Best Horror Movies of 2004: During the initial years of the 2000s internet in the US was on a roll, the technological modifications were at an all-time high, specifically in the cinematic world. Digital filmmaking Softwares started to leave their impacts on the movies, coupled with digital marketing techniques. With the international horror market experiencing a new craze, the US was still recovering the shock of 9/11. This led the filmmakers to focus thick and fast on the action and war genre. That meant tough times for horror as it was fast losing the limelight. Here, you can find the details about the best horror movies of 2004.
Despite all these lows, horror cherished just like it managed to see through the hard times of the 1980s and gave us the Best Horror Movies of the 1980s.
By this time the international flavor in the horror world was quite visible, The J-horror trend that started somewhere in the early ’90s was now no more a country-specific trend. It had its roots spread throughout the world making a salient presence in the Asian horror movies. We have everything in the list, from Footage, found horror, that is considered as one of the gnarliest and goofiest classes of horror too, paranormal films to torture based films.
All right let’s jump straight into the Best Horror Movies of 2004:
Saw
Initial release: October 29, 2004
Director: James Wan
Leigh Whannell took the onus to write this masterpiece. Two strangers, Adam and Laurence wake up at the opposite sides of a filthy bathroom with chains on their ankles. In between the two, a dead body is loosely clutching a handgun and a handheld tape player. The two men find a tape in their back pockets and they both place the tape in the player simultaneously. They realize that they have been trapped in a “game” perpetuated by the infamous Jigsaw killer. Through flashbacks, we come to know more about the victims personally and the killer who actually doesn’t kill his victims. Instead finds various ways to make the victims kill each other.
They both get the task of killing the other one before 6:00 otherwise their wife and daughter will die. The victims can be seen going to infinite limits to fight for survival, and the killers seem to enjoy this. Not a ghostly horror for sure but a psychological rollercoaster to give you serious chills
Shutter
Initial release: September 9, 2004
Directors: Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom
After celebrating a drinking party in Bangkok, photographer Tun and his girlfriend Jane encounter a car accident on the road. While Jane hits a girl in his car, Tun prevents her from helping the girl and encourages her to do a hit-and-run instead. Little did they know that this hit and run will prove very costly to them in the time to come.
After several days of this accident, Tun starts revealing his latest pictures to Jane. However, each picture contains a mysterious shadow that the couple assumes to be the ghost of the girl they killed. It appears like the ghost of the dead girl chasing them. Later, Tun finds out that the girl was his former weird and shy girlfriend.
The Grudge
Initial release: October 22, 2004
Director: Takashi Shimizu
After a caretaker named Yoko fails to show up for work, a substitute nursing student named Karen Davis is asked to visit Emma, an American lady who recently relocated to japan along with her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law Jennifer. Till the point everything is normal, and we are yet to witness something unusual or fishy. But when she visits her house, he starts growing uneasy and has the feeling that something is very wrong about the house.
He’s alarmed by the unusual behavior of Emma. After a while, Karen realizes that the house is haunted by a dark curse that will kill anyone who enters the house. Now, Karen finds herself in a race against time and the Grudge.
Dawn of The Dead
Initial release: March 10, 2004
Director: Zack Snyder
A young and beautiful girl named Ana peacefully finishes her work in a hospital and sets her way to home. She wants to spend a good time with her husband. The next day, Ana’s husband is killed by the person next door. However, the husband turns into a zombie. Terrified Ana immediately escapes from the neighborhood and goes towards the woods. There’s a whole different world in the world waiting for her.
There, she finds other survivors and a cop who are battling it out with the zombies in the quest of survival. They find a shelter in the mall. As time goes, some more survivors show up and they realize that they need to stick together to stay alive.
Exorcist
Initial release: August 20, 2004
Director: Renny Harlin
After the horrifying incidents in Nazi-occupied holland, Father Lankester Merrin loses his faith in god. Since then, he moved to Africa to work as an archaeologist. An antique dealer visits Father Lankester with a request. He says that there’s an ancient relic buried in the unearthed church of Christian Byzantine. As soon as Father Merrin arrives at the site, various tragedies start affecting innocent people. Soon, Merrin realizes that an ancient evil force has been set free due to excavation. Now, to stop the evil power from the ruling, he needs to start believing in the almighty again. Exorcist is one cracker of a film that was well and truly acknowledged by the horror lovers.
Godsend
Initial release: April 30, 2004
Director: Nick Hamm
After the death of their eight-year-old son, the couple Jessie and Paul find a genetic research doctor at the height of their mourning. Not being able to bear the sorrow of their lost son, the couple asks the doctor to make a clone of their son against all the odds of nature. Here comes a sci-fi touch to the film that gives it a yet new dimension. Also makes it a strong contender to feature in the list of the Most Underrated Horror Movies, as it never got the deserved appreciation.
Fortunately, the experiment gets successful and they live happily with their son. They got everything they wanted in the form of their don, but destiny had other plans for them. From the eighth birthday of Adam, the couple starts to notice the haunting difference between Adam and his clone.
The Ring:
Release date: 2004
Director: Gore Verbinski
The ring is a 2004 American supernatural horror film, based on the novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki . The movie, directed by Gore Vebrinski, had Naomi Watts , Martin Henderson , David Dorfman , Brian Cox and Daveigh Chase, in the lead roles. It is the remake of the Japanese horror film , Ring.
Watt portrays a journalist who investigates a cursed videotape that supernaturally kills the viewer after a week of watching it followed by a phone call. The ring still remains, after decades of its release , as effective and terrifying as it was when it first hit the screens. Thanks to its deadly combination of horror thrills and psychological depth.
Seed of Chucky
Initial release: November 12, 2004
Director: Don Mancini
Don’t call yourself a horror lover if you don’t know who Chucky is. Chucky can single handedly take you on a horor rampage you will remember till eternity!
When Tiffany and the evil doll Chucky give birth to Glen, they didn’t have an idea that their son would grow up to become a peace-loving guy. However, Glen turns exactly to be a gentle soul, horrified by the rumors told about his family. Later on, Glen finds that a movie is being made on the murderous legacy of his parents in Hollywood. On his way to Hollywood, Glen brings Tiffany and Chucky back to life. Now, Chucky being disappointed by his son teaches him about killing and violence. Now, when Chucky is down to teaching, you can imagine how gruesome the plight would have been.
Satan’s Little Helper
Initial release: May 6, 2004
Directors: Jeff Lieberman
At the time of Halloween, a theater student Jenna returns home to Bell Island to spend time with her family and boyfriend. Jenna’s classmate is also raised on the same island and she also has a younger brother named Douglas.
Also known as Dougie, the guy is highly attracted to Jenna. Douglas also plays a videogame known as “Satan’s little helper” and is jealous of Jenna’s boyfriend Alex. Later, a serial killer dressed in Satan’s costume promises to help Douglas. Now, both the boy and the maniac walk along the streets to terrorize the innocent people.
Evilenko:
Initial Release - 16 April 2004
Director - David Grieco
Evilenko is an English language horror crime film made with Italian production. The film is inspired by the real-life of a human monster called Andrei Cikatilo who was a Soviet serial killer performing brutal and avaricious on more than 50 victims.
The plot of the story is set in the mid-’80s where a school teacher turns into a killer after he is expelled from his position by a school for attempting rape on one of his students. Because of his psychotic attack, he then rapes and kills children and women atrociously by luring them through hypnotism.
