Top 10 Horror Movies Ever Made

Flickering Myth get scary…Happy Halloween guys and ghouls!To celebrate the most feared of all holidays, we at Flickering Myth decided to count down the greatest horror movies of all-time.Twenty of our writers and editors voted for their personal top tens with the scores being counted and verified to create this following list. Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments section. Don’t just insult us.But with all of that spiel out of the way, let’s begin this spook-tacular countdown!10. Psycho (1960)Directed by Alfred HitchcockStarring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Glavin, Janet Leigh, Martin Balsam, John McIntireA Phoenix secretary steals $40,000 from her employer’s client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.In at number ten on our list is what some would call the grandfather of slasher movies, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.Whether you remember it for the Anthony Perkins’ performance, that infamous shower scene with Janet Leigh or the final act reveal, you remember Psycho. A movie that Hitchcock cared about so much that he would tour round the country to make sure that protectionists were displaying his movie correctly, and even filmed an extra scene of himself talking to the audience, requesting them not to reveal the ending to anyone.In 1998, Gus Van Sant released the incredibly pointless shot-for-shot remake of Psycho starring Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche, proving that this was not just a movie that could be made by anyone. So powerful and interesting was the story of Psycho that it lead to a biopic of sorts being released in 2013 called Hitchcock, which saw Anthony Hopkins portray the portly director during the production of the movie.Giving inspiration to a whole generation of slasher movies for decades to come, including 1996’s Scream 46 years after its release, Psycho is a timeless classic of the horror genre and one that will never be forgotten.9. Dawn of the Dead (1978)Directed by George A. RomeroStarring David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, Tom SaviniFollowing an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. team members, a traffic reporter, and his television executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.An immortal line from perhaps the most influential zombie movie ever made, and the peak of the “of the Dead” series from George A. Romero. Using the zombies as conduits for Romero to relay his message of consumerist America, Dawn of the Dead is as smart as it is gory.But while the subliminal messaging and wonderful story makes Dawn of the Dead a cinematic masterpiece, it’s the phenomenal on-set effects and make-up work by horror maestro Tom Savini that really makes the film stand out. Some could even argue that the series never managed to top this level of effects, even as it worked its way into the new Millennium with Land of the Dead and Diary of the Dead.What makes Dawn of the Dead so impressive is it has stood the test of time, showing that all of the imitators that have come since that stock the bottom shelves of ASDA’s DVD section have misunderstood what made the movie good in the first place. The zombie subgenre is not just about the blood and gore, it’s about the story and message that surrounds it.8. Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)Directed by Tobe HooperStarring Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal, Gunnar HansenFive friends visiting their grandfather’s house in the country are hunted and terrorized by a chain-saw wielding killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals.Fun Fact: Tobe Hooper didn’t know that “chainsaw” was one word, hence why the film is called Texas Chain Saw Massacre.Gritty, grimy and terrifyingly uncomfortable, Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a movie that is as effective now as it was back in 1974. Shot on a super low budget, Texas Chain Saw Massacre looks and feels dirty, showing the distinct clear divide of the free-thinking hippy America to its inbred counterpart. Perhaps the goriest movie to never show any gore on-screen, the genius of Hooper’s original Texas Chain Saw Massacre is in the atmosphere and sense of unease it creates. You only have to watch the scene round the dinner table to see that.The series would go on a bizarre detour for its second outing, made at the now infamous Cannon Films. Hooper felt that the intended humour of the original movie wasn’t present enough, so made the wacky comedy outing Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, a movie whose poster parodied The Breakfast Club. But even with all of its sequels, prequels and remakes (with another prequel in the works), none have ever managed to reach the lofty levels of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre.7. Evil Dead II (1987)Directed by Sam RaimiStarring Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley DePaiva, Ted Raimi, Denise Bixler, Richard Domeier, John PeakesThe lone survivor of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits holds up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.In at number 7 is the first (and only) horror comedy on our list, in for the form of Sam Raimi’s barmy quasi-sequel/part-remake of The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II. A movie that showed off the technical brilliance of Raimi and the genius of Bruce Campbell’s physical performance.The opening ten minutes of the movie work as a remake of the first movie, removing all of the other kids from the story so it’s just Ash before jumping into an assault on the senses as Raimi seems to revel in his torture of his co-star. Whether you love the movie for the trippy sequence where everything in the cabin is laughing at Ash or his battle with his own hand, Evil Dead II is a staple of midnight movie screenings and created a huge cult audience that has lasted to this day.Evil Dead II was at the top of this list for a long, long time, but some late votes came in and pushed it down to the seventh position. But there was a distinct lack of votes for The Evil Dead, showing that the Flickering Myth writing staff clearly prefer this wacky comedic outing rather than the more serious attempt.6. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)Directed by Wes CravenStarring Heather Lagenkamp, Robert Englund, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Johnny DeppSeveral people are hunted by a cruel serial killer who kills his victims in their dreams. When the survivors are trying to find the reason for being chosen, the murderer won’t lose any chance to kill them as soon as they fall asleep.Celebrating its 30th anniversary (this week no less), Wes Craven’s original trip down Elm Street sits in sixth place on our list.Based around a real-life story that Craven read in a newspaper about a young Brazilian boy terrified to go to sleep because he will die if he did, A Nightmare on Elm Street would not only scare the crap out of audiences in 1984, but it gave birth to an icon of horror in the form of Freddy Kruger. Five sequels, one meta-experiment, one crossover and one reboot later, Freddy’s popularity shows no signs of slowing down – and it’s easy to see why.This original nightmare, which provided the platform for a debut performance from Johnny Depp, is a visceral experience that plays on everyone’s fears of the boogyman as a child molester, burnt alive by the residents of Elm Street after he evades imprisonment, returns to haunt the dreams of their children and take his revenge on those who took the law into their own hands. But while the kids pay for the sins of their parents, one decides to fight back using her smarts and strong will.Something that the awful remake managed to miss by a huge margin. Seriously, that film was bloody awful.Some might argue (and are well within their right to) that A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors is a superior movie as it gets the balance of scary Freddy and comedy Freddy perfectly, but there is no denying that the original A Nightmare on Elm Street is the worthy entry on this list.5. The Exorcist (1973)Directed by William FriedkinStarring Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason MillerWhen a teenage girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.Mark Kermode’s favourite movie of all time has only come in at number five on our list, but that shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing.What is there to say about The Exorcist that hasn’t been said already? Fantastic performances, chilling atmosphere and a beautiful story of a priest who has lost his faith, The Exorcist is a horror movie like no other and really highlights what is done wrong with many modern possession movies.And – THAT FACE.Like every other movie on this list (bar one), The Exorcist had several sequels with only the second movie, The Exorcist Part II: The Heretic being worthy of note – just for how barmy it is! Don’t believe us? Watch the trailer below:4. Alien (1979)Directed by Ridley ScottStarring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dead Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet KottoThe commercial vessel Nostromo receives a distress call from an unexplored planet. After searching for survivors, the crew heads home only to realize that a deadly bioform has joined them.Showing what a powerful, impressive and brilliant movie Alien is, this is the only movie on our list to have also featured in our Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies of All-Time.Working as both a masterclass in science fiction storytelling, Ridley Scott’s Alien is also masterpiece of suspenseful horror and terror. Its slow burn and tense atmosphere leads to some of the best jump scares in the genre and it would be hard to argue that Ripley isn’t the best Final Girl to grace the silver screen (but we’ll get to that with our next entry). 3. Halloween (1979)Directed by John CarpenterStarring Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Rochards, Brian AndrewsA psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood for the murder of his sister, escapes and stalks a bookish adolescent girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets.“I met him, fifteen years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding; and even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and the blackest eyes… the devil’s eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil.”That above speech, read by Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis, is everything that you need to know about Michael Myers, a masked madman who has escaped a mental asylum on Halloween night to get his revenge against his sister, Laurie Stroud. Rob Zombie might have felt the need to spend more time with his formative years, but John Carpenter summed it up in one speech and the movie is all the better for it.Carpenter is at the top of his game with this genius slice of slasher horror that would inspire an entire decade of imitators throughout the 1980s. But while many came close, none ever managed to be better than Halloween. From the brilliant score, the slow and methodical pacing to the thrilling finale, Halloween is a rollercoaster ride of horror that never lets up, forcing you to endure every bump along the way.Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of number 10 spot Psycho’s Janet Leigh, cements herself in this early role as a scream queen for the ages and puts up a good fight against Ripley for the best Final Girl of the horror genre.2. The Thing (1982)Directed by John CarpenterStarring Kurt Russell, Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald MoffatScientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.While some people might think that Halloween is the best movie that John Carpenter ever directed, the Flickering Myth writing staff clearly disagree by voting The Thing into one place higher.John Carpenter’s second entry on this list fell just two points shy of taking the number one spot. The second team up of Carpenter and Kurt Russell, The Thing is a classic example of “the real monster is the one inside us all”. A remake of The Thing From Another World, Carpenter’s The Thing is also a great example of how to do a remake correctly – taking the core concept of the idea and moulding it to your specifications. Not just copying and pasting scenes with no context like the Nightmare on Elm Street remake…The Thing also features some fantastic practical effects that still hold up to this day, providing the majority of the movie’s scares with flawless ease. Whether it’s the original dog reveal or the walking spider leg head, everyone has their favourite visual from The Thing. A masterpiece in horror.1. The Shining (1980)Directed by Stanley KubrickStarring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman CrothersA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.Winning by just two points, the greatest horror movie ever made according to Flickering Myth’s writing and editorial staff is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.And rightfully so.Where do you start with a movie like this? Jack Nicholson is rarely better than he is as Jack Torrence, the new caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, who slowly loses his mind to the ghosts of the hotel who convince him to murder his wife and child.The Shining also features some of the most iconic imagery from a horror movie ever made – the elevator of blood, the twins, the woman in the bath, “all work and no play”, “here’s Johnny!”, frozen in the maze – the list goes on and on.Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey came in at number five on our Top 10 Sci-Fi movies a few months ago and many would argue that it was the best film the director ever made. But there is a strong case for The Shining. A simply flawless movie.But now we know the number one spot, let’s look at what just missed out by looking at the movies that came in at numbers 11-20…So there we have it! Nothing pre-1960 and nothing post-1987. And not even a sighting of Friday the 13th (only two writers voted for it). But let’s look at the movies that didn’t quite make it to the top 10…11. Night of the Living Dead (1968)12. Scream (1996)13. The Blair Witch Project (1999)14. The Mist (2006)15. An American Werewolf in London (1981)16. The Fly (1986)17. 28 Days Later (2002)18. Let the Right One In (2008)19. Hellraiser (1987)20. The Omen (1976)And here’s what each writer voted for as their number one pick…Gary Collinson – PsychoLuke Owen – The ThingOzzy Armstrong – Evil Dead 2Robert Kojder – Pet SemataryKris Wall – The ThingDavid Fleming – HellraiserScott Davis – The ShiningRohan Morbey – The ExorcistRobert W Monk – The ShiningBrogan James – The ShiningChris Cooper – HalloweenManny Camacho – White ZombieTom Jolliffe – The ShiningJessie Robertson – HalloweenBen Rayner – The ThingMike P. Williams – The ShiningSteven Leadbetter – AlienAngus Houvouras – 28 Days LaterVillordsutch – The ShiningGavin Logan – The ExorcistSade Green – ScreamTom Powter – 28 Days LaterAgree, disagree? Let us know in the comments section below…Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.