- 9 months ago
Sleep with the lights on tonight! Join us as we count down our picks for the most bone-chilling films ever created. From demonic possessions to slasher classics, psychological thrillers to supernatural encounters, these movies will haunt your nightmares long after viewing. Which terrifying tale made you hide behind your hands?
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the creepiest, spookiest, and or most frightening films ever made.
00:25This movie heads into familiar territory with a new angle.
00:28Talk To Me delves into themes such as grief, with characters wanting to contact the dead.
00:45This leads to some harrowing scenes about communicating with and being possessed by spirits.
00:51Not only that, the story shows what kids could do with easy access to ghosts.
00:55The rules seem simple enough, but there are always consequences for breaking them.
01:00This is where the plot forces viewers to confront the uncomfortable side effects of abusing such power.
01:10As you wait for the other shoe to drop, the afterlife fights back with full force.
01:19Number 49. The Hills Have Eyes
01:22For his third movie, Wes Craven takes a look at a vacation gone horribly wrong.
01:27A family finds themselves stuck in the desert with evil lurking everywhere.
01:31I hate it out here.
01:33It's just uncomfortable, that's all.
01:35It's more than uncomfortable.
01:36If the threat of exposure isn't enough, there are also some people-eating villains ready to attack the heroes.
01:42The low budget gives this adventure a more eerie feel as the group hopes for rescue.
01:47As the situation looks dire, people like Pluto appear to fuel your nightmares for a long time.
01:53Craven ensures that you will not be traveling to the Southwest anytime soon.
01:57What are we gonna do?
02:00They got our food, our ammo, they killed Dad and Lynn, and they got the baby.
02:05And they're gonna be back.
02:06What are we gonna do?
02:10As the finale draws near, audiences might be worried about even petting a dog again.
02:16Number 48. A Serbian Film
02:18It's a movie that's famous for being censored for all kinds of graphic content.
02:23A Serbian film is not a fun watch, but it certainly lives up to its reputation.
02:28The story follows a desperate actor willing to go too far to support himself and his family.
02:47This leads him down a road of criminal filmmaking and truly unsettling material.
02:51The worst this movie has to offer cannot be expressed in this particular video.
02:55For curious viewers, the plot exists to shock and provoke you into the outer limits of bad taste.
03:07Don't say we didn't warn you before you take the plunge.
03:10Number 47. Carrie
03:12Turning Stephen King's first novel into a film,
03:15director Brian De Palma created something of a horror landmark.
03:18We're all sorry about this incident, Cassie.
03:21It's Carrie!
03:21The teenage hero endures mistreatment at the hands of her fellow classmates.
03:27This is only the half of it, though, with her mom dishing out some bad parenting as well.
03:32Carrie's only relief might be the high school prom.
03:35As it turns out, her lingering abilities are only waiting to come out.
03:39This whole plot might be scary for the revenge scene alone.
03:43It finds a way to deal with the horrors of growing up,
03:45but also blend in some telekinetic trickery.
03:48King's source material and De Palma's direction turn being a teenager into an even worse ordeal.
04:00Number 46. Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom
04:04Adapting the Marquis de Sade,
04:06Pier Paolo Pasolini created a disturbing depiction of World War II-era Italy.
04:10The preparations for our undertaking are now all completed.
04:13Everything is ready and we can leave.
04:15Four men subject teens to unspeakable horrors at a villa.
04:19Political metaphors, unsightly rituals,
04:21and violent episodes mixed together for an unsettling experience.
04:25This is among the furthest things from your traditional movie experience.
04:29You could argue it's designed to shock you or to push you to the brink of your own sanity.
04:34It will definitely scare you into wondering about the darkest corners of human behavior.
04:38I beg you to have mercy on a hopeless innocent.
04:46Think how I suffered because of the death of my mother.
04:49Rather than giving you any relief,
04:51the film digs deeper until you want to turn it off.
04:54Number 45. The Innocents
04:56In this throwback film,
04:58Debra Carr plays a governess that's slowly starting to lose her grip with reality.
05:02He did, he had the devil's own eye.
05:05I mean, that's his way, the master's.
05:08But of whom did you speak first?
05:10Why, the master, of course.
05:11There's nobody else, miss.
05:13Nobody at all.
05:14Her new job turns out to be much more frightening than anyone could have imagined.
05:19At a large estate,
05:20the main character seems to encounter spirits from the afterlife.
05:23The spooky plot still packs a punch despite its vintage and formal looks.
05:27The Innocents makes for a ghost story that sneaks up on you,
05:31but later makes you question your own beliefs.
05:33As for the other night, miss, put it out of your mind.
05:36Pretend it was part of a dream, which perhaps it was.
05:39A dream?
05:40Well, don't you think I want to believe that?
05:42It's also a movie about possession and contacting ghosts
05:45that'll have you biting your nails until the end.
05:49Number 44. The Wicker Man
05:50After a girl goes missing,
05:52Sergeant Howie travels to a remote island to investigate.
05:55That's not May's daughter, though.
06:01No, she's not May's.
06:03Then who is she?
06:05He then encounters pagan locals that aren't helpful with his mission.
06:08Along the way,
06:09the Christian hero must confront his own preconceived notions about other religions.
06:14The fish-out-of-water story mixes belief with the constant threat of violence.
06:18As you're watching,
06:19you want Howie to be careful as he's surrounded by people that might turn on him.
06:23You must, of course, do as you see fit, Sergeant.
06:29Perhaps it's just as well that you won't be here tomorrow
06:31to be offended by the sight of our May Day celebrations.
06:35This all culminates with the horrifying climax
06:37where the meaning of the title becomes clear.
06:40The Wicker Man finds a way to make you afraid of the daylight,
06:43with the Summer Isle population hiding sinister motivations.
06:47Number 43. Suspiria
06:49In this Italian horror movie,
06:51Dario Argento sets the stage for the most vicious dance film ever.
06:55Susie Bagnon arrives at an academy with a seedy backstory.
06:58Jessica Harper's character slowly discovers the creepy truth,
07:11with loads of disgusting surprises.
07:13There are maggots, witches, and a number of dramatic deaths.
07:17Argento's artistic direction only makes it all unforgettable.
07:21As the story unfolds,
07:23the blend of ballet and murder keeps you on edge.
07:26Susie, you're nothing.
07:28You're a monster.
07:29You're a monster.
07:35I don't want to die.
07:38I'm a monster.
07:39I'm a monster.
07:40Don't leave me alone.
07:42It all builds up to an explosive ending
07:44that takes your breath away.
07:46If you've only seen the remake,
07:48you should definitely go back to the original.
07:51Number 42.
07:52The Devil's Backbone
07:53Guillermo del Toro is known for both blockbusters
07:56and Oscar-winning films,
07:58blending horror and fantasy into his productions.
08:00I can't edit.
08:01The filmmaker's imagination runs wild in this piece of historical fiction.
08:16Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War,
08:19an orphanage deals with the political tensions
08:22between nationalists and republicans.
08:24It's an engaging narrative that immerses you in a haunting atmosphere.
08:27With gold on the line,
08:36the fiery climax comes together as a spirit makes its presence known.
08:40The Devil's Backbone makes you afraid of the real world
08:43as much as it does the supernatural.
08:46Number 41.
08:47Cannibal Holocaust
08:48If this title doesn't scare you off,
08:50the movie might before it's all over.
08:52For us, the difficult doesn't exist,
08:54and the impossible takes just a little more time.
08:57Cannibal Holocaust follows efforts to search for a missing film crew.
09:01When a rescue squad recovers the footage,
09:03the story becomes much more complicated.
09:06It turns out that the filmmakers were doing all kinds of terrible things
09:09on their rainforest journey.
09:11Director Ruggiero Deodato doesn't mind showing you most of it in gruesome detail.
09:15Where's Faye?
09:17I don't know.
09:17Turn the camera off, will you?
09:21If the staged violence isn't enough,
09:24there are also some genuinely upsetting scenes with animals.
09:27It's definitely not for the faint of heart
09:29or the weak stomachs in the audience.
09:32Number 40.
09:33The Haunting
09:34As a horror movie from 1963,
09:37The Haunting might not seem scary at first glance.
09:39All my life, I've been looking for an honestly haunted house.
09:43In the interests of psychic research,
09:45you must let me have it for a few weeks during my leave of absence.
09:47This slow burn film starts with a creepy introduction
09:50before getting into the central conflict.
09:52A paranormal investigator and others visit a house
09:55to determine if it's really haunted.
09:57One woman named Eleanor is drawn into the location's web
10:00of spooky sounds, voices, and encounters.
10:03It's ultimately a movie that slowly casts a spell over you.
10:07Are you all right?
10:08No door, no!
10:13It's against the top of the door!
10:16If you buy into the concept,
10:17you'll find the climax breathtaking and somewhat shocking.
10:21You shouldn't count out this old mansion
10:22or its ability to give you the creeps.
10:25Number 39.
10:261408
10:27When you adapt Stephen King,
10:29you've got a good chance of scaring a few people.
10:31The film 1408 certainly stands up to that notion.
10:34John Cusack plays an author named Mike Enslin
10:37that doesn't believe in the paranormal.
10:39No one's ever lasted more than an hour.
10:42Jesus, man!
10:43You ought to shave your eyebrows and paint your hair gold
10:45if you're going to try to sell that spook house bullshit.
10:48Otherwise, you'll scare the children.
10:49He tests those beliefs while staying at the Dolphin Hotel.
10:53Despite the cute name,
10:54the place is anything but a fun time.
10:57Enslin tries to document his journey
10:59through all of its incredible and inexplicable surprises.
11:02Before too long,
11:03the man cannot deny that something strange is happening there.
11:07It's not that what I'm seeing.
11:08It's not real.
11:09It just ain't as real as it seems.
11:11Memories, visions, and nightmares converge
11:14as the main character struggles to escape.
11:17Number 38.
11:18A Quiet Place
11:19Silence is golden in this horror movie.
11:22In a world overrun by blind monsters,
11:25humans survive by being as quiet as possible.
11:28This presents plenty of problems for the Abbott family.
11:38Despite their best attempts to do so,
11:40they can't keep safe forever.
11:42Evelyn's pregnancy presents one problem
11:44as the group braces for the delivery.
11:46Throughout this suspenseful film,
11:48you find yourself wanting to be as silent
11:50as the characters on screen.
11:52It's an immersive plot that asks viewers
11:54what they might do in the same situation.
11:57When every sound you make could be your last,
12:06you start to think much differently about life.
12:09This concept creates a bunch of scary standoffs
12:12between people and aliens.
12:14Number 37.
12:15Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer
12:17Given the title,
12:19viewers should expect an upsetting look
12:20at a murderer's life.
12:22The movie dramatizes the story of serial killers
12:24and their worst impulses.
12:26You think I'm lying?
12:32I feel like I know you.
12:35Like I've known you for a long time.
12:37With some realistic scenes of violence,
12:39it takes the idea of a crime film to its extreme.
12:43Michael Rooker's intense performance
12:44only enhances the unnerving set pieces.
12:47Following the depraved tendencies
12:49of the title character,
12:50the story makes you wince
12:51with all of its explicit content.
12:53It's always the same.
12:55And it's always different.
12:58What do you mean?
13:01It's either you or them,
13:02one way or the other.
13:05Ain't that right?
13:06You will not think about a TV set
13:08the same way again.
13:10Director John McNaughton created an indie classic
13:12with no shortage of gritty material.
13:15Number 36.
13:16Don't Look Now.
13:17John and Linda Baxter lose their daughter
13:19in a terrible accident.
13:21They try to grieve in Venice,
13:23but psychics and strange sightings plague them.
13:25Hey!
13:27Hey!
13:32What's that, John?
13:33This leads the couple down a road
13:34of possibly contacting their child.
13:37Don't Look Now tackles serious themes
13:39in beautiful places,
13:40but hints at more tragedy on the horizon.
13:43The movie sets up several mysteries
13:45before laying you out with a killer twist.
13:47It's unbelievable.
13:49What?
13:51My wife was warned
13:54that I was in danger.
13:57Warned?
13:58Giving compelling performances,
14:00Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie
14:01draw you into a world
14:02that's ready to turn on them.
14:04The Red Coat could very well
14:06haunt your nightmares after you watch.
14:09Number 35.
14:10The Fly.
14:10No stranger to body horror,
14:12David Cronenberg succeeds here
14:14in making something truly disgusting.
14:16His terrifying film, The Fly,
14:18gives you the creeps
14:19as a scientist experiments with himself.
14:23What are we waiting for?
14:24Let's do it.
14:25With an unforeseen mistake,
14:27Seth Brundle fuses with a fly
14:29and starts to slowly transform.
14:31The special effects
14:32make it all seem especially real.
14:34With the very thought of this film's plot,
14:36you might feel ill
14:37watching the makeup changes.
14:38Cronenberg creates yet another vision
14:41of technology and science run amok.
14:43A fly
14:44got into the
14:46transmitter pod with me
14:49that first time when I was alone.
14:54The computer
14:55got
14:56confused.
14:58There weren't supposed to be
14:58two separate genetic patterns.
15:00It is brutal in its sights and themes,
15:02forcing some audiences
15:03to watch through their hands.
15:05Number 34.
15:06The Invisible Man.
15:07Cecilia flees her bad relationship,
15:10but then someone stalks her
15:12with an invisible suit.
15:13She thinks it's her partner,
15:15and everybody else
15:16thinks she's crazy.
15:17Hey, see.
15:20He's not out there.
15:22I promise.
15:24With a different take
15:25on a classic story,
15:26The Invisible Man
15:27makes you cautious
15:28of something you can't see.
15:29It's a gaslighting metaphor
15:31that's both effective
15:32and tense.
15:33The hero is already on edge,
15:35but then she's worried
15:36about evil geniuses
15:37sneaking into her place.
15:39You couldn't make
15:39a home invasion
15:40look any more terrifying
15:41if you tried.
15:42As the film digs deeper,
15:44it presents some startling
15:45real-world implications.
15:47There's nothing left
15:48for you to take.
15:51You've already taken it all.
16:01It is super scary
16:02to consider a world
16:03where people don't even believe
16:05you're being tormented.
16:06Number 33.
16:08Invasion of the Body Snatchers
16:09In this acclaimed remake,
16:11the action feels
16:12more urgent than ever.
16:14Some aliens reach Earth
16:15and turn people
16:16into lifeless copies.
16:17I know this is going
16:18to sound insane.
16:23Jeffrey is not Jeffrey.
16:26The only catch is
16:27you have to fall asleep
16:28to be fully taken away.
16:30There's a growing paranoia
16:31in this movie,
16:32with the viewer encouraged
16:33to question everything
16:34and everyone.
16:36You can't doze off
16:37and you can't trust
16:38anybody either.
16:39Invasion of the Body Snatchers
16:41features an anxiety-driven plot
16:43that could be a stand-in
16:44for any number of diseases.
16:46With certain metaphors
16:47in mind,
16:48the movie terrifies you
16:49with its real-world parallels.
16:51There's also
16:51Donald Sutherland's
16:52final roar
16:53to freak you out.
17:04Number 32.
17:06Saw.
17:07Before every sequel
17:08and spin-off,
17:09there was the original Saw.
17:11It presents a simple setup
17:12that becomes increasingly
17:13complicated as it goes along.
17:15Let the game begin.
17:17A photographer and a doctor
17:19are chained in a bathroom,
17:20but they can't escape
17:21until they sacrifice something.
17:23The mastermind Jigsaw
17:24pulls the strings
17:25until the victims realize
17:26how they'll have to get out.
17:28Stuck in a terrible situation,
17:30this movie creates a franchise
17:31of diabolical setups
17:33and payoffs.
17:34The first one still lingers
17:42in our minds
17:42for its gritty plot
17:43and the ankle scene.
17:45It's also a claustrophobic thriller,
17:47pushing buttons
17:48and preying on
17:48some of our worst fears.
17:50Number 31.
17:52Audition.
17:52This Japanese film
17:54is full of twists and turns,
17:55but that is only the beginning.
17:57A man auditions women
17:58to be his partner
17:59before finding Asami.
18:00She seems mild-mannered,
18:15but don't let that fool you.
18:17It turns out that character
18:18actually harbors
18:19a much more sinister side.
18:21Takashi Miike's horrifying vision
18:22of dating builds
18:23to a surreal ending.
18:25Just when you think
18:26it's a dream,
18:27the movie decides
18:28to offer up more surprises.
18:47The whole third act
18:48might have your jaw
18:49on the floor.
18:50Miike knows how
18:51to twist your expectations,
18:53using needles
18:53and wire saws
18:54to agitate the viewer.
18:56Number 30.
18:57It.
19:00Take it.
19:01The first part
19:02of a two-part adaptation
19:04of Stephen King's novel
19:05updated this terrifying
19:06horror tale
19:07for a modern audience.
19:08Kids of the 1980s
19:09may always fear
19:10Tim Curry's portrayal
19:12of Pennywise,
19:12the Dancing Clown,
19:13but It Chapter 1
19:15introduced a new Pennywise
19:16with an even meaner streak.
19:18Bill Skarsgård's performance
19:19balanced real menace
19:21with a perverse sense of humor
19:22that helped make
19:23It Chapter 1
19:23feel fresh and exciting.
19:25We also have to shout out
19:27the child actors
19:28who really sell the fear.
19:30This movie is perfect
19:31for lots of late-night
19:32white-knuckle re-watches.
19:34You'll float down here.
19:36We'll float down here.
19:38Number 29.
19:39The Strangers.
19:40Are you a sinner?
19:48Sometimes.
19:49There's just something
19:50primal about horror films
19:52that are set in those
19:52situations where
19:53we're most vulnerable.
19:54It could be
19:55Psycho in the shower
19:56or Jaws in the open water,
19:58but they make
19:59our skin crawl.
20:00The Strangers strikes
20:01a similar nerve,
20:02that fear of our homes
20:04being invaded
20:04when we're all alone.
20:06Of course,
20:06it helps that
20:07the cinematography here
20:08underlines just how
20:09frightening that situation
20:10can be,
20:11as the titular strangers
20:13lurk in the shadows.
20:14This film is violent,
20:15sure,
20:16but it's also scary
20:17as hell,
20:18and isn't afraid
20:19to let moments linger
20:20for the sole purpose
20:21of making us
20:22look twice
20:23into the darkness.
20:23Why are you doing this
20:25to us?
20:29Because you were home.
20:30Number 28.
20:31Ju-on the Grudge.
20:32The international success
20:41of this movie
20:42may have helped
20:43kickstart a bunch
20:44of subpar
20:44North American remakes,
20:46but that doesn't make
20:47the OG any less awesome.
20:49The supernatural setting
20:50of creepy-looking ghosts
20:51out for revenge
20:52is nothing new.
20:54However,
20:54The Grudge was able
20:56to set itself apart
20:57from this horror movie trope
20:58with its evocative cinematography
21:00and memorable character design.
21:02The young spirits
21:02of Toshio and Kayako
21:04have since become
21:05instantly recognizable
21:06cult figures.
21:07Ju-on the Grudge
21:08is already considered
21:09a modern classic
21:10of Japanese horror
21:11and an absolute must-watch
21:13for fans of the genre.
21:22Number 27.
21:23Wreck.
21:28Spanish horror
21:31has a rich cultural history
21:32that dates back
21:33to the 1950s and 60s.
21:352007's Wreck proved
21:37that the genre
21:37could reinvent itself
21:39for the new millennium,
21:40this time with its adoption
21:41of the found footage style.
21:43This film from directors
21:44Paco Plaza
21:45and Jaume Balaguero
21:46makes the most
21:47out of an approach
21:48that hinges on
21:49unpredictability and chaos.
21:51The first-person viewpoint,
21:53shaky camera angles
21:54and visceral bursts
21:55of violence
21:55all make us shiver
21:56in our seats.
21:57Wreck never feels
21:59cheap, however,
22:00thanks to the quality
22:01storytelling
22:01and exciting action.
22:08Number 26.
22:09Candyman.
22:10Candyman.
22:11Candyman.
22:12Candyman.
22:13Candyman.
22:19Candyman.
22:20The halcyon days
22:21of the slasher film
22:22may have been
22:23in the rear view
22:24when Candyman
22:24hit theaters
22:25back in 1992,
22:26but that didn't mean
22:27there was no room
22:28for a new icon.
22:29Tony Todd
22:30officially ascended
22:31to the genre's
22:32Mount Rushmore
22:32when his character
22:33became one of
22:34horror's most
22:35recognizable agents
22:36of pain.
22:37The Candyman's
22:38command of bees
22:38and his menacing hook
22:40are only a couple
22:41of reasons
22:41why this film
22:42works so well.
22:43There's also
22:43the romantic musical score,
22:45the gritty urban setting
22:46and the disgustingly
22:47effective practical effects
22:49that make Candyman
22:49a horror movie
22:50for the ages.
22:52Be my victim.
22:54Number 25.
22:55The Descent.
22:56Is there anybody there?
22:59Hello?
23:02This is one of those
23:03horror films
23:04where the location
23:05itself is so tense
23:06and frightening
23:06that it barely even
23:07needs the disgusting
23:08monsters.
23:10Granted,
23:10the reveal
23:11of these subterranean
23:11beasts adds spice
23:13to the scary stew,
23:14but we were already
23:15uneasy before they
23:16even showed up.
23:17That's because
23:18The Descent
23:18so expertly
23:19drops us down,
23:20literally,
23:21into the cold
23:22darkness of spelunking.
23:23The shadows lurk out
23:25at us from cavernous
23:26walls and we think
23:27we see things
23:28that aren't there
23:28or are they?
23:30Add to that
23:31memorable characters
23:32and a palpably
23:33claustrophobic atmosphere
23:34and you have
23:35a one-of-a-kind
23:36horror movie experience.
23:38Hey, hey, hey,
23:39listen to me.
23:40Listen to me.
23:41What are you afraid of?
23:42Number 24.
23:44It Follows.
23:44You can get rid of it,
23:45okay?
23:46Just sleep with someone
23:47as soon as you can.
23:49Just pass it along.
23:50The analogy of
23:51sexually transmitted diseases
23:52is part of the reason
23:53It Follows felt so fresh
23:55back when it was released
23:56in 2014.
23:57Writer-director
23:58David Robert Mitchell
23:59may not have
24:00completely explained
24:01the rules for why
24:02the entity follows
24:03the way it does
24:04or how it can be destroyed,
24:06yet it's more about
24:06the journey
24:07than the destination here.
24:09It Follows plays
24:09with our paranoia
24:10as we constantly
24:11scan the background
24:12for who's on the horizon.
24:14The performances
24:15and the character's
24:16general likability
24:16get us invested
24:17in the story
24:18while the soundtrack
24:19keeps us on edge.
24:20This one is destined
24:22to become
24:22a modern horror classic.
24:24See?
24:25Everything's okay.
24:26Number 23.
24:31The Babadook
24:32Never underestimate
24:40the power of
24:41practical effects.
24:422014's The Babadook
24:44could have easily
24:45gone overboard
24:46with CGI.
24:47Instead,
24:48the filmmakers
24:48wisely used
24:49stop-motion animation
24:50and real craftsmanship
24:52to bring the titular
24:52creature to life.
24:54There aren't even
24:54any fatalities
24:55in The Babadook,
24:56but fans don't love
24:57this movie
24:58for its body count.
24:59They love it
24:59for the storytelling,
25:00the characters,
25:01and the themes
25:02of grief
25:02that permeate
25:03its narrative.
25:04The Babadook
25:05just does practically
25:06everything right
25:07and makes us care
25:08about what's going
25:09to happen
25:09from first frame
25:10to last.
25:11This is my house!
25:16You are trespassing
25:18in my house!
25:20Number 22.
25:21Get Out
25:21He's dating my sister.
25:23You had your chance?
25:25I can't get
25:25to know the guy.
25:26The trope
25:27of The Body Snatcher
25:28was nothing new
25:28in the horror genre
25:29by the time
25:30Jordan Peele created
25:31Get Out.
25:32Yet his film
25:32managed to inject
25:33new life
25:34into this narrative
25:35through the exploration
25:35of class and race.
25:37Get Out also
25:38subtly incorporates
25:39humor throughout
25:40the story.
25:40But make no mistake,
25:42the film is full
25:43of uneasy frights.
25:45The existential horror
25:46of The Sunken Place
25:47in particular
25:48gives us nightmares.
25:49Peele's script
25:50is smart,
25:51taut,
25:51and tense.
25:52And the subtle
25:53easter eggs
25:53hidden throughout
25:54the film
25:54make it eminently
25:55rewatchable.
25:56Why us?
25:57Huh?
26:00Why black people?
26:02Number 21.
26:03Poltergeist
26:04They're here!
26:06There's just something
26:07special about
26:07that first time.
26:08You know,
26:09those early scares
26:10that set you up
26:10as a horror fan
26:11for life?
26:12The original
26:13Poltergeist from 1982
26:14is one of the best
26:15entry points
26:16for young fans
26:17seeking to dip
26:18their toes
26:18into the harder stuff.
26:20Like many of the
26:20best horror movies,
26:22it relies on building
26:23an ultra-creepy
26:24atmosphere to terrify you
26:25rather than using
26:26monsters and gore.
26:27With practical effects
26:28that still hold up today
26:29and universally
26:31great performances,
26:32Poltergeist is one
26:33of those movies
26:34that's both scary
26:35and super fun
26:36to watch.
26:36A terrible presence
26:38is in there
26:39with her.
26:40So much rage.
26:43So much betrayal.
26:44Number 20.
26:45Sinister
26:46Before helming
26:47Doctor Strange,
26:48director Scott
26:49Derrickson's experience
26:50with the supernatural
26:51skewed in favor
26:52of the spooky stuff.
26:53And the crowning
26:54achievement of his
26:55horror filmography
26:56is without a doubt
26:57sinister.
26:58The story centers
27:05on a true crime writer
27:06played by Ethan Hawke
27:07who moves his family
27:08into a home
27:09that once played host
27:10to a series of
27:11grisly murders.
27:12His hope is that
27:13this mysterious crime
27:14can serve as the basis
27:15of his next book.
27:16If an image was destroyed
27:18then the gateway
27:19would be closed
27:19and Bagul would no longer
27:21have access to this world,
27:22right?
27:24Mr. Oswald,
27:26what kind of book
27:27are you writing?
27:28Exactly.
27:29The film is not afraid
27:30to embrace haunted
27:31house cliches
27:32but Derrickson's mastery
27:33over them is such
27:34that even when you
27:35can see a scare coming
27:36it never fails
27:37to hit the mark.
27:39Employing elements
27:40of found footage
27:40to excellent effect,
27:42sinister will make you
27:43steer clear of the attic.
27:44I made a mistake
27:45but should have never
27:46come to this house.
27:47Number 19.
27:48Paranormal Activity
27:49I would see the,
27:51um,
27:52I guess you'd call it
27:54like the,
27:54like just the mass,
27:56like the shadowy
27:56and just figure
27:58that would be
27:59at the foot of my bed.
28:00Told using video
28:01camera footage,
28:02this supernatural horror
28:03combined everything
28:04that made
28:05The Blair Witch Project
28:06and the Amityville Horror
28:07classics of the genre.
28:09The specter doing
28:10the haunting
28:10is a demon
28:11that feeds off
28:12of negative energy
28:12and has latched
28:14itself onto Katie.
28:15It seems to me
28:15that that's what
28:16we're dealing with,
28:17something that's
28:18basically connected
28:19to you.
28:20In Paranormal Activity,
28:21we get to see
28:22the psychological damage
28:23that prolonged exposure
28:24to pure evil reeks
28:26on an ordinary couple.
28:27The found footage style
28:28makes it feel believable
28:30while also incorporating
28:31numerous jump scares.
28:33But it's the moments
28:33of quiet and static
28:35that allow the sudden action
28:36to scare us
28:37to our bones.
28:44Number 18.
28:46The Witch
28:46For anyone who feels tired
28:48of the same old
28:49horror movie tropes,
28:50The Witch
28:51is a welcome change.
28:52It was a witch!
28:53Aye.
28:55It was a witch, Mercy.
28:57You speak a right?
28:59Thomason!
29:00It was aye.
29:01Liar!
29:02The feature film debut
29:03of writer-director
29:04Robert Eggers,
29:05this period piece
29:05is a reminder
29:06that there are
29:07a lot of different ways
29:08to scare an audience.
29:09Mother and father
29:10will find out.
29:11What?
29:11That you are a witch!
29:13Set in the 17th century,
29:15The Witch
29:15follows a Puritan family
29:17trying to scrape out
29:18a living
29:18on their New England farm.
29:19When the youngest child Samuel
29:21suddenly disappears
29:22near the woods, however,
29:23the fervently religious family
29:25is torn apart
29:26by suspicion,
29:27bad luck,
29:28and it would seem
29:29supernatural influence.
29:30Thomas,
29:31bring the children outside.
29:33What does this to me?
29:34What does this?
29:35You'll find few jump scares
29:36in The Witch.
29:37The film takes a slow burn approach
29:39that instead gets under your skin
29:40using atmosphere,
29:42paranoia,
29:43and an unrelenting
29:44sense of dread.
29:45Wouldst thou like
29:46to live deliciously?
29:49Yes.
29:52Number 17,
29:53The Blair Witch Project.
29:54The woods around Halloween time
29:56is a creepy enough phenomenon.
29:58Just tell me a little bit more about it.
29:59I don't want to go cheesy.
30:00I want to really avoid any cheese.
30:02One of the most successful
30:03indie flicks ever,
30:05The Blair Witch Project's
30:06marketing campaign
30:07made it the most talked about movie
30:09in the US.
30:10The fact that the teasers
30:11and trailer
30:12wet audience appetites
30:13while giving away
30:14virtually nothing about the plot
30:16made the found footage flick's
30:17twists and turns
30:18all the more shocking.
30:25Its unknown stars
30:26allowed us to empathize completely,
30:29which made those surprises
30:30even more terrifying.
30:32To cap it all off,
30:33the simple yet horrifying
30:34closing seconds
30:35ensured that this film
30:37was one of the scariest
30:38of all time.
30:39This movie is one of only
30:47a handful of horror films
30:48to ever make a serious impact
30:50at the Academy Awards.
30:51Its handling of themes
30:53such as gender identity
30:54have made it the subject
30:55of much retrospective criticism.
30:57But it's not Buffalo Bill's motivations
30:59that make this film so terrifying.
31:00A census taker
31:01once tried to test me.
31:04I ate his liver
31:05with some fava beans
31:07and a nice Chianti.
31:11At its heart,
31:13The Silence of the Lambs
31:14is a story about
31:14the abduction and murder
31:15of female victims.
31:17Crimes that feel
31:18all too real
31:19and terrifying.
31:20Now it places the lotion
31:21in the basket.
31:23Please!
31:25Please!
31:26Jodie Foster's performance
31:28as FBI trainee
31:29Clarice Starling
31:30was career-defining.
31:32And who can ever forget
31:33the way Anthony Hopkins
31:34inhabited the role
31:35of Dr. Hannibal Lecter?
31:36He manages to make
31:37the former psychologist
31:38and cannibal,
31:39charming,
31:40magnetic,
31:41manipulative,
31:42and ultimately
31:43one of the scariest
31:44characters in cinema.
31:45I do wish we could
31:47chat longer,
31:48but I'm having
31:50an old friend
31:51for dinner.
31:51Number 15
31:5228 Days Later
31:54Hello!
31:56One of the films
31:56that helped kick off
31:57the zombie wave
31:58of the 2000s,
31:5928 Days Later
32:00still holds up.
32:01Though many people
32:02have had their fill
32:03of these brain-eating monsters,
32:0528 Days Later
32:05stands apart from the pack.
32:07These zombies
32:08are cut from
32:08a different cloth.
32:13The film centers
32:14on a young man
32:15who awakens
32:16from a coma
32:16to find that
32:17Great Britain
32:18has collapsed
32:18in the face
32:19of a highly contagious
32:20viral outbreak.
32:21And you do not need
32:23to get bitten
32:23to contract it.
32:25The infected
32:25in this film
32:26feel like creatures
32:27of limitless energy,
32:29rabid and animalistic
32:30in the way they attack.
32:35Filmmaker Danny Boyle
32:37makes good use
32:38of confined spaces,
32:39chaotic camera work,
32:40and the human capacity
32:42for evil
32:42to anxiety-inducing effect.
32:44What do nine men do
32:45except wait
32:46to die themselves?
32:48I moved us
32:49from the blockade,
32:50I set the radio
32:50broadcasting,
32:51and I promised them women.
32:53Number 14,
32:54Insidious.
32:55Written by Lee Wannell
32:56and directed by James Wan,
32:58the same team
32:58behind the Saw franchise,
33:00Insidious is in many ways
33:01your classic
33:02haunted house story.
33:03Dalton?
33:08It doesn't reinvent the wheel,
33:09but it's a very,
33:11very solid reminder
33:12that tried-and-true
33:13scare tactics
33:14still work wonders
33:15when properly executed.
33:22After moving
33:23into a new home,
33:24the Lambert family
33:24soon finds themselves
33:25plagued by supernatural forces.
33:28Dalton,
33:28the eldest son,
33:29who fell into a coma
33:30after going into the attic,
33:32seems to be
33:32at the center
33:33of the activity.
33:34What makes Insidious
33:35so scary
33:36is its relentlessness.
33:39The scares are fast
33:42and frequent,
33:44but rather than
33:44giving audiences
33:45a genuine break,
33:46the filmmakers use
33:47mounting dread
33:48and discomfort
33:49as the movie's
33:49baseline tone.
33:56Number 13,
33:57Rosemary's Baby.
33:59Rosemary and her husband
34:00Guy have moved
34:00into a new home
34:01and are trying
34:02to conceive a baby.
34:04But that is where
34:05the resemblance
34:05to a typical story ends.
34:07We have to make a baby.
34:09Oh, well.
34:11Well, we'll do it.
34:12The unfortunate Rosemary
34:14soon finds herself
34:15the focus of occultists
34:16and their malevolent plans
34:18for her child to be.
34:19The idea of a demonic child
34:21growing inside you
34:22is blood-curdling enough.
34:24But the sense of helplessness
34:26is ramped up
34:26when Rosemary seeks aid,
34:28only to have her fears
34:29dismissed as paranoia
34:30and delusion.
34:31Because if we say
34:32anything more about
34:33witches or witchcraft,
34:34we'd be forced to take you
34:35to a mental hospital.
34:36A memorable performance
34:37from Mia Farrow
34:38puts the audience
34:39right in her shoes.
34:41You will never look
34:42at your neighbors
34:42the same way again
34:43after this film.
34:44What have you done to it?
34:47What have you done
34:48to its eyes?
34:49Number 12,
34:50The Conjuring.
34:51We don't know
34:51what's going on
34:52or what to do.
34:54Can you help us?
34:56Yes, we can.
34:57While both Insidious
34:58and Saw
34:59are remarkable films,
35:00most would agree
35:01that filmmaker James Wan's
35:02greatest contribution
35:03to horror
35:04is The Conjuring.
35:05The film centers
35:10on paranormal investigators
35:12Ed and Lorraine Warren,
35:13who are hired
35:14by the Perron family
35:15when they begin
35:15experiencing strange
35:16and unexplainable events
35:18in their Rhode Island home.
35:23Set in the 1970s
35:25and inspired
35:25by the supposedly
35:26true story
35:27of the Amityville horror,
35:28the film feels
35:29like a throwback
35:29to classic haunted films
35:31of decades past.
35:32The scares are solid
35:33from start to finish,
35:35but it's the performances
35:36of this impressive
35:37ensemble cast
35:38that make the film
35:38so effective.
35:44You really care
35:45about these characters
35:46and that makes
35:47every supernatural threat
35:49much more visceral.
35:50She won't let her
35:51leave the house.
35:51Why?
35:52What do you mean?
35:52If we take her out,
35:53the witch will kill her.
35:54Number 11,
35:54The Thing.
35:55Just four years
35:56after Halloween,
35:57John Carpenter
35:58made another classic,
36:00though no one
36:00knew it at the time.
36:01I don't know
36:02what the hell's in there,
36:02but it's weird
36:03and pissed off
36:04whatever it is.
36:05The Thing was poorly
36:06received upon its release
36:07and barely broke even.
36:09Over the years,
36:09however,
36:10it's been subject
36:11to one of the most
36:11drastic critical
36:12re-evaluations
36:13in the history of horror.
36:18The practical effects
36:20used to bring
36:20the titular monster
36:21to life stand up
36:22to this day
36:23and still represent
36:24some of the most
36:25grotesque
36:26but inspired creature
36:27designs to ever
36:28grace the screen.
36:29The gross bodily
36:30manipulation
36:31was simply too much
36:32for viewers
36:33back in the 1980s.
36:34But this uniquely
36:35terrifying vision
36:36would go on
36:37to influence
36:37a generation
36:38of horror filmmakers.
36:40Number 10,
36:41The Ring.
36:42Seven days.
36:44What would you do
36:45if your son
36:46had seven days
36:47until he dies
36:48in horrendous fashion?
36:49So you know
36:50when I'm going to die?
36:51And what if your son's fate
36:53was inexorably tied
36:54to your fate?
36:55No!
36:55These are the questions
36:58that this remake
36:59of the 1998 Japanese film
37:01attempts to answer
37:02in the most unnerving
37:03way possible.
37:04Fueled by amazing
37:05sound design
37:06and a gripping score,
37:07every moment
37:08of The Ring
37:09will have you
37:09recoiling in terror.
37:11No need for loads
37:12of gore here.
37:13With just lots
37:14of disturbing visuals,
37:15the use of psychological
37:16horror,
37:16and a haunting vibe,
37:18it's no wonder
37:19the movie was both
37:19a critical
37:20and commercial smash.
37:21Number 9,
37:25The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
37:27You see those buildings there?
37:29That's where they kill them.
37:30Gritty and foreboding
37:31in every scene,
37:32this slasher flick
37:33revels in the violence
37:34and gore
37:35that it throws
37:35at its audience.
37:36When a group of friends
37:37decides to pick up
37:38a hitchhiker
37:39on their way
37:39to a family homestead,
37:40they have no way
37:41of knowing
37:42just how horrible
37:43their world
37:43is about to become.
37:44Here's the short version.
37:46Awaiting them
37:47with open arms
37:48and empty stomachs
37:49near their destination
37:49is a family
37:50of cannibals
37:51who use the bones
37:52of their victims
37:53to furnish their home.
37:59Among the most
38:00wantonly violent films
38:02ever made to this day,
38:04if this massacre
38:04doesn't chill you
38:05to your very core,
38:06we don't know what will.
38:08Sally, I hear something.
38:09Stop!
38:10Stop!
38:13Number 8,
38:14The Omen.
38:14On this night,
38:16Mr. Thorne,
38:18God has given you a son.
38:20In this Richard Donner film,
38:22the suspected Antichrist
38:23is not in the womb
38:24or a crib,
38:25but comes in the form
38:26of a young
38:27and at times
38:28innocent-looking child.
38:29Prepared to destroy
38:30anyone who stands
38:31in his way
38:32or displeases him,
38:33Damien is surrounded
38:34by grief,
38:35misery,
38:36and death.
38:37Look at me, Damien!
38:39It's all for you!
38:41Fraught with violent visuals
38:42like decapitations
38:43and hangings,
38:44The Omen
38:45doesn't pull any punches
38:46as it delves into
38:47the life of the world's
38:48most evil little boy.
38:50Damien!
38:51Damien!
38:54No!
38:54No!
38:55No!
38:56Incredible suspense
38:57and excellent performances,
38:59notably from Gregory Peck,
39:00make this movie
39:01one of the best
39:02horror films
39:02of all time.
39:03He bears
39:04a birthmark,
39:07a sequence
39:08of sixes.
39:10So says the Bible
39:11to all the apostles
39:13of Satan.
39:14Number 7,
39:15A Nightmare on Elm Street.
39:16It was the worst nightmare
39:17I ever had.
39:18You wouldn't believe it.
39:19Matter of fact,
39:20I had a bad dream
39:20last night myself.
39:22It's a simple fact of life.
39:23We all have to sleep.
39:25And,
39:25try as we might,
39:27we are incapable
39:27of staying awake forever.
39:29Please, God.
39:30This
39:30is God.
39:33That's why the idea
39:34that a horribly disfigured man
39:36could literally kill you
39:37in your dreams
39:38is such a creepy prospect.
39:39No!
39:40No!
39:41After he was burned alive
39:42by parents whose children
39:43he'd killed,
39:44Freddy Krueger managed
39:45to stave off the hell
39:46he deserved.
39:47Nancy!
39:48Help me, please!
39:50Save me from...
39:51Freddy!
39:52While later chapters
39:53in the franchise
39:54devolve into
39:55over-the-top humor,
39:56the first film
39:57from director Wes Craven
39:58is played so seriously
39:59that we suggest
40:00you do not watch it
40:02before bed.
40:02One, two, three,
40:05it's time for you.
40:10Number 6,
40:12Hereditary.
40:13In 2018,
40:13cinema-goers
40:15were introduced
40:15to a new master
40:16of horror,
40:17filmmaker Ari Aster.
40:19Oh!
40:20Oh, my God.
40:21It's okay.
40:22It's okay.
40:23It's okay.
40:23An unrelentingly bleak
40:25and deeply disturbing film,
40:27Hereditary pushes
40:28the boundaries
40:28of the genre
40:29in ways that,
40:29quite frankly,
40:30we didn't know
40:31were possible.
40:38It immediately
40:39drew comparisons
40:39to such highly
40:40influential pictures
40:41as Rosemary's Baby
40:42and The Exorcist.
40:43The film doesn't bother
40:44with jump scares.
40:46It instead shocks
40:47with genuinely unexpected
40:48and deeply disturbing imagery,
40:50from which it refuses
40:52to turn away.
40:53The tension
40:54and overwhelming
40:55sense of dread
40:56are so pervasive
40:57that some viewers
40:58may not last long enough
40:59to see the mystery unraveled,
41:00further bolstered
41:01by stellar performances
41:02all around.
41:04Hereditary isn't just
41:05a scary movie.
41:06It will shake you
41:07to your core.
41:08Make it stop!
41:10Stop!
41:11Stop it now!
41:12Please stop!
41:13Now make it stop!
41:15Number 5.
41:17The Shining
41:17If there's one horror film
41:19that beats out the thing
41:20in terms of critical reassessments,
41:22it's this one.
41:23Directed by Stanley Kubrick,
41:24The Shining
41:25is undeniably unconventional.
41:27Come play with us, Stanley.
41:29It's a lonely,
41:30ambiguous,
41:31and thoroughly
41:31unsettling experience
41:33that, while arguably
41:34a tale of the supernatural,
41:36is fundamentally about
41:37one man's descent
41:38into madness.
41:39What a terrible nightmare
41:41I ever had.
41:43It's a significant departure
41:44from the source material
41:45written by Stephen King,
41:47but a study published
41:48in 2004,
41:49conducted by King's College London,
41:50actually labeled it,
41:51quote,
41:52the perfect scary movie.
41:53Give me the back.
41:55Stop it!
41:56Give me the back.
41:57James!
41:58The Shining
41:58never fails to terrify,
42:00but the answer
42:01as to what exactly
42:02makes it so scary
42:03remains elusive.
42:05From set design
42:06to the imagery used,
42:07The Shining is artful
42:08in its approach
42:09to inducing fear.
42:11Here's Johnny!
42:13Number 4.
42:14Psycho.
42:15You know what you're thinking.
42:16How does this film
42:17crack the top 5
42:18when relative to the horror movies
42:19released in years since,
42:20it's so tame?
42:22Oh, we have 12 vacancies.
42:2412 cabins, 12 vacancies.
42:26The thing is,
42:27while Psycho
42:27may start off slowly enough,
42:29the conclusion
42:30that it builds to
42:30is incredibly effective.
42:33Its ability to scare
42:34has been undermined
42:35by its own success.
42:36Most people
42:37already know the story.
42:40But,
42:41show it to someone
42:42with no knowledge
42:43of the plot
42:43and their reaction
42:44will be genuine terror.
42:46And,
42:46the initial lack of horror
42:48makes the sudden violence
42:49and twisted reveals
42:50all the more powerful.
42:51No one will argue
42:52against the fact
42:53that Psycho
42:53is one of the greatest
42:54horror films ever made,
42:55but it also remains
42:57one of the scariest.
42:58Number 3,
43:10Alien.
43:14Despite the science fiction
43:16elements of the story,
43:17there can be little debate
43:18that Alien is in fact
43:19also a horror film.
43:21Being stuck inside
43:21a claustrophobic environment
43:23you can't escape
43:24with a mindless creature
43:25that only wants to kill you
43:27is a creepy idea
43:28to be sure.
43:33Heck,
43:34even just sitting down
43:35to enjoy a meal together
43:36in this movie
43:37becomes a complete nightmare.
43:38That chestburster scene
43:39is forever burned
43:40into all our memories.
43:42Ridley Scott's
43:43space adventure
43:43doesn't only grab you
43:44by the neck,
43:45but also never
43:46lets you go again.
43:48It inspired
43:48a worthy follow-up
43:49with Aliens,
43:50as well as a slew
43:52of lesser sequels
43:53and prequels.
43:54But the original
43:55remains the creepiest
43:56and most shocking.
43:58Get out of the road!
44:03Number 2,
44:04Halloween.
44:05Michael?
44:11John Carpenter's
44:12seminal slasher flick
44:13may not have invented
44:14the genre,
44:15but it provided a framework
44:16that would be replicated
44:17for decades to come.
44:19And yet,
44:19the 1978 film's
44:21ability to pack a punch
44:22has not been diluted
44:23in the slightest
44:24by the countless
44:24imitators that followed,
44:26including its own
44:27many subpar sequels.
44:32In making this film,
44:34Carpenter really found
44:35the perfect recipe.
44:36Michael Myers,
44:37armed with his now-iconic mask
44:39and imposing physique,
44:40makes quite the impression.
44:42His commitment to silence
44:43adds an extra layer
44:44of tension,
44:45while Jamie Lee Curtis'
44:46breakout performance
44:47makes us feel
44:48extremely invested.
44:50Her fear
44:51becomes our fear.
44:52Musical cues
44:53can make or break
44:54a horror film,
44:55and the score for Halloween
44:56consistently intensifies
44:58the scares.
44:59before we continue,
45:08be sure to subscribe
45:09to our channel
45:10and ring the bell
45:11to get notified
45:12about our latest videos.
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45:14to be notified
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45:21Demonic children
45:28get us every time.
45:29The Exorcist
45:30introduces us
45:31to Regan,
45:32a friendly 12-year-old girl
45:33who becomes possessed
45:34by a demon
45:35after playing
45:35with a Ouija board.
45:39A terrific
45:40and refreshing concept
45:41for a horror film
45:42was taken to the next level
45:43by William Peter Blatty's
45:45exceptional screenplay
45:46and the amazing direction
45:48of William Friedkin.
45:49Unflinching
45:54and truly scary.
45:56This is what we'll
45:56always imagine
45:57an actual possession
45:58would actually look like.
46:00It forces us to picture
46:01how helpless we'd feel
46:02if ever this happened
46:03to a loved one.
46:04Add to that
46:05horrifying moments
46:06like when Pazuzu
46:07tells Father Damien Karras
46:08about his mother's fate
46:09in Hell.
46:10This is as scary
46:11as scary gets
46:12and undoubtedly
46:14a horror classic.
46:16With the Father
46:16and the Holy Spirit.
46:19Did we forget
46:23another horrifying film
46:24worth mentioning?
46:25Let us know
46:26in the comments below.
46:26We'll see you next time.
46:32We'll see you next time.
46:33We'll see you next time.
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