Student life in movies is not only fun and intense, but also scary. For the creators of horror films, this is one of the most popular motifs. The best horror movies about students not only scare, but also lift your spirits, alert and help prevent similar situations in the lives of real-life viewers.
Happy Death Day
- IMDB Rating – 6.6
- Genre: Horror, sci-fi, detective, comedy
- Produced USA/2017
- Budget: $ 4,800,000
- Worldwide gross of: $125,479,266
- Directed by Christopher Landon
- Starring: Jessica Roth, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Laura Clifton, Jason Bale, Rob Mello, Rachel Matthews, Remzi Anderson, Brady Lewis, Fi Wu, Shadows of Intriago, Blaine Kern, Cariella Smith, Jimmy Gonzales, Billy Slaughter
Teresa is the victim of a maniac who kills her after another party. In the morning, the student finds herself back in her bed, but finds that everything that happened to her the day before is repeated. Being a hostage of the time loop, the girl turns to her comrades for help.
Together they must free her soul and stop the maniac, but it is no longer possible to bring Teresa back to life.
A favorite scene of the actress, who played the main role in the film – Jessica Roth, is the fall of her character in a bikini without a parachute, but this scene was not included in the original version of the film.
Scream
- IMDB Rating – 6.5
- Genre: Horror, Detective
- Production USA / 2022
- World Box Office: $139,387,560
- Directed by Matthew Bettinelli, Tyler Gillette
- Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, Jenna Ortega, Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Dylan Minnette, Courtney Cox, Marley Shelton, Mickey Madison, Kyle Gallner
Many years have passed since the series of brutal murders that shook the quiet town of Woodsboro. The events of that time have just begun to be forgotten, when suddenly an unknown masked maniac begins his hunt again, stalking a group of teenagers and revealing their terrible secrets of the past.
This time, the schoolchildren are helped by survivors of yesteryear. Sidney, Gail, and Dewey are determined to track down the culprit. They return to their hometown and conduct their own investigation, but they don’t realize that they themselves have been caught in the crosshairs of a maniac.
After the film series was released, the number of sales of caller ID phones doubled.
Filming was interrupted by the start of the pandemic, but when work resumed, the crew received $7 million in additional subsidies from North Carolina.
Grave
- IMDB Rating – 7.0
- Genre: horror, drama
- Production: France, Belgium, Italy
- Budget: €3,500,000
- World Box Office: $3,096,815
- Directed by Julia Ducorno
- Starring: Guerence Marillier, Ella Ramph, Rabah Naïth Ufella, Laurent Lucas, Joana Preiss, Bouly Lanners, Marion Vernoux, Jean-Louis Sbier
Justine plans to become a veterinary student, but there is a big problem: the institution has a tradition of eating raw meat. Being a vegetarian, she oversteps her principles and performs the ritual. As a result, she has a need for raw meat that she is unable to control.
The horror film Raw, about young people and college life, was shown for the first time at the Toronto Film Festival, where several people became ill. The audience lost consciousness.
A similar reaction was recorded when the film “Antichrist”, directed by Lars von Trier, was shown.
The Cabin in the Woods
- IMDB Rating – 7.0
- Genre: horror, comedy, fantasy
- Production USA/2011
- Budget: $30,000,000
- World Box Office: $69,935,600
- Directed by Drew Goddard
- Starring: Jodell Ferland, Amy Ecker, Brian J. White, Anne Hutchison, Christine Nora Connolly, Fran Krantz, Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, Bradley Whitford, Richard Jenkins
A group of friends spend a weekend in the woods, staying at cousin Chris’s cabin. On their way there, they encounter a frightening old man who warns them of impending danger. Soon, scary things begin to happen in the woods.
The experts at the secret laboratory have many unpleasant surprises in store for the students, and not all of the weekend’s participants will be left alive.
The script for the film was carefully classified by the authors. Even at the auditions, the actors played out fake scenes specially written for the casting.
The Babysitter: Killer Queen
- IMDB Rating – 5.8
- Genre: Horror, comedy, melodrama
- Produced by USA/2020
- Directed by McGee
- Starring: Judah Lewis, Bella Thorne, Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino, Emily Elin Lind, Robbie Amell, Jenna Ortega, Hana Mae Lee, Amanda Cerney, Andrew Bachelorette.
Two years ago, Cole caught his nanny Bea in a deal with the lord of hell and almost single-handedly managed to stop the representatives of the Devil’s cult. After that, the boy was determined to return to a normal way of life, but his parents thought he was crazy and wanted to hospitalize him in a mental institution.
Fleeing to escape, he is once again confronted by a demonic conspiracy. Together with his friends, he must fight back against the Darkness.
The film is a sequel to Nanny (2017), whose screenplay was written by Dan Lagan.
Halloween Ends
- IMDB Rating – 6.6
- Genre: Horror, thriller, crime
- Produced by USA, UK/2018
- Budget: $10,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $255,485,178
- Directed by David Gordon Green
- Starring: Judy Greer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, Virginia Gardner, Miles Guthrie Robbins, Will Patton, Toby Hass, Jefferson Hall, Andy Matichak, Chris Nelson
No one can control evil. It returns again on the eve of the Day of the Dead. Since it is impossible to eliminate it, one can only attempt to eradicate the darkness for a time, but it is unclear whether there will be brave men capable of accomplishing the task successfully this time. The case involves Michael Myers, who plans to return to his hometown of Haddonfield to continue the series of murders.
The credits of “Halloween Ends” do not specify Michael Myers; his name (as in the original film of the same name, but released in 1978) is written as “The Shape.” P.J. Soles, Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle will also return from the first film.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
- IMDB Rating – 6.2
- Genre: horror, thriller
- Produced by USA, Canada, Mexico/2019
- Budget: $25,000,000
- World Box Office: $104,545,505
- Director Andre Ovredahl
- Starring: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Jill Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Zajour, Natalie Ganzhorn, Kathleen Pollard
United States, second half of the twentieth century. This is a period of fateful changes in the lives of ordinary people. Among them is a girl, Sarah, who keeps her family’s secrets from outsiders. Gradually her life turns into a series of terrible events, which she describes in the book.
Only the plot on the page is ahead of what happens to Sarah in reality. The book falls into the hands of young people who have to stop a series of sinister incidents.
The film is based on the young adult book horror “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (1980), authored by writer E. Schwartz.
Summer of 84
- IMDB Rating – 6.7
- Genre: thriller, detective, crime
- Produced by Canada/2017
- Worldwide gross of: $42,027
- Directed by François Simard, Anouk Vissell, Joann-Carl Vissell
- Starring: Graham Verchir, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Corey Grueter-Andrew, Tiera Skovbay, Rich Sommer, Jason Gray-Stanford, Shauna Johannesen, Mark Brandon, J. Alex Brinson
In a small province in Oregon lives a guy named Davy, who works part-time as a newspaper deliveryman and has fun with his comrades. One day his quiet life is interrupted, and the reason for this is the news about a serial killer who kills teenage boys. The company of boys need to stop the criminal before they themselves become his victims.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Interestingly, the film’s hero Randall was played by actor Jason Gray-Stanford, but that is his creative name, and the real name is the same as his character.
Unfriended
- IMDB Rating – 5.5
- Genre: horror, thriller, detective
- Produced by USA, Russia/2015
- Budget: $1,000,000
- World Box Office: $62,882,090
- Directed by Levan Gabriadze
- Starring: Cal Barnes, Mickey River, Matthew Borer, Heather Sossaman, Courtney Halverson, Jacob Wysocki, Will Peltz, Renee Olstead, Moses Storm, Shelley Hennig
After school, the teens spend time chatting on Skype, but an unknown person joins the chat room. Initially, the kids think it’s a system glitch, but the mysterious nickname “Billy 227” lets them know they’re wrong.
He is determined to find out which one of them posted the video that influenced the decision of one of the students to commit suicide. The stranger won’t let anyone leave the video chat room until his friends tell the truth.
Interestingly, the social media accounts that made it into the movie footage are real and can be found by Facebook and Skype users.
Don’t Breathe
- IMDB Rating – 7.1
- Genre: thriller, crime
- Produced by USA, Hungary/2015
- Budget: $9,900,000
- World Box Office: $157,761,002
- Directed by Federico Alvarez
- Starring: Daniel Dzovatto, Jane Levy, Stephen Lang, Dylan Minnette, Jane May Graves, Katja Bokor, Sergei Onopko, John Donahue
Several robbers decide to make a profit at the expense of a blind rich man. The young men break into his house and try to find the money. It seems that the task is almost completed, but the owner of the mansion appears and turns out to be far from a defenseless man. He is cruel and is ready to fight back against those who have stolen his money and property.
In the film, the owner of the house is referred to as “The Blind Man,” but the hero’s real name is Norman Nordstrom. He was played by actor Stephen Lang both in the first part of the film and in the second part.
It Follows
- IMDB Rating – 6.8
- Genre Horror
- Produced by USA/2014
- Budget: $2,000,000
- Worldwide box office: $21,947,454
- Director David Robert Mitchell
- Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Micah Monroe, Jake Wirey, Lily Sepe, Olivia Luccardi, Leisa Pulido, Ruby Harris, Daniel Dzovatto, Debbie Williams, Bailey Spry
A young girl Jay is tired of living with her alcoholic mother. She tries to establish relationships with her peers and make progress in school, but everything is doomed to failure. Jay has a young man who disposes her to have her first sex. After the intimacy takes place, the girl realizes that someone is watching her. The feeling of being watched drives her crazy, but she wants to conquer her fear and look him in the eye at all costs.
The couple’s date in the film was filmed on the grounds of an old Japanese cultural structure called the Radford Theater. It is located in the state of Michigan in Detroit. It is also where the 1981 film “The Evil Dead” was shown for the first time in the horror genre, with a reference to the teenage storyline.
Carrie
- IMDB Rating – 5.9
- Genre: thriller, horror, drama
- Produced by Canada, USA/2013
- Budget: $30,000,000
- World Box Office: $84,790,678
- Director Kimberly Pierce
- Starring: Connor Price, Cynthia Preston, Max Topplin, Michelle Nolden, Alex Russell, Gabriella Wilde, Portia Doubleday, Judy Greer, Julianne Moore, Chloë Grace Moretz
Carrie faces bullying from her peers. She has no friends and has to put up with loneliness. She dreams of having a boyfriend and nice clothes, but her religious mother forbids her to think about relationships, accusing her daughter of making a deal with the Devil.
Carrie has the ability of telekinesis, which she confidently develops in herself, but one day she loses control and begins to kill everyone who has once wronged her.
As the basis of the script for the film was taken by the legendary writer Stephen King’s novel of the same name, published in 1974. The creator wanted to throw it away, but his wife saw the drafts in the trash and persuaded him to write a sequel.
Evil Dead
- IMDB Rating – 6.5
- Genre Horror
- Produced by USA/2013
- Budget: $17,000,000
- World Box Office: $97,542,952
- Director Federico Alvarez
- Starring: Elizabeth Blackmore, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Shilo Fernandez, Jane Levy
The drug-addicted Mia, along with her brother and friends, goes on a weekend trip to a country mansion. There, the young people get their hands on an ancient book written in a strange language. By chance, one of Mia’s companions casts a spell and unleashes the Darkness. The boys have to quickly leave the house, but they cannot get out of the village without a ruthless clash with Evil.
The first letters of the names of the main characters add up to the word “DEMON”. For the presence of violent scenes, this film was banned from some CIS countries.
The Final Girls
- IMDB Rating – 6.6
- Genre: Horror, comedy
- U.S.A. production/2015
- Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson
- Starring: Jackie Tuttle, Thomas Middleditch, Angela Trimbur, Adam Devine, Chloe Bridges, Alia Shokat, Alexander Ludwig, Malin Akerman, Taissa Farmiga, Nina Dobrev
In the 1980s Max’s mother died. She was an actress and horror movies with a student plot were made with her. Becoming an adult, the orphan decides to go on a trip with friends. As a result, she finds herself held hostage to the plot of the horror film genre, and leaving her bonds is not so easy. Max is hunted by a dangerous maniac who intends to kill everyone in the story.
The budget of the film “The Last Girls” was 4.5 million dollars. The film was directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, also known for the comedy “Isn’t It Romantic”.
Kamisama no iu tôri
- IMDB Rating – 6.4
- Genre: Horror, sci-fi
- Production Japan/2014
- World Box Office: $1,938,654
- Directed by Takashi Miike
- Starring: Nao Omori, Rena Shimura, Hirona Yamazaki, Jingi Irie, Atsuko Maeda, Fukushi Sota, Shota Sometani, Ryunosuke Kamiki
A popular boy at school, Sun Takahata is bored with the monotony of ordinariness. But everything changes when strange toys under the control of the Daruma doll deity show up at the school. The creatures persuade the schoolchildren to become participants in the game, but they have to put their right to live on the line.
The director of the popular 2021 series “Squid Game” was accused of plagiarizing the film “Kamisama no iu tôri” (2014), because the plots of the 2 projects are related to children’s games, and whoever ends up a loser in them dies.
Blood Fest
- IMDB Rating – 5.4
- Genre: Horror, comedy
- US production/2018
- Worldwide box office: $122,833
- Directed by Owen Egerton
- Starring: Zachary Levi, Seishell Gabriel, Tate Donovan, Robbie Kaye, Jacob Batalon, Isla Cervelli, Barbara Dunkelman, Olivia Grace Applegate, Juliette Kida, Paul Ogola
Horror movie fans meet together at a film festival, looking forward to the fun. None of them knows that a bloodbath awaits them for life. The organizer of the event has decided to arrange a brutal game, which is not without madness and real monsters. The group of heroes must find a way to stay alive.
In the film, in the role of Anthony Walsh (the organizer of the bloodbath) appeared actor Owen Egerton, who also directed the film “Blood Fest” and wrote the script for it.
Ma
- IMDB Rating – 5.6
- Genre: Thriller
- Production Japan, USA/2019
- Budget: $5,000,000
- Worldwide box office: $61,105,672
- Director Tate Taylor
- Starring: Octavia Spencer, Diane Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McCaley Miller, Corey Fogelmanis, Gianni Paolo, Dante Brown, Tanyell Waivers, Dominic Burgess, Heather Marie Pate
The students know that Sue Ann, aka Ma, has the coolest parties. She gathers company in the basement, serves alcoholic cocktails and turns the music up loud. There are no restrictions in her house, which all young people like. Only Ann has her secrets, which will one day be revealed to friends who venture into her private room.
In the movie “Ma,” a 3-pawed dog is involved. The heroine found it in front of a liquor store. Interestingly, this animal belongs to a veterinarian who in real life runs a clinic near this location. Footage of Ma at work was taken at his clinic.
Sorority Row
- IMDB Rating – 5.2
- Genre: horror, detective
- USA/2009 production
- Budget: $12,500,000
- World Box Office: $27,206,120
- Director Stuart Handler
- Starring: Margot Harshman, Teri Andrzejewski, Rumer Willis, Briana Evigan, Marie Blanchard, Robert Belushi, Adam Berry, Jamie Cheung
Garrett is a notorious womanizer and lover. He wins the attention of beautiful girls, and then leaves them in tears and alone. As a result, several offended students decide to take revenge on their ex-partner, choosing the most brutal ways. One of his dates fakes her death, but not realizing that it is a hoax, Garrett commits her real murder. The vigilante’s plans take an abruptly different turn. They have to eliminate her friend’s body and get ready for graduation. But they can’t hide the fact of the accident.
The interiors of the Zeta Pi sorority were filmed in Pennsylvania at Crafton, where a warehouse with sets was set up.
Truth or Dare
- IMDB Rating – 5.2
- Genre: horror, thriller
- Produced by USA/2018
- Budget: $3,500,000
- Worldwide gross of: $95,330,493
- Directed by Jeff Wadlow
- Starring: Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violet Bean, Sophie Taylor Ali, Nolan Gerard Funk, Landon Libuaron, Sam Lerner, Brady Smith, Hayden Szeto, Aurora Perrino
Olivia and her friends decide to spend their leisure time together playing Truth or Dare. They vacation in Mexico in a small cabin nestled in a thick forest. In this secluded spot, the famous game begins to spiral out of control. As a result, the first victims appear in the house.
Interestingly, the game “Truth or Dare” is known to the world since 1712. Its rules originally provided to answer participants’ questions or perform their commands. It was often played by people on Christmas Eve.
Body Snatchers
- IMDB Rating – 5.8
- Genre: horror, sci-fi, comedy
- Produced by USA/2019
- Directed by Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman
- Starring: Mary Nepi, Gabrielle Elise, J.J. Nolan, Austin Freiberger, Nick Gomez, Rich Fulcher, Amy Landecker, Ashley Argota, Alex Skinner, David Christian Welborn
High school student Sarah is the perfect girl. She is an “A” student and plans to go to university. She has a boyfriend who demands intimacy from her. After her first sex, she notices that her belly is growing. Sarah is pregnant, but suspects that the baby is developing too quickly. This is not an isolated incident. The aliens intend to take over the girls’ bodies, but Sarah and the other pregnant women do not plan to give up.
In the film, Donald Sutherland wanted to do all the stunts himself. Scenes in the factory were filmed without safety equipment, and during the episode with the fireball, the actor was seriously injured.
Assassination Nation
- IMDB Rating – 6.0
- Genre: Horror, action, thriller, drama, comedy, crime
- Produced by USA, Canada/2018
- Worldwide box office: $2,584,988
- Directed by Sam Levinson
- Starring: Odessa Young, Hari Nef, Sookie Waterhouse, Abra, Coleman Domingo, Bill Skarsgard, Joel McHale, Anika Noni Rose, Bella Thorne, Maude Apatow
There is a bloodbath in the city of Salem. It is possible to survive, but by deception and brutality. Lily and her friends face real madness, and behind it is an anonymous hacker who shares personal information from the students’ lives with outsiders.
According to the plot the heroine Becks is a transgender woman. The actress who played her role is Hari Nef. She is also a transgender woman in real life.
In the episode where Lily hits a stalker in the face with a shovel, there is a green frog. This moment is a reference to the “Pepe the Frog” meme, which is sadly popular on the web.
In Addition to the Selection: Other Horror Movies About Students
- Haunt 2019;
- Countdown 2019;
- Flatliners 2017;
- Wish Upon 2017;
- Don’t Hang Up 2016;
- Ouija 2014;
- The Bye Bye Man 2016.
