WatchMojo's Top 10 Halloween Horror Movie Recommendations

It probably goes without saying that, while horror movies constitute some of the most beloved and influential in all of cinema, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does not tend to concur with that popular sentiment. Sometimes, however, certain pictures are so adept at speaking to the current moment, and executed at such a high level, that the Academy is forced to take notice. Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” is such a film. A deft satire of racism, Peele’s film not only has cleverness to spare, it’s a legitimately terrifying slow-burn. It’s no surprise, then, that Peele won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as a result of his tremendous efforts. Talk about a real-life plot twist!

It feels like it’s sometimes forgotten that the film that ushered in an era of found-footage filmmaking was a genuine cultural phenomenon at the time of its release. Driven largely by what could be considered as the first viral marketing campaign, would-be audiences were led to believe that the events depicted in “Blair Witch” were real, leading to significant buzz. While, of course, the film is entirely fictional, that feels secondary when you’re watching it: its shaky, amateurish camerawork, remote setting, pervasive creepiness, and deep lore will have you making a snack of your fingernails. “Blair Witch’s” style is often imitated, but never truly duplicated.

What do you do when you feel you can’t trust anyone around you, not even your own husband? That’s the question at the heart of Roman Polanski’s “Rosemary’s Baby,” a thrillingly unsettling psychological horror film that has routinely been ranked among the genre’s best in the decades since its initial release. Mia Farrow’s Rosemary, the wife of struggling actor Guy (played by influential indie filmmaker John Cassavetes), slowly begins to discover that she’s involved in a deeply-rooted Satanic conspiracy with sinister aims. The audience can only spectate as Rosemary begins to fall further and further into madness. For a taste of real-life horror, read about the genuinely hellish experience that was making “Rosemary’s Baby.”

The brainchild of pioneering horror director James Whale, “Bride of Frankenstein” is a perfect example of the vanishingly rare sequel that improves on its already-legendary predecessor. While the first “Frankenstein” warned against playing God and the terrifying implications thereof, “Bride” uses its genre trappings to deepen those themes in an even more heartbreaking way. “Bride of Frankenstein” faced an uphill battle to reach audiences, subject to significant censorship and even outright bans in a number of countries worldwide. Whale’s film overcame attempts to suppress it to become an all-time classic of horror cinema — clocking in at only 75 minutes in length, it’s essential viewing for a quintessentially dark and stormy night.

Remember earlier, when we said that the Academy generally doesn’t vibe with horror? Jonathan Demme’s procedural thriller-slash-slasher is the exception that proves the rule. You might already know the plot’s broad strokes: FBI upstart Clarice Starling is tasked with interviewing cannibalistic serial killer — and formerly respected psychiatrist — Hannibal Lecter as a means of gaining insight into the mind of “Buffalo Bill,” the moniker given to a new killer, with the hopes that he can be stopped before it’s too late. Only the third film ever to sweep the Oscars’ “Big Five” categories (including Best Picture), “Lambs” is both a gripping journey into the darkest parts of the human psyche, and a powerful affirmation of horror’s ability to traverse multiple genres.

If “Rosemary’s Baby” was influential in setting the tone for horror films to come, “The Exorcist” was responsible for taking that baton and running with it… far, far away. What, on the surface, would appear to be a time-honored tale of demonic possession reveals itself to be something much deeper, more thoughtful, and above all, reaching new frontiers of scary. “The Exorcist’s” considerable influence and legacy is perhaps best summed up by American genre-appreciation magazine Cinefantastique, writing that that “‘The Exorcist’ has done for the horror film what ‘2001’ did for science fiction, legitimizing it in the eyes of thousands who previously considered horror movies nothing more than a giggle.”

This iconic sci-fi horror flick is notable for a number of reasons, chiefly among them that it stands as director Ridley Scott’s mainstream breakthrough. Beyond that, though, “Alien” is a towering achievement in horror, owing to its incredible performances, intricate production design, tense direction, and Oscar-winning visual effects, courtesy of legendary Swiss artist H. R. Giger. Met with relatively mixed reviews at the time of its release, “Alien” has been considerably reevaluated and is widely considered to be one of the greatest horror films ever made. Film critic David Edelstein once commented that “‘Alien’ remains the key text in the 'body horror' subgenre that flowered (or, depending on your viewpoint, festered) in the seventies.”

As you might’ve noticed by now, a number of films on our list were released to polarized — and even sometimes outright negative — critical receptions. “The Shining” might take the cake, having been straight-up panned by some critics at the time of its cinematic debut in 1980. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel takes significant liberties with its source material (much to the continued chagrin of author King). However, by considerably altering the book’s narrative structure and focus, Kubrick arguably drilled down even further into what made King’s novel so terrifying. Bolstered by its dreamy atmosphere, technically innovative cinematography, and a pair of powerful lead performances by Jack Nicholson and particularly Shelley Duvall, “The Shining” is now the furthest thing from divisive.

Well… we couldn’t not, right? Pay no mind to the countless cash-in sequels that followed and threatened to permanently dilute the franchise (with the possible exception of the underrated “Halloween III: Season of the Witch”). The influence and importance of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic — and believe us, it earns that title — cannot be understated. While it didn’t invent the “slasher movie” subgenre, it’s inarguable that “Halloween” crystallized the essence of the genre, paving the way for innumerable horror filmmakers to follow in its nightmarish suburban footsteps. Plus, it gave us one of the all-time great movie villains — no, movie characters, period — in Michael Myers, whose stark-white William Shatner mask still haunts our dreams. And probably yours, too.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
The Mother of All Zombie Movies

“Carrie” (1976)
Brian De Palma & Sissy Spacek Remind You That High School is Hell

“The Thing” (1982)
John Carpenter’s Paranoid Chiller Brilliantly Reflects Cold War Anxieties

“Videodrome” (1983)
Not Only is This Canadian Cult Classic Thought-Provoking — It’s Downright Nasty, Too

“The Ring” (2002)
This PG-13 Flick Proves That Horror Isn’t All About Blood & Guts

It seems fair to say that legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, who was often referred to as the “Master of Suspense,” was not one to politely play by the rules. Such was the case with the micro-budget horror masterpiece “Psycho,” which smashed just about every rule that Hollywood had put forth in previous decades. Even though “Psycho” is now over sixty years old, we feel that divulging elements of its famously twisty plot would do first-time viewers a terrible disservice — Hitchcock himself even mandated that contemporary movie theaters forbid late admissions! If you only have time for one film on Halloween eve, make it “Psycho.” Just don’t knock on the doors of any creepy, remote motels while you’re out trick-or-treating.

Did we miss your favorite horror movie? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!