Greatest Horror Movies of All Time

isHello, Everybody! Since that this is Hallo-week, I concocted a list of the BEST AND SCARIEST HORROR MOVIES EVER MADE! I will also delve into the history of each movie and also cover some minor spoiler details, so please be warned.

50. Get Out

When Get Out first came out on February 24th, 2017,  I never watched it in theaters because I didn't how big of an impact this movie would have. This was Jordan Peele's directorial debut and it became a surprisingly fantastic horror movie and one of the best movies of the decade, earning Peele and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. When mixed couple, Chris and Rose go on a weekend getaway to meet her parents, he begins to suspect that something is very, very wrong and discovers a disturbing secret. One thing that makes this horror movie's thumb stick out is its social commentary on racial tensions and that someone with a very lighter skin tone can be truly terrifying. Peele would follow that up with "Us" which also was a triumphant horror film.

49. Hereditary

Man, when I first watched Hereditary I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Not only is it a horror movie, it's also a very melancholic family drama. The movie follows the Graham family as they deal with the passing of their recent relative and they begin unravel very cryptic and scary secrets about their ancestry, trying to outrun their sinister fate. This is one of few horror movies that don't rely on jump scares but has disturbing imagery that will make your skin crawl. I wouldn't talk about Hereditary without mentioning Toni Collette's brilliant performance as Annie Graham. HOW THE HELL DID SHE NOT GET NOMINATED OR WIN AN OSCAR?!! She expressed grief, sadness and anger with one single facial expression and that dinner scene is one of my favorite movie scenes ever! After watching Hereditary, you'll be left questioning yourself what the hell you just saw. Like, Jordan Peele, Director Ari Aster followed it up with midsommar which was a brilliant successor and fantastic horror movie in its own right.

48. It

This re-adaptation of Stephen King's legendary novel took the world by storm on September 6th, 2017. Director Andy Muschietti did a brilliant job of crafting a very scary atmosphere in the small town of Derry, Maine. The Losers Club played by many of its talented young stars including Finn Wolffhard is always something to come back to and Bill Skarsgard perfectly pulled off the role of Pennywise as a very scary child predator. 

47. The Babadook

This Australian horror movie from 2014 was marketed as just another supernatural tale focused on an entity in a house owned by a mother and her son and it's focused on their difficult relationship. It was critically praised by critics and horror enthusiasts alike, even praising the performance of Essie Davis. Rather than focusing on The Babadook, it's grief that's the real monster and is also the movie's heart and soul. It's both provocative and scary, which is the best kind of horror.

46. The Witch

This underrated modern horror classic follows a Puritan family living in a New England farm who encounter forces of pure evil. While the movie is a slow-burn it does have very effective scary moments like Caleb's possession and that the dialogue is very very hard to understand, the ending will leave you saying "What the fuck was that?" and it also kickstarted the career of Anya Taylor-Joy. Director Robert Eggars' sophomore outing The Lighthouse even became a worthy follow-up.

45. It Follows

Who knew that a sexually-transmitted disease can become the form of an evil force called "The Entity" and it somehow just works? Filmed on a wide-angle lens, Director David Robert Mitchell cited both John Carpenter and George Romero as his influences for this tense thrill ride. After having sex with her boyfriend, Jay becomes the recipient of a curse that's passed on from victim to victim. Maika Monroe gave a great performance, launching her career in the process and is now a modern scream queen.

44. The Ring

A remake of the Japanese Horror movie, Ringu, The Ring is one of some horror movies with a PG-13 rating that actually works. When Rachel Keller watches a videotape with haunting imagery, she receives a phone call saying that she'll die in 7 days. Effective and shockingly scary, The Ring will make you not watch any old videotapes ever again.

43. The Conjuring

After directing the surprise horror film, Insidious, Director James Wan helmed another supernatural horror film, The Conjuring. Starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life Paranormal Investigators, Ed & Lorraine Warren, the married couple are summoned by the Perron family to investigate their farmhouse and discover that the house has a very dark and macabre history. It's a throwback to old-school horror and is widely considered to be a modern horror classic, it's critical reception and box office returns even kickstarted its own cinematic universe with a sequel and 4 spin-offs and an upcoming 3 Conjuring film set to be released on June 4th, 2021.

42. Paranormal Activity

Yet another Supernatural Horror story, Paranormal Activity is one of the one the crowning jewels of the found-footage movie genre. A young couple are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home and set up a camera to document what's haunting them. For those who saw the movie, we can all agree that Micah is the dumbest character in any horror movie ever! Because of his stupid decisions, it led to one of the most WTF and darkest endings in horror movie history. Due its success, it spawned over 6 sequels.

41. A Quiet Place

John Kraskinski achieved notable success for playing Jim Halpert from The Office. After making his directorial debut with A Quiet Place, Krasinski has become a respected name in Hollywood. Starring his wife, Emily Blunt and himself, both played a married couple who have to protect their kids in a post-apocalyptic world by staying silent. In turns of scare factor, the movie is one tense viewing experience, even one sound can make you feel nervous. Part II is set come out in April 2021.

40. An American Werewolf in London

One of the horror movies that kicked off the 1980s, this classic horror comedy movie from John Landis is about two best friends, David and Jack, who take a trip to London and David gets bit by werewolf and turns into one. The scene of David slowing transform into a werewolf is the stuff of horror legend and an achievement in practical/makeup effects, earning the movie a well-deserved first Academy Award for Best Make-Up. 

39. Eyes Without a Face

This French Horror film from 1960 is a masterpiece of poetic horror and shear brutality. Starring Pierre Brasseur, his character is a plastic surgeon who is determined to perform a face transplant on his daughter, who was disfigured in a car crash. Although it was met with unpleasant disdain from critics, overtime it has since become a horror movie gem and has influenced John Carpenter to direct Halloween.

38. Drag Me to Hell

Another great horror movie with a PG-13 rating, a woman is cursed by a elderly woman after refusing to extend her mortgage and will be thrown into hell after 3 days. The movie was praised for its scary and campy tone that Sam Raimi has been known for. Better yet, it's probably the PERFECT horror movie with a PG-13 rating.

37. Suspiria

Italian Director Dario Argento popularized the giallo horror, also known as Italian horror and its rarely talked about. The first movie in Argento's Three Mothers trilogy, it's about an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance school in Germany but discovers a supernatural discovery. It has received critical acclaim for its visual style and its haunting musical score and is widely considered to be one of the most influential horror movies of all time, even becoming the inspiration for its 2018 remake from Luca Guadagnino.

36. Cabin Fever

Released in 2002, Eli Roth took a story from his real-life experience with a virus during a trip to Iceland as inspiration for this popular horror comedy. It's about a group of College grads who stay in a cabin and fall victim to a flesh-eating virus. While Cabin Fever was negatively received by critics, the performances are what keep this movie watchable and has since become a cult classic and the sequel, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever was released in 2009 and the less said about its 2016 remake, the better.

35. Candyman

The name Tony Todd has become synomynous in horror movie history. He gained notable recognition for playing the titular "Candyman". Based on Clive Barker's legendary short story, The Forbidden, Candyman follows a Chicago grad student who completed a thesis on urban legends leading to the discovery of Candyman, the ghost of an artist and son of a slave who was murdered in the late 19th century for his relationship with a white painter's daughter. Not only was the movie very scary, it's nuanced portrayal of racial commentary that's rarely seen in horror at the time and is relevant even to this day. With its spiritual sequel coming out in 2021, it'll sure to succeed its predecessor.

34. Let the Right One In

This Swedish Romantic Horror movie from director Tomas Alfredson is something to behold and I definitely recommend watching if you're looking for something very different. Based on John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel of the same, it's the story of a 12-year-old boy who befriends a young vampire girl in Blacksburg, Stockholm in the early 1980s. Naturally, the movie was met with universal praise for its performances from its leads, Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leanderson, its cinematography, screenplay and direction. It also reinvigatorated the vampire subgenre by mixing scares and intelligent storytelling. 2 years after it was released, the Hollywood remake, Let Me In was also critically praised.

33. The Others

After M. Night Shyamalan released The Sixth Sense in 1999, this Haunted House movie was also known for its shocking plot twist. Directed by Spanish filmmaker, Alejandro Amenábar, Nicole Kidman plays a mother of two children who lives in their old family home during World War II and becomes convinced that their house is haunted. This was obviously influenced by Henry James' legendary novella, The Turning of the Screw, nonetheless, it's a very spooky and effectively scary experience to behold. It was praised for its atmosphere, direction and Kidman's performance, becoming the first English-language movie to win a Goya Award(Spanish Oscar) for Best Film.  

32. The Strangers

Don't let the Rotten Tomatoes score fool you, this movie was soo good! It's just your typical home invasion movie but the filmmakers made it surprisingly realistic. Inspired by true events including the murder of Sharon Tate and the Keddie Cabin murders, it stars Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a couple who try the survive the night from a group of deranged killers. The atmosphere and tension will definitely keep you glued to the screen and its sequel, The Strangers: Prey at Night was also soo good!!

31. Carnival of Souls

This indie horror film from 1962 is really something. The plot follows Mary Henry, a young woman who gets into a car accident wanders into a another town and becomes drawn to an abandoned carnival. It has since been noted by many film critics for its cinematography and atmosphere. It remains Herk Harvey's only feature film and it has inspired filmmakers such as David Lynch and James Wan.

30. The Last House on Left

Before directing A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven directed an exploitation horror film in 1972. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman's revenge thriller, The Virgin Spring, it's about two teenage girls who are taken into the woods and tortured by a group of murderous thugs. While the movie was well-received, it was banned in some countries and had to be heavily censored when it was released and it later got even larger following through home video.

29. The Stepfather

If there's one thing that makes The Stepfather memorable, it's Terry O'Quinn's iconic portrayal of Jerry Blake. It's one of the most underrated slasher movies of all time and the social commentary of being a part of the American family in a late 80s political world is timely. Watch this if you love slashers!

28. The House of the Devil

Released in 2009, it's about a college student who is hired as a babysitter at an isolated house and is caught up in dangerous and bizarre events as she fights for her life. This is yet another movie inspired by The Turning of the Screw but it's a modern Hitchcockian tale for new audiences and a throwback to classic fright fests. Yes, it's a slow-burn, but it'll still affect long after you finish watching. 

27. When a Stranger Calls

Based on the folklore, "the babysitter and the man upstairs", the story of a young woman who is receiving creepy phone calls from a well, stranger. The movie is mostly remembered for its scene with the police on the phone saying that the call is coming from INSIDE THE HOUSE. While the movie did get mixed reviews its performance and opening scene were certainly memorable.

26. Repulsion

Before Rosemary's Baby, Roman Polanski directed a psychological horror film from 1965. The movie is the story of a woman who finds and sexual advances repulsive. As she stays in an apartment during a vacation, she becomes even more isolated and lost in her psychological detachment from reality. It focuses on her point of view, hallucinations and nightmares as she comes into contact with men and their desires for her. The movie was praised by critics and is considered to be one of Polanski's best movies and is one of the greatest psychological horror movies ever made.

25. Night of the Living Dead

"They're coming to get you, Barbara." That's my all-time favorite horror movie quote. During a time when racial tensions were at an all-time high, George Romero released this horror masterpiece that is also a critique on American society, Cold War tensions and racism. The protagonist, Ben, played by Duane Jones  is African-American and is killed by police for being mistaken for a home invader and that's basically how it ends. Romero invented the Zombie film genre and he even started a franchise.

24. Audition

The first Japanese Horror film on this list, Audition is the most unforgiving, unsettling and disturbing movie you'll ever watch in your life! Director Takashi Miike has built a reputation for depicting shocking scenes of extreme violence and sexual perversions, while also incorporating a dark sense of humor and pushing the boundaries of censorship. Audition is considered his magnum opus. Shigeharu Aoyama's son suggests that he should find a new wife. He agrees, and he stages a phony audition to meet a potential new life partner. After several women, he picks Asami, as they begin to date, she discovers his dark past and as you expect, things don't end well for both of them. This movie isn't for the squeamish and viewer discretion is advised.

23. The Silence of the Lambs

This horror movie is a landmark 90s classic. A young FBI trainee named Clarice Starling played by Jodie Foster is pulled from her training to apprehend a serial killer, known as Buffalo Bill, who skins his female victims' corpses. She seeks the advice of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist and serial killer. It's one of those movies that you can only watch ONCE because it's that disturbing, even the portrayal of Anthony Hopkins' iconic role will make your skin crawl in a matter of minutes. Because of the film's brilliance, it earned an Academy Award for Best Picture, the first horror film to ever win that accolade.

22. The Haunting

Based on Shirley Jackson's terrifying novel, The Haunting of Hill House, the film follows a group of people who are invited by a paranormal investigator to investigate a haunted house. Directed by Robert Wise, The Haunting received mixed reviews upon its release. Overtime, it has since become one of the scariest films of all time with praise towards its performances and haunting cinematography.

21. The Descent

Before Neil Marshall directed the Game of Thrones episode "Blackwater", he helmed a British survival horror involving a group of friends who explore caves in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and are being attacked by underground creatures. The film was released with two different endings, the US release had a dark ending while the UK release had a happy ending. The movie was praised for its all-female cast and claustrophobic atmosphere.

20. Don't Look Now

It's very rare that a horror movie opens with the death of a child. From that point on, you can see that the movie's main theme is grief and it becomes a scare element. Starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, the central couple go to Venice, Italy after the death of their daughter to start a new life. While there, he becomes convinced that he sees their daughter's spirit. While the movie is confusing at times, it's still an effecting and worthy viewing experience.

19. Peeping Tom

A movie that's rarely talked about, Peeping Tom is a British Psychological Horror-Thriller about a serial killer who murders women while using a portable film camera to record their expressions. When it was first released, it was met with public backlash due to its controversial subject matter and its themes of sadomasochism, child abuse and fetishisms. It received negative reviews upon its release in the UK and it effectively destroyed Michael Powells' career as a director. It was  reevaluated and is now considered a masterpiece of Psychological Horror, a masterclass of voyeuristic cinema and is one of the Greatest British Horror Movies of All Time.

18. Saw

Saw is a precursor to the torture porn horror subgenre. Upon its release it was hated by critics, but it became an audience favorite in 2004. It was at that point that James Wan's career had began. Tobin Bell would go on to play Jigsaw in its sequels. One thing that you can appreciate about the Saw franchise is its effective use of gory violence.

17. Hellraiser

Hellraiser introduced another iconic horror movie villain in the form of Pinhead. Directed by Clive Barker, yes, that Clive Barker, it involves a "puzzle box" that summons the Cenobites, a group from another dimension led by the Lead Cenobite, Pinhead. The movie received polarizing reviews and has since been later called one of the Greatest Horror Movies in Great Britain and has since spawned 8 movies.

16. The Innocents

Another adaptation of The Turn of the Screw, but adapted by Truman Capote and directed by Jack Clayton, the plot follows a governess who looks after two children and fears that their estate is haunted by ghosts and that the children are being possessed. Cinematographer Freddie Francis used a deep focus lens to achieve a claustrophobic atmosphere to make the movie very unnerving. While the screenplay was criticized, its Deborah Kerr's performance that received praise and the film has been interpreted many times even to this day. Are the children really in danger or are they M by Proxy from their guardian? You decide.

15. The Blair Witch Project

The one that started the found-footage genre. Based on a "true story", it's about three student filmmakers who hike in the Black Hills in 1994 to film a documentary about the Blair Witch. When it was first released, many people thought that what they were witnessing was real and even missing persons posters were put up for promotional marketing. It became a sleeper hit in 1999 and it started a media franchise consisting of comic books, video games and sequels. Twigs and foliage have never been so scary.

14. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

This movie defined the 1970s! Directed by Tone Hooper, who later directed Poltergeist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre was about a group of teenagers who go on a road trip but are being terrorized by a Cannibalistic family, it introduced the iconic horror movie protagonist known as Leatherface(who is based on Ed Gein) and started the "Final Girl" trope. Upon its release(like many movies on this list), it got mixed reviews from critics and like all horror movies, it's one of the greatest slasher horror movies of all time.

13. The Omen

2 years before Richard Donner showed filmgoers that a man can fly, he helmed a well-known horror classic, The Omen which basically involves, Damian, the son of Satan. When Robert and Katherine Thorn adopt a devil child, it has horrifying consequences for them both. While critics at the time have called the movie "silly" and "predictable" and that it's not as scary as both Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, it's still a powerfully tense film.

12. Carrie

The first ever Stephen King film adaptation, Carrie is mostly remembered not as a book, but a full-on scary film. The iconic prom sequence is the most memorable scene of all of horror and Sissy Spacek was really that good! It made Director Brian de Palma a household name in horror and further kickstarting the Stephen King movie craze.

11. The Wicker Man

No no no no, we're not talking about that Wicker Man starring Nic Cage, this is 1973's The Wicker Man! The best movie about a Pagan cult and introduced the Folk Horror genre! When a Scottish policeman goes to an isolate island to search for a missing girl, he discovers that the townsfolk have abandoned Christianity and practice paganism. It was well-received by critics, even being called "The Citizen Kane of Horror Movies". Christopher Lee was just magnificent as Lord Summerisle. 

10. Rosemary's Baby

This one is my personal favorite Psychological Horror! Directed by Roman Polanski, it chronicles the story of a pregnant woman who suspects that an evil cult wants to take away her baby. It delt with themes of women's liberation, paranoia, the occult and Christianity. Mia Farrow gave an excellent performance as a paranoid pregnant woman and she deserved the Oscar that she never won, being raped by Satan and give birthing to his baby is unimaginably horrifying and Polanski's direction and its mix of visuals and sound make this a horror masterpiece.

9. The Exorcist

Man, The Exorcist is so so so terrifying!! I nearly cried and didn't go to sleep. Not only was the movie really scary, the filming process was even more unbelievably disturbing. Just Linda Blair's performance and its dreadful atmosphere will make your skin crawl. Upon its release, its first screening scared the loving crap out of audiences with reports of fainting, barfing and running out of the theater. Overtime, it has become of the greatest horror movies ever made and it became the first horror movie to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

8. A Nightmare on Elm Street

Wes Craven cemented his status as a horror movie director by introducing Freddie Krueger to the world. It even kickstarted Johnny Depp's career. The death scenes were memorable, the cinematography is beautiful and due to its success, spawned numerous sequels and a crossover film with Jason Voorhees. 

7. The Evil Dead

I'll have to admit, this one is even scarier than The Exorcist. Upon its release, it was given an NC-17 rating just because of its disturbing content. Imagine this; you go on a trip with your friends to a cabin and suddenly one by one your friends turn into something so pure evil and that's what truly terrifying. From that point on, Sam Raimi became a director to look out for.

6. The Thing

Like most horror movies, John Carpenter's The Thing was hated by critics and later achieved a cult following through home video. It's one of my favorite movies with Kurt Russell and it surprisingly still holds up to this day. If you watched this rn, it feels like watching a movie adaptation of Among Us, not gonna lie.😂

5. Scream

YES! This one is my favorite horror movie! I mean, it wouldn't be Halloween without mentioning Scream! It's an slasher movie while also having a satirical take on horror movies, tropes and what not to do in a horror movie. It reinvigorated the slasher film genre and Drew Barrymore's career, while also made careers of Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan and Neve Campbell and made Ghostface into an iconic horror movie villain.  It has spawned 3 sequels and a TV show and I can't wait for Scream 5!

4. Alien

In space, no one can hear you scream.

A masterpiece of sci-fi horror, Alien is one of the most terrifying movie in space ever! It made Sigourney Weaver a bad-ass and a Queen of Sci-Fi and it's remembered for the iconic chest burster scene. Fun fact, Ridley Scott never told the actors about the scene and just told them to eat their food on the table and that's it and the result was pure horror cinema gold.

3.  Halloween

Oh, yeah, folks! HALLOWEEN! MY FUCKING BOY, MICHAEL MYERS! HELL YEAH!! Another John Carpenter film, Halloween is the gold standard of the slasher film genre and kickstarting Jamie Lee Curtis' career as a scream queen. Every scene was soo iconic that it was reenacted in its 2018 sequel. During Halloween Night, a man who escapes from a mental asylum and stalks and preys on his victims on Halloween night. Naturally it kickstarted a franchise consisting of sequels and remakes. Btw, Halloween Kills is going to be amazing!!

2. The Shining

HERE'S JOHNNY!

My main man, Jack! This is why I love The Shining, I mean it's Jack Nicholson, people! The slow burning tension and its cinematography and Stanley Kubrick's direction make this one a classic in the horror genre, while it is sooo long and it was negatively received by critics and later reevaluated many years later, it's widely regarded as the greatest psychological horror movie of all time. 

1. Psycho

Could it really be anything else? Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is a masterclass of 60s suspense. If you've never seen Psycho, then you probably know the iconic shower scene. It's very rare that a horror movie kills off a protagonist that quick and it leads up to Norman Bates being the killer and that he's got the second personality of his mother. The final image of Bates smiling and its voice over will make your skin crawl.

That's my list, guys. Comment below what your favorite horror movie is.