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]