Massive – supported by the BFI using National Lottery funds – is a project to ‘give young audiences the chance to see some of the most exciting films of the year before anyone else, celebrating British filmmaking talent in front of and behind the camera.’

They recently polled sixty critics to find the best British film of the 21st Century. The top slot went to Under the Skin (UK, Jonathan Glazer, 2013) – a chilling sci-fi horror starring Scarlett Johansson as a predatory alien.

According to Massive:

‘It’s hard to top something with the chilling originality of our #1 title, which also gave Scarlett Johansson undoubtedly one of her most singular and haunting roles to date, even nine years and a whole lot more Marvel later.’

Several other British horror and horror-adjacent films made the list. Here are the ones I spotted, but please leave a comment if I missed any:

• A Dark Song (UK, Liam Gavin, 2016) – joint 86th

• In Fabric (UK, Peter Strickland, 2018) – joint 77th

• Censor (UK, Prano Bailey-Bond, 2021) – joint 66th

• Saint Maud (UK, Rose Glass, 2020) – joint 57th

• The Descent (UK, Neil Marshall, 2005) – joint 57th

• Hot Fuzz (UK, Edgar Wright, 2007) – joint 53rd

• Kill List (UK, Ben Wheatley, 2011) – joint 36th

• Attack the Block (UK, Joe Cornish, 2011) – 34th

• 28 Days Later (UK, Danny Boyle, 2002) – joint 32nd

• Sightseers (UK, Ben Wheatley, 2012) – 31st

• Berberian Sound Studio (UK, Peter Strickland, 2012) – joint 29th

• Shaun of the Dead (UK, Edgar Wright, 2004) – 16th