Horror is a very interesting thing. It usually causes a negative reaction in its viewers, but even when pushing away the audience, the end result is a connection to the film. Many great creators of horror have included hidden messages attacking issues within society in the films. While I could probably write a whole article on that for each film I’ve listed here, for the sake of brevity, so you can watch some of these films, I have not.
So without additional fanfare, let’s delve into our list of suggested horror films!
- Hellraiser (1987) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 72%
When I think horror and Halloween, my mind always travels to Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, and it’s shocking Gore. The first and second films are a must for any Halloween, but maybe cut it at that point.
The Evil Dead (1981) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 95%
Originally created with the help of a group of dentists for only $350,000 dollars, the Evil Dead series launched not only the career of Sam Raimi, but also Bruce Campbell! While people don’t feel like the film is die-hard horror, the sequels added humor to the series, and is the reason the second film in the series is so perfect!
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 94%
When Wes Craven created Freddy Krueger, he hit gold. The iconic monster who terrorizes teenagers in their sleep. Robert Englund fills the role so iconic that when Jackie Earle Haley took over the role, people were literally upset at the idea.
Audition (1999)
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 82%
This is a very terrifying and unsettling horror movie out of Japan. It’s psychological, it’s upsetting, and it’s a great watch if you are looking for a different type of horror film.
Night of the Living Dead (1968) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 97%
George A. Romero is the father of the zombie film genre. Night of the Living Dead was a powerful look into society. It doesn’t look from the first film that zombies were supposed to be viewed so terrifyingly as the movie appears to rap up by the end of the day, but it did birth a powerful series of films that looked at society through a horror lens.
28 Days Later (2002) & The Sequel
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 87%
Rebirthing the love and obsession with Zombies, the 28 Days series changed the way a lot of people looked at zombies, without this film, we might not have had Dawn of the Dead, or even The Walking Dead. While you might be getting bored with the horror monster, but this movie breathed life into the concept.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 75%
I’ve separated this movie from the “…of the Dead” series because it’s a new universe of movies, that even George A. Romero felt was a deviation from his purposes of the franchise. I do love both the original Dawn of the Dead, but I feel like the remake was interesting and engaging with gore while the prior version was more psychological. Still a great watch.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 91%
Edgar Wright makes some amazing films, and the first in his Cornetto series, Shaun of the Dead is no exception. While primarily a comedy, the series has plenty of jump scares, comments on society, and feels more likely a closer successor to Night of the Living Dead than Dawn of the Dead did.
The Mist (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 72%
While I normally don’t like to include Sci-Fi in my horror catalog I include the Mist specifically because of the result of the event on the people, and the absolute terror and repercussions it forces upon the characters in the film, including the father figure portrayed by Thomas Jane.
Friday the 13th (1980) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 64%
Jason Voorhees is iconic. The unstoppable golem wasn’t even the first villain in the series, but the swap at the end of the film to include Jason created a powerful horror monster that has lived on for years. While the sci-fi laden Jason X deviated and caused a lot of pain for the franchise, the tie in with Freddy Krueger corrected all misgivings and brought attention back to this franchise.
The Ring (2002)
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 71%
Not the original, as that goes to the Ringu, the Ring was one of the fist major imports of foreign-based horror. It was a type of scare and concept that hadn’t been really shared in the US, and if you are a novice in horror, only experiencing basic horror, is a good change of pace.
IT (2017) & The Series And Prior Versions
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 85%
The original series was a TV movie, and couldn’t really dig too deep in the well of horror. This remake of the story set for theaters was truly able to go to a dark place needed for the story of Pennywise the Clown. It doesn’t make the original series any less awesome but just hits better as a horror film series than the original.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 89%
Back in the old days, movie trailers ruined horror movies by literally showing you who survived and dies, as the narrator told you the same. So if you haven’t seen the film, don’t watch the trailers first. While the later films and reboots have lost the luster of the series, the original movie is very awkward and upsetting in a unique and interesting way that many horror films have since tried to repeat.
Poltergeist (1982)
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 86%
One of the classics of horror. It presenting a strong, and interesting ghost-themed horror movie that was engaging while at the same time unnerving, making people question if it could happen to them.
The Shining (1980)
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 84%
Mixing isolationism, horror, and psychic abilities, the story of the Shining, recently sequel-ed, is a powerful and stark image of beauty. What more would you expect though from a collaboration of Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick.
Candyman (1992) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 75%
I might get some hate here, but I don’t find Candyman scary. It’s definitely interesting and falls within the category, but this film is more visually interesting and compelling than terrifying.
The Exorcist (1973) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 83%
I don’t watch this film every year, but it is a classic of the horror world, focusing on a supernatural theme. The series, unfortunately, does seem to ebb and flow in the directions of quality. Stick to the original.
The Blair Witch Project (1999) & The Sequel
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 86%
A movie that birthed the handy cam horror movie trope. Their whole ad campaign leading up to the release tried to convince their audience it was real and found footage. We actually personally prefer the sequel, but it’s less horror and more suspense.
Zombieland (2009) & The Sequel
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 89%
When it came out, the first Zombieland film was impressive, unique in its format. The sequel took a long time to come out, and not as amazing as the original. If you are looking for a more fun jaunt through the horror and zombie genre.
Scream (1996) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 78%
This movie is low on the list for a specific reason, I don’t really find it terrifying, as it feels more like a mystery of who is the killer. This feeling gets stronger later in the series as well. The series though is very gory and just generally a fun watch!
Halloween (1978) & The Series
Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer Score – 96%
Of the icons of horror, I’ve always viewed Halloween’s Michael Myers as the weaker of the trio of modern movie monsters. You can’t argue though that the quiet unstoppable monster hasn’t influenced many horror franchises through the year!
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