The Descent is the scariest independent horror movie released this millennium. However, there are only so many times you can watch the spelunking-gone-wrong, cave-dwelling disaster pic before it loses its shock factor. Thankfully, horror has been experiencing somewhat of a renaissance in the past few years, with a generous helping of fright flicks oozing out from the least Hollywood of places. We’ll always have The Conjuring and the unending Insidious franchise, but while most mainstream horror often resorts to cheap scares, these five arthouse films will inject a deep-seated unease and sickening fear into your soul. Who knows, maybe, with time, one will become the next Descent.

THE WITCH (2015)

You’ll have to get your head around the antediluvian way of speaking, but this Oregon Trail-y backwaters period tale is chilling. Robert Eggers’ The Witch is no cheap scare. The tension mounts as one 17th century New England family leaves the comforting chants of a Christian colony to homestead on their own, which is like the 17th century equivalent of going downstairs in an abandoned house with the lights off. After the family get settled, their newborn son disappears. At first, they suspect a wolf. Soon, however, the family loses all sense of humour and the cracks in their bonds begin to show.

THE INVITATION (2016)

A cheery dinner party reuniting old friends takes an unexpected twist when the hosts of the party tell all the guests about this cult they just joined. Fun! It’s like a killer pyramid scheme. Author and noted podcast host Bret Easton Ellis called it “the most effective movie of 2016 so far”. This one’s not necessarily a pant-wetter, but it’s definitely the reason I’ve shamelessly turned down all invitations to dinner parties. Director Karyn Kusama – who brought us Jennifer’s Body – sets up this claustrophobic creep-out perfectly before razing expectations with a jaw-dropping ending.

UNDER THE SHADOW (2016)

Foreign horror films are underrated. Set in Iran in 1988, a family of three is torn apart when the father – a doctor in the military – is sent away to Ilam for work. This is another tension-builder: the mother is left with her daughter, and the pair are visited by a dark presence called a Djinn. The daughter, Shideh, is soon visited by waking visions and everyone living in their building begins to leave, making a very strong case for them to flee. For his first feature, Babak Anvari delivers. With Under the Shadow, he’s certainly solidifed his place as one to keep an eye on.

IT FOLLOWS (2014)

Stalkers are scary, the second presidential debate being all the proof you need. They’re especially scary when only you can see them. This unlikely success follows (literally) a girl named Jay, who after having unprotected sex, begins to experience haunting visions and the inescapable feeling that someone is following her. These visions take the form of people – anyone, anytime, anywhere – who are out for blood. The film’s excellent cinematography throws suburbia into a gorgeous light. Also worth mentioning is the pulsing soundtrack by Disasterpeace. This is one where the horror is all out in the open, but will leave you looking over your shoulder for at least a week after watching.

DARLING (2015)

Often the most harrowing movies don’t involve some unexplicable external entity, but feature characters who turn on themselves, and then others (see: The Shining, Requiem for a Dream). Although Mickey Keating’s Darling is a mix of both, it’s another to add to this self-spoiling genre. Through six chapters filmed entirely in black and white, we watch a girl (Darling) who becomes a caretaker for an ancient house. One of the rooms is off limits. Strange things start to happen that fuel her deterioration and destruction as her hallucinatory visions take a grappling hold. Darling is inspired by Roman Polanski films like Rosemary’s Baby and The Tenant, and while some feel it’s low-key derivative of its inspirations, there is no doubt it is just as sinister as its forebears.