Horror Movies To Watch

Horror movies have long been overlooked and underappreciated, often for good reason. In the 1970s and '80s, the genre became a haven for filmmakers looking to make a quick buck by churning out low-budget, low-quality films. This had a lasting impact on the genre, tainting even the more sophisticated and artful entries with the stigma of schlock.

However, in recent years, the tide has started to turn. Auteurs like Ari Aster and Jordan Peele, as well as unexpected hits like A Quiet Place, It Follows, and Get Out, have helped to elevate horror to a higher standing in the cinematic universe. This list of the greatest horror movies ever made serves to demonstrate that the genre has always been of equal value to other genres. After all, every film exists to evoke an emotional response from its audience, and few genres can elicit such powerful emotions as horror. Our picks explore a range of human fears, from the fear of death and disease to more specific phobias. Some of these films push the boundaries of what can be shown on screen, while others are able to create a sense of dread and unease through mere suggestion.

The Exorcist (1973)

Director: William Friedkin

Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow

By the 1970s, horror had divided into two distinct camps: on one hand, there were the 'real life' terrors of Psycho and Night of the Living Dead, films that brought horror into the realm of the everyday, making it all the more shocking. On the other, there were the more outrageous dream-horrors popular in Europe, the work of Hammer Studios in the UK and Mario Bava and Dario Argento in Italy, films that prized artistry, oddity, and explicit gore over narrative logic. Rosemary's Baby was the first film to attempt to bring the two together, but Roman Polanski's heart clearly belonged to the surreal. The Exorcist, however, achieved that blend with absolute certainty, which may explain its position as the unassailable winner of this poll.

William Friedkin's masterpiece cut from the clanging bazaars of Iraq to the quiet streets of Georgetown, blending dizzying dream sequences with starkly believable human drama. The Exorcist is both brutal and beautiful, artful and exploitative, exploring wacked-out religious concepts with the clinical precision of an agnostic scientist. Make no mistake: The Exorcist is a horror film through and through, filled with rigorously examined ideas and wonderfully observed character moments, but its primary concern is with shocking, scaring, and horrifying its audience out of their wits. Does mainstream cinema contain a more upsetting image than the crucifix scene? Even after almost four decades, The Exorcist still succeeds in doing just that, a testament to Friedkin's remarkable vision.

The Shining (1980)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall

The iconic moments from Stanley Kubrick's classic horror film, The Shining, have become in-jokes, with Jack Nicholson's leering face adorning the walls of student bedrooms everywhere. From the iconic line, "Here's Johnny," to the masterful execution and claustrophobic atmosphere, The Shining still has the power to terrify audiences. Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, a writer who takes a job as a caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado mountains for the winter. Stephen King, the author of the novel on which the film was based, was famously unimpressed with Kubrick's adaptation, claiming that the director's lack of belief in the supernatural elements of the story stripped away the horror. Torrance is not haunted by ghosts, but by his own inadequacies and alcoholism. It is this exploration of insanity and failure that makes The Shining so chilling.