The best horror movies through the ages

Halloween may not have been the first slasher film, but has become the archetype of the sub-genre. John Carpenter was just 30 when he released a movie that has had a huge influence horror and brought a twist on wider Halloween culture to a massive audience.

Movie monster Michael Myers has been such an enduring presence that he has sustained a cinematic run of more than 40 years, with the 12th instalment set for a 2020 release.

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Demonic possession as a concept must surely demonstrate the biggest gulf between the level of representation in western movies and the level of representation in contemporaneous western culture.

The theme runs through countless films in the 20th and 21st centuries, and they all owe a huge debt of gratitude to The Exorcist and its iconic scenes. Yes, including the spinning head. Upon viewing the 2000 director’s cut, critic Roger Ebert pointed out that “the shocks don’t date”, no mean feat for a 1973 release.

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Bringing intense but often implied violence to a big screen, the shock factor produced by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is what made the film so iconic and groundbreaking.

That’s not to say it was universally popular at the time. 70s critics were not ready for its relative gratuity, but over time director Tobe Hooper’s mastery of outright terror has shone through. The movie is now recognised as an all-time great and a huge influence on the following decades.

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We haven’t done extensive research on the most popular movie-based Halloween costumes, but we’d wager Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street ranks pretty high on the list. As with any proper horror classic, it has spawned more sequels than you could possibly commit to memory – as of late 2018, a 10th instalment was said to still be in development.

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Horror doesn’t always mean a reliance on the 80s slasher sub-genre. Alfred Hitchcock’s take on the style is both very "Hitchcock" and scary as anything, with the acclaimed director blending an ability to properly shock viewers with the smarts to get the most out of supremely talented actors.

The 1960 classic was nominated for four Academy Awards, which gives you an idea of where it stands in comparison to other works under the broader ‘horror’ umbrella.

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We can think of plenty of Stephen King adaptations worthy of a mention here, but Carrie has that wonderful crossover appeal of two great intangibles: supernatural powers and the American high school experience.

It feels like more or less every King work has now been adapted, many more than once, but Carrie paved the way for it all by melding horror tropes with a strong and captivating narrative.

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The association of Friday the 13th with misfortune long predates the release of the film franchise bearing that name, but the movies – beginning with Sean S Cunningham’s 1980 original – have definitely helped ramp up the superstition for plenty of horror fans.

It introduced another iconic slasher villain in Jason Voorhees, and took a frankly ridiculous $59.8m from a budget of just $550,000. At the time of writing, it has spawned a further 11 films including a crossover with A Nightmare on Elm Street, 2003’s Freddy vs Jason.

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The original horror movie in space, Alien is a classic for a reason. It follows the story of the crew of the Nostromo who answer a mysterious distress call in deep space during a mining mission. They end up finding much more than they bargained for and end up bringing a horrifying new species back on their ship. The wonderful gritty aesthetics, tense story and fantastic acting make this another solid classic, whether we're talking horror or not.

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Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, The Shining tells the story of the Torrance family, tasked with looking after The Overlook Hotel while it's shut during the winter months. What ensues is a dark, horrifying descent into terror and madness. The story itself is extremely compelling, but Kubrick's artistic direction and the completely unforgettable performances from the cast – including Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall – make it one of the best movies not only in the horror genre, but of all time.

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Earlier horror movies may have had comic elements, but few mixed horror and comedy as expertly as Gremlins. It’s weird to think it was released on the exact same day as Ghostbusters, another movie that blended comedy and peril but at the other end of the comedy-horror scale.

Has it played into the idea whenever we see a cute creature our first thought is “sure it looks sweet, but will it kill us?” Impossible for us to say.

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Night Of The Living Dead is a masterclass in ultra low-budget filmmaking. George A Romero spent just $114,000 getting the movie made and changed the horror genre as a result. Using stark black and white gives the movie a classic feel - even if it was done because of budget - while Romero's social-political approach to horror is something that still resonates today, with the likes of Get Out. Please also check out Dawn and Day of the Dead as well, as Romero didn't make his money on this, as due to various reasons the movie is now in the public domain and out of copyright

2017’s Get Out seemed to single-handedly remind people horror films aren’t just about jump scares, and can have real meat to them. A young black man visits his girlfriend’s parents, a family who initially seem friendly, but something isn’t quite right. This film turned Jordan Peele from a great comedy actor and writer into one of the most unmissable film-makers working today.

Released in 2023 in 4K Blu-ray, The Wicker Man is one of the greatest horror movies of all time. It's a perfect blend of folk horror and conspiracy chiller, with Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) heading to Summerisle to investigate a missing person. From there the friendly villagers start to take offence to having a stranger in their midst.

Ari Aster's Midsommar is best described as folk horror and, oh boy, is it an unforgettable movie. Not for the faint-hearted (seriously, we mean it) this is a story about main character Dani who joins a group of students who attend a Midsommar festival in rural Sweden that only happens once every 90 years. What follows is horrifying, deeply disturbing and the kind of stuff you cannot unsee.

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Has any movie made a zombie apocalypse feel as real as 28 Days Later? Director Danny Boyle shot on the streets of London at dawn to make the city feel genuinely abandoned. No major CGI required. Cillian Murphy’s quiet performance as Jim is also far removed from classic horror film histrionics. It’s what happens when a horror movie is made by an all-round great director.

Described as a folk horror, The Witch is a stunning movie that's laced with dread. It follows the story of a family in 1630s New England who are banished from a Puritan settlement and must try and survive on their own next to a secluded forest. The tension is palpable, the acting phenomenal and the eerie goings on will have you hiding behind your sofa within minutes.

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Mia Farrow’s Rosemary Woodhouse moves into a New York apartment with her husband. During her pregnancy, her neighbours become increasing interested in her child. Something isn’t right, but Rosemary becomes increasing detached, and begins to doubt her convictions. A truly creepy film that exudes menace in a way few other movies manage.

The poster child for the wave of Japanese horror movies that broke into the mainstream in the late 90s. You may well know the premise for this one. A VHS video tape is going around, and if you watch it, you will die after seven days. Gore Verbinski made a US version of the film in 2022, but for the best entry in this 10-plus movie franchise, you have to head to the Japanese original.

Even if you didn’t have a fear of bees before the release of Candyman in 1992, you absolutely did afterwards. After years of similar ideas floating around within the genre, it’s always an achievement to find a film which finds new ways to scare an audience and pulls it off effortlessly.

The urban legend-centered plot skirts the line between psychological and supernatural, playing with the mind of the viewer beyond the base level. This might be what makes it so terrifying.

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It’s weird to think Child’s Play was released as late as 1988, given its indisputable impact on horror movie culture. Even if you were born years after its release, the sight of Chucky is unmistakable, whether you were first introduced to the character through the Brad Dourif portrayal or the excellent The Simpsons pastiche with a Krusty the Clown doll set to evil.

The concept of channeling childhood fears is one that has permeated more recent horror movies, but never with such guile.

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