Adorable demonic kids, slimy monsters, earthy vampires, and a few neatly impaled people. Everything you need to double-close your door and sleep with the light on. But this ranking could not have seen the light of day without a bunch of neurotics, psychotics, voyeurs, fanatics and serial killers.
It’s Halloween weekend, and if this year it’s not possible to have a fancy dress party or tour the neighborhood to claim treats, you can always celebrate by watching a horror movie (or more). In recent years, the genre has experienced a real craze in the eyes of critics, with hits like “Get Out” or “Heredity”. But many horror films over the decades are also recognized as classics, also as horror books.
We present you the collection of the 60 best films of horror for Halloween to watch with family and friends. That said, if your heart is not firmly fixed and you are afraid of being too afraid (little nature!), Do not hesitate to ogle the side of our guides of love film, science cinema. For the others, make yourself comfortable on your sofa, preferably alone, in the dark and good luck.
The best Horror Movies
In order to find out which films are the most popular, you need to watch these movies. There is something for everyone, from the thriller of Alfred Hitchcock, with “Psychosis” and “The Birds”, to the adaptations of Stephen King, like “It” and “Shining”.
1. The Exorcist
If The Exorcist came at the top of this ranking of horror films, it is not only because it is the most cult, endowed with unforgettable lines (“Your mother sucks dicks in hell, Karras”). No need to recall what are the scenes of the exorcism, the spider on the back, or, of course, that of the crucifix: they are now part of the collective memory, beyond the restricted circle of enthusiasts. of the kind. Nor is it because it is one of the most profitable horror films – more than 402 million receipts – nor the most awarded – two Oscars (best sound and best adapted screenplay), not to mention six nominations.
2. Shining
Shining is the story of a freak out. That of Jack Torrance (a feline Jack Nicholson), forty-something writer in his spare time, who has just agreed to replace the guardian of The Overlook Hotel, a labyrinthine isolated palace in the mountains of Colorado, during the winter. With him, his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their young son, Danny (Danny Lloyd). Little by little, the bloody past of the hotel seems to take possession of Jack’s mind; soon, the snow cuts the lines of communication. And a few good blows of an ax in the bathroom door later. Movie Review
3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
There are horror films that play on mystery, subtlety, psychological tension. And then there is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Tobe Hooper’s film, made with a microscopic budget, and a symbol of do it yourself horror cinema, shows such a frontal style that it was censored for a long time in several countries, notably in the United Kingdom, where it was not until 1999 that it was shown on the big screen. As its title indicates, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre leaves no room for the imagination, on the contrary installing a purest terror, amplified by the total absence of music – with the exception of a few menacing timpani.
4. Psychosis
Going beyond all genres, settings, categories, Psychosis is one of Hitchcock’s greatest masterpieces, and an absolute benchmark in the history of cinema. The film begins in the police mode, where we follow Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a criminal secretary who tries to escape with the money of her bosses (at the same time, we understand her).
In other words, the paranoia and the guilt of the young woman are at the center of the first part of the film. Until the moment when she stops at a boarding house, run by a rather weird guy, a character that has since become mythical in popular culture: Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), the pinnacle of the oedipal serial-killer.
5. Alien
Those who, when it came out, criticized Alien for its apparent lack of action had precisely understood nothing of its genius. From the credits, which slowly but inexorably unroll slashes to form the word “Alien”, we already perceive the unspeakable threat hanging over the Nostromo. And it is precisely because these first forty-five minutes of the film – which some therefore found soporific – linger on the daily tasks of the crew of the spaceship, that lasting anxiety sets in.
6. The Thing
Among the procession of tantalizing possibilities that a journey through time could offer, we think we would take the opportunity to go tell John Carpenter of 1982 that one day his new film would be recognized as one of the greatest. horror films. Because like many classics of the genre, The Thing was first shunned, vilified, criticized as a vague clone of Alien, simply busy pushing the limits of special effects.
In short, the reception of the film was a catastrophic flop, threatening even the reputation of Carpenter, who was recognized at the time as the undisputed master of terror. But in hindsight, this agonizing tale of inner evil and shapeshifter, a team of researchers lost in the inhuman environment of Antarctica, has come to lay some of the essential milestones of fantasy and angst cinema. contemporary.
7. Rosemary’s Baby
Moving is never easy. But when in addition the neighbors opposite are a couple of octogenarian Satanists determined to make you bear the devil’s child, it’s even less funny. A claustrophobic atmosphere, threatening dreaminess and latent paranoia characterize this first Hollywood achievement by Roman Polanski, an adaptation of the novel by Ira Levin published a year earlier.
After Repulsion and before The Tenant, the film is part of a trilogy on the daily horror of apartment life: thus, in the golden prison of the Woodhouses, the ticking of the clock becomes more and more oppressive, while the walls, immaculate, appear more and more narrow. The tone, of sly anguish, is set from the first seconds of the credits, when Mia Farrow’s voice rings out, humming a half-innocent, half-disturbing tune – the now famous “Lullaby”.
8. Orphan
Orphan is not a classic horror movie. We do not understand that at the end of the film, that the horror was there from the beginning. Right in front of the eyes of these two parents who, by adopting Esther, an orphan, was far from suspecting the extent of their error. Jaume Collet Serra delivers a film, with deceptive appearances, full of surprises that we can no longer reveal here. Roughly effective, this film will not leave you indifferent.
9. Silent Hill
Inspired by the video game of the same name, Silent Hill by Christophe Gans is a total immersion in an apocalyptic world. A mother goes in search of her lost daughter in Silent Hill, a mystery town that reveals its secrets as the film progresses. We are at the same time fascinated by the spectacle which takes place in front of us, of a formidably effective beauty and frightened of this alternate reality which appears when the siren of Silent Hill sounds. The sky gives way to a rain of ash, mysterious creatures appear with the sole purpose of killing you. Gloomy and relentless, darkness has never been so close and so attractive.
10. Ghostland
With Ghostland, Pascal Laugier delivers a horrific thriller with overflowing imagination. Very atypical in the genre, and French, which deserves to be mentioned. The story of two sisters who have to go back to their childhood trauma, when they return to their family home to hear from their mother. We are witnessing in spite of ourselves a real waking nightmare, of that night when everything changed. Ultra violent and super creepy, accentuated by a staging perfectly suited to maintain the suspense until the end. Playing with dolls has never been so dangerous!
11. Two sisters
Two sisters, one of whom returns from psychiatric internment after seeing her mother die, reunite in the family home with their father and new mother-in-law. A conflictual relationship sets in and when paranormal events arise, this thriller takes on a whole new twist. The plot is obvious so quickly that we wonder if it really is, it is then that we appreciate even more this kind of film, which surprises us, until the last.
12. Drag Me To Hell
In line with what Sam Raimi, spiritual father of horrifico-comedy, knows how to do best, Drag Me To Hell combines fear and the second degree with a perfect mastery of the script and the staging. Witchcraft in a modern world where consumer credit is king. Everything is there to make you have a great time.
13. Conjuring
Conjuring is inspired by real events and brings a real realistic dimension to the spirit world. Ed ( Patrick Wilson ) and Lorraine Warren ( Vera Farmiga ), specialists in occult sciences come to the aid of a couple in danger. Surprise and terror are the key to a duo of actors who work wonderfully. A film that plays on our nerves, and a reiterated experience in an equally intriguing franchise.
14. The Babadook
There can’t be a horror movie list without having at least one scary kid. The Babadook tells the story of a disturbing child and a mother who loses her mind because of a monster in the stories of her son who keeps harassing her. Or is it all in his head? Horror Genre
15. Insidious
It’s one of those movies that terrifies you from start to finish. The story was innovative and made us feel fear again because of a terrifying face entering your brain and coming back to rob you of sleep just as you try to fall asleep.
16. Us
This movie isn’t exactly scary, but the story is unsettling, and the acting, voice, and appearance of Lupita Nyong’o and her terrifying underground family make you cringe and squirm in your seat. Then you start to think about all those details and references that Jordan Peele has hidden in every scene.
17. Suspiria
While Dario Argento’s original film was only apparently made in Germany at the end of the 1970s, Luca Guadagnino’s remake pits his alliance of witches and his love of dance against the politico-social events of Berlin in the late 1970s. ‘era. It is therefore a horror film that has a lot to say about recent European history.
18. Evil Dead
Despite being a remake, Evil Dead has managed to match the success of the original and recreate the terror for which the ’80s film was so widely applauded. The point is, this movie is so terrifying that a lot of people couldn’t see it more than once.
19. Midsommar
Many did not understand this horror film, but in Midsomar Ari Aster pits beauty and terror against a psychological horror story that shows us that sometimes we are the worst monsters ourselves. Toxic relationships and spring festivals will never be the same again.
20. It Follows
After sex, Jay becomes the victim of an unknown force that never stops pursuing her with one goal: to kill her. Once again stamped A24, this first film was a real public and critical success. Based on the absolutely brilliant idea of a faceless evil, It Followsuses codes intelligently. But above all, and it is often what is lacking in most horror films, the script and its characters are particularly worked. Added to this is a polished staging, offering large wide shots that unfold on a bewitching soundtrack. David Robert Mitchell paved the way for a new way of working with horror, quickly followed by directors like Ari Aster or Robert Eggers: an opaque atmosphere disrupted by some visually shocking sequences.
21. The night house
Torn apart by the brutal death of her husband, Beth finds herself alone in the lakefront house he had built for her. She struggles to cope, but inexplicable nightmares appear. In disturbing visions, an elusive presence seems to call her.
22. Candyman
As far back as they can remember, the people of Cabrini Green, one of the most unhealthy cities in the heart of Chicago, have always been terrorized by a horrific ghost story, passed by word of mouth, where it is. question of a killer straight out of hell.
23. Halloween kills
Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen and her baby daughter Allyson have just abandoned the monster with the famous mask, locked in the basement of the house devoured by the flames. But Micheal Myers manages to extricate himself from the trap where Laurie had locked him and his ritual bloodbath begins again. Read Here
24. Last Night in Soho
Last night in soho stages the story of a young woman passionate about fashion and design who mysteriously manages to return to the 60s where she meets her idol, a dazzling young rising star. But the London of the Sixties is not what it seems, and time seems to fall apart with grim repercussions.
25. Titanium
After a series of unexplained crimes, a father finds his son who has been missing for 10 years. Titanium: Metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, giving very hard alloys.
26. No one gets out of here alive
Ambar is an immigrant who dreams of a better life in America. Forced to take a room in a boarding house, she finds herself trapped in a dead end nightmare.
27. American Nightmare 5: No Limits
Adela and her husband Juan live in Texas, where Juan works on the ranch of the wealthy Tucker family. Juan gains the esteem of Patriarch Caleb Tucker, which triggers the jealousy of Dylan, his son. The morning after the annual nighttime rampage of violence, a masked group attacks the Tucker family. Read Here
28. Nightbooks
Alex is a boy, a connoisseur of scary stories. He is imprisoned by an evil witch in his New York apartment. There he meets Yasmin, who is also a prisoner there. She teaches him that he has to tell a new scary story every night to stay alive.
29. Prisoners of the Ghostland
Hero, a notorious criminal, is sent to the aid of a kidnapped girl who has disappeared in a supernatural universe. Within this territory called Ghostland, they will try to break the curse that keeps them captive from mysterious ghosts.
30. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Once the burgeoning headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying city. The exodus of society has left the city fallow and great evil is brewing beneath the surface. When it breaks loose, the townspeople are forever changed and a small group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth about Umbrella and survive the night.
