{"id":22174,"date":"2018-10-23T23:32:15","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T13:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=22174"},"modified":"2018-10-24T13:37:18","modified_gmt":"2018-10-24T03:37:18","slug":"top-fifty-horror-films-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=22174","title":{"rendered":"Top Fifty Horror Films"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tfwhorror\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"top-fifty-horror\"<\/a><\/p>\nI<\/span><\/span>t’s been a great couple of years for the horror genre hasn’t it?<\/p>\n

Just think.\u00a0 In the last 24 months we’ve had\u00a0Get Out, It, A Quiet Place, Mandy, Hereditary\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Gerald’s Game<\/em>.\u00a0 Go back a few years more and you can add the likes of\u00a0The Babadook<\/em> and\u00a0It Follows<\/em> to the list.\u00a0 There is a whole new generation of story tellers who have devised some truly hair-raising, toe-curling, creepy masterpieces to freak us out and give us reason to leave a night light on.<\/p>\n

I first put together a list of my favourite horror films in 2015.\u00a0 Not only have there been some great new horror movies since then, I’ve also had a chance to watch some more classics too.\u00a0\u00a0Rosemary’s Baby, An American Werewolf In London<\/em> and\u00a0Hellraiser<\/em> were all on my Pile of Shame and I finally got around to watching them.<\/p>\n

Also, when I rewatched some of my absolute favourites – the ones in the Top Ten – I noticed my tastes had changed.\u00a0 Certain films had improved in my eyes.\u00a0 Others took a slight backseat.<\/p>\n

So it was time to update the list.\u00a0 A new Top Fifty Horror Films list for 2018.\u00a0 Here\u2019s what I came up with.\u00a0 I hope reading the list inspires you to check some of them out.<\/p>\n

Happy Halloween!<\/p>\n

50.\u00a0 Teeth [2007]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"teeth\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dawn is a very special teenager. \u00a0Not only is she is the spokesperson for her Christian abstinence group The Promise but she has also has an unusual medical condition \u2013 \u2018vagina dentata\u2019 \u2013 which is pretty much what it sounds like. \u00a0She comes to discover her condition when a schoolmate Tobey tries to take advantage of her and her body retaliates with a bloody and swift retribution. \u00a0What follows is a very dark, horror comedy in which the sweet natured Dawn continually turns to various boys and men for help, only to be let down, led on or taken advantage of. \u00a0But as each man learns in painful and life-scarring fashion, Dawn is neither vulnerable nor a person to be messed with. \u00a0A most unique horror film.<\/p>\n

49.\u00a0 Scream\u00a0[1996]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"scream\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The A.V Club recently published an article\u00a0making a case for the modern era of horror films<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0It Follows, Let The Right One In, The Babadook<\/em>\u00a0etc \u2013 being one of the best decades in the history of the genre. \u00a0Whether you agree with that assertion or not, it\u2019s easy to forget that after the glut of horror films in the Eighties, the entire genre cratered and\u00a0ceased to be<\/em>for a number of years. \u00a0Horror films laid dormant until the old master Wes Craven brought them back with a bang thanks to\u00a0Scream<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 a brilliant post modern take on the teen slasher genre where the killer was inspired by real Hollywood horror movies and the teen cast showed actual self awareness and understood the tropes of horror films (\u201cdon\u2019t split up, don\u2019t investigate the strange noise in the dark\u201d etc).<\/p>\n

Scream<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Scream 2<\/em>\u00a0still hold up well as some of the best teen slashers of the Nineties and Neve Campbell remains one of my favourite scream queens of the genre.<\/p>\n

48.\u00a0 Dawn of the Dead [2004]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"dawnofthedead\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t much care for Zack Snyder as a director. \u00a0Most of his recent films I find to be frustrating, misguided or downright boring.\u00a0 I feel bad that his run as the head of the DC Cinematic Universe has gone so badly.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019ll always hold out hope that he recaptures his early form because I am a huge fan of his debut feature \u2013 an improbably great remake of George Romero\u2019s\u00a0Dawn of the Dead<\/em>. \u00a0Anchored by a terrific lead performance from indy scene actress Sarah Polley, Snyder\u2019s\u00a0Dawn of the Dead<\/em>\u00a0keeps the satirical subtext of Romero\u2019s films about human nature but the film stands tall on its own merits thanks to the strong performances from the cast and Snyder\u2019s trademark visual flair.<\/p>\n

The film also has one of my favourite final acts when the survivors make a bolt for survival out of the shopping mall as they ram through the sea of zombies in a heavily weaponized bus that wouldn\u2019t look out of place in\u00a0Mad Max<\/em>. \u00a0It\u2019s a sequence of wild, unhinged mayhem that I can\u2019t help but love.<\/p>\n

47.\u00a0 A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night [2014]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"agirlwalkshomealoneatnightscene\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night\u00a0<\/em>is an\u00a0Iranian vampire horror western. \u00a0Set in the ghost town of Bad City, a blood-sucking, shape-shifting vampire prowls the streets at night, to\u00a0the peril of the hapless men who cross her path. \u00a0As you can probably guess by its genre categorisation,\u00a0A Girl Walks Home Along At Night<\/em>\u00a0is worth watching because of its unique premise, eye catching visuals and effortless cool.<\/p>\n

46.\u00a0 The Devil’s Backbone [2001]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"thedevilsbackbone\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mexican\u00a0director Guillermo Del Toro appears a couple of times in this list. \u00a0He is one of my favourite directors working today and his creepy, gothic horror sensibilities really shine throughout all of his works but perhaps none moreso than in one of his earliest films \u2013\u00a0El espinazo del diablo<\/i>\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0The Devil\u2019s Backbone<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Set in the Spanish civil war, it tells the story of Carlos, a boy who arrives at an orphanage that houses a large cache of gold and is secretly funding the\u00a0loyalists to the Republic in the war. \u00a0Carlos begins to see strange apparitions at the orphanage and his inquisitive nature threatens to reveal some dark secrets kept by the adults.<\/p>\n

The Devil\u2019s Backbone<\/em>\u00a0is a wonderfully creepy tale that has a camp fire ghost story quality to it. \u00a0It blends supernatural themes with the horrors of real life warfare and explores them through the eyes of a young child. \u00a0In many ways, it is easy to see\u00a0The Devil\u2019s Backbone<\/em>\u00a0as the blueprint for what was to come with Del Toro\u2019s classic\u00a0Pan\u2019s Labyrinth<\/em>.<\/p>\n

45.\u00a0 Hereditary [2018]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"hereditarythumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ari Aster’s debut film about a family trying to uncover the secret behind their cursed family lineage is a must see.<\/p>\n

Not only does the film have some absolutely toe-curling scares and a generally disturbing atmosphere that will leave you feeling queasy and discombobulated, it also has one of the all time great performances by Toni Collette as a woman descending into madness.<\/p>\n

44.\u00a0 Drag Me To Hell\u00a0[2009]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"dragmetohell\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Who knew that declining a gypsie lady her request for an extension on her mortage repayment could cause so many problems?<\/p>\n

After reluctantly denying the old woman her mortgage repayment extension to show her manager that she\u2019s ready for a promotion, Christine Brown has a curse placed on her, condemning her to be dragged into the literal pits of hell after three days. \u00a0Christine and her boyfriend turn to a hilariously cash-strapped\u00a0psychic for help and dabble in some ritual sacrifice to appease the demons with mixed results.<\/p>\n

I love this movie. \u00a0It revels in its silliness so comfortably and after doling out a bunch of gags it serves up a couple of genuinely effective jump scares. \u00a0My only hope is that before Sam Raimi retires, he revists this genre once or twice more. \u00a0It\u2019d be a shame not to.<\/p>\n

43.\u00a0 Attack the Block [2011]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"attacktheblock\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Horror comedies are a rare thing but when they\u2019re done well, there\u2019s nothing better.\u00a0\u00a0Attack the Block<\/em>\u00a0is a film by Joe Cornish that has the unusual premise of an alien invasion set in a council flat in London.\u00a0 Equal parts funny and scary, this is a real treat and one of my favourite British horror films. \u00a0It launched the career of John Boyega who\u00a0since attained\u00a0movie\u00a0stardom as the lead in\u00a0Star Wars Force Awakens<\/em>. \u00a0Given his charismatic performance here as the gang leader Moses, its not hard to see why Hollywood came calling.<\/p>\n

42.\u00a0 Rosemary’s Baby [1968]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"rosemarysbaby\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Everything about\u00a0Rosemary’s Baby<\/em> disturbed me to the core.<\/p>\n

It tells the story of a pregnant woman Rosemary Woodhouse, played by Mia Farrow, who becomes increasingly convinced that there is something wrong with her unborn child.\u00a0 The people around her play down her concerns and the few who believe her have bad things happen to them before they can act on it.<\/p>\n

This film really goes places.\u00a0 There is satanic imagery, cult-like behavior and a final chapter that will leave an indelible mark on any who see it.\u00a0 Of all the religious-themed horror films out there, this stands shoulder to shoulder with\u00a0The Exorcist<\/em> as one of the scariest.<\/p>\n

41.\u00a0 The Ring [2002]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"thering\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are plenty of classic horror films that I haven\u2019t seen yet. \u00a0Close to the top of my Pile of Shame list is\u00a0Ringu<\/em>, the Japanese horror film on which\u00a0The Ring<\/em>\u00a0is based.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to think I\u2019ll get around to seeing that film one day but regardless, I still found Gore Verbinski\u2019s American adaptation to be a memorably frightening\u00a0experience. \u00a0The iconic image of a long dark haired girl stepping out of a television set to claim your soul is not something thats easily forgotten but for me, the scariest shot of the film came early on when a closet is slid open and we see the face of a young girl who is described as being literally \u2018frightened to death<\/em>\u2019.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a strange thing. \u00a0I don\u2019t really think of\u00a0The Ring<\/em>\u00a0as a particularly old film and yet a crucial plot point rests on the widespread use of VHS tapes and swapping tapes between friends. \u00a0Almost all great horror films invariably get revisited later on and I wonder if some enterprising young director can find a way to make the story work in a social media saturated modern culture. \u00a0A dark haired girl creeping out of the Youtube video on your smart phone doesn\u2019t quite\u00a0inspire the same sense of horror.<\/p>\n

40.\u00a0\u00a0Suspiria [1977]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"suspiria\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Probably the most artfully shot horror film on this list would be Dario Argento\u2019s\u00a0Suspiria,\u00a0<\/em>an eye catching Italian horror film about a double homicide in a ballet school. \u00a0I\u2019ve seen\u00a0Suspiria<\/em>\u00a0three times and yet the little details of the film always end up escaping me and instead I mostly recall the dream like mood, the prog rock score by Goblin and the exquisite cinematography.\u00a0 With\u00a0Suspiria,\u00a0<\/em>the style is<\/em> the substance. \u00a0The saturated technicolour colour palette, the\u00a0unconventional camera angles and the distinctive soundtrack make this a nightmarish feast for the senses.<\/p>\n

39.\u00a0 Julia’s Eyes [2010]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"juliaseyes\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Guillem Morales\u2019\u00a0Los ojos de Julia (Julia\u2019s Eyes)<\/i>\u00a0is a criminally underrated Mexican horror film that came along a few years ago and unfortunately didn\u2019t find much of an audience. \u00a0The film begins with the death of Sara, a blind woman who is tormented by an unseen stranger. \u00a0The exact moment of her death causes a reaction in her twin sister Julia who senses that Sara has been murdered.<\/p>\n

Sara is found hanging from a noose and her death is ruled to be a suicide but Julia suspects foul play and begins investigating her sister\u2019s final days. \u00a0Before long, Julia\u00a0begins to suspect that an unseen evil is following her and her own life may be in danger. \u00a0Unfortunately for Julia, as the stress of the situation takes its toll, it gradually causes her eyesight to deteriorate.<\/p>\n

I love horror films that are patient in their torment of the protagonist and the audience. \u00a0The unseen big bad in this film is kept in the shadows for a considerable length of time, causing unbearable tension to both Julia and the audience. \u00a0As her condition worsens to the point of near\u00a0total blindness, every noise, every shifting shape in the background causes panic and anxiety. \u00a0Its extraordinary to think that this is Morales\u2019 first feature film as he shows a great talent for playing with the audiences expectations and ratcheting up the tension. \u00a0Julia\u2019s Eyes<\/em>is a wonderfully constructed horror film that more people should see.<\/p>\n

38.\u00a0 Cube [1999]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"cube\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Cube<\/em>\u00a0is a low budget Canadian sci-fi horror that is perhaps the most economical film on this list both in terms of budget and production values. \u00a0The entire film is shot in a single room.<\/p>\n

The film begins with several strangers waking from a deep sleep to find themselves in a mysterious cube. \u00a0Each room in the cube has a puzzle that has to be solved to unlock a passageway into the next chamber. \u00a0Failure to solve the puzzle can result in a fatal punishment.<\/p>\n

I really enjoyed\u00a0Cube<\/em>. \u00a0It\u2019s a clever and imaginative film which entertains both with its nifty premise as well as its colourful cast of characters who initially seem to be drawn as simplistic stereotypes (the good natured cop, a logically minded\u00a0 doctor, an autistic savant) before they begin to shift and subvert audience expectations as the pressure of the Cube begins to take its toll on the group.<\/p>\n

37.\u00a0 Cabin In The Woods [2011]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"cabininthewoods\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you can help it, don\u2019t read anything about\u00a0Cabin In The Woods\u00a0<\/em>before seeing this film. \u00a0Much in the same way that\u00a0Scream<\/em>\u00a0turned the genre on its head in 1996 with its post-modern sense of self awareness,\u00a0Cabin In The Woods<\/em>\u00a0is a film that looks very much like one thing before completely doing a 180 and ending up as a very different proposition entirely.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already said too much about the plot. \u00a0But talking more broadly, this is a horror buff\u2019s horror film. \u00a0It is very savvy about its audience and delights in celebrating the horror genre tropes and conventions with them.<\/p>\n

36.\u00a0 The Skin I Live In\u00a0[2011]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"theskinilivein\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Skin I Live In<\/em>\u00a0is hands down the creepiest film on this list. \u00a0It has minimal bloodshed or much by the way of jump scares. \u00a0It doesn\u2019t need them. \u00a0It tells the story of a mad plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard \u2013 played brilliantly by Antonio Banderas \u2013 who captures a thief in his mansion named Vicente before subjecting him to a series of operations. \u00a0Vicente\u2019s appearance changes radically over time as the audience slowly realizes to their horror what Ledgard is doing to him.<\/p>\n

Like the final scene of the\u00a0cult classic\u00a0Oldboy<\/em>, the revelation near the end of\u00a0The Skin I Live In<\/em>will likely cause you to squirm uncontrollably before you regather your thoughts, pause the film, set your media device alight in a bonfire before casting it out the window in revulsion at what you\u2019ve just witnessed. \u00a0This is a psychological horror of the most memorable kind.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still scarred by the events of this film.<\/p>\n

35.\u00a0 American Psycho [1999]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"americanpsycho\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Patrick Bateman is a successful\u00a0investment banker\u00a0who immerses himself in a world of expensive designer clothes, fine dining restaurants, phony friends and material excess. \u00a0In a hilarious pastiche of the hedonistic\u00a0economic boom period of the Eighties, Bateman extols the virtues of an absurdly complicated beautification and exercise routine, talks at length about the finer points of pop songs by Genesis and Huey Lewis and the News and endlessly obsesses over how the shade of white on his business card compares with his colleagues.<\/p>\n

Frustrated with his vapid social circle and unsatisfying lifestyle, Bateman turns to murder \u2013 prostitutes and work colleagues who bug him \u2013 to desperately try and rediscover any sense of feeling.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always thought that it was an interesting and inspired choice to have\u00a0America Psycho<\/em>\u00a0directed by a female. \u00a0Mary Harron does an admirable job bringing Brett Easton Ellis\u2019 book to the screen, setting\u00a0the tone of the film just on the right side of absurdity so that the film\u2019s darkest scenes avoid feeling too exploitative.<\/p>\n

The film is\u00a0best remembered for Christian Bale\u2019s delightfully unhinged performance as Patrick Bateman. \u00a0That moment when he delivers a rambling critique of\u00a0The Power of Love<\/em>, carefully lines his sofa with a plastic tarp so it won\u2019t get any blood stains on it before brutally taking an axe to his co-worker Paul Allen is one of the most darkly funny scenes in the entire film.<\/p>\n

34.\u00a0 The Babadook\u00a0[2014]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"thebabadook\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A single mother and her son begin to wonder if there really is a monster under the bed at night. \u00a0The Babadook<\/em>\u00a0is an Australian directorial debut financed on Kickstarter for just $35,000. \u00a0It features a fine performance from Essie Davis (almost unrecognizable from her usual role as detective socialite Miss Fisher) and from young Noah Wiseman.<\/p>\n

I remember the BBC film critic Mark Kermode refer to his favourite film\u00a0The Exorcist<\/em>\u00a0as having outstanding craftsmanship \u2018like a solid, well put together chair\u2019. \u00a0I feel the same way about\u00a0The Babadook<\/em>. \u00a0A creature feature with a spooky kid is not an original premise by any means but its the fashion in which director Jennifer Kent crafts this tale that makes it so good.<\/p>\n

The film is also a feel good story for the Australian film industry. \u00a0After being released to commerical indifference in Australia, the film found a new lease on life after it landed on Netflix and received favourable reviews from the New York Times and by the BBC\u2019s flagship film review show.<\/p>\n

33.\u00a0 The Descent [2005]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"thedescent\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You get good value for money with\u00a0The Descent<\/em>. \u00a0It\u2019s two horror movies for the price of one!<\/p>\n

Six women go on a hiking holiday together in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. \u00a0When they decide to explore an unmapped cave system, disaster strikes as the cave collapses, trapping the women inside. \u00a0Forced to press on deeper into the cave to find an alternative way out, the friends find themselves in a race against time as their supplies run low and their equipment begins to fail.<\/p>\n

For the first hour of Neil Marshall\u2019s\u00a0The Descent,\u00a0<\/em>the film works perfectly fine as a thriller about women versus nature, battling the elements and using their wits and teamwork to stay alive. \u00a0Marshall expertly weaves an uncomfortable sense of claustrophobia as the women get trapped deeper and deeper into the cave\u2019s network, lost and desperate for a way out.<\/p>\n

Eventually, a secondary threat is introduced that turns the film on its head. \u00a0It appears in one of the most pants-shittingly shocking jump scares that I can ever recall experiencing in a cinema. \u00a0This added complexity ratchets up the tension a couple of hundred notches. \u00a0After getting a perfectly good thriller, the film transforms into an outstanding horror.<\/p>\n

This film got me good with its jump scares. \u00a0There\u2019s about four of them and each one brought me out of my seat. \u00a0The Descent<\/em>\u00a0can be unbearable to watch in the best possible way.<\/p>\n

32.\u00a0 The Wolfman [1941]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"wolfman\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr) returns to his hometown in Wales upon learning about the death of his brother. \u00a0There he reconnects with his father John Talbot (Claude Rains) and falls in love with Gwen, a local shopkeeper. \u00a0The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and there are murmurings of an enourmous wolf-like creature that roams the forests.<\/p>\n

One night, Larry saves a woman from an attack by a pack of wolves but he gets bitten in the process. \u00a0Larry survives the attack but soon he does not feel himself. \u00a0He\u2019s a lot hairier. \u00a0He becomes prone to violent outbursts. \u00a0And when there\u2019s a full moon, his body undergoes a strange and painful transformation.<\/p>\n

The Wolf Man<\/em>\u00a0is one of the pioneering werewolf films and like most Universal monster movies of the era, it is a handsomely made production with outstanding special effects and a cast of talented actors. \u00a0I\u2019m not a huge fan of Lon Chaney but Claude Rains owns bones and the transformation scenes are brilliant.<\/p>\n

31.\u00a0 Re-Animator [1985]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"reanimator\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s something about the actor Jeffrey Combs that makes him perfect for a film like\u00a0Re-Animator<\/em>. \u00a0Not unlike Leslie Nielsen of\u00a0Naked Gun<\/em>\u00a0fame, Combs looks like he could or should be a sensible, credible actor. \u00a0He has the presence and manner of speech of a classically trained stage performer. \u00a0As it so happens, director Stuart Gordon has cast him in a movie about a mad scientist who reanimates the dead.<\/p>\n

Re-Animator<\/em>\u00a0takes its inspiration from Frankenstein but then transposes that story into a college setting with over the top gore and gratuitous nudity. \u00a0Of course there\u2019s a million films like this that came out in the Eighties but the reason people remember\u00a0Re-Animator<\/em>\u00a0is because it really is the best at what it does. \u00a0People can turn their nose up at its campy and shameless content but not unlike Sam Raimi and\u00a0The Evil Dead<\/em>\u00a0films, Stuart Gordon clearly has a great eye for this type of film and he absolutely nails the film\u2019s humour, pacing and psycho-sexual content.<\/p>\n

30.\u00a0 Gerald’s Game [2017]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"geraldsgame\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A married couple go on a holiday retreat to a remote cabin in the forest.\u00a0 To spice up the night, the husband Gerald coerces his wife Jessie into being handcuffed to the bedposts at which stage he promptly has a heart attack and dies, leaving Jessie trapped and alone.\u00a0 No one is expected to visit the cabin for weeks so it is up to her to find a way to escape.<\/p>\n

Gerald’s Game<\/em> is one of the best modern adaptations of a Stephen King novel.\u00a0 The way it delves into the world of both psychological and literal monsters\u00a0<\/em>really captured the essence of whats at the heart of King’s works.\u00a0 For such a simple premise, King has devised an absolutely hellacious journey for Jessie to get out of her predicament.<\/p>\n

It’s worth noting that there is a scene late in this film that is\u00a0up there as one of the most gruesome things I’ve seen onscreen.\u00a0 You’ve been warned.<\/p>\n

29.\u00a0 It Follows [2015]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"2015itfollows\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It Follows<\/em>\u00a0is a fantastic teen horror film that draws its inspiration from the works of John Carpenter and Sam Raimi whilst still maintaining an identity of its own. \u00a0Writer and director David Robert Mitchell shows a real flair for understanding how to set the stage for a supernatural horror of this kind. \u00a0There\u2019s a terrifying killer on the prowl, it has strict rules it must adhere to and then there\u2019s a cast of young naive teenagers who are its prey. \u00a0The film is handsomely put together with some evocative cinematography that gives\u00a0It Follows\u00a0<\/i>the look of an\u00a0Eighties or\u00a0Nineties teen slasher film. \u00a0The tension is cranked up to another level\u00a0when you add in the fantastic pulse pounding synth score from Disasterpeace. \u00a0Watch this movie in the dead of night with the lights out for maximum effect.<\/p>\n

28.\u00a0 The Silence of the Lambs [1991]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"silenceofthelambs\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Nearly twenty five years on,\u00a0The\u00a0Silence of the Lambs<\/em>\u00a0remains the standard bearer of cerebral horror films thanks to Anthony Hopkins mesmerizing performance as Hannibal Lecter. \u00a0His mannerisms and his one liners have become part of popular culture and he is one of the great cinematic anti-heroes. \u00a0Director Jonathan Demme\u2019s restrained and carefully crafted adaptation of Thomas Harris\u2019 novel has made\u00a0The Silence of the Lambs<\/em>\u00a0one of the most critically lauded horror films of all time. \u00a0I revisited this film last year and it has lost none of its potency and the exchanges between FBI agent Clarice Sterling (Jodie Foster) and Hannibal Lecter are as tense and absorbing as ever.<\/p>\n

27.\u00a0 It [2017]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"2017it\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In retrospect, you can see what Steven Spielberg was trying to do with\u00a0Super Eight<\/em>\u00a0a few years ago.\u00a0 Mixing horror with Eighties nostalgia.\u00a0 Creating a mish-mash between\u00a0Stand By Me<\/em>\u00a0and a creature feature.\u00a0 It just took a little longer before\u00a0Stranger Things<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0It<\/em>\u00a0perfected the formula for television and film respectively.<\/p>\n

It\u00a0<\/em>was a surprise hit in 2017.\u00a0 A remake that no one was asking for, director Andy Muschietti struck gold by centering the film around the first half of Stephen King\u2019s novel, where the story unfolds from the perspective of the kids in the town of Derry.\u00a0 Despite its horror movie trappings,\u00a0It<\/em>\u00a0feels like a love letter to summer holidays as a kid, where you ride around on BMX bikes all day with your friends, looking for adventure and getting up to mischief.\u00a0 To that end, there is a genuine disconnect between all the adults in\u00a0It<\/em>\u00a0and the dangers facing the children.\u00a0 Where the kids see a bathroom with walls caked in blood, the adults see nothing at all.\u00a0 The world that the kids and adults inhabit are completely separated and I kind of like that.<\/p>\n

It<\/em>\u00a0is a fantastic horror film because it accomplishes precisely what it sets out to do.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t the scariest film in the world and nor does it try to be.\u00a0 But it does a wonderful job of recreating the dynamics of childhood friendship\u00a0as well as the anxieties and fears that you have at that age.\u00a0 This is that rare instance where a remake\u00a0improves upon the original film.<\/p>\n

26.\u00a0 Jaws [2007]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"jaws\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ah,\u00a0Jaws<\/em>. \u00a0The pioneer of the summer blockbuster and a film so successful at scaring the bejeezus out of everyone that it inadvertently endangered actual sharks for a number of years as a result (the author would go on to express\u00a0deep regret<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0over his work and became an advocate of great whites).<\/p>\n

Jaws<\/em>\u00a0is a great case study in what makes a great horror film. \u00a0The special effects for Bruce the Shark were never that great which is why director Steven Spielberg wisely opts to keep him off screen for large portions of the film and instead the audience is left to stew over whats in the water thanks to some inspired point of view\u00a0shots paired with that memorable score from John Williams.<\/p>\n

25.\u00a0 Eraserhead [1977]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"eraserhead\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I like horror films; I like being spooked by horror films; but rarely do horror films actually get into my subconscious and cause me to lose sleep. \u00a0Eraserhead<\/em>\u00a0is one of the few films to make me do so.<\/p>\n

It is a goddamn creepy experience on a level that few other films\u00a0can ever hope to be. \u00a0The story is simple enough \u2013 a browbeaten jobsworth named Henry hangs out with his temperamental girlfriend Mary and their weird, noisy space baby. \u00a0But director David Lynch creates an uncomfortable, jarring and disorienting experience for the viewer with his use of grimy industrialized landscapes, strange hallucinogenic visuals and bizarre organ-droning musical score. \u00a0I only ever saw this film once but I remember it vividly.<\/p>\n

24.\u00a0 Let The Right One In [2008]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"lettherightonein\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Let The Right One In<\/em>\u00a0is a fantastic Swedish horror film that melds the vampire genre with a touching coming of age story about a meek young boy named Oskar who is finding his place in the world.<\/p>\n

Against the backdrop of\u00a0Stockholm in the Eighties, Oskar\u00a0comes from a broken home\u00a0and he has a hard time at school where he gets picked on by a group of bullies. \u00a0Oskar imagines what it would be like getting revenge one day but he is too weak and puny to do anything about his plight. \u00a0His life is irrevocably changed when he meets Eli, a soft spoken but self assured young girl who tries to resist becoming friends with Oskar but ultimately warms to his sweet nature.<\/p>\n

A significant portion of this film is spent observing the blossoming friendship between Oskar and Eli. \u00a0They share a heart warming and sincere chemistry together. \u00a0But there remains the ever present\u00a0threat of the bullies who continue to torment Oskar. \u00a0If only he had someone he could turn to, to bail him out of trouble\u2026<\/p>\n

I have a real soft spot for this film and it is one of my favourite vampire films of the 21st century. \u00a0If you\u2019re having a hard time tracking it down, the American remake\u00a0Let Me In<\/em>\u00a0is a respectable adaptation worth checking out also.<\/p>\n

23.\u00a0 A Quiet Place\u00a0[2018]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"aquietplace\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A\u00a0Quiet Place<\/i>\u00a0<\/em>lays down the ground rules in the very first scene. \u00a0Whatever you do \u2013\u00a0don\u2019t make a sound<\/i>. <\/em>\u00a0If you do, very bad things will happen.<\/p>\n

A Quiet Place<\/i>\u00a0is a gripping monster movie that has a fantastic core idea from which first time director John Krasinski is able to ring out the maximum amount of mileage. \u00a0It already feels like a bonafide horror classic. In fact Stephen King publicly praised Krasinski and the film, giving it a full throated endorsement after seeing it.<\/p>\n

This is a film that is inch perfect in achieving what it sets out to do.\u00a0 It is a lean, mean ninety minutes and there isn\u2019t a single wasted second on the screen.\u00a0\u00a0A Quiet Place\u00a0<\/em>starts out strong and finishes at\u00a0precisely the right moment<\/em>, nailing that memorable final shot.<\/p>\n

22.\u00a0 Battle Royale [2000]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"battleroyale\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a big fan of Jennifer Lawrence and her signature role as Catniss Everdeen in\u00a0The Hunger Games<\/em>\u00a0franchise but lets be honest \u2013\u00a0Battle Royale<\/em>\u00a0got there first and\u00a0did it better. \u00a0Set in a dystopian future where the adults in Japan are openly warring with the dissenting youth of the country, a randomly selected class of grade schoolers are sent to an island and told they must kill one another in a game of survival.<\/p>\n

What follows is a memorably bloody, anarchic\u00a0Lord of the Flies<\/em>\u00a0inspired melodrama in which various high school scores are settled and often with unexpected results. \u00a0A classroom nerd confronts the bully. \u00a0A bashful introvert confesses their love to their crush. \u00a0A group of friends make a pact to try and survive together. \u00a0What\u2019s great about\u00a0Battle Royale<\/em>\u00a0is that it has an enourmous cast and makes time for all these various subplots to play out.<\/p>\n

Battle Royale<\/em>\u00a0was Kinji Fukasaku\u2019s final film and unfortunately he passed away just as began work on a sequel which was eventually completed by his son. \u00a0It should be noted that for all of\u00a0Battle Royale<\/em>\u2018s qualities, the sequel is one of the worst films I have ever seen. \u00a0Avoid at all costs.<\/p>\n

And yes, the concept for this film is also the direct inspiration for the hit video game\u00a0Fortnite<\/em>.<\/p>\n

21.\u00a0 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [1974]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"texaschainsawmassacre\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll notice this list of horror films has an absence of \u2018torture porn\u2019 films (the\u00a0Saw<\/em>series,\u00a0Hostel<\/em>, any Eli Roth film really) as I don\u2019t much care for that subset of the horror genre. \u00a0For that reason I steered clear of\u00a0The Texas Chainsaw Massacre<\/em>\u00a0for quite a long time as I assumed it was of a similar ilk. \u00a0Turns out I was way off the mark. \u00a0Toby Hooper\u2019s horror classic not only has one of the most intimidating names in cinema history, it is also surprisingly well made. \u00a0Hooper shows a keen understanding of how to build suspense, using plenty of restraint in stringing the audience along before he finally lets Leatherface off the leash. \u00a0It speaks volumes that the films most memorable and unsettling scene isn\u2019t anything to do with a chainsaw attack but instead revolves around the world\u2019s creepiest family dinner.<\/p>\n

20.\u00a0 Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn [1987]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"evildead2deadbydawn\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn<\/em>\u00a0is the perfect horror comedy. \u00a0I wouldn\u2019t change a thing. \u00a0When Sam Raimi secured the funding to make a second feature film, I\u2019m not sure what prompted him to revisit his first film with the same lead, the same location but with a slapstick tone. \u00a0I\u2019m just glad he did it. \u00a0Bruce Campbell is in career best form as the rubber faced anti-hero Ash \u2013 a coward and a buffoon \u2013 who is tormented by the demons unleashed by the Book of the Dead before he eventually transforms into cinema\u2019s greatest one-handed bad ass, taking the fight to his possessed friends armed with a shotgun and a chainsaw.<\/p>\n

It remains one of the most quotable horror films of all time.<\/p>\n

19.\u00a0 Frankenstein [1931]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"frankenstein\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine anyone ever making a film about Mary Shelley\u2019s\u00a0Frankenstein<\/em>\u00a0that will top James Whales\u2019 adaptation from 1931. \u00a0Over eighty years later, Boris Karloff remains the most widely remembered actor to take up the mantle of Frankenstein\u2019s monster and even people who haven\u2019t seen the entire film are probably familiar with Colin Clive\u2019s manic cries of \u2018It\u2019s alive! \u00a0It\u2019s alive!\u2019 in his outstanding performance as Henry Frankenstein.<\/p>\n

Not unlike\u00a0King Kong<\/em>, the story of Frankenstein really strikes a chord with me. \u00a0He\u2019s vilified as a monster by the townsfolk but really the big guy is simply misunderstood. \u00a0All he wants is to be left alone and he never asked to be brought into this world.<\/p>\n

Director James Whale was firing on all cylinders during this era where he made a handful of classic horror films all within the span of about ten\u00a0years. \u00a0They all have a fantastic supporting cast of character actors plucked from both Broadway and Hollywood, legendary creature design and wonderful, heartfelt storytelling. \u00a0Frankenstein<\/em>\u00a0is no different. \u00a0In fact, its one of his very best.<\/p>\n

18.\u00a0 The Orphanage [2007]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"theorphanage\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favourite \u2018creepy kid\u2019 horror film? \u00a0Is it\u00a0Rosemary\u2019s Baby<\/em>? \u00a0The Omen<\/em>? \u00a0The Village of the Damned?<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0I think mine would be\u00a0The Orphanage\u00a0<\/em>because of this guy right here \u2013 Tomas.<\/p>\n

This Spanish horror film from 2007 rightfully won plenty of awards and critical adulation when it first hit the festival circuit. \u00a0Its basically a ghost story for adults. \u00a0A woman named Laura moves her family to her childhood home which used to be an orphanage for disabled children. \u00a0Her adopted son Simon begins conversing with \u2018an imaginary friend\u2019 but of course we know better.<\/p>\n

One of the games the children play in\u00a0The Orphanage<\/em>\u00a0is a Spanish variant of \u2018Statues<\/strong><\/a>\u2018. \u00a0When the film chips away at your nerves and you\u2019re becoming increasingly paranoid that there\u2019s a ghost in their midst, it becomes one of the most nerve shattering scenes to watch in the entire film. \u00a0You just know Tomas is going to appear eventually and the anticipation just wrecks you.<\/p>\n

17.\u00a0 28 Days Later [2002]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"28\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2002, everyone remembered Danny Boyle\u2019s\u00a0zombie film\u00a028 Days Later<\/em>\u00a0for two things. \u00a0Firstly, we all knew someone who confused the film for Sandra Bullock\u2019s rom-com\u00a028 Days<\/em>\u00a0that didn\u2019t end up with the date night movie they thought they were getting. \u00a0Secondly, that incredible opening scene in which Cillian Murphy walks around an\u00a0empty<\/em>\u00a0London.<\/p>\n

When\u00a028 Days Later<\/em>\u00a0was first released, zombie films weren\u2019t particularly in vogue (ah, life before\u00a0The Walking Dead<\/em>) and it was a pioneer in transforming zombies from slow, lumbering corpses\u00a0into fast paced virus-addled psychopaths.<\/p>\n

28 Days Later<\/em>\u00a0is an excellent zombie apocalypse thriller. \u00a0Great actors, tight script, intense action. \u00a0Don\u2019t forget, the\u00a0sequel\u00a028 Weeks Later<\/em>\u00a0is a worthy successor too.<\/p>\n

16.\u00a0 The Birds [1963]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"thebirds\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s\u00a0The Birds<\/em>\u00a0is a rather unconventional horror film but perhaps thats what has made it stand the test of time. \u00a0I can\u2019t really think of any other film that has attempted to cast birds as the primary antagonist and yet upon reflection, I know plenty of people who are\u00a0terrified<\/em>\u00a0of them. \u00a0And if the thought of getting attacked by a single bird when you\u2019re cycling or hiking sounds bad, you can imagine Tippi Hedren\u2019s horror when a whole swarm of them descend upon a town and begin to take it apart, piece by piece and person by person.<\/p>\n

As with many of the films in this list, the key to the films success is the craftsmanship. \u00a0Hitchcock introduces us to a cast of characters, give us a reason to care about them and then gradually clues the audience into the fact that something is amiss before bringing the house down in a bloody, feathery crescendo.<\/p>\n

15.\u00a0 Night of the Hunter [1955]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"nightofthehunter\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the damnedest thing that Charles Laughton, a legendary actor in Hollywood who has over sixty film credits and starred in the likes of\u00a0Mutiny on the Bounty<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Witness For the Prosecution<\/em>\u00a0made precisely one film as a director and it ended up becoming one of the most revered horror films of its era.<\/p>\n

The Night of the Hunter<\/em>\u00a0is a sublimely eerie thriller in which Robert Mitchum plays Harry Powell, a terrifying serial killer who takes on the guise of a Reverend to win over the trust of his impending victims. \u00a0You probably know plenty of contemporary characters based on Powell. \u00a0He has L-O-V-E and H-A-T-E tattooed on his knuckles and he masks his threats in recitations of bible verses.<\/p>\n

Powell comes to learn that two young children \u2013 John and Pearl \u2013 are in possession of a large sum of money that their late father stole during a train robbery. \u00a0Powell charms his way into the family home and woos the bereaved mother Willa while engaging in a game of cat and mouse with the children.<\/p>\n

The Night of the Hunter<\/em>\u00a0is an outstanding Southern gothic horror and the performance by Robert Mitchum as Harry Powell won\u2019t soon be forgotten.<\/p>\n

14.\u00a0 Aliens [1986]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"aliens\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sci-fi horror doesn\u2019t get more terrifying, more intense or more visceral than the xenomorphs in the\u00a0Alien<\/em>\u00a0franchise. \u00a0James Cameron\u2019s sequel is a more action oriented than Ridley Scott\u2019s masterpiece but it absolutely retains the integrity of the original and the moment-to-moment scares as just as intense. \u00a0When Ripley and her crew are on LV-426 and they hear their proximity tracker start to bleep with ever increasing frequency as the xenomorphs zero in on them, you can\u2019t help but get goosebumps. \u00a0It can be pretty hard to pick to a superior film between\u00a0Alien<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Aliens<\/em>\u00a0but what James Cameron\u2019s film has going for it is a gigantic fourteen foot tall Alien Queen. \u00a0The showdown between Ripley and the Queen is the stuff of legends.<\/p>\n

13.\u00a0 Carrie [2007]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"carrie\"<\/a><\/p>\n

High school can be a tough time when you\u2019re an awkward teenager. \u00a0Nearly forty years after its release, Stephen King\u2019s\u00a0Carrie<\/em>\u00a0remains one of the definitive teen horror stories. \u00a0The daughter of a disturbed Christian fundamentalist, Carrie is tormented at school by the girls in her class and life is just as bad if not worse at home where her mother has a decidedly Old Testament approach to disciplining her child. \u00a0Carrie<\/em>\u00a0is a\u00a0slice of Seventies Americana with its cast including the likes of John Travolta and its storyline which is centred around high school\u00a0proms and homecoming kings and queens. \u00a0What I like about\u00a0Carrie<\/em>\u00a0is the effectiveness of Sissy Spacek\u2019s performance as the long suffering Carrie and that the film resists the temptation to explain her powers. \u00a0If you make her mad you pay the price. \u00a0That\u2019s all you need to know.<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0 The Mist [2007]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"themist\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Mist<\/em>\u00a0is a Frank Darabont adaptation of a Stephen King novella that I feel doesn\u2019t get nearly enough love. \u00a0Granted it was never going to attain the level of adoration and critical acclaim that\u00a0The Shawshank Redemption<\/em>\u00a0received but its still one of my favourite creature features that the duo have worked on. \u00a0And its arguably one of these few instances where a film has improved on its literary source. \u00a0Darabont was inspired by Fifties era sci-fi horror flicks and you can really appreciate the look he was going for if you pick up\u00a0The Mist<\/em>\u00a0on Blu Ray as it comes with a version of the film shot in black and white. \u00a0It improves the atmosphere of the film immeasurably and is by far my preferred way to enjoy this film.<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0 Pan’s Labyrinth [2006]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"panslabyrinth\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When Guillermo Del Toro decided to make a spiritual successor to\u00a0The Devil\u2019s Backbone<\/em>, a \u2018fairytale for adults\u2019, the result was\u00a0Pan\u2019s Labyrinth<\/em>\u00a0which to my mind is the greatest fantasy horror film ever made. \u00a0Set in war torn Spain in 1944, it tells the story of Ofelia, a young girl who lives in a military outpost with her mother Carmen and her monstrous step father Captain Vidal, who we are first introduced to in the film when he callously executes two prisoners of war in gruesome fashion.<\/p>\n

Like\u00a0The Devil\u2019s Backbone<\/em>\u00a0before it,\u00a0Pan\u2019s Labyrinth<\/em>\u00a0is a story set during a time of great bloodshed and conflict and then views that world through the eyes of a child who retreats into their imagination to help cope with and process what they see before them. \u00a0But as good as\u00a0The Devil\u2019s Backbone<\/em>\u00a0was, it\u2019s no\u00a0Pan\u2019s Labyrinth<\/em>. \u00a0It doesn\u2019t have The Pale Man. \u00a0Or the giant toad. \u00a0Or a truely frightening presence like Captain Vidal.<\/p>\n

What elevates\u00a0Pan\u2019s Labyrinth<\/em>\u00a0to greatness is the care and detail that Del Toro lavishes onto every aspect of the film. \u00a0The character design is second to none. \u00a0Everyone will remember Pale Man not just for how he looks but also how he moves. \u00a0Captain Vidal is a terrifying antagonist because he doesn\u2019t feel like a cartoon villain, he’s a genuine sadist with bad intentions. \u00a0The film has a careful balancing act as a horror film, a fantasy film, a period drama and a child\u2019s fairytale. \u00a0It sounds like it shouldn\u2019t work but Del Toro is able to make it come together successfully.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 Get Out [2017]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"getout\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Get Out<\/em>\u00a0is an entertaining satirical horror film that draws its best moments from subverting audience expectations.\u00a0 It is simultaneously the scariest and funniest movie I have seen in years.<\/p>\n

It\u00a0starts out as a modern day\u00a0Guess Who\u2019s Coming To Dinner<\/em>\u00a0as Caucasian Rose Armitage brings her black boyfriend Chris home to meet her parents in their WASPy neighbourhood.\u00a0 But Chris quickly works out something is very wrong in the Armitage household and\u2026well, the less you know going into the film, the better really.<\/p>\n

Get Out<\/em>\u00a0is a film that\u00a0really<\/em>\u00a0goes there.\u00a0 It is an incredibly timely and provocative film, arriving in theatres mere months after the 2016 Presidential election and it has plenty of biting social commentary cleverly interwoven into its narrative.\u00a0 It is a film where the viewing experience is absolutely enhanced when watched in a packed cinema screening.\u00a0 Hearing an audience\u00a0reacting so audibly\u00a0to the twists and turns of\u00a0Get Out<\/em>\u00a0(\u2018where are the keys Rose\u2019, the cop car pulling up at the end) was hands down my favourite movie-watching experiences of recent years.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0 The Evil Dead [1981]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"evildead\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Evil Dead<\/em>\u00a0is one\u00a0of the all time classic horror films. \u00a0Made on a shoe string budget, it is a master class in economic film making and understanding how to get the most out of a handful of young, inexperienced actors and a single location \u2013 a dank, unremarkable looking log cabin. \u00a0When Ash and his four friends travel to the cabin for a holiday retreat, they discover\u00a0 Necronomicon Ex-Mortis \u2013 the Book of the Dead \u2013 and accidentally bring the demons to life by playing a recording of someone reading its passages.<\/p>\n

What follows is a lean, mean eighty five minute horror show where the young teenagers are put through the ringer. \u00a0It was banned and declared as a \u2018video nasty\u2019 when it first arrived on British shores. \u00a0\u2018It\u2019s not exactly\u00a0Gone With The Wind<\/em>\u00a0but it\u2019ll do\u2019 remarked Raimi\u2019s distributor. \u00a0What\u00a0The Evil Dead<\/em>\u00a0ended up turning into is one of the definitive horror films of the Eighties, an indelible part of pop culture and one of the most beloved low budget scary movies ever made.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0 Halloween [1978]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"halloweenthumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Production designer Tommy Lee Wallace purchased a \u2018Captain Kirk\u2019 mask from a local store for $1.98, painted it white and slapped it onto the outfit for masked killer Michael Myers and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

John Carpenter\u2019s\u00a0Halloween<\/em>\u00a0is the quintessential teen slasher film and people have been borrowing liberally from its copybook ever since. \u00a0The masked killer, the gratuitous topless scene, the expendable cast, the virginal protagonist. \u00a0All of the rules that the kids in\u00a0Scream\u00a0<\/em>talk about and riff on were written first by Carpenter with this film.\u00a0 There are few masked killers in cinema history that are as terrifying as The Shape.<\/p>\n

Happily, the film has a timeless quality to it and is just as scary to watch today. \u00a0And I think we can all agree it has the\u00a0greatest theme song<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0of any horror film ever made.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 The Thing [1982]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"thething\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Aesthetically speaking, one of my favourite eras for horror films would be the Eighties. \u00a0This was the twilight of tangible special effects being used\u00a0in film before they would largely come to be replaced by computer generated imagery. \u00a0I appreciate that CGI is cheaper, faster and generally more economical to use but I miss the look and feel of films like\u00a0The Thing<\/em>.<\/p>\n

John Carpenter\u2019s legendary sci-fi horror about a group of scientists at an Alaskan research station under attack from a shape shifting alien is surely the pinnacle of physical effects. \u00a0The film employs the use of miniatures, a $1.5 million dollar make up budget, sophisticated animatronics and stop motion technology. \u00a0When you see the cast react in revulsion at\u00a0that<\/em>mutant dog thing or when the alien transforms a human body into a misshapen ten foot creature all made of sinew and limbs,\u00a0you know thats actually a physical prop that the designers have made. \u00a0It gives the film a distinctive look and feel of a bygone era that sadly modern horror films can\u2019t hope to match (case in point,\u00a02011<\/em>\u00a0version of\u00a0The Thing<\/em>).<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 The Bride of Frankenstein [1935]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"brideoffrankenstein\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Monster lives! \u00a0Like another film on this list \u2013\u00a0Halloween II<\/em>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Bride of Frankenstein<\/em>\u00a0picks up immediately after the end of the first film. \u00a0It turns out the Monster survived the fire at the old windmill and neither he nor Frankenstein are dead.<\/p>\n

The Bride of Frankenstein<\/em>\u00a0is considered to be one of the best Universal monster films and it probably has one of the most fleshed out narratives (no pun intended) of the lot. \u00a0If I was to draw a comparison to modern super hero films, most Universal monster movies are \u2018origin stories\u2019 which are largely focused on how the creatures came into existence. \u00a0The Bride of Frankenstein<\/em>\u00a0is the\u00a0Dark Knight<\/em>\u00a0of its era. \u00a0<\/em>With audiences now familiar with the character of The Monster \u2013 a sentient creature hated and rejected by society but one who craves companionship \u2013 this film develops his character further as he saves a young girl from drowning, is taught to speak by a blind hermit and then is presented with the possibility of finding happiness when Frankenstein creates The Bride.<\/p>\n

I find the bitter sweet ending to this film rather affecting. \u00a0Not many films in this list have tender moments but the final act in\u00a0Bride of Frankenstein<\/em>\u00a0may have caused some dust to get caught in my eye. \u00a0I just want the poor Monster to be happy, dammit.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 The Exorcist [1973]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"theexorcist\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There will never, ever again be a bold and creatively challenging era for mainstream cinema like the Seventies in America. \u00a0Thanks to focus testing groups, lucrative licensing deals and ballooning production costs, modern cinema is an endless conveyor belt of super hero films and remakes that trade heavily on nostalgia. \u00a0In the Seventies, mainstream fare wasn\u2019t afraid to explore ideas about war, sexuality and religion. \u00a0Mainstream fare in the Seventies was\u00a0Platoon, One Flew Over The Cuckoo\u2019s Nest, Last Tango In Paris, The Godfather<\/em>\u00a0and of course,\u00a0The Exorcist<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Exorcist<\/em>\u00a0is a\u00a0dark and disturbing film about a young girl Regan who her mother comes to fear has become possessed by a demon. \u00a0Part of what makes William Friedkin\u2019s film so unnerving is that it isn\u2019t really shot as a horror film and instead it is presented as something more realistic and grounded. \u00a0The scenes with Regan\u2019s long suffering mother struggling to cope and Father Merrin\u2019s reluctance and introspection about performing the exorcism intellectualizes the film in a way that makes it transcend the genre. \u00a0It is a terrifying tale that mixes religion, science, sexuality and vulgarity with extraordinary confidence and finesse. \u00a0The end result is one of the all time classic horror films.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Alien [1978]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"alien\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Hands down, the scariest creature in cinema history is the xenomorph from\u00a0Alien<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ridley Scott\u2019s 1978 masterpiece took a ragtag group of blue collar works, cast them adrift in space aboard the spaceship\u00a0Nostromo<\/em>, and then locked them inside with a horrifying, remorseless killing machine born from the imagination of HR Giger.<\/p>\n

Alien<\/em>\u00a0is one of the greatest horror film ever made. \u00a0Not only does it have an unfair advantage thanks to the incredible vision of HR Giger who designed the chest burster, the alien eggs and the xenomorphs, it also has cinema\u2019s greatest action movie heroine in Ripley \u2013 played by Sigourney Weaver.<\/p>\n

Ridley Scott\u2019s film has so much quality to unpack in its 116 minute running time that it is an embarrassment of riches. \u00a0The special effects hold up superbly well, the jump scares remain as terrifying as ever and the film\u2019s script and themes exploring gender politics, class politics and corporate ethics remains as razor sharp and pointed as ever.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Psycho [1960]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"psycho\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are plenty of influential horror films on this list but perhaps none moreso than Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s seminal horror film\u00a0Psycho<\/em>. \u00a0It surely has the most famous onscreen murder of any film in cinema history. \u00a0The infamous shower scene where Norman Bates stabs Marion Crane transcends the popularity of the film itself. \u00a0Even people who haven\u2019t seen\u00a0Psycho\u00a0<\/em>know that scene.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve read that the film itself shocked and stunned audiences upon its initial release. \u00a0Although made with a modest budget and a relatively low key cast, the film completely flips the script on the audience by boldly killing off the protagonist just forty minutes into the film. \u00a0The only modern day comparison that I could think of is Eddard Stark\u2019s death in\u00a0Game of Thrones<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The film is a bona fide classic and remains a compelling watch to this day. \u00a0Even by modern standards Norman Bates is a wonderfully unnerving movie villain \u2013 best remembered for his detached manner of speech\u00a0and his creepy devotion to his mother.<\/p>\n

Alfred Hitchcock made dozens of outstanding horror and thriller films in his career. \u00a0None were better than\u00a0Psycho.<\/em><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 The Invisible Man [1933]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"theinvisibleman\"<\/a><\/p>\n

My favourite film by legendary director James Whale is\u00a0The Invisible Man<\/em>. \u00a0It is one of only a handful of films I can think of where I\u2019ve watched it endlessly and thought \u2018I wouldn\u2019t change a thing<\/em>\u2018. \u00a0Everything about the look and feel of the characters, the writing, the way each scene plays out is note perfect.<\/p>\n

Claude Rains is one of my all time favourite Hollywood actors (Casablanca,\u00a0Lawrence of Arabia, Notorious)\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0The Invisible Man<\/em>\u00a0is his debut as a lead actor although we only get to hear his voice for most of the film. \u00a0He plays Jack Griffin, a brilliant scientist who creates a serum that turns people invisible\u2026and also criminally insane. \u00a0For most of the film we see him torment and run rings around the feckless locals who can\u2019t resist prying into his affairs as he tries to find a way to reverse the effects of his condition. \u00a0He also has a love interest \u2013 the beautiful Flora (the old woman from\u00a0Titanic<\/em>!) \u2013 who desperately tries to convince the local authorities to capture him without using lethal force.<\/p>\n

I love the style and sensibilities of \u00a0Victorian era sci-fi and horror stories as written by H.G Wells. \u00a0Not only did he give us\u00a0The Invisible Man<\/em>\u00a0but also\u00a0The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0The Island of Doctor Moreau<\/em>. \u00a0With\u00a0The Invisible Man<\/em>, Whale and Rains have done a wonderful job bringing his creations to life. \u00a0Of all the famous creature features of the Thirties and Forties \u2013 including the likes of\u00a0Dracula, Frankstein, The Mummy and The Creature From The Black Lagoon<\/em>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Invisible Man<\/em>\u00a0stands tall as my pick of the bunch.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 The Shining [2007]<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"theshining\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Shining<\/em>\u00a0was not exactly a box office hit when it first released in theatres in 1980 and famously, author Stephen King expressed disappointment at Stanley Kubrick\u2019s adaptation of his novel. \u00a0Point blank, King said he \u201chated it\u201d. \u00a0Over the years however, appreciation has continued to grow for Kubrick\u2019s film and nowadays it is considered one of the finest horror films ever made. \u00a0Even King recanted some of his criticism. \u00a0Why is this?<\/p>\n

I think like any horror film worth its salt,\u00a0The Shining<\/em>\u00a0can be\u00a0viewed as a parable with various themes underlying what is at face value a writer\u2019s descent into madness at an empty resort. \u00a0King wrote the story as a semi-autobiographical\u00a0work during\u00a0the height of his alcoholism. \u00a0In his story, Jack Torrance finds some redemption in his battle with grog. \u00a0In Kubrick\u2019s film, Torrance is an irredeemable monster to the very end. \u00a0My guess is that King didn\u2019t appreciate the inference.<\/p>\n

Regardless, what become apparent when watching\u00a0The Shining<\/em>\u00a0and reading interpretations of the film later (or watching the recent documentary\u00a0Room 237)\u00a0<\/em>is that the film is a rich seam of themes and ideas, filled with symbolism and imagery that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. \u00a0Its purposeful ambiguity \u2013\u00a0everyone<\/em>\u00a0in the Torrence family is an unreliable narrator surrounded by ghostly apparitions \u2013 has meant that discussions about what the film is about has continued for over thirty years after its release. \u00a0And how many films do you know that can lay claim to that kind of accomplishment?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The definitive (and updated for 2018) list of the best horror films ever made. Just in time for Halloween!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[2770,2310],"class_list":["post-22174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-horror","tag-list"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22174"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22203,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22174\/revisions\/22203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}