50 best HORROR MOVIES of all time
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40. Get Out (2017)
The first half of Get Out derives its comedic and horror strength from its ambiguity. Peele understands well that both genres are essentially two sides of the same coin; in both cases, the goal is to first have the viewer accept a certain assumption, mislead the trail, and ultimately surprise with an unexpected punchline that evokes either laughter or fear. The director’s talent is showcased by the fact that he doesn’t alternate between horror and comedy – both genres go hand in hand in Get Out, and individual scenes oscillate between modern cringe comedy with satirical bite and retro horror paying homage to Ira Levin’s prose adaptations. A perfect example of this combination can be found in the few mentioned African Americans – black characters who behave as if they have white blood running through their veins, these Freudian characters embody conflicting identities, simultaneously evoking a nervous smile and an under-the-skin sense of dread.
39. It Follows (2014)
In Mitchell’s film, the influence of David Cronenberg’s early work is evident, although stylistically It Follows seems more like a cross between John Carpenter’s Halloween and David Lynch’s thrillers. From the former, it takes the long panoramic shots of American suburbs – an easy way to disrupt and soil the tranquil and seemingly normal image – as well as the nerve-wracking synthesizer music. From the latter, it borrows the dreamlike atmosphere that leads to the belief that the ordinary world of the characters was an illusion from the start. It’s not coincidental that the director sets the film’s action in Detroit. A ghost town with dilapidated buildings and empty streets – even though we only see it in a few scenes, it accurately captures the decay that the world of Jay undergoes.
38. [REC] (2006)
The camera captures the unfolding of a rescue operation carried out by firefighters in a certain apartment building. The building’s residents exhibit signs of a strange illness characterized by fits of wild rage. The events are presented from the perspective of a television crew whose original task was to film a report on the firefighters’ work. What starts as routine action quickly turns into a tragedy as the reporters become trapped in the building with the dangerous inhabitants. The found footage style has been clearly energized and infused with adrenaline, giving the film a constant atmosphere of tension. These tapes were a kind of phenomenon and initiated a worldwide trend for Spanish horror. They also led to a series of sequels and remakes.
37. Suspiria (1977)
Italian giallo films, particularly those directed by Dario Argento and Mario Bava, though often considered B-grade movies, can surprise with their technical refinement – excellent cinematography and camera work. This is evident in movies like Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace (1964 – Sei donne per l’assassino) or Dario Argento’s well-known visually vibrant film Suspiria. In Dario Argento’s horror works, theatrical and expressionistic colors pulsate on the screen, blending together. The rich use of colors in Suspiria, especially neon shades of red, blue, green, and yellow, aimed, in the vision of cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, to transport the viewer into a surreal world of the school, completely unlike the mundane gray reality. To achieve the desired effect, Tovoli used mirrors to reflect light and placed frames with colored velvet or tissue paper in front of lamps and close to actors’ faces, thus illuminating their faces. As a result, Tovoli and Argento created a psychedelic and eerie depiction of a mysterious, claustrophobic witches’ school.
36. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
The film considered as the first fully expressionist work. It tells the story of mysterious murders involving a certain hypnotist. Even though The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari by Robert Wiene was made over a hundred years ago, it still leaves an impression and can be unsettling. I recommend watching it during a screening with live music.
35. IT (2017)
For Stephen King, this is one of his most well-known and highly regarded books, so it’s not surprising that after a somewhat unsatisfying TV adaptation from the previous century, the decision was made to revisit the source material. And rightfully so, as the 2017 film turned out to be a major commercial success and was warmly received by audiences. This success was not only due to the captivating source material but also the timing of its release: the ongoing horror renaissance in Hollywood for several years and the nostalgia for the 80s, during which the film’s rendition of It resembles the beloved Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things.
34. Ringu (1998)
Sadako provides one of the most unexpected and terrifying sights in horror cinema, just when we think that nothing bad can happen anymore. She breaks all the rules by defying physics, turning the television medium into an instrument of revenge and a path to freedom. However, this freedom might not be taken literally. Hideo Nakata’s Ringu is truly a scary film, but it also speaks volumes about fear – how it’s born and develops. It might stem from an urban legend we’ve heard, images that disturb us, or our awareness of mortality, especially if someone tells us when we’ll die. The outlet for this fear becomes scaring someone else. Nakata is merciless in this diagnosis, understanding that sacrifices will be necessary.
33. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
What will come out of the collaboration between Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino? One of the most intriguing vampire films. From Dusk Till Dawn starts off like an action movie and eventually transforms into a complete bloody mayhem. Along the way, we get to experience the incredibly sexy and seductive dance of Salma Hayek with her snake. This is something that can’t be described – it must be seen.
32. Dracula (1992)
In my opinion, this is definitely the best adaptation of Stoker’s Dracula and one of the most beautiful films about the love between a human and a supernatural entity. Francis Ford Coppola did an outstanding job, but credit is also due to the main actors: Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, and the composer Wojciech Kilar. All of them managed to create a movie that alternately moves and scares us. For me, the only thing that has aged in this film is the special effects; everything else still deeply moves me.
31. The Sixth Sense (1999)
The primary distinguishing factor of The Sixth Sense is that its plot serves as more than just a scare tactic on the surface. This time, the ghosts emerging from the closet aren’t meant solely to frighten us. They primarily serve as metaphors. The struggles of young Cole with the abilities of the sixth sense – seeing and communicating with the deceased – are nothing more than a textbook reference to the therapy for anxiety disorders that arose in the boy’s life due to the premature loss of his father. Cole can’t deal with his fears because his father didn’t have the chance to teach him how to harness his inner strength. The arrival of Dr. Crowe speeds up the healing process by aiding in the acceptance of fears as inseparable emotions and attempting to establish a connection with them. The titular sixth sense is, therefore, nothing more than the ability to read one’s own anxieties and understand the messages that come from them. Shyamalan’s film is, in fact, a highly atypical horror – it can captivate the viewer, move them, and its moments of horror, instead of terrifying, provide answers to crucial questions.
EDITORIAL team