20 Horror Films You Need To Watch Before You Die
The horror genre has a very wide selection of sub-genres that all seek to arouse fear
in its viewers such
as; Psychological, Torture, Possession, Zombie, Vampires, Supernatural & Slashers.
I could go on, but with so many big budget low quality movies and low budget high quality
films. It makes determining what�s great, and what�s
a waste of time a very difficult task. So the conditions for this list will consist
of a selection of horror films that didn�t necessarily create their
sub-genre but helped define it by bringing something new to it, starting with
1 A Nightmare on Elm Street. Wes Craven's extremely original and creative
horror, 1984s A Nightmare on Elm Street�s tormentor
Freddy Krueger, by appearance alone, is enough to give most people nightmares. But in addition
to the
idea of a supernatural murderer attempting to take your life. He only tries to kill you
in your dreams,
which when you think about it, is pretty terrifying thought.
And I think that is what really makes this horror movie stand out from so many others,
is the genius of
its premises simplicity - if you fall asleep, you will die.
2 The Evil Dead Short on story but immeasurably long on excessive
gore, Sam Raimi�s low budget cult classic horror film
combines, just the right amount of black comedy and carnage to give The Evil Dead a balanced
amount of scares and laughs.
Apart from the over the top blood - what really makes this horror movie stick out from its
competition is it�s innovative camerawork, especially it�s
famous POV shots. 3 The Thing
Horrifying, fascinating and utterly engaging, John Carpenter's The Thing is an extremely
tense sci-fi horror that's crammed with first rate movie
paranoia and some remarkably creative practical effects for
its time. Darker and more terrifying than the 1950s original, this is one of those rare
remakes that remains faithful to its origins but ups the
ante in so many ways thus making it stand out as one of the
greatest and most suspenseful horrors to date. 4 Dawn of the dead
The self-aware Zombie Masterpiece about the American Dream turned into a nightmare. George
A Romero's blend of black comedy, carnage and
social commentary on consumer culture, leads you to the
ultimates gore-fest with great acting and some glorious horror moments.
One of the most entertaining zombie movies ever, Dawn of the Dead is a solid horror and
a true classic. 5 The Fly
Fans of body horror will have much to love in this gruesomely tense heartbreaker. David
Cronenberg combines his trademark rapport for gore with
a strongly developed cast, intelligent premise and funny
one liners. This remake takes a simple story and develops
in a way you don�t expect leaving you with a truly
horrifying and intensely atmospheric tragic romance, that makes a lasting impression on
your mind and heart.
6 Halloween The Low budget independent horror with a fantastic
film score written & performed by the horror master himself John Carpenter.
Considered by many as the holy grail of slasher movies Halloween is not reliant on cheap jump
scares or over the top gore, instead it uses an intense
atmosphere and an equally intense antagonist, to provoke
fear within is audience making it an unforgettable classic.
7 Black Christmas The unofficial prequel to Halloween, this
under-appreciated horror pretty much kick started the slasher
genre by establishing most of the genres cliches for the first time.
Bob Clarks choice in sound design perfectly integrates with this movies incredibly creepy
and well set-up pov shots. That and the unconventional idea
(at the time) of making this film been set around christmas
with an identity-less killer, hiding, in a sorority house.
8 I Saw the Devil The story about an secret agent after a serial
killer, I Saw the Devil is unique in the fact that it doesn�t
follow the conventional antagonist/protagonist archetype.
Instead it goes in a different direction to the standard good guy bad guy revenge movie
(and doesn�t pull its punches), leaving you questioning the morality of revenge and
wondering if the avengers efforts were really worth the cost
in the end? 9 Poltergeist
A fantastic ghost movie, that�s brilliantly shot, with the terrifying notion of having
your dream home being built on top of a cemetery.
Hooper and Spielberg�s Poltergeist is a modern horror classic that�s easily one
of the most distinctive and memorable films of the 80�s. I think
what helps this movie rank highly among others is its ability to
use great foreshadowing and visuals to tell a very spooky story.
10 Videodrome A very weird movie, but in a good way - Cronenberg's
Videodrome perfects unsettling its audience by
using macabre practical effects, that leave you asking the question WTF am I watching?
It�s my belief that this confusion is what makes this movie so great, that it achieves
what it sets out to do. Tell a story about mind control via the
media, with a hint of insanity for good measure. 11 Scream
Wes Craven's mystery homage to teen slashers, Scream serves as one of the best examples
of how to revive an almost dead genre.
Each horror has its own cliche tropes, especially when it comes to slashers, so when Scream
verbally calls them out, while paying homage to them
at the same time. It�s a feat not many movies could get
way with, without becoming just another spoof. 12 Suspiria
A witch-run dance academy is definitely one of the better setups for a film, but it�s
not the premise that makes Dario Argento's italian horror a classic.
It�s arguably the wonderful use of unconventional colour and music that makes it so haunting
and weird. I think it�s quite safe to say there�s
no other horror movie out there quite like Suspiria. It�s awesome,
creative and a must see film for horror fans.
13 The Orphanage A modern horror movie, that relies more on
traditional tension and psychological scares rather than
blood and gore. The Orphanage is a very atmospheric, sad,
incredibly tense and beautifully made film, where it perfectly
recreates that familiar haunted feeling you get, when your alone at night in a dark room.
I always find a movie to be far more frightening when you have to await for something, rather
than to experience it straight away. And this is one
feature the Orphanage excels at. 14 The Exorcist
A story of an innocent girl possessed by evil, William Friedkin�s The exorcist is easily
one of the scariest films of all time- with it�s excellent cast,
well constructed surprises and fairly realistic point of view when
it comes to supernatural events. This true classic excels at delving into the
terror of its characters, while they�re in the presence of this
menacing evil spirit. So much so it made it�s audiences walked out of theatres on its release
and broke all box office records for the horror genre.
15 Invasion of the Body Snatchers The horror that gives remakes a good name,
Kaufman's interpretation has a gripping story and equally
eerie atmosphere. That has this intense sense of paranoia right
from the very start that never quite goes away.
However for me, it�s the camerawork and use of sound that really makes this movie
stand out, furthermore lets not forget about that creepy
ass dog thing near the end of the movie. 16 Psycho
The master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, not only made one of the most memorable iconic
scenes in the history of cinema but also created modern
horror. Well known for its controversial shower scene,
Psycho offers brilliantly constructed characters such as
the quite and sweetly innocent Motel owner Norman Bates, who of course has a rather dark
and disturbing side to him.
17 An American Werewolf in London A delicate balance between horror and comedy
which I might add succeeded at perfectly, John Landis'
horror has remarkable makeup & practical effects that look as horrifying now as they did back
in the 80s.
One of the few horror movies that explores the psychological effects of someone who�s
victim to a nasty curse, it�s not only that but the unique
fashion in which this film archives this is incredibly well done.
18 The BIrds Another Alfred Hitchcock classic that proves
build-up is the key to suspense and horror. Hitchcock
somehow successfully turns everyday birds into frightening monsters, by having them
attack and kill people for no clear reason.
The near flawless combination of psychological & physical horror, makes this an unforgettable
film, with a most unsettling and unexplained last act.
�The Birds� in my opinion is the perfect suspense movie,
with 1st rate tension building and an incredibly original premise.
19 Alien Considered as one of the best horrors ever
made, this slow paced science fiction masterpiece is filled
with scary scenes and has a creepily original set design. But what really makes this film
so special is the genius behind the design, purpose and horror
of the aliens. Impregnating people and having something
nasty growing inside you is a fantastically terrifying concept that�s just plain disturbing.
A unique piece of storytelling & filmmaking, Alien is a timeless and true classic.
20 The Shining
Stanley Kubrick's excellent adaptation of Stephen King's novel is a chilling adventure
into the growing insanity of caretaker Jack Torrance. After
watching it several times this is one of those movies that can still
build a ton of tension, even when you know what�s going to
happen next. That and the scarily realistic and unforgettable chemistry between Duvall's
n� Nicholsons characters.
While I�m sure fans of the novel might not fully enjoy Kubrick's changes to the plot,
the hauntingly unique visuals alone, should be enough to
at least sway most of them into admitting this is easily one of
the best made horror movies of all time. Now if you were wondering why films like,
It, a quiet place and the conjuring didn�t make the list, that�s
mainly due to them been �new releases� and if I�m honest- the jury is still out
on them. However I�d like to give an honorable mention to Hellraiser,
saw, ringu, childsplay, Carrie and candyman as while they�re
solid films I just don�t think they quite made the list, but that�s mainly due to
personal taste. And just to remind you, the links for all
the featured movies on this video are in the description box
below. Anyhow before I go just want to say thanks
for watching and if you liked the video then feel free to
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20 Horror Films You Need To Watch Before You Die