Ahh, 2008. The year of massive fashion belts, when everyone had bangs, and the return of tights. Some things are better left in the past, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look back at some of the best horror movies from that year and binge-watch them all.

Now, you may be wondering why 2008? The 80s were the time horror was reborn, in my opinion at least, and early 2000s horror was mostly full of sex, boobs, and dumb blondes. So why pick the best movies from 2008?

Well, in simplest terms I chose 2008 because that was the year I really got into horror.

Anyone who knows me or anything about me knows that I started watching horror movies at the young, impressionable age of seven. For anyone curious, IT was the first horror movie I saw.

But, if I started watching horror movies at seven, why did it take another six years to “get into” horror ? It all started when I watched Salem’s Lot for the first time. It scared the living daylights out of me, and I refused to watch horror movies after that traumatic event. But my inner horror lover wouldn’t stay away.

Around 2007, I started watching the movies again, and by 2008 I was spending the whole weekend sitting alone in the dark and watching horror movies.

So, since 2008 marked the year where I watched the most newly released horror movies, I figured we’d start with some of my favorite movies from that year.

What were my favorite horror movies from 2008? Keep reading to find out!

PLEASE NOTE: These films aren’t listed in any particular order.

SPOILERS: While I feel this shouldn’t be necessary, I will add that this will have spoilers. So, if you want to watch any of these movies but haven’t yet, I would do that before reading through!

1. The Strangers

What could possibly go wrong after a failed marriage proposal and a weekend alone in the woods? Well, a group of three, masked people could torment said couple before murdering them.

When Kristen McKay and James Hoyt travel to a summer home for the night, the two quickly learn that—despite their previous beliefs—they are not alone. They receive a knock on the door. When they open it, a girl is standing in dim light asking if Tamara is home. When the couple says she’s at the wrong house, everything starts to go wrong.

They hear strange sounds, see taunting images on windows, and are in a constant state of panic. Mostly, they try and survive the night however they can.

2. Prom Night

High school seniors are on top of the world when their long-awaited prom night arrives. In a way, this night marks the end of an era for most, filled with great memories that each student will look back on for years to come. Well, not everyone will have a great night when you’re friends with Donna Keppel.

Years before her prom, Donna came home from a night with friends to find the remnants of her murdered family. Hearing the killer in the house, Donna hides under a nearby bed but unfortunately watches as her mother is murdered by her teacher. Now living with her loving aunt and uncle, she’s able to overcome her past trauma, for the most part.

It isn’t until after Donna leaves with her boyfriend Bobby to meet with friends Lisa, Claire, Michael, and Ronnie, that it’s discovered that murderer Richard Felton has escaped prison. Eventually, the hotel in which the prom is being held is evacuated in an attempt of finding Felton, but once again, they learn the news of Felton too little too late.

3. Shutter

A newlywed couple heads to Japan where the husband, Ben, is working as a fashion photographer. While Ben and his wife Jane make their way into town one night, Ben hits a young girl with their car. However, when they get out to look for her, she’s nowhere to be seen. The two have no choice but to leave as they’re unsure if there was a woman there or not.

Shortly after, Ben notices white marks in nearly all of his pictures. Ben, hiding his dark past, declines to help Jane figure out the root of the problem. Eventually, Jane not only learns the truth about what’s happening and also about Ben’s past.

4. The Haunting of Molly Hartley

You can trust your parents, right? WRONG, especially when your parents made a deal with the devil. For Molly Hartley, that’s exactly what happened. Now, as she’s about to turn 18, Molly has to find a way out of the deal she didn’t ask for.

Being the new kid at school is hard, but life for Molly gets a little easier when one of the popular guys in school, Joseph Young, shows interest in her. For a while, her life seems normal for a high-school senior. But just when everything seems somewhat normal, Molly’s past catches up with her. What’s worse, is the people she thought she could trust she quickly finds out that’s no longer the case.

5. One Missed Call

What would you do if you heard yourself die? What if all your friends received a strange call that contained clips of them dying, then at the date and time of the voicemail, they meet their sudden demise? For Beth Raymond, this is exactly what happens to her. What’s worse is that she eventually receives a voicemail containing clips of her own death.

After befriending Jack Andrews, whose sister received the first mysterious call, the two team up to put an end to these death calls once and for all. But can they track it down before Beth’s fate is sealed?

6. Saw V

Jigsaw’s gone, but his legacy lives on. Agent Mark Hoffman is named a hero for saving a young girl and himself from Jigsaw’s final game…until Agent Peter Strahm is found alive. By now in the series, we know that Hoffman has taken the place of Jigsaw. Just when he thinks he’s done a great job keeping his new, hidden identity under wraps, he received a mysterious note saying the sender knows he he is.

Agent Strahm is onto Hoffman and how he was able to walk out of the last game alive. Likewise, Hoffman is onto Strahm and believes he he was the one who sent the note. The two spend the film trying to prove the other’s guilt. All the while we get classic a Saw game, so you can rest assured there’s plenty of blood and gore.

7. The Eye

Sydney Wells can finally see after receiving a cornea transplant. Although, as soon as the bandages come off, Sydney notices something isn’t quite right. She starts to see fuzzy images wherever she goes. She assumes what’s happening isn’t right, especially after seeing ghostly images of people dying, but no one quite believes her.

Eventually, Sydney can receive help in tracking down the donor, as she’s convinced the visions she’s seeing has something to do with the donor’s past. She and therapist Paul Faulkner find the donor’s family and make plans to meet in an attempt to learn more about how Sydney came to receive the eyes. After a successful meeting, Paul and Sydney return home, convinced everything is fine. In reality, it’s anything but fine.

8. The Happening

The disappearance of bees and bizarre event that causes people to kill themselves. Is this an act of terrorism, or is this a force of nature? High school science teacher Elliot Moore is convinced the latter is to blame, but can he convince the other members of the train he’s stuck on that his theory is correct while leading them to safety?

Elliot, his wife Alma, and their friend’s daughter Jess, try to survive this event that’s left thousands—if not more—dead. Will they be able to outrun the wind? This M. Night Shyamalan film will leave you wondering if nature will one day purge humans for good.

What’s Your Favorite Horror Movie from 2008?

Did your favorite horror movie from 2008 make the list? If not, let me know in the comments what your favorite movie is, then let me know what year I should do next!