Home invasion filmsare so darn effective that it’s hard to position them in a specific genre. People are always terrified of those kinds of events, so horror is a given. Only thrillers also work, surreal dramas make a damn good point, and even science fiction films are constantly framed under the devised story arc of what would happen if aliens arrive. Surely, your home won’t be as safe.
This is what actually happens in Hulu’s new sci-fi thrillerNo One Will Save You, starring the always effective and underrated actress Kaitlyn Dever as Brynn, a young woman who finds it inevitable to be alone in a huge house. The problem is one night little green men arrive and decide to wreak havoc on Brynn’s home. A solid horror thriller that you shouldn’t miss if you’re a fan of the genre, more so when it blends well with others like science fiction.
And while we’re on the same note, we decided to dig around the bins and made a list of a couple of films you should check out if you’re into home invasion thrillers.
In Mike Flanagan’s meticulous thrillerHush, a horror author (the writer ofMidnight Mass, the epic vampire series of the Flanagan-verse) functions better when she’s in complete isolation. The thing is she’s a deaf-mute and a stalking killer decides to use this to his advantage when he decides to arrive at her house. But she won’t give up so easily. When it comes to home invasion films,Hushis definitely one that should always be on the list.
Hangmanis a 2015 British film that not many people have been able to see due to the fact that it’s hard to find out there in streaming services, and most rely on DVD copies. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent horror thriller feature that mixes the premise of a basic thriller with a follow-up in the form of a second act that you’ve probably never seen before.
InHangman, a family returns from vacation to find someone’s been in their house. But they forget all about it, without knowing a creep installed himself in the attic, and also set up some cameras to watch his victims every day. This one’s very, very upsetting.
8Don’t Breathe
In 2016, Fede Álvarez made a small thriller calledDon’t Breathethat took an everyday plot and turned it into something else when villains turned into victims, andvictims turned into monsters. Morals are extremely twisted in the film, as thieves break into the house of a poor, blind war veteran, who’s got some monsters in the closet.
Related:No One Will Save You: Scariest Moments, Ranked
And outlaws find out about this in a very violent, karma-wise fashion. If you haven’t seen this one, do so with the lights off, and get ready for what’s a horrific twist that turns a home invasion into a fall down a very strange rabbit hole.
France saw their 2000s notable horror film movement peak in 2007 when Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury made an unnerving film calledInside(originally titledÀ l’intérieur). In the film, Sarah survives a car accident while being pregnant. Now, she finds herself alone and traumatized in a lonely home during a rainy night.
But someone knocks on her door, and a tremendously violent film begins. Sarah falls victim to a mad woman who will do anything to get Sarah’s baby out of her womb and take it with her. You will probably have trouble sleeping by yourself after this one.
6In Their Skin
Of the films on this list,In Their Skinis probably one of the most sober. And this makes it much scarier than we gave it credit for almost ten years ago when it saw a limited release. It tells the story of the Hughes family as they decide to escape their mundane lives and the grief they’re going through because of a recent tragedy.
As they arrive in a remote cottage, friendly neighbors show up on their doorstep, and they start showing a disturbing envy of their near-perfect lives. You will probably guess where this one goes from the moment the strange people arrive, but we assure you:In Their Skinis a bloodcurdling experience that’ll stop you from opening when the doorbell sounds, and you’re not expecting company.
M. Night Shyamalan’sSignsis a very similar film toNo One Will Save You. At least in regards to the plot’s presentation. It tells the story of a dysfunctional family trying to deal with the signs an alien invasion is soon to take place. From strange sounds coming from the dark to the eerie images of crop signs appearing all over the place.
It has one of the best-written third acts in the Shyamalan universe of movies, regardless of what people say about the aliens being dumb for invading a planet with so much water, given that water can be weaponized against them.
4The Strangers
The unsettling thing about a film likeThe Strangersis that the more you watch it, the more you see the realistic aspect of the film. It’s slow-burn because it doesn’t have too much to do with its simple premise: a couple gets spooked and attacked by strangers wearing disturbing masks.
However, the film doesn’t follow the rules and early on confirms the viciousness of the attackers and their intention to leave no witnesses. It’s hard to find someone left unscarred by thiscreepy horror thriller, as everyone watched it and everyone was left traumatized.
Jordan Peele’sUsis an ambitious horror thriller with a sci-fi element that fortunately never gets utilized to inject more substance into the plot. It doesn’t need to. It’s a home invasion film above everything.
Related:15 of the Most Brutal Scenes in Home Invasion Horror Movies
Actually, more than one home gets invaded as doppelgängers emerge from the underground to find their “similars” and take over society. Any way they can. The scene where the mysterious beings arrive on our leads' beach house is a classic in itself. For some, it’s Peele’s best movie so far.
2Close Encounters of the Third Kind
If you sawNo One Will Save You, and the film made you remember a film you saw before, that film is probably Steven Spielberg’sClose Encounters of the Third Kind. The lights, the magnitude, the playful attitude. It all adds up. In the film, Earth gets visited by aliens that don’t really look friendly at first, and even abduct a boy from the arms of his mother. This sequence is Spielberg’s most horror-like production of his entire career. It’s hard not to see the homage by Brian Duffield withNo One Will Save You.
Stephen Herek’sCrittersis an extremely funny and violent film about little furry creatures coming to Earth and wreaking havoc on a small town, and specifically the Browns home. Anabsolute ’80s classic,Crittersmixed a tongue-in-cheek tone with horror as the furry balls were able to throw punchlines (with subtitles of course), eject poisonous needles from their backs, and munch on human beings any chance they had. Luckily, the Browns also had some help from some intergalactic bounty hunters with powerful laser shotguns.
