[Editorial] 9 of The Best Home Invasion Horror Movies

Home invasion horror is perhaps one of the scariest subgenres of horror due to how it roots itself firmly in reality. Whilst demons, vampires and zombies exist entirely in the fantasy realm, home invasions are a very real threat, causing what should be every person’s safe space (ie) their home, into a dangerous and terrifying environment with a very small possibility of escape.

Typically nihilistic and overtly violent, home invasion horrors cover an assortment of subtextual themes ranging from class and social division, the desensitisation of violence within society, disenfranchised youth behaviour as well as the demonisation of the queer femme.  Here are 9 home invasion horrors that will cause you to double check whether you’ve locked all your doors and windows.    

1. The Strangers (2008)

Starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, The Strangers chronicles what happens when an unsuspecting couple are targeted by a trio of unrelenting intruders in their vacation cabin. With the added terror of spooky masks, The Strangers is particularly harrowing due to not only the invaders’ lack of reason for their actions, but also because of the film’s influence by true events. Inspired by the Manson Family’s murders of the Sharon Tate party in the 1960s, as well as a spate of break-ins that occurred in the childhood neighbourhood of Bryan Bertino, The Strangers represents a post 9/11 America of random violence and wrong place-wrong time victimisation. 

2. The Purge (2013)

The Purge stars Ethan Hawke as the patriarch of the affluent Sandin family, who are living in an alternative America where once a year, all crime is legal for 24 hours. After attempting to batten down the hatches on their home for the event, the Sandins find themselves with an unexpected visitor who attracts a masked gang out for his blood. The family must decide whether they are to throw the man to the wolves, or protect him and themselves from the threatening invasion. A commentary on politics and class systems, The Purge went on to spawn a highly successful film franchise as well as a television series. 

3. Ils/Them (2006)

The French-Romanian horror film Them is, according to the title cards, based on a true story. The film follows teacher Clementine, played by Olivia Bonamy, who has recently moved from France to an isolated house in rural Romania with her partner Lucas (Michaël Cohen). Their idyllic homelife is shattered when they’re abode is invaded by unknown aggressors. Not only is the violence deeply distressing, but the reveal of the identity of the home invaders and their reasons for doing so makes Them one of the most disturbing home invasion films in cinematic history.

LISTEN TO OUR HORROR PODCAST!

4. Haute Tension (2003)

Haute Tension or Switchblade Romance as it was released in the UK, is part of the New French Extremity movement, which were a range of French movies that were made in the early 2000s that were particularly controversial and shocking, with Haute Tension being of no exception. Cécile de France stars as Marie, who is visiting her best friend Alex’s isolated countryside family home. Whilst there, the family and their guest are the victims of a violent home invasion by a serial killer who has stumbled onto their house. After Alex is kidnapped, Marie must fight against the odds to rescue her. With one of the most infamous plot twists in horror cinema, Haute Tension is a grotesque and visceral exploration of the monstrous queer femme.  

5. Funny Games (1997)

The Austrian psychological horror Funny Games stars Arno Frisch and Frank Giering as Paul and Peter, two youths who find joy in invading the vacation homes of affluent families and sadistically torturing them. Blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality, the fourth wall is constantly broken by the character of Paul, who works towards subverting the audience’s expectations, thus creating a sort of complicitness amongst viewers. The director Michael Haneke went on to remake his own film for Hollywood in the English language ten years later in 2007 with stars Tim Roth, Naomi Watts, Brady Corbet and Michael Pitt.

6. Inside (2007)

Another entry into the New French Extremity subgenre of horror, Inside (L’Interieur) is a deeply distressing home invasion that pits two women against each other, one being heavily pregnant. Alysson Paradis plays Sarah, a newly widowed expectant mother who, on the day before being induced, is attacked in her home by a mysterious woman (Béatrice Dalle) who is intent on forcefully and violently taking her unborn baby. Utterly nihilistic with the type of gore that has the ability to invoke a strong visceral reaction from viewers, Inside is shocking and bloody, complete with powerhouse performances from both of the lead actors. 

7. Mother! (2017)

Devised whilst director Aronofsky was in the middle of writing a children’s film, Mother! Is perhaps not a typical home invasion film, but with its attack on an extremely vulnerable person and its creation of a claustrophobic and suffocating atmosphere, plants it firmly within the horror subgenre. Rich with biblical references and truly horrific violence, Mother! Stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as Mother and Him, a couple who whilst renovating their idyllic home, have their lives interrupted by the arrival of another couple called Man and Woman played by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeifer. Also starring real life brothers Domhnall and Brian Gleeson representing Cain and Abel, the film represents the destruction of Mother Earth in direct contrast to the treatment of the Christian religion.

8. The Collector (2009)

Part of the early 2000s torture porn subgenre of horror, The Collector stars Josh Stewart as handyman Arkin who, in order to pay off loan shark debts accumulated by his partner, plans to rob a rich client’s house, only to discover once he has broken into their home that someone else has beaten him to it, but with completely different and torturous intentions. Originally written as a prequel to the Saw franchise detailing the backstory of John Kramer, The Collector is a twisted game of cat and mouse, with the extra addition of some seriously sick traps, that are sure to make any hard-stomached horror fan visibly wince. 

9. Us (2019)

Director Jordan Peele’s second feature length film stars Lupita Nyong’o as Adelaide, a mother of two who along with her husband Gabriel (Winston Duke) are vacationing in the seaside town she had previously spent time in as a child. Whilst in their holiday home, they come under attack by a family of their doppelgängers, who are part of the Tethered.  An examination of class divide and politics, as well as the fear of the “other”, Nyong’o shines with her performance of both Adelaide and her Tethered twin Red, with a terrifyingly gothic performance portraying the dangers of the denial of privilege. 

RELATED ARTICLES

---

---