The Scariest Movies of All-Time
Editors' picks
for the most frightening flicks ever
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
On-screen chemistry hasn't been this electrifying since Bogart
and Bacall, and Jodie Foster
and Anthony Hopkins never even make physical contact. The
intensity never lets up in this brilliant psychological thriller that swept the
1991 Oscars. FBI agent Foster interviews vicious murderer Hopkins, hoping he will
help the bureau catch another serial killer who's preying on young women. The
interrogations turn personal as Hopkins, a psychiatrist, turns the tables and
makes Foster his vulnerable subject.
Psycho (1960)
Hitchcock's psychological thriller broke new ground in
Hollywood and forever changed the genre. The bone-chilling tension still
resonates today, despite a culture hardened to big-screen violence and
psychological games. The infamous “shower scene” remains one of the most
memorable in film history. Bernard Herrmann's chilling score intensifies the
edge-of-your-seat suspense. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards
but was shunned in all categories.
The Exorcist (1973)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Radioactive corpses rose from the dead and preyed on the
living in this grandfather of modern zombie films. The movie was made on a
shoe-string budget of $114,000 and rumor was lead actor Russell Streiner
provided some of the funding. It was director George A. Romero's first film, achieving cult status over the
years and earning $18 million internationally after decades of re-releases.
Critics panned it when it was released because of its explicit content, but
critical opinion has changed drastically over the years. The Library of
Congress selected the film to be preserved in the National Film Registry.
Alien (1979)
Director Ridley Scott
deftly combined sci-fi and horror to create a grotesque, visually stunning
technological wonder that set the criteria for later films of the genre. The
crew of the spacecraft Nostromo must contend with a murderous alien
invader that lives on human flesh. A dark, mechanical milieu lends to the eerie
feeling of grim isolation.
The Shining (1980)
Who can forget Jack Nicholson's
deranged laugh as he terrorized his snowbound family? Stanley Kubrick's
most commercial film never really found an audience, but repeated viewings
reveal a classic psychological study into family dynamics and the mind of an
unhinged man. In characteristic Kubrick style, the auteur makes the Overlook
Hotel itself a character, with as much power and intrigue as the real-life
actors. Nicholson, never one for subtlety, delivers one of his most
over-the-top performances.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
What would a scary movie list be without one slicer-dicer
from the 1980s? After all, director Wes Craven
is the indisputable king of horror, who's also responsible for the Scream
franchise. Intelligent characters and—believe it or not—a thought-provoking
screenplay set this first installment in the Freddie Krueger series apart from
other films of the genre.
The Ring (2002)
A supernatural film, The Ring featured a
mysterious tape as its villain. After the victim watched the tape, he or she
received a phone call in which a creepy girl's voice announced that the victim
will die in seven days. A remake of a 1998 Japanese horror film, The Ring
was a commercial and critical success - a rarity for the genre. Also, with the
international community increasing concerned with bio-warfare, disease control,
and terrorism, The Ring has aged remarkable well as a thriller, becoming
an eerily clairvoyant comment on the times.
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Forget the ending and you're left with one of the most
disturbing, creepy films in film history. Tim Robbins
plays a Vietnam vet who's haunted by harrowing hallucinations that obscure his
hold on reality. He's convinced the military used him in a drug experiment gone
awry. Look for Macaulay Culkin in an unbilled supporting role.
The Evil Dead (1982)
Future Spiderman Director Sam Raimi's first feature was made for $385,000 with the goal
to make the audience jump and scream. The movie also set the stage for many
more films featuring victims in remote cabins. It's Raimi's direction and a
memorable performance by Bruce Campbell that makes this story about teenagers
reading a forbidden book which unleashes creatures stay with the viewer in a
haunting way.
Scream (1996)
By referencing and mocking '80s slasher films, Scream
managed to revive and update the tired genre. It entertained while providing
the viewer with many chilling moments as the teenagers tried to figure out who
Ghostface was and when he'd strike next based on their knowledge of horror
films. Scream also reversed a previous slasher flick trend by casting
established actors instead of unknowns. The first Scream featured Drew Barrymore in a frightening and memorable opening
sequence. Neve Campbell played the lead and Courteney Cox, at the height of Friends, was cast in a
key supporting role. Three sequels followed, including 2011's Scream 4.
The Mummy (1932)
Not to be confused with the 1999 remake starring Brendan Fraser.
The original, a silent picture with horror icon Boris Karloff in the title role, remains a classic, with
unforgettable make-up and atmosphere. An archaeologist opens Karloff's crypt,
resurrecting a fallen prince who had been entombed for 3,700 years. Karloff,
who has returned as an Egyptologist, recognizes the incarnation of the woman he
loved thousands of years earlier and plans to kill her so they can be together
again in the afterlife.
Seven (1995)
David Fincher, director of Fight Club, was the
1990's master of dark, stylized suspense. The rain never seems to let up in
this thriller, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman
as New York homicide cops trying to track down a maniacal serial killer whose
victims represent the seven deadly sins. Fully realized characters, a tight
script, and harrowing special effects make Seven a sure-to-be horror
classic.
28 Days Later (2003)
Directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later gave us a post-apocalyptic
world where zombies were not the normal slow moving corpses. Here the zombies
moved fast and were infected humans, which made the story more plausible and,
therefore, a lot scarier.
Nosferatu (1922)
The singular Dracula movie Nosferatu boasted
remarkable animalistic makeup that has not been replicated, even with modern
technology. Max Schreck gives a downright creepy performance as the vampire who
terrorizes the city of Bremen and is ultimately destroyed by a determined Greta
Schroeder, who's willing to sacrifice herself. Expressionist director F. W.
Murnau delivers plenty of heavy-handed symbolism, but it works to haunt rather
than distract. Dozens of Dracula films followed, but none captured the essence
of Bram Stoker's artistry.
The Descent (2005)
This British horror film premiered at the 2006 Sundance
Film Festival to good reviews. It was a rare horror flick where the viewer
didn't spend the film yelling "don't do it, don't go in there" at the
screen. The six women in this film were smart and modern, not your
stereotypical damsels in distress. The plot followed a group of friends going
spelunking in an unmarked cave where they were hunted down by flesh-eating
creatures called crawlers.
