Subscribe to ListverseTop 10 Horror Movies
- Published September 2, 2007 - 247 Comments
Horror films have been criticized for their graphic violence and are often dismissed as low budget B-movies and exploitation films. Nonetheless, some major studios and respected directors have made forays into the genre. This is a list of the ten greatest horror films of all time.
10. Ringu
After the death of her cousin Tomoko, reporter Reiko hears stories of a videotape that kills everyone who sees it exactly one week after viewing. At first she discounts the rumors, but when she learns that Tomoko’s friend (who watched the video with her) died at exactly the same time, she begins to investigate. After viewing the tape herself, strange things start happening, and so she teams up with her ex-husband to try to stop the death clock that has once again begun ticking.
9. Jaws
A Great White Shark decides to make the small beach resort town of Amity his private feeding grounds. This greatly frustrates the town police chief who wants to close the beaches to chase the shark away. He is thwarted in his efforts by the town’s mayor who finally relents when nothing else seems to work and the chief, a scientist, and an old fisherman with revenge on his mind take to the sea to kill the beast.
8. Poltergeist
While living an an average family house in a pleasant neighborhood, the youngest daughter of the Freeling family, Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke), seems to be connecting with the supernatural through a dead channel on the televison. It is not for long when the mysterious beings enter the house’s walls. At first seeming like harmless ghosts, they play tricks and amuse the family, but they take a nasty turn- they horrify the family to death with angry trees and murderous dolls, and finally abduct Carol Anne into her bedroom closet, which seems like the entrance to the other side
7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
En route to visit their grandfather’s grave (which has apparently been ritualistically desecrated), five teenagers drive past a slaughterhouse, pick up (and quickly drop) a sinister hitch-hiker, eat some delicious home-cured meat at a roadside gas station, before ending up at the old family home… where they’re plunged into a never-ending nightmare as they meet a family of cannibals who more than make up in power tools what they lack in social skills…
6. Carrie
Carrie White is a shy young girl who doesn’t make friends easily. After her class mates taunt her about her horrified reaction to her totally unexpected first period one of them takes pity on her and gets Tommy Ross, her boyfriend and class hunk to invite Carrie to the senior prom. Meanwhile another girl who has been banned from the prom for her continued aggressive behaviour is not as forgiving and plans a trick to embarrass Carrie in front of the whole school. What she doesn’t realise is that Carrie is … gifted, and you really don’t want to get her angry.
5. Les Diaboliques
The wife and mistress of a sadistic boarding school headmaster plot to kill him. They drown him in the bathtub and dump the body in the school’s filthy swimming pool… but when the pool is drained, the body has disappeared – and subsequent reported sightings of the headmaster slowly drive his ‘killers’ (and the audience) up the wall with almost unbearable suspense…
4. Rosemary’s Baby
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into an apartment in a building with a bad reputation. They discover that their neighbours are a very friendly elderly couple named Roman and Minnie Castevet, and Guy begins to spend a lot of time with them. Strange things start to happen: a woman Rosemary meets in the washroom dies a mysterious death, Rosemary has strange dreams and hears strange noises and Guy becomes remote and distant. Then Rosemary falls pregnant and begins to suspect that her neighbours have special plans for her child.
3. Psycho
Marion Crane is a Phoenix, Arizona working girl fed up with having to sneak away during lunch breaks to meet her lover, Sam Loomis, who cannot get married because most of his money goes towards alimony. One Friday, Marion’s employer asks her to take $40,000 in cash to a local bank for deposit. Desperate to make a change in her life, she impulsively leaves town with the money, determined to start a new life with Sam in California. As night falls and a torrential rain obscures the road ahead of her, Marion turns off the main highway. Exhausted from the long drive and the stress of her criminal act, she decides to spend the night at the desolate Bates Motel. The motel is run by Norman Bates, a peculiar young man dominated by his invalid mother. After Norman fixes her a light dinner, Marion goes back to her room for a shower…
2. The Exorcist
Blatty’s novelization of a real case of possession that happened in a Washington Suburb (Mt. Ranier, MD) puts Regan, an adolescent girl, Living with her mother in Georgetown in Washington, into a more and more difficult situation. She exhibits strange symptoms, including levitation and great strength. When all medical possibilities are exhausted, her mother is sent to a priest who is also a psychiatrist. He becomes convinced that Regan is possessed and he and a second priest experienced in exorcism try to drive the spirit from Regan before she dies. Very graphic for its time.
1. The Shining
Jack Torrance becomes the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel up in the secluded mountains of Colorado. Jack, being a family man, takes his wife and son to the hotel to keep him company throughout the long and isolated nights. During their stay strange things occur when Jack’s son Danny sees gruesome images powered by a force called “The Shining” and Jack is heavily affected by this. Along with writer’s block and the demons of the hotel haunting him Jack has a complete mental breakdown and the situation takes a sinister turn for the worse.
Notable Others: Nosferatu, Dawn of the Dead, The Birds
September 2nd, 2007 at 12:31 pm
God I still remember watching Poltergeist as a kid. Scared me to death. And i definitely agree with your place for The Shining. One of my favorite movies ever, Jack Nicholson is awesome.
September 2nd, 2007 at 1:14 pm
not a big fan of horror, but i only watched ‘Jaws’ (not too scary) and part of the ‘The Ring’ (scarred me for a week)..
as much as i’m apprehensive, i guess i’ll have to watch ‘The Shining’ now.
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:39 pm
the shining made me pee myself
just thought id let you know
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:31 pm
The Shining has to be the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t sleep alone for like two days.
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Sorry. Not a big fan of The Shining. As much as I’ve always like Jack Nicholson, I don’t think he was the best choice for the lead.
During the movie, we should see the character of Jack Torrence go from normal to insane and I don’t think Nicholson EVER looks normal. Also, I think casting Shelly Duval as Wendy was a bad choice.
And what happened to Scatman Carruthers, does not bear thinking about.
Stephen King HATED this adaptation of his book and Stanley Kubrick, the director, even said he “didn’t get” horror movies.
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Oh, and I’ve never heard of Les Diaboliques! It sounds really, really good though. Must check it out!
September 2nd, 2007 at 8:06 pm
What about Halloween 1?That was easily better than anything in the top ten.Great storyline and it didn’t have to rely on cheap bloodletting.
September 2nd, 2007 at 9:25 pm
The omen is not in here!
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Rob: that is amazing about what Kubrick said – because he sure managed to make one hell of a horrifying film despite it!
Jeff: I considered Halloween but it just didn’t rate high enough when compared with the ones here.
Null: The same goes for the Omen – I do love the film though (the original).
September 3rd, 2007 at 4:30 am
The Shining is an great film. I don’t really think of Jaws as a horror though. How about Suspiria? That’s one of the best horror films in my opinion. Also, The original Wickerman from the ’70’s.
September 3rd, 2007 at 9:06 am
fs: I was going to include the original wickerman – it is a great film. In the end one of the others won out.
September 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 pm
I think Jaws is more scary than Carrie. I could easily watch Carrie home alone at night and not be the least bit scared. But maybe that’s just me
September 3rd, 2007 at 1:27 pm
anesb: I think the difference is jumping out of your seat or not – Carrie has an underlying horror – jaws throws it in your face.
September 3rd, 2007 at 5:22 pm
The Wicker Man… do you mean that film that starred Edward… whatever his last name is, who was on The Equalizer?
I caught that one night, without really knowing what it was about and just about flipped out! That is one suspensefull flick.
September 3rd, 2007 at 11:01 pm
Rob: that is the one – Edward Woodward. I was extremely surprised with the ending – it was the first time I had a seen a film in which the good guy is killed.
September 4th, 2007 at 4:48 am
Ah, now you gave it away for anyone who’s not seen it! ;^)
Don’t pay attention to what he said! The hero’s not dead! He’s just… mostly dead.
September 4th, 2007 at 7:12 am
RobS: hehe that is true, but then again the film is so old that hopefully everyone has seen it!
September 4th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Funny that Stephen King hated Kubrik’s Shining, when the one that was on TV – “Stephen King’s The Shining” was dog doo.
Like the list, but I’m an absolute sucker for the 70’s Dracula movies – Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. I know they’re not that scary, but I love em anyway.
When I snuck into the first Halloween (I was underage for an R movie) I couldn’t sleep without a baseball bat by my side.
Also – I thought 1403 was pretty good.
September 4th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
bucslim: it seems that every Stephen King TV movie is rubbish compared to the movie. How could he hate anything by Kubrik?!
September 4th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Maybe because even though The Shining was cinematically an excellent movie, it wandered so far away from the original story, that King was p.o.’d?
I think that in one of his non-fiction books, King goes off on a rant about The Shining. I just remember reading an interview with him some years ago where he said that he had said all that he wanted to on the subject and if anyone was interested, they could read it in…
And that’s all I remember. :^(
On the other hand, King LOVED what Rob Reiner did with Stand By Me, and I agree. That’s one of the best translations of a Stephen King book to the screen.
September 4th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
RobS: Stand by Me is an outstanding film.
September 5th, 2007 at 5:56 am
Jfrater: Kubrick’s the master, until Eyes Wide Shut with that nutball Tom Cruise.
September 5th, 2007 at 6:01 am
bucslim: I have mixed emotions about that film as well. I think it contains some great music (by Gyorgi Ligeti I think) and some good acting, but Tom Cruise just manages to spoil everything he touches. He is like the reverse of King Midas!
September 5th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Steven King loved The Shining, thought it was a great movie. It just had nothing to do with his book. Thats why he made the mini series. He says so on the Commentary track on the mini series DVD.
September 5th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
sorry I meant Stephen King….
September 7th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
From what I gathered from the commentaries, Stephen King hated the fact that Kubrick chose to make the story more of Jack’s insanity over supernatural forces within the hotel itself. I got the feeling that he (King) hated Kubrick’s vision in that respect. Personally, I LOVE Kubrick’s version of the Shining and agree with the list. And while I would kind of like to see Argento mentioned (Susperia, Deep Red), I, by the way, wholeheatedly agree with the inclusion of Rosemary’s Baby, which I feel is Polanski’s masterwork. Nice list, once again.
September 8th, 2007 at 12:16 am
rp: Thanks
September 8th, 2007 at 3:24 am
I agree with most of the films you chose. There may
be one or two I would remove, but it’s a fine list.
As far as Dario Argento is concerned, perhaps you can do a top ten list on the Italian film genre known as “Giallo”. “Giallo”, or “yellow”, in Italy, refers to mystery books, mystery movies, or tv shows, as the spine of mystery novels are colored yellow.
September 8th, 2007 at 3:40 am
NightProwler: I really know nothing about that to be honest – maybe you could put a list together for me?
September 10th, 2007 at 8:14 am
Anyone see “The Descent”? I don’t scare easily and I had to sleep with the light on for a week.
September 10th, 2007 at 8:42 am
J3anJean: I haven’t – but that sounds like a challenge to me!
September 13th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
I believe that Stephen King was dissapointed with Kubrick’s adaptation failing to explore some of the thematic aspects of his story. In King’s story, Jack is redeemed at the end. In the film, there is no redemption of Jack whatsoever. King once said he believed Kubrick was trying to hurt people by making the movie the way he did.
September 17th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Perhaps you should do a Top 10 Classic Horror Movies list and a Top 10 Modern one.
September 20th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
the original amittyville horror is a good one as well, oh and the original hills have eyes
September 20th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Les Diaboliques was remade as Diabolique in 1996, sadly I haven’t had the chance to see the original but the remake was ok.
September 20th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
You forgot Hellraiser, Pinhead and his posse of demons still give me nightmares.
September 25th, 2007 at 4:48 am
these arent horrorfilms but thrillers
films like braindead, hostel, jason, … are horrorfilms
September 25th, 2007 at 5:06 am
roxxe: How can you say that of Texas Chainsaw Massacre?!
September 26th, 2007 at 7:31 am
The original version of The Hills Have Eyes should at least get an honorable mention. I’m also a big fan of Hellraiser because, despite the presence demons that take people to hell and torture them to death, the bad guy is actually a human.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:35 am
Punjar: I really enjoyed the first Hills have Eyes too – it does deserve a mention.
October 9th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
I saw the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre when I was in high school. I took a sweet, mild-mannered girl on a date. I didn’t think I would make it through the movie, and kept asking the girl if she wanted to leave. She was glued to the screen and wouldn’t leave. I was terrified. I like this movie because there’s actually very little blood and gore…the film relies on your mind (the scariest place ever) to complete the vision of horror.
October 14th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Yeah I agree, Halloween should’ve been mentioned. Haven’t seen the original Hills Have Eyes but I liked the remake a lot, no a fan of the second one though.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Aw, you don’t have The Grudge ( Not
October 19th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Nice list
I am a huge horror fan, and this kind of list is about impossible to do. Some personnal favorites are not there (mainly B horror like Evil Dead 2), but your picks are great as well
October 26th, 2007 at 4:34 am
The Exorcist did it for me.Im 43 and still can’t watch that movie alone.Carrie and Jaws and the Shinning were scarry in the 70s & 80s.But not now.
October 27th, 2007 at 2:41 am
Peggy: The exorcist is a brilliant film – its place on this list is totally deserved. I own a copy of it and it is one I can just watch over and over.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Uhhhhhh. You left out Susperia. Too bad.
October 27th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
The Devil’s Rejects by Rob Zombie scared the mother-loving crap out of me. Also, after watching High Tension I had to sleep with the lights on.
October 27th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
The Changeling. Scariest movie ever made hands down.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
LordCalvert: I must confess – I have not seen it. I guess now is as good a time as any to catch up on some of the ones in the comments that I haven’t seen – what with it being Halloween in a couple of days
October 28th, 2007 at 12:17 am
I just watched a list of 100 scariest movies on Bravo, and their opinions are quite different from yours.
For example, Jaws was listed as the scariest with Alien as the second most scariest. The Shining was listed as number seven, the exorcist in third, and TCM was 5th. The Ring was 20th (lol) and Rosemary’s Baby 23rd. Les Diabolique was 49 (ouch) and Poltergeist 60th (yikes!).
You should give it a watch. I also recommend watching a terrifying Japanese movie I’m glad they mentioned in the list, Audition. I know know, you don’t like it when people suggest random foreign movies- but still.
October 28th, 2007 at 12:35 am
Brian Moo – I don’t mind people suggesting films – foreign or otherwise (despite my top 10 reasons not to write a film list) – the complaint was the manner in which people present it
Thanks for mentioning Audition – I haven’t seen it and I absolutely love Japanese horror films. Oh – and how the hell could they put the shining at 7?!
October 28th, 2007 at 1:13 am
I just checked right now, and the Shining was 6th.
Their top ten:
10. Wait Until Dark
9. Night of the Living Dead
8. Carrie
7. Silence of the Lambs
6. Shining
5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre
4. Psycho
3. Exorcist
2. Alien
1. Jaws
Be warned, Audition is gruesome but very interesting.
October 28th, 2007 at 1:34 am
Brian: Thanks for looking that up – the list is reasonable but I don’t agree with the top placements.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
i just watched that bravo list too. i haven’t seen Audition, but the clips they showed alone freaked me out. i HATE needles.
the scaryness of movies depends a lot on what scares you. like the really psychological things like the Shining don’t really freak me out, and i don’t really mind gorefests like the Saw movies, but things that just jump out at you fast and make you pee, like the Grudge, i simply cannot watch. (wow that was a long sentence)
like the only things from the Saw movies that left a lasting impression that made it hard to sleep was the thought of someone in a pig mask jumping out of my closet or something. the torture-y stuff, not so much.
great list, btw. i’ve seen 4 out of the 10, and i really liked them all. i really really wanna watch Carrie now.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
The Ring From Japan Was A Lot Scarier The American Ring Girl Just Looked Like A Run In The Mill Retard That Fell In A Hole =D
October 29th, 2007 at 12:50 am
After i watched The Ring (english version) I had to sleep with my lights on, The Shining definitely deserves number 1 though
October 29th, 2007 at 12:56 am
theDEFENESTRATOR: You will love Carrie – it is brilliant.
Parahnus: I agree – the Japanese just manage to make great horror.
Reea: Have you seen the Japanese version? If not, I recommend it.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:20 am
I love Carrie, but I wouldn’t really call it scary. Actually, it’s sad. Carrie makes me cry. De Palma does a great job with it, although the TV movie/remake wasn’t bad (note: Stephen King was NOT involved with the TV movie).
October 29th, 2007 at 6:21 am
I watched Carrie last night. How odd.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:23 am
“It” freaked me out. I gotta say. I still have dreams about that movie.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
evildead ????where is it?
October 30th, 2007 at 1:11 am
Christopher Joseph Borne: I agree it is sad – but I didn’t feel it was in the book – I think it is the great acting from Sissy Spacek that does it!
varma: at the video store?
October 30th, 2007 at 4:31 am
I think it’s in the book. Perhaps even to a greater degree than the movie.
October 30th, 2007 at 5:38 am
Christopher: that is interesting – I guess it goes to show how you can have such a different interpretation of things – which explains why so many of the lists on this site cause so much controversy amongst the readers
October 30th, 2007 at 6:29 am
great list jamie. for me the glaring omission, that has already been mentioned, is Audition.
when you have horror directors like rob zombie and eli roth saying that they were totally creeped out by the movie, that’s got to count for something.
you have to wait it out though. this movie is a slow burn. the entire movie builds to the last 15 minutes. if you give up on it you miss all the goodies. enjoy
October 30th, 2007 at 6:35 am
DiscHuker: I am definitely going to watch it – I quite like films that take their time so I won’t be bothered by the slow pace. I am going to try to get a copy so I can watch it tomorrow night for Halloween
October 30th, 2007 at 6:41 am
the same way that jaws made you stay out of the water…audition will forever alter how you look at the quiet asian girl.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:44 am
DiscHuker: hahaha – I really can’t wait now!
October 30th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Cmoooon, wheres “The Thing”. Thats some classic horror movie… I dont think carrie should be in this top 10!!
October 30th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
“It” scared a shit out of me when I was a kid…
Poltergeist was scary too…
October 31st, 2007 at 6:52 am
Reea: I agree, the American version of the Ring was a bad movie in general. There were parts that really made no sense to me.
I have been a horror movie fan since I was a kid and a list like this is totally subjective as everyone has there own opinion of what is a good movie.
Personally, I enjoy the movies that are more psychologically scary. Blood and guts are fun, but it is rare that they have a super great story line to go along with it.
I also like the ones with a twist at the end like Hide and Seek (2005 DeNiro). It wasn’t overly scary but the twist at the end made it a good movie in my book.
Also as time changes, we grow more accustom to the violence in movies. Movies we were frightened by 20 years ago seem tame by today’s standards.
October 31st, 2007 at 6:57 am
Dan: I agree – in fact, one of the best horrors out there is Texas Chainsaw Massacre and you don’t even get to see anyone getting cut up – it is all implied – which, IMHO, is even scarier.
October 31st, 2007 at 7:09 am
Totally!
The mind can conjure up things we can’t begin to describe with film.
October 31st, 2007 at 8:15 am
That’s why Stephen King’s books have always trumped his movies. The imagination is better than any screen. I do love scary movies – the blood & guts movies can get kind of cheesy.
October 31st, 2007 at 8:33 am
Dan, I saw both and thought the American version of the Ring was okay. And while I agree with what you said in general, I think if you look at some of the Euro-horror films of 20 years ago, you’ll find that things haven’t changed too much in regards to on-screen violence. It just took a while for the rest of the world to catch up.
October 31st, 2007 at 8:49 am
rp: I will admit that I haven’t seen many/any of the Euro-horror films(can you post a few titles?), but I will also admit that USA is more strict (or read as prudish) compared to Europe’s standards.
j3anjean: Stephen King (I am a big fan btw) has not been in control of some of his biggest movies and that has had a significant impact on what is portrayed compared to his books. The Shining is a great example. SK was never happy with the final version that is why he redid it as a mini-series for tv, which is fairly different from the Kubrick movie.
Of course, budget can and does play a factor in how ‘cheesy’ a film can be too.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:30 am
No way is shining the best horror film. Move The Exorcist to # 1. Plus I think one of the Omen movies was terrifying.
October 31st, 2007 at 10:30 am
Dan: There are many examples, but a good start would be the late 70’s – mid 80’s films by Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci. And, of course, one of the goriest movies of all time was Cannibal Holocaust which came out in the early 80’s, I believe. It’s premise was the inspiration for The Blair Witch Project.
Keep in mind how low the budgets were for those films combined with the special effects limitations at the time. And to this day, Suspiria, Deep Red, Tenebre, Inferno, Zombies, and The Beyond are pretty impressive horror films. At the very least they were highly influential.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:05 am
jaws NOT scary. the shining… awesome but not the scariest… where is halloween on this list? the ring.. also a good movie but not deserving of being in the top 10.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:41 am
rp: thanks for the info!
October 31st, 2007 at 11:56 am
No problem, Dan. I’m thinking of finding a copy of Suspiria to watch tonight. I made the mistake of loaning out my limited edition dvd set to a neighbor who moved without returning it. Now I see that these sets are selling for up to 100 USD. Not good times.
Oh, and that should be “Zombie”, not “Zombies”.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:18 pm
varma: at the video store?
gud one
November 1st, 2007 at 12:26 am
Arachnophobia always scared the crap outta me when I was young. It still does actually.
November 5th, 2007 at 6:38 am
jamie, did you ever watch audition?
November 5th, 2007 at 6:55 am
DiscHuker: I haven’t yet – but I have managed to get a copy. Thanks for reminding me – I might watch it this evening
November 21st, 2007 at 8:38 pm
John Carpenter’s “The Thing” anyone?
December 7th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
I’m also kind of concerned that “The Thing” wasnt on the list OR mentioned in any of the comments. That movie is still one of my favorites.
December 7th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
I’m also kind of concerned that “The Thing” wasnt on the list OR talked about in any of the comments. That movie is still one of my favorites.
December 20th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Are these films like older horror films. Because if not wrong turn was pretty nasty. Saw no. just no.
December 21st, 2007 at 2:32 am
‘The Exorcist’ only works if one has a religious upbringing; otherwise it’s about a sick little girl. In a cinema, ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and its controversial conclusion inspired a volley of derision (at least when I saw it), but on DVD with the lights out, ooooh…
December 22nd, 2007 at 3:05 am
Guy…s jus 1 i’ll recommend is “SHUTTER”… scary as shit
December 22nd, 2007 at 3:52 am
John Carpenters “The Thing” scared the heck out of me, which is really embarrassing because I was 20 years old when I saw it.(haha)
December 23rd, 2007 at 4:16 am
I am 13 and am sooo scared to watch any horror films. Just looking at the pictures on a video box scares the hell out of me. My Dad says that I shouldn’t be scared of a movie, because lots of people were in the making of it, and know how everything works. It’s just our minds that play tricks on us…My mind plays up all the time…:( Could any of you give me any advice on watching horror films without getting scared?
Please and Thankyou
December 27th, 2007 at 11:37 am
sumit: thats that thai movie about that girl who commits suicide and the camera right? if so..man that has one of the most hair raising (for real the hairs on my back neck lol) scenes ive ever seen in a horror movie.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Dragon Thief: the best way is to start off slow and build up your resistance/sensitivity to horror films. I was watching scary movies since I was a little kid and I’m pretty desensitized to them now.
There are horror and suspense movies. , so you have to determine which ones you want to watch. Some of each type are worse than others.
Watch Halloween and Friday the 13th series. They are great films for their era and pretty tame by todays standards, although Halloween still kicks ass! Might want to try the Deathwish series starring Charles Bronson.
But be careful of what you wish for, they really don’t hold up much to me as they once did. Consider yourself pretty lucky as you can get the full effect of these movies now.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Slammerworm: I disagree with you on the Exorcist.
I am Catholic, but brought up as non-practicing. I think anyone can appreciate that there might be a higher power (God vs the Devil) and that the Devil might be able to posses a person. Have you seen the Omen? What is your take on that?
By your statement, one could say that the Matrix was complete garbage because I don’t believe that machines could overtake man. Movies feed off imagination and rely on the big “What-If” questions.
December 31st, 2007 at 4:00 am
Dan231: I”m an Atheist. Unless one believes in an eternal soul, ‘The Exorcist’ doesn’t make any sense. I didn’t intend to demean people of faith, but without getting into a theological flamejob, may we please agree that in order to fully appreciate ‘The Exorcist’ one does need to have been brought up a God-fearing society. Otherwise, the events of ‘The Exorcist’ do not threaten Joe Average, at least in the short term. As for ‘The Omen’; well that was a fun horror movie, but ‘The Blair Witch Project’ worked so well because the universal fears it exploited were so fundamental (isolation, hubris, the ‘evil mother’ thing, etc.). And yep, ‘The Matrix’s popularity was indeed a thing of puzzlement, given that the ideas were so familiar to anyone interested in sci-fi. It wasn’t all tht great a movie, either BTW. Unfortumately, ‘The Exorcist’s big ‘what if” question required more work than normal for a genuinely enjoyable horror movie.
December 31st, 2007 at 6:37 am
Yeah?
Well you spelt ‘unfortunately’ wrong.
Smartass.
December 31st, 2007 at 6:46 am
I don’t agree with that. I think you take from a movie what you put in. How can the Omen be a fun movie but not the Exorcist? Don’t they both rely heavily on God vs. Devil?
December 31st, 2007 at 11:58 am
Not really. ‘The Exorcist’ relies heavily on theology, whereas in ‘The Omen’ it’s just a device to get some goochy murders together. The latter is a more ‘traditional’ horror, affecting several characters. One could substitute an alien power or even no power at all, since the devil has his earthly assassins doing most of the work. You have to believe in possession for ‘The Exorcist’ to work, because it’s just one sick bedridden girl who’s affected, and she’s not going to go on a rampage or anything. It came with the baggage of being ‘the scariest horror ever’, but honestly I got bored. You’re quite right, one does get out of a movie what one puts in, but sometimes one doesn’t have the necessary background to create the symbiosis. I see possession as a mental health issue (see ‘10 Incredible Recordings), so excuse my flipness, but the demons make Regan swear, urinate publicly, and masturbate. That’s an annoying alcoholic street person, not a monster.
January 13th, 2008 at 9:26 am
in my opinion the top should be:-
1.Evil dead 1
2.Evil dead 2
3.Demons[dario argento]
4.The thing
5.the exorcist
6.Re-animator
7.Haute hension (high tension-alexander aja)
8.Hostel
9.SAW series
10.The descent
and finally blair witch project which is a psychological atmospheric horror film. i think most of u will agree with my list.
January 15th, 2008 at 7:31 am
What about 28 Days Later….it was terrifying!
January 15th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Slammerworm: You don’t need to believe in exorcism or God and the devil to enjoy a movie. Many people don’t believe in aliens and supernatural forces but like the movies. Half of the films in the list are in this genre.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Absolutely perfect list, right down to the honourable mentions.
And though I love the Evil Dead series and The Thing, RealTop 10’s list had better be a joke…
January 16th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Jess: I guess I don’t feel personally threatened by the events in The Exorcist, whereas there’s a certain amount of dread generated by the others in that they may envelop an innocent, unknowing bystander. To avoid Regan in The Exorcist, you just need to keep walking past the house. Besides, even if one does encounter her in her fully-blown ‘possession’ period, what’s she actually gonna do? Yell at you?
January 17th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
alright the ring should have been one of the scariest movies out there! it wasnt that well advertised, but was easily a great movie. ringu, associated with the rind, but not as good.
ringu was made in japan.the SAW series was definetely one of the best sick twisted and demented movies ive ever seen…SWEET. i love all horror movies so please keep on writing comments.
January 19th, 2008 at 9:27 am
acc to me, apart from the above
FROM BEYOND
freddy vs jason
hostel-1 is good,
wishmaster,
wrong turn-1,2
hills have eyes -1,2
etc………….
then there are science fiction stories like
DOOM,the house(more like resident evil…)
evil dead is more like a comedy dont you think.
I havnt sn the top 10 listed movies above.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:00 pm
what can I say…good list indeed,but there are only movies that anyone know.I’ll try to write a list of good b movies you shall see.Most of them are much greater than the A ones.
10-wind chill-not gory,not very “scary” but intensely psychological
9-the fog-you HAVE to see it! Its just…plain good!
8-dead birds-creepy as hell-and a whole new idea
7-darkness falls-one of my guilty pleasures-idea used too many times but still makes you jump
6-urban legnd1-another guilty pleasure.See just part 1-part 2 SUCKS .big time!
5-pulse-probably you know it.I was afraid to start my computer for a week:D
4-the tattooist-another new idea.
3-megido-if you are an atheist that think religion-based horrors are not good-DO NOT WATCH IT!!!
2-cup of my blood-erotic,creepy,psychological…and the list of adjectives can go on forever
1-anything and everything from Cronenberg-the king of venereal horror(Not b movies-just less known)
P.S.(off topic)-I’m agnostic.And I think that we have no f….n idea why and who we are.And this only because I’ll get both atheists and religious people started:P
February 1st, 2008 at 10:52 pm
cool.you are good
i havnt seen most of the films you mentiond above.
but I heard that THE FOG is really stupid.the idea was good but the execution was bad.
I demand
HID AND SEK- its good(more like a suspense story)-you wont know who charly is in the film ,but they give clues to identify the mysterious person,
SHUTTER-its scary
THE EYE,
th trailers are available in http://www.YOUTUBE.com
February 8th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I have only seen one of these (Psycho) but I like these Horror Movie lists.
February 16th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
“Event Horizon” should be added to notables.. if anyone likes sci-fi mixed with strong psychological terror
Constant tension and feeling of something about to happen.. One of my favorites 
February 26th, 2008 at 7:51 am
i dont agree with the exorcist being number 2 it should be number 10 it is the unscariest horormovie i have ever seen
February 28th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
The Haunting – the original version by Robert Wise. You never see a ghost, though you occasionally hear one or two, but the atmosphere is unsurpassed. The scene where one of the protagonists holds hands in the dark with another must be the scariest movie moment I have ever experienced. And one of the most shocking, too. Don’t sleep alone after watching this.
February 29th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Great list, but really written by a non-fan. There’s some pretty glaring omissions, and a few I wouldn’t even really qualify as “horror”, but wouldn’t necessarilly omit. Early morning, forgive my atrotious spelling.
In no particular order:
Shutter (the original 2004 Thai film)
Romero’s “of the Dead” Saga
Dawn of the Dead 2004
El espinazo del diablo
Hellraiser
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Slither
John Carpenter’s The Thing
Alien
Dead Alive
March 1st, 2008 at 3:25 am
i think grudge should be at no.1. it is the most horrified movie i`ve ever seen till now.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:27 pm
I LOVED “Pet Sematary,” now that was a great horror flick.
March 5th, 2008 at 8:23 am
THE GRUDGE only
March 5th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Oh, god….The Grudge? Seriously? Go put your training pants back on and head down to the horror section of your local video store. Close your eyes. Now grab a random movie. I guarantee you that no matter what piece of shit you happen to end up with, it will be better than the piece of shit that was The Grudge.
March 12th, 2008 at 11:20 am
my-my, someone forgot to mention The omen.
theres also a lack of nightmare om elm street.
March 15th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I saw the original wickerman. It isnt exactly scary, more creepy the way that it is sinister stuff is so light hearted.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Im From Romania end I havent do 1 hour of english . Y hawe learn from Cartoon’s end mouvie’s
)) . sooo if y make alots of mistakes . dont boter y wont see dis formum again in my life. So y wil list my horor mouvies 
1—The best is DAWN OF THE DEAD maibe it wasnt soo scarie but you got to admit that it was GOOOOODDD!!
stupid names but cooooooool mouvies man !
- Texas ceinsaw masacre
- Saw — All of them
- ewriting whit ZOMBIE’S —- OLD & NEW –sens Mouvies war invented.
-The Ring I . II . III — III is the Best !
-Alien : I . II was Superrrr Cooool .III .IV was a failiure f…g Suckt alsoo AVP . Maibe AVPR —- That was cood . Good stori , maked sense , end Aliens & Predators warent fithing in a montezuma egiptean wat the fuck was it , in the midle of noord poool or where the fuck was it . Jesssus !!!!!!
-THE EYE —- Ooooo YA!!!
-THE GRUDGE — !!The most idiotic horror ever ! goood story bad killer or demon !!! what the fuuck was that bich .
-The Thing
-Dead Birds
-The Exorcist the first end original — the rest …hmmmmm
-Pulse – im not in god relation whit my pc wrom when y sennd the mouvie
-Underworld – God !! & 2 was wery wery wery god !
-THE FOG
-Scream 1,2,3 worck’s whit a beeer whit your friends
-Rose Red [The Series]
-Old but good : Blairwich project . The second part it wass god but before y seeen part too i realy belive that part 1 was real
-Land of the dead
-Day of the dead
-most of the mouvies like …bla bla OF THE DEAD
- the last my favorite the scariest is ICE AGE !
Sooory wor words that y routh rong “ALMOST EVRITHING” … end bye !! se you in other life . :p Or in HELL
April 13th, 2008 at 10:41 am
the exorcist is soooo soooo cool but a little scary but still cool
April 15th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
no Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, or Night or the Living Dead? i’m very disappointed in this one.
April 21st, 2008 at 6:21 pm
omfg, the exorcist is not scary AT ALL…whenever I watch it, I just laugh my ass off…
April 25th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
The Ring (Japan)
Juon (Japan)
The Eye (Original)
Dark Water (Japan)
Shutter (Thai)
Nang Nak (Thai)
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:25 am
I have to agree with the others. Where’s the Omen [original], Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street etc.
The Grudge was incredibly stupid.
Poltergeist was just bad acting, but still ok.
The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw and Jaws deserve to be in there coz I believe if a movie is based on a true story it’s more scary and appealing because it could happen to anyone.
Next time If there’s another top 10 Halloween should definantly be in there.
And also, that ICE_ULTIMATE guy is too weird..
May 7th, 2008 at 8:14 am
If you want a movie that will scare you to death i recoment the movie [REC] the last 5 mins is the scarriest thing i have ever seen ind not much scares me.
it will be hard to find cause its a spanish movie with subtitles but it is so worth it
PS. dont plan on sleeping…seriously
May 10th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I haven’t seen Poltergeist in 10 or 9 years. I watched it when I was really young and it totally freaked me out.
I still remember the clown and the branches.
*shivers*
May 10th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Emily: I read the Pet Semetary and I was really strange.
Ever seen Red Rose?
May 10th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Sorry other way around Rose Red ^^
May 10th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Oh fuck I cant write anything right. I give up *sobs*
“And I was really strange?”
Jfrater please delete that comment
May 12th, 2008 at 8:09 am
The Shining scared the hell out of me, and I didn’t see it until I was an adult. The Grudge really freaked me out, I think it was the kid that meowed and maybe the girl with no lower jaw. My kids like to mess with me by making that sound the long haired ghost/spirit/whatever made. Gives me chills!
May 12th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Oh man, what about Evil Dead? That’s like the measuring stick of the horror genre.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:07 pm
he should’ve added halloween and friday the 13th
May 26th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I just saw Rosemary’s Baby with my dad last night. Within 10 minutes of the movie ending, I had made two semi- creepy jokes relating to the movie. First, my mom said something smelled bad. I suggested it was Tannis root. A few minutes later, my dad couldn’t find his phone. I then said that he might go blind. My dad actually yelled at me after the second one, I guess he was still a little scared.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Carrie is such an amazing movie, especially because I can relate to it.
The Shining is really great too, although I prefer the book.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
The first Childtren of the Corn movie, I think was a realistic and creepy concept. How orndinary young kids slaughter people. It made it scary to think what could happen when you arrive or past through a quiet town.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Oh, I almost forgot “IT” was scary ass hell. Never saw a clown the same again.
May 30th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
man, i loved the scene in the shining where jack nicholson is all frozen. i saw that movie when i was 11 and the exorcist when i was 12… didnt negativly affect me that much, just had some nightmares for a few days.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:48 am
The Omen?????
June 7th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Good choices, I don’t know about Jaws, I was bored all the way through it. Someone mentioned The Beyond, I have bought 3 different versions of it and it’s good but it’s also too disjointed, maybe it’s just bad editing on the DVDs. If you haven’t seen Argento’s new movie, Mother of tears, GET IT! It’s Argento the way you remember him.
Movies I guess everyone missed: Night of the living dead and Last house on the left
June 22nd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
no scilence of the lambs?
hmm
June 22nd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
southparklovr: Silence of the Lambs is more a thriller than a horror.
June 23rd, 2008 at 2:45 pm
oh well, ok
Ur oppinion I guess
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:24 pm
i think the gruge is not scary only a little ah!the gruge not
June 26th, 2008 at 2:43 am
This is one hot list, although I think Poltergeist n jaws shouln’t be in it. The excorcist still freaks me out when I picture that girl’s face!!!! And now I just saw it again- lord have Mercy :-O
June 26th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
“i think the gruge is not scary only a little ah!the gruge not”
The Grudge isn’t on this list.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
im going CAMPING this weekend, and im trying to find a good scary/horror film that my friends and I could watch together in a crowded tent. at night. more specifically, with ghosts and not a lot of gore. Preferably with color (recent, but not that much). i’ve only seen parts of jaws, ringu, and texas chainsaw massacre. Carrie was good, but I don’t think it’s a great film to scare me horribly. down to the nitty gritty: don’t like ringu and the grudge nor freddy and jason movies.
I’m thinking about poltergeist or rosemary’s baby… Shining seems too scary for me so I’m gonna save that more later. Suggestions/Recommendations? Sorry if I’m too specific…..
July 7th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Nice list, but come on…Halloween is incredible and deserves a spot on the list.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:20 am
I definately agree with the top three, but I’m not sure about the rest of the list.
July 13th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
What, no Silence of the Lambs?
August 4th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
What about “Wicker Man”?
Old-Wizard will be with you…always.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
1.The shining
2.Exorcist
3.1408
4.saw all series
5.ring 1 n 2
6.The Omen
7.Silent hill
8.Viraana
9.zeepers creepers 1 n 2
10.Doom
August 9th, 2008 at 3:12 am
I recently ordered The Omega Man (Charlton Heston)on DVD.
As a child it scared me senseless, still a brillant horror movie worth watching.
August 9th, 2008 at 5:11 am
I still love the hit 70’s tv series The Night Stalker.
I would still garantee it’s appeal to anyone who dares to believe in supernatural horror !! Darin McGavin was brillant as Kolshack a news paper columist who always managed to find the most bizzare and spine chilling stories..I’ve read somewhere that it was the fore runner for the x files tv series.
August 11th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Really glad Entity and Omen weren’t up there. More annoying films than frightening. I agree with LordCalvert that the Changling is a fantastic film.
August 12th, 2008 at 6:17 am
1*The Shining (agree as #1)
2*Exorcist (up there)
3*Halloween (I was 13′ish the first time I saw this and walked home alone at 1am in the middle of the road, ran the last 2k flat out…pretty scared is an understatement!)
4*Pet Cemetery (very up there)
5*Salem’s Lot (saw that early too…very scary)
6*Blair Witch Project (good concept, looked past the hype)
7*Evil Dead (wow)
8*The Thing (double wow)
9*Event Horizon (bit of SciFi doesn’t hurt)
10*28 Days Later (I was impressed!)
Special mention: Omen/Nightmare on Elm St/The Deep/Poltergeist/Ringu
August 15th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Still think Evil Dead is great as is The Exorist and Thing.
But also remember watching Basket Case when i was young it scared the crap out of me slept with the light on for days after. Also remember Motel Hell being good haven’t seen either though for years.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:59 am
hmm jaws is not suposed tobe here dunno why you all forgget candyman i think it must be here too,,
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Yes! Motel Hell is a classic. But who among you has seen Mother’s Day? One of my absolute fave fucked up don’t go camping cause you’re gonna get kidnapped and raped by psycho woodspeople movies.
August 24th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
C’mon. Get wif the times.
August 30th, 2008 at 6:11 am
I’ve never seen Les Diaboliques, or Rosemary’s Baby for that matter, but I definitely agree with The Shining and the Exorcist as the top two.
Although The Shining is very scary, I actually find the Japanese horror films (The Ring, The Grudge, Dark Water, etc.) the most frightening. But taking everything into account, such as plot/storyline, acting, directing, gore, scariness, etc. The Shining is the ultimate horror film.
And the scene with the two girls in the blue dresses in the hallway is quite simply the most chilling scene in cinema history!
September 12th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Yawn, couldn’t have been more predictable. Now don’t get me wrong I’m a big horror fan (and by big I don’t mean fat) but this is basically just a list of the most well-known horror films. Apart from Les Diaboliques I have seen them all, and while most of them are good I most certainly would not put them in the top 10. Okay, yeah Jaws scared the crap out of me when I was about 8 and I had to check the toilet for sharks, but I was 8!
September 12th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Wow dude, are you serious about this list? You call this mainstream garbage horror? Wheres Dawn of the Dead? Wheres Hellraiser? Evil Dead? The Thing? A Nightmare on Elm Street?
You got the fucking Ring. The least scariest piece of crap movie you could think of. Jaws? Stick to Sci Fi Spielberg. Exorcist is Numero Uno, until you figure that out…
This list fails soo hard, Benoit yourself.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
p.s. Quit sucking Stephen King’s cock soo much, he’s the most overated horror writer of his time. Although he is quite imaginative, the fucker could never put an ending to his novels.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Domms (166) I love Stephen KIng, one of my fave writers. But I agree 100% with you. I have been disappointed on many occasions at the ending of his stories.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Jaws is so not scary to me. I don’t know why.
Child’s Play scared the hell out of me as a kid. I even stopped watching Rugrats because of “Chucky”.
September 30th, 2008 at 4:25 am
i like most of them but i wouldnt count jaws as horror.
dunno i found it a bit boring.
i think thirteen gohsts should be there.
thats a gooood movie.
October 5th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Hands down, The Exorcist is the scariest movie I have ever seen. That little girl’s face still gives me nightmares! My sister and I watched the re-released version when it came out in theaters several years ago. There was 11 minutes of previously cut material in it and there was this one scene…let’s just say it is so unnatural and so freaky everyone in the theater screamed…
I loved Poltergeist, I could watch it over and over. Candyman scared the crap outta me. And The Orphanage is a really good ghost story. It’s Spanish, so if you don’t speak the language, you’ll have to read subtitles.
October 11th, 2008 at 7:27 am
The Shining great read the book it’s well better
October 11th, 2008 at 8:52 am
The Shining never made it into my top 10, simply because i never found the film scary what so ever. Note that a few of these films sh!t me up because i watched them when i was around 10-11yrs old and are classics!
1) Halloween
The Ring
2) The Exorcist
3) Amityville 2 (The one where the son gets possessed and kills his whole family with a shotgun, scary shit!)
4) Childs Play
5) Friday The 13th
6) Nightmare On Elm Street
7) The Descent (Simply in top 10 because this film made me jump a few times)
9) Demons (Lamberto Bava)
10) Maximum Overdrive (Dont know why these scared me when i was younger but it was a cool film!)
October 18th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
omg no zombie movies? Agreed most of them were cheesy but Return of The Living Dead traumatized me for weeks, and 28 Days Later had a heart stopping chase scene, great music score. Also, 28 Weeks Later had a terrifying beginning!
October 18th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I am glad someone mentioned The Changeling. That movie rocks. No blood, George C. Scott, super creepy, a classic.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:27 am
I can’t stand that I’ve seen all these movies (own most of them, in fact). Really good horror movies are so rare, and I’m so in love with them, that I’ve probably seen them all
Why do they make so many crappy scary movies? Maybe a list of great horror movies you’ve probably never seen? I should start working on that, but then I would have seen all of them.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:25 pm
you know, i’m really suprised that Halloween isn’t on this list. In America that film is iconic!!! it’s wasn’t really gory or anything, but it scared the living daylights out of everyone who saw it for the first time.
October 25th, 2008 at 4:22 am
nightmare on elm street[freddy],friday the 13th[jason],wrong turn 1&2,night of the living deads,saw series[mr.jigsaw]halloween[michael myers],joyride1&2,hatchet,chucky[doll],the hills have eyes series[cannibalism],final destination series,scream series,hitchikers series,texas chainsaw massacre series[leatherface],traces and faces of death series[documentary],jaws1&2,omen,hellraiser,cildren of the corn,poltergeist,and wishmaster series.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
watch Poltergeist the movie free!!!
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=CK7BCZ3G
November 4th, 2008 at 10:33 am
1.Suspiria
2.Evil dead 2
3.The taxes chainsaw massacre
4.Venom
5.28 Days later
6.1408
7.Dawn of the dead
8.House of 1000 corpses
November 15th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
damn you.Just been looking through the comments and no i havent seen The Wicker man.Just like this one time i waited all week to watch a film at a cinema andi was really looking forward to it.Turned out my friend had already seen it and she said” oh,ive lready seen thatand this happens etc etc ” .I ve never forgiven her since
November 15th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
and i agree with the person who said that Halloween scared the living daylights out of anybody who hadnt seen it before.Im speaking from first hand experience here.I literally had a nightmare about being chased and murdered who looked suspiciously like michael myers not long afte watching it
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
i dont like this list
wheres nightmare on elm street? (im a HUGE freddy fan)
when i first saw that when i was little, that movie made me afraid to sleep!!!!
freddy could get you in your DREAMS
i agree that friday the 13th and halloween should be on the list too
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
anyway the exorcist should be number 1. I HAD NIGHTMARES
December 5th, 2008 at 10:49 am
hi guys. Anyone seen a thai movie where the actors are making a horror movie and one by one each of them dies. Finally the ghost is actually a thai dancer whith the long fingernails. What is the title of the movie? anyone?
December 10th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
It´s so weird how many people found “The Exorcist” scary. I know horror in general is very subjective, but to me, it´s one of the most boring, most overrated movies ever made. Yes, the scenes with Linda Blair are very intense, but the rest of the movie is just so trite and dry to me that it´s almost physically painful. Whenever I sit through “The Exorcist” to give it another chance, I feel like watching a really long-winded documentary … and I don´t mean one of the great and engaging ones. But I guess that´s a matter of taste.
It´s a really good selection, though. I completely agree with “The Shining” and “Rosemary´s Baby” being up there, two of the most haunting movies I´ve ever seen. I was kinda expecting “Don´t Look Now” by Nicholas Roeg to be on there because that movie disturbed me to no end, but it´s a good list nonetheless.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
very very good job. i have seen them all! take off carie
December 19th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Psycho is one of the most rubbish films I have ever seen! It’s funnier than scary! But Anthony Perkins looks so hot! I’m in love with him! Anyway, its sequels are so much better! Does anyone know where I can watch Psycho 3 for free online?
December 19th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Exorcist should hold the number 1 spot indefinitely. The most terrifying film ever shot, I won’t own it or watch it to this day and I’m 27 years old!
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:58 am
I’m only fifteen, but I have this love for all thing horror.
I havn’t seen any of these, but I want to see most of then.
On other lists I’ve seen “The Wicker Man”. (I’ve only seen the new version)It was one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen. You shouldn’t put the lines “Step away from the bike!” in any film tbh. You can’t take it seriously. haha.
Anyway, my favourite horror films are:-
The Hills Have Eyes.
1) 28 Days Later.
2) 28 Weeks Later.
3) Mirrors.
4) The Skeleton Key.
5) The Ring.
6) The Grudge.
7) The Others.
9) Saw.
10) Hostel.
I need to see more films?
If anyone wants to recommend some-
reeebecca@hotmail.co.uk
December 27th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
okayy yeah i havent been around vveryy long, but being a teenager that gets into alot of trouble, i get grounded alot and i watchh alot of movies. horror movies catch my eye mostly. here are my top 10;
1) 30 days of night;
-love storyy
-gorey
-suspenseful
-amazing.
-graphic!
2) amityville horror 05′ ;
-first of all its a true story
-i have been to the house, yes its fucking haunted.
-makes sense, and its stupid like the texas chain saw massacre movies.
3) hamiltons;
-creepy. watch with people.
4) hostel;
-its as if that kinda of shit could seriously happen to you.
5) single white female;
-okay sounds like a dating service ad, but nooo; its a chick loooking for a roommate cuz she found her fiance cheating on her. so her new roomate turns out to copy her, and frame her. (kills everyone she knows) then attempts to kill her alllll because she had a twin sister and accidently killed her and got blamed for it. (revengeful)
6). hush baby;
-yes its a lifetime movie. no its not a gay chick flick.
-a woman just had a baby, and her baby hates her because its possesed by her precious daughter that drowned. check it out, veryyyyyy freakkyy.=]
7) shaun of the dead;
-the britishh are coming and they made u laugh, cry, and scream of in one retarded horror movies.
8)carrie;
-this movie is the reason every teenager wants to fit in.
9)the hitcher 2007 i wanna sayy.
-never ever pick up a hitcherhiker idc if u hit the damn person never ever do it.
10)ginger snaps 1&+ 2
.
-werewolf movies double feature. very funny if u laugh at death. very scary if u cry at killing.
I HAVE OTHERS !
January 10th, 2009 at 8:10 am
i would definitely give ”the ring” a place an this..”the shining” is more of a thriller than horror..i cant see ”blair witch project” too..sad..
January 16th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
i think that the omen shld have its place at the top ten horror movies of all time.
the reason for its omitted,i cannot fathom…pls cross check ur facts and get it corrected.
i say it again,omen is worthy of not even top ten,bt top five jn overall.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:31 am
“IT” and “The Blair Witch Project” are the sacrriest things out there!! Don’t know if the are exactlu horror movie – not sure about the definition – but scary as hell!
January 24th, 2009 at 9:46 am
I’m so glad Rosemarys Baby is on here! I just adore that movie. I think The Birds needs to be up there as well, and what, no Hammer Horror?
January 28th, 2009 at 12:14 am
hmm….wat about the thing…..in someone elses list it was no1.
and shinning??? it was a pretty ok movie but….i dont think its worthy of no1.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
i really dont think jaws should be up there
and i’m really suprised the first original halloween is not up there also the original my bloddy valentine is quite disturbing the ending gave me chills
February 4th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Agree with all except Shining as # 1 -
February 7th, 2009 at 5:01 am
u guys shud reli check out ” nightmare on elm street” nd m sure u’l b 2 scared 2 watcg al of the 7 movies -trus me i dnt blame u if u r 2 scared watch them coz i wasnt lol- i onli got 2 numba 5 den i was terified for wat seems lke a etrnity lol
if ur brave nd love scary movies den wacth all 7 movies of nightm,are on elm street!
February 8th, 2009 at 7:59 am
i hate the shining its not scary, the wife talks funny and it bugged me all the film and tha guy seems pretty luny before they go to the hotel. But i am ashamed to say i haven’t seen any of the others:(
March 11th, 2009 at 1:37 am
What a fun list and also the feedback is great! I’m so glad to see Argento and Fulci being brought up and such great classics as Cannibal Holocaust and The Wicker Man. The 70s and 80s brought so much to the genre of horror. I’m still a fan of todays gore flicks, “gore porn”. Audition has a few squirm worthy scenes, hostel 1, 2, Saw series. But hey @ least Halloween 2, Nightmare on Elm St, and Hellraiser are being done, so I’m hoping for the best!
March 11th, 2009 at 1:43 am
200. creepygirlfriend : I think “torture porn” is a better tag than “gore” but whichever you like. My favourite horror movie would have to be American Psycho, simply because I also loved the book so much. Watch the film before you read the book, the book adds a lot and explains the film and seeing as all the film is good for is the thrill and gore watch it first I recommend. Although I would tread lightly around the book, you’re going to need one hell of a strong stomache to get through that beast
March 11th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Mark: you are wise! I have read the book and boy that was quite a tale! Unfortunatly I saw the movie first
But Ellis is a great author… detailing every brutal morsel and even describing all the yuppy eats, clothes, and state of the art equipment…. I would definatly give that warning you gave me to all reguarding this book!
March 11th, 2009 at 1:56 am
202. creepygirlfriend : Oh yeah, great book if you’re right at the end of the “gross-spectrum” but if you’re not right at the very end, stay very, very far away. Everyone has been warned, don’t read this book on my recommendation – I don’t want to get sued when you start shooting people out the clock tower
March 14th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Hell yeah, Kubrick’s The Shining 8D!
But where’s Silence of the Lambs?
And how is Poltergeist on here? Watch that again, and tell me it’s still as sdcary as when you first saw it.
Jaws is also kind of more SHARKY GO NOM NOM NOM than scary.
March 18th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
The shining isn’t acttualy scary but it is one of the most influential movies. Jaws was good the first 100 times now it’s just overrated.Texas chainsaw, is a bloody crap hole of a movie that if it was on I would probably watch it anyway it’s one of those that just makes you want to watch it.
April 5th, 2009 at 11:14 am
I totally agree with The Shining being no 1 . Best horror movie I’ve ever seen. Scared me to death.
April 5th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
LSD.chaos i agree texas chainsaw massacre load of crap
Minty i think silence of the lambs is classified as a thriller and as for blair witch how could anyone say that was scary? 13 ghosts was good.
April 8th, 2009 at 9:00 am
i watched jaws and i hav a game…not too much but i suggest jason x or freddie krueger for sadistic horrors and for psicho-horrors room 1489 or somethin like that…once i wuz littl i watched the ring and you know that shit bout 10 days due to death-i belived that-and my older sis(gosh i heat her)scared me of teh mind in ten days…freaked out
April 8th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Good pick for The Shining to be number one, but for horror for me…The Thing. No other movie out there makes me jump as much as that one did. Most of the new ones are gore fests and are not worth the rental fees.
April 13th, 2009 at 5:42 am
The ring isn’t scary. I laughed at my friend being terrified. I haven’t seen the shining but probably will after seeing it at number one. Shouldn’t Dawn of the Dead be on here? Only like the best zombie movie. I haven’t seen jaws. *Shame* I must watch it. Poltergeist isn’t scary either.
And I agree with Minty where is Silence of the Lambs?
It takes a bit to get me scared though as I have watched so many horrors.
April 13th, 2009 at 5:46 am
In my opinion Poltergeist is a bunch of crap
April 13th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Oh and what about Saw? Or is that more of a thriller??
April 16th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Ugh, The Shining? Are you kidding me? I vote for Ringu at number 1.
April 19th, 2009 at 2:27 am
A Great list. I miss SAW 1 though. That shot with the crazy guy in the little girls bedroom with a blanket over his head scared the crap out of me. Never had that before…
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
1. The Ecorcist
The BEST Horror Movie EVERRR!!!! Sorry, got a little bit excited just then.
2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
This movie IS horror. Disturbingly believable, completely sureal and non-stop frights. Completely messed up.
3. Cannibal Holocaust
The greatest gore movie ever, and one of the most disturbing films I have ever had the pleasure (right word?) of seeing.
4. Martin
Fantastic engaging story. Is Martin a vampire? who knows? but the last words spoken in this film are so surreal (just the way they are spoken)
5. Inferno
My favourite of Dario Argento’s undisputed masterpieces.
6. The Shining
Number 1, that’s a bit of a stretch. But it definitelly deserves a place in any top 10
7. Day Of The Dead
My personal favourite of Romero’s trilogy (and Romero’s favourite too)
8. The Birds
I preferred this to Psycho. Hitchcock is the MASTER of suspense.
9. Halloween
Brilliantly crafted and an nightmare inducing horror movie. The remake was also surprisingly good.
10. Inside
This french movie is the scariest movie I have EVER seen. The gore is top notch, and it had me squirming in my seat (no joke). This film affected me like no other and is bound to affect women even more due to the nature of the film. Horrible, disturbing, and actually frightening. There is some confusion towards the end, but if you overlook that then you will have an absolutely horrifying experience. The use of editing and sound is so amazing. I don’t know how the director did it, but this is absolutely terrifying, and the only film in recent years that has made my top 10.
I wouldn’t call this a top 10 best. This is my top 10 favourite.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Check out Funny Games (Either Heneke’s Original or Heneke’s remake – they are both frame for frame the same) – a lot of people find it very hard to get through this film due to how disturbing it is. Very good stuff
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Funny Games isn’t much of a horror film. More of a thriller if anything.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Too right, if it were horror it would be on my top 10. SHUT UP Clark – you haven’t even seen it.
Any fan of horror should check it out
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Clarke’s just some guy who thinks that 1408 is the best horror movie ever, and Texas Chainsaw is just ordinary.
May 2nd, 2009 at 10:00 am
Yeah….cool man, your place for psycho is really appreciable. I guess i have to watch The Shining now but i think carrie is more horror than Les Diaboliques as far as I am concerned about horror movies but still your list of top ten movies is great.
May 12th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
198 – Jaslin
Come on, you can’t be serious. I like Nightmare On Elm Street as much as the next person but I’m not sure scary is the right word for it. The sequels are terrible and not even good for a laugh.
The only thing that makes Nightmare a GREAT horror movie is seeing Johnny Depp getting eaten and regurgitated by a blood thirsty bed.
Also, learn to type.
May 12th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
My 11-15
11 – Psycho
12 – Night Of The Living Dead
13 – Jacob’s Ladder
14 – Suspiria
15 – Funny Games (original)
Alright, I finally decided that I had to include this in my top 10, but because it is not exactly a horror film, I can’t put it in the top 10. This has great and bad reviews, but it is a truly great movie.
May 27th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Need to watch “The Shining”. But ever never we could compare the horror films with Evil Dead, Night of the Demons, etc… They are the most powerful horror flicks.
June 14th, 2009 at 6:00 am
ah jaws..i’ve watched it when i was 5..and the exorcist, watched it when i was 7, and it surprisingly didn’t scare me back then..
now after almost 10 years i’m not willing to watch the exorcist anymore (i can digest jaws)
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
The Shining isn’t really that scary, I watched it for the first time when I was around 10 and I wasn’t scared at all. Then again I was a weird child who had a particular fondness for the dark.
July 5th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
The Evil Dead movies are brilliant… bu t not scary. I think this was a list of scary horror movies.
I for one, knew the shining would be number 1 as soon as I saw this list. 
July 11th, 2009 at 3:40 am
My favourite movie is THE RING.It’s really a damn good movie.well I have not seen THE EXORCIST yet!I think it might change my choice!!!
August 5th, 2009 at 11:10 am
hey just watch the exorcist 1973.. A piece of advice,,,,!! JUST WEAR A LACK OF DIPPERS…. LOLS
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:36 am
just watched phyco u might wanna have some crazy absorbant diaperas around
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:38 am
psycho* haha
August 27th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
i think u all have no life because u hav no lifes as if u do this kind of shit….get a life
August 27th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
hahahahahahahhahaha suk my ballss
August 30th, 2009 at 4:48 am
i prefer the gruge 1st and then the ring
August 30th, 2009 at 4:56 am
the gruge almost in first and i think the shining isn’t very horror movie
August 31st, 2009 at 2:52 am
haa haa i was scared a little bit only to evildead 2 when iam 12 and none other
September 1st, 2009 at 7:18 am
Awwwwesome list, has given us some good ideas.
Thankyoooooooooooooooooouuuu
September 1st, 2009 at 7:19 am
Partaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy!
September 12th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
My List [ Almost proper ]
1 > The Thing [ Gore -Violence ]
2 > Exorcist [ Bizzare - Good story - nice movie ]
3 > Psycho [ Worst nightmare - last scene ]
4 > Ringu [ Excellent story - horror at its best ]
5 > 28 days later [ Nicely made ]
6 > Shining [ I did not feel it as that horror of a movie]
7 > Halloween [ Good movie ]
8 > Dawn of the Dead [ GORE ]
9 > Poltergeist [ Nice concept - horror ]
10> Rosemary’s baby [ Excellent story ]
11 > Alien [ Not sor horror - but classic ]
12 > Saw [ intense with some violent scenes ]
September 13th, 2009 at 9:58 am
dude come on?????? thoese movies arent scary anough to be at a top ten list???
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:09 am
Yeah. I agree with pmb. These movies are passable at best. The exorcist and ringu are the only horrors I see listed here. But I find that very few american horrors scare me. Not because the movies aren’t good. Don’t get me wrong. Some are really good. But perhaps the difference in culture. How about the serpent and the rainbow? It used to scare me as a child but I haven’t seen it as an adult. My culture is so full of creatures n the supernatural that I can’t even begin to see jaws and the shining as horrors. Still love the list tho.
September 26th, 2009 at 2:35 am
are these really really scary? cos over the half term immah gunna try to cure my all my fears (yes- by watching loads of horror movies)but if they’re really scary i might not be able to make myself…..
October 6th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Hellooooo everybody,
What kind of a horror moviewatching fanatics are you!!!!
Shame on you all!!!!!
I Guess i Have to be the one to bring this to you.
1.BrainDead
2.BrainDeadc
3.BrainDead
4.BrainDead
5.BrainDead
6.BrainDead
7.BrainDead
8.BrainDead
9.BrainDead
10.BrainDead
But Thou areth forgifst, that is after you watched it a 100 times
Whoahahahaha (in a very creepy way)