5 Great Horror Movies of the 2000's Featuring Foreign and Silent Films

Great horror movies leave you feeling disturbed instead of disgusted. These are 5 scary movies of the 2000's including films from England, Spain, and Japan plus one new silent movie.

The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

A Boston anthropologist inherits research papers from his uncle who was lured to his death by his craving for the secret knowledge of the cult of Cthulhu. We meet him in an asylum after he loses his own sanity pursuing the monstrous cult. This adaptation of a H.P. Lovecraft story skillfully integrates vintage and modern filmmaking into a new silent movie production with tributes to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropolis, and other classics. It's directed by Andrew Leman.

Severance (2006)

Employees from an international weapons company go for a team-building retreat at a remote lodge in Hungary. Which is scarier - spending a weekend with a corporate manager who says he can't spell success without "u" or facing the psychotic mercenaries outside? There are long stretches where it looks too much like the films it parodies, but there's a lot of dark humor and interesting social commentary about global and office politics.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

This Oscar-winner will have you rooting for 10 year old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) facing real and fantastic horrors in fascist Spain as she deals with an evil stepfather (Sergi Lopez) and a challenge from a mysterious satyr. It's directed by Guillermo del Toro who claims that Stephen King squirmed at the Pale Man chase scene during the screening.

The Orphanage (2007)

A couple tries to renovate a seaside orphanage into a facility for disabled children, but their own son become increasingly malevolent and they suspect the building may have a terrifying secret. While mindless horror movies end in bloodbaths and chases, this Spanish film has a surprisingly tender ending. It's directed by Juan Antonio Bayona.

Three Extremes (2004)

This trilogy showcases three directors from Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. Each story is beautifully shot making the gruesome content oddly attractive. Instead of strange monsters, most of the terror results from familiar problems such as aging and sibling rivalry. The 3 stories are directed by Fruit Chan, Takashi Miike, and Chan-Wook Park.