21. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
One of the sillier entries on this list (which is saying something when you see some of the other stuff we’ve got on here). Rodriguez; brings his usual, fun shtick to the table, and Tarantino, who always has some great one-liners up his sleeve, both deliver a totally ridiculous take on the vampire genre, set almost entirely in a…err…gentleman’s establishment. Fast-talking, blood-spattered hijinks ensue.
20. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
This seminal horror film may have lost its edge as an actively scary film, however the danger and uneasiness that Roman Polanski’s direction conveys still feels very real, with Farrow shining as the naïve title character. As a piece of storytelling, it still remains on that top notch that it was on way back when.
19. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Also known as the one that started all those other found footage films, most of which no one asked for, Blair Witch has some terrible acting from its lead star, but with a bone-shaking premise and finale, it’s a satisfying film and upholds the theory that films made on a ham-sandwich-sized budget can actually be a lot better than some of the stuff that mainstream horror films are peddling.
18. Blade 2 (2002)
The first film left much to be desired. However with its sequel, director Guillermo Del Toro presents a much sleeker, better-looking and more fast-paced film, which realises that you can’t take this kind of stuff seriously and just goes for stupid, über-violent fun. Popcorn nonsense, for sure, but popcorn nonsense of the highest order starring Wesley Snipes and Ron Perlman.
17. 28 Days Later (2002)
Director Danny Boyle brought us this fantastic little horror gem at a time when zombie films were at their weakest. This breath of fresh air not only gave us some terrifyingly fast ‘rage mutants’ (oh, who are we kidding, they’re zombies) but also very often opted for scaring us with its startlingly-realised social commentary and ideas of what would happen in a social collapse instead, which was often much more effective.
16. The Haunting (1963)
You’d think that the man behind The Sound of Music, West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles and The Day the Earth Stood Still could deliver on a satisfying film. And, you’d be right. Relying more on the psychosis of its characters rather than flashy jump-scares, the film doesn’t date itself and only becomes cleverer with every repeat view. Maybe not something to watch for a laugh, but a thoroughly well-made piece of cinema nonetheless.
15. Nosferatu (1922)
This iconic silent film is still a marvel even by today’s standards, despite the absence of sound. Director F.W. Murnau blends the disturbing with the scale of the true Dracula story to great effect and the design of the vampire was a revolution. You can keep your True Blood and Hammer horror, this is still the best vampire movie ever made.
14. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Often mistaken for a gross-out slasher flick, there is in fact so much more to Chainsaw Massacre. True, at its heart it’s pure gross-out (perfect for a night in with friends), but around that is a cinema gem with stellar-performances and masterful technical execution, pun intended. Watch it and enjoy, you sick, sick person.
13. The Fly (1986)
I think we’re better off not knowing what goes on in David Cronenberg’s head when I tell you that this is his idea of a romantic story. With that being said, though, this really is something special, and even manages to function pretty well as a romantic tragedy. Come for the character driven narrative, and stay for the glorious prosthetics that capture the physical decay of the main character (whose insect half is slowly taking over) perfectly.
12. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
John Landis’ take on the fish (or should we say ‘wolf’)-out-of-water genre is every bit as bizarre and comic as you’d expect from the man who made The Blues Brothers and the Thriller music video. Going all-out to make something truly unique, Landis swaps out silver bullets for an ironic moon-themed soundtrack, mutant Nazis, Brits from an American’s point of view and a climax in a…errr…another gentleman’s establishment. If that doesn’t sell it to you, then nothing will.
11. Shaun of the Dead (2003)
Fresh off the Spaced wagon, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg bring us arguably their most popular film. A film that contains so many nods to pop-culture and their previous work, that people have actually written essays and created drinking games because of them. Spend a joyous evening laughing your head off and quoting the glorious dialogue. I just have to ask, ‘want anything from the shop?’
10. The Wicker Man (1973)
For the record, we’re not talking about the remake starring Nicolas Cage (however, listening to him screaming about bees is very funny; treat yourself and watch it on YouTube). The original starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee still remains superior: a fantastically scary tale of human sacrifice and what people will do in the name of religion. It’s withstood the test of time so far, and won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
09. Night of the Living Dead/Dawn of the Dead/Day of the Dead (1968-1985)
Boyle may have rejuvenated the zombie genre and Wright may have offered a nice throwback, but the true kudos has to go to the George A Romero originals. Night provides us with terror of the unknown through the use of TV broadcasts and the threat of a group of stragglers killing anyone they come across; Dawn throws genius consumerist satire at us; while Day just opts for all-out gore. Watching a colourful roster of characters blasting their way through undead hordes has never been more fun.
08. Halloween (1978)
How often can you say that you inadvertently created a new genre, huh? HUH!? By the time you’ve finished watching it first time round, I guarantee you that this will have almost as big an impact as it did on horror movies. Stunning score and direction from John Carpenter and turns from Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis all work up to make this jarring concept of suburban invasion the best of the best, slasher-wise.
07. The Exorcist (1973)
The so-called scariest film ever made sadly doesn’t live up to its title anymore. But that’s not to say that it doesn’t a) retain some of its horror and shock value b) continue to be an astonishing feat. Stellar performances and groundbreaking effects make this definitive take on the sub-genre of demon possession thoroughly eerie. Watched best at night, on your own with the lights out. Actually, er…lights on…Mummy!!!!
06. The Thing (1982)
After Halloween there was the question of where John Carpenter was going to go next with horror. Answer: The Thing. And listen, when I say that Kurt Russell and a soundtrack by film-score composing legend Ennio Morricone are some of this film’s minor accolades, you know that this is going to be good one. As the film progresses, Carpenter amps up the suspense to nail-biting levels and every so often chucks groundbreaking practical effects at us with every reveal of the newly-formed creature. The Thing is truly the definitive monster movie.
05. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Adorable and friendly doesn’t seem to be a recurring theme on this list, but because this film brought back stop-motion, we thought we’d make an exception. Combining the creative zeal of both Tim Burton (fresh off the Batman wagon) and Henry Selick, the film is a creative powerhouse combining fantastic musical numbers and iconic designs with a bittersweet story of curiosity and love.
04. Psycho (1960)
You’d expect nothing less from the master of suspense, Hitchcock. Shot on a microscopic budget, with the cast of his TV series, it seemed like it was going to be a doomed project. But one chronicle of young-secretary-meets-timid-little-mother’s-boy, set to Bernard Hermann’s iconic soundtrack, later and audiences were enthralled by one of the greatest directors’ best work. If you haven’t seen this film, you don’t like cinema, and you can immediately declare yourself totally cut off from society if you haven’t heard of the shower scene.
03. Alien (1979)
Offering nothing fancy (other than the sensationally realised and detailed sets), Alien relies much more on sound design, score and just the notion that there’s something out there to generate scares from its audience - oh yeah, and when you do catch little glimpses of HR Geiger’s brainchild, you know straight away that it was fully worth the wait. Not only a great horror film, but also a great work of science fiction, which deserved mention in the same breath as Blade Runner and 2001.
02. The Evil Dead Trilogy (1981-1992)
Horror icon Sam Raimi entered the spotlight with his great feature debut, The Evil Dead, before turning the franchise round and opting for a more silly take on his version of the ‘demon possession’ genre. With the help of brother, Ted and college buddy, Bruce Campbell (sorry, BRUCE CAMPBELL!!!!!!), the sequels offered tenfold what the original did, with glorious slapstick and hyperkinetic camerawork. Hail to the king, baby.
01. The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s peerless horror epic not only looks and sounds exquisite, but also functions as the best horror film ever made. Kubrick’s gorgeous trademark cinematography at work makes this something to behold in and of itself and his near-obsessive quest for perfection led to many weird and wonderful things (not least, making Jack Nicholson eat his least favourite food: cheese sandwiches). It’ll make you jump even after the seventeenth viewing, as it builds a perfect level of suspense and chills throughout, before dumping an elevator full of blood on you.
