The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (2024)

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The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (1)

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The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (2)

Horror films are something you have to prepare for. Whether it's gripping the seat or shielding your eyes or ears, or wrapping yourself up in a world full of tension and menace, great horror movies are much more than jump scares. Utilizing the sound of floorboards, the movement of shadows, the unpredictability of mist, horrific or hilarious (or hilariously horrific) deaths, or a tingling film score—this genre is always playing with the audience. The greatest horror films can be heady and philosophical, slapstick or serious—in short, if you're a fan of horror, most likely you're a fan of cinema. No other genre best represents how the moving image can affect us—by using every filmmaking tool in the shed.

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Horror cinema has seen historic highs; the best horror movies never really leave your mind for good. But which of the genre's finest are the very, very best? Below are the greatest, the most unforgettable—and indeed the most frightening—horror movies ever made, ranked from great to greatest.

100 'The Last House on the Left' (1972)

Directed by Wes Craven

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"To avoid fainting, keep repeating: it's only a movie, it's only a movie..." The Last House on the Left is one of the more infamous films in all of horror to this day. Loosely based on Ingmar Bergman's far more restrained The Virgin Spring from 1960 (Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film), Wes Craven's debut feature follows (at first), two teen girls who are abducted, sexually violated, tortured and killed by serial criminals, perpetrators who unwittingly seek shelter in one of the girl's parents' home for the night mere hours later.

Craven was green in 1972, and the picture is not without its flaws (some of the acting just isn't very good, and woefully misjudged comedy sequences should have never, ever, been a part of this film), but it's an essential part of the horror conversation, with a raw and gripping power that holds up over a half-century later. The horror genre wouldn't be anything like it is without Craven, and The Last House on the Left stands as deeply unpleasant proof that shock exploitation cinema can be more thoughtful and incomparably more impactful than a lot of prestige-seeking awards bait. - Samuel R. Murrian

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The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (3)

The Last House on the Left

R

Horror

Thriller

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Release Date
August 30, 1972
Director
Wes Craven

Cast
Sandra Peabody , Lucy Grantham , David Hess , Fred J. Lincoln , Jeramie Rain , Marc Sheffler

Runtime
84

Main Genre
Horror
Writers
Wes Craven , Ulla Isaksson

Tagline
It rests on 13 acres of earth over the very center of hell...!

99 'Near Dark' (1987)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (9)

After spending the previous decade in sexploitation films, vampires re-emerged in the 80s as postmodern leather-clad punks. And that look gave filmmakers a lot of new angles to play with: gangs, bikers and junkies. All of those groups run in packs and engage in more dangerous behaviors than the old-fashioned singular vampires of old. These were a new breed of terrorizing clans and sorry (not sorry), Lost Boys, but Kathryn Bigelow‘s Near Dark is the best of the 1980s vampire movies. She puts them in a hybrid of both the neo-Western and the road movie that became popular in the 70s and she also seems to call bullsh*t on eternal love.

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These vampires are modern bandits. They roll down our sleepy highways. In the best scene, they pick a bar fight. The epically named Severen (a wild Bill Paxton) has blades at the tip of his cowboy boots, an addition that removes the need to bite, and thus removes the intimacy of feasting that most vampires previously engaged with their victims. But there is still an intimacy in Near Dark. It’s a young love that starts at a convenient store (between Adrian Pasdar and Jenny Wright). — Brian Formo

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (10)

Near Dark

R

Horror

A small-town farmer's son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is bitten by a beautiful drifter.

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Release Date
October 2, 1987
Director
Kathryn Bigelow
Cast
Adrian Pasdar , Jenny Wright , Lance Henriksen , Bill Paxton

Runtime
94 minutes

Main Genre
Horror
Writers
Eric Red , Kathryn Bigelow

98 'The Substance' (2024)

Directed by Coralie Fargeat

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If Demi Moore making a universally well-received career comeback in one of the best, boldest, funniest and grossest body horror movies ever made wasn't on your bingo card for 2024, you're not alone; that's a blow-by-blow of exactly what transpired, though. The iconic actress gives the performance of her career as Elisabeth Sparkle, a TV fitness personality who's devastated enough by her 50th birthday to accept a Faustian bargain that puts her at odds with a young, gorgeous and alluring parasite (Margaret Qualley, also splendid here).

Running entirely on immersive dream logic, and feeling about half its 140-minute runtime, The Substance is a stunning piece of technical bravado that's rooted in pathos, an unmitigated triumph for a Hollywood legend whose acting chops have long been underappreciated, ironically enough, because of her beauty. Coralie Fargeat makes good on the promise shown in 2017's electric Revenge, but it's important to note there's a reflective quality Moore brings to this that really makes the film so substantial. - Samuel R. Murrian

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The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (12)
The Substance

R

Horror

Drama

A fading celebrity, Elisabeth Sparkle, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth. The drug temporarily creates a younger version of herself, named Sue, who quickly ascends to the fame Elisabeth once craved.

IMDb ID
tt17526714

Release Date
September 20, 2024

TMDB User Rating
0 .0

Director
Coralie Fargeat
Cast
Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia , Olivier Raynal , Tiffany Hofstetter , Tom Morton , Jiselle Burkhalter , Axel Baille , Oscar Lesage , Matthew Géczy , Philip Schurer

Runtime
140 Minutes
Main Genre
Horror

Writers
Coralie Fargeat

Studio(s)
Working Title Films , A Good Story

Character(s)
Elisabeth Sparkle , Sue , Harvey , Oliver , Diego , Alan , The Stylist , The Doctor , Girl , The Photographer , Troy , Bob Haswell , Mr. Scream

97 'Cannibal Holocaust' (1980)

Directed by Ruggero Deodato

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (13)

Directed by Ruggero Deodato, the undeniably disturbing Cannibal Holocaust centers on a professor (Francesca Ciardi) who discovers lost footage from a missing documentary crew while on a rescue mission into the Amazonian rainforests. Cannibal Holocaust was notably homaged in Eli Roth's technically impressive, rather immature and cloying The Green Inferno.

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No doubt, Deodato's arguably most notorious film is extremely uncomfortable to sit through; for the most part, this has to do with the amount of gore, explicit sexual assault, and the onscreen depiction of animal death that it features. Still, the controversial horror provides a valuable social commentary on journalism and the exploitation of South American countries. — Daniela Gama

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (14)

Cannibal Holocaust

r

Horror

During a rescue mission into the Amazon rainforest, a professor stumbles across lost film shot by a missing documentary crew.

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Release Date
June 21, 1985

Director
Ruggero Deodato

Cast
Robert Kerman , Francesca Ciardi , Perry Pirkanen , Luca Barbareschi

Runtime
95 minutes

Writers
Gianfranco Clerici

96 'Final Destination' (2000)

Directed by James Wong

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (16)

Originally envisioned as a simple spec script for the then-thriving X-Files, Jeffrey Reddick, James Wong and Glen Morgan's clever, tense and frightening Final Destination was generally dismissed, unjustly, by critics of the day (Roger Ebert's "thumbs up" being a notable exception); the supernatural slasher is aging very well, and spawned a long-running franchise that's at once one of horror's most underrated and best-loved by diehard fans.

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Devon Sawa gives a terrific, Saturn Award-winning turn as Alex, a teen who has a violent premonition of his classmates being incinerated on flight 180 to Paris. The classmates escape, the plane actually does blow up, and death itself isn't finished with Alex and his friends. It's such a simple, malleable, great premise, and Final Destination is truly a cut above the vast majority of what Ebert would call "dead teenager movies." The series has seen highs and lows (a sixth installment is expected in 2025), and the original film is still the very best and most satisfying. -Samuel R. Murrian

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (17)

Final Destination

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Release Date
March 17, 2000

Director
James Wong
Cast
Devon Sawa , Ali Larter , Kerr Smith , Kristen Cloke , Daniel Roebuck , Roger Guenveur Smith

Runtime
98 minutes
Main Genre
Horror

Writers
Jeffrey Reddick , James Wong , Glen Morgan

Tagline

Website

95 'What We Do in the Shadows' (2014)

Directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waitti

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (24)

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Finally, someone breathed new life into the vampire genre.What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary about four vampire flatmates and it takes an absolutely delightful approach to exploring creature clichés in a deadpan, reality show-like manner.

Viago (Taika Waititi), Vlad (Jemaine Clement), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) and Petyr (Ben Fransham) all turned during different time periods, which leads to some brilliant spins on familiar issues like doing the dishes, getting into nightclubs, adapting to new technology and so much more. The only unfortunate thing about What We Do in the Shadows is that it clocks in at a mere 86 minutes. Between the winning jokes and the wildly charming friendships between the characters, a whole series dedicated to their antics was welcome. — Perri Nemiroff

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (25)
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

R

Comedy

Horror

In What We Do in the Shadows, vampire housemates navigate the challenges of modern life while mentoring a newly turned hipster on the advantages of vampirism. The film explores their coexistence within the human world, balancing supernatural elements with humorous insights into the undead lifestyle.

Release Date
June 19, 2014
Director
Taika Waititi , Jemaine Clement
Cast
Jemaine Clement , Taika Waititi , Jonny Brugh , Cori Gonzalez-Macuer , Stu Rutherford , Ben Fransham , Jackie van Beek , Elena Stejko , Jason Hoyte , Karen O'Leary , Mike Minogue , Chelsie Preston Crayford , Ian Harcourt , Ethel Robinson , Brad Harding , Isaac Heron , Yvette Parsons , Madeleine Sami , Aaron Jackson , Morgana Hills

Runtime
86 Minutes

Main Genre
Comedy
Writers
Taika Waititi , Jemaine Clement

Character(s)
Vladislav , Viago , Deacon , Nick , Stu , Petyr , Jackie , Pauline (The Beast) , Julián , Policewoman , Policeman , Josephine , Zombie , Katherine , Vampire Hunter , Fix Attendant , Vampire Witch / MC , Morana , Club Bouncer , Child Vampire

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94 'Dead Alive' (1992)

Directed by Peter Jackson

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (26)

Peter Jackson could have only made this gory, gushy, and occasionally outright repulsive zombie film, and he would still be a kind of legend, if not at the level of the man who brought Lord of the Rings to the big-screen. Dead Alive openly toys with one of horror’s most cherished concepts – repression – and when Lionel’s (Timothy Balme) love for a local girl is no longer held down by his controlling mother (Elizabeth Moody), out come the decaying zombie-like creatures to act as a horrifying expression of momma’s villainous control.

Like Tobe Hooper and Stuart Gordon’s iconic 1980s output, Dead Alive (also known as Braindead) strives for what Hooper called “red humor,” a melding of slapstick and physical comedy with horror, and the result is the most idiosyncratic and zany effort that Jackson produced, complete with zombie-monster momma and rotted ears and noses garnishing a nice Sunday chowder. — Chris Cabin

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The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (27)
Dead Alive

R

Comedy

Horror

Release Date
August 13, 1992

Director
Peter Jackson

Cast
Timothy Balme , Diana Peñalver , Elizabeth Moody , Ian Watkin , Brenda Kendall , Stuart Devenie

Runtime
97

Main Genre
Comedy

Writers
Stephen Sinclair , Fran Walsh , Peter Jackson

Tagline
Some things won't stay down... even after they die.

93 'The Conjuring' (2013)

Directed by James Wan

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (28)

Aside from, say, Let the Right One In and scarce few other standouts, the early 21st century was hardly a hot spot for great horror, mostly ruled by the Saw films and other torture-centric fare. Something shifted in the mid-to-late-2010s with the rise of elevated horror. Saw director James Wan's smash hit The Conjuring factors into all of this, a multiplex popcorn thriller that won fans and critics alike over with a refreshing blend of understatement, classiness, and absolutely unbridled terror.

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A possession film and one of the most effective haunted house pictures in memory, the film that spawned a franchise inspired by real-life demonologists is excellently performed all-around, but it belongs to the women: Lili Taylor and especially Vera Farmiga deliver generous performances that are many times better and richer than they needed to be. Wide-release, popcorn-munching horror entertainment doesn't really get much slicker or more soulful than this. Even the jump scares are impossible to fault; nothing feels cheap. – Samuel R. Murrian

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (29)
The Conjuring

R

Horror

Thriller

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

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Release Date
March 20, 2013
Director
James Wan
Cast
Vera Farmiga , Patrick Wilson , Lili Taylor , Ron Livingston , Shanley Caswell , Hayley McFarland

Runtime
112

Main Genre
Horror

Writers
Chad Hayes , Carey Hayes

Studio
Warner Bros. Pictures

Tagline
Inspired by the true case files of the Warrens.

92 'Martyrs' (2015)

Directed by Pascal Laugier

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (36)

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With graphic depictions of violence and gore, Martyrs simply has to be one of the most perturbing movies in the genre. Pascal Laugier's film depicts a young woman's (Mylène Jampanoï) quest for revenge, alongside her equally traumatized childhood friend (Morjana Alaoui), against those who tormented her as a child.

"Combining the psychological and body horror subgenres to terrifyingly effective results, Martyrs is far from an easy watch."

Combining the psychological and body horror subgenres to terrifyingly effective results, Martyrs is far from an easy watch. The 2008 movie is guaranteed to shock audiences with its brutally intense premise and gruesome imagery, two elements that make it one of the most polarizing horrors. — Daniela Gama

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (37)

Martyrs (2008)

R

Horror

Martyrs explores a young woman's pursuit of vengeance against those who abducted and tortured her in childhood. Accompanied by her closest friend, who shares a traumatic past, the duo uncover a harrowing truth, plunging them into a nightmarish world of cruelty and existential horror.

Release Date
September 3, 2008

Director
Pascal Laugier
Cast
Morjana Alaoui , Mylène Jampanoï , Catherine Bégin , Robert Toupin , Patricia Tulasne , Juliette Gosselin , Xavier Dolan , Jean-Marie Moncelet , Jessie Pham , Erika Scott , Louise Boisvert , Isabelle Chasse , Emilie Miskdijan , Tony Robinow , Anie Pascale , Mike Chute , Gaëlle Cohen

Runtime
99 Minutes
Main Genre
Horror

Writers
Pascal Laugier

Studio(s)
Eskwad , Wild Bunch , TCB Film

Character(s)
Anna Assaoui , Lucie Jurin , Mademoiselle , Father , Mother , Marie , Antoine , Etienne , Young Lucie , Young Anna , Anna's Mother (voice) , Creature , Torture Victim , Doctor , Woman Executioner , Executioner , Henchwoman

Distributor(s)
Wild Bunch

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91 'X' (2022)

Directed by Ti West

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (38)

Ti West was already a name in horror circles in light of earlier critical successes like The House of the Devil, but X, still arguably the very best and freshest horror movie of the 2020s, saw his reputation rise to that of bona fide genre auteur. Mia Goth stuns in dual performances in the atmospheric, '70s-set and homage-heavy slasher about an adult movie crew who make the fatal mistake of setting up shop in the guest house of a homicidally bitter and resentful elderly couple.

Filmed in secret and set in WWI-era Texas, West's prequel Pearl was a further acting showcase for Goth, and in some ways even more confident and impressive than X. 2024's trilogy capper MaXXXine stumbled a bit in its plotting, but as a technical exercise and artistically vibrant tribute to '80s slashers, it ruled. Together, West's magnum opus is quite possibly the best horror trilogy of all time. — Samuel R. Murrian

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The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (39)
X (2022)

R

Horror

Mystery

Thriller

In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.

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Release Date
March 18, 2022

Director
Ti West
Cast
Mia Goth , Jenna Ortega , Brittany Snow , Kid Cudi

Runtime
105 minutes
Main Genre
Horror

Writers
Ti West

Studio
A24

90 'Paranormal Activity' (2007)

Directed by Oren Peli

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (44)

When young couple Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) move into a new home, they begin to suspect they may be plagued by supernatural events. Hoping to catch something on tape, they place several cameras around their house and reveal something sinister in the process.

While Paranormal Activity is far from the original found footage horror movie, it has had the greatest impact on the genre behind only The Blair Witch Project. Despite such a basic premise, Paranormal Activity became a massive hit commercially and spawned a wave of imitators that all failed to reach the same success. —Ty Weinert

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The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (45)
Paranormal Activity

R

Horror

Mystery

After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.

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Release Date
October 16, 2009

Director
Oren Peli
Cast
Katie Featherston , Micah Sloat , Mark Fredrichs , Amber Armstrong , Ashley Palmer

Runtime
86 minutes
Main Genre
Horror

Writers
Oren Peli

89 'Funny Games' (1997)

Directed by Michael Haneke

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (51)

With this 1997 art-house white-knuckler, Michael Haneke honed his occasionally self-serving indictment of audiences who look toward violence, torture, and death for their entertainments to a fine point. Two pleasant-seeming psychotics enter the home of an affluent family and put them through a series of near-sickening games in which their lives are constantly on the line. The psychotic boys intermittently address the audience, and even rewind the film at one point, suggesting that the viewers are in on their cruel activities and are, in a way, rooting for them.

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Funny Games is a stunning criticism that hits like a jackhammer at certain moments, but Haneke cops out in one regard, in that he never faces his own place in the making of films that are mainly built on suffering and death. Still, Funny Games is one of the venerable filmmaker’s most exhilarating creations, right up there with Cache, Code Unknown, and The White Ribbon, and though his moral arguments are muddled, the power of his film’s clinical visuals and menacing plot turns cannot be denied. — Chris Cabin

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (52)

Funny Games (1997)

Not Rated

Thriller

Crime

Drama

Two violent young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic "games" with one another for their own amusement.

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Release Date
March 11, 1998
Director
Michael Haneke

Cast
Susanne Lothar , Ulrich Mühe , Arno Frisch , Frank Giering

Runtime
108 minutes
Main Genre
Thriller
Writers
Michael Haneke

88 'Black Sunday' (1960)

Directed by Mario Bava

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (55)

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Before Mario Bava would direct the earliest identifiable slasher films in Italy, which genre-lovers loving know as giallos, he made this gothic throwback that could easily stand astride the best of Hammer Films’ output of the previous decade. Black Sunday begins with a stunning and horrific opening sequence that would get the film banned in the UK for years, although it is nowhere near as violent as Bava’s films would become less than half a decade later.

In the opening, Princess Asa (Barbara Steele) is convicted of being a witch and has a bulky and spiky satanic mask nailed onto her face by a massive mallet. She’s buried alongside her lover in a crypt. 200 years later, two doctors discover the tomb, are attacked by a bat and blood is spilled on her casket. They curiously pry the mask off of the Satanic Princess’ face and a curse is unleashed, as Asa takes possession of a virginal woman in town (Steele again) and sets out to unleash her revenge. This is Bava's first great horror. — Brian Formo

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Black Sunday

R

Action

Thriller

Release Date
April 1, 1977

Director
John Frankenheimer
Cast
Robert Shaw , Bruce Dern , Marthe Keller , Fritz Weaver

Runtime
143
Main Genre
Action

87 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' (1986)

Directed by John McNaughton

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (56)

John McNaughton’s squirmy, hard-to-watch serial killer observation in the wild, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, not only makes you confront the psychology of a serial killer, it should make you rethink why you’re okay with certain people dying in horror films but hope that others survive.

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Michael Rooker plays Henry and it’s a brilliant performance. His Henry isn’t an approachable guy who goes dark on you when triggered. His Henry doesn’t have any wildly disturbed tics, either. Something is off, but that thing that Henry is missing is empathy and a conscience (he never knows when he’s going past a personal barrier) and it’s the type of personality dysfunction that usually can’t be picked up on until you’re already a little too close. You don’t watch Portrait of a Serial Killer for excitement and shrieks; you watch it to pass a basic humanity test. If you’re deeply troubled by the film and can’t shake it, you have a conscience. In some miraculous way, Henry will improve your viewing of horror films and shift your attention more to the victims and away from a fixation on the killer. — Brian Formo

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (57)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

R

Crime

Independent

Drifter Henry teams up with fellow ex-con Otis for a series of brutal, random murders. As they descend deeper into violence, Otis' sister Becky becomes entangled in their dark world. The film offers a stark, unflinching portrayal of a serial killer's psyche and the disturbing impact on those around him.

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Release Date
January 5, 1990

Director
John McNaughton
Cast
Michael Rooker , Tom Towles , Tracy Arnold

Runtime
83 minutes

86 'Nosferatu the Vampyre' (1979)

Directed by Werner Herzog

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (63)

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A remake of the original 1922 classic, Nosferatu the Vampyre follows Count Dracula (Klaus Kinski) as the legendary vampire arrives in Wismar and begins terrorizing the local community. He becomes enchanted by Lucy Harker (Isabelle Adjani) and sets out to make the woman his unwilling wife.

One of the best takes on the legendary source material, Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre succeeds courtesy of wonderful direction and terrific performances from the cast. Kinsi in particular offers one of the greatest performances of Dracula. The actor's reputation has taken hit after hit over the years due to off-camera behavior, but his collaborations with Herzog are, like Nosferatu himself, immortal.—Ty Weinert

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (64)
Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)

PG

Drama

Horror

Jonathan Harker, a real estate agent, ventures to Transylvania to finalize a property sale with Count Dracula, only to discover that his client is an ancient vampire. Dracula, drawn to Harker's wife, Lucy, relocates to Harker's town, unleashing a wave of death and despair. As Dracula's influence spreads, Lucy finds herself at the heart of the battle against the undead, facing unimaginable horrors to protect her loved ones.

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Release Date
January 17, 1979

Director
Werner Herzog
Cast
Klaus Kinski , Isabelle Adjani , Bruno Ganz , Roland Topor , Walter Ladengast

Runtime
107 Minutes

Main Genre
Drama

Writers
Werner Herzog , Tom Shachtman , Martje Grohmann

Studio(s)
Werner Herzog Filmproduktion , Gaumon , tZweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Distributor(s)
Twentieth Century Fox

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85 'Onibaba' (1964)

Directed by Kaneto Shindo

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (69)

Onibaba takes place during a civil war in Medieval Japan and follows a mother (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura). Impoverished because of the war, the two women murder passing soldiers and take their supplies before a new threat comes between them.

"Onibaba regularly shuffles between beauty and terror, often in the same scene."

Towing the line between horror movie and period drama, Onibaba remains creepily atmospheric throughout its runtime. From the sights of reeds blowing in the wind to the images of mutilated bodies, Onibaba regularly shuffles between beauty and terror, often in the same scene. — Ty Weinert

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The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (70)

Onibaba

Drama

Historical

Horror

Release Date
November 21, 1964

Director
Kaneto Shindō

Cast
Nobuko Otowa , Jitsuko Yoshimura , Kei Satō , Taiji Tonoyama

Runtime
102 Minutes

Main Genre
Drama

Writers
Kaneto Shindō

Studio(s)
Kindai Eiga Kyokai , Tokyo Eiga

Distributor(s)
Toho

84 'Evil Dead II' (1987)

Directed by Sam Raimi

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (71)

Brace yourself, those who have never tangled with Evil Dead II before! If you’ve already seen The Evil Dead…well, some of this might come off as familiar. And yes, it really, really is all but identical in content to the first film. And yet, that’s what makes its crucial differentiations, the decisive ways in which director Sam Raimi makes this its own gory, glorious movie, all the more impressive. Ash’s second trip to the cabin in the woods promises that he’ll be dead by dawn and that his companions will be decimated.

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Well, the Deadites who made that claim were half right at least. This is where Ash gets his famous chainsaw hand and inaugurates it with the blood of a few white-eyed banshees. It’s funnier, it’s scarier, and to quote Jack Black in Stephen Frears’ adaptation of High Fidelity, "the soundtrack kicks f***ing ass." – Chris Cabin

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (72)

Evil Dead 2

R

Horror

Comedy

Ash Williams, the lone survivor of an earlier onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits, holes up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.

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Release Date
March 13, 1987
Director
Sam Raimi
Cast
Bruce Campbell , Sarah Berry , Denise Bixler , Kassie Wesley DePaiva , Ted Raimi

Runtime
84 minutes
Writers
Scott Spiegel , Sam Raimi

Studio

Tagline

83 'Candyman' (1992)

Directed by Bernard Rose

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (77)

A grad student searching for a gripping topic for her thesis, Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) believes she has found it in Cabrini-Green, where the legend of a hook-handed man reigns over the locals. Helen finds plenty to write about, but also finds herself grappling with the Candyman (Tony Todd), the boogeyman all the tales center around.

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"Candyman gifted the world with Todd’s legendary performance as the ghostly killer."

One of the greatest slasher movies of all time, Candyman gifted the world with Todd’s legendary performance as the ghostly killer. With his tall, imposing presence and his velvety voice, Candyman works like a modern-day Dracula as he appears to slaughter those foolish enough to utter his name five times. — Ty Weinert

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (78)
Candyman (1992)

R

Horror

Drama

Thriller

A graduate student researching urban legends discovers the terrifying tale of Candyman, a vengeful spirit with a hook for a hand. As she delves deeper into his history, she unwittingly summons him, leading to a series of gruesome murders. The line between myth and reality blurs as she fights to survive his wrath.

Where to Watch

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Release Date
October 16, 1992

Director
Bernard Rose
Cast
Virginia Madsen , Tony Todd , Xander Berkeley , Kasi Lemmons , Vanessa Williams , DeJuan Guy , Marianna Elliott , Ted Raimi

Runtime
100 Minutes
Main Genre
Horror

Writers
Bernard Rose

Character(s)
Helen Lyle , Candyman , Trevor Lyle , Bernadette Walsh , Anne-Marie McCoy , Jake , Clara , Billy

82 'Jacob's Ladder' (1990)

Directed by Adrian Lyne

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (85)

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Still haunted by his experience in the Vietnam War, postal worker Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) finds his terrifying nightmares becoming a reality. With the disturbing visions becoming stronger with each passing day, Jacob sets out to reveal the truth of his ordeal.

One of the most emotionally draining horror movies, Jacob’s Ladder is effective at placing the audience in Jacob’s shoes as he is worn down by each new disturbing revelation. It's an astute exploration of psychology and trauma as well as a frightening horror film. It proved to be highly influential in the horror genre, beyond just cinema, as the video game series Silent Hill is inspired heavily by the film.— Ty Weinert

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (86)

Jacob's Ladder

R

Drama

Horror

Mystery

Jacob's Ladder is a horror mystery centering on a mourning father and scarred Vietnam War vet named Jacob that is dealing with dissociation. After his child dies, Jacob struggles to separate reality from his delusions. Jacob's Ladder stars Tim Robbins alongsideElizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, and Jason Alexander.

Release Date
November 2, 1990
Director
Adrian Lyne
Cast
Tim Robbins , Elizabeth Peña , Danny Aiello , Matt Craven , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Jason Alexander

Runtime
113 minutes

Main Genre
Drama

Writers
Bruce Joel Rubin

Tagline
The most frightening thing about Jacob Singer's nightmare is that he isn't dreaming.

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81 'Videodrome' (1983)

Directed by David Cronenberg

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (87)

When Max (James Woods), a television producer, discovers a strange broadcast signal that displays snuff films, he sets out to reveal its origins. The resulting journey causes Max to fall down a dark rabbit hole as he begins to question what is real and what is simply part of the show.

Directed by body horror master David Cronenberg, Videodrome is often cited as one of his best films and a pillar of the genre. Despite being three decades old, Videodrome feels just as fresh today, with its analysis of an audience obsessed with sex and violence seemingly ahead of its time. —Ty Weinert

The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked (88)
Videodrome

R

Horror

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

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*Availability in US

Release Date
February 4, 1983
Director
David Cronenberg

Cast
James Woods , Sonja Smits , Deborah Harry , Peter Dvorsky , Leslie Carlson , Jack Creley

Runtime
87

Main Genre
Horror
Writers
David Cronenberg

Tagline
First it controls your mind. Then it destroys your body.

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