Top 100 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time
These are cinema's most iconic horror flicks. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're breaking down the Top 100 Greatest Horror Movies of All-Time.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00:00 (dramatic music)
00:00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo,
00:00:05 and today we're counting down our picks
00:00:06 for the best of the best from the horror movie genre.
00:00:09 - Red Ron.
00:00:10 - Daddy, what's the matter, hon?
00:00:11 - Red Ron.
00:00:12 - Number 100, Child's Play.
00:00:16 - Hi, I'm Chuckie, wanna play?
00:00:21 (child screams)
00:00:22 - There are certain constants
00:00:23 within the realms of horror cinema.
00:00:25 Werewolves, vampires, and the undead are certainly among them
00:00:28 but possessed dolls also enjoy a pedigree
00:00:31 that dates back decades.
00:00:32 Chuckie wasn't the first killer toy to scare fright fans
00:00:35 but he certainly is the most famous.
00:00:37 This is due to the Child's Play franchise
00:00:40 capturing the imaginations of generations
00:00:42 with an enduring menace and sense of humor.
00:00:45 (laughs)
00:00:47 - I don't believe it, I just don't believe it.
00:00:50 The first person I let in on my little secret
00:00:52 was a six-year-old kid.
00:00:53 - What's particularly impressive
00:00:55 upon re-watching the original Child's Play
00:00:57 is just how much restraint director Tom Holland and crew have
00:01:00 with regards to the Chuckie reveal.
00:01:02 Is the doll possessed by the spirit
00:01:04 of serial killer Charles Lee Ray
00:01:06 or is it all in young Andy's mind?
00:01:08 Child's Play takes its time
00:01:10 and in doing so created a legend.
00:01:12 - Hello, Andy.
00:01:21 - Number 99, The Wolfman.
00:01:23 (wolf howling)
00:01:26 Larry Talbot's story is similar to Chuckie's
00:01:34 in that he wasn't the first of his kind on film.
00:01:37 Universal Pictures already financed a werewolf picture
00:01:40 in 1935 titled Werewolf of London
00:01:43 but it would be 1941's The Wolfman
00:01:45 that cemented its lycanthrope into pop culture forever.
00:01:48 Lon Chaney Jr. remains a figurehead
00:01:51 upon horror's proverbial Mount Rushmore
00:01:53 and it's his portrayal of the Wolfman
00:01:55 that many actors still look to for guidance.
00:01:58 (wolf howling)
00:02:00 There's a tragedy at play within Chaney's performance
00:02:06 that forever cements Talbot as an accidental monster,
00:02:09 a killer who doesn't want to kill.
00:02:11 As a result, the regret at these moonlight murders
00:02:14 becomes as intrinsically linked with The Wolfman
00:02:17 as its menacing howls
00:02:18 and the blood-curdling screams of its victims.
00:02:21 (menacing music)
00:02:24 Number 98, The Beyond.
00:02:32 (dramatic music)
00:02:36 Italian horror films were notorious
00:02:40 not only for their extremism
00:02:42 but also for the industry's often esoteric
00:02:44 and dreamlike senses of logic.
00:02:47 The Beyond serves as an outstanding example
00:02:49 of both these ends.
00:02:51 A visceral and violent piece
00:02:52 that somehow retains an artistic
00:02:54 and even melancholic atmosphere of beauty.
00:02:57 Director Lucio Fulci was often referred to
00:02:59 as Italy's godfather of gore.
00:03:01 And there's certainly no shortage
00:03:03 of the red stuff here for horror fans.
00:03:05 - Harris, what the hell's going on around here?
00:03:08 - I don't know.
00:03:09 I think I'm going crazy.
00:03:12 (gunshots)
00:03:13 Here they come!
00:03:14 - However, The Beyond also meditates on the hereafter,
00:03:18 the occult, and this foreboding sense
00:03:21 of futility against fate.
00:03:22 And it does so with set pieces that set the bar
00:03:25 for cinematic violence in 1981,
00:03:27 right up through to the modern day.
00:03:29 - Good boy.
00:03:31 You made them go away.
00:03:32 (gunshot)
00:03:33 (screaming)
00:03:36 - Number 97, Paranormal Activity.
00:03:39 - You're demons worthless.
00:03:40 You're worthless.
00:03:41 You're nothing.
00:03:42 - Put the camera away.
00:03:45 - The found footage genre can often be
00:03:47 a love it or hate it proposition,
00:03:48 but there's no denying the original paranormal activity
00:03:52 as an absolute titan of the medium.
00:03:54 Origins of the style can actually be traced back
00:03:57 to Italy with 1980s Cannibal Holocaust,
00:04:00 but writer-director Orin Peli's supernatural take
00:04:03 on found footage is an excellent blueprint
00:04:05 for how to create incremental dread.
00:04:07 - What the hell?
00:04:09 How come my face is scratched and yours isn't?
00:04:11 - Something's here.
00:04:12 - The intentionally minimalist execution
00:04:15 with regards to set pieces and even acting
00:04:17 allows paranormal activity to cast shadows
00:04:20 within the viewer's mind.
00:04:21 As a result, it's easy for us to become swept up
00:04:24 in the story right on through to that final shocking ending.
00:04:28 (heart beating)
00:04:31 Number 96, Hexon.
00:04:36 (sad music)
00:04:42 The original Hexon may have been released in 1922,
00:04:46 but it was its re-release in 1968,
00:04:49 now featuring the subtitling of "Witchcraft Through the Ages"
00:04:52 that's arguably even more famous.
00:04:54 This is due not only to the new English narration
00:04:57 from famed American author William S. Burroughs,
00:05:00 but also how this re-release helped expand
00:05:02 the viewership of Hexon to a new generation.
00:05:05 (upbeat music)
00:05:11 Even today, horror fans marvel at the amazing feats
00:05:15 of evocative visual effects conceived and executed
00:05:17 by writer-director Benjamin Christensen.
00:05:20 This is silent horror that delights
00:05:22 in accurately representing the fear and paranoia
00:05:25 behind witchcraft and the occult.
00:05:26 A sensorial feast that is as creepy now
00:05:29 as it was over a hundred years ago.
00:05:31 (upbeat music)
00:05:39 Number 95, The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
00:05:43 (woman screaming)
00:05:47 The devil has always been in the details
00:05:50 when it comes to horror cinema.
00:05:52 Religious themes boomed during the 1970s
00:05:54 in the wake of The Exorcist and The Omen,
00:05:56 and that narrative fear of the unknown continues on
00:05:59 with The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
00:06:01 The plot of this 2005 effort from director
00:06:04 and co-writer Scott Derrickson
00:06:05 takes from real-life horror history of Anneliese Michele
00:06:08 and adapts it to the modern day.
00:06:10 Courtroom drama is counterbalanced
00:06:12 against horrific flashbacks.
00:06:14 (thunder rumbling)
00:06:17 - Emily?
00:06:18 - And asks tough questions about the efficacy of exorcism
00:06:23 as well as clerical responsibility.
00:06:26 The end results work well and allow the audience
00:06:29 to also measure their own faith and beliefs
00:06:32 against the possibility of demonic possession.
00:06:34 - Give me your name, demon.
00:06:36 - Names!
00:06:39 Names!
00:06:40 - Number 94, Ganja and Hess.
00:06:45 - He's alive.
00:06:47 - No.
00:06:48 - Hess, no!
00:06:49 He is alive! - No!
00:06:51 - He's alive! - No!
00:06:53 - The reputation of Ganja and Hess
00:06:55 has slowly but surely gained esteem and appreciation
00:06:58 since its original release in 1973.
00:07:00 The edited home video version titled Blood Couple
00:07:03 arguably helped keep Ganja and Hess
00:07:05 swirling within the public consciousness,
00:07:07 but the uncut film also endures today
00:07:10 as a formative example of black creativity
00:07:12 within the horror genre.
00:07:14 (thunder rumbling)
00:07:16 (screaming)
00:07:23 Writer/director Bill Gunn resists the urge
00:07:25 to make Ganja and Hess a mere blaxploitation cash-in
00:07:28 after the smash success of Shaft
00:07:30 and instead delivers an intentionally brooding,
00:07:32 experimental and atmospheric piece.
00:07:35 Symbolism of everything from substance use disorder
00:07:38 to religious and marital compunction
00:07:39 is present within Ganja and Hess,
00:07:41 and the film is highly recommended to any horror fans
00:07:44 seeking out something a little different.
00:07:47 (laughing)
00:07:49 Number 93, Black Christmas.
00:08:00 (screaming)
00:08:04 (thunder rumbling)
00:08:07 A number of movies released prior to 1974's Black Christmas
00:08:13 contain elements of what would eventually become known
00:08:15 as the slasher film.
00:08:16 However, it could be argued that this masterpiece
00:08:19 from director Bob Clark codified those elements
00:08:22 to something truly genre-defining and special.
00:08:24 It isn't only the ratcheted up tension
00:08:27 and dread of Black Christmas that makes it great,
00:08:29 but also the time Clark spends with his characters.
00:08:32 The audience gets to know a lot
00:08:33 about these sorority sisters,
00:08:35 their motivations and their backstories.
00:08:37 The inevitable slayings feel more earned as a result.
00:08:40 (screaming)
00:08:43 And Clark doesn't even give his viewers
00:08:47 the satisfaction of a neat ending.
00:08:49 Instead, the impact of Black Christmas
00:08:51 echoes and reverberates,
00:08:53 like the distant and faintly fading sound of a telephone.
00:08:57 - Agnes, it's me, Billy.
00:09:01 - Number 92, "Les Diaboliques."
00:09:03 (film reel clicking)
00:09:06 The crux of any good horror film is a great story.
00:09:15 And 1955's "Les Diaboliques"
00:09:18 owns one of the true all-timers.
00:09:20 It's the sort of tale with no real heroes,
00:09:23 questionable motivations,
00:09:24 and a classic twist that got adapted time and time again
00:09:27 by other films in the decades that followed.
00:09:30 Director Henri-Georges Clouseau
00:09:32 crafts a melodramatic murder mystery
00:09:34 with a lot of supernatural elements,
00:09:36 a concoction that would go on
00:09:37 to influence Italy's infamous Jallo cycle
00:09:39 in the late '60s and into the '70s.
00:09:41 (water trickling)
00:09:44 - No, no.
00:09:47 (water trickling)
00:09:48 - "Les Diaboliques" is style and substance,
00:09:51 a potboiler with legitimately creepy atmosphere
00:09:54 and an ending that is nothing short of pure brilliance.
00:09:58 (water trickling)
00:10:01 - Number 91, "The Mist."
00:10:07 - Oh, oh, I...
00:10:10 (water splashing)
00:10:11 (man screaming)
00:10:13 - Speaking of endings, is there anyone out there
00:10:16 that was even remotely anticipating
00:10:18 the gut-punch finale to "The Mist" from 2007?
00:10:21 Writer/director Frank Darabont shocked everyone
00:10:24 when he adapted this novella from Stephen King
00:10:26 with one very specific request, a downbeat ending.
00:10:30 This shocking turn of events makes "The Mist's" tales
00:10:33 of otherworldly monsters feel even more harrowing,
00:10:36 echoing the film's darkly imaginative creature design.
00:10:39 (woman screaming)
00:10:41 Sure, "The Mist" might have ranked higher on this list
00:10:46 had the mid-2000s CGI been replaced
00:10:48 with more traditionally practical effects,
00:10:50 but this takes nothing away
00:10:52 from the film's cultural impact as a whole.
00:10:54 That's because everyone remembers where they were
00:10:57 when Darabont first sprang that ending on them, everyone.
00:11:00 (man grunting)
00:11:03 (man screaming)
00:11:06 Number 90, "The Wailing."
00:11:11 (man screaming)
00:11:14 Part police procedural, part occult horror,
00:11:20 and part zombie film,
00:11:21 2016's "The Wailing" is somehow much, much more.
00:11:25 This is a modern horror classic that isn't a short watch,
00:11:29 but never feels intimidating.
00:11:31 Instead, "The Wailing" invites audiences
00:11:33 that are perhaps uninitiated
00:11:35 into the worlds of Eastern mysticism
00:11:37 and leads them into an almost impenetrable darkness.
00:11:40 (speaking in foreign language)
00:11:44 Director Na Hong-jin constructs a bleak narrative here,
00:11:51 and those looking for popcorn horror frights
00:11:53 are almost destined to turn away from "The Wailing."
00:11:55 However, those seeking a more cerebral
00:11:58 and satisfying excursion into terror
00:12:00 are well advised to set aside enough time
00:12:02 to allow "The Wailing" to work its magic.
00:12:05 (speaking in foreign language)
00:12:09 Number 89, "Insidious."
00:12:14 (train whistling)
00:12:17 (train screeching)
00:12:20 (train screeching)
00:12:25 Number 88, "The Changeling."
00:12:27 (train screeching)
00:12:30 Number 87, "The Black Phone."
00:12:38 - With the door shut, no one can hear anything down here.
00:12:42 I soundproofed it myself.
00:12:44 So shout if you like, you won't bother anyone.
00:12:47 - Number 86, "Behind the Mask, The Rise of Leslie Vernon."
00:12:51 - Shoot!
00:12:52 (screaming)
00:12:57 - Number 85, "Trick or Treat."
00:13:01 (dramatic music)
00:13:04 "Trick or Treat" was the little horror movie that could,
00:13:09 an anthology flick that was originally intended
00:13:11 to be released theatrically,
00:13:13 but instead was sent straight to DVD.
00:13:15 This could have signaled the death knell for a lesser film,
00:13:18 but director Michael Dougherty's dedication
00:13:21 to paying respect to horror's past
00:13:22 while also striving to be its future
00:13:24 shone brightly in direct-to-video hell.
00:13:26 (screaming)
00:13:29 "Trick or Treat" created a minor horror icon
00:13:35 in the form of its diminutive mascot, Sam,
00:13:38 who appears throughout each of the film stories.
00:13:40 This is quick-paced storytelling
00:13:42 with a wicked sense of humor
00:13:44 that's nevertheless unafraid to get downright dark in places.
00:13:47 "Trick or Treat" is a modern horror classic
00:13:49 that we re-watch every year.
00:13:51 (screaming)
00:13:55 Number 84, "Phantasm."
00:14:00 (dramatic music)
00:14:02 (screaming)
00:14:11 Number 83, "Re-Animator."
00:14:14 - Why's he make that noise?
00:14:15 - Birth is always painful.
00:14:19 - Number 82, "Terrifier 2."
00:14:22 - Wait a minute, aren't you that guy from the costume shop?
00:14:25 You are.
00:14:27 What are you doing here?
00:14:28 - Number 81, "Creature from the Black Lagoon."
00:14:34 - There he is!
00:14:35 (growling)
00:14:38 (roaring)
00:14:40 - Number 80, "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage."
00:14:45 (screaming)
00:14:48 Director Dario Argento arguably crystallized
00:14:55 the giallo genre with his 1975 opus, "Deep Red,"
00:14:58 but it was five years earlier
00:14:59 and "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage"
00:15:01 where the pieces were beginning to fall into place.
00:15:04 The stylish and graphic murders were committed
00:15:06 by an unknown assailant wearing fetishized black gloves.
00:15:09 (screaming)
00:15:12 The controversial combination of sex and violence,
00:15:18 an evocative, untraditional musical score.
00:15:20 All of these elements and more went into
00:15:22 "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage,"
00:15:24 taking a quirky murder mystery and dragging it,
00:15:26 kicking and screaming, into the world of horror.
00:15:34 (sirens)
00:15:36 Number 79, "The Black Cat."
00:15:41 - Did you ever see an animal's skin, Yarmar?
00:15:44 (laughing)
00:15:46 That's what I'm going to do to you now.
00:15:49 Tear the skin from your body, slowly.
00:15:53 - Number 78, "Jacob's Ladder."
00:15:55 (upbeat music)
00:15:58 (gunshots)
00:16:00 Number 77, "Brain Dead," aka "Dead Alive."
00:16:11 (screaming)
00:16:14 Number 76, "The Others."
00:16:22 (sirens)
00:16:25 Number 75, "Candyman."
00:16:36 (screaming)
00:16:38 The creative sandbox of the 1990s was very different
00:16:45 from the previous few decades.
00:16:47 As a result, a fresh injection of originality was needed
00:16:50 in order to create a new horror icon.
00:16:53 Enter Daniel Robitaille, aka Candyman.
00:16:56 Tony Todd entered the horror pantheon back in 1992
00:16:59 when he took on the titular role in Bernard Rose's film.
00:17:02 - Be my victim.
00:17:04 I am the writing on the wall.
00:17:11 - Granted, the character's official backstory
00:17:13 wouldn't be revealed until the 1995 sequel,
00:17:15 subtitled "Farewell to the Flesh."
00:17:17 But the Robitaille tragedy went a long way
00:17:19 into inspiring the 2021 "Candyman" remake.
00:17:22 The "Candyman" franchise is actually rather consistent
00:17:25 when it comes to quality,
00:17:26 but there's no denying the gothic melancholy
00:17:29 and bloody power that lies behind Todd's original portrayal
00:17:32 of this hook-handed master of bees.
00:17:34 (screaming)
00:17:36 Number 74, "The Hills Have Eyes."
00:17:45 - The heart of your stinking memory.
00:17:48 I eat the brains of your kids, kids.
00:17:52 I'm in!
00:17:54 Yeah!
00:17:54 - Number 73, "The Orphanage."
00:17:58 (speaking in foreign language)
00:18:02 Number 72, "Pearl."
00:18:10 - I love you, Daddy, but this is no way to live.
00:18:15 (snoring)
00:18:18 - Her?
00:18:21 - Number 71, "Audition."
00:18:23 (speaking in foreign language)
00:18:27 Number 70, "The Invisible Man."
00:18:35 (screaming)
00:18:44 The character of "The Invisible Man"
00:18:46 is one that's intrinsically linked with old school horror.
00:18:49 But what do you do when you'd like to slap
00:18:51 a fresh coat of creative paint upon that archetype?
00:18:54 Writer/director Lee Winnell did so wonderfully
00:18:56 with his 2020 iteration of "The Invisible Man."
00:18:59 Here, the focus shifts from the devious temptations
00:19:02 of invisibility to a man who's already pretty reprehensible
00:19:05 before he disappears.
00:19:11 (screaming)
00:19:14 Instead, it's Elizabeth Moss who shines
00:19:18 as a woman stalked by this invisible ex,
00:19:20 all while attempting to alert others to her danger.
00:19:23 It's serious stuff, and taken seriously by Winnell,
00:19:26 who directs "The Invisible Man"
00:19:28 almost like a horror-fueled update of "The Burning Bed,"
00:19:31 starring Farrah Fawcett.
00:19:32 It's powerful stuff.
00:19:34 - Get back to bed, now.
00:19:39 (crackling)
00:19:42 (speaking in French)
00:19:49 (speaking in French)
00:19:58 (screaming)
00:20:00 (speaking in French)
00:20:03 (screaming)
00:20:06 - Number 67, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."
00:20:10 (roaring)
00:20:16 Number 66, "Video Drone."
00:20:25 - Please.
00:20:25 (beeping)
00:20:34 (roaring)
00:20:36 - Number 65, "The Conjuring."
00:20:41 (screaming)
00:20:48 If "The Conjuring" as a franchise has taught us one thing,
00:20:51 it's the old adage of never let the truth
00:20:53 get in the way of a good story.
00:20:55 That's because this series,
00:20:57 and particularly its original film entry from 2013,
00:21:00 have given us two wonderful performances
00:21:02 from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
00:21:04 The actors portray fictionalized versions
00:21:06 of the real-life Ed and Lorraine Warren,
00:21:09 who rose to fame on their claims
00:21:11 to be paranormal investigators.
00:21:13 - I'm sitting here with a paranormal parent
00:21:15 and with a family that has been experiencing
00:21:18 supernatural occurrences.
00:21:19 I'm glad.
00:21:21 - "The Conjuring" provides all of the horror jump scares
00:21:26 and demonic possessions we expect from a film like this.
00:21:29 But where it really shines
00:21:31 is with Wilson and Farmiga's chemistry.
00:21:33 What can we say?
00:21:34 We just love to see these two be in love,
00:21:36 and fight off ghosts, of course.
00:21:38 - She won't let her leave the house.
00:21:39 - What? What do you mean?
00:21:40 - If we take her out, the witch will kill her.
00:21:42 (screaming)
00:21:44 - Number 64, "Barbarian."
00:21:46 Number 63, "Hellraiser."
00:21:58 (screaming)
00:22:01 (whimpering)
00:22:04 - The box.
00:22:05 You opened it.
00:22:07 We came.
00:22:08 - Number 62, "The Wicker Man."
00:22:10 - There will be no traces.
00:22:12 Bring him up, Oak.
00:22:13 - God, no!
00:22:14 - Think!
00:22:17 Just think what you're doing!
00:22:19 Think what you're doing!
00:22:20 Think!
00:22:21 - Number 61, "Train to Busan."
00:22:24 (gasping)
00:22:27 (gasping)
00:22:29 (gasping)
00:22:34 - Number 60, "Friday the 13th."
00:22:37 (dramatic music)
00:22:40 (screaming)
00:22:47 - It's difficult to remember if you weren't there
00:22:52 the absolute glut of slasher films
00:22:54 that erupted in a post-Friday the 13th world.
00:22:57 Granted, Pamela Voorhees and her son Jason
00:22:59 were not the first maniacs to stalk their victims
00:23:01 with style, but the original "Friday the 13th"
00:23:04 arguably helped usher in the era of slasher villains
00:23:07 as rock stars into the cultural zeitgeist.
00:23:09 (bell ringing)
00:23:11 - Hello, Ideas.
00:23:12 - Well, I'm Mrs. Voorhees, an old friend of the Christie's.
00:23:16 - Granted, the template of randy teenagers,
00:23:18 secluded woods, and a bunch of bad ideas
00:23:20 was not exactly novel in 1980,
00:23:23 but "Friday the 13th" outdid them all
00:23:25 with viciousness and a mean spirit.
00:23:27 Plus, the film is a genuinely great whodunit to boot.
00:23:31 We wish every Friday was Friday the 13th.
00:23:33 (screaming)
00:23:36 - Number 59, "A Quiet Place."
00:23:46 (thunder rumbling)
00:23:49 (sizzling)
00:23:51 - Number 58, "It Follows."
00:23:58 - Don't open the door.
00:23:59 See, everything's okay.
00:24:05 (screaming)
00:24:09 - Number 57, "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night."
00:24:12 (speaking in foreign language)
00:24:16 (speaking in foreign language)
00:24:20 - Number 56, "The Phantom of the Opera."
00:24:26 (piano music)
00:24:28 - Number 55, "Eraserhead."
00:24:39 (ominous music)
00:24:42 (laughing)
00:24:45 - If one were to look up the phrase idiosyncratic
00:24:50 into a hypothetical encyclopedia of film,
00:24:52 then it's likely that a photo of David Lynch
00:24:55 might be the first thing they saw.
00:24:57 That's because Lynch has carved a career
00:24:59 out of doing things his own way,
00:25:01 caring little about whether or not
00:25:02 his audience understands the vision.
00:25:04 ♪ I'm alone ♪
00:25:07 ♪ Everything is fine ♪
00:25:11 ♪ In here ♪
00:25:14 ♪ Everything is fine ♪
00:25:17 - "Eraserhead" is one such film,
00:25:19 a cult classic that gained steam with audiences
00:25:22 appraising its merit on the midnight movie circuit.
00:25:24 It's a heady trip of industrial sound collages,
00:25:27 nightmarish imagery, and strange performances,
00:25:30 but there's more going on underneath the surface.
00:25:32 Fears of fatherhood and sex are but two themes
00:25:35 that are going on within the narrative,
00:25:37 with "Eraserhead" pulling no punches
00:25:39 with regards to its transgressive content.
00:25:41 (loud whirring)
00:25:43 Number 54, "The Host."
00:25:51 (loud clattering)
00:25:54 (woman screaming)
00:25:57 Number 53, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
00:26:04 (loud clanging)
00:26:06 - Jack!
00:26:08 Jack!
00:26:09 Jack!
00:26:10 Jack, wake up!
00:26:12 His eyes!
00:26:13 Oh, Jack, it opened its eyes!
00:26:15 - Number 52, "House on Haunted Hill."
00:26:19 - Nora?
00:26:19 (door creaking)
00:26:27 - Number 51, "The Cabin in the Woods."
00:26:33 - They made us choose.
00:26:37 They made us choose how we die.
00:26:39 - Number 50, "Freaks."
00:26:44 (loud clanging)
00:26:47 "Freaks" may be preserved today
00:26:53 within the halls of the National Film Registry,
00:26:55 but sadly, the original version of this cult classic
00:26:58 is lost to the sands of time,
00:27:00 or rather, make that the MGM editing room.
00:27:03 That's because the hullabaloo regarding "Freaks"
00:27:05 was almost instantaneous back in 1932.
00:27:08 This was due primarily to the casting
00:27:10 of real sideshow industry performers
00:27:12 with legitimate disabilities.
00:27:14 - So you see, monsieur, when I get a chance,
00:27:17 I like to take them into the sunshine
00:27:20 and let them play like children.
00:27:23 - Today, this fear of "Freaks"
00:27:25 can largely be chalked up to prejudice,
00:27:27 since director Todd Browning's film
00:27:29 is largely seen as presenting the titular characters
00:27:31 as sympathetic rather than villainous.
00:27:34 As a result, "Freaks," though certainly scary,
00:27:36 avoids the label of exploitation
00:27:38 and instead enjoys a modern-day reputation
00:27:41 as an all-time classic.
00:27:43 - They are going to make you one of them.
00:27:45 - Why, the cock!
00:27:47 (laughing)
00:27:49 - Number 49, "Let the Right One In."
00:27:54 (speaking in foreign language)
00:27:58 (speaking in foreign language)
00:28:02 - Number 48, "Cat People."
00:28:06 (growling)
00:28:08 (screaming)
00:28:16 - Number 47, "It."
00:28:20 (thunder rumbling)
00:28:23 (dramatic music)
00:28:25 (thunder rumbling)
00:28:28 - Number 46, "28 Days Later."
00:28:35 (panting)
00:28:37 (screaming)
00:28:42 - Number 45, "Godzilla."
00:28:46 (roaring)
00:28:55 - Here's a question.
00:28:56 Is "Godzilla" a horror or a sci-fi film?
00:28:59 Well, one could answer both,
00:29:00 but what sets both the original "Gojira"
00:29:03 and its "King of the Monsters" variation
00:29:04 from many of its sequels is tone.
00:29:07 It's well-established today that "Godzilla the Monster"
00:29:10 is an analogy for nuclear war,
00:29:12 specifically the American bombings
00:29:13 of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.
00:29:16 (speaking in foreign language)
00:29:21 (speaking in foreign language)
00:29:25 - However, what "Godzilla the Film" does so well
00:29:32 is present these monster attacks
00:29:33 as something truly harrowing.
00:29:35 The destruction and devastation committed by "Godzilla"
00:29:38 is not taken for granted,
00:29:39 and the usage of the oxygen destroyer
00:29:41 to kill the original Big G
00:29:42 is given the same sort of grave reverence
00:29:44 as "Fat Man" and "Little Boy."
00:29:46 This "Godzilla" is no joke.
00:29:48 (speaking in foreign language)
00:29:52 - Number 44, "Ju-On, The Grudge."
00:29:57 (Ju-On crying)
00:30:00 - Number 43, "Carnival of Souls."
00:30:13 (siren blaring)
00:30:16 (laughing)
00:30:19 - Number 42, "The Descent."
00:30:21 (Ju-On screaming)
00:30:24 - Number 41, "The Witch."
00:30:36 - What will you from me?
00:30:37 - Dost thou see a book before thee?
00:30:43 - What was it?
00:30:45 - Number 40, "Saw."
00:30:51 - Was there someone else at your house last night?
00:30:53 Besides your wife and daughter?
00:30:55 - No.
00:30:56 - Well, there's someone here.
00:30:57 - The "Saw" franchise would go on to become
00:30:59 something of a Halloween tradition over the years,
00:31:02 with multiple sequels, prequels, and spin-offs.
00:31:05 There's certainly been a case of diminishing returns
00:31:07 with many of those films,
00:31:08 yet it's important to remember the impact of the OG "Saw"
00:31:11 when it was released back in 2004.
00:31:13 Both Tobin Bell and his creepy puppet live rent-free
00:31:16 within horror fans' nightmares,
00:31:18 and Jigsaw has to be one of millennial horror's
00:31:20 most intriguing and enduring villains.
00:31:23 - Hello, Amanda.
00:31:24 You don't know me, but I know you.
00:31:29 - Additionally, the construction of Jigsaw's traps
00:31:31 and his motivations would go on to capture
00:31:34 moviegoers' imaginations all around the world,
00:31:36 and that has to count for something.
00:31:38 (dramatic music)
00:31:41 (sirens blaring)
00:31:44 Number 39, "Dawn of the Dead."
00:31:48 - Intelligence?
00:31:49 Seemingly little or no reasoning power,
00:31:53 but basic skills remain,
00:31:55 a more remembered behavior from normal life.
00:31:58 - Number 38, "Black Sunday."
00:32:00 - Ah, Cru Vaian.
00:32:02 Cru Vaian, I've been waiting for you.
00:32:08 (crickets chirping)
00:32:11 - Number 37, "The Babadook."
00:32:15 (creature snarling)
00:32:18 (creature screeching)
00:32:24 Number 36, "Don't Look Now."
00:32:27 - Come on.
00:32:28 - Darlings.
00:32:30 - Wait, wait.
00:32:38 - Number 35, "The Blair Witch Project."
00:32:41 - My boots aren't laced.
00:32:42 Oh my God, what the (beep) is that?
00:32:46 - Ew. - What the (beep) is that?
00:32:48 - Never underestimate the marketing.
00:32:51 The viral campaign to create a buzz
00:32:53 behind 1999's "The Blair Witch Project" worked really well.
00:32:56 Perhaps a little too well,
00:32:58 since many went into their viewing experience
00:33:00 taking the documentary bait, hook, line, and sinker.
00:33:04 - I'm gonna die out here.
00:33:06 - Of course, we've already mentioned
00:33:07 how found footage films like "The Blair Witch Project"
00:33:10 were riding upon the creative coattails
00:33:12 of "Cannibal Holocaust,"
00:33:13 yet this one still stands out as a titan among the pack.
00:33:16 "The Blair Witch Project" does so much with so little,
00:33:19 setting up likable characters and palpable dread
00:33:22 together with a lore that feels lived in and scary.
00:33:25 It may not possess the same punch in the modern day,
00:33:28 but audiences in 1999, frankly,
00:33:30 were not ready for "The Blair Witch Project."
00:33:33 (woman screaming)
00:33:36 (woman screaming)
00:33:39 - Tomorrow night's the full moon.
00:33:45 You're gonna change.
00:33:48 You'll become- - I know.
00:33:50 I know.
00:33:51 A monster.
00:33:52 - Switch it off, Mark.
00:33:56 Mark, switch it off.
00:34:00 (dramatic music)
00:34:03 - Let's get out of here.
00:34:07 - Number 32, "Eyes Without a Face."
00:34:10 (dramatic music)
00:34:13 (woman screaming)
00:34:19 Number 31, "The Haunting."
00:34:22 - Are you awake?
00:34:26 Don't say a word.
00:34:26 - Say another word.
00:34:28 - Don't let it know you're in my room.
00:34:30 - Number 30, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari."
00:34:36 (dramatic music)
00:34:39 Silent horror has received a lot of love
00:34:47 throughout this list, and with good reason.
00:34:49 There's just something naturally spooky
00:34:50 about these classics,
00:34:51 including 1920s "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari."
00:34:55 Additionally, this German expressionist film
00:34:57 from director Robert Wiener was incredibly influential
00:34:59 with regards to its visual style.
00:35:01 (dramatic music)
00:35:04 It's easy to connect the modern day imagination
00:35:12 of Tim Burton with the twisted lines, sharp angles,
00:35:15 and evocative lighting present within "Dr. Caligari."
00:35:17 Additionally, the film has raised questions
00:35:20 from film scholars over the years
00:35:21 with regards to its theme.
00:35:23 Is "Caligari" a political film?
00:35:25 Yes. Is "Caligari" a horror film?
00:35:27 Also yes.
00:35:28 More than anything, however, it's a wonderful film.
00:35:31 (dramatic music)
00:35:34 Number 29, "Evil Dead 2."
00:35:42 (gunshots)
00:35:44 Number 28, "The Mummy."
00:35:54 (dramatic music)
00:35:57 Number 27, "The Sixth Sense."
00:36:11 - Open this door, please, God.
00:36:13 I can't breathe.
00:36:14 If you can hear me, open this door.
00:36:17 I swear on my life I didn't take the master's horse.
00:36:22 Open this door, I'll break through it and grab you.
00:36:26 - Number 26, "The Birds."
00:36:28 (gunshots)
00:36:30 Number 25, "Poltergeist."
00:36:38 (dramatic music)
00:36:40 The legacy of "Poltergeist" is so much more
00:36:46 than the sum of its infamous parts.
00:36:48 Today, the film is arguably more known
00:36:50 for what went on behind the scenes
00:36:52 than in front of the camera.
00:36:53 However, we shouldn't let ideas of an alleged curse,
00:36:56 questions of direction, nor the real-life tragedies
00:36:59 of Dominique Dunne and Heather O'Rourke
00:37:01 distract from "Poltergeist" as a whole.
00:37:03 It's a remarkably well-crafted horror film
00:37:07 with memorably warm and engaging performances from its cast.
00:37:11 It's also a great entry-level fright for young kids
00:37:13 seeking to dip their toes into some heavier stuff.
00:37:16 There's just so much right with "Poltergeist"
00:37:18 that it remains a go-to yearly watch
00:37:20 for many horror fans to this day.
00:37:22 (screaming)
00:37:24 Number 24, "Carrie."
00:37:32 (laughing)
00:37:35 Number 23, "The Omen."
00:37:46 - Jamie, Jamie!
00:37:47 No, no, no, no, no!
00:37:52 No!
00:37:55 (screaming)
00:37:58 - Number 22, "The Fly."
00:38:00 - I'm scared.
00:38:02 Help me.
00:38:07 Please, please help me.
00:38:11 - Number 21, "Dracula."
00:38:13 - Punish me, torture me, but let me live.
00:38:16 I can't die with all those lives on my conscience.
00:38:19 All that blood on my hands.
00:38:22 (screaming)
00:38:24 - Number 20, "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
00:38:27 - Please, God.
00:38:28 - This is God.
00:38:31 - We mentioned earlier this idea
00:38:34 about slasher villains as rock stars.
00:38:36 The character of Freddy Krueger
00:38:37 is one such example of this idea,
00:38:39 to the point where the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise
00:38:42 toned down the character's heinous backstory.
00:38:44 Instead, subsequent sequels presented Freddy
00:38:46 as a wisecracking centerpiece,
00:38:48 as opposed to a villainous force of nature.
00:38:50 Wes Craven's first film, however,
00:38:52 possesses no such distinction.
00:38:54 - This is just a dream, he isn't real.
00:38:57 He isn't real.
00:38:58 (screaming)
00:39:01 - Here, Krueger is depicted as deadly,
00:39:03 malevolent, and capable of true wickedness.
00:39:06 The jokes are kept to a minimum,
00:39:08 the young protagonists insanely likable,
00:39:10 and the horror at full tilt from first frame to last.
00:39:14 (screaming)
00:39:16 Number 19, "The Innocents."
00:39:21 (laughing)
00:39:23 In the world of classic horror,
00:39:31 there are ghost stories, and then there's "The Innocents."
00:39:34 This 1961 masterpiece may have been adapted
00:39:37 from Henry James' novella, "The Turn of the Screw,"
00:39:39 and screenwriter Truman Capote's adaptation
00:39:41 of his collaborator's stage play,
00:39:43 but it's also in no shortage of original ideas.
00:39:46 This all boils down to execution and atmosphere,
00:39:49 a growing sense of unease, paranoia, and self-doubt
00:39:52 that "The Innocents" builds to a feverish pitch.
00:39:54 (crying)
00:40:08 The idea of innocence possessed is juxtaposed
00:40:11 against stress-induced hallucinations
00:40:13 among an honest-to-goodness ghost story.
00:40:15 The special effects and haunting music
00:40:17 remain effective today, making "The Innocents"
00:40:20 a film that you should definitely lift
00:40:21 to the top of your to-watch list.
00:40:23 (scary music)
00:40:26 - Love me.
00:40:27 Love me.
00:40:30 Love me.
00:40:31 Love me.
00:40:32 (screaming)
00:40:33 - Number 18, "Suspiria."
00:40:35 (crickets chirping)
00:40:38 (screeching)
00:40:41 Dario Argento's 1977 masterpiece
00:40:44 is a once-in-a-lifetime event
00:40:45 that must be seen to be believed.
00:40:47 "Suspiria" is an audiovisual feast for the senses,
00:40:50 a film that combines the prog rock score of "Goblin"
00:40:53 with Argento's proven ability to develop
00:40:55 some of the most gut-wrenching murder set pieces
00:40:57 in film history.
00:40:59 (eerie music)
00:41:03 (screaming)
00:41:05 Oh, but we're not done.
00:41:08 "Suspiria" also possesses lighting to die for
00:41:11 and sound design that sets those little hairs
00:41:13 on your arm alive with fear and trepidation.
00:41:16 The film's confusing narrative only adds
00:41:18 to the unease present at Helena Marcus' dance academy,
00:41:21 a psychedelic horror nightmare
00:41:22 from which you might never awake.
00:41:25 (speaking in foreign language)
00:41:28 (speaking in foreign language)
00:41:32 Number 17, "Ringu."
00:41:38 (eerie music)
00:41:40 The early 2000s saw a glut of Americanized remakes
00:41:50 of Japanese horror films from the '90s.
00:41:52 "The Ring" from 2002 was one of the more successful.
00:41:55 (eerie music)
00:41:58 But perhaps more creatively satisfying
00:42:02 is its source material, 1998's "Ringu."
00:42:05 The plot remains relatively the same.
00:42:07 A cursed videotape is causing the deaths
00:42:09 of anyone who views it seven days after the incident.
00:42:12 The visuals are also similarly stylish,
00:42:15 creepy, and unsettling.
00:42:16 (speaking in foreign language)
00:42:20 Moreover, the success of both "Ringu" and "The Ring"
00:42:27 allowed for a deeper understanding and appreciation
00:42:29 of international horrors in the modern day,
00:42:31 which is always a good thing.
00:42:33 (eerie music)
00:42:36 Number 16, "The Thing."
00:42:46 - Bennings was right there, Mac.
00:42:47 I swear to God it had a hold of him.
00:42:48 (eerie music)
00:42:51 - It seems hard to believe now
00:42:55 that John Carpenter's "The Thing" was a financial
00:42:57 and critical disappointment back in 1982.
00:43:00 A lot of real world factors likely contributed
00:43:02 to this outcome, but whatever the reason,
00:43:05 Carpenter's legacy as a genre-defining director
00:43:07 remains secure in the modern day.
00:43:09 This is thanks in part to films like "The Thing,"
00:43:12 which not only boasts bar-setting special effects,
00:43:15 but also a compelling narrative
00:43:16 and bold performances from its ensemble cast.
00:43:19 (crowd laughing)
00:43:20 - Windows, blast him!
00:43:21 (glass shattering)
00:43:24 - Get me out of here!
00:43:26 Get me out of here!
00:43:27 (glass shattering)
00:43:29 - Carpenter's loose remake of 1951's
00:43:31 "The Thing" from "Another World"
00:43:33 inserts relentless paranoia and incessant nihilism
00:43:36 into the mix, possessing a bleak tone
00:43:38 and an ambiguous ending.
00:43:39 That chill in the air is real.
00:43:42 You can't trust anyone.
00:43:43 You can only be sure that "The Thing" is out there.
00:43:46 (eerie music)
00:43:47 - Well, what do we do?
00:43:52 - Why don't we just wait here for a little while?
00:43:57 - Number 15, "Hereditary."
00:44:00 - And I can't forgive,
00:44:02 because,
00:44:04 because nobody admits anything they've done!
00:44:09 - The world of horror cinema
00:44:11 has experienced a renaissance as of late,
00:44:13 with many pictures presenting a certain prestige
00:44:15 crossing over into the cultural zeitgeist.
00:44:17 "Hereditary" was one of those films.
00:44:20 (eerie music)
00:44:22 A talking point debut from director Ari Aster
00:44:30 that was followed up in 2019
00:44:32 by the folk horror-inspired entry titled "Midsommar."
00:44:35 "Hereditary" attempts to elevate the medium
00:44:37 via a possession story that feels somewhat removed
00:44:39 from genre tropes, and instead pursues pastures
00:44:42 of emotional and social commentary.
00:44:44 Meanwhile, the back end swings back around
00:44:47 to revel in the unsafe and unhinged,
00:44:49 leaving many horror fans satisfied and searching for more.
00:44:52 (eerie music)
00:44:55 Number 14, "Rosemary's Baby."
00:45:03 - Come on, open up, bro.
00:45:04 - Go to hell!
00:45:05 - Come on, honey, no one's gonna hurt you.
00:45:07 - You promised them the baby!
00:45:09 - No, I didn't promise them anything.
00:45:10 What are you talking about?
00:45:11 Promise who?
00:45:12 - Speaking of social commentary,
00:45:13 the ability of horror films to successfully tap
00:45:15 into certain topics beneath their surface level of fear
00:45:18 is one that continually draws us into the medium.
00:45:20 "Rosemary's Baby" may be an occult-obsessed story
00:45:23 of demonic rebirth, but it's also a commentary
00:45:26 upon motherhood and a woman's place in society.
00:45:28 There seems to be a systemic hierarchy of individuals
00:45:31 out to control Rosemary Woodhouse's life at every turn,
00:45:35 from her husband and friends to her doctor
00:45:37 and all of them witches who seem to follow her every move.
00:45:40 - Oh, I know that house.
00:45:41 The Gilmore's used to live there.
00:45:42 - Oh?
00:45:43 - Yeah.
00:45:44 Oh, I've been there lots of times.
00:45:46 Grace, that's one of my favorite names.
00:45:49 - "Rosemary's Baby" is no dream,
00:45:51 and indeed, Rosemary does give birth to Satan's child,
00:45:54 but perhaps even more frightening
00:45:56 is her near-complete helplessness
00:45:58 throughout the whole ordeal.
00:45:59 - Oh, Andy, Andy or Jenny,
00:46:01 I'm sorry, my little darling.
00:46:06 Forgive me.
00:46:09 - Number 13, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
00:46:12 (chainsaw clanging)
00:46:13 (woman screaming)
00:46:16 (chainsaw clanging)
00:46:19 There have been a number of worthy sequels
00:46:22 to the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" over the years,
00:46:24 but none of them quite captures
00:46:26 the same uncomfortable atmosphere.
00:46:28 This was a film that was notoriously challenging
00:46:30 to shoot for director Tobey Hooper and crew,
00:46:32 and the fruits of that discomfort
00:46:34 are readily visible on screen.
00:46:36 "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
00:46:37 is a film that you can practically smell,
00:46:40 a location where the heat almost radiates from the screen,
00:46:43 and every character feels at their breaking point.
00:46:45 (woman screaming)
00:46:48 Leatherface is a horror icon, sure,
00:46:55 but the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
00:46:57 is also a microcosm all its own,
00:47:00 a testament to diehard DIY horror
00:47:02 that lives and breathes a cinematic spirit.
00:47:05 - Help me, I can't move, I can't move!
00:47:08 (chainsaw clanging)
00:47:11 (man screaming)
00:47:13 - Number 12, "Scream."
00:47:19 - You never told me your name.
00:47:21 - Why do you wanna know my name?
00:47:23 - 'Cause I wanna know who I'm looking at.
00:47:26 - Was "Scream" the first horror movie
00:47:28 to utilize meta humor or commentary?
00:47:30 No, since films like "Student Bodies"
00:47:32 and "There's Nothing Out There" had both poked fun
00:47:34 and lambasted cliche horror tropes
00:47:35 back in the '80s and early '90s.
00:47:37 However, it could be argued that Wes Craven's "Scream"
00:47:40 did so in a way that felt fresh and revitalized.
00:47:43 - Jane, look behind you, look behind you.
00:47:47 Turn around, behind you, oh, turn, behind you.
00:47:52 - This is smart horror writing
00:47:55 that's still unafraid to be a horror film.
00:47:57 Sure, Sidney Prescott may admonish bad horror actresses
00:48:00 who run up the stairs instead of out the front door,
00:48:03 but what does Sidney do herself
00:48:05 when she's confronted by Ghostface?
00:48:06 You get the idea.
00:48:07 "Scream" was a joy to watch back in '96,
00:48:10 and the franchise is still going strong today.
00:48:13 (woman screaming)
00:48:16 Number 11, "Nosferatu."
00:48:23 It can prove difficult sometimes for younger horror fans
00:48:34 to understand the hype behind fright flicks of old.
00:48:37 Thankfully, films like "Nosferatu"
00:48:39 have been preserved for generations,
00:48:41 films that still pack a spooky punch
00:48:43 over a century removed from their heyday.
00:48:45 Specifically, all of the flowers need to be laid
00:48:48 at the feet of Max Schreck as Count Orlok.
00:48:50 (eerie music)
00:48:53 He of the long fingers and sharp fangs
00:49:02 who served as the stuff of nightmares for our parents,
00:49:05 grandparents, and their parents.
00:49:07 Schreck simply kills it in this silent shocker,
00:49:09 pardon the pun, slowly and maniacally haunting our minds
00:49:13 with that hollowed out stare
00:49:14 and determined, persistently slow gait.
00:49:17 It doesn't really matter how you see it.
00:49:19 Consider "Nosferatu" an integral part
00:49:21 of any well-balanced horror diet.
00:49:23 (eerie music)
00:49:26 Number 10, "Get Out."
00:49:36 - Get out.
00:49:37 - Sorry, man.
00:49:39 - Okay.
00:49:40 - Get out!
00:49:41 - Yo!
00:49:42 - Jordan Peele's 2017 film "Get Out"
00:49:44 built upon established body snatcher tropes
00:49:47 set by horror predecessors
00:49:48 and presented them through modern lenses
00:49:50 of racial disparity and discrimination.
00:49:52 As a result, "Get Out" feels both
00:49:54 like a personal cinematic statement
00:49:56 while also serving as an effective horror offering.
00:49:59 - Now,
00:50:00 sink into the floor.
00:50:04 - Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
00:50:05 - Sink.
00:50:05 - The tension and misdirection feel earned,
00:50:11 the comedic beats satisfying and not overdone,
00:50:14 and the performances,
00:50:15 though occasionally exaggerated, are memorable.
00:50:17 "Get Out" is another one of those horror films
00:50:20 that achieved enough critical and commercial success
00:50:22 to raise the genre's cultural visibility to a new level.
00:50:25 - You ruined my house!
00:50:30 (gunshots)
00:50:34 - Number nine, "Night of the Living Dead."
00:50:37 - They're coming to get you, Barbara.
00:50:40 - Stop it!
00:50:42 You're ignorant!
00:50:43 - It serves modern audiences well
00:50:45 to imagine what the horror landscape was like
00:50:47 back in the late '60s
00:50:48 when George Romero released "Night of the Living Dead."
00:50:51 The atomic age of giant monsters
00:50:53 wasn't that far in the rear view,
00:50:54 and the more transgressive slices of horror cinema
00:50:57 were largely imported from European directors.
00:50:59 This is just one reason why Romero
00:51:01 and "Night of the Living Dead" are so important.
00:51:04 - More ghastly with each report.
00:51:05 It's difficult to imagine such a thing actually happening,
00:51:08 but these are the reports we have been receiving
00:51:11 and passing on to you,
00:51:12 reports which have been verified
00:51:13 as completely as is possible in this confused situation.
00:51:16 - Here was an American filmmaker pushing boundaries
00:51:19 with regards to thematic grotesqueries
00:51:21 that were heretofore unknown.
00:51:23 There are no irradiated monsters here,
00:51:25 but instead, real human drama played out
00:51:28 against our friends and neighbors
00:51:29 who are all seeking their proverbial pound of flesh.
00:51:33 - No, get out!
00:51:34 No!
00:51:38 (woman screams)
00:51:39 - Number eight, "Jaws."
00:51:41 (suspenseful music)
00:51:44 - You're gonna need a bigger boat.
00:51:46 - The legacy of "Jaws" is one that hits upon
00:51:49 multiple levels of cultural relevance.
00:51:51 On the one hand, Steven Spielberg's film
00:51:53 helped usher in the age of the summer blockbuster,
00:51:56 yet it did so at no expense to its creativity or story craft.
00:52:00 This was a movie that was forced to adapt
00:52:02 to a mechanical shark that frankly wouldn't work
00:52:04 and in doing so created a legend.
00:52:06 (suspenseful music)
00:52:10 This was a movie that wisely changed
00:52:14 the worst aspects of Peter Benchley's original novel
00:52:16 to create characters that would last a lifetime.
00:52:19 This was a movie that literally instilled
00:52:21 a fear of the ocean within some viewers
00:52:23 and which provided generational thrills and chills.
00:52:26 "Jaws" is pretty much perfect.
00:52:28 Perfect to watch anytime, every time, all the time.
00:52:32 (whistle blows)
00:52:34 - No whistles, no whistles!
00:52:36 - Everybody, please get out of the water.
00:52:38 - Number seven, "Halloween."
00:52:40 (woman moans)
00:52:42 (suspenseful music)
00:52:45 Speaking of movies we can watch all the time,
00:52:50 hands up if you watch
00:52:51 John Carpenter's "Halloween" every October.
00:52:54 You're not alone, of course,
00:52:55 since Carpenter's perennial slasher classic
00:52:57 has gone on to help define the genre.
00:52:59 This is another horror film
00:53:01 that leaps wide over genre conventions and boundaries
00:53:04 to become something larger than itself.
00:53:06 The characters of "Halloween,"
00:53:07 from Dr. Loomis and Laurie Strode
00:53:09 to Annie Brackett and Tommy Doyle,
00:53:11 capture our creative imaginations.
00:53:14 (bell rings)
00:53:16 They've even gone on to reappear decades later
00:53:21 in retconned reimaginings of Carpenter's universe.
00:53:23 "Halloween" just gets it all right,
00:53:25 from the fluid camera work and iconic musical score
00:53:28 to its palpable sense of menace and dread.
00:53:31 Everyone's entitled to one good scare.
00:53:34 - What's the boogeyman?
00:53:35 - As a matter of fact, it was.
00:53:43 - Number six, "The Silence of the Lambs."
00:53:46 - I think it would be quite something
00:53:48 to know you in private life.
00:53:49 - Quit pro quo, darling.
00:53:54 - Is "The Silence of the Lambs" a legitimate horror film
00:53:57 or a psychological thriller?
00:53:59 It doesn't really matter which side of the fence
00:54:00 you reside on, because Jonathan Demme's film
00:54:02 has gone on to metamorphosize
00:54:04 into something bigger than itself.
00:54:06 The character of Hannibal Lecter
00:54:07 is one that's been adapted wonderfully by different actors,
00:54:10 from Brian Cox to Mads Mikkelsen.
00:54:12 Yet Sir Anthony Hopkins' performance here
00:54:14 remains firmly iconic.
00:54:16 - Tell me who decapitated your patient, Doctor.
00:54:19 - All good things to those who wait.
00:54:22 I've waited, Clarice,
00:54:23 but how long can you and old Jackie boy wait?
00:54:26 - "The Silence of the Lambs" isn't just about Hopkins
00:54:28 as Lecter, of course,
00:54:29 since Jodie Foster also puts in a wonderfully vulnerable
00:54:32 yet determined performance as Clarice Starling.
00:54:35 Demme's film may be a procedural,
00:54:37 but it possesses enough realistic horror
00:54:39 to haunt our psyches for decades to come.
00:54:42 Number five, "Alien."
00:54:52 - Move, no!
00:54:53 Get back!
00:54:55 No, Doctor!
00:54:57 Find the other way, girl!
00:54:58 (screaming)
00:55:00 - Ridley Scott's "Alien" is another film
00:55:02 with some very worthy sequels and spinoffs.
00:55:04 Yet it's only Scott's OG vision
00:55:06 that truly belongs within the annals of horror.
00:55:09 The slow burn feeling of isolation and mystery,
00:55:12 combined with the xenomorph's near-slasher villain appeal,
00:55:15 makes "Alien" feel less action-oriented
00:55:17 than its counterparts.
00:55:25 This is definitely not a bad thing either,
00:55:27 since it allows not only for us
00:55:29 to understand our human characters more,
00:55:31 but also to ramp up what's inevitably going to happen
00:55:34 to them on the Nostromo.
00:55:35 Many, many films have taken the "Alien" blueprint
00:55:38 and run with it for all they're worth.
00:55:40 Yet Ridley Scott's achievement still stands alone
00:55:43 as a titan of interstellar horror.
00:55:45 - Cover it with a damp cloth.
00:55:46 - Wait a minute.
00:55:47 - That's fine.
00:55:49 That's a reflex action.
00:55:52 - Number four, "Frankenstein."
00:55:55 - No, you're hurting me!
00:55:56 No!
00:55:57 - The universal monsters weren't just icons
00:56:03 of the silver screen back in their day.
00:56:05 They've gone on to become synonymous with classic horror,
00:56:08 and those who helped shape the genre as it's known today.
00:56:11 James Whale's adaptation
00:56:12 of the Mary Shelley novel "Frankenstein"
00:56:14 is among the best and most classic
00:56:15 universal horror pictures.
00:56:17 - Oh, it's alive.
00:56:19 Oh, it's alive.
00:56:21 It's alive, it's alive!
00:56:23 It's alive!
00:56:24 - It established so many of the tropes
00:56:26 we now take for granted,
00:56:27 from the mad scientist archetype
00:56:29 to the sympathetic monster's tragic demise.
00:56:31 Additionally, "Frankenstein" is well-paced and atmospheric,
00:56:35 a far cry from the occasionally stodgy execution
00:56:37 that would mar contemporary films of the day.
00:56:39 Simply said, "Frankenstein" and its 1935 sequel,
00:56:43 "Bride of Frankenstein," just hold up.
00:56:45 - It's Frankenstein.
00:56:49 That way!
00:56:50 (dog barking)
00:56:53 - Number three, "The Shining."
00:56:58 - It's his mother.
00:56:59 She, uh, interferes.
00:57:05 - Perhaps they need a good talking to.
00:57:13 - There have been many haunted house movies
00:57:15 throughout the years.
00:57:16 We've even seen some previously on this list.
00:57:18 But "The Shining" is the greatest of them all.
00:57:21 Stephen King's story uses its haunted hotel trappings
00:57:24 to explore deeper and more personal themes.
00:57:26 The core plot involves the Torrance family
00:57:28 moving into an empty hotel over the winter.
00:57:30 Of course, the performances
00:57:32 and Stanley Kubrick's filmmaking are both transcendent,
00:57:35 but the movie generates many of its scares
00:57:37 from the human issues at play.
00:57:39 - Wendy. - Stanley!
00:57:40 - Darling, light of my life.
00:57:44 I'm not gonna hurt you.
00:57:45 You didn't let me finish my sentence.
00:57:47 I said, I'm not gonna hurt you.
00:57:50 I'm just gonna bash your brains.
00:57:52 - Exploring themes of alcohol use disorder,
00:57:54 generational trauma, family dysfunction, and cabin fever,
00:57:58 "The Shining" deftly combines
00:57:59 its horrifying supernatural scares
00:58:01 with a deeply troubling story of mental degradation.
00:58:04 We don't know which aspect is scarier.
00:58:06 - Hello, Danny.
00:58:09 - Number two, "The Exorcist."
00:58:14 - Where's Reagan?
00:58:16 - In here with us.
00:58:18 - Many films within the "Exorcist" franchise
00:58:20 have attempted to do something new with the formula
00:58:23 that director William Friedkin
00:58:24 helped establish back in 1973.
00:58:26 However, none of them possessed the same
00:58:28 lightning-in-a-bottle black magic
00:58:30 that allowed Friedkin's original
00:58:31 to strike such a public nerve.
00:58:33 It's not hyperbole to say that "The Exorcist"
00:58:36 changed the landscape of horror forever back in 1973,
00:58:39 paving the way for so many other films
00:58:41 that revel in satanic panic.
00:58:45 - What's that?
00:58:46 - Holy water.
00:58:47 - You keep it away.
00:58:50 (gasps)
00:58:54 Yet this panicked and feverish feeling of danger
00:58:57 still resides within "The Exorcist" so many years later.
00:59:00 This allows for Friedkin's film
00:59:02 to scare so many horror fans
00:59:03 for generation after generation.
00:59:05 It's just that good.
00:59:07 - By this sign of the Holy Cross
00:59:09 of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:59:11 who lives and reigns with the Father
00:59:14 and the Holy Spirit,
00:59:15 David.
00:59:18 - Amen.
00:59:20 - Before we continue,
00:59:22 be sure to subscribe to our channel
00:59:23 and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:59:26 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos
00:59:29 or all of them.
00:59:30 If you're on your phone,
00:59:31 make sure you go into your settings
00:59:33 and switch on notifications.
00:59:34 Number one, "Psycho."
00:59:38 (glass shattering)
00:59:41 (woman screaming)
00:59:44 "Peeping Tom" and "Psycho"
00:59:45 were released in the same year, 1960.
00:59:48 They were both helmed by British directors,
00:59:50 Michael Powell and Alfred Hitchcock.
00:59:53 Cinematic transgression wasn't exactly commonplace
00:59:55 during this time,
00:59:56 yet why did Hitch's film go on to become a classic
00:59:59 while Powell's resides within cult appreciation?
01:00:01 Well, marketing for starters.
01:00:03 The legacy of the no one will be allowed in policy
01:00:06 after the first number of minutes helped,
01:00:08 as did Hitchcock's notable showmanship
01:00:10 and cameos in his trailers.
01:00:12 (woman screaming)
01:00:15 Beyond this, however,
01:00:18 "Psycho," quite frankly, still chills to the bone.
01:00:21 Anthony Perkins shines as Norman Bates
01:00:23 throughout the entire franchise,
01:00:25 yet his playing off stars Vera Miles and Janet Leigh
01:00:28 here in the original "Psycho" is a sight to behold.
01:00:32 It is truly perfect.
01:00:34 What's your take on our top 100?
01:00:36 Let us know in the comments.
01:00:37 - Mrs. Bates.
01:00:41 (eerie music)
01:00:43 (woman screaming)
01:00:52 - Check out these other clips from WatchMojo
01:00:54 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
01:00:56 to be notified about our latest videos.
01:01:00 (eerie music)
01:01:02 (gentle music)
01:01:05 (eerie music)
01:01:07 (gentle music)
01:01:10 [BLANK_AUDIO]