100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers

“Sometimes dead is better.” A family discovers a burial ground’s dark secret when tragedy strikes, and the father believes there’s a way to bring his child back from the dead. Pet Sematary depicts the lengths people might go for their loved ones, and it isn’t always a pretty sight.

Jigsaw sets up a series of deadly trials to determine who is worthy of life. Saw tries to be profound but ends up muddling its message more times than not. Perhaps it works better as an allegory for American practices of torture in the 2000s, but it delights in its nihilistic streak too much to come across with any sincere message.

Another horror anthology that’s a bit uneven. While the execution may leave something to be desired, there are still plenty of effective scares on this tape with films directed by the likes of Adam Wingard and Ti West. “Amateur Night” is a highlight and perfectly proves how some horror stories are better told when condensed.

Zombieland pokes fun at the cliched zombie flick to hilarious results. The Bill Murray bit is fondly remembered for a reason. It’s classic comedy, and it gets to the bottom of a question most people have when watching zombie movies, namely, “What are all the celebrities doing during all this?” It’s a roaring good time.

James Wan wanted to make a horror film that didn’t rely on so much gore like his previous film, Saw. The result is Insidious. The film proves it’s worthwhile to challenge your sensibilities as a filmmaker and just because you can do one thing well does not mean you have to stay in that wheelhouse. Wan went from torture porn to a haunted house film, and he still manages to get some effective scares out in the process.

Yes, there’s plenty of zombie action in Train to Busan. But the film really soars in the relationship between Seok-woo and his daughter, particularly the moments where Sang-hwa proves himself to be a better father figure. The zombies make scenes tense, but the knowledge that Seok-woo may not be capable of caring for his daughter only amps things up even more.

Don’t Look Now is a wonderful showcase of how you can take from other filmmakers’ work and make it your own. There’s a scene in Don’t Look Now that perfectly matches a shot from one of Alfred Hitchcock’s films. However, the film uses these similarities as jumping off points, building an effective ghost story that also serves as a meditation on grief.

You know what’s going to happen in the opening scene of IT. That doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking when Georgie meets Pennywise. It shows how you can still craft an effective scene even when the audience knows what will happen. It only lasts a few minutes, but you’re in utter terror the entire time, and that’s how the film begins.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga met with Lorraine Warren to learn more about her experiences. They ended up taking in information they couldn’t have known otherwise, leading to far better performances. It goes to show the importance of talking to people with more experience than you when you need it so that you can tell a more truthful film. Even if that film involves evil spirits.

One thing that takes you off guard with Crawl once you’re finished watching it is how simple the story is. A girl and her dad are trapped in a basement, and alligators are running loose. It’s as simple as that. There’s no mythology. Instead, the focus goes on the relationship this girl had with her dad prior to all of this. It makes for a blood-pumping thrill ride with enough humanity to have you rooting for the family.

Black Sunday is a masterclass in how to use chiaroscuro well in film. Even though the film’s in black and white, director Mario Bava proves to be a master in filming shadows, light, and motion. It all results in the epitome of Italian Gothic horror with a style few films have been able to replicate.

Martyrs is significant for its role in the 21st century New French Extremist movement, which is associated with bestial violence, sexual decadence, and psychological horror. Make no mistake, this film is not easy to get through, and we wouldn’t recommend anyone with a delicate sensibility to watch it. It takes tortune porn even beyond Saw, so watch at your own peril.

The Mist shows how you can have a more powerful film by straying away from the source material. We won’t give away spoilers, but the ending of the film The Mist is heartbreaking whereas the novel leaves the conclusion more ambiguous. As a result, The Mist shocked even fans of the book while ultimately remaining true to the source material.

Establishing the rules of your film universe are critical. Tremors understands this, laying out the rules for the Graboids early on, and then letting the characters go wild working around said rules. The rules are kept simple with no real mythology behind the monsters, and that works to the fun, campy, B-movie nature of the film.

Many horror films could be considered “morality tales,” but few get it as right as Drag Me to Hell. The main character sins, despite wanting to do good, and must pay a price for it. It makes for a well-rounded, engaging film that never feels preachy, just showing how the folly of people’s ways can lead them astray.

If you watch House of Wax in 3D as intended, you’ll notice one scene where it looks like a shadow from off-screen enters the frame. It’s a clever effect that’ll send chills down your spine, making a very strong argument for how 3D can be properly incorporated into films.

One of the worst things a film can be is forgettable. When Eyes Without a Face was released back in 1962, critics’ reactions ranged from praise to outright disgust. If you’re going to make a horror film, you want something that elicits some kind of reaction one way or the other so that at least people are talking about it afterward.

Mandy ends with Nicolas Cage fighting a demon with a chainsaw, and the demon also has a chainsaw. It’s a moment of utter madness and insanity that’s the climax of a slow-paced but visually stunning descent into madness. It’s a brilliant scene that rewards you and pays off everything set up prior in the film.

The Descent has one of the best movie posters out of any horror film out there. It’s an artistic achievement, showing off the cast creating the shape of a skull with their bodies. Everything from the tone to the premise is captured in a single image, an outstanding achievement in and of itself without even considering the tense, thrilling film itself.

Much of the dialogue in The Blair Witch Project is improvised. While the filmmakers had a 35-page screenplay, the actors had to handle much of the heavy lifting. While improvisation with amateur actors can be a risk, it ultimately works in the film’s favor as it gives off a more naturalistic vibe as though these are real people in the woods.

The right cast can make or break a movie, and The Lost Boys has arguably one of the best casts you could’ve asked for in the 80s. Dianne Wiest came off hot off an Academy Award win, and Kiefer Sutherland had just starred in the hit coming-of-age film Stand by Me as the angsty bully. There’s a lot of style in The Lost Boys, but ultimately, the cast elevates the material to new heights.

The opening scene of Us sets up everything you need to know for the rest of the film. It establishes concepts of “the double” that play significantly throughout the film. And if you pay attention, you’ll be primed for the twist that comes at the end. It’s economical storytelling at its finest.

Horror movies don’t typically break the fourth wall. Then again, Funny Games isn’t like most horror movies. A character frequently looks at the camera and addresses the audience. Characters ruminate on story structure. Amongst all the frights, it’s a film that forces you to engage in the story and actively wonder what these men are going to do next.

It Follows seems to be a parable for STDs. When you dig deeper, you’ll find it’s an exploration of the inevitability of adulthood and how all of our innocences are lost eventually. If you dig deeper than that, you can likely find layers upon layers of meaning, making for a horror film that rewards you with each rewatch.

Vampyr may be light on scares, but its influence on filmmaking cannot be overstated. Much of the film has a soft focus photography technique utilizes, giving the entire picture an almost dream-like aesthetic. It gives the impression you’re watching a nightmare unfold in front of you, and you’re helpless to do anything. It makes for an unsettling film and a critical juncture in the context of vampire movies.

Many contemporary horror fans may be quick to dismiss movies from the 1930s because they probably wouldn’t seem that scary by today’s standards. Freaks from 1932 proves them wrong. Not only does it provide ample scares, but it has a powerful message about the need for solidarity in the face of oppression.

Director Takashi Miike once said of his films, “I really believe that it's hard to remake of any of my work." That’s certainly true with Audition, which has such a singular vision it’s hard to see anyone else ever remaking it. Even though it was a popular Japanese horror film in the 90s (and remaking those kinds of films was popular for a time in Hollywood) it remains its own beast.

The Ring was set in Seattle due to its wet, washed-out aesthetic. It worked well for the style of the film and serves as a good reminder of how you should know how the setting will influence the final product. The result is a creepy, atmospheric remake that drills into your psyche.

Music plays an incredibly important role in The Wicker Man. Songs accompany many pivotal moments in the film, and the music was so influential, it spawned a music festival held in Scotland. There’s more than one way to make an influential film, and your movie could inspire things you never thought were possible.

Don’t get it twisted. There are some truly terrible Christmas-themed horror films out there. But Black Christmas proves you can use wholesome settings for more than some cheap irony. Its noteworthy for being one of the earliest slasher movies, going on to inspire such greats as Halloween. It’s easy to see why it’s been remade several times as its story has remained relevant all these years later.

Many horror scenes don’t land because we never really get a chance to see how the frights impact the characters. There’s a scene in Hereditary (you’ll know it when you see it) where after something traumatic happens, the camera lingers on the character responsible at length. It’s haunting, putting you in his shoes for the duration, making his decisions and mindset throughout the rest of the film relatable.

Misery has only gained more relevance as a depiction of fan culture. In an age where fans harass and smear artists for not delivering on a certain film or album, Misery feels like a foreboding prophecy of what was to come. A stellar performance from Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes doesn’t hurt either.

Building suspense is a critical aspect of any horror film, and The Birds got this down to a science. There’s a looming dread over the characters practically the entire time, and those moments are punctuated by the titular birds enacting horror. Hitchcock proved you can build suspense out of anything, even birds.

Despite being set in the 1630s, The Witch is a horror film with all too relevant themes to today. From religious extremism to feminism, The Witch touches on a vast breadth of themes, all of which come out of haunting, horrific set pieces.

There’s much to talk about with 1933’s King Kong. Perhaps the most interesting and most overlooked is how this tale has entered the zeitgeist as a modern fairy tale. People know the story as well as they know that of Cinderella. It’s an amazing feat for what boils down to a horror flick.

If there was anyone suited to deconstruct the horror genre, it’s Wes Craven. It’s interesting watching Scream as a double feature with Wes Craven’s New Nightmare as both films seek to showcase the flaws of the genre while adding to their respective mythos. In fact, New Nightmare could even be viewed as a sort of rough draft for Scream with Craven testing the limits of how much fun you can poke at horror.

For many of the scares in Candyman, characters react not through screaming but by becoming hypnotized. It makes for a different aesthetic in the film to where it’s not bogged down by excessive screaming. It’s a unique take and one that makes the titular character seem all the more freaky.

The reason the first Godzilla film works is because it’s a case study in how nuclear warfare impacted Japan. In most of the American films to come out since, Godzilla acts as a savior of sorts to Americans or is just a basic destructive force. The original, with all of its powerful subtext, makes Godzilla a still-pertinent horror film.

Anyone interested in monster makeup needs to watch 1986’s The Fly. Seth Brundle’s transformation from slight rash to full-blown mutant fly is incredible for how detailed and gradual it is throughout the film. It’s suitably grotesque and complements the downright disturbing film where Cronenberg’s body horror sensibilities are on full display.

There’s one basic tent of horror so many films get wrong: a good death. Many characters have died in film in such unoriginal, bland ways. The Omen in 1976 stands out for how it treats death and gives important characters memorable ways of going out.

Remakes get a bad wrap. When done well, they can explore themes found in the original in new, interesting ways, making the film relevant to a modern audience. That’s precisely what 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) accomplished, making for a powerful allegory for Red Scare paranoia.

There was some dispute upon release over who had more creative control over Poltergeist:  Steven Spielberg or Tobe Hooper. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. We were left with a horror classic with an incredible script and plenty of frights that continue to resonate.

The supernatural qualities of the film may be scary, but the true horror of Carrie lies in the inherent cruelness of being an outcast in high school. Carrie is so frightful for how relatable it is. It’s become depressingly prescient in an era of school shootings and how some kids take revenge on their peers.

They Live functions as a horror critique of ever-expanding income inequality in America. It’s no wonder why the film has held up so well after several decades with its central thesis still being surprisingly prevalent. It’s one of the smartest horror films ever made with plenty on its mind other than the scares.

Director Jennifer Kent used stop motion for the titular motion, working to great effect. Any time you actually see the creature move, it takes on a surreal appearance that’s still believable and looks genuine. It all makes for one of the most sinister films of the 2010s that revitalized the genre, taking the scares away from cheap jump scares.

Style oozes out of every corner of Suspiria. From the production design to the score, which was designed by prog rock band Goblin, Suspiria takes on an almost ethereal quality. It’s like descending into a nightmare that has remained the centerpiece of Italian supernatural horror.

Get Out is brilliant for how it masterfully weaves together a variety of tones. It’s both scary and hilarious while bringing together a slew of political undertones. With all that, nothing feels tacked on.

The tone never feels uneven. Everything works together, making for not just one of the best horror films but one of the best films period of the 21st century.

One of the most interesting aspects of Halloween is how critics have interpreted its central themes over the years from feminist critiques to the film being a parable of the immorality of teenagers. In the end, John Carpenter has dismissed such critiques. It all goes to show that even when you just set out to make a slasher film, people will read into it in all kinds of ways if it’s great enough.

There’s a fine line between a horror film and a thriller. The Silence of the Lambs masterfully walks the line, placing you in a state of suspended terror punctuated by moments of depravity. Anthony Hopkins is a figurative demon, coming across as all too real. You can tell yourself Freddie Krueger could never exist. But Hannibal Lecters walk among us.

Nosferatu is an unauthorized adaptation of Dracula with Count Orlok taking the place of Dracula. Even without the rights to the book, it proved to be a more influential film than Dracula. Without the confines of a book, the film was able to create its own niche in pop culture and develop a lasting horror icon.

Despite being one of the most highly influential horror films ever, The Shining was nominated for Worst Director and Worst Actress at the Razzies. It just goes to show sometimes you need some distance to truly appreciate a work of art, and the descent of Jack Torrance certainly needed some time to grow on the zeitgeist and become a horror touchstone.

Psycho is the reason we have movie showtimes. Prior to its release, movie theaters ran films and news reels on a continuous loop. Insisting people see the film from start to finish, Hitchcock demanded the film play at set times, changing the movie industry forever. It’s not only a brilliant film. It helped validate movies as an art form, making people engage with them more intimately.

The Xenomorph is perhaps the most beautiful horror movie monster ever created. There’s an elegance to its design and simplicity into its biology. It also delivered the chestburster scene, which will forever be studied by filmmakers wanting to know how to create tension with a satisfying payoff.

When The Exorcist was first filmed, there were reports of audience members fainting and vomiting in their seats. How many horror movies made today can say that? The Exorcist is perhaps the most frightening horror movie of all time, merging the genre with a prestige picture. Without this film, many others wouldn’t exist.