With Friends Like These – 10 More Toxic Horror Friendships

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are following up on our list of Be Careful Who You Count On – 10 Horror Movies With Toxic Friendships with a brand new list – With Friends Like These – 10 More Toxic Horror Friendships.

Even More Horror Toxic Friendships

We asked this question just the other day. What happens when friendships in horror go wrong? What happens when love turns to hate and those friends become bitter enemies? In the movies we are looking at today, the characters featured are involved in toxic friendships that will inevitably lead them to wreck and ruin. Be it through jealousy and rage or simply through being guilty by association.

The vast majority of these movies are legitimately great. It is worth me pointing out, however, that they aren’t all strictly horror. It is tough to run a horror movie website without taking a step into the thriller genre here and there so some of these movies do fall more into that category that horror. They all have horror themes, however, and all should be fairly satisfying to any horror fan. Before we get going.

If you are looking for something all together more positive that these toxic friendships, why not check out our list of the 10 Best Friendships in Horror Movies RANKED. Without further ado, on with the list.

📉 At a Glance: Top 5 Bad Influences

10. There’s Something Wrong With The Children (2023) – Kids Are Creepy

The Toxic Factor: The kids have gone nuts but only one person realises. Still, Ben is consistently doubted by his friends, prompting them to turn on him which escalates the situation massively. The characters are awkward and embarrassing depictions of millennials, the interactions feel fake, the events are dull, and the thrills limited but the friendships are most definitely toxic.

Knockout Verdict: Don’t trust the little ones.

Gah, I really dislike this movie and it almost pains me to put it on the list but it definitely qualifies. There’s Something Wrong With the Children follows a family who take a weekend vacation with a pair of friends. Only for the kids to go missing one night before returning, seemingly, changed. Directed by Roxanne Benjamin; this movie just didn’t do it for me at all.

It’s a good example of friendhips gone wrong, though. The group splinters and turns on each other creating a situation where the odds are stacked against them purely because they didn’t work together. Not a great movie, we awarded There’s Something Wrong With the Children 1.2/5 in our review.

9. Truth or Dare (2018) – A Game You Can’t Win

The Toxic Factor: Each member of a circle of friends has to play a game of truth or dare or face the consequences. Forcing them to reveal deep hidden secrets about each other that threaten to expose the toxic nature of their friendships and fracture the group forever.

Knockout Verdict: Tell the truth or die.

Olivia wants to spend her summer building houses for humanity but her passive, eager to please, nature betrays her. Agreeing to go to Mexico on vacation with her friends, the group unwittingly play a supernatural game of Truth or Dare that has dire consequences.

There’s a few movies like this doing the rounds. The whole “supernatural board game” trope is fairly common, as alluded to in our previous list with Game of Death. Truth or Dare is more of the same and, to be completely honest, it’s not a very good movie, either. These movies are always pretty predictable but it is fun to watch a toxic friend group tear each other apart, right?

8. The Hole (2001) – Locked In

The Toxic Factor: This is a fantastic example of toxic friendships as a group of friends locked in an old WWII bunker begin to turn on each other in a situation that goes in a direction you may not expect. Claustrophobia mingles nicely with themes of sociopathy to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.

Knockout Verdict: No way out.

We are going back to the early 2000’s for this next entry with Nick Hamm’s British psychological horror, thriller, The Hole. This one seems to have fallen under the radar a bit but features prolific actors Thora Birch and Desmond Harrington, Laurence Fox, and a 15 year old Keira Knightley (who, worryingly, gets her baps out in a scene filmed with the consent of her parents… Could we not have scratched that part from the script?).

The Hole follows a group of friends who head into an underground bunker to spend a few days partying rather than going on a school trip. Little do they realise that getting out may be a lot more difficult than getting in. The Hole is a very watchable movie that manages to create a lot of tension with a very limited location and budget. Check out our review of The Hole right here for more.

7. Infinity Pool (2023) – A Vacation from Morality

The Toxic Factor: James’s life of sex, violence, drugs, and debauchery with his new friends proves to be more than just a little toxic. It is a perfect example of the extremes of toxic friendship, where peer pressure leads to a complete loss of self.

Knockout Verdict: Rich people are weird.

We have a bit of a different one next with Brandon Cronenberg’s 2023 movie Infinity Pool. Jaded author James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) heads to an island for a vacation with his wife Em. While there they meet a woman who claims to be a fan. Agreeing to spend some time with the woman and her partner, a horrifying accident reveals a darker side to paradise.

You know that having a Cronenberg name attached to this movie means it is going to be weird and that is exactly what Infinity Pool is. It is a strange movie full of sexual imagery, perverse hedonism, and bizarre visuals. Mia Goth is fantastic here and makes the movie worth the price of entry alone. This is toxicity on a whole different level and it goes to some serious extremes. We awarded Infinity Pool 3/5 in our review.

6. The Blair Witch Project (1999) – Lost in the Woods

The Toxic Factor: Three friends set out to make a documentary but quickly turn on each other when they get lost in the woods. Heather gets the blame but that’s the least of the groups problems. If only they had just stuck together.

Knockout Verdict: Kick the map into the river.

Everyone knows this one, right? Three friends head in to the woods to document a local legend of a witch. Only to find themselves completely lost and surrounded by bizarre goings on in this found footage classic from 1999. The Blair Witch Project might be one of the most hyped horror movies of all time. The bespoke, viral marketing campaign feature “missing posters” and folklore websites made it a massive hit.

It seems a bit ridiculous now but, back in the day, people were actually genuinely convinced that this movie was real. Filmed on a micro budget and with a skeleton crew. The Blair Witch Project would never really live up to the impossible levels of hype but it is still a fantastic movie. It’s a great example of how a friendship can become toxic purely due to stress and fear. We awarded The Blair Witch Project 4/5 in our review.

5. Speak No Evil (2022) – The Politeness Trap

The Toxic Factor: What starts as an awkward weekend away quickly begins to go awry as a couple’s new friends seem to be not quite what they seem. Speak No Evil is a perfect example of toxic friendships and why you shouldn’t trust everybody you meet, or let politeness override your survival instincts.

Knockout Verdict: Just leave.

This is a movie that is always sure to cause a stir and is also a perfect example of being careful who you trust. Speak No Evil is a Danish psychological horror movie directed by Christian Tafdrup. It follows the story of a Danish couple and their child meeting a Dutch couple and their child while on vacation. After receiving an invite to visit the family in the Netherlands. The couple, not wanting to be rude, head out there, little realising the nightmare they are in for.

The ending of this one pisses people off to no end. It is very much by design, however, as director Christian Tafdrup wanted to over emphasise how far out of their way middle class Danish people will go to not upset people. Despite being brutal and uncompromising, this is an enjoyable movie with some bewildering plot points that are sure to cause frustration. We awarded Speak No Evil 3.5/5 in our review.

4. Better Watch Out (2016) – Home Alone with a Psycho

The Toxic Factor: Suffice to say that it is a great example of a toxic friend leading the people around them into an absolutely horrible situation. It’s funny, shocking, and incredibly mean spirited in parts, with a relationship dynamic that shifts in terrifying ways.

Knockout Verdict: He sees you when you’re sleeping.

Definitely one of my favourite movies on this list but one that seems to divide people a bit. Better Watch Out is a tough one to talk about without spoilers so I am not going to go into it too much. The story follows babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) who is forced to defend the child she is looking after (Levi Miller) from potential home invaders threatening their lives.

Better Watch Out is set over the Christmas holiday so makes for a perfect Xmas example of toxic friendship. It’s also a whole lot of fun purely for its plot which goes out of its way to subvert expectation. We awarded Better Watch Out 4/5 in our review. Not everyone will agree with that score as, like I said, it divides viewers but I think it is a legitimately great horror movie. One of the friendships on display here is compeltely toxic and results in a grizzly end for one character.

3. Chronicle (2012) – Absolute Power Corrupts

The Toxic Factor: The breakdown of the friendships at play here comes by way of jealousy and feelings of rejection. The friends bond over their shared powers but a history of bullying and abuse makes one of them head towards the dark side.

Knockout Verdict: With great power comes great insanity.

This is one of a couple of movies in this list that really don’t qualify as horror. Chronicle is more of a sci-fi thriller but it has enough elements there to make it enjoyable for horror fans too. Much like The Innocents, which we covered in our last toxic friendships list, it follows a group of friends who discover a strange object that gives them super powers.

Chronicle does a nice job of using its Found Footage trappings to create a more realistic, more believable, presentation of the events taking place. Combined with decent acting, especially from Dane DeHaan, and a great script; Chronicle is a genuinely enjoyable exploration into what would happen if real people developed incredible abilities. Chronicle is light on horror but has a decent amount of thrills.

2. The Dirties (2013) – A Recipe for Disaster

The Toxic Factor: Owen tries to improve himself and work on his social skills while Matt finds himself leaning towards an altogether darker solution. A solution which could lead to the destruction of them both. The friendship between the pair feels completely genuine, which makes the inevitable conclusion all the more heartbreaking.

Knockout Verdict: Too real for comfort.

Another movie that isn’t really horror beyond the themes at play. I simply had to feature this film because I really don’t think enough people actually talk about it. The Dirties is a crime, drama, thriller that follows a pair of bullied friends, Matt and Owen, who attempt to deal with the challenges of high school life in differet ways. One takes a logical approach while the other picks up a pen and begins to make a sordid plan.

The Dirties is a less art house, more realistic, version of Gus Van Sant’s well regarded school shooting drama movie Elephant from 2003. Filmed in a found footage style as if documented by the friends themselves. The Dirties feels far more authentic and far closer to what we have seen in cases like the Columbine killings. The characters present as conflicted, wanting to fit in, and, ultimately, bitter due to the vicious bullying. Not just an example of Toxic Friendship in movies but also a very important movie in itself. Check out our review of The Dirties right here.

1. Influencer (2022) – #FakeFriends

The Toxic Factor: It plays heavily on themes of vapid social media obsessed people, the falseness of influencers, and the dangers of identity theft. As well as the problems that can come along when traveling alone to foreign countries and accepting help from toxic people who you know nothing about.

Knockout Verdict: Like, subscribe, die.

A surprise hit from 2022. Influencer follows the story of a social media influencer heading out for a holiday alone to Thailand where she meets care free traveller CW. In awe of her easy going way of life, the pair become fast friends but CW may not turn out to be all she says she is. Influencer is a genuinely enjoyable horror, thriller that puts a spotlight on the danger of becoming close friends with people who you don’t really know.

Constantly subverting expectations, Influencer never really lets up on the thrills and constantly keeps you guessing. Cassandra Naud, as CW, is utterly fantastic and steals every scene she is in. Influencer is just a ton of fun and well worth checking our. We awarded it 3.8 our of 5 in our review.

With Friends Like These…

That wraps up our second deep dive into the worst friendships the horror genre has to offer. If there is one lesson to take away from these films, it is that sometimes being a loner is the safest survival strategy. Whether it is being filmed for a twisted documentary or being gaslit on a European vacation, these “friends” are definitely people you want to unsubscribe from.

If you need to cleanse your palate with something a little more wholesome after all that betrayal, don’t forget to check out our list of the 10 Best Friendships in Horror Movies. Thanks for reading Knockout Horror, and remember: trust no one.

🤳 Quick Picks: More Toxic Horror Friendships by Vibe

The “Social Media” Pick: Influencer (2022)
For when you want a modern thriller. It captures the hollowness of online friendships and the danger of trusting strangers in paradise perfectly.

The “Heartbreaker” Pick: The Dirties (2013)
For when you want to feel sad. It feels less like a movie and more like watching a real tragedy unfold in slow motion. Authentic and devastating.

The “Found Footage” Pick: Chronicle (2012)
For a superhero twist. It explores how quickly a bond forged by power can shatter when jealousy and mental illness creep in.

The “Twisted” Pick: Better Watch Out (2016)
For when you want a shock. It starts as a cosy Christmas invasion movie and turns into something infinitely more sinister.

The “Frustrating” Pick: Speak No Evil (2022)
For when you want to yell at the screen. A masterclass in social awkwardness and the deadly consequences of being too polite.

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