Worst2First: My Top Ten Home Invasion Films

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Home Invasion Films

As you keep your stay at home mandate, at least you can rest assured that you're either by yourself or surrounded by your family, which can't be said for the characters in these films that've received unwanted visitors during their stay at home.

Here are my personal top ten home invasion films, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

The Strangers

 Based on true events, "The Strangers" is unnerving in its simplicity, and unrelenting in its terror.  Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star as a couple who find themselves the unwitting victims of three masked assailants who taunt, terrorize, and torment them throughout the film's runtime.  What's the most scary part is the reasoning - not because the captors were wronged by the couple, or anything in their past, but simply because they were home.

#9

 Funny Games

A young family on vacation meets two seemingly nice young men who live next door, and open their own door to a night of unmitigated terror.  A shot-for-shot remake of the 1999 film, this version stars Naomi Watts and Tim Roth as the parents who try to protect themselves and their young son from their charismatic and downright sadistic tormentors, and the film itself is an unforgettable ride to the depths of depravity, including moments that you truly never see coming. 

#8

 Black Christmas

I'm not talking about the soulless cash-grab 2006 remake or the abysmal 2019 in-name-only re-remake, but I'm talking about the 1974 classic that introduced the world to the slasher subgenre and gave rise to the likes of "Halloween."  "Black Christmas" centers on a group of sorority girls staying at their sorority house for Christmas when they receive mysterious phone calls, and they start disappearing one-by-one.  Filled with tension, great performances, and unforgettable imagery, "Black Christmas" brings the yuletide fear all year round.

#7

 Martyrs

 The French created a new subgenre called the "New French Extremity" which focuses on slasher, revenge films, and home invasion films, and they're downright chilling and terrifying.  "Martyrs" is one of those films, and you should easily forego the American remake and settle in for a terrifying, unforgettable surrealistic classic.  After a young girl escapes her captors, she returns years later to what she thinks is the home, and in this reversal of the home invasion film, she's the one invading her captors - or at least who she thinks her captors are.  Filled with twists, turns, and extreme brutality, this is not for the faint of heart, and will stick with you after it ends.

#6

 Inside

 Another of the New French Extremity, "Inside" is not for the faint of heart, or especially for expecting mothers.  After a car accident leaves her widowed and carrying her yet-unborn child, a woman finds herself under attack by another woman who wants only one thing - the baby inside her.  The film is filled with bloody violence, heart-stopping suspense and truly shocking visuals that'll stick with you and proves that the French know how to provide truly horrific films.

#5

 A Clockwork Orange

 Stanley Kubrick's classic is called classic for a reason - its unforgettable.  Malcolm McDowell stars as Alex, an antisocial disobedient youth who leads a gang of fellow ruffians through Britain's streets releasing their own brand of mayhem, murder, and madness.  Hitting on several political and social issues, the most unnerving moment occurs when Alex and his gang invade a couple's home, and you'll never hear "Singing in the Rain" quite the same.

#4

 Home Alone

 Yes, this is quite different from everything else on the list, but if you're home with your children this is pretty much the only one on the list you can watch with them in the room.  Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin, a young kid who accidentally gets left home alone while the rest of his family goes on vacation, and he must defend his home from two bumbling intruders who wish to rob him.  Filled with hilarious antics and now-iconic moments, "Home Alone" is a great home invasion film that the entire family can enjoy and not be frightened.

#3

 The Last House on the Left

 Before creating the iconic Freddy Krueger, Wes Craven introduced the world to "The Last House on the Left," a film that's received critical praise but also has been censored numerous times due to the gratuitous violence it portrays.  Two young girls are abducted into the woods by a gang of murderous thugs, who then unknowingly take refuge in the home of the parents of the young girl.  What results is a twisted, gory revenge film that'll have you thinking twice about helping people who come knocking on your door.

#2

 Halloween

 Before he was Michael Myers, he was just known as The Shape, a faceless killer who mindlessly stalks babysitters, invades their homes, and kills them.  Jamie Lee Curtis's first role is also her most epochal, playing the headstrong Laurie Strode who must protect the children under her care while trying to stop Michael's reign of terror.  John Carpenter's classic is a staple for Halloween, but is also a decent home invasion film as well.

#1

 Parasite

 Bong Joon Ho's critical masterpiece has broken almost every record and for good reason - it's a spellbinding, genre-twisting, nuanced, perfectly performed film that focuses on the inequality of the social classes while weaving a terrifying story that lies underneath.  What makes this a different home invasion film is that the invaders aren't necessarily bad guys - and neither are their victims - but both have positive and negative aspects about their being, which comes to full display as the film progresses, culminating in an unforgettable journey that'll leave you shocked and unable to get it out of your head.