The year 2000 was an eventful one for horror movies, and here are the best picks available to watch right now on major streaming services. It may not feel like it, but 2000 was now two whole decades ago. There was a time when people thought 2000 would look more like High Fidelity, but alas, the futuristic society of 2000 that many pictured back in the 1980s didn't come to . Instead people spent New Year's Eve worrying that the Y2K bug was going to crash computer systems.
2000 began what would be an eventful decade for horror, for better or worse. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 let most fans of the original down.
Below, we're shining a spotlight on five of the best horror films from 2000, but to make things easy, all of them are currently available on a popular streaming service or two. Those horror fans who have yet to see them owe it to themselves to check these five movies out.
Ginger Snaps
This Canadian-made cult classic focuses on two death-obsessed sisters, Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald, whose introverted life is thrown into chaos after Ginger gets attacked and bitten by a werewolf. With her sister turning into a murderous beast, Brigitte sets out to both save her and prevent anyone else from falling to her bloodlust. Presenting lycanthropy through the lens of a girl's transition into womanhood, Ginger Snaps features a unique perspective on the werewolf curse, and that creativity has helped it endure more than most modern entries into the furry sub-genre.
Ginger Snaps can currently be streamed on Amazon Prime and Shudder, and is available for free with ads on the Roku Channel, Vudu, Tubi, and Crackle. Ginger Snaps' two sequels are also free on Tubi.
Audition
The film that gained prolific Japanese director Audition takes a look at what happens when one party in a relationship turns out to be much, much different then they first appeared. The story starts when Shigeharu Aoyama, a widower, sets out to meet a new wife under the morally questionable false pretense of an acting audition. Through this process he meets Asami, who he quickly falls for. Unfortunately for him, Asami is a sadistic psychopath who loves to torture her victims.
Audition is truly an endurance test, in the best possible way, as it'll be a challenge for all but the least sensitive viewers. Asami's torture methods are both intricate and cringe-inducing, and as unsavory as Shigeharu's method was in meeting her, it's hard not to feel sorry for him by the end. Audition is currently streaming on Shudder.
What Lies Beneath
This ghostly tale of deception, adultery, and murder stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford as a seemingly perfect couple, but their union isn't what it appears. Robert Zemeckis directs What Lies Beneath, a movie that was a big hit upon release, but for whatever reason has faded into obscurity a bit in recent times. While not anything revolutionary, What Lies Beneath offers lots of heart-racing scares, some really cool visuals, and predictably good lead performances from Pfeiffer and Ford that propel along the story.
There are several options available for checking out What Lies Beneath, as it's currently streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and DirecTV, and can also be watched for free with ads on Pluto TV.
Final Destination
Originally envisioned as an X-Files episode, Final Destination ended up launching one of the most popular horror franchises of the 2000s. It centers on Alex Browning (Devon Sawa), a college student whose premonition of doom saves himself and a small group of others from dying in a plane crash, only to see Death come to collect them one by one. The original film is definitely a lot creepier and scarier than the sequels, as it actually tried to be legitimately horrific, instead of just presenting crazy death after crazy death. Hopefully the sixth installment will try and return to this more fearful focus, as it would be a refreshing change of pace at this point.
That's not to say that Final Destination doesn't have some great kills, or that the sequels aren't a lot of fun, but the first film has a much darker feel than the increasingly splatter-filled follow-ups. Those interested can make up their own mind, as Final Destination and its first three sequels are now streaming on HBO Max. One assumes Final Destination 5 will head there eventually to complete the set.
The Gift
Directed by The Gift stars Cate Blanchett as Annie, a gifted psychic whose visions lead her to believe that Jessica (Katie Holmes), the missing fiance of school principal Wayne Collins (Greg Kinnear) has been murdered. Suspicion is thrown on local wife-beater and adulterer Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves, in a rare villain role). He seems like the obvious culprit, but is he really guilty, or is there a darker truth to discover? The revelations continue from there, in this spooky mystery, also featuring JK Simmons, Giovanni Ribisi, Hilary Swank, and Gary Cole.
While he made his name with the Evil Dead trilogy, Raimi has rarely ventured back into horror in the years since Army of Darkness. Every time he does so though, The Gift included, it serves as a reminder of just how good at making horror movies Raimi is, and makes fans wish he'd spend more time scaring the masses. The Gift is a far cry from Evil Dead's gory chaos, but goes for more subtle scares, and the building of suspense and tension. The Gift is available to stream on Amazon Prime and CBS All Access, and can be viewed for free with ads on Popcornflix.
