When I was asked to put together a ranked list of the best horror movies of all time, I thought it would be a fun project. And then I collated about 150 titles, tried to whittle that list down, and
nearly went insane at least three times. Then I had a few anxiety attacks after realizing how many people would call me a moron for leaving their favorite horror film off the list, passed out for two days, woke up, and finished writing.
After an initial effort that put the total at 10 movies, I bumped the number up to 10 total. Please don't pay excessive attention to the actual "rankings,"
though it's always fun to argue out the top 10 on a list like this. As always, the suggestion box is open if you think I've gotten it horribly wrong, or horrifically right.
Want more horror? Check out the best horror movies of 2019, and for even more movies, read our ranking of the best movies of 2019.
friday the 13th
01. Friday the 13th (1980)
Nostalgia is great and all, but there's no way Friday the 13th is "better" than, say, Videodrome. Plus I actually like Friday the 13th Part 2 a little more. Regardless, this slasher classic (itself little more than a ripoff of Halloween) is still supremely creepy, provided you've ever spent time at overnight camp in New Jersey. Which I have. The shocking moments of gore, courtesy of Tom Savini, also hold up, although they don't seem quite so gruesome anymore, relatively speaking
saw movie
Lionsgate
02 Saw (2004)
Scoff if you like (I can't hear you), but I consider this one a low-budget masterpiece, one that not only kick-started a ridiculously popular franchise, but still stands as a master class on how to wring a whole lot of scary fun out of very few resources. Much like Sam Raimi did with The Evil Dead, James Wan and Leigh Whannell threw everything they had (financial and otherwise) into a creepy horror concept that they knew would work -- and boy did it. Love the Saw series or hate it, there's no denying that it's a great lesson for aspiring filmmakers.
the orphanage
Warner Bros.
0.3. The Orphanage (2007)
Long before he graduated to Jurassic Park sequels, Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona made a big splash with his directorial debut, a wonderfully classy, refined, and straight-up terrifying tale of a haunted, abandoned orphanage. What starts out as a very laid-back 1970s-style occult thriller slowly evolves into a legitimate horror story, thanks mainly to somewhat excellent actors -- but also because of some sudden, shocking jolts you simply won't see coming.
return of the living dead
Orion Pictures
04. Return of the Living Dead (1985)
While this beloved cult relic from the 1980s has no official relation to George Romero's classic trilogy, it's safe to say that writer/director Dan O'Bannon drew a lot of inspiration from that series -- and then he just went punk rock, Mad Magazine-style insane, and the result is one of the most entertaining horror comedies you'll ever see. Not only is the flick frequently funny and horror-nerd-friendly, but it also delivers several amusing performances and some of the coolest zombie get-ups you'll ever see.
the witch movie
0.5 /The Witch (2015)
One of those endlessly controversial "arthouse horror" flicks that genre fans love to argue about, I am on team "YES" when it comes to this fascinating and unique period piece. It's about an ostracized family that slowly comes to realize something very dark and dangerous is waiting just outside their door. Is it an actual witch, or is it a clever metaphor for intolerance, alienation, and class struggle? I say it's both, and it's beautiful. Frankly, I wish director Robert Eggers would unleash a sequel or two.
the babadook
Entertainment One
06..The Babadook (2014)
There are lots of horror films that deal with children, either as aggressors or as potential victims, but very few have been able to capture both of those ideas simultaneously as well as Jennifer Kent's endlessly fascinating The Babadook. On the surface, it's the story of a book that certainly seems to be possessed by the soul of a horrible creature, but it's also about the bond between mother and child, the fear of losing your grip on reality, and the deep instinct to protect your family at any cost. Plus, yes, the titular creature is darkly wonderful, as is the creepy storybook in which he resides.
carrie 1976
United Artists
0.7 Carrie (1976)
Brian De Palma's adaptation of Stephen King's debut novel cemented both men as forces to be reckoned within the department of scary stories, but it's the lead performance by Sissy Spacek -- and the monumental one from Piper Laurie as Carrie's mother! -- that vault this film from basic revenge story to legitimately 0.9
10..tragic terror tale. If you've seen one horror film in which an awkward outcast takes revenge against their tormentors in brutal and horrific fashion, then you've seen
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