Hi! I thought I'd make my own Top-50 horror list . Just two rules: nothing post-2020, because I think a film needs about five years for us to know if it has withstood the test of time, and I’m aiming for as few films per director as possible. Here we go.
Jacob's Ladder by Adrian Lyne. Incredible masterpiece and a major inspiration for Silent Hill. This film dives into the post-traumatic stress of the Vietnam War with a bone-chilling atmosphere. It’s not exactly a Halloween movie since it relies more on psychological horror, which is why it ranks lower.
One of the best zombie movies out there, and easily the best found-footage after The Blair Witch Project, is the Spanish film REC. There are sequels, which are decent, and even an American remake, but the last ten minutes had me praying for the nightmare to end before my heart gave out.
Since we’re on the zombie theme, there’s 28 Days Later. Scripted by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle—what more could you want? Virus, sprinting zombies, an unbeatable soundtrack, a strong sequel, and finally, we’ll soon get 28 Years Later.
The Birds by the giant Alfred Hitchcock. While not his best, it manages to be quite terrifying in several scenes.
The Mist by Frank Darabont—yes, the same one who did Shawshank. Fog, monsters, and madness inside a supermarket, finishing off with Host of Seraphim.
Hitchcock was known as the master of suspense; John Carpenter is, at least in America, the master of horror. Halloween (1978) has to be here. All the sequels are watchable; the reboot, half-watchable.
I’ll try not to add six films by Polanski. Let’s start with The Tenant (1976). Many may not have seen this one—look up Tenant 1976 wherever you download your movies and enjoy a beloved descent into madness.
The Japanese Ringu—far from the American version. Great concept; I’m not sure if it still holds up as I haven’t rewatched it since it first scared the life out of me.
Funny Games by the madman Michael Haneke. Both versions are equally good, but I prefer the original since I saw it first. Diabolical concept, masterful execution—every scene of extreme violence is implied and happens off-camera. I applaud every time I manage to watch it again. YOU WILL BE HORRIFIED TOO.
The Descent by Neil Marshall. An absolute favorite monster movie. I love when the prey becomes the predator.
Night of the Living Dead by Romero. You could say a lot to sell this movie, but even millennials would be bored within five minutes, so let’s just say it’s the first zombie movie in history, and the genre owes a lot to this 1968 masterpiece.
Godforsaken Arachnophobia, brought to us by Spielberg's frequent collaborators. It might not deserve a spot on any list, but it gave my generation genuine arachnophobia and countless sleepless nights. Silly script, as with most monster movies, with a “final boss” at the end. Maybe it’s watchable as a comedy now?
Saw. The first film was truly done dirty by the endless sequels. I loved the idea and setup of the first one. Two chained men, a dead body, and a saw in the middle. We don’t know how or why they got there. How intense was that?
The Blob remake (1988). Somehow, this VHS tape ended up at my house, though my parents were more into The Sound of Music and Greek comedies. I watched it, was genuinely scared, and recently rewatched it alongside the original. It holds up nicely as a monster movie.
Another monster movie, The Host by Bong Joon-ho. Sometimes scary, sometimes funny—a must-watch.
Misery by Stephen King and the legendary Kathy Bates. King transformed his struggle to escape cocaine into a brilliantly constructed allegory.
The Omen by Richard Donner, an underrated director. The Antichrist is born, and we see his early years. Shocking scenes for its time—today, it’s a bit outdated but remains an important film in the genre.
Train to Busan by Yeon Sang-ho. I have a soft spot for monster and zombie movies, and this Korean film made me feel like a kid discovering Dawn of the Dead again. That’s quite an accomplishment.
It Follows (2014). Everywhere you looked then, it was all MCU fanboys and a Fast & Furious flick. As a video store owner, I watched all new releases, and American mainstream horror was dead—and still is. Then, It Follows came out, unique and different from the trash around it, and I treated it like gospel. It led the American horror revival, and I loved every second.
Dog Soldiers. Ultra-beloved monster movie with crazy atmosphere. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor.
Duel by Spielberg. The Master's first film, made like a monster movie where the monster is a truck relentlessly pursuing our hero. Any list must include Duel.
Black Sunday, the best film by Mario Bava. Its atmosphere is unmatched. I adore it passionately, but I can’t rank it higher without slighting other films.
Perfect Blue by Satoshi Kon. Anime—I know I’m playing dirty, but few films like this so exquisitely portray a character’s descent into madness. Makes Black Swan seem tame.
The Beyond. The best film by my beloved Fulci. Came for the gore, stayed for the atmosphere, jaw-dropped at the ending. Epic.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 remake). While the original’s allegory is stronger, the remake is better. The idea of aliens taking over while you sleep is hard to beat. Love Sutherland here, and with Nimoy and Goldblum, it’s iconic. Last shot is unforgettable.
Here at the halfway mark, we have Michael Mann's masterpiece Manhunter. The first book in the Hannibal Lecter series with a story just as strong as Silence of the Lambs, though without Anthony Hopkins. My favorite blues by cinematographer Dante Spinotti begin here, accompanying Mann for many years.
The Blair Witch Project. I saw it on DVD, knew it wasn’t a documentary, and still remember the last fifteen minutes as if it were yesterday. When a movie advances cinema by one step, you respect it even more. Spawned an entire subgenre where 90 out of 100 are garbage.
Evil Dead 1+2. The second is a remake of the first with a bigger budget. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, thank you for existing.
Nosferatu (1922 & 1979). Murnau’s original with Max Schreck is foundational for the genre—this is where it all started. Without question, the most important film on this list. The remake is also great and “easier to watch.”
Hereditary. Written and directed by Ari Aster, it spearheaded the movement that It Follows started. Thank you, A24. I watched it again yesterday, and it blew me away. Perfectly framed, Toni Collette commands respect until the end of time, and the horror comes in waves. It’s so good it stands proudly beside the classics.
Audition by Takashi Miike. Perfectly written main character gets exactly what he deserves when he meets a woman who resembles his late wife. MASTERPIECE.
Dawn of the Dead by Romero. My favorite zombie movie ever. Ten years after Night of the Living Dead, Romero put zombies in a mall, adding a satirical edge to the bloodshed. I will always bow down.
The correct Wicker Man from 1973. Brilliant concept; if you thought Midsommar was multilayered, maybe you haven’t seen The Wicker Man. Paganism in a small Scottish village, as beautiful and diabolical as you can imagine.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (or “The Chainsaw Killer” in Greek, a wild success). From the first shot, you know things are very wrong. It’s not just teens slaughtered by a serial killer; it’s atmosphere and sequences you struggle to watch, even if you’re used to gore. Could easily be number one, as with all of the top 20.
Peeping Tom by Michael Powell. A criminally underrated 1960 slasher where a peeping tom films his victims. Seeing many scenes from the camera’s perspective makes it chilling, and learning details of his childhood almost justifies the Beast. For these reasons, it’s among the greatest thrillers ever, though relatively few people have seen it.
Even fewer have seen Wake in Fright, an Australian film that Nick Cave called a “realistic depiction of Australia.” A young teacher decides to stay in Australia for vacation instead of going somewhere flashy. What follows is a grotesque drunken nightmare that no one should endure.
Se7en, Fincher's best movie, followed closely by Zodiac—ignore the Fight Club and Pixies fans. Unbeatable atmosphere, dimly lit interiors, a masterpiece from the opening credits to the devilish last twenty minutes.
Jaws, by the great Spielberg. There's a rule that says the less we see of the monster, the scarier it is. This rule was invented on the fly by the Master when the shark turned out not to be convincing. Respect.
Rosemary’s Baby. One of Polanski's many masterpieces, where the horror is never in your face but always implied. People lost their minds when they saw it. Imagine the level of mastery we’re talking about here.
The Witch (The VVitch). It’s not this high up just because it’s based on historical texts, but because Eggers created a film so horrifying I couldn’t finish it due to the sheer dread. The most important of the new directors, by far.
Don't Look Now by Nicholas Roeg, with Sutherland and Christie. Fear, dread, paranoia, and mysterious disappearances in the labyrinths of Venice. One of the most atmospheric experiences I've ever had. The late Donald Sutherland didn’t even have to act to own a film, and here he’s actually performing.
The Exorcist by my beloved Friedkin. It’s actually his least good film. Check out his other work.
Suspiria by Argento. I recently rewatched it in a 4K restoration, and I was floored. I didn’t remember it being so flawless and atmospheric. Perfection, nothing less.
Psycho by the Master Hitchcock. A character so well-written and psychologically realistic, terrifying because such a monster could plausibly exist among us. Hitchcock’s direction and Herrmann’s music are both from another world.
Angel Heart. I should’ve put this at #1 because it’s a personal favorite, but I love the rest too. A true noir film with all the trimmings, soaked in black magic and voodoo. De Niro as the Devil, Rourke in the role of his life. Bravo, Alan Parker—what a masterpiece you made.
The Silence of the Lambs by Jonathan Demme. The first time the audience sees Anthony Hopkins, his stare pierces not just Jodie Foster but the viewer as well. From that point on, the movie owns you and does whatever it wants with you.
Possession by Zulawski, with a soul-baring performance from Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill. The breakdown of a marriage comes with something supernatural that we’re not sure is real or just a manifestation of trauma. Filmed in West Berlin, with the wall visible in many scenes. An astonishing film.
Alien by Scott. Funded as Jaws in space, and it’s so, so superior to Jaws. Simple but at the same time multilayered and deeply terrifying.
The Thing by Carpenter. Have you ever seen a better opening? Find me one. A helicopter crashes at a scientific base, chasing a dog. The pursuers are desperate to kill the beast. What IS this dog, and why do these Scandinavians want it dead so badly?
The top spot always belongs to Kubrick, in any list. He was the greatest of them all and will never be surpassed; only endlessly copied, sometimes well, sometimes poorly. The film, of course, is The Shining.
Thanks Guys for reading it
