Vancouver is Canada’s undisputed horror capital. Between the rain, mist-covered mountains and seemingly endless forests, our city feels almost tailor-made for horror and paranormal storytelling. And with Halloween approaching, I thought it was time to look back at the nearly six decades of film and television history that punctuates the case.
We had Pennywise terrorize children here. Freddy Krueger fought Jason Voorhees here. Megan Fox developed a taste for human flesh here. The Final Destination franchise turned the Lions Gate Bridge, our highways and amusement parks into death traps, while The X-Files and Supernatural spent years bringing monsters, demons and paranormal mysteries to television audiences around the world.
As a horror movie nerd I decided to go through decades of film and television history and counted more than 150 horror movies and TV shows filmed in Vancouver and the surrounding areas, including the Fraser Valley and up to the Sea-to-Sky. Some are household names, some are pretty obscure, and the earliest I could trace goes all the way back to 1969, long before anyone was calling Vancouver Hollywood North.
And the competition for the Top 25 was fierce. Some of the genre’s most recognizable films didn’t even make the list, including the original IT (1990), Freddy vs. Jason (2003), Jennifer’s Body (2009), Final Destination (2000) and The Monkey (2025).
Instead of simply picking my favourites, I put together a ranking that weighs critics’ reviews, audience ratings, awards and how closely each production is connected to Vancouver. Of the 159 titles I identified, 52 had enough comparable ratings to score fairly. The results produced a few surprises.
Vancouver’s horror history started in 1969
Before we dive into the ranking, I thought we’d revist the history, just a little. One of the earliest documented examples is The Mad Room (1969), a psychological horror thriller starring Stella Stevens and Shelley Winters. Parts of the film were shot in Vancouver, according to the American Film Institute.
Other productions followed, including The Food of the Gods (1976), The Changeling (1980), The Stepfather (1987) and Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989).
By the 1990s, Vancouver was becoming a significant production centre for horror and supernatural television. The original IT miniseries turned Lower Mainland locations into Stephen King’s fictional town of Derry, Maine, while The X-Files helped establish Vancouver’s rainy streets and forests as a recognizable backdrop for paranormal storytelling.
Today, Vancouver remains a destination for major horror productions while also developing its own generation of successful filmmakers and producers.
How I ranked Vancouver’s 25 best horror productions
For the rankings, I came up with a Vancouver Horror Score out of 100, using four categories.
Critical and audience reception make up 75% of the score because, ultimately, what critics and viewers think should carry the most weight.
The other 25% considers awards and how much of a connection a production actually has to Vancouver. A television series filmed here for multiple seasons, for example, gets more credit than a movie that only used the city for a handful of scenes.
I also made adjustments for productions with fewer critical reviews, so a film with six positive reviews wouldn’t automatically outrank one reviewed by hundreds of critics.
One important distinction though, while I counted 159 productions in Vancouver’s horror history, only 52 had enough comparable critics’ and audience scores to make the numerical ranking. The others aren’t necessarily worse movies. There just wasn’t enough consistent information to compare them fairly. Regardless it’s a ranking, people will always have their say on it.
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The 25 best horror movies and TV shows filmed in Vancouver
25. The Midnight Club (2022): 72.3/100
Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series follows terminally ill teenagers who gather each night to share terrifying stories, continuing the director’s longstanding relationship with British Columbia’s film industry.
The series blends supernatural horror with emotionally driven storytelling, a signature of Flanagan’s work.
24. The Terror: Infamy (2019): 73.8/100
The second season of AMC’s horror anthology explored supernatural events surrounding Japanese-American internment during the Second World War. Production took place in Vancouver, with George Takei among the cast.
The ranking uses reception figures for the broader The Terror anthology, so this entry carries a particular comparison caveat: its locally filmed second season wasn’t scored independently.
23. The Stepfather (1987): 73.9/100
Terry O’Quinn delivers a chilling performance as a seemingly respectable family man who hides a murderous secret. Filmed in Vancouver, the psychological thriller became a cult favourite and inspired sequels and a later remake.
It’s also an important reminder that Vancouver’s horror legacy was firmly established before the television boom of the 90s.
22. Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021): 74.8/100
Netflix’s disturbing supernatural series stars Rosa Salazar as an aspiring filmmaker seeking revenge in 1990s Los Angeles. Despite its California setting, the series was filmed in Vancouver and Burnaby.
21. Slither (2006): 74.9/100
Before bringing Guardians of the Galaxy to the Marvel universe, James Gunn made this wonderfully disgusting alien body-horror comedy in British Columbia.
Starring Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks, Slither became a cult favourite despite a modest theatrical performance. Its blend of practical effects, parasites and outrageous humour remains memorable.
20. Longlegs (2024): 75.4/100
One of the most successful independent horror films of recent years was filmed right here.
Directed by Oz Perkins and starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe, Longlegs used B.C.’s landscapes to recreate an unsettling version of 1990s Oregon. The film grossed approximately US$125 million worldwide and became a major breakthrough for Vancouver-based Oddfellows Entertainment.
19. Yellowjackets (2021–present): 76.6/100
The critically acclaimed survival-horror series follows a high-school soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness, leaving its survivors to confront increasingly disturbing circumstances.
The show’s first season made extensive use of Metro Vancouver locations, demonstrating the region’s ability to convincingly portray isolated North American wilderness.
18. Totally Killer (2023): 77.6/100
Kiernan Shipka stars in this time-travel slasher comedy about a teenager who travels back to 1987 to prevent a series of murders.
Filmed in Vancouver and Burnaby, the production combined nostalgic 1980s humour with a modern take on the slasher genre.
17. Fresh (2022): 77.8/100
Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones star in this unsettling horror thriller that begins as an unconventional romance before taking a decidedly disturbing turn.
Shot around the Vancouver region, the film earned strong reviews for its performances, dark humour and commentary on modern dating.
16. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020): 78.0/100
Netflix’s darker interpretation of the Sabrina Spellman story brought witches, demons and occult mysteries to the Lower Mainland.
15. Backrooms (2026) — 78.3/100
The viral internet horror phenomenon became A24’s biggest movie of all time, grossing over $400 million USD worldwide, with Vancouver serving as a major production centre.
Directed by Kane Parsons, Backrooms transformed nearly 30,000 square feet of Vancouver soundstages into an endless network of unsettling fluorescent-lit corridors.
The film also involved Vancouver-based Oddfellows Entertainment, further strengthening the company’s growing connection to international horror filmmaking.
14. The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020): 79.4/100
Mike Flanagan’s gothic Netflix miniseries follows an American au pair working at a mysterious English estate.
Although set in England, the production was filmed around Vancouver, using local soundstages and locations to create its haunted world. It remains one of the more recognizable productions in Flanagan’s Vancouver body of work.
13. Trick ‘r Treat (2007): 79.5/100
Few movies have become as closely associated with Halloween as Michael Dougherty’s anthology horror film.
Filmed in Vancouver, Ladner and North Vancouver, Trick ‘r Treat intertwines several terrifying stories taking place on Halloween night. Its masked character Sam has become a recognizable modern horror icon, even though the film originally bypassed a wide theatrical release.
12. Spontaneous (2020): 79.6/100
Katherine Langford stars in this darkly comedic horror film about high-school students who begin spontaneously exploding without explanation.
Its unusual premise and emotional storytelling helped earn it considerable critical praise.
11. The Exorcist (2016–2017): 80.1/100
The television continuation of the legendary horror franchise brought demonic possession back to audiences decades after the original film.
Its second season was filmed in Vancouver, adding another major horror franchise to the region’s production history. The ranking uses the series’ overall reception rather than a Vancouver-only season score.
10. Heretic (2024): 80.2/100
Hugh Grant delivered one of the more unsettling performances of his career in this psychological horror thriller about two young missionaries who visit the wrong house.
Filmed around Vancouver, including the city’s Strathcona neighbourhood, Heretic shows how even familiar local buildings can become terrifying through clever filmmaking.
9. Carrie (2026): 81.7/100
Mike Flanagan’s new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel premiered on Prime Video in October 2026 and has been renewed for a second season.
Starring Summer H. Howell, the series filmed across Metro Vancouver. Eric Hamber Secondary School helped recreate Carrie’s fictional high school, while Cloverdale stood in for Chamberlain, Maine.
Its strong early critical and audience reception secured a place in our Top 10.
8. The Changeling (1980): 81.9/100
More than four decades after its release, The Changeling remains one of Canada’s most celebrated horror films.
George C. Scott stars as a grieving composer who moves into a haunted mansion. Although set in Seattle, the movie was largely filmed in Vancouver, with locations including Gastown and the Orpheum Theatre.
The film remains one of the strongest historical arguments for Vancouver’s longstanding place in horror cinema.
7. The X-Files (1993–2018): 84.4/100
Few productions are more closely connected to Vancouver than The X-Files.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson spent the original series’ first five seasons filming around the region, using its forests, suburban streets and rainy weather to investigate everything from alien conspiracies to paranormal monsters.
The series eventually relocated to Los Angeles before returning to Vancouver for its revival. Its long-running cultural influence and substantial awards recognition give it an important place in this ranking, many would place this at the top.
6. Midnight Mass (2021): 84.5/100
Mike Flanagan returned to Vancouver for one of his most acclaimed Netflix productions, a supernatural miniseries set in an isolated island community.
Richmond’s Garry Point Park helped recreate the fictional Crockett Island, while farmland in Aldergrove was transformed into important parts of the town.
The production demonstrated just how convincingly the Lower Mainland could become an entirely fictional coastal community.
5. Supernatural (2005–2020): 85.1/100
For 15 seasons, brothers Sam and Dean Winchester battled ghosts, demons, vampires, angels and nearly every monster imaginable.
Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles became familiar faces in Vancouver, where Supernatural maintained its production base throughout the show’s remarkable run.
With more than 300 episodes, the series became one of the most enduring examples of Vancouver’s role in international supernatural television.
4. The Cabin in the Woods (2012): 85.7/100
What initially appears to be another predictable horror film about teenagers visiting an isolated cabin quickly becomes something considerably more inventive.
Written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, the movie was filmed in British Columbia, with Vancouver and Richmond locations including BCIT’s Aerospace Technology Campus.
Its clever deconstruction of horror conventions earned it exceptional critical reception and a lasting place in the genre.
3. The Fall of the House of Usher (2023): 85.8/100
Mike Flanagan’s Edgar Allan Poe-inspired Netflix miniseries follows a powerful family’s increasingly horrifying collapse.
Filmed around Vancouver, the series transformed recognizable locations, including downtown’s Holy Rosary Cathedral and the Vancouver Art Gallery, into settings for its gothic story.
Its combination of critical praise, audience reception and local production significance places it among Vancouver’s highest-ranked horror productions.
2. Final Destination Bloodlines (2025): 87.9/100
More than 25 years after Final Destination introduced audiences to the terrifying idea that death cannot be cheated, the franchise returned to Vancouver with one of its strongest entries.
Bloodlines earned a 92% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, significantly outperforming the original film’s 50% rating.
The franchise has a remarkable local history. Final Destination 3 used Playland’s former Corkscrew roller coaster, while Final Destination 5 recreated a catastrophic collapse of the Lions Gate Bridge using elaborate sets and visual effects.
Five of the six franchise films were produced at least partly in the Vancouver.
1. Bates Motel (2013–2017): 92.1/100
The highest-ranked horror production in this list is Bates Motel, the acclaimed television prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.
Starring Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, the series follows the increasingly disturbing relationship between Norma Bates and her son Norman.
Its famous motel and Victorian house set was constructed in Aldergrove, while production also used locations across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
With a 93% average critics’ score and 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Bates Motel performed exceptionally well across the ranking categories.
For five seasons, British Columbia convincingly became the fictional Oregon town of White Pine Bay. It’s the best horror production filmed in Vancouver.
The biggest horror movies that missed the Top 25
Even with 25 spots, some huge names were bound to miss out. The original IT (1990), featuring Tim Curry’s unforgettable Pennywise, finished 28th, followed by The Monkey (2025) at 31st, the original Final Destination (2000) at 36th, Freddy vs. Jason (2003) at 46th and Jennifer’s Body (2009) at 47th. That’s a pretty remarkable group of films to leave off a horror list, and it says a lot about just how much has been filmed in Vancouver over the years.
Jennifer’s Body might be the best example of why a numerical ranking doesn’t always tell the whole story. The Megan Fox film received mixed-to-negative reviews when it was released, but has since found a new audience and become a genuine cult classic. Meanwhile, Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise remains one of horror’s most memorable performances more than 35 years later. Neither made the Top 25 based on the scoring system, but there’s no question both deserve a place in Vancouver’s horror history.
Oddfellows Entertainment and Vancouver’s next chapter
For decades, Vancouver’s horror industry was primarily defined by productions arriving from elsewhere. Hollywood studios came for our locations, experienced crews and ability to recreate almost anywhere in North America.
But Vancouver-based Oddfellows Entertainment is helping write a different chapter.
Led by producer Chris Ferguson, the company has developed a growing international reputation through projects including Longlegs, The Monkey, Keeper and Backrooms.
Then, in July 2026, Oddfellows signed a first-look production agreement with Warner Bros. Pictures, an important milestone for a Vancouver-based company working in theatrical filmmaking.
It’s evidence that Vancouver’s horror industry extends beyond providing production services. Local companies are increasingly involved in developing and producing internationally successful films.
From Pennywise and The X-Files to Longlegs and Backrooms, Vancouver has spent nearly 60 years scaring audiences around the world. And with a new generation of local filmmakers making their mark, Canada’s horror capital has plenty more nightmares to come.
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Research and methodology: Vancouver, Unfinished examined a historical database of 159 documented qualifying horror productions through October 2026. Each feature film, television movie, miniseries or scripted television series was counted once, with eligible filming locations including Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Sea-to-Sky. Fifty-two productions had sufficient comparable Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience ratings for numerical scoring. Ratings, awards recognition and Vancouver production significance were combined using the published 40/35/10/15 model, with adjustments for smaller critical samples. Awards scoring used an editorial baseline where recognition was not fully documented, and selected television scores cover entire series even when only some seasons filmed locally.