Editorials
The 100 Best Horror Movies Of All Time (Ranked)
What makes a great horror film? Is it the number of scares? Or is it how effective the scares are? Is it the performances? Or maybe it’s the direction and cinematography. All of those qualities, combined with a plethora of others (the score, the lighting, etc.), contribute to the success of a great horror film. We figured there was no better month than October to celebrate the best of the best of the best in horror, especially since, in the 16 years since Bloody Disgusting’s inception, we have never made a list like this before. It’s about time we remedied that!
I’ve never been particularly fond of “Top [Insert Number Here] Movie” lists, or at least I’ve never taken them seriously. They’re fun to read, but how can one person actually determine what the best 100 of anything are? Art is subjective and no one person’s opinion can ever be qualified as fact. So when I was asked to write an article on the best 100 horror films ever made, I hesitated. I mean, who am I to make that call? Nevertheless, I was tasked with it so here we are.
Determining what qualified as one of the best horror films of all time was actually a very complicated and scientific process. Three things were taken into consideration: critical reception, importance to and influence on the genre, and (of course) my own personal opinion. The first and second items helped determine which films were included on the list (which means personal favorites of mine like Sorority Row and I Know What You Did Last Summer could not be included), while the last item determined those films’ placement on the list.
Let’s dive right in, shall we?
100. Phantasm (1979)
Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we? I am not wild about the Phantasm franchise. I think it has something to do with the fact that I saw Phantasm for the first time when I was 26. Had I seen it when I was a child, there probably would have been more of a nostalgia factor in play to allow me to view the film with rose-colored glasses. My opinion aside, you can’t deny that Don Coscarelli’s film is remarkably original and creative. While the film is notable for its iconic villain the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) and his flying silver spheres of death, it is the relationship between brothers Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) and Jody (Bill Thornbury) that so many viewers connect with. If there was ever an argument for a strong relationship between two characters improving a film, Phantasm is it.
99. Suspiria (1977)
Some (myself included) might say that Dario Argento’s Suspiria, a film about an evil coven of witches at a ballet academy, is all style over substance. Those people wouldn’t exactly be wrong. Argento chooses to focus on the aesthetics rather than the script, but the film is all the better for it. Suspiria has an undeniable beauty to it that even the most cynical viewer will find themselves submitting to. Couple Argento’s style and signature bloodletting with Goblin’s chilling score and you have Suspiria, one of the most surreal horror films ever made.
98. Friday the 13th (1980)
It’s no secret that the only reason Friday the 13th was made was to cash in on a trademark “holiday” (Cunningham took out an ad in Variety before he had even finished the script) and the slasher craze that began with 1978’s Halloween, but the Sean S. Cunningham’s franchise-starter has a sort of charm to it that is difficult to resist. Reviled by critics at the time, the Jason-less original is goofy fun that has, while not being a particularly good film, helped define the slasher genre. Also, Betsy Palmer. Betsy Palmer for life.
97. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Wes Craven’s second feature film is a nasty piece of filmmaking (though not quite as nasty as his debut feature, which we will get to in a bit). The film follows the Carter family as they travel through the Nevada dessert on their way to Los Angeles. Along the way they are attacked by a family of deranged cannibals. Come for Craven, stay for the batshit insane trailer attack that takes place about halfway through the film. The Hills Have Eyes has an unpolished low-budget feel (because the budget was very small) that will undoubtedly cause you to feel a little gross once the credits start rolling. This was Craven at the start of his career, but it’s also at his most confident.
96. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Keanu Reeves’ atrocious accent aside, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a glorious and somewhat gaudy piece of filmmaking from Francis Ford Coppola. Gary Oldman commands the screen as the titular vampire, but it is Anthony Hopkins’ Abraham Van Helsing who steals the show (one need only look at this scene to get a taste of his excellence). Thomas Sanders’ luscious set design, filmed expertly by cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, is also a standout. The film may be a bit overstuffed, but it is never boring. You won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen.
95. Kairo (2001)
Arguably Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s most chilling film, Kairo (aka Pulse) has more on its mind than just a bunch of creepy ghosts. Not that it doesn’t have a bunch of creepy ghosts, mind you. Kurosawa’s film is bleak as hell (in the film, death is eternal loneliness) and manages to get under your skin more than a few times. Its commentary on technology and, more specifically, the Internet, is more relevant today than it was back in 2001. Wes Craven unsuccessfully attempted to adapt the film for American audiences with his script for the 2006 , but it didn’t translate very well, with director Jim Sonzero removing much of the mounting dread in favor of a bunch of jump scares. Stick to the original.
94. Wolf Creek (2005)
A common complaint from the horror community with certain well-respected horror films is that they’re either too slow or just plain boring. Wolf Creek certainly falls into this category, being one of the few films to ever receive the infamous “F” CinemaScore from audiences (the Christmas Day release date probably didn’t help). It is a punishing viewing experience from director Greg McLean, who captures the realistic torture of his three leads at the hands of John Jarratt’s horrifying villain to gruesome effect. He does take his sweet time getting there though, as the film spends the majority of its first hour as a slow burn road trip movie before turning into a legitimate nightmare.
93. Slither (2006)
James Gunn’s (Super, Guardians of the Galaxy) feature directorial debut was a box office flop when it was released in 2006 (it grossed a paltry $12.8 million worldwide against a $15 budget) and it’s a real shame, considering it’s one of the best horror-comedies out there. Taking cues from films like Night of the Creeps and David Cronenberg’s Shivers, Slither is a gross and hilarious alien invasion/body horror film that respects its elders and is just plain fun.
92. Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
The director of Fatal Attraction and the writer of Ghost team up for Jacob’s Ladder, one hell of a freaky psychological horror film. The film, about a Vietnam war veteran (Tim Robbins) who experiences strange visions after returning from the war, is filled with strange and surreal imagery that will unsettle even the most stoic viewer. The film (like so many of its kind) is remembered for its twist ending, which is emotionally poignant and surprisingly powerful.
91. House on Haunted Hill (1959)
It’s hard to pick the best William Castle film (he had so many!), but if I had to pick one it would be the campy yet sinister House on Haunted Hill. The setup is simple: an eccentric millionaire (Vincent Price) invites five strangers to a haunted house and will give them each $10,000 if they are able to stay the night. As one would expect from a William Castle film, there are frights aplenty, but it’s mostly just an unpretentious film that asks its audience to have fun with it. Just watch out for that vat of acid!
90. Paranormal Activity (2007)
It’s amazing how many people will hate a film simply for starting a trend (see also: Scream). Paranormal Activity was hugely successful when it received a nationwide release in 2009 (a full two years after its initial festival premiere), grossing $193.4 million worldwide against a $15,000 budget. The bulk of Paranormal Activity consists of static shots of the lead characters’ home, but it sure is scary. As we wrote back in 2009, “[Director Oren] Peli deserves props for milking the maximum amount of tension out of the spare, modern setting – an ordinary, cookie-cutter tract home in San Diego. It doesn’t sound very scary, but Peli manages to make it terrifying. If you aren’t white-knuckling your armrest at least once or twice while watching it, you probably don’t have a pulse.”
89. High Tension (2003)
Your affinity for Alexandre Aja’s High Tension will depend on your thoughts on the film’s third act twist, which has been criticized ad nauseum. It will make or break the film for you, but the film’s importance (it helped popularize the New French Extremity movement in the early 2000s) cannot be ignored. High Tension is a savagely violent film that has so much blood flowing all over the place that it practically leaks out of the screen. It is not a film for the squeamish.
88. Oculus (2014)
Mike Flanagan made a mirror scary, you guys. A mirror. In his second feature (the first being the immensely effective Absentia), Flanagan seamlessly moves back and forth between two timelines (seriously, the transitions are amazing) as our two protagonists (Guardians of the Galaxy’s Karen Gillan and The Giver’s Brenton Thwaites) attempt to solve the mystery of the Lasser Glass, the mirror that tore their family apart. The bulk of the film takes place inside one house, giving the film a claustrophobic feel that only adds to the tension building over the course of its 103 minutes. Flanagan’s script is clever, addressing many “Why don’t they just….?” questions early on in the film. The final 30 minutes are filled with unbearable dread, culminating in an event that you’ll probably see coming, but will still be able to knock the wind out of you.
87. Candyman (1992)
Other than Stephen King, Clive Barker is probably the most well-known horror writer alive today. Much like King, it can prove difficult to adapt his work, with many filmmakers failing to capture Barker’s macabre prose. With Candyman, writer/director Bernard Rose manages to overcome the odds and expand upon Barker’s short story The Forbidden while also paying it the necessary amount of respect. Tony Todd’s Candyman is an imposing villain and Virginia Madsen makes for a sympathetic (if slightly too curious) protagonist. And not that there’s much competition, but it also has the distinction of making the best use of bees in a horror film.
86. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Jack Finney’s novel The Body Snatchers has been adapted countless times, but it is arguable Philip Kaufman’s remake of the 1956 film adaptation that stands above the rest (the 1993 remake isn’t half bad either). Donald Sutherland leads an all star cast (which includes Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Goldblum) in a film that seems to be a direct reply to the Watergate scandal. Whether you’s here for the social commentary or just some old fashioned chills, you have to agree thatr Invasion of the Body Snatchers is so good that, as Variety’s review put it, validates the entire concept of remakes.
85. Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
Alice, Sweet Alice is mostly known for being the debut feature of Brooke Shields, but that is almost a disservice to the film because it really is great. Director Alfred Sole’s slasher film/murder mystery follows a killer wearing an absolutely terrifying mask and a yellow raincoat, and is a love letter to the horror films Sole admired at the time (the whole film has an Italian giallo feel, the raincoat is a direct reference to the red raincoat in Don’t Look Now, etc.). It is a fascinating exercise in filmmaking, and makes one wonder why Sole gave up directing after his third feature, Pandemonium, in 1982.
84. You’re Next (2011)
If you’ve ever wanted to see a bunch of mumblecore actors get sliced and diced, then You’re Next is the movie for you. Adam Wingard’s slyly self-aware film, which sees a family reunion interrupted by a trio of masked killers, is both terrifying and hilarious. Australian actress Sharni Vinson turns in a tough-as-nails performance and Simon Barrett’s script has plenty of surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the gore-soaked finale.
83. Dracula (1931)
Dracula is arguably the “worst” of the classic Universal Monster movies, but that’s not saying much as it has withstood the test of time and become a classic of horror cinema. It’s a bit melodramatic, but Bela Lugosi’s commanding performance makes him the definitive version of Dracula (of course he had a bit more time to practice, as he also portrayed the character in the stage play). It is a mesmerizing portrayal that will never be forgotten.
82. May (2002)
I almost hate calling Lucky McKee’s (All Cheerleaders Die, The Woman) May a horror film, but it is about a girl building a human doll out of people’s body parts so….there you go. Angela Bettis shines as May, a girl who just doesn’t quite fit in. The film chronicles her attempts at making friends (including Jeremy Sisto and a post-Scary Movie Anna Faris), which ultimately fail, leading to a blood-drenched third act that is more tragic than it is horrific. It also boasts one of the loveliest final shots in horror history.
81. Deep Red (1975)
Otherwise known as the film that launched Dario Argento’s career, Deep Red is a murder mystery coated with blood but offers a compelling story that allows it to stand out from the crowd of copycats that later followed. The film is more about Argento’s playful camerawork than anything though. You can tell he is in his element here (even more so than he was with Suspiria, which would be his next film), as the technical aspects of the film are sometimes more enthralling than the story that is unfolding on the screen.
80. The Others (2001)
The Others is one of those films that is often overlooked when discussing post-2000 horror films, and it is most likely due to the fact that its twist is nearly identical to that of The Sixth Sense, which was released just two years prior. This is a shame as The Others is a classy, spooky ghost story anchored by a committed Nicole Kidman (who was nominated for a Golden Globe award for her performance. Director Alejandro Amenábar manages to sneak in quite a few effective scares as well. The most famous of which is the “I am your daughter” sequence but, as cheap as it is, I always favored the jump scare where the door slams in Kidman’s face.
79. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
John McNaughton’s film (loosely based on the killing sprees of Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole) gained notoriety for its long road to theatrical distribution in the late 80s. Filmed in 1985, the film was screened at several film festivals in 1986 but couldn’t find a distributor to release the film, which had been given an X rating by the MPAA. Greycat Pictures eventually picked the film up and released it unrated in 1989. To be fair, the film is highly disturbing, with one particular multiple murder scene being shot in one long take. Even when compared to more recent and more violent films, Henry remains a powerful and troubling glimpse into the life of a serial killer.
78. The Strangers (2008)
To think we almost never saw a theatrical release for Brian Bertino’s The Strangers. Originally slated to be released in July 2007, it was postponed to November 2007 before being postponed again until May 2008. In a brilliant example of counter-programming, it opened against the first Sex and the City movie to $21 million, more than double its $9 million budget. The Strangers isn’t just financially successful though. It is one of the scariest films (featuring two of the dumbest protagonists) you will ever see on screen. From the moment the strangers enter the house to their chilling reason for targeting the couple, The Strangers is a roller coaster ride of terror that will legitimately leave you out of breath.
77. The Loved Ones (2009)
Sean Byrne’s demented masterpiece (those Australians really know how to do horror, don’t they?) rises above standard horror conventions by injecting plenty of dark humor into the mix (something Hostel Part II also did to improve upon the original). Xavier Samuel is compelling as the kidnapped prom king, but it is Robin McLeavy, as the deadliest prom queen since Carrie, who steals the show. It’s an unpleasant little film with a few tricks up its sleeves to ensure that you never quite know where it’s going to go next.
76. The Skin I Live In (2011)
Pedro Almodóvar has an amazing track record when it comes to filmmaking, so it was only a matter of time before he tried his hand at a horror film. It should come as no surprise that his attempt at the genre was a smashing success. The Skin I Live In is a beautifully shot tale of obsession and sexual identity with a plot that contains so many moving pieces it’s a wonder that Almodóvar is able to keep track of them all, much less tell a cohesive story. Yet somehow he prevails, and his foray into the horror genre leaves a lasting impression.
Soon after the New Hollywood generation took over the entertainment industry, they started having children. And more than any filmmakers that came before—they were terrified. Rosemary’s Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973), The Omen (1976), Eraserhead (1977), The Brood (1979), The Shining (1980), Possession (1981), and many others all deal, at least in part, with the fears of becoming or being a parent. What if my child turns out to be a monster? is corrupted by some evil force? or turns out to be the fucking Antichrist? What if I screw them up somehow, or can’t help them, or even go insane and try to kill them? Horror has always been at its best when exploring relatable fears through extreme circumstances. A prime example of this is Larry Cohen’s 1974 monster-baby movie It’s Alive, which explores the not only the rollercoaster of emotions that any parent experiences when confronted with the difficulties of raising a child, but long-standing questions of who or what is at fault when something goes horribly wrong.
Cohen begins making his underlying points early in the film as Frank Davis (John P. Ryan) discusses the state of the world with a group of expectant fathers in a hospital waiting room. They discuss the “overabundance of lead” in foods and the environment, smog, and pesticides that only serve to produce roaches that are “bigger, stronger, and harder to kill.” Frank comments that this is “quite a world to bring a kid into.” This has long been a discussion point among people when trying to decide whether to have kids or not. I’ve had many conversations with friends who have said they feel it’s irresponsible to bring children into such a violent, broken, and dangerous world, and I certainly don’t begrudge them this. My wife and I did decide to have children but that doesn’t mean that it’s been easy.
Immediately following this scene comes It’s Alive’s most famous sequence in which Frank’s wife Lenore (Sharon Farrell) is the only person left alive in her delivery room, the doctors clawed and bitten to death by her mutant baby, which has escaped. “What does my baby look like!? What’s wrong with my baby!?” she screams as nurses wheel her frantically into a recovery room. The evening that had begun with such joy and excitement at the birth of their second child turned into a nightmare. This is tough for me to write, but on some level, I can relate to this whiplash of emotion. When my second child was born, they came about five weeks early. I’ll use the pronouns “they/them” for privacy reasons when referring to my kids. Our oldest was still very young and went to stay with my parents and we sped off to the hospital where my wife was taken into an operating room for an emergency c-section. I was able to carry our newborn into the NICU (natal intensive care unit) where I was assured that this was routine for all premature births. The nurses assured me there was nothing to worry about and the baby looked big and healthy. I headed to where my wife was taken to recover to grab a few winks assuming that everything was fine. Well, when I awoke, I headed back over to the NICU to find that my child was not where I left them. The nurse found me and told me that the baby’s lungs were underdeveloped, and they had to put them in a special room connected to oxygen tubes and wires to monitor their vitals.
It’s difficult to express the fear that overwhelmed me in those moments. Everything turned out okay, but it took a while and I’m convinced to this day that their anxiety struggles spring from these first weeks of life. As our children grew, we learned that two of the three were on the spectrum and that anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD were also playing a part in their lives. Parents, at least speaking for myself, can’t help but blame themselves for the struggles their children face. The “if only” questions creep in and easily overcome the voices that assure us that it really has nothing to do with us. In the film, Lenore says, “maybe it’s all the pills I’ve been taking that brought this on.” Frank muses aloud about how he used to think that Frankenstein was the monster, but when he got older realized he was the one that made the monster. The aptly named Frank is wondering if his baby’s mutation is his fault, if he created the monster that is terrorizing Los Angeles. I have made plenty of “if only” statements about myself over the years. “If only I hadn’t had to work so much, if only I had been around more when they were little.” Mothers may ask themselves, “did I have a drink, too much coffee, or a cigarette before I knew I was pregnant? Was I too stressed out during the pregnancy?” In other words, most parents can’t help but wonder if it’s all their fault.
At one point in the film, Frank goes to the elementary school where his baby has been sighted and is escorted through the halls by police. He overhears someone comment about “screwed up genes,” which brings about age-old questions of nature vs. nurture. Despite the voices around him from doctors and detectives that say, “we know this isn’t your fault,” Frank can’t help but think it is, and that the people who try to tell him it isn’t really think it’s his fault too. There is no doubt that there is a hereditary element to the kinds of mental illness struggles that my children and I deal with. But, and it’s a bit but, good parenting goes a long way in helping children deal with these struggles. Kids need to know they’re not alone, a good parent can provide that, perhaps especially parents that can relate to the same kinds of struggles. The question of nature vs. nurture will likely never be entirely answered but I think there’s more than a good chance that “both/and” is the case. Around the midpoint of the film, Frank agrees to disown the child and sign it over for medical experimentation if caught or killed. Lenore and the older son Chris (Daniel Holzman) seek to nurture and teach the baby, feeling that it is not a monster, but a member of the family.
It’s Alive takes these ideas to an even greater degree in the fact that the Davis Baby really is a monster, a mutant with claws and fangs that murders and eats people. The late ’60s and early ’70s also saw the rise in mass murderers and serial killers which heightened the nature vs. nurture debate. Obviously, these people were not literal monsters but human beings that came from human parents, but something had gone horribly wrong. Often the upbringing of these killers clearly led in part to their antisocial behavior, but this isn’t always the case. It’s Alive asks “what if a ‘monster’ comes from a good home?” In this case is it society, environmental factors, or is it the lead, smog, and pesticides? It is almost impossible to know, but the ending of the film underscores an uncomfortable truth—even monsters have parents.
As the film enters its third act, Frank joins the hunt for his child through the Los Angeles sewers and into the L.A. River. He is armed with a rifle and ready to kill on sight, having divorced himself from any relationship to the child. Then Frank finds his baby crying in the sewers and his fatherly instincts take over. With tears in his eyes, he speaks words of comfort and wraps his son in his coat. He holds him close, pats and rocks him, and whispers that everything is going to be okay. People often wonder how the parents of those who perform heinous acts can sit in court, shed tears, and defend them. I think it’s a complex issue. I’m sure that these parents know that their child has done something evil, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are still their baby. Your child is a piece of yourself formed into a whole new human being. Disowning them would be like cutting off a limb, no matter what they may have done. It doesn’t erase an evil act, far from it, but I can understand the pain of a parent in that situation. I think It’s Alive does an exceptional job placing its audience in that situation.
Despite the serious issues and ideas being examined in the film, It’s Alive is far from a dour affair. At heart, it is still a monster movie and filled with a sense of fun and a great deal of pitch-black humor. In one of its more memorable moments, a milkman is sucked into the rear compartment of his truck as red blood mingles with the white milk from smashed bottles leaking out the back of the truck and streaming down the street. Just after Frank agrees to join the hunt for his baby, the film cuts to the back of an ice cream truck with the words “STOP CHILDREN” emblazoned on it. It’s a movie filled with great kills, a mutant baby—created by make-up effects master Rick Baker early in his career, and plenty of action—and all in a PG rated movie! I’m telling you, the ’70s were wild. It just also happens to have some thoughtful ideas behind it as well.
Which was Larry Cohen’s specialty. Cohen made all kinds of movies, but his most enduring have been his horror films and all of them tackle the social issues and fears of the time they were made. God Told Me To (1976), Q: The Winged Serpent (1982), and The Stuff (1985) are all great examples of his socially aware, low-budget, exploitation filmmaking with a brain and It’s Alive certainly fits right in with that group. Cohen would go on to write and direct two sequels, It Lives Again (aka It’s Alive 2) in 1978 and It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive in 1987 and is credited as a co-writer on the 2008 remake. All these films explore the ideas of parental responsibility in light of the various concerns of the times they were made including abortion rights and AIDS.
Fifty years after It’s Alive was initially released, it has only become more relevant in the ensuing years. Fears surrounding parenthood have been with us since the beginning of time but as the years pass the reasons for these fears only seem to become more and more profound. In today’s world the conversation of the fathers in the waiting room could be expanded to hormones and genetic modifications in food, terrorism, climate change, school and other mass shootings, and other threats that were unknown or at least less of a concern fifty years ago. Perhaps the fearmongering conspiracy theories about chemtrails and vaccines would be mentioned as well, though in a more satirical fashion, as fears some expectant parents encounter while endlessly doomscrolling Facebook or Twitter. Speaking for myself, despite the struggles, the fears, and the sadness that sometimes comes with having children, it’s been worth it. The joys ultimately outweigh all of that, but I understand the terror too. Becoming a parent is no easy choice, nor should it be. But as I look back, I can say that I’m glad we made the choice we did.
I wonder if Frank and Lenore can say the same thing.
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