What makes a good horror film? The amount of blood, scares, suspense, build up, effects or the subject matter? Or is it simply a very good combination of all these elements? Horror has dabbled in all kinds of subject matters and has created many sub-genres which we have either fallen in love with such as the "Zombie" sub genre and others that we have felt inconstantly revolted by such as "torture porn" sub-genre.
Most of the time horror has been viewed as a second rate genre where death, destruction and pain are more important than story, character and meanings. That is a natural view of things when you haven't seen the true spectacle of what they can offer. Many of the films on this list have significant meanings and various interpretations to them. All you have to do is dig beneath the surface and you will find all the meanings and symbolism's you could wish for.
Because beyond the magnificent effects, makeup and natural huge amounts of blood and gore. Lie fantastic stories of triumph, acceptance, survival, mystery and more. Movies that can easily be on par and sometimes even better than other films in more respected genres of cinema.
Though a reminder to the faint of heart!
Don't be fooled by these films as they are not for the lighthearted. Almost all are very violent and with graphic content and disturbing themes. However, no more disturbing then the world and times we live in.
the best horror films
- The Shining (1980) by Stanley Kubrick trailer
- Psycho (1960) by Alfred Hitchcock trailer
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) by Robert Wiene trailer
- Dawn of the Dead (1978) by George A. Romero trailer
- Halloween (1978) by John Carpenter trailer
- The Exorcist (1973) by William Friekden trailer
- Alien (1979) by Ridley Scott trailer
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) by Tope Hooper trailer
- Night of the Living Dead (1968) by George A. Romero trailer
- The Thing (1982) by John Carpenter trailer
honorable mentions in alphabetical order:
- American Psycho (2000) by Mary Harron trailer
- Aliens (1986) by James Cameron trailer
- Audition (1999) by Takashi Miike trailer
- Blair Witch Project (1999) by Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez trailer
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935) by James Whale trailer
- Dracula (1992) by Francis Ford Coppola trailer
- Evil Dead (1981) by Sam Raimi trailer
- Evil Dead II (1987) by Sam Raimi trailer
- Frankenstein (1931) by James Whale trailer
- Friday the 13th (1980) by Sean. S. Cunnigham trailer
- Jaws (1975) by Steven Spielberg trailer
- Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) by Wes Craven trailer
- Nosferatu (1922) by F.W. Murnau trailer
- Poltergeist (1982) by Tobe Hooper trailer
- Scream (1996) by Wes Craven trailer
- Silence of the Lambs (1991) by Jonathan Demme trailer
- Suspiria (1977) by Dario Argento trailer
- The Fly (1986) by David Cronenberg trailer
- The Ring (2002) by Gore Verbinski trailer
P.S. As always this a ever-evolving list. I haven't seen all the horror films that exist and there are many more I still wish to see. So even if some are not on the list, that dosen't mean they wont be later or that they don't deserve to be.