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Halloween is still a few months away, but this is a good reminder that good horror us hard to come by. It’s not easy to find the balance of scary but not traumatizing, and exciting but not too disturbing. However, these 50 movies found the right formula, making them the perfect films to watch as you get ready for the spookiest season of the year. Grab a blanket (to hide underneath) and a friend (to scream alongside), and prepare to get spooked.
Psycho (1960)
That shower scene! That twist ending! One of Alfred Hitchcock's most well-known films was nominated for four Oscars, but somehow those didn’t include a Best Actor nod for Anthony Perkins. How?
Train to Busan (2016)
Snakes on a Plane was nothing compared to zombies on a train. This South Korean gem about a father trying to get his daughter to safety in the middle of a zombie apocalypse will make your pulse race, and might even make you shed a tear. Few horror movies can accomplish that.
It (2017)
Not only is the big screen remake of It far better than the original TV miniseries, it’s also one of the best horror movies ever made. Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise made a whole new generation scared of clowns. Plus, the young actors who portray the "Losers Club" give the film some heart, bringing it to another level that most scary movies don’t reach.
It Follows (2014)
A fatal curse that spreads from person to person through sex doesn’t sound like the premise for a horror movie that anyone would want to see. But It Follows set a new bar for indie horror when it was released in 2014.
The Skin I Live In (2011)
This one may not be conventional horror, but Pedro Almodóvar is not a conventional director. Antonio Banderas stars in this Spanish psychological thriller, which is best experienced with as little advance information as possible—even the trailer might give away too much. But the payoff is worth going in unawares.
The Orphanage (2007)
Ghost children are pretty much always guaranteed to make you cower, as mother Laura discovers when she moves her family back to her childhood home, where her son Simon gets a bad case of the Imaginary Friends. Guillermo Del Toro knows good horror, which is why he produced this 2007 Spanish film from director J.A. Bayona.
Night of the Demons (1988)
We needed a little B-movie fun on this list, and that honor goes to Kevin S. Tenney’s cult classic starring Mimi Kinkade and horror icon Linnea Quigley. A group of teens attend a Halloween party at a demon-filled house and what follows is a lot of gory over-the-top death.
Carrie (1976)
Sometimes it’s not the monsters or the masked men you should fear. Bullying is wrong on every level, but bullying the weird girl in school with uncontrollable telekinetic abilities is just a bad idea for you. The performances of Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie earned them Oscar nominations and a spot on this list. Carrie's iconic prom scene is also one of the most memorable in movie history.
The Birds (1963)
Years before Jaws ruined sharks for everyone, Alfred Hitchcock made ornithophobia (fear of birds) very real for a lot of people. Thanks to this movie, there's still reason for suspicion whenever you see a few too many pigeons hanging out on a wire or seagulls who get a little too close to you at the beach.
Get Out (2016)
Jordan Peele made the transition from sketch comedian to Oscar-winning horror helmer thanks to this 2016 future classic. Stirring a cup of tea or eating a bowl of cereal has never been so nerve-racking—but Get Out taps into the existing, genuine evils of racism.
The Descent (2006)
If you're claustrophobic, maybe stay away from this one. This British import is about a group of women who get lost on a cave exploration and meet the monsters who call the place home. It’s a creature feature and a psychological thriller that works on both levels.
Jaws (1975)
When you make a movie so terrifying that it actually makes people do things differently IRL, you did something right. Steven Spielberg’s shark tale actually had people steering clear of beaches in 1975—and thanks to its suspenseful scares, plenty of folks are still afraid to get in the water to this day.
Suspiria (1977)
This movie about an American dance student who discovers a supernatural conspiracy at her new school in Germany hits all the wrong notes in the right way: creepy story, chilling soundtrack, disturbing visuals. It’s scary. It's artsy. It’s Dario Argento.
The Witch (2015)
Robert Eggers delivered a horror masterpiece with The Witch. The 1630s period piece is a slow burn, but that creeping sense of dread is part of what makes it so perfect. When things finally take a turn, your jaw will be on the floor. You'll probably also need a few minutes to process everything as the credits roll.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
"They’re coming to get you, Barbara!" Once you've seen Night of the Living Dead, that single line of dialogue is enough to send shivers down your spine. George Romero’s seminal work paved the way for all zombie-related horror. The political statement that culminates in the film’s final moments is also (unfortunately) still relevant in today’s world.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Just as Scream flipped the slasher sub-genre on its head, The Cabin in the Woods turned the haunted house inside out. This one's as funny as it is scary, which might ease the tension a bit for those who aren't huge horror fans. If we haven’t sold you yet, how about a little Chris Hemsworth? Plus a celebrity cameo at the end that’s not to be missed.
Halloween (1978)
There’s a reason Jamie Lee Curtis is heading back to Haddonfield in 2018, 40 years after starring in the original Halloween. That reason is Michael Myers; decades on, John Carpenter’s silent, blank-faced killer still manages to make people cover their faces in fear. Even that theme music can haunt your dreams.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
There’s nobody like Freddy Krueger. There are plenty of other equally iconic horror killers (Leatherface, Jason, Michael Myers) but none of them have that Freddy pizzazz. (It’s probably because they don’t talk.)
The Exorcist (1973)
Horror is often ignored come Oscar season. That was not the case for this possession story, though; it was nominated for 10 awards, including acting nominations for Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair. It’s so freaky it’ll make your head spin. (Get it?)
Hereditary (2018)
Last year was a good year for horror—if you need proof, look no further than Hereditary. Toni Collette carved out her place in scream queen history with her role as the matriarch of a family in mourning. So many crazy twists…and by crazy, we mean certifiably insane. We’ll leave it at that.
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