The 10 Best Must-See Horror Films of All Time
Ten Horror Movies that Every Fan of the Genre Should Watch
Oct 27, 2008
Horror films are a great way to get a simulated scare, and there are quite a few that have made their way to theaters over the years. There are, however, a crop of films that set themselves apart from the average slasher film, and those films make the list of must-see horror films that any fan of the genre should enjoy.
This is a list of the 10 must-see horror movies that aren't necessarily the 10 best overall, but ten that should be seen to get a good feeling for the genre.
1. Psycho
The 1960 film was one of Director Alfred Hitchcock's best, telling the tale of a woman who embezzles money, and then finds herself having karma catch up to her at a seedy motel in the middle of nowhere.
2. Aliens
The sequel to 1979's hit film Alien, it follows up on the planet where the original film took place, but something has gone wrong, and Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) has to investigate exactly what is going on.
3. The Shining
Jack Nicholson is at his best in this Stanley Kubrick, film based on the Stephen King novel, of a family that heads to a hotel to take care of it for the winter, only to find that there is evil within the house that could cost them everything.
4. The Birds
Alfred Hitchcock shines a new light on animals we encounter on a daily basis, only in this 1963 film, they turn against man and present a bizarre problem that will make people think twice about looking a crow in the eye.
5. Halloween
John Carpenter's original film about a psychotic murderer who has been institutionalized since childhood, but breaks out and sets his sites on actress Jamie Lee Curtis. It really set her up as one of the scream queens of the time.
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street
When a villain attacks his victims in their dreams, it becomes a fight just to go to sleep at night. Writer/Director Wes Craven, and the appearance of Johnny Depp are interesting, but Robert Englund becomes the infamous Fred Krueger in the first film in this long series.
7. Poltergeist
Steven Spielberg went to a new genre with this film about a house that a family moves into, only to find out that it is haunted. Smart and entertaining, this one will make you think twice about a television screen of "snow".
8. Jaws
The story of the shark that made a generation "afraid to go back in the water", this is another Spielberg picture which acted upon the irrational fear to go swimming at night. Combine that with simply stellar acting, and Jaws even holds up more than 30 years later.
9. Rosemary’s Baby
This psychological horror movie was brought by Director Roman Polanski, who presented a woman who is sure she has been impregnated by Satan. One part horrifying and another part intriguing, the story keeps the audience gripped till the very end.
10. The Exorcist
It’s a bit on the slow side, but works its way up with some innovative ideas for the time, and the story of a woman possessed has been used many times as a result of this film. It gets points for being ground-breaking and flat out gross at the same time.
There is the list of 10 of the best horror films of all time, and a great start for anyone looking to enjoy the genre.
 |
