Don't open the door: Best home invasion films

There really are few sub-genres within horror and suspense more unnerving than home invasion. Maybe it's the concept of losing safety in the one spot where you're supposed always be safe, or an overextension of the monster underneath the bed nightmare, but home invasion films are not only prevalent, but popular, as evidenced by the sequel to 2008's "The Strangers" opening in theaters this week. To celebrate, enjoy our list of best home invasion films.

Who knew that in the late '60s, Hollywood would even be willing to push the envelope with a high-profile horror film, starring one of its more bankable actresses in Audrey Hepburn, whose performance of a blind woman who becomes target of sadistic killer (Alan Arkin... yes, him). "Wait Until Dark" may be best known for its climax, in which Hepburn fights for her very survival with the apartment’s lights turned off, leading to one of the best jump scares in any film of its type. 

Sam Peckinpah, a renegade director known for his propensity for violence, does not disappoint in this story of a couple of American ex-pats (Dustin Hoffman, Susan George) who are looking for a little peace and quiet when they run to some locals who seem to revel in flirting with the curvaceous Amy. They ultimately break into the home to assault the couple, leading to a showdown where none is truly guaranteed to survive.

Wes Craven's debut film as director still holds up today in a terrifying way as a group of murderous hippies comes upon a pair of girls, killing one and leaving the other to die. Later, after inviting themselves to the home of a doctor and his wife, it isn't long until the father realizes his daughter is dead, setting into motion a series of events where the hunters become the prey. 

It goes without saying: the most frightening of films always features a killer who is already in the house. The film follows a group of sorority sisters who are systematically picked off by a murderer hiding in the attic. Many of the films of this genre owe a debt to "Black Christmas" for the way it handled the cat-and-mouse game of films of its nature.

Not only did "When a Stranger Calls" make it onto our list, by virtue of the first 30 minutes of the film, it easily makes the horror movie hall of fame as well (once it's built, of course). The film does an extremely good job in its effort to capitalize on a natural fear of home invasion and being left alone in a house in a way that few movies have ever been able to replicate. 

An update of the 1955 Humphrey Bogart vehicle "The Desperate Hours," this updated version stars Mickey Rourke as the leader of a trio of escaped felons who find a random suburban home with a family and promptly holds them hostage.  While "Desperate Hours" may not have the same strength of story as the original, the performances, including that of Anthony Hopkins and Mimi Rogers, make this the far more memorable version.

Director Michael Haneke created a film in "Funny Games" that's absolutely take-it-or-leave-it. Delivering what is essentially a very divisive take on the home invasion genre, Haneke tells the story of a family held hostage by a pair of well-dressed nihilists as the battleground upon which the director goes the extra mile to make the audience feel uncomfortable with each passing moment, to the point where this twisted tale leaves viewers with an unyielding desire to take a long, long shower. 

Hot off the heels of cult classic "Fight Club," director David Fincher's next project focuses on a divorced mother (Jodie Foster) who moves with her teenage daughter (Kristen Stewart) into a new home in a wealthy section of NYC. The brownstone happens to have its own vault-like “panic room,” which finds itself put to the test when three criminals (Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam) break into the house only to find that what they're looking for is in the very room where mother and daughter seek to survive, leading to a tense standoff that is a cut above the rest of the usual home invasion fare.

French director Alexandre Aja presents a brutal home invasion film that shocks, stuns and ultimately surprises in the most unexpected of ways. Upon witnessing the climax of "High Tension," one might want to reject the film and its twist in whole, but upon further review, it's hard not to admire what Aja was seeking to do in the film in a way not seen before. 

Ellen Page makes a strong debut as a teenage girl who breaks into the home of a man (Patrick Wilson) she believes to be a pedophile, subjecting him to harassment and torture in a film that does a solid job of manipulating the viewer's emotions as it becomes difficult up until the end of the film to know who's really telling the truth and who has something to hide. 

"The Strangers" is a very low-to-the-ground home invasion film that doesn't rely on flashy effects or much jump cut scares to deliver the impact of what basic human fear is all about. The film focuses on a young couple (Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman) who find themselves the target of a trio of masked intruders who target them for no real rhyme or reason. The result is better than it should be, even if its sequel "The Strangers: Prey at Night" ruins the concept of what made this simple little horror film so good. 

While most home invasion films stick to a specific formula, for better or worse, "The Collector' goes the extra mile with a story about an ex-con who stages a heist at his new boss' home, only to find out that he's not the only criminal interested in the house, and it's not long before he realizes he's hunter and hunted at the same time.

Director Adam Wingard made his bones with this interesting take on home invasion films and horror in general, where the victim surprises everyone by becoming a more proficient hunter than the animal-masked villains who overrun a quiet family reunion for a healthy amount of comeuppance of their own.

A small yet effective horror film made on the cheap, "The Purge" kicks off the franchise as a simple home-invasion film, focusing on a family simply trying to survive the night from a myriad of people trying to get one more murder in during a night when all crime is legal for 12 hours. The result was wildly successful and spawned two sequels and an upcoming TV series.

King of the Mixed Bag Eli Roth manages to put down his torture porn roots while also fully embracing them in this film where a pair of beautiful girls invite themselves into Keanu Reeves' home and proceed to make a prisoner of him in what is ultimately a very satisfying turn on home invasion tropes. 

Silence is not always golden – it's sometimes deadly as a deaf-mute writer (Kate Siegel) finds herself the target of a masked killer after he chases her friend to her home, where he finds out she can't hear him, and kills her friend, thus making her his next intended victim. The film plays out in an interesting fashion, featuring a heroine who has to rely on more than her disabilities would allow in order to survive.

A surprising twist on the home invasion genre set in Detroit, a trio of thieves break into the house of a blind man in search of what they believe is a massive fortune. Instead, they're greeted with death, horror and fright, along with one of the more disturbing reveals in a mainstream horror film.