Top 20 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time
#20: “Sinister” (2012)
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Before helming “Doctor Strange”, director Scott Derrickson’s experience with the supernatural skewed in favor of the spooky stuff. And the crowning achievement of his horror filmography is without a doubt “Sinister”. The story centers on a true crime writer, played by Ethan Hawke, who moves his family into a home that once played host to a series of grisly murders. His hope is that this mysterious crime can serve as the basis of his next book. The film’s not afraid to embrace haunted house cliches, but Derrickson’s mastery over them is such that even when you can see a scare coming, it never fails to hit the mark. Employing elements of found footage to excellent effect, “Sinister” will make you steer clear of the attic.
#19: “Paranormal Activity” (2007)
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Told using video camera footage, this supernatural horror combined everything that made “The Blair Witch Project” and “The Amityville Horror” classics of the genre. The specter doing the haunting is a demon that feeds off of negative energy and has latched itself onto Katie. In “Paranormal Activity,” we get to see the psychological damage that prolonged exposure to pure evil wreaks on an ordinary couple. The found footage style makes it feel believable, while also incorporating numerous jump scares. But it’s the moments of quiet and static that allows the sudden action to scare us to our bones.
#18: “The Witch” (2016)
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For anyone who feels tired of the same old horror movie tropes, “The Witch” is a welcome change. The feature film debut of writer/director Robert Eggers, this period piece is a reminder that there are a lot of different ways to scare an audience. Set in the 17th century, “The Witch” follows a Puritan family trying to scrape out a living on their New England farm. When the youngest child, Samuel, suddenly disappears near the woods, however, the fervently religious family is torn apart by suspicion, bad luck and—it would seem— supernatural influence. You’ll find few jump scares in “The Witch”. The film takes a slow-burn approach that instead gets under your skin using atmosphere, paranoia, and an unrelenting sense of dread.
#17: “The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
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One of most successful indie flicks ever, “The Blair Witch Project”‘s marketing campaign made it the most talked about movie in the US. The fact that the teasers and trailer whet audience appetites while giving away virtually nothing about the plot made the found footage flick’s twists and turns all the more shocking. Its unknown stars allowed us to empathize completely, which made those surprises even more terrifying. To cap it all off, the simple yet horrifying closing seconds ensured that this film was one of the scariest of all time.
#16: “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
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This movie is one of only a handful of horror films to ever make a serious impact at the Academy Awards. Its handling of themes such as gender identity have made it the subject of much retrospective criticism. But it’s not Buffalo Bill’s motivations that make this film so terrifying. At it’s heart, “The Silence of the Lambs” is a story about the abduction and murder of female victims - crimes that feel all-to-too real and terrifying. Jodie Foster’s performance as FBI trainee Clarice Starling was career-defining. And who can ever forget the way Anthony Hopkins inhabited the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter? He manages to make the former psychologist and cannibal charming, magnetic, manipulative, and ultimately one of the scariest characters in cinema.
#15: “28 Days Later” (2003)
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One of the films that helped kickoff the zombie wave of the 2000s, “28 Days Later” still holds up. Though many people have had their fill of these brain-eating monsters, “28 Days Later” stands apart from the pack; these zombies are cut from a different cloth. The film centers on a young man who awakens from a coma to find that Great Britain has collapsed in the face of a highly contagious viral outbreak. And you don’t need to get bitten to contract it. The infected in this film feel like creatures of limitless energy, rabid and animalistic in the way that they attack. Filmmaker Danny Boyle makes good use of confined spaces, chaotic camera-work and the human capacity for evil to anxiety-inducing effect.
#14: “Insidious” (2011)
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Written by Leigh Whannel and directed by James Wan (the same team behind the “Saw” franchise), “Insidious” is in many ways your classic haunted house story. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a very, very solid reminder that tried-and-true scare tactics still work wonders when properly executed. After moving into a new home, the Lambert family soon find themselves plagued by supernatural forces. Dalton, the eldest son, who fell into a coma after going into the attic, seems to be at the center of the activity. What makes “Insidious” so scary is its relentlessness. The scares are fast and frequent, but rather than giving audiences a genuine break, the filmmakers use mounting dread and discomfort as the movie’s baseline tone.
#13: “Rosemary's Baby” (1968)
Rosemary and her husband Guy haved moved into a new home and are trying to conceive a baby ... but that’s where the resemblance to a typical story ends. The unfortunate Rosemary soon finds herself the focus of occultists and their malevolent plans for her child-to-be. The idea of a demonic child growing inside you is blood-curdling enough. But the sense of helplessness is ramped up when Rosemary seeks aid, only to have her fears dismissed as paranoia and delusion. A memorable performance from Mia Farrow puts the audience right in her shoes. You’ll never look at your neighbors the same way again after this film.
#12: “The Conjuring” (2013)
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While both “Insidious” and “Saw” are remarkable films, most would agree that filmmaker James Wan’s greatest contribution to horror is “The Conjuring”. The film centers on paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, who are hired by the Perron family when they begin experiencing strange and unexplainable events in their Rhode Island home. Set in the 1970s and inspired by the supposedly true story of the Amityville Horror, the film feels like a throwback to classic haunted films of decades past. The scares are solid from start to finish, but it’s the performances of the impressive ensemble cast that make the film so effective. You really care about these characters, and that makes every supernatural threat much more visceral.
#11: “The Thing” (1982)
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Just four years after “Halloween”, John Carpenter made another classic—though no one knew it at the time. “The Thing” was poorly received upon its release and barely broke even. Over the years, however, it’s been the subject to one of the most drastic critical reevaluations in the history of horror. The practical effects used to bring the titular monster to life stand up to this day, and still represent some of the most grotesque but inspired creature designs to ever grace the screen. The gross bodily manipulation was simply too much for viewers back in the 1980s, but this uniquely terrifying vision would go on to influence a generation of horror filmmakers.
#10: “The Ring” (2002)
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What would you do if your son had seven days until he dies in horrendous fashion? And what if your son’s fate was inexorably tied to your fate? These are the questions that this remake of the 1998 Japanese film attempts to answer in the most unnerving way possible. Fueled by amazing sound design and a gripping score, every moment of “The Ring” will have you recoiling in terror. No need for loads of gore here; with just lots of disturbing visuals, the use of psychological horror and a haunting vibe, it’s no wonder the movie was both a critical and commercial smash.
#9: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)
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Gritty and foreboding in every scene, this slasher flick revels in the violence and gore that it throws at its audience. When a group of friends decides to pick up a hitchhiker on their way to a family homestead, they have no way of knowing just how horrible their world is about to become. Here’s the short version: awaiting them with open arms and empty stomachs near their destination is a family of cannibals who use the bones of their victims to furnish their home. Among the most wantonly violent films ever made to this day, if this massacre doesn’t chill you to your very core, we don’t know what will.
#8: “The Omen” (1976)
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In this Richard Donner film, the suspected Antichrist is not in the womb or a crib, but comes in the form of a young and at-times innocent-looking child. Prepared to destroy anyone who stands in his way or displeases him, Damien is surrounded by grief, misery and death. Fraught with violent visuals like decapitations and hangings, “The Omen” doesn’t pull any punches as it delves into the life of the world’s most evil little boy. Incredible suspense and excellent performances, notably from Gregory Peck, make this movie one of the best horror films of all time.
#7: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
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It’s a simple fact of life: we all have to sleep. And try as we might, we’re incapable of staying awake forever. That’s why the idea that a horribly disfigured man could literally kill you in your dreams is such a creepy prospect. After he was burned alive by parents whose children he’d killed, Freddy Krueger managed to stave off the hell he deserved. While later chapters in the franchise devolve into over-the-top humor, the first film (from director Wes Craven) is played so seriously that we suggest you don’t watch it before bed.
#6: “Hereditary” (2018)
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In 2018, cinemagoers were introduced to a new master of horror: filmmaker Ari Aster. An unrelentingly bleak and deeply disturbing film, “Hereditary” pushes the boundaries of the genre in ways that, quite frankly, we didn’t know were possible. It immediately drew comparisons to such highly influential pictures as “Rosemarys’ Baby” and “The Exorcist”. The film doesn’t bother with jump scares. It instead shocks with genuinely unexpected and deeply disturbing imagery, from which it refuses to turn away. The tension and overwhelming sense of dread is so pervasive that some viewers may not last long long enough to see the mystery unraveled. Further bolstered by stellar performances all around, “Hereditary” isn’t just a scary movie, it will shake you to your core.
#5: “The Shining” (1980)
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If there’s one horror film that beats out “The Thing” in terms of critical reassessments, it’s this one. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, “The Shining” is undeniably unconventional. It’s a lonely, ambiguous and thoroughly unsettling experience that, while arguably a tale of the supernatural, is fundamentally about one man’s descent into madness. It’s a significant departure from the source material (written by Stephen King) but a study published in 2004, conducted by King's College London, actually labelled it the "perfect scary movie".”The Shining” never fails to terrify, but the answer as to what exactly makes it so scary... remains elusive. From set design to the imagery used, “The Shining” is artful in its approach to inducing fear.
#4: “Psycho” (1960)
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We know what you’re thinking. How does this film crack the top 5 when, relative to the horror movies released in years since, it’s so tame? The thing is, while “Psycho” may start slowly enough, the conclusion that it builds to is incredibly effective. It’s ability to scare has been undermined by its own success; most people already know the story. But show it to someone with no knowledge of the plot and their reaction will be genuine terror. And the initial lack of horror makes the sudden violence and twisted reveals all the more powerful. No one will argue against the fact that “Psycho” is one of the greatest horror films ever made, but it also remains one of the scariest.
#3: “Alien” (1979)
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Despite the science fiction elements of the story, there can be little debate that “Alien” is in fact also a horror film. Being stuck inside a claustrophobic environment you can’t escape with a mindless creature that only wants to kill you is a creepy idea, to be sure. Heck, even just sitting down to enjoy a meal together in this movie becomes a complete nightmare - that chestburster scene is forever burned into all our memories. Ridley Scott’s space adventure doesn’t only grab you by the neck, but also never lets you go again. It inspired a worthy follow-up with “Aliens”, as well as a slew of lesser sequels and prequels. But the original remains the creepiest and most shocking!
#2: “Halloween” (1978)
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John Carpenter’s seminal slasher film may not have invented the genre, but it provided a framework that would be replicated for decades to come. And yet, the 1978 film’s ability to pack a punch hasn’t been diluted in the slightest by the countless imitators that followed—including its own many subpar sequels. In making this film, Carpenter really found the perfect recipe. Michael Myers, armed with his now iconic mask and imposing physique, makes quite the impression. His commitment to silence adds an extra layer of tension, while Jamie Lee Curtis’ breakout performance makes us feel extremely invested; her fear becomes our fear. Musical cues can make or break a horror film, and the score for “Halloween” consistently intensifies the scares. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “The Grudge” (2004) A Chilling Ghost Story Full of Creepy Kills “Candyman” (1992) As Haunting as It Is gory “Get Out” (2017) Horror as Social Critique “The Strangers” (2008) A Home Invasion Slasher Inspired by Real Events “The Descent” (2006) Claustrophobic, Fresh, & Absolutely Terrifying
#1: “The Exorcist” (1973)
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Demonic children get us every time. “The Exorcist” introduces us to Regan, a friendly twelve-year-old girl who becomes possessed by a demon after playing with a Ouija board. A terrific and refreshing concept for a horror film was taken to the next level by William Peter Blatty’s exceptional screenplay and the amazing direction of William Friedkin. Unflinching and truly scary, this is what we’ll always imagine an actual possession would actually look like. It forces us to imagine how helpless we’d feel if this ever happened to a loved one. Add to that horrifying moments like when Pazuzu tells Father Damien Karras about his mother’s fate in Hell. This is as scary as scary gets, and undoubtedly a horror classic.
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