Emelie (2015)
You know how you sometimes have to cover your eyes when it seems like a kid is about to be hurt in a scary movie? That’s how the full 82 minutes of this film play out. We see the title character Emelie abducting a woman who’s on her way to babysit, then Emelie shows up in her place. The oldest son, Jacob, realizes that something’s off from the start — she lets the younger kids color on the walls, has Jacob watch while she changes her tampon, and things only get worse from there. You might watch this one with half-squinted eyes trying to block out some of the horror, but you won’t be able to look away fully. Variety compared it to Funny Games and said, “[It’s a] familiarly premised but stringently executed home-invasion chiller that rarely goes for the straight-up scare when a more insidious one will do.”
Knock Knock (2015)
Directed by Eli Roth and starring Keanu Reeves, Knock Knock tells the story of Evan Webber, an architect whose family is out of town for Father’s Day weekend. When two young women knock on his door for directions, he agrees to let them in so they can contact their friend. The women overstay their welcome and when Evan tries to kick them out, they resort to blackmail, assault, and eventually murder. Dread Central gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said, “What we do have is a home invasion film for the social media generation (yes, it does feature social media in its plot) that should make you think twice before offering warmth and shelter to a stranger on a dark and stormy night.”
Tiger House (2015)
Kaya Scodelario stars in this thriller as Kelly, a young injured gymnast. She sneaks into her boyfriend Mark’s house to reveal that she’s pregnant. Before the conversation gets very far, four robbers break in and commit a hostile takeover. Kelly hides in the attic and tries to rescue the family from danger.
Hush (2016)
Hush was written and directed by Mike Flannigan, creator of the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House. Maddie Young is a writer living in a remote cabin. Through an interaction with her neighbor Sarah, we learn that Maddie contracted bacterial meningitis as a kid which resulted in permanent hearing loss and the inability to speak. Later that night, she is targeted by a masked intruder who uses her deafness to his advantage — but the intelligent, resourceful Maddie won’t go down without a fight. Stephen King gave the film his stamp of approval by tweeting, “How good is Hush? Up there with Halloween and, even more, Wait Until Dark.”
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Intruder (2016)
Over the weekend of a major storm a young cellist stays in her apartment alone, unaware that she has been joined by an intruder. This is a true home invasion movie that features near misses between the woman and the intruder throughout. Louise Linton (Cabin Fever) stars as the woman.
Don’t Breathe (2016)
Don’t Breathe is written and directed by the same team as the 2013 Evil Dead with Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert as co-producers — and it packs the same ruthlessness as their previous work. Rocky, Alex, and Money are Detroit criminals who make their money through home burglaries. When their fence tells Money about a blind a veteran with $300,000 cash in his house, the trio makes a plan to steal it while he’s asleep. But the thieves come to realize that their target is more depraved than them as the film turns into a reverse home invasion. Don’t Breathe has an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was largely praised by critics.
Better Watch Out (2016)
Better Watch Out employs a fresh take on a classic twist and it’s sure to become a seasonal favorite for any holiday horror enthusiast. 17-year-old Ashley is babysitting 12-year-old Luke around the holidays. Luke has a crush on Ashley and plans to seduce her that night. Ultimately, a malevolent intruder interrupts…but the culprit’s identity is what makes this otherwise predictable film so dark. It holds an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received a positive review from critic Bill Goodykontz, who remarked, “Better Watch Out is for fans of twisted, unhinged horror.”
Gerald’s Game (2017)
Based on a story by Stephen King, Gerald’s Game is a home invasion movie with a twist. After being handcuffed to the bed during a consensual-turned-non-consensual sexual encounter with her husband Gerald, Jessie is horrified to witness him have a heart attack and die. No one else knows where Jessie is and she is bound to the bed, trapped while she hears (and sees) that she is not alone in the house.
Incident in a Ghost Land (2018)
From the same grim mind as Martyrs, writer/director Pascal Laugier gives us the nerve-wracking film Incident in a Ghost Land. Pauline and her teenage daughters Beth and Vera are moving into the house they recently inherited from Pauline’s aunt. A candy truck unknowingly trails behind them. Soon after arriving at the house, the three women are attacked by a duo of intruders. To spare you the twists, we’ll just say that the remainder of the movie shows the family struggling with the ramifications of the event — on top of excessive brutality. Den of Geek awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, saying, “Incident In A Ghost Land is a masterclass in mounting tension, which deserves to be a Hereditary-sized horror hit.”
Trespassers (2018)
While trying to enjoy a desert vacation, two couples become unwitting prey to masked killers. The film is alternately called Trespassers and focuses on the relationship issues between the main characters — and tension is already running high when a stranger knocks on the door claiming to have car troubles. The action unfolds in a nontraditional way, and the stunning cinematography alone makes it worth the watch. Flickering Myth gave it a rating of 4 stars and said the film “delivers on its setup and proves there is still life left in the genre as long as you know how to tweak it.”
I See You (2019)
While dealing with the fall out of infidelity in his marriage, a detective takes the case of a 10-year-old who was mysteriously kidnapped. While working the case, strange things start to happen in the detective’s home. Eventually his family discovers a wild secret about their home.
Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-Ho’s black comedy thriller is a different kind of home invasion movie where the “invaders” are more sympathetic than the home’s owners. The film follows members of the poor Kim family as they slowly infiltrate the home of the wealthy Parks by fraudulently getting hired as a tutor, art therapist, chauffeur and housekeeper. Unfortunately, the Kim family learns they aren’t they only parasites in the Park home.
Villains (2019)
In the same vein as Don’t Breathe — but way less cringey and more darkly humorous — Villains is a reverse home invasion. The acting is phenomenal with Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe playing Mickey and Jules, two robbers on the run who have an all-around wholesome love despite their shortcomings. When their car runs out of gas on the way to Florida, they break into a residence off the beaten track and stumble upon a young girl chained in the basement. Villains is both heart-wrenching and hilarious, with an 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Lucky (2020)
A woman named May and her husband fight off a man who has crept into their home one night. Afterwards May’s husband has a bizarre reaction, implying that even though the couple has killed the man, he will be back. Sure enough, night after night May is forced to fight the same attacker and no one believes her.
A House on the Bayou (2021)
A family plans to mend their relationship with a vacation and rent a beautiful old home on the bayou. On their first night, they invite two locals for dinner who quickly becoming menacing. Part Southern gothic, part home invasion horror, A House on The Bayou is super creepy.
Masquerade (2021)
Bella Thorne stars in this home invasion thriller about two art dealers out on the town for the night. Masked intruders begin to invade their home looking for hidden pieces of priceless art while their daughter and her babysitter are home alone. As the couple heads home (and straight into danger), it’s not clear who, if anyone, is going to survive the night.
See For Me (2021)
Hoping to make enough money to live a more independent life, a recently blinded Olympic skier named Sophie takes a cat sitting job at a mansion in the country. When a group of armed burglars break in, Sophie uses an app called “See For Me” with a live helper — Kelly, an army veteran — to guide her. While the premise is very suspenseful in itself, there are several fun twists throughout the movie to keep you on your toes.
Superhost (2021)
A pair of YouTubers staying at an AirBnb run afoul of their host. Gradually the situation turns from creepy to life-threatening and the protagonists desperately try to escape the rented home.
More Home-Invasion Movies
- Suddenly (1954) Frank Sinatra plays a killer who holds a family hostage in their own home.
- In Cold Blood (1967) two ex-cons burglarizing a family home in Kansas, killing all four family members.
- A Clockwork Orange (1971) British gang members break into a rural home to rape a woman and cripple her husband.
- Play Misty for Me (1971) a female stalker breaks into a DJ’s home and vandalizes it.
- Alone in the Dark (1982) four escaped mental patients hold a family hostage during a power blackout.
- Unlawful Entry (1992) an intruder disrupts an upscale LA couple’s life.
- Swimfan (2002) an obsessed fan of a high-school swimmer breaks into his home and kidnaps his girlfriend.
- The Uninvited Guest (2004) a man finds several reasons to suspect there’s someone hiding in his house.
- The Guest (2014) a family is visited by a man who claims to have served with their deceased son but overstays his welcome. Bonus: The Guest has a killer soundtrack.
- Home Invasion (2016) an expected take on the theatrical genre where a woman is terrorized in her own mansion and told where to hide by the security company.
- Breaking In (2018) burglars seeking a hidden family fortune take a family hostage.
