Hey there, horror fans! If you’re anything like me, you probably got a huge thrill out of the 2003 slasher flick “Wrong Turn”. There’s just something about a group of unsuspecting young people getting hunted by disfigured cannibal hillbillies in the backwoods of West Virginia that really gets the blood pumping, am I right?
Well, if you’ve worn out your “Wrong Turn” DVD from watching it so many times and are craving more of that gory survival horror goodness, I’ve got you covered. Here are 20 of the best movies to watch next that deliver similar scares, suspense, and bloody, grisly fun. Let’s dive in!
1. The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
This remake of Wes Craven’s 1977 cult classic follows a family on a road trip that goes horribly wrong when their car breaks down in a former nuclear testing zone in the New Mexico desert. They soon find themselves fighting for their lives against a clan of deformed, bloodthirsty mutants.
The Hills Have Eyes really cranks up the brutality and gore compared to the original. The savage violence inflicted on the family is truly horrifying to watch. But it’s not just pointless gore – it serves to create an overwhelming sense of tension and dread that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You’ll definitely be double checking your car before any road trips after watching this one.
2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Another remake of a horror classic, 2003’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre updates Tobe Hooper’s 1974 slasher for the 21st century. It follows a group of teens on a road trip through Texas who pick up a traumatized hitchhiker and end up getting targeted by a chainsaw-wielding maniac and his deranged family.
What makes this Texas Chainsaw so effective is how gritty and grounded in reality it feels, despite the over-the-top violence. The grimy, sweat-soaked Texas setting and the faded 1970s look of the film make the horrors feel uncomfortably plausible. The infamous Leatherface, with his mask of human skin, is one of the most iconic and nightmare-inducing villains in horror history. Watching him ruthlessly hunt down the teens with his roaring chainsaw is guaranteed to make your pulse pound.
3. House of Wax (2005)
In this 2005 slasher, a group of college kids on a road trip stumble upon a creepy wax museum in the middle of nowhere and find themselves hunted by the demented twin brothers who run it. As the kids get picked off one by one, they discover the wax figures in the museum are actually the wax-coated corpses of the brothers’ victims.
House of Wax is a fun, schlocky thrill ride packed with inventive kills, wince-inducing gore, and a hilariously terrible performance from Paris Hilton. The gimmick of the victims being turned into wax figures allows for some really cool and creepy visuals. While it’s not the smartest or scariest horror flick, it delivers some solid slasher entertainment.
4. Wolf Creek (2005)
This nasty little Australian indie follows three backpackers who find themselves taken captive and tortured by a sadistic bushman in the remote Australian outback. Loosely based on real-life murders, Wolf Creek is a brutally nihilistic and mean-spirited film that pushes the boundaries of how much suffering audiences can endure.
The vast, empty landscapes of the outback create an oppressive sense of isolation and hopelessness. As the unlucky backpackers fight to survive the cruelties inflicted on them, the film becomes a grueling endurance test for the audience as well. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but hardcore horror fans will appreciate its uncompromising intensity.
5. Frontier(s) (2007)
After fleeing Paris during a night of violent political riots, a young woman and her friends end up seeking shelter at a remote inn near the German border, which turns out to be run by a family of neo-Nazi cannibals. The family puts the friends through a nightmarish ordeal of physical and psychological torture.
This gory French horror flick doesn’t shy away from graphic violence and sadism. The cannibals are some of the most depraved and disgusting villains ever put on screen. Frontier(s) is a relentlessly intense, stomach-churning experience from start to finish. It’s a must-see for fans of New French Extremity horror.
6. Hatchet (2006)
Old-school American slasher fun, Hatchet follows a group of tourists on a haunted swamp tour in New Orleans who find themselves stranded on an island and stalked by the vengeful, horribly deformed ghost of Victor Crowley.
Hatchet gleefully embraces the conventions of the slasher genre, from the stock characters getting gruesomely murdered in creative ways to the unstoppable killer that just won’t stay dead. The over-the-top gore effects are a bloody delight for fans of splatter horror. It’s an affectionate throwback that, while light on scares, delivers plenty of gory fun.
7. The Descent (2005)
The Descent follows a group of thrill-seeking female friends who get trapped deep in an uncharted cave system and find themselves hunted by blind, pale-skinned humanoid creatures.
This British horror film is a masterclass in building tension and dread. The claustrophobic cave setting is utterly terrifying even before the monsters show up. Once the women are fighting for their lives, the scares come hard and fast. It’s a heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping experience with an all-female cast that feels like a breath of fresh air for the genre.
8. High Tension (2003)
This French slasher follows a young woman staying at her friend’s remote farmhouse who must fight to save them both from a sadistic serial killer.
High Tension lives up to its name, delivering an unbearably tense and brutal cat-and-mouse game between the final girl and the killer. The violence is shocking and visceral, including a hard-to-watch disembowelment. The twist ending is a bit divisive, but there’s no denying the raw, heart-stopping intensity of the film’s horror set pieces.
9. Vacancy (2007)
A couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) experiencing car trouble checks into a seedy motel for the night, only to discover their room is rigged with hidden cameras and they’re being watched by the motel owner who makes snuff films with his unwitting guests.
Vacancy turns the simple premise of being trapped in a motel room into a pressure cooker of paranoia and terror. Wilson and Beckinsale give strong performances as the couple pushed to their breaking points as they desperately try to survive the night. The snuff film angle provides plenty of nerve-jangling scares. It’s a lean, mean thriller that wrings maximum tension out of its confined setting.
10. Eden Lake (2008)
A young couple’s romantic getaway to a remote lake turns into a nightmare when they find themselves mercilessly tormented by a gang of violent teens.
This British horror-thriller is a vicious and unflinching look at social class warfare. The snooty couple’s clash with the lower-class teens escalates to a shocking level of brutality and cruelty on both sides. There’s no comic relief or hope to be found here, just a nihilistic spiral of violence and despair. It’s a polarizing and devastating film that leaves a lasting impression.
11. Hostel (2005)
Eli Roth’s notorious torture porn follows a group of hedonistic backpackers in Europe who end up imprisoned in a secret Slovakian facility where the wealthy can pay to torture and murder tourists.
Hostel was a major milestone in the “torture porn” horror boom of the 2000s, setting a new standard for explicit gore and sadism. It has an undercurrent of post-9/11 xenophobia, playing on American anxieties about the dangers of traveling abroad. While it’s far from a pleasant viewing experience, it delivers the grisly goods for gore-hounds and kicked off a hugely influential franchise.
12. The Collector (2009)
A burglar attempting to rob his new employer’s country home discovers a masked serial killer has already targeted the house and filled it with deadly traps, turning the heist into a brutal game of survival.
The Collector comes from the writers of the Saw franchise, and it shows in the elaborate, sadistic traps the killer rigs throughout the house. The cat-and-mouse game between the burglar and the killer is intense and suspenseful, with some wince-inducing gore. It’s not a deep film, but it’s a slick, well-crafted thrill ride for fans of hardcore horror.
13. Manhunt (2008)
This low-budget British horror follows a group of friends on a hiking trip who find themselves being hunted for sport by a masked sniper.
Shot on a shoestring budget, Manhunt proves you don’t need a lot of money to make an effective horror film. The lush, isolated forests of Scotland make a gorgeous but eerie setting for a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The sniper is a chilling and enigmatic villain, and the death scenes are memorably gory. It’s an impressive indie effort that delivers plenty of tense, gritty thrills.
14. Severance (2006)
A team-building retreat for the employees of a weapons company turns into a bloody nightmare when they find themselves targeted by a group of masked killers at a remote lodge.
This British horror-comedy deftly balances laughs and scares, with a pitch-black sense of humor that pokes fun at office politics and corporate culture. But when the blood starts flowing, it doesn’t hold back on the gore and brutality. It’s a clever, entertaining ride that genre fans will get a kick out of.
15. The Ruins (2008)
A group of American tourists in Mexico venture off the beaten path in search of an archaeological dig site, only to find themselves trapped atop an ancient Mayan temple by a pack of bloodthirsty vines.
The Ruins doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s an effective survival horror flick with a unique monster in the form of sentient, carnivorous plant life. The young cast is likable enough to make you root for them, and there are some solidly squirm-inducing moments of body horror. It’s a fun, if forgettable, entry in the “tourists in peril” subgenre.
16. See No Evil (2006)
A group of juvenile delinquents sent to clean up an abandoned hotel find themselves locked in and stalked by a hulking, psychopathic killer.
WWE Studios’ first foray into horror is a serviceable if generic slasher elevated by the imposing presence of wrestler Kane as the monstrous Jacob Goodnight. The abandoned hotel makes for an atmospheric setting, and the kills are entertainingly over-the-top. It’s not a must-see, but it’s worth a look for slasher completists.
17. Timber Falls (2007)
A couple on a camping trip in the West Virginia woods are kidnapped by a pair of religious fanatics who want the woman to bear their child.
This low-budget indie is a bit rough around the edges, but it delivers some effective backwoods horror on a shoestring. The religious zealot villains are creepy, and there are some memorably nasty moments of violence. The leads are a bit bland, but genre icon Debbie Rochon steals the show in a supporting role. It’s a solid pick for a rainy day horror marathon.
18. Dying Breed (2008)
An American zoologist travels to Tasmania with a group of friends in search of the thought-to-be-extinct Tasmanian tiger, only to find themselves hunted by a clan of inbred, cannibalistic locals.
This Aussie indie cribs a lot from Wrong Turn and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but it uses the remote Tasmanian wilderness to great effect, creating an eerie and isolated atmosphere. The cannibal clan has an interesting backstory tied to a real-life cannibal convict from the 19th century. Gore fans will enjoy the bloody kills and flesh-eating. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s a well-made entry in the backwoods horror genre.
19. Carver (2008)
A group of campers in the California mountains find themselves stalked by a vicious, hideously scarred killer.
Marketed as being based on the real-life unsolved Sierra Phantom murders in the 1960s, Carver doesn’t actually have much to do with that case. What it does have is a cool-looking slasher villain and some solid old-school stalk-and-slash action. The characters are paper-thin and the story is rote, but genre fans should enjoy the gory kills and woodsy atmosphere. Temper your expectations and you might have fun with this one.
20. Shuttle (2008)
Two young women returning from a trip to Mexico get on an airport shuttle bus that turns out to be driven by white slavers who kidnap passengers.
This nasty little thriller takes a simple premise and runs with it, never letting up on the tension and dread. The cramped confines of the shuttle bus make for a claustrophobic setting, and the gritty digital cinematography adds to the unsettling realism. There are some genuinely shocking moments of violence, made all the more disturbing by how plausible the scenario is. It’s a queasy but effective ride for those who can stomach it.
So there you have it, horror hounds – 20 movies like Wrong Turn to keep you up at night. Whether you’re into gory slashers, brutal survival flicks, or creepy backwoods horror, there’s something here for every fan of hardcore horror.
Just remember, if you ever find yourself lost in the woods, always stick to the main roads. You never know what kind of depraved hillbilly cannibals might be lurking in the wilderness, waiting to turn you into their next meal. Stay safe out there, and happy watching!
