Over the past 15 years or so, the name Blumhouse has become synonymous with successful, crowd-pleasing horror movies.
The company run by producer Jason Blum is behind some of the biggest horror hits of recent years and is known for reaching massive audiences with relatively cost-efficient productions. That has allowed Blumhouse to give acclaimed filmmakers like Jordan Peele, Mike Flanagan and Scott Derrickson substantial creative freedom on their projects, while still turning a profit.
The company has expanded into streaming-exclusive films, thanks to its long-term deal with Amazon, and has taken over iconic franchises like “Halloween” and “The Exorcist.” Blumhouse has even occasionally branched out beyond horror, with movies like the Oscar-winning dramas “Whiplash” and “BlacKkKlansman.”
With the latest Blumhouse thriller "Drop" newly released in theaters this week, here’s a rundown of the best genre movies the company has produced thus far.
7. ‘M3GAN’
When the trailer for this campy horror-comedy about a killer robot was first released, it seemed like it might be trying too hard to create viral online moments. While “M3GAN” successfully inspired numerous memes, it also succeeds as a movie, with an effective balance of self-aware humor and genuine suspense.
The title character is an artificially intelligent android doll created by toy designer Gemma (Allison Williams), who tests it on her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) after Cady loses her parents. M3GAN takes protecting Cady a little too seriously, leading to a murderous rampage against anyone she perceives as threatening the young girl’s well-being.
M3GAN slays both literally and figuratively, and director Gerard Johnstone knows just when to turn up the violence — and when to turn up the pop songs for a killer dance routine.
Watch on Starz
6. ‘Split’
Blumhouse was instrumental in the comeback of filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan following a pair of big-budget flops, producing three of his movies, including this stealth expansion of the “Unbreakable” universe.
Shyamalan mostly keeps things streamlined for the story of three teenage girls held hostage by a deranged criminal with multiple personalities.
James McAvoy is mesmerizing as Kevin Wendell Crumb, whose “alters” are often at war with each other, divided over the potential emergence of a dangerous persona known as The Beast. McAvoy switches seamlessly among the various alters as Kevin faces off against the three girls, led by the determined Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy).
Shyamalan delivers his trademark twists while building on the superhero deconstruction he began with “Unbreakable,” and would continue in his next film for Blumhouse, “Glass.”
Watch on Tubi
5. ‘Paranormal Activity’
The film that launched Blumhouse as a major force in horror is still one of the company’s best, providing a perfect example of making the most of limited resources.
Writer-director Oren Peli’s film may have spawned a long-running franchise, but this initial installment is straightforward and concise, following a young couple as they document the potential haunting of their new house.
Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston play the couple who’ve just moved in together, and the demonic presence functions as a reflection of their fraught relationship dynamic. Micah is excited to try out his new video equipment, but he’s often condescending and dismissive about his girlfriend’s fears and concerns.
Blum had the smart instinct to pick up Peli’s micro-budget film, which famously terrified audiences from its earliest screenings, and the subsequent huge hit made both Blumhouse and “Paranormal Activity” into horror legends.
Watch on Paramount Plus
4. ‘Happy Death Day’
Director Christopher Landon, a Blumhouse regular, offers a clever spin on the time-loop genre with this horror-comedy about a college student being stalked by a killer on her birthday.
Every time she’s killed, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) wakes up and has to live the same day all over again, and she can’t escape the loop until she solves her own murder.
Rothe is charming as the initially spoiled Tree, who re-evaluates her priorities over the course of the endlessly repeating day, making positive changes in her life at the same time she tracks down her killer.
Landon plays with expectations for both slasher movies and time-loop movies, with stylish death scenes and amusingly memorable supporting characters. He takes a seemingly worn-out premise and makes it feel fresh and fun.
3. ‘The Invisible Man’
![The Invisible Man - Official Trailer [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WO_FJdiY9dA/maxresdefault.jpg)
Thanks to Blumhouse’s longstanding relationship with Universal, the company has gotten the opportunity to reimagine some of the classic Universal monsters, starting with this take on H.G. Wells’s renowned novel from writer-director Leigh Whannell.
Whannell updates the story to the modern day, making the title character into a wealthy, abusive tech mogul who uses his invisibility technology to terrorize his ex-girlfriend Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss). “The Invisible Man” becomes a story about the way that victims of domestic violence are frequently dismissed and disbelieved, as Cecilia fails to convince anyone that the apparently dead Adrian is still tormenting her.
Moss brings emotional intensity to what could have been a silly story, and Whannell matches her by treating the material with care while still offering plenty of shocks and scares. It’s an intelligent, well-crafted reinvention of a familiar story.
Watch on Peacock
2. ‘Unfriended’
The Screenlife brand now seems somewhat commonplace, but when “Unfriended” premiered in 2014, the idea of presenting an entire movie via one character’s computer screen was daring and even revolutionary.
“Unfriended” remains both the best and the purest representation of the Screenlife approach, rigorously sticking to the video chats and other programs on the laptop of high school student Blaire Lily (Shelley Hennig).
As Blaire chats with her friends online, they become aware of a supernatural presence among them, seeking revenge for a cruel prank perpetrated on another classmate. Tying the ghostly threat to the chat itself elegantly allows “Unfriended” to justify its format, as the characters must stay online in order to defeat their foe.
“Unfriended” is a terrifying horror movie as well as a masterful depiction of the way people interact online, making connections that can easily turn sinister.
Watch on AMC Plus
1. ‘Get Out’
Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning debut as a writer-director represents Blumhouse at its best, delivering a major box-office hit that combines sophisticated social commentary, wry comedy and intense scares. Peele has gone on to a high-profile auteur career, and his first film showcases his unique talent already fully formed.
Daniel Kaluuya plays Black photographer Chris Washington, who travels to an upscale suburb to meet the family of his white girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). The visit turns into a nightmare when Chris is drugged and kidnapped, discovering that Rose’s outwardly progressive family is part of a diabolical conspiracy.
Peele expertly builds tension while playing on audience expectations, and Kaluuya and Williams capture the characters’ shifting perspectives as the truth comes to light. Peele makes incisive points about race and class without ever losing sight of the horror and humor.
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