Even after decades of masked killers armed with increasingly ludicrous weapons, cinemagoers still flock to theaters to experience the raw thrills of watching homicidal maniacs hunt the most dangerous game. And while there’s nothing wrong with filmmakers choosing to rely on tried-and-true formulas when depicting classic cat-and-mouse conflicts, the sheer amount of these movies means that horror fans often find themselves wishing for riskier takes on these familiar ideas.
Thankfully, there are some brave filmmakers out there that use of the basic premise of a slasher as a jumping off point to tell more creative stories. A recent example of this is Chris Nash’s highly ambitious In a Violent Nature, a Friday-the-13th-inspired horror film told from the melancholy perspective of the undead killer himself. And with the film impressing genre fans with its artsy reinvention of common clichés, we’ve decided to come up with a list highlighting six other experimental slashers for discerning horror fans to watch before checking out Nash’s somber mood piece.
Naturally, six features are just a drop in the bucket when compared to the vast selection of creative slashers available out there in the wild (i.e. streaming services), so don’t forget to comment below with your own strange and horrific favorites if you think we missed a particularly odd one.
With that out of the way, onto the list.
6. Rubber (2010)
There’s nothing wrong with a one-trick pony so long as the trick is reasonably entertaining, and that’s precisely why Rubber makes it onto this list as an unexpectedly clever slasher with a meta twist. Boasting a premise so silly that it could have been a Tim & Eric sketch (with the film following the exploits of a homicidal tire inexplicably gifted with telekinetic powers), newcomers might be surprised to learn that there’s a lot more to this absurdist parable than initially meets the eye.
Defying expectations, French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux uses the inherent ridiculousness of Rubber to explore and question exactly what motivates viewers to seek out self-indulgent cinema – all the while providing us with some genuinely funny fourth-wall breaks.
5. Funny Games (1997/2007)
I know that placing Funny Games and its remake in the number 5 spot technically makes this a Top-7 list (and the low body-count means that some might consider it more of a home-invasion thriller than a true slasher), but the fact is that both versions of this terrifying classic are worth seeking out for different reasons.
Directed by Michael Haneke, both the original film and its American remake tell the story of a family being attacked by a duo of psychotic young men engaged in an increasingly sadistic “game.” Equal parts brutal and witty, this is another case of a genre-savvy filmmaker flipping familiar tropes on their heads in order to explore our voyeuristic fascination with violence in film.
I’d just recommend skipping this one for family movie night.
4. Malevolence (2004)
Mike Holtz already did a wonderful job unpacking this underrated indie gem in its own article, so suffice to say that Stevan Mena’s Malevolence is a must watch for John Carpenter fans looking for a slasher with more metaphorical meat on its bones. It may not seem all that original on the surface, especially where presentation is concerned, but it’s the implied backstory about nature vs nurture that makes this such a fascinating watch (especially during repeat viewings).
The low budget and heavy-handed Halloween inspiration may not be to everyone’s liking, but I still think that this is one of the best examples of a “serious” slasher that focuses more on storytelling than gore. And if you like this one, I’d also recommend checking out the prequel (Bereavement) and sequel (Malevolence 3: Killer), all produced by the same team.
3. Triangle (2009)
I can’t really get into the details of what makes this film an “experimental” slasher without completely spoiling the surprise, so I’ll just have to urge readers to check this one out immediately without looking up anything else about it beforehand. However, if you’ve already seen Christopher Smith’s mind-bending thriller, you’ll know exactly how it manages to reinvent a tired scary movie formula.
Taking inspiration from classics like The Shining and Jacob’s Ladder while also placing our characters in a criminally underused setting in horror (an abandoned ocean liner!), Triangle is the rare kind of horror movie that works even better on a re-watch.
Plus, the flick stars underrated Scream Queen Melissa George in one of her most memorable roles.
2. Maniac (2012)
The original Maniac is one hell of a gnarly exploitation flick, but I’d argue that it’s since been overshadowed by its insanely ambitious remake. Directed by genre veteran Franck Khalfoun and written by Alexandre Aja alongside Grégory Levasseur, this unexpectedly moving slasher miraculously uses a first-person perspective to make audiences sympathize with a reluctant madman.
Featuring quite a few memorable performances (I simply adore Elijah Wood’s voicework here as the murderous protagonist), as well as some impressive camerawork and a plethora of genuinely horrific death scenes, the 2012 film is a veritable smorgasbord of terrifying delights made more impactful by a deeply introspective script.
1. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2007)
From Scream to The Cabin in the Woods, only a handful of horror films have successfully managed to subvert the tropes that made the genre so popular in the first place. And what do these films all have in common? They’re written by people who genuinely love the movies that they’re satirizing. And if you’re going to judge the quality of a satire according to how passionate the filmmakers are about the material they’re commenting on, 2007’s Behind the Mask is clearly among the very best.
A comedic fusion of tongue-in-cheek mockumentary filmmaking with an earnest dissection of classic slasher flicks, there’s a reason why hardcore fans have been clamoring for a sequel to Scott Glosserman’s opus for nearly two decades. And while the film lures audiences into a false sense of security with its wacky humor, the final act proves that Leslie Vernon is right up there with Michael, Jason and Freddy when it comes to having a killer instinct.
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