Horror movies come in different genres. You have supernatural horror, slashers, and thrillers. All of these horror movies aim to scare you and others leave you feeling dreadful and uneasy. The effects of horror movies all boil down to how the film was made.

While there have been hundreds – if not thousands – of horror films over the past few decades, only a few of them have reached a certain standard to be called “the best”. Some of the best horror movies end up becoming award-winning films, while others are revered within the horror community.

Horror movies have always been prized as one of the go-to forms of entertainment for people. If you are down to be scared alone or together with friends, then here are some of the best horror movies that you can watch. Read on to learn more.

Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead is a comedic take on the horror sub-genre of zombie movies. Directed by Edgar Wright, this 2004 horror comedy movie follows Shaun as he and his friends try to hide from the zombie apocalypse at their local pub. 

Soon, hijinx ensues as the characters try to survive the onslaught of zombies trying to devour them. The movie was highly praised not only for its funny take on the zombie genre, but also for its witty dialogue and intelligent characters. 

More often, you always find characters making highly questionable decisions. The movie uses this trope and subverts it into a lesson for the characters to survive.

The film also honors the original Night of the Living Dead zombie film by George A. Romero and heavily references all of his movies. This goes to show that you can always make a good movie while also creating something very special that honors its predecessors.

Evil Dead 2

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn is a follow-up to the widely successful Evil Dead movie. The horror comedy film follows the adventures of Ash Williams as he encounters demons, known as “Deadites”, once again during a vacation at an old cabin in the woods.

Soon after Ash encounters a recording from an ancient book, the horrors begin to unravel as the demons possess and haunt Ash and his friends. Evil Dead 2 brings the gore to a new level with its higher budget this time around. 

The film takes inspiration from the first one by recreating almost the same setting from the first. However, the second film owns its peculiar brand of comedy and horror that no other horror films have been able to emulate.

Many critics have always praised the film’s practical effects as well as the comedy that only director Sam Raimi can produce even with the movie’s very dark themes.

Psycho

Pyscho is a timeless classic horror film that continues to be one of the most significant films up to this day. Considered as one of the genre’s most original take on subversive plotting, the movie follows an ambitious woman who takes shelter in a decrepit motel and meets its caretaker.

The twist at the end of the movie is one of the best that Hollywood has produced over the years, and it remains one of the most horrifying scenes in movie history. 

The movie was inspired by the gruesome murders of Ed Gein and his relationship with his mother. Since the movie’s release, only a few horror movies have seen quite the massive critical reaction that rivals Pyscho.

Scream

Scream is another classic horror slasher flick that has aged well throughout the years. It is known for its witty dialogue as well as good character developments and subversive plot. 

The movie follows Sidney Prescott as she is terrorized by a serial killer named Ghostface a year after her mother’s untimely death. 

One of the huge draws of Scream was its marketing ploy by having Drew Barrymore, an A-list actress, at the center of the plot only to be killed in the first few minutes of the movie. 

This became the talk of the town that a movie was brave enough to kill a popular actress at the time. The film was lauded for its audacity as well as its confidence in storytelling and its final reveal.

The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods is both a love letter and commentary on the horror genre. The film takes place in a cabin by the woods where a group of young college students is suddenly haunted by a family of redneck zombies. 

Little do they know that they are part of a larger experiment that may cause the end of the world. The film details all the horror tropes down to very minute details including the type of characters that are normally perceived in horror films. 

What truly makes The Cabin in the Woods very impressive is its take on these tropes. The movie subverts all of your expectations towards these tropes and you end up having a good time especially when all of the monsters are set loose.

The Babadook

The Babadook is a 2014 Australian horror film that tells the story of a woman and her child as they are haunted by a mysterious figure known as The Babadook. 

The film is a great representation of what grief, stress, mental breakdown, depression, and death can do to a person and how it can ruin a person’s life. It also represents battling your inner demons and seizing its control over your mind and body.

The film tackles these themes throughout the entire film and has been largely acknowledged well by the audience and critics. The horror film was initially not a success, but it had a cult following.

Later on, the movie generated a lot of attention overseas that it became widely known and grossed $10.2 million against its $2 million budget.

Halloween

Halloween is considered to be the first film to introduce us to a lot of horror tropes that we know today. This horror classic follows a mass murderer on a killing spree on Halloween night after escaping a mental asylum for murdering his sister. 

The film has inspired many slasher movies after its release and continues to do so today. The film has created an entire sub-genre, known as “slasher movies”. 

Halloween’s iconic masked killer Michael Myers provides a chilling effect for the entire movie that has also been considered as one of the best horror villains of all time.

If you are looking for the original slasher flick, Halloween is the first and best movie to watch. The movie has everything that a slasher horror film offers and it delivers in all aspects.

28 Days Later

28 Days Later is a 2002 British horror film that follows a stranger
who wakes up at the hospital in the middle of an apocalypse. 

Following the days after the breakout of a highly contagious virus that turns humans into ravaging zombie-like creatures, our hero travels through the decimated landscape of England as he tries to seek shelter from the horror.

While the premise of the movie might be the standard plot of a zombie movie, the film is far more deserving of that comparison. The movie was a huge financial success and was the most profitable horror film of that year. 

The Exorcist

The Exorcist is a 1973 supernatural horror film that is widely known as one of the best horror movies of all time. Based on the novel of the same name, the film follows a girl named Regan and her mother as they seek help from two priests to expel the demon that inhabits Regan.

The film was released in only 24 theaters at the time and some viewers thought that the obscenities done within the film were very disturbing including the iconic head-twisting effect and many other horrifying scenes as the film progressed. 

Nevertheless, the buzz created a nationwide curiosity of the film, and became one of the most successful horror films of all time.

The movie was regarded as an instant classic and many film critics loved the film. It was also one of the only few movies that scored a win at the Academy Awards and a nomination for Best Picture. 

Hereditary

Probably the only film on this list that could rival the notoriety of The Exorcist as one of the best horror films of all time is Hereditary. The movie tells the story of a grieving family who had just lost their grandmother. 

During a dark time in their lives, they slowly experience a mysterious presence haunting them, which leads to a great revelation at the end. It touches on the realities of grief and death and its effects on the family.

Known for its atmospheric and disturbing nature, Hereditary is one of the best horror movies to come out ever since the classic movies, such as The Exorcist. The movie was directed by Ari Aster who also brought to us another great horror film, called “Midsommar”.

Conclusion

Every year, we are treated to a wide variety of horror movies to watch. Some may have missed the mark on what makes a good horror movie, but others raised the bar for many films to come. 

These must watch horror movies are the best example as to why many are becoming horror movie fans. Make sure to check these movies out if you are interested.