Horror movies have characters like blood-sucking vampires, psychos, scary ghosts, deadly werewolves and man-eating zombies, women with long hair and scarred faces who give you the chills! The best time to watch these movies is late night, all alone (or with a friend, if you get very scared of the horror films) with all the lights off. Given below, are some of the best horror movies of all time according to my preferences.
Here is a list of some of the best horror movies ever made which are a must see for everybody. However, horror films are not all movies for the entire family, so check the rating of the movie before you watch it, especially if you intend to do so with your kids.
Psycho (1960) – This is a classic horror film, and among the top 10 horror movies. This film is made by the famous Alfred Hitchcock and was nominated for 4 Oscars. The movie is based on Robert Bloch’s novel, is about Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who checks into a motel after stealing a big sum of money from her employer.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – This amazing masterpiece is based on a book by Thomas Harris and is about Dr. Hannibal Lecter played by Anthony Hopkins and a young FBI cadet played by Jodie Foster who are trying to find a serial killer.
The Ring (2002) – Ring is a very scary horror film without any of the typical elements of a horror film. This film is about a mysterious videotape, which causes the death of anybody who watches it within seven days.
Child’s Play (1998) – This is the first movie of the Chucky series, with a scary but an unique concept of a serial killer trapped inside a puppet. The movie has many scary and shocking scenes, which will make you jump in your seat. If you like Child’s Play, then you can also watch other movies of the series.
The Sixth Sense (1999) – This is so far the best film created by M. Night Shyamalan, which stars Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment. This movie is about a boy (Haley) who can see dead people, and is getting treatment from a child psychologist (Bruce Willis).
Les Diaboliques (1995) – This black and white film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, is about the wife of a cruel headmaster and his mistress, who conspire to kill him. But, after they murder him, the body disappears and strange and scary events begin to unfold.
Grindhouse (2007) – These are two feature films directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. This double bill of thrillers, Death Proof and Planet Terror created by the two directors recall an all time favorite genre – exploitation films. Watch the film to know more.
Haxan (1992) – This bizarre but unique film, is a documentary portraying the history of witchcraft from illustrated incidents to real life events. A must watch for fans of this movie genre.
Alien (1979) – This sci-fi, horror film is known to everybody, and there have been many films on this character. When a crew of mining ship investigating a suspected SOS land on a distant planet, they discover some strange creatures.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) – This classic Oscar winner horror film is about a young couple who move into a new apartment. They realize that they are surrounded by peculiar neighbors. The couple become concerned about the safety of their unborn child, as the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant.
Carrie (1976) – This scary movie is based on a equally scary novel by Stephen King, is about a quiet and weird girl called Carrie who has telekinetic powers.
The Shinning (1980) – Based on a novel by Stephen King and directed by Stanley Kubrick, this movie is a masterpiece among horror films. A man, his wife and son are staying in an isolated hotel, where their son starts see to see disturbing scenes from the past due to his telepathic ability.
Faust – Eine Deutsche Volkssage (1926) – This is a classic film in the horror, drama and fantasy genre. The movie is about God and Satan who war over Earth and to settle things down, wager on the soul of Faust, an alchemist.
Constantine (2005) – This movie is based on the comic book series called ‘Hellblazer’, is among those horror films which have great visual effects. Starring Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, this movie is about Constantine who has been to hell and back.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – This film is among the best scary movies of all time, and is about the famous horror character Freddy, who killed many children with his razor blades fingers. Freddy is later on burned alive by some people in a boiler room. After many years, he starts tormenting the children of the people who killed him.
The Blair Witch Project (1999) – This is a very unique film among horror films without any typical elements of the horror film genre. 3 student film-makers mysteriously disappear into the woods. This film is about the footage which was found a year later after their death.
Werckmeister Harmoniak (2000) – This world-wide acclaimed film took over 4 years to be created, and suffered many funding hassles and changes in crew, but the output came out to be brilliant. The movie takes place in a small town on the Hungarian Plain, where the temperature is below zero degree and is accompanied by frost, strangers appearing, and other chaotic incidents happening. To learn more about scary films go through, list of scary movies.
I am sure you must have seen many of the movies from the best horror movies list above but I am also pretty sure that you must not have seen the above listed foreign language horror films. So, rent the unwatched films, but a little advice – do not watch them all together, as the elements in horror films have a long lasting impression. Have a happy-scary experience watching these films!