Obviously people will disagree with my choices for this list. Some of the films you would have put down I may not have seen, or I may have already painfully eliminated just to keep my list at 100. Some may be on here because they are newer and fresher in my memory. Some I just left off because, in my own personal opinion, they sucked. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule. I love The Blair Witch Project, and last time around it was most assuredly on here, but over the last few years, as technology has gotten better, It’s been outdone by 7 found footage movies (6 that made the list). I also felt that if there were sequels that had a shot of getting in, I would just put the best of the series in with other worth while films mentioned underneath the entry. The same went for similar films or other works of the directors or writers or special effects artists.
100. SUSPIRIA
I’ve never been a big Argentino fan, but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect his work. This movie is gorgeous at times and scary at times but it feels like I’m putting it on this list so people don’t yell at me. In any case it’s iconic.
[Phenomena, Stendhal Syndrome, Bird With the Crystal Plumage]
99. HOSTEL 2
Eli Roth ramps it up with more likeable characters, more gruesome deaths, and the point of view from the killers.
[Cabin Fever, Hostel]
98. CRONOS
This is where Guillermo Del Toro’s reinvention of genre films began. An antique dealer finds a mechanical scarab inside of a statue which then stings him, giving him immortal life. A new take on the vampire tale.
[Mimic, The Devil’s Backbone, Pans Labyrinth, Pacific Rim]
97. CHILLERAMA
A very fun horror anthology about giant sperm, leather werewolves, and the best of the bunch, The Diary of Anne Frankenstein with Hitler played by a brilliant Joel David Moore.
[Hatchet, Hatchet 2]
96. TROLL HUNTER
A Norwegian film about a documentary crew following a troll hunter. The first rule: No Christians. The trolls can smell them.
[The Last Norwegian Troll, Thale]
95. RAVENOUS
A tale of cannibalism during the Mexican-American war. Very Underrated.
94. RED STATE
If I didn’t already know Kevin Smith was the director, I never would have guessed, it’s so different from his other films. It’s also probably his most accomplished. Inspired by crazy cults like the Westboro Baptists and the Branch Davidians, and how the FBI dealt with them.
[Vulgar the Clown]
93. THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ROSALIND LEIGH
An effective, creepy, slowburn haunted house story. But is it haunted by a demon? Or an angel? Directed by the founder of Rue Morgue Magazine.
[Curious Stories, Crooked Symbols]
92. HAUSU
Easily the most bat-shit crazy Japanese movie I’ve ever seen. A bunch of girls go to a haunted house. One of them gets eaten by a piano. A haunted house movie on acid.
[Tormented]
91. BASKETCASE
Any Helenlotter movie could have made this list, but this was his first and the template for everything he would do in the future. A man and his Siamese twin take revenge on the doctors who separated them.
[Frankenhooker, Brain Damage, Bad Biology]
90. TETSUO-THE IRON MAN
A businessman shoves an iron bar into his leg and slowly becomes more metal. Splatter punk at it’s craziest.
[Tetsuo-The Body Hammer, Tetsuo-The Bullet Man]
89. INSIDE
Gender flipped Halloween about a widow, a day away from giving birth, is attacked in her home by a psychotic woman who wants the baby for herself. There is a “scissors in a belly button scene”. You are warned.
[Livide]
88. BAGHEAD
From Wikipedia: Four actors go to a cabin in the woods to write, direct, and act in a film that will jump-start their careers. Their idea is a horror film about a man with a bag over his head, but what happens when that man mysteriously shows up?
Directed by Pete from The League with his brother Jay.
87. AMITYVILLE HORROR
Whether or not it’s actually a true story does not diminish the creepiness of this tale that inspired 8 sequels, a remake, and an upcoming documentary.
86. THE GATE
A staple of my childhood. A very young Stephen Dorf has his house invaded by mini demons.
[Botched]
85. SLITHER
A fun sci-fi horror movie about worms from space that turn people into zombies. James Gunn’s first directorial gig for a major studio brings his Troma [non]sensibilities to one of 2006’s best horror movies. Nathan Fillion‘s second starring role after Firefly/Serenity.
[Tromeo and Juliet]
84. HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT 2
The best of the prom night series. Mary Lou is burned alive immediately after being crowned prom queen and vows revenge from the afterlife. Incredible special effects for the time and lots of common ground with A Nightmare on Elm Street.
83. TEETH
A vagina with teeth. It sounds like it’s a Troma move but it’s actually a well written, well rounded film with humour, character arcs, decisions, and consequences…
If you are looking for original horror movies, this is it.
82. THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE
Many people will disagree with this one and it may not be on an updated list, but there’s no arguing that this was one of the most original concepts in years. This is required viewing for true horror fans, even if you don’t enjoy it. Just like people in the 70’s had to watch The Wizard of Gore.
[Human Centipede 2 (gore hounds only)]
81. EXCISION
A movie about a mentally ill girl, interspersed with beautiful medical set pieces and a crushing ending. Stars a fantastic AnnaLynne McCord from the new 90210.
80. FATHERS DAY
Of all the new grindhouse inspired movies, this one is easily the most funny and violent. The infamous Father Killer is back from the dead and Ahab must team up with Twink and a priest to find the Fuchman to take revenge.
[Astron 6 Collection, Manborg]
79. GOJIRA
Giant monster movies are a necessity when I’m sick on the couch. When I was young, the only time I was allowed up after 8:00 was when there was a Godzilla movie on. I love this genre and Gojira was where it all began. The Raymond Burr free Japanese version. Find the MST3K versions when you can.
[Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidora the 3 Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla 1985, Godzilla 2000, Godzilla: Final Wars]
78. KAIRO
The original Japanese Version of Pulse. Ghosts use technology to invade our world, although the film is more about loneliness and giving up on living. It has some of the most frightening scenes in any ghost movie.
77. THE EYE
A girl gets cornea transplants from an organ donor, which, to her horror, lets her see ghosts. This is an excellent ghost story with a great mystery attached. Stay away from the Jessica Alba version.
76. ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE
A movie about teenage obsession. Teenage boys compete for the prettiest virgin at school with horrifying results.
[Warm Bodies]
75. STAKELAND
Feral Vampires have overrun North America, their fangs have become more valuable than gold, and a vampire killer teaches his apprentice how to live in that world.
[Mulberry Street]
74. THE DEVIL’S REJECTS
From Roger Ebert “It desired to entertain and not merely to sicken, and its depraved killers were individuals with personalities, histories and motives". This is easily Rob Zombie’s best movie whether you are a fan or not.
[House of 1000 Corpses, Lords of Salem]
73. WOLF CREEK
Inspired by Australian outback serial killers Bradley John Murdoch and Ivan Milat. Wolf Creek contains extremely realistic violence and torture scenes, so bad in fact, that the director had to stop filming because he thought the actor who plays the killer had gotten too carried away.
[Rogue, Snowtown Murders]
72. DEAD ALIVE
An early Peter Jackson zombie film and one of the goriest movies of all time. I will never eat Custard after seeing this one. Also known as Braindead but called Dead Alive in North America so as not to confuse it with the Henenlotter Brain Dead.
[Frighteners]
71. TREMORS
The ultimate Saturday afternoon movie. Giant worms terrorize the small town of Perfection, and it’s up to Kevin Bacon to save them. I’ve probably seen this one 20 times.
70. YELLOWBRICKROAD
A group of surveyors enter a trail that people never return from, and slowly but suddenly go mad. If you like the atmosphere of the Blair Witch but wish there was a real script and good acting, this one is for you.
69. CLOVERFIELD
I love giant monster movies, but when I dream of being chased by Godzilla it scares the crap out of me, so this movie was perfect.
68. VHS
A found footage anthology by today’s brightest young horror movie directors doing interesting takes on your typical horror genres. Sometimes things are way scarier when you take out good cinematography.
[A Horrible Way to Die, PopSkull, House of the Devil, Innkeepers, The Signal, I Sell the Dead, VHS2]
67. REC
See a zombie outbreak in the first person. This movie is terrifying and claustrophobic.
[Rec 2]
66. MONSTER SQUAD
The Little Rascals vs. The Universal Monsters
[Night of the Creeps]
65. THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK
The original documentary horror film. A crew re-enacts the stories of a town harassed by a Bigfoot.
64. FRIDAY THE 13TH 4
The best of all the Friday the 13th series, partly due to the return of Tom Savini to the special effects department.
[Friday the 13th part 1, 2, 3, Freddy vs. Jason]
63. ANTIVIRAL
The son of Cronenberg’s film debut. A man, who works for a company that harvests diseases from celebrities and then injects them into paying clients, injects one into himself not knowing it’s fatal.
62. JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER
A boy whose family is killed by a monster grows into a man with anger issues and takes up fighting monsters as therapy. Great practical special effects in this horror movie with local ties.
[The Shrine, Murder Party]
61. LITTLE OTIK
A Czech film about a married couple who can’t conceive, find’s a root that looks like a baby and then treat it like it’s their own child. Then it gets big and starts eating people. A very fun movie if you can find it.
[Alice in Wonderland]
60. DRACULA (HAMMER)
Christopher Lee is my favourite Dracula of all time. So charming yet such and inhuman monster.
[Dracula ad 1972, Horror Express, Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires]
59. NOSFERATU
Not the first vampire movie but definitely the template for the vampires we know today. Max Schreck plays one of the most memorable monsters in movie history.
[Shadow of the Vampire, Faust]
58. DEMON KNIGHT
Everything that was fun about the TV show with Billy Zane and Jada Pinkette at their best. Demons try to break into a roadhouse so they can get a key that contains the last blood of Christ. Brought to you by the Crypt Keeper.
[Bordello of blood, Eddie the Sleepwalking Cannibal]
57. BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON
A student documentary crew follows a serial killer as he attempts to become the next Freddy or Jason. An interesting take on the genre as Leslie shows them the tricks of the trade like booby trapping escape routes and building up scary pretense.
[Man Bites Dog]
56. ANTICHRIST
One uncomfortable watch. A good portion of people will leave this movie shaken. A couple goes to a cabin to re-establish their relationship. Genital mutilation ensues.
[Melancholia]
55. FRIGHT NIGHT
A vampire moves next door and a boy must team up with a television personality to defeat him before his mom gets eaten.
[Childs Play, Class of 1984]
54. THE ENTITY
Still shocking special effects to this day. The true story is equally as creepy.
53. KILL LIST
A masterfully paced film that morphs from domestic drama, to hit man thriller, to “I have no idea what”. A hit man and his partner start doing jobs again, but each person they kill thanks them for it.
[Sightseers]
52. PUMPKINHEAD
A creature feature directed by Oscar winning special effects artist Stan Winston. One of the movies that turned me onto horror in the first place.
51. CANDYMAN
Virginia Madsen explores the Background behind a folk tale monster that’s terrorizing a housing project in the south side of Chicago. Madsen gives an amazing performance (at times she was even hypnotized while acting) and Tony Todd became a new horror icon. It was even filmed in the real Cabrini Green, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago.
50. ATTACK THE BLOCK
A group of housing project kids battle ferocious space aliens. One of the best sci-fi movies of the last 10 years.
49. HENRY: PROTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER
They make a movie for just about every serial killer nowadays, but nobody got it more frighteningly real than Henry. Loosely based on serial killer Henry Lee Lucas played by Michael Rooker at his pants shitingly scariest. Probably the scariest portrayal of a serial killer on film.
48. THIRST
Chan-Wook Park’s Thirst is his first movie outside of his Revenge Trilogy (Oldboy). He creates an elegant vampire tale with his keen eye for set design and cinematography. One of the most innovative vampire movies of all time.
{Three Extremes, I’m a Cyborg But That’s Ok, Oldboy, Stoker]
47. THE HOWLING
A news anchor, who is attacked by an obsessed serial killer, vacations to a colony with her husband, not knowing the colony is home to the serial killers family-a pack of werewolves.
[Howling 3, Howling 5, Gremlins, Piranha]
46. CEMETERY MAN (DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE)
An Italian black comedy about a cemetery caretaker (played by Rupert Everett) who re-kills the dead. None of it really makes sense. It’s kinda like one of those dreams you keep falling back asleep for so you can see what happens next.
45. SCREAM
It’s hard to tell if 20 years from now this film will be praised for it’s innovation and deconstruction of the slasher film, or if it will be hated for spawning dozens of imitators and destroying the genre it was trying to invigorate.
44. THE ORPHANAGE
We know there are ghosts in the house. We don’t know where they are or when they’ll show up, but we know they will. It’s what makes this movie so suspenseful. A husband and wife are trying to open an orphanage for special needs children when her own child goes missing.
[Julia’s Eyes]
43. POLTERGIEST
There’s always been controversy about who really directed this: Tobe Hooper or Steven Spielberg. It has real elements of horror with a little of the Spielberg movie magic. This was the peak of Hooper’s career.
42. FRANKENSTIEN
Obviously one of the most important monsters of all time. I’ll just list all the important movies to watch along with it
[Bride of Frankenstein, Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Gods and Monsters, Gothic, Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, Young Frankenstein, Curse of Frankenstein, Blackenstein]
41. THE MACHINIST
Just seeing what Christian Bale did to his own body in this film is horrifying. A tale of Paranoia and Insomnia.
[Session 9]
40. BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA
The amount of detail Coppola puts into this movie is incredible in probably the best version of this story ever. It’s entirely gothic eye candy. I would love to see a documentary on the special effects alone.
39. NEAR DARK
A boy falls in love with a girl and then gets dragged into her family of on-the-run vampires. One of Bill Paxton’s best movies.
38. AMERICAN PSYCHO
Patrick Bateman runs amok as Vice President of his father’s company by day and serial killer by night. This movie destroyed the 80’s.
[Rules of Attraction]
37. THE GRUDGE
I was surprised at how good the American remake of Ju On was. Keeping it based in Japan was a big help. One of the creepiest Japanese ghost movies I’ve ever seen in the theatre.
[Ju On, Ju On 2, Ju On: Black Ghost/White Ghost, Marebito, Rinne (Reincarnation)]
36. SEVEN
David Fincher is one of the best Directors ever but most people probably wouldn’t know that unless they looked up his filmography and saw that he did badass film after badass film. Seven was only the second, and his first with long time collaborator Brad Pitt. Let’s face it, you’ve already seen Seven. If not, then stop sucking.
[Fight Club, Alien 3, Zodiac, The Game]
35. PSYCHO
One of the movies that changed cinema.
[Psycho 2, Patrick]
34. RINGU
They ruined The Ring when they made it for an American audience, replacing an atmosphere of dread with bad make-up. Ringu was the first truly great example of modern J-horror.
33. MAY
Lucky McKee’s Masterpiece is a modernized Frankenstein as May (played by Angela Bettis) tries to create the perfect friend. You will fall in love with her for her quirkiness despite the crazy things that she does. Sort of the anti-Amelie.
[The Woman, Red, The Woods]
32. GRINDHOUSE
Far more than just an homage to grindhouse cinema. This is one of the funnest, most unpredictable, and thrilling movies of all time. Make sure you watch the full double feature complete with missing scenes and fake trailers.
[Hobo With a Shotgun, Machete]
31. PHANTASM
Unique in every way. An undertaker with flying drill spheres turns people into dwarves to be slaves on another planet. Don Coscarelli is a master of demented horror.
[John Dies at the End, Bubba Hotep, Phantasm 2, Phantasm 4]
30. JACOBS LADDER
A Vietnam veteran is haunted by flashbacks and demons.
29. THE SIGNAL
A signal on TV makes people go crazy. Three acts, three directors and three different atmospheres make this a highly innovative apocalypse film. It’s also the film that made A.J. Bowen a future star in my mind.
[A Horrible Way to Die, House of the Devil, You’re Next]
28. REANIMATOR
Jeffrey combs is brilliant in, maybe not the best but easily the funnest, adaptation of the works of HP Lovecraft.
{Call of Cthulhu, Dagon, Whisperer in Darkness, Bride of Re-Animator]
27. AUDITION
An insane psychological thriller with a horrendous torture scene. You’ll feel uneasy for days after watching this one.
26. INSIDIOUS/PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
Both of these films should have their own entries on this list but I couldn’t figure out what other entry to delete (I’m probably going to get crap for not putting The Omen on it). Since they were both Oren Pele projects, and they were both cutting edge modern ghost stories, I’m combining them.
[Sinister, The Conjuring, Insidious 2]
25. CARRIE
The best of all Stephen King adaptations. Probably the most memorable climax of any movie.
[Children of the Corn, Silver Bullet, Sleepwalkers, Cujo, Maximum Overdrive, Creepshow 2, The Mist, Pet Cemetery, Phantom of the Paradise]
24. THE SHINING
Jack Nicolson becomes a care taker at a closed, remote, out of season hotel and slowly turns homicidal. This was Stanley Kubrick’s only foray into horror films.
23. FEARLESS VAMPRIE KILLERS
By far my favourite Polanski film. A vampire researcher and his apprentice travel to a remote castle to eradicate the only known vampires left. Dancing ensues.
[Rose-Mary’s Baby, Repulsion]
22. ALIEN
The best space horror movie of all time. The crew of the Nostromo investigates a distress signal on an unknown planet and one of the crew is attacked by a parasite. Although the sequel Aliens is better, it’s more of an action film.
[Aliens, Aliens 3, Prometheus, Event Horizon]
21. HALLOWEEN
Not the film that created the slasher film but still it’s highest peak.
[Halloween 3]
20. THE LOST BOYS
What would you do if you had super powers, no fear of repercussions, and immortality? It’s almost exactly the premise of Peter Pan but with vampires instead. Lost Boys didn’t really invent any new mythos but it added a gigantic dose of stylized horror to a stagnant vampire genre.
[Flatliners, 8mm, Blood Creek]
19. CABIN IN THE WOODS
As subversive as Scream but with enough monsters to make you want to watch it frame by frame. This was the best horror movie of 2012.
[Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cloverfield, Serenity]
18. THE FLY
Cronenberg has always been a master of horror but none of his movies have been as slick and crowd-pleasing as his take on The Fly. This is probably Jeff Goldblum's best performance, for which he should have received an Oscar nomination.
[Videodrome, Scanners, Rabid]
17. I SAW THE DEVIL
A Korean film about a man who takes revenge on a serial killer by constantly tracking him down and beating him within an inch of his life. An extremely violent thriller.
[Tale of Two Sisters}
16. HELLRAISER
I really could have put 5 Clive Barker films on this list, but obviously Hellraiser is the most iconic. I met Doug Bradley at a convention once. He had very soft hands.
[Candyman, Hellraiser 2, Nightbreed, Lord of Illusions, Midnight Meat Train, Dread]
15. GINGER SNAPS
The subtext here is puberty, but they mix it with a full on werewolf tale that doesn’t pull any punches.
[Ginger Snaps 2, American Mary]
14. TRICK R TREAT
Officially the best movie about Halloween ever. An anthology of stories that connect through their characters. Contains ghosts, werewolves, a vampire, a homicidal principle and a pumpkin headed boy.
13. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
A serial killer takes revenge on the people who killed him by murdering their children in their dreams. That makes it sound simpler than it is. This movie is a cultural phenomenon. Stay away from the remake.
[Nightmare on Elm Street 2, 3, 4, New Nightmare, Freddy vs. Jason, Never Sleep Again]
12. MARTYRS
Two women take revenge on a family that’s part of a cult that creates “martyrs”. The special effects artist, Benoit Lestang committed suicide shortly before the film’s release.
[The Tall Man]
11. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
This is a whole different world of horror. Everything about it is unnerving.
10. DAWN OF THE DEAD
Hiding from zombies in a shopping mall. The best entry in one of the best horror series ever. Still holds up to this day
[Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead (2004), Fido, Zombi 2, Burial Ground, Martin]
9. DONNIE DARKO
Lots of people will argue with me that it isn’t a horror movie. It’s still one of the most unique movie experiences of all time. Time travel, demon bunnies, and an early cameo from Seth Rogan. Make sure you watch the theatrical release, not the director’s cut.
8. THE THING (1982)
It took me way too long to watch this one. Lots of paranoia and mind-blowing, practical monster effects by Rob Bottin. It’s John Carpenter’s best movie.
[Halloween, They Live, Memoires of an Invisible Man, The Thing (1951), The Thing (2011)]
7. 28 DAYS LATER
Danny Boyle is one of the best filmmakers ever. You give him a category and he’ll nail it. Zombies? Done. Best zombie movie ever. You give this guy the Olympics and he’ll nail it.
[Rammbock]
6. SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Far more than a zombie movie. It’s one of the most well woven movies ever made. The references, the character arcs, the way everything from the beginning comes back up at the end. This was a revelation for Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, and Edgar Wright.
5. EVIL DEAD 2
The best of the Evil Dead franchise. Ash goes back to the cabin and his new girlfriend gets possessed.
[Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell, Within the Woods]
4. THE DESCENT
Six women go cave spelunking and end up fighting for their lives against prehistoric cave people. It’s claustrophobic, gory, and terrifying. I had three separate nightmares the night I first watched it.
[Dog Soldiers]
3. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
In my opinion, the best vampire movie ever made. In this case, a young boy who get’s bullied at school befriends a vampire that’s a child in appearance. Even the American remake wasn’t bad.
[Let Me In]
2. AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
The ultimate werewolf movie. A comedic, full blooded horror movie, topped off by a well lit, full on werewolf transformation. [The Incredible Melting Man, It’s Alive, Burke and Hare]
1. THE EXORCIST
Obviously. No reason to explain that.
[The Exorcist 3, The Last exorcism, Exorcismus, Repossessed]
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