot as if this was a real documentary and about 20 hours of footage was filmed before it was cut down to 82 minutes. The actors were given clues as to their next filming location for each day from hidden messages left in film cannisters that were found in milk crates. They were then given individual instructions on how to improvise the actions for each scene, resulting in a revolutionary film that gave the implications of a real documentary. The ending terrified millennials growing up, and redefined the type of horror movies that we grew to love.

9 The Descent (2005)

Another movie that shook millennials to the core, Neil Marshall’s The Descent has stuck with us since its release 18 years ago. After a personal tragedy that occurred after a rafting trip with friends, a woman named Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) decides to go on a caving expedition with the same group of friends to help herself heal. Naturally, the expedition goes horribly wrong, leaving the women trapped in an undiscovered cave with little supplies.

For those who are claustrophobic, this will be an incredibly uncomfortable watch. Part of the horror in the film stems from the women being physically stuck in a cave system not meant for human beings to explore. The extreme claustrophobia and dark caves are the least of their problems though, as there are far more terrifying things down there. The movie plays on all your biggest fears and adds new ones to the mix, and the ending will you just as frustrated as you are shocked.

8 The Grudge (2004)

A remake of the Japanese horror film Ju-on: The Grudge, Takashi Shimizu’s American adaptation of his own film centers around an American nurse (Sarah Michelle Gellar) working in Tokyo who is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse. The curse locks its victim into an all-consuming rage before claiming the host’s life and spreading to another victim. This is another horror movie that traumatized millennials in their youth, so much so that to this day, it’s still scary to many. Its use jump scares, creepy noises, and frightening TV images were enough to make young people then never want to watch this again. For those who are now seasoned horror watchers, The Grudge isn’t so scary, but back then it made you want to keep the lights on at bedtime.

7 Scream (1996)

Wes Craven’s original Scream reinvigorated the slasher subgenre of horror when it was released in the mid-90s. The horror master created a completely meta, self-aware slasher film for an entirely new generation of horror fans. It is both fully integrated in ’90s culture yet completely relevant to audiences today. Ghostface has become one of the most iconic slasher villains, up there with Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, and the franchise is still going strong. Scream was released at an opportune time for millennials, as it came out when the oldest were teenagers and the youngest would be able to grow up with its influence on horror.

The film created not only an iconic slasher villain, but also an iconic final girl in Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a character that many horror films today try to emulate. The combination of self-referential humor, likable characters, and a masked killer that assumes a new identity in each installment has made Scream one of the best long-running horror franchises.

6 Saw (2004)

The 2000s saw a rise in the horror subgenre of torture porn, and James Wans Saw is partially responsible for the uptick in these horror movies. Written by Wan and Leigh Whannell (who also helped Wan write the Insidious movies), the movie starts after two strangers wake up in a random room with no recollection of how they got there. Soon, they discover they have been kidnapped by the infamous serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), and are forced to play his sick games if they ever hope to escape. Millennials were subjected to a lot of horror films revolving around torture, but Saw happened to be one of the more successful films in the subgenre as a tenth installment is set to release in the fall. It was actually one of the most profitable horror movies of the decade, generating over $100 million worldwide. The premise is certainly disturbing, but what’s terrifying about this horror thriller is that it could happen in the real world.

Related: The Scariest Movies of the 2000s

5 The Craft (1996)

Released the same year as Scream, The Craft centers around a teenage girl named Sarah (Robin Tunney) that just arrived in Los Angeles from San Francisco to attend a Catholic prep school. Upon arriving, she meets three outcasts who all practice witchcraft and decides to join their coven. Once their coven is formed, their witchcraft becomes more powerful, and they wield their magic on anyone who dares to cross them. The Craft relies on supernatural elements rather than jump scares or masked killers, which sets it apart from most of the other horror movies millennials grew up with. It’s definitely campy at times, but it is truly just a fun movie to watch. The girls use their powers to turn their town upside down, and they enjoy every minute of it. It’s almost like a female version of The Lost Boys, but with witches and the very best of ’90s fashion. It’s also a perfect movie for those that don’t really enjoy horror movies since it’s more focused on the magic than it is on scaring people.

4 Paranormal Activity (2009)

Technically released in 2007 in the film festival circuit but not theatrically released until 2009, Paranormal Activity revitalized the found footage subgenre of horror ten years after The Blair Witch Project started it. The film takes place solely in the suburban house of newly moved-in couple. Katie (Katie Featherston) and her boyfriend Micah (Micah Sloat) are routinely subjected to nightly terror after Katie becomes convinced there is a demonic presence following her. They set up a camera tripod in their bedroom to record any nightly disturbances, which becoming increasingly worse as the night goes on.

The truly frightening moments don’t occur until the final act of the film, but there is tension built up throughout as you wonder what exactly is going on in that house. The build up of tension is what makes the final moments with the demonic entity frightening because you have spent the entire movie anxious as to what may happen. The use of found footage and the reliance on technology to capture the paranormal activity happening within the four walls of that house make this a horror movie that nearly every millennial remembers.

3 Cloverfield (2008)

The first of three anthology films, Cloverfield is another found footage gem that shaped millennials. Combining horror elements with sci-fi elements, Cloverfield takes its audience on a journey through Manhattan as the island is being terrorized by a horrific creature. Four friends are forced to trek through the destroyed city streets and abandoned subway tunnels to rescue their friend who they had seen hours before at a going away party. The death, destruction, and chaos is captured through the lens of a handheld camcorder, giving the movie an almost realistic feel to it. We watch as this unidentified monster wreaks havoc on Manhattan as the citizens desperately try to escape, and the military hopelessly tries to control the situation. The new spin on the found footage subgenre and the use of technology before everything was done through a smartphone makes this a horror film memorable to millennials.

2 Final Destination (2000)

This is the horror franchise that undoubtedly both defined and traumatized the entire millennial generation. Final Destination has made millennials terrified of bridges, driving behind trucks, tanning beds, elevators, and so much more. The first of the five films follows a group of teenagers traveling to Europe when Alex (Devon Sawa) has a premonition that the plane they are boarding will explode. He tries to warn the crew, resulting in Alex and his friends getting kicked off the plane. Shortly after, the plane does indeed explode, but now Alex and the other survivors must face the consequences of interfering with Death’s plans.

The movies became a bit more elaborate as they progressed, but the message that no one can cheat death has remained constant throughout the franchise. Everyone is weary of death whether they admit it or not. Dying and what may cause death are morbid thoughts that we have all experienced before, and this movie plays on our innate fear of death.

1 The Ring (2002)

Another remake of a Japanese horror film, The Ring tells the tale of a cursed VHS tape depicting a little girl crawling out of a well that causes anyone who views it to die seven days later. A journalist named Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) must investigate this tape that supposedly killed her niece and three other teenagers. If the legend is true, she’ll find herself in a race against time to save herself and her son.

If you grew up in the ’90s or 2000s, then VHS tapes were a staple part of your childhood. Many weekend nights were spent picking out a new tape to watch. So, when this movie came out and showed us what a cursed tape could do, it stuck with us for good. Everything from the way the first kill is edited to the way Samara moves is inherently creepy. It is a bit reliant on jump scares, but they are used effectively to provoke raw fear that many millennials can remember experiencing for the first time back then. For a PG-13 movie, it was shockingly terrifying to watch as a youth.