Best Indian Horror Movies to Watch
Indian horror has a reputation problem. Mention "Indian horror movie" and most people think of either the Ramsay Brothers' campy creature features or the countless possession-exorcism films that seemed to release every week through the 2010s. But here's the thing: when Indian horror gets it right, it gets it really right. And in the last few years, something has shifted. Filmmakers across languages have started treating horror as a serious genre.
1. Tumbbad (Hindi)
If you haven't seen Tumbbad, stop reading this list and go watch it. Rahi Anil Barve's film about a man's multi-generational obsession with a hidden treasure guarded by a mythological demon is the best Indian horror film ever made. The creature design is extraordinary, the village of Tumbbad is perpetually rain-soaked and rotting, and the story weaves greed, mythology, and genuine scares into something unforgettable. It flopped theatrically but found its audience on streaming. A masterpiece.
Our Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
2. Bramayugam (Malayalam)
Mammootty in a black-and-white period horror film about a traveller trapped in a haunted mansion with a mysterious old man. Rahul Sadasivan creates atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife. The film relies on sound design, shadows, and Mammootty's unsettling performance rather than jump scares. The final act revelation is genuinely chilling.
Our Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
3. Stree 2 (Hindi)
Amar Kaushik proved that horror-comedy isn't an oxymoron. Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, and the ensemble are hilarious, while the horror sequences — particularly the headless villain Sarkata — are surprisingly effective. It made over 800 crore, proving audiences are hungry for smart horror.
Our Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
4. Bhoothakaalam (Malayalam)
Horror as mental health drama. A mother and daughter experiencing strange occurrences that may or may not be supernatural. Rahul Sadasivan refuses to give you clear answers — is the house haunted, or is it depression and grief manifesting as horror? Revathy and Shane Nigam are remarkable. The ambiguity is the scariest part.
Our Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
5. Munjya (Hindi)
The Maddock Horror Universe strikes again. Drawing on Marathi folklore about a spirit obsessed with marriage, the result is inventive and genuinely unsettling in parts. The creature design for Munjya is fantastic — part pitiful, part terrifying.
Our Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5)
6. Bulbbul (Hindi)
Anvita Dutt's Netflix film reclaims the chudail narrative as a story of female rage and reclamation. Tripti Dimri plays a woman whose transformation from victim to supernatural avenger is both tragic and cathartic. The production design is gorgeous. More fairy tale than horror, but the scariest fairy tales always had teeth.
Our Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5)
7. Shaitaan (Hindi)
Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, and Jyotika in a horror-thriller about a family terrorised by a stranger with hypnotic powers. Madhavan's villain is genuinely disturbing. The dinner table sequence is one of the most tense scenes in recent Bollywood.
Our Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5)
8. Pizza (Tamil)
Karthik Subbaraj's debut blends horror and thriller in ways that feel genuinely fresh. A pizza delivery boy enters a haunted bungalow. The twist ending launched a thousand debates, and we're still not sure we've fully decoded it.
Our Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5)
9. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (Hindi)
Kartik Aaryan proved he could carry a franchise, and the horror elements — while secondary to the comedy — work better than expected. The Manjulika sequences are atmospheric, and Tabu brings weight to a role that could have been one-dimensional. Fun, frivolous, and occasionally genuinely creepy.
Our Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
10. U-Turn (Tamil/Kannada)
Pawan Kumar's bilingual thriller about a journalist investigating deaths connected to a highway U-turn violation blends supernatural horror with investigative drama. It's clever, well-paced, and has a satisfying central mystery. Samantha Ruth Prabhu (in the Tamil version) and Shraddha Srinath (Kannada) are both excellent.
Our Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5)
The Future of Indian Horror
Indian horror is in its strongest position ever. The Maddock Horror Universe has proven horror can be commercially massive. Films like Tumbbad and Bramayugam have shown it can be artistically ambitious. If you take one recommendation from this list, watch Tumbbad. We mean it.