Horror movies have always fascinated cinephiles with their gripping music, the extraordinarily vivid and real-like portrayal of ghosts and paranormal creatures, and the sheer element of horror that’s ever-present in them. Whether it is the South Indian horror comedy movies or the more serious ones, there are many commendable horror films that the South Indian movie industry has produced. Some of these have earned high IMDb ratings, and others may not have performed well on the rating but have still been applauded and enjoyed by the audience for the chilling appeal they brought to the viewers.
You’ll find plenty of online sources citing the top 10 horror South Indian movies, but not all of these might meet your expectations of a horror movie. Hence, we have come up with a list of horror movies (even your South Indian horror comedy movies) that have been widely and unanimously acclaimed for their brilliant portrayal of the paranormal world. So, if you are on the lookout for the top 10 horror movies in South Indian, then you come to the right place. Here is a list of the best South Indian horror movies that have been made in the last two decades.
Must-watch South Indian horror movies
1. Yavarum Nalam (2009)
Another hit in the South Indian horror movies list, Yavarum Nalam, is a timeless creation of Vikram K. Kumar. With an IMDb rating of 7.3, this Tamil movie narrates the tale of Manu (played by Madhavan) and Priya (played by Neetu Chandra), who’ve just moved into their newly purchased apartment. Shortly after they move in, strange things begin happening in the house. One day, the TV starts playing on its own, and an exclusive opera soap is running on the screen that shows the rather fateful future of Manu’s family. With such an ominous visual terrorising them, Manu begins his research on the history of the house and finds out dark secrets about the place. The story then takes you on the scary and suspenseful journey of discovering whether Manu and his family suffer in all this chaos. In its Hindi version, Yavarum Nalam is renamed 13B: Fear Has a New Address.
2. U Turn (2016)
The last on our list of South Indian horror movies is the critically acclaimed 2016 film by Pawan Kumar, U-Turn. In the movie, we see a curious investigative journalist, Rachana (played by Shraddha Srinath), trying to uncover the reality behind some mysterious accidents happening at a particular spot on a Bengaluru flyover. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she finds herself being accused of the murders. This popular movie has been remade in several languages and is a must-watch for all suspense and horror lovers!
3. Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada (2016)
A popular in the South Indian horror movies list, Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada is a 2016 movie directed by Vi Anand. With an IMDb rating of 7.4, this movie narrates a complex tale of being possessed by spirits. It shows us the story of Arjun (played by Nikhil Siddharth), a guy with hard luck in romance. When his friend Kishore (played by Venella Kishore) gets possessed by an evil spirit, he takes Kishore to Nithya (played by Hebah Patel) for treatment. Arjun eventually learns that a spirit has also possessed the elusive Nithya. He then meets Amala (played by Shwetha), who claims she is responsible for all the supernatural events near Arjun. This isn’t your regular horror film and contains a mix of multiple genres, making it a must-watch for horror lovers.
4. Bhinna (2019)
One of the popular South Indian horror movies by Adarsh H Eshwarappa, Bhinna is the story of a budding actress Kaveri (played by Paayal Radhakrishna), who goes to an abandoned place to practise the script of her upcoming movie. She wants to understand the characters better by being in a realistic setting. Eventually, she sees the fictitious characters from her script come to life, gradually blurring the line between horrific imagination and reality for her.
5. Andhaghaaram (2020)
Andhaghaaram is a 2020 horror South Indian movie directed by V. Vignarajan. It narrates the story of three seemingly disjointed characters beautifully interwoven in a horror tale. There’s Vinod (played by Arjun Das), a failed cricketer who now coaches kids. Vinod randomly starts receiving calls from an unknown caller one day who claims to know some very dark secrets from his past. His friend’s sister Pooja (played by Pooja Ramachandran) suggests that he visit this noted psychiatrist, Dr. Indran (played by Kumar Natarajan). Pooja is an RTO employee who teaches visually impaired students at night. There is one particular blind student of hers, a librarian called Selvam (played by Vinoth Kishan). These otherwise unconnected lives come together owing to the mysterious supernatural events that occur in each of their lives. Sit back, focus, and let this brilliant story blow your minds!
6. Bhoothakaalam (2022)
One of the South Indian horror movies with an IMDb rating of 7.5, Bhoothakaalam is a fine creation of Rahul Sadasivan. This movie narrates the tale of a single elderly mother, Asha (played by Revathi), and her struggles with her young, unemployed son Vinu (played by Shane Nigam). Vinu is unable to find a job for two years and takes to smoking and drinking as an escape. One day, he complains of experiencing some supernatural activity in their house. Worried that Vinu is mentally unwell, Asha takes him to a counsellor but all to no avail. Later, even Asha feels the supernatural presence in the house. The story then becomes even more gripping as the counsellor digs up the history of the house.
7. Virupaksha (2023)
Directed by Karthik Varma Dandu, Virupaksha is a South Indian horror movie with a 7.2 IMDb rating. Starring Sai Dharam Tej, Sunil, Samyuktha Menon, and Rajeev Kanakala, among others, this Telugu movie narrates the tale of Suriya (played by Tej), who visits his mother’s village, Rudravanam, for a festival. During these festivities, he meets Nandini (played by Menon) and falls in love with her. While their romance blossoms, the village of Rudravanam gets cursed, and heinous murders start occurring all around. This horror South Indian movie gives you the chills because similar murders also happened in Rudravaram several years ago. The story then revolves around unravelling the mystery behind these killings.