Top 7 Deadliest Home Invasion Movies to Watch

 I did not get a chance to watch Parasite- the Korean Film that won an Oscar, but I got to know the story, and it is about Home Invasion. Though I have not watched Parasite, I have managed to watch few Home Invasion films that are dead scary. Here are the ones:

1. Funny Games: This 2007 film is a remake of an Italian film of the same name. A happy family vacationing in their farmhouse is terrorized by 2 young men. The film is brutal and brings out the crazy side of human beings that is without empathy or kindness for anybody. The stark contrast of the presentation of the criminals with their unthinkable and sudden activities is noteworthy. They look like nerdy good boys, wearing white attire and speaking with sophisticated vocabulary, very unsusceptible of the crimes they carry out in others' houses. The movie is dark and has some good performances, especially by Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet. 

2. The Strangers: No matter how many sequels come and go, nothing can beat the original film, released in 2008. The slow building-up of tension was the best thing in the movie. The masked teenagers, looking for Tamara and disrupting a young couple's romantic night in a loghouse, look creepy yet innocent initially but gradually turn out to be a deadly game of chase and hunt. I have watched the 2nd part and missed the tension and discomfort that the 1st part had delivered.

3. Panic Room: This 2002 film has all the elements that can make the viewers glued to their seats with anxious curiosity. A gang of thieves break into a house they think is empty, but the inmates are still there. What follows is a silent game of peek-a-boo between a mother who has to protect her kids and her house and a group of violent criminals. As the mother, Jodie Foster is stunning in every shot and excels in the diversified projection as a caring mother in a time of crisis and a vital protector to save her house. Forest Whitaker and Jared Leto, as the violent baddies, are convincing.

4. When A Stranger Calls: This 2006 film is a remake of a 70s film and shows a young girl as the main protagonist. Camilla Belle plays a babysitter who is freaked by continuous anonymous calls at work. Things turn ugly when she can feel the presence of someone else inside the house. Instead of random jump scares, the film cleverly uses the play of light and shadow to create a scary atmosphere. The young girl's mental strength and presence of mind to save herself and the kids is fantastic. I have watched the older original, too, but I liked this one more.

5. Us: The more I write about this film, the less. This 2019 film stars Lupita Nyongo in the lead. A family is intruded upon by strange beings dressed in red. What unfolds gradually is striking and scary, changing the whole perception of living beings. The movie is incredible, with everything nearly perfect, from the performances to the camera work and a remarkable soundtrack. The story is absolutely mind-blowing, and I have seldom watched such a tale being told on screen. It is scary and tricky and leaves the viewers perplexed. Jordan Peele is an insanely brilliant filmmaker, and this film is a shining example of that. 

6. The Visit: How can I leave behind M Knight Shyamalan from the list! This 2015 film has 2 seemingly cute and loving grandparents as a terrifying pair of intruders who had killed their therapist couple, not only to occupy their home but also to replace them and enact their lives in front of the former couple's grandchildren. Quite the story, right? Well, you will not get the gravity of the situation until you watch them in action. Every scene screams, "Something wrong, " yet the kids miss it. My liking for Found Footage films, which started with " The Blair Witch Project", only intensified with this film.

7.  Hush: This film is a rare gem, released in 2016. A mute writer is terrorized by a masked man in her own house. He teases her by killing all her confides, one by one, and she waits for her turn. The film uses a mix of sound and action very effectively, so much so that even moments of silence speak a lot. This is all because it is shown from the protagonist's perspective, who is deaf and mute and can only read lips. Therefore, despite most of the film running without dialogue, one will not miss anything. This film is another feather in the hat for director Mike Flanagan, along with Gerald's Game.