Some of the greatest horror movies of all time take place in small towns, where the scares hit closer to home. The ambiguity of a tucked-away, unknown hamlet often creates a close-knit, communal feeling among residents, which definitely helps build camaraderie when freaky stuff inevitably starts to happen. In most cases, these are perfect conditions to attract things that go bump in the night. Unfortunately for the main characters, they usually find themselves in close proximity to whoever is behind all the murders and mayhem, whether they realize it or not. The killer can’t possibly be their next-door neighbor… right?
While many successful horror films are set in familiar locations, like major cities, the small towns that our favorite protagonists and final girls find themselves in are often fictional ones. This often makes these films more believable while still maintaining a sense of creativity and imagination necessary for the full effect of a scary movie. Audiences are encouraged to think that horror can really happen anywhere – especially in a sleepy little town that looks like the one just off your nearest highway exit. Here’s our list of the best small town horror movies, ranked.
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7 The Mist (2007)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, The Weinstein Company & Dimension Films
Based on Stephen King’s novella, The Mist is a tragic tale of a struggle for survival in the face of apocalyptic odds. The story is very much a classic King work, taking place in a little coastal town besieged by unspeakable evil. In the wake of a power outage from a severe storm, citizens of Bridgton, Maine (actually a real place) convene at a grocery store to stock up for the days to come. Outside, a thick and mysterious mist has rolled into town, bringing with it a horde of monsters who begin to wreak havoc on residents, and stoke fears of a biblical Armageddon. People begin to be picked off one by one, and although the movie’s ending was changed from that of the original book, the last few minutes of this film are some of the bleakest in recent horror history.
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6 Carrie (1976)
United Artists
Another celebrated story from the King of Horror, Carrie positions a high school girl with psychokinetic powers against an entire town that seems to be out to get her. In Chamberlain, Maine – a real village within the town of Bristol – Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is a bullied outcast, the product of an abusive and hyper-religious mother. All hell breaks loose the night Carrie is crowned Prom Queen, unfortunately for Chamberlain, which quickly becomes engulfed in disaster as a result of her rage. The original film is often considered one of the best horror movies ever, with multiple film iterations as well as a new TV series in the works.
5 Sinister (2012)
Summit Entertainment & Lionsgate
In Sinister, Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke) is a true crime author with a bad case of writer’s block. After locating the perfect inspiration in the form of a home where a family was brutally murdered, he and his family move to the fictional Chatford, Pennsylvania, with hopes of a fresh start for everyone. Oswald takes it upon himself to uncover the truth behind the killings, and write about it, diving headfirst into a box of old Super 8 tapes he finds in the attic. What he watches comes back to haunt him in more ways than one. Sinister takes a classically creepy setting and packs a modern punch, with some genuinely disturbing moments. The film’s director, Scott Derrickson, will team up with Ethan Hawke again in the upcoming horror flick The Black Phone.
4 Jennifer’s Body (2009)
20th Century Studios
Looking back, Jennifer’s Body is a masterpiece of Y2K horror, blending campy comedy with body horror alongside some memorable “good for her” moments. In Devil’s Kettle, Minnesota, Needy (Amanda Seyfried) and Jennifer (Megan Fox) are besties with the world at their fingertips, until Jennifer gets possessed by something much stronger than high school hormones. Thirsty for the blood of unassuming boys, she sets off on a killing spree to keep herself young and beautiful, and it’s up to the intrepid Needy to stand up to the slaughter. While it didn’t perform the best at the box office, Jennifer’s Body has since become a cult classic with a devoted fan following.
3 Halloween (1978)
Compass International Pictures
John Carpenter’s Halloween undoubtedly ushered in a new age of horror. With Michael Meyers (Nick Castle) as a new slasher icon and Jamie Lee Curtis’ breakout role as final girl Laurie Strode, what’s not to love? The story takes place in Haddonfield, Illinois, an unassuming stop in suburbia full of white picket fences and happy families, except for the Meyers. Years after young Michael murders his sister on Halloween night and is locked up for years, he escapes to exact his revenge on the inhabitants of his town. Forty years after the original Halloween was released, the 2018 iteration came out, prompting a fond reflection on the film’s legacy. In an ET article, Curtis said, “Forty years later – that’s a lifetime! And yet here we are,” about the reprise of her role.
2 Scream (1996)
Dimension Films
Giving way to one of the top horror franchises of all time, the original Scream was the ultimate surprising slasher of the late ’90s. In the small town of Woodsboro, California, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is still reeling from her mother’s murder when a masked killer called Ghostface makes his entrance, beginning a series of brutal slayings that rock the suburban community. The reveal of Ghostface’s identity is an iconic and gut-wrenching moment, cementing the film as a classic and inspiring a series of successful sequels. Combining familiar tropes with a star-studded cast, Scream’s contribution to the world of modern horror is as self-aware as it is shocking.
1 IT (2017) & IT: Chapter 2 (2019)
Warner Bros. Pictures
The long-awaited big-screen adaptation of It rapidly became the highest-grossing horror movie of all time in the United States. This spooky Stephen King story has become one of the most beloved horror epics of all time, bringing in a new generation of fans with a cast full of fresh faces. One summer in the 1980s, the little town of Derry, Maine, is plagued by the disappearances of multiple children. Tracing them to a capricious killer clown called Pennywise, a group of misfits known as the Loser’s Club confront their own inner demons to banish him once and for all. Combined with its sequel, It: Chapter 2, the film series earned over $1 billion.
