#20. Dogtooth
Unlike most of the movies that form this list, Dogtooth isn’t a horror flick. Released in 2009 and directed by the Greek Yorgos Lanthimos (the movie’s official name is Kynodontas), Dogtooth is bizarre and unsettling from the first minute to the last, believe me.
Dogtooth, which was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards, shows the story of a married couple that maintains its three teenage children (one boy and two girls) in their large house. Building a surreal system of rules and explanations, they forbid their children from going to the outside world.
#19. Rosemary’s Baby
While Dogtooth‘s unnerving qualities rely on how the characters naturalize a wacky lifestyle, Rosemary’s Baby, which came out in 1968, freaked out the audiences of every cinema with some classic supernatural horror elements.
Directed by the controversial and influential Roman Polanski, this film features Mia Farrow as Rosemary, a pregnant woman that falls into a spiral of paranoia when she starts to suspect that her neighbors belong to a Satanic cult that’s creating a dark plan for her baby.
#18. The Silence Of The Lambs
Rosemary’s Baby received tons of praise and awards, and so did The Silence of the Lambs. Though the latter is regarded as a psychological drama, it’s still one of the scariest classics of the 90s, that’s for sure! I mean, you won’t find another acclaimed film with not one but two serial killers in it.
The picture shows the great Anthony Hopkins as the cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter. He sure looks menacing, but the movie’s main villain is actually another killer called Buffalo Bill, famous for skinning the bodies of his victims, which are all women. The Silence of The Lambs would later win in all of the most relevant Academy Awards categories. What an accomplishment!
#17. Requiem For A Dream
I swear there’ll be more creepy horror films as we get closer to #1, but this is another psychological drama that just had to be mentioned in this list. Released in 2000, this movie stars Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, and Jennifer Connelly.
Leto and Connelly play a couple that suffers from drug addiction and economic problems that lead them into a downward spiral that slowly but surely wrecks their psyche. This is also true for the mother of Leto’s character (brilliantly played by Burstyn), who begins to develop an amphetamine psychosis. Perhaps Darren Aronofsky’s best project, the ending of this one will definitely torment you.
#16. The Orphanage
It’s hard to believe that The Orphanage was the debut of Juan Antonia Bayona. The Spanish director was certainly aware of how creepy kids and disturbing masks can frighten even the bravest spectator, and his first project definitely accomplishes that.
When Laura visits the orphanage in which she had been raised with her husband, their child disappears, and to make things even worse, during their search they’re harrowed by a couple of terrifying kids like the one from the picture. Don’t miss #12 for another Spanish horror flick!
#15. The Babadook
In case you’re looking for an unnerving movie that has come out recently, here’s a top-notch recommendation. The Babadook, which was directed by Jennifer Kent, is probably the most stunning psychological horror film to have come out in Australia in the last decade.
Esther Davies excels at her portrayal of Amelia, a woman that starts to worry about her six-old son when strange events begin to occur in the house after he asks her mom to read him a book called Mister Babadook. After some time, you won’t tell the difference between Amelia’s hallucinations and reality.
#14. Wolf Creek
The Babadook was one of the most pleasant surprises of the last decade in the Australian horror genre, and we can say the same thing about Wolf Creek and the 2000s. Released in 2005, Wolf Creek’s director (Greg McLean) drew inspiration from a real tragedy that had occurred in the 90s.
We’re talking about the murders of seven backpackers by the Australian serial killer Ivan Milat. The movie shows the adventure of three backpackers… but their trip rapidly turns into a horrible nightmare once a psychopath lays his eyes on them.
#13. The Evil Dead
The 80s were a crucial decade for the development of iconic horror flicks. Though it probably wasn’t easy to create convincing monsters with the visual effects of that era, some of those older movies have clearly stood the test of time, and their influence is still felt to this day.
The Evil Dead is a prime example of this: despite its meager budget, director Sam Raimi managed to obtain a stunning final result. The film follows the story of some college students that rent a remote cabin in the woods. After listening to an eerie audiotape, they fall victim to demonic possessions, and things get disturbingly gory.
#12. REC
The Evil Dead was so successful that several sequels and video games followed the original release of 1981, and REC seems to be sharing a similar fate. Indeed, REC was heralded as the best horror film of the year in 2007 and directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza didn’t stop there: three sequels have already come out.
REC recounts the horrible fate of a reporter and a cameraman as they decide to interview some firefighters in a building for what they assume is another regular day of mundane news. But everyone succumbs to desperation when many of the residents begin to transform into cannibalistic beasts due to a virus and the police decide to block every escape from the building to prevent the virus from expanding further.
#11. The Thing
We were just saying that despite low budgets or old-fashioned visual effects and production techniques, some horror films of the 80s achieved cult status and enjoy a lasting influence within the genre. Indeed, many film fans and critics alike have always disregarded the artistic value of horror movies, that’s precisely why some of the first classics helped pave the way for Get Out, The Conjuring, and many others.
The Thing, which came out in 1982, is one of those paradigmatic films that deserve their well-earned respect. John Carpenter definitely spooked everyone in America with the unforgettable alien-monster that breaks free from the ice of Antarctica to haunt a group of researchers.
#10. Saw
The Saw franchise, which consists of 8 movies to this date, is extremely polarizing. You’ll find both fans that enjoy the shocking gore scenes, and haters who dismiss it as a franchise that’s only a box-office success that recycles the same concept over and over and takes advantage of the great number of people that enjoy those gruesome sequences.
However, no one can deny that the original Saw, which was released in 2004, was nothing short of stunning for a directorial debut. For the first installment, James Wan relied less on the gory excesses of the sequels and more on the clever script that narrated the despairing situation in which two chained men found themselves in.
#9. Jacob’s Ladder
Jacob’s Ladder has got to be one of the most difficult things to watch in its entirety. This is no hyperbole, the psychological horror film directed by Adrian Lyne will probably haunt you in your nightmares for a couple of nights, trust me.
The unnerving film portrays the bizarre and eerily vivid hallucinations and visions that a veteran from the Vietnam War suffers after experiencing those violent and traumatic events. Actor Tim Robbins shines in an extremely difficult role as he manages to convincingly display such deep-rooted anguish.
#8. The Blair Witch Project
Imagine being a talented director that only wishes to make a powerful horror film that will keep the audience glued to their seat and gobbling an XL popcorn bag. However, there’s a problem, the budget is low, so you need to use your creativity and replace the expensive effects and editing with other ideas.
The director of the already mentioned REC resorted to the found-footage technique and the masterminds behind The Blair Witch Project came up with a similar concept, as they tell the story of some film students that attempt to shoot a documentary about a supernatural character called the Blair Witch. After they go missing, the footage is found a year later, and that’s what the movie displays, adding authenticity to the frightening scenes.
#7. Ring
You know everyone loved a film when it gets not only numerous remakes in its country of origin but also an American version for the English-speaking audience. With Ring, we’ll have to go with the original version from Japan, just watch it and you’ll immediately realize it’s ten times more terrifying than the U.S. version!
That’s mainly thanks to the ghastly creature of the original. The concept is similar in every version of The Ring and even people who haven’t watched any of them are familiar with the tale: a mysterious videotape announces that the viewer has only seven days left until he or she dies… good luck avoiding nightmares after watching this one!
#6. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
One can’t help but give props to Tobe Hooper, the man who directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 1974. The second-oldest movie of this list is also a timeless classic, there’s no doubt about it. You just have to take a peek at the trailer to realize it’s one of the scariest horror movies in history!
This was the first popular and acclaimed movie to use a killer that uses a terrifying chainsaw as a weapon. There’s been a lot of copycats since then, but no other imitator could replicate the absolute intensity of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
#5. The Divide
From the 70s to the 2010s! Released in 2011, The Divide is one of the few solid horror flicks that take place in a post-apocalyptic world. The film follows the desperate survival attempt of a group of New Yorkers who try to protect themselves from several nuclear explosions.
They succeed in finding a safe basement… but the good news stop right there: the scarce supplies and small place slowly but steadily affects the survivors’ psyche, and everything begins to go downhill from then onwards. Don’t miss #2 to discover another of the creepiest movies of the 2010s!
#4. The Exorcist
In case you were wondering, here’s the oldest film on the list! Yes, The Exorcist debuted at cinemas almost half a century ago already, but it’s perhaps the most legendary horror film of all time. If The Texas Chainsaw Massacre inspired millions of creepy faceless killers with the same weapon, then The Exorcist did the same for demonically possessed children.
Though these movies are now deemed as extremely influential within the genre and everyone respects their legacy, back in the day they caused a lot of controversy. In fact, the British government prohibited The Exorcist for almost ten years, that’s how savage it was!
#3. The Omen
Directed by Richard Donner, The Omen blew everyone’s mind in 1976 and received 2 Oscar nominations, a rare feat for a horror movie at that time. The spooky kid in the picture is Damien Thorn, the main antagonist of the story.
He’s the son of the Devil, but his mom doesn’t know a thing about this, she’s only aware that bizarre deaths begin to occur once Damian starts to grow up. The Omen was a massive box-office hit, and that’s probably why the 80s, 90s, and 2000s saw the release of remakes.
#2. Kill List
Which was the scariest movie of the year in 2011? Many critics were torn between The Divide —which we have already discussed— and this film, Kill List. If you ask me, I’d go with this one without a doubt! Directed by Ben Wheatley, Kill List is one of those movies that are hard to finish without the lights on, believe me.
The film narrates the story of a British soldier that returns to his homeland and becomes a hitman. Things get unpleasantly gory as he tries to accomplish a new mission, while, simultaneously, the character’s horrible past is told to the viewer.
#1. Irreversible
If you’ve heard about Gaspar Noé, the Argentinian filmmaker, you’re probably aware that he’s considered one of the most controversial figures in the industry. Released in France in 2002, Irreversible is probably Noé’s most polarizing project.
While it quickly achieved cult status, others severely criticized the extremely explicit rape scene in the movie. Irreversible, which tells its story in reverse order, narrates the events occurring one single night as two men try to avenge the rape of Alex, who’s both the girlfriend and ex of each of these two.