It’s getting to be that time of year again; the perfect time to turn down the lights, pop in a horror flick, and try not to soil yourself as you cower with a blanket on your couch. We here at MDO have taken the time to compile a list of what can arguably be considered the scariest movies of all time: some of which are well known, some of which are more underground hits. Regardless of reputation, these movies perfectly fit in to the “spooky” atmosphere of Halloween, guaranteed. Take note, this isn’t a countdown of any kind, with #1 being the best and #10 being the worst. This is merely a list containing ten of the best or most iconic horror films to ever emerge. Enjoy.
# 1 The Blair Witch Project
This one is a doozy. During a period in time when people thought bigger was better when it came to horror flicks, along came The Blair Witch Project. Its realistic “point of view” style of filming puts you right in the shoes of the main characters as what started out as a simple documentary turns into a fight to stay alive, trapped in the wilderness with something that’s out for your blood. Part of what makes this movie so special is the borderline non-existent budget used to film it (around $20,000), resulting in most, if not all, of the scares being creatively thought out to try and compensate for the lack of cash. Budget didn’t seem to matter to the creators of this film, as the Blair Witch Project still manages to stand out in a sea of horror flicks.
# 2 The Cabin in the Woods
If you’re looking for a scary movie that doesn’t take itself (or any other scary movie, for that matter) too seriously, then you can’t go wrong with this one. Cabin in the Woods feels more like an homage to every famous horror flick before it, but still manages to hold its own among the rest of the films on this list. What starts out looking like the most generic horror movie ever conceived begins to twist and turn, slowly revealing itself to you until it ends up ultimately turning into its own unique experience.
# 3 Rosemary’s Baby
It’s old, but it’s still one of the most revered films in horror history, and for good reason. Rosemary’s Baby follows the story of a lovely couple from New York as their baby turns out to be the antichrist. Did you see that coming? Because they sure as hell didn’t. This shares its appeal with The Silence of the Lambs as it isn’t so much reliant on traditional horror methods, and instead finds its niche in being just straight creepy. The concept itself was original at the time and hasn’t been revisited since, and the actual horrific occurrences aren’t the direct result of some supernatural force, but are enabled by the sinister emotions found deep inside of people.
# 4 The Silence of the Lambs
Not really jump-out-of-your-seat scary, more along the lines of just plain creepy. The real scares don’t come from the more conventional gore scenes, but rather the interactions between main protagonist Clarice Starling and weirdly charismatic serial cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. Atmosphere and suspense are both done near perfection in this flick, and if the gore is what you’re in to, don’t worry, it may take a back seat to the exchange of words but it still doesn’t disappoint.
# 5 [REC]
While this Spanish-made horror flick was remade for the US as “Quarantine”, you’ll be better off sticking with the original. [REC] follows the story of the survivors in a quarantined apartment building where a dangerous virus has spread amongst the residents. The power’s been cut, the doors have been locked, and they’re sharing the building with the crazed, murderous victims of an unknown disease. This film really plays to the inherent sense of isolation that would be felt by anyone in this situation, totally cut off from the outside world and essentially left to die for the sake of containing whatever it is that infected these people. While the remaining survivors do eventually uncover the source, it isn’t without making some grievous sacrifices along the way, and the ending certainly doesn’t disappoint.
# 6 Poltergeist
Still known by some as the scariest movie to ever be created, Poltergeist has enough scares to keep you using a nightlight until late December. The concept of a family purchasing a house on top of an ancient Indian burial ground might not seem overtly scary to most people, but that sentiment will be turned right around by the end of the movie. Trust me, you’ll be wary of your television for weeks to come after experiencing what this movie has to offer.
# 7 The Conjuring
Let’s face it, moving to a new place in the middle of nowhere is scary enough without the looming threat of demonic possession. Without spoiling too much, The Conjuring follows a family as they first move into an old, run-down Rhode Island farmhouse. Soon, strange things begin to happen, and escalate to the point where the family is forced to take action or risk losing their lives. The scares themselves are top notch, and the use of atmosphere only adds to their effectiveness. This one is definitely worth a watch.
# 8 Alien
I don’t know why I’m bothering to put this on the list, considering a vast majority of people have probably already seen it. Regardless, it gets a spot on the list for its masterful use of suspense. The greatest fear is the fear of anticipation, and this movie takes advantage of its knowledge of that fact as it dangles the constant threat of a 10 foot freak of nature flying out of the vents at any given point in time before liberating your head from your shoulders. Alien finds its niche in the classic story of a group of people getting picked off one by one by an unknown force until only one of them remains, and it does it better than most movies to this day. If you haven’t seen this flick yet, hop on Netflix, turn down the lights, and try not to let yourself wake up the neighbors.
# 9 Paranormal Activity
Okay, I kind of had to put this one on the list. It wasn’t anything game changing, but this movie scared the crap out of anyone who entered the theater. The jump scares in this movie are unforgettable, but part of the reason they’re so excellent is the long periods of time in the movie where nothing is actually happening. While this could be considered lazy or even dull, you’re kept on the edge of your seat by the expectation of yet another shock creeping just around the corner. And you won’t be disappointed.
# 10 The Thing
This is of course referring to the 1982 version, not the crappy remake. The Thing follows the story of an Antarctic research team as they stumble across the charred remains of a similar research camp with a burnt, humanoid corpse lying among the wreckage. Soon, the cause of the destruction is made abundantly clear to them when some unknown alien life form begins to take the shape of the human researchers on the base and pick them off one by one. The true terror behind this movie isn’t from the disgusting appearance of the Thing itself, but instead comes from the paranoia of never knowing who is truly human. The protagonists wreck just as much havoc on themselves as the alien does, and the suspense is killer the entire way through.
BONUS MOVIE
Friday the 13th
I mean, I couldn’t not put this one on the list. The only real reason this isn’t included in the top ten is because it’s more of a slasher film than a horror flick, and relies on the shock value of the gore more than the suspense of its arrival. Either way, it’s still one of the best known movies to ever be filmed, and deserves to be watched if you haven’t already.