An all too possible reality, home invasion movies stir up the double-check the locks, looking-over-your-shoulder paranoia for moviegoers.Not exclusive to horrorbut often finding a home there, intruder movies thrive off of the nightmarish possibility someone is watching and waiting to strike inside the place audiences are most vulnerable: their home. The home invasion genre isn’t just about the physical breach of boundaries for the sake of sadistic violence or financial retribution but also accepting of the psychological intrusion that can occur in addition or as a precursor.
They’re hold-your-breath, watch-where-you-step, and you-gotta-run-for-it type films that demand meaningful audience investment and engagement. From notable horror franchises tothe “What did I just watch?” titlesthat so many love,the best home invasion movies prey on the fear of spontaneity and unjustified terror. These films depict the intensified fight-or-flight response and the reality that the only person who can save them is themselves.
10’The Purge' (2013)
Directed by James DeMonaco
A creative take on political horror, thefirst installment in this popular franchiseis by far the best of the series. The titular event is a 12-hour period in which all crime is legal.For James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) and his family, it’s an unsettling evening, but one where they are protected by a robust security system; however, when an intruder (Edwin Hodge) seeking refuge places a target on their backs, the Sandin’s fight to survive a murderous mob and avoid turning to the violence they swear to avoid during the annual event.
The Purgetakes home invasion to a new level byallowing the crime spree to be completely legal. There’s no rescue coming, and the 12-hour countdown is painstakingly slow. The resources available to the Sandins are not afforded to every citizen during the purge, forcing a thought-provoking conversation among audience members that begs the question,“What would you do?“Thefranchise gained steam with horror audiencesover critics, but the first movie remains a terrifying installment in the home invasion genre.
9’mother!' (2017)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
A stressful but wild film,Darren Aronofsky’smother!is a home invasion thatforces audiences to connect the dots throughout the entire film, making them work for the light-bulb payoff moment. The film starsJavier BardemandJennifer Lawrenceas a couple determined to make their rural home paradise. Their peace and tranquility are disrupted when an onslaught of unknown guests descend upon their home, driving Mother (Lawrence) to the edge as her husband (Bardem) revels in the attention.
mother!is, first and foremost,a film about breaking the social contract. Mother’s needs are continuously disregarded as her physical and emotional home is invaded by strangers, whereas her husband has no problem with entertaining the unwanted invaders. To trulyunderstand the ending ofmother!, audiences will probably require more than one watch, butits allegorical identity makes it the perfect out-of-the-box entry into the genre.
8’Parasite' (2019)
Directed by Bong Joon Ho
The title alone is enough to indicate to viewers where this dramatic thriller will take them.The Oscar-sweeping Korean filmchronicles the slow integration of the impoverished Kim family into the wealthy Park family’s home as they assume various integral roles in the Park’s lives, only for it all to come crashing down.Parasiteis an atypical home invasion film, but one that belongs in the genre nonetheless.
The Kim family goes to great lengths to manipulate the Parks into hiring them as tutors, the housekeeper, and the driver. One family is desperate to have what they believe the other takes for granted. Greed and the desire to escape poverty are the formulaic motivations for most home invasion thrillers, andParasiteis no different. Through deception,the Kim family invades the physical and emotional barriers of the Park home until, one day, everything comes to a boiling point.
7’Villains' (2018)
Directed by Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
A home invasion gone wrong…for the intruders,Villainsfeatures a reversal of fortunes for horror iconsMaika MonroeandBill Skarsgårdin a twisted, comedic horror flick. Fresh off a robbery and on the lam south, Mickey (Skarsgård) and Jules (Monroe) break into a suburban home. They stumble upon the dark secrets of the homeowners, George (Jeffrey Donovan) and Gloria (Kyra Sedgwick), only to become the hostages bargaining for survival.
An underrated genre blender,Villainsamplifies the expectation of the unexpected with the formulaic invasion genre, resulting in one ofthe best horror movies for Monroeand Skarsgård. Jules and Mickey are enjoyable antiheroes that audiences easily root for, a pair of lovers looking to escape their reality using theft as their means. George and Gloria, however, are the film’s deceptive antagonists, with the title provoking audiences toquestion just who is the villain in this home invasion.
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6’Us' (2019)
Directed by Jordan Peele
A second immaculate entry into filmmakerJordan Peele’s canon,Usis a haunting invasion thrillerthat breaches not only the home but also society.Lupita Nyong’ostars as Adelaide, a wife and mother haunted by her past only to be confronted with it as four masked strangers, their appearances mirroring her family, break into her childhood home. As an underground society of body doubles executes its takeover plan, Adelaide must secure her family while harboring a crucial secret. Desperate to escape, the family realizes that the phenomenon is happening across the country.
Usis a psychological horror film that emphasizes the terror ofrecognizing the faces of the intruderswhile also embracing an unfathomable departure from reality. Itposes more questions than answers; however,Usallows itself to hinge on the terrifying ambiguity of its intruders, resulting in one of the most inspired entries into the home invasion genre.
Rent on Amazon
5’No One Will Save You' (2023)
Directed by Brian Duffield
No One Will Save Youprovided the right home invasion vessel that allowedKaitlyn Deverto emerge as one of the genre’s newest final girls. In a home-invasion meets alien abduction story, community outcast Brynn (Dever) finds peace by receding into introversion in her childhood home. But when a set of questionable noises brings Brynn face-to-face with extraterrestrial beings, the fight for escape and survival is on.
One of themost talked-about horror movies of 2023, the Hulu original earned divisive reviews, with critics raving and audiences shrugging. Dever’s stellar performance, paired with the film’s inspirational nods to titles likeSignsandInvasion of the Body Snatchers, allowed for aunique mixture of sci-fi and home invasion horrorthat emphasizes the standard survivalist self-reliance.
No One Will Save You
4’Hush' (2016)
Directed by Mike Flanagan
Before he was terrifying Netflix audiences with literary adaptations,horror masterMike Flanagandelivered this intruder-alert thriller. The underratedHushstarsKate Siegelas Maddie, a deaf and mute writer who must fight off an intruder at her remote woodland home. It’s a chilling, nightmarish entry into the genre, enough to keep any viewer from planning a woodland getaway.Hush isa sensory experience, amplifying sound and movementto place the viewers in Maddie’s circumstances.
Unlike other films of a solo heroine fending off an intruder in the woods,Hushsucceeds in terrifying without the use of explicit violence or gore.This movie understands that less is more, and the only necessary elements fall between the hunter, the hunted, and the will to survive. Despite putting Flanagan’s horror on the mainstream map with its Netflix origins,Hushcurrently does not have a streaming home, althoughone is promised in the near future.
Hush is currently not available to stream or buy in the US and Canada.
3’Don’t Breathe' (2016)
Directed by Fede Alvarez
Desperate to escape her unstable, impoverished home environment, Rocky (Jane Levy) hopes a promising robbery will be her ticket out for her and her little sister. However, their target (Stephen Lang) may be blind, but he’s a former military man who entraps them in a game of cat-and-mouse.Don’t Breatheasks audiences who really is the villain in this scenario, and who is deserving of the punishment they receive.
An incredibly plausible scenario, this heart-pounding thriller earned high praise from audiences, leading toa sequel that didn’t live upto the shock factor of the first. It takes skilled and masterful effort toflip the script on home invasions and encourage the audience to sympathize with a trio of robbers.Don’t Breatheis one of the films where the audience is wholeheartedly involved and invested, urging Rocky to get out of the house she was so desperate to get into.
Don’t Breathe
2’Panic Room' (2002)
Directed by David Fincher
One of the best home invasion movies that’s not a horror film,Panic Roomis an out-of-body experience with a star-studded cast.Jodie Fosterstars as Meg, a divorced mother who recently moved into a new home with her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart). What initially seemed like an overboard installation, the home’s safe room turned into a life-saving grace when a trio (Forest Whitaker,Jared Leto, andDwight Yoakam)breaks into their home searching for money. Meg and Sarah take refuge in the panic room while they watch the intruders on a display of cameras.
ThisDavid Fincher-helmed projecttakes the home invasion genre to the next level as claustrophobia taps audiences on the shoulder. The film opts for psychological and calculated warfare instead of over-the-top sequences.Panic Roomcapitalizes exquisitely on the helplessness of circumstanceand the battle with time, something seamlessly depicted by Oscar-winner Foster.
Panic Room
1’The Strangers' (2008)
Directed by Bryan Bertino
The epitome of the horror subgenre,The Strangersis the best home invasion movie out there. A weekend getaway starts with a declined engagement for James (Scott Speedman) and Kristen (Liv Tyler) and ends in a brutal fight for survival. The couple becomes the targets of three masked strangers, violently terrorizing them for hours for no other reason than “Because you were home.”
The Strangersis a chillingly realistic film, its premise all too plausible for audiences. It remains the best in the home invasion genre because it can happen to anyone at any time. While other films remove the malice for entertainment,The Strangersrequires it to send a message. It was well-received by audiences, garnering two more films. Inspired by true events in directorBryan Bertino’s childhood, this iconic franchise is not one to watch alone and hear the doorbell ring.
The Strangers
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