Simply the Best Horror Movies Ever

by J.J.
(Massachusetts, USA)

1. The Exorcist (1973). When you even think "horror movie" you see Linda Blair's head spin. It's the most iconic, notorious and influential horror film ever made.

2. Psycho (1960). This was one of the first movies to be genuinely scary to just about everyone. Even if you know about the ol' shower scene this movie is a classic that has the capability to scare people to this day, without even using great, gory special effects.

3. Halloween (1978). This movie basically is THE slasher film. Every other slasher film that came after it was inspired by Halloween. It was so effective in nearly every aspect, and it was probably the best executed slasher film ever made.

4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Wes Craven may have had a few bombs, but he sure does know how to make a horror flick. This film was creative, suspenseful, and iconic. It is a classic and will forever remain so.

5. The Shining (1980). Jack Nicholson alone is a scary m***** f*****. Add the whole psychotic axe murderer, the cute little supernatural kid, the eerie hotel and the psychological aspect and you get one of the most effective and influential horror films ever made.

6. Alien (1979). I saw, on Bravo, I think, a TV special about the greatest horror scenes ever. They mentioned at one point that Alien was a haunted house film with the typical haunted house problem (why don't you just leave the house) solved. I completely agree. Alien had it all, the jumps, the effects, the characters, the suspense, all of it. Even today it remains the most effective combination of the horror and sci-fi genres. (I know many people applaud The Thing (1982), but I was just unimpressed with that one.)

7. Jaws (1975). I don't know of anyone who looked at going to the beach the same way again after seeing this movie. It's not necessarily the kind of movie that just has an everlasting effect, but it scares the pants off you while you watch it. It's just so startling...and the music, I mean, damn! That music was almost as intense as the movie itself.

8. Scream (1996). I was extremely disappointed to see this only at #98 on the "100 Best Horror" list. This movie was superb, and revitalized the horror genre when it really needed it. In addition, it not only has the general aspects of a horror film but also pokes fun at itself, with the "rules to surviving a horror film" bit. Scream is one of the best horror films ever made.

9. Saw (2004).
Similar to Scream, Saw helped bring back the horror film to success. It was an interesting take on the slasher film and basically brought us into a new age of horror, one where plot mattered less and disgusting graphics and stomach churning ideology held all the significance.

10. The Descent (2006). This film didn't get a whole lot of credit or attention for how good it was. In many ways it was like Alien, the haunted house without the house. In the recent years there has no been a scarier movie that more epitomized the horror genre.

Honorable Mention: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead, Poltergeist, Let the Right One In, and The Omen.