Way back in 1939, Agatha Christie published a mystery novel in which a group of characters are invited to an island, where, one by one, they pay with their lives for their own past, murderous actions. The premise of And Then There Were None has been copied countless times in literature and in the movies, to the extent that it seems like any horror movie featuring an ensemble cast is doing a variation on the formula devised by Ms. Christie.
In recent years, some horror movies have changed up the formula with fiendish ingenuity. Here's a handful of our favorites; are we missing any hidden gems? Let us know in the comments!
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Witty, bloody and self-aware, this movie plays with a host of horror stereotypes, including the ones that had already been mocked in Wes Craven's Scream. But the screenplay by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who directed, goes three steps further in a turn of events that can only be termed apocalyptic -- and kinda brilliant.
Unfriended (2015)
Beyond the novelty of its setting -- the action unfolds on the computer screen of one of the characters -- is a diabolical twist. The teen characters are all friends, but as they are forced to reveal secrets they'd rather stay hidden, they are also killed off, transforming the movie into a serial killer countdown flick.
You're Next (2013)
The action is contained in an isolated vacation house in the Missouri countryside, where a family reunion soon turns deadly. As family members are assaulted one by one, the story takes some unexpected twists. Luckily Erin (Sharni Vinson) has a background that makes her unusually well suited to deal with the situation.
Final Destination 5 (2011)
By the fifth film in the series, the "one by one" countdown aspect of the kill-off was well-established, as Death seeks to claim people who have somehow escaped their fate. This time a different, more unpleasant option for possible survival is explored, as well as a final, macabre twist.
Devil (2010)
M. Night Shyamalan came up with the story for this intense thriller, set largely in an elevator that gets stuck. The five passengers are strangers who are gradually revealed to be guilty of various wrongs in the past. As they are killed off, the tension rises. Is the Devil really among them? Only time will tell.
