Founded by Jason Blum and Amy Israel in 2000, Blumhouse Productions (which was Blum Israel Productions until 2002) has built up a diverse filmography. Defined by its willingness to give directors creative freedom and make the most of its relatively small budgets, Blumhouse Productions has garnered critical acclaim and international renown with such films as Whiplash and BlacKkKlansman, however, the production house has always had a deep-rooted connection with horror movies.
The horror movie genre has undergone a dramatic revival throughout the 21st century and Blumhouse Productions has played a significant part in that. After forging a new market with their early films like Paranormal Activity and Insidious, they have experimented with the genre's tropes routinely, making everything from genre-mashing horror comedies to psychological thrillers which challenge our conceptions of society.
‘The Black Phone’ (2022)
Just the latest in a long line of spine-tingling horror movies, The Black Phone sees Blumhouse Productions getting back to the core of horror with a truly chilling viewing experience. Based on Joe Hill’s short story, it follows a teenage boy who is kidnapped by a serial child abductor and uses a mysterious phone to communicate with past victims.
Atmospheric and creepy, with plenty of jump scares throughout, the film makes the most of what it has at its disposal, most notably the talents of the two young stars, Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw. The production house’s ongoing relationship with frequent collaborator Ethan Hawke reaches new heights as well, with Hawke utterly terrifying as The Grabber.
‘Hush’ (2016)
A well-crafted home invasion horror hits us where we feel vulnerable, and Hush makes the movie even more intense by giving us a deaf-mute protagonist and a truly evil villain. Trapped alone in her remote house after a murderous stalker kills her friend, Maddie (Kate Siegel) must fight to survive a long and arduous night.
It marked Mike Flanagan’s second collaboration with Blumhouse Productions and highlighted his talent for building suspense and concocting great horror sequences which aren’t soon forgotten. Fans of the directors work on The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and some of his more recent films would do well to give Hush a watch if they missed it.
‘The Purge’ (2013)
High-concept horror isn’t something that is particularly common, especially not in film, but that was just what fans got with The Purge. Starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, it takes place in a not-too-distant future where, to combat rising crime numbers, the U.S. government has decided to make all crime legal for a period of 12 hours on an annual basis.
For many, the night is a window of danger to be survived, but that becomes difficult for a suburban family when they inadvertently start safeguarding a man wanted by a malicious mob. The ensuing high-stakes, home invasion horror has gone on to spawn an extended universe of Purge movies and captured the interest of audiences with its social commentary.
‘Paranormal Activity’ (2007)
Blumhouse Productions found their first major hit with 2007’s supernatural horror Paranormal Activity. Making the most of its measly budget and utilizing its iconic mockumentary approach to suspenseful perfection, the film follows a young couple being haunted by a demon.
It used the launchpad set eight years earlier by The Blair Witch Project to inspire a rekindled fanaticism in horror movies which aspired to be more than sickeningly bloody slasher flicks. The unprecedented financial turnover saw the birth of a Paranormal Activity series and was a monumental step for the horror movie revival which is still being enjoyed today.
‘Halloween’ (2018)
Despite being the 11th installment of the franchise, 2018’s Halloween isn’t just the best of the sequels, it’s the only one worthy of following John Carpenter’s 1978 original. Blumhouse Productions, along with some help from Carpenter himself, made the most of the legacy sequel tag, retconning the ending of the very first Halloween and ignoring the decades of lackluster sequels and spin-offs which followed it.
In this take on the Halloween story, Michael Myers was imprisoned after his attack on Haddonfield in 1978, but he escapes captivity and returns to the small town with a vengeance. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is a heavy-drinking paranoid loner who’s been long awaiting Michael’s return. Their anticipated confrontation certainly does not disappoint.
‘Split’ (2016)
A wild ride that is disturbing, focused, and, at times, a lot of fun, Split was a resounding and rewarding return to form for M. Night Shyamalan. Allowing his love of Hitchcockian horror to spill onto the screen, he created an atmospheric and intense thriller which poked and prodded audiences towards the edge of their seats.
James McAvoy’s playful and deranged portrayal as a man with 23 different personalities is among the most criminally underrated performances of recent years, with his ability to not only master each of the distinct personalities but switch between them seamlessly an unforgettable component of the film. Fans of Shyamalan’s Unbreakable would have loved it too with a late cameo from Bruce Willis seeing Split dubbed as the first ever ‘stealth sequel’.
‘Happy Death Day’ (2017)
Giving horror movies the Groundhog Day treatment, Happy Death Day presented a fun and lively spin on the typical slasher flick. It centers on Theresa ‘Tree’ Gelbman (a breakout performance by Jessica Rothe), a college student who is forced to relive the day of her murder over and over again until she finds out who it is who wants her dead.
Unafraid of blending genres such as slasher horror, teenage comedy, and even romance, Happy Death Day leans into delivering a flashy, pacey petri dish of a movie which carries a fun-loving energy throughout. It may not lead the viewer to have any epiphanies on life, but it allowed Blumhouse Productions to yet again toy with the horror genre and the end result was a delightful surprise.
‘Freaky’ (2020)
Blumhouse Productions has found some of its greatest hits through its willingness to experiment with genre and concept, but even for them, Freaky was one whacky movie. Initially titled ‘Freaky Friday the 13th’, it’s a body-swap slasher movie starring Vince Vaughn as a serial killer who switches bodies with one of his targets, a teenage girl battling with the trials and tribulations of high school.
As good as it is seeing Vaughn act as a 17-year-old girl, the real gem of the film is his counterpart Kathryn Newton who thrives when she dumps the schoolgirl routine and takes up the mantle of the Blissfield Butcher. Clever, fun, and aware of the genre’s tropes, Freaky is a bloodthirsty slasher flick that anyone can enjoy.
‘The Invisible Man’ (2020)
A brilliant, modern, and timely re-imaging of H.G. Wells’ classic novel (and, of course, the 1933 film starring Claude Rains), Leigh Whannell preoccupies himself with a stunning thriller that uses its concept to say a lot. Elisabeth Moss stars as a woman haunted by her ex-boyfriend, a scientist who she believes faked his suicide and is terrorizing her with an invisibility suit he invented.
It's bonkers, refreshing, and loaded with social commentary, which Whannell and Moss seem to embrace with open arms. The end result is a masterfully realized horror movie that has all the scares to thrill the genre’s diehard fans along with an exciting story to boot.
‘Get Out’ (2017)
If films like Paranormal Activity started the resurgence of horror movies, then mainstream hits like Get Out saw the genre’s revival completed. They also showed how far Blumhouse Productions had taken the genre in the span of 10 years, from celebrated but largely unrecognized successes to the glamour and glitz of the Academy Awards.
Jordan Peele’s sensational directorial debut was nominated for four Oscars with the writer/director winning one for his screenplay. The psychological terror underpinning the film – as well as the hilarious satire which, for too many, defined it – sought to pull the rug out from beneath the sleeping dog in society that is casual racism and general ignorance towards it.