Unhurried pace, amazing atmosphere, well-written characters, thrilling ending - all this is about slow burner films.

Cinema, like a living organism, constantly evolves, changes, applies new forms of influence on the viewer, and continues to deliver emotions. One of the trendy directions of recent years is the so-called subgenre of slow burners. They cannot be attributed to one specific genre, because both horrors and thrillers are released in this form, but they are all united by an extremely unhurried and thorough narrative with complete immersion of the viewer in the atmosphere of what is happening on the screen and a bright climax at the end.

Here is a top 10 list of slow burner films that embody this subgenre, deliver incredible emotions, and linger in memory for a long time.

Midsommar (2019)

Ari Aster, one of the leaders of the new wave of horror filmmakers, demonstrated his considerable skills in the field of slow burners back in the film "Hereditary," where with each passing minute the viewer felt more uneasy, the atmosphere on screen became more oppressive, and after watching, there was plenty of food for thought.

An even more pronounced slow burner is Aster's latest work, "Midsommar," about heroes who end up in a commune of Scandinavian pagans. There are very few events in it, and the slow pace of the narrative serves as a real barrier for a significant part of the audience to receive the emotions intended by the author.

The director deliberately abandons classic techniques of frightening viewers, such as jump scares, preferring to create an atmosphere that will be frightening even in broad daylight. Along the way, the author reflects on themes of social isolation, toxic relationships, and religious fanaticism, as if throwing logs on a fire that flares up into a real flame in the shocking ending of the story.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

If you think that slow burners appeared in the 2010s, you are deeply mistaken. The unhurried pace of story development with a minimum of events and a thrilling ending was used in many classic horrors, such as "The Shining" or "Rosemary's Baby." Let's highlight Polanski's work specifically, because the author managed to masterfully create a tense atmosphere in which it is unclear until the very end whether the heroine invented a secret conspiracy of her husband with their neighbors and other acquaintances, or whether it actually exists.

As in many modern works, "Rosemary's Baby" explores the idea that the most terrible monster can be a human, and the difficult relationships between loved ones often turn out to be scarier than some mysterious thing.

The Invitation (2015)

A truly masterful slow burner was created by director Karyn Kusama ("The Invitation," "Girlfight") in 2015. The story centers on a guy named Will (Logan Marshall-Green), who goes with his girlfriend to a party at his ex-wife's house. A tragedy occurred in their family, but after 2 years, the woman seems like a different person: she is beaming with happiness, a smile never leaves her face, and her new boyfriend talks about the importance of unity and the ability to let go. But everything that is happening seems extremely suspicious to Will...

In "The Invitation," a large number of details are scattered here and there, which, like Chekhov's gun, fire at the most necessary moment. Seemingly unimportant and meaningless episodes get their rational explanation. And while you, together with Logan Marshall-Green's character, will try to understand what the hell is going on in this house, why there are locks on the doors, and who in their right mind would show a video of a person's death at a party. These flirtations with expectations and attempts to get to the truth will give you no less pleasure than the ending of the story that meets all viewer expectations.

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood (2019)

Quentin Tarantino himself turned to the slow burner subgenre in his latest work, whose films are usually characterized by a large number of events and fairly brisk dynamics. Taking as a basis the real events that happened to Roman Polanski's wife Sharon Tate, the director created a grandiose canvas that is entirely dedicated to the love of cinema of the golden age of Hollywood.

Tarantino, without any haste, gives the opportunity to feel the spirit and atmosphere of that time, in order to then tear it to shreds in his characteristic brutal manner with an abundance of ultraviolence. Like a clever manipulator, the director of "Pulp Fiction" reinterprets the events of reality, emphasizing the fact that cinema is a separate little world where anything can happen.

Dragged Across Concrete (2018)

The moderately seasoned director S. Craig Zahler is clearly a fan of slow burners, otherwise it is impossible to explain his penchant for this direction in cinema. Each of his works can be considered a representative of this subgenre, but it is "Dragged Across Concrete" that looks the most convincing and cinematic.

The story of two cop partners (Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn) who stepped on the wrong path develops deliberately slowly, as if to make it clear that in the world of real brutal men there is no place for impulsive decisions. This film is like a chess game, where at the very beginning the pieces are set up that are destined to collide and determine the winner. But unlike chess, in Zahler's film there can be no draw.

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

In 2015, the world learned about director Robert Eggers, who made the film "The Witch" with the immensely talented Anya Taylor-Joy, which shocked everyone who saw it. This typical slow burner tells the story of a family of 17th-century colonists who leave their home to settle on a farm near the forest. Soon the youngest child of the family disappears, and the atmosphere begins to heat up with every second.

By and large, the core of the film can be found only in the last 15 minutes, where there is room for both plot twists and techniques of horrors more familiar to the modern viewer. However, the charm of Eggers' film is that it literally absorbs the viewer from the first frames and does not let go until the final credits. It is frighteningly beautiful and atmospheric. It is mysterious and unpredictable. And after the bright climax, you begin to appreciate what you saw in the first half of the film even more.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

A not entirely typical slow burner came from the fan of eccentric and provocative cinema Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Lobster," "The Favourite"). Here, literally at the very beginning, the problem is outlined and what awaits Colin Farrell's hero, his family, and along with them the viewer. After that, a slow implementation of the "plan" follows.

While in some films directors prefer to play with the audience's expectations, Lanthimos directly states what to expect. This straightforwardness and inevitability, combined with the oppressive atmosphere and the actors' emotionally restrained performance, makes the heart beat faster and also prompts a variety of reflections.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Perhaps the main masterpiece among slow burners is the cult film by the Coen brothers. It has slightly more vivid scenes and events than is customary to show in such films, but no one will argue that the atmosphere here inexorably heats up, and the denouement can shock an unprepared audience.

The slow chase of the killing machine played by Javier Bardem (one of the most impressive cinematic images in history!) after the hero who appropriated someone else's money turns into an unprecedented attraction of a very specific kind. It is pointless to talk about what happens in the film; it is better to see it once for yourself.

Get Out (2017)

It is quite obvious that Jordan Peele's work will be included in all film history textbooks. It has all the components of a film that will forever remain in the memory of viewers: a powerful acting performance by Daniel Kaluuya, a clear social subtext, an unpredictable plot, and a literally electrified atmosphere.

Using a minimum of visual means and not the fastest pace of storytelling, Peele managed to create both a tightly knit horror, frightening with its unknownness and original camera work, and a fascinating story with a twist perfectly hidden until the very end. If you want to start your acquaintance with slow burners, you are unlikely to find a better option than "Get Out."

A Dark Song (2016)

Fans of horror and slow burners in particular will appreciate the Irish film «A Dark Song». It has an ideal balance of a tense and frightening story with philosophical inclusions. There are practically no jump scares or other boo-moments in the film, but you definitely won't feel cozy while watching it.

According to the plot, a desperate girl who has lost her child decides to perform a ritual that will allow her to communicate with her child one last time. An extraordinary specialist in occult matters agrees to help her with this. Together they lock themselves in a country house and prepare for a deadly dangerous procedure. With each new stage of preparation, you get to know the characters better, immerse yourself in the paranoid atmosphere, thanks to which you will never forget one of the most powerful endings of recent years.