Horror movies have always been subjective. What one person finds scary, another might find silly. How, then, can we ever determine what the scariest horror movie ever made is? One way to go about it is to have a poll consisting of a plethora of horror films, and allow audiences to pick their favorites. That's just what Rotten Tomatoes did a little while ago, choosing 40 frightening films, and narrowing it down based on votes. From demonic possession to insane killers, here are what Rotten Tomatoes users chose as the 10 scariest horror movies ever made.
10 IT: Chapter One (2017)
The best horror movies are those that scare you on an emotional level, and upon its release in 2017, IT: Chapter One became an instant hit for frightening audiences right down to their core. Thanks to the amazing portrayal of Pennywise by Bill Skarsgård, this big budget re-make from director Andy Muschietti goes from zero to 60 and back again, taking viewers on a rollercoaster ride of terror.
With equally commanding performances from the likes of Sophia Lillis and Ray Taylor, It Chapter One is as heartbreaking as it is scary, as Pennywise doesn't just want to scratch the surface of what terrifies The Losers Club, but rather he wants to pour salt in the wounds of an already disturbing childhood. Featuring beautiful cinematography, and set pieces that lull you into a sense of familiarity, we're not surprised that It Chapter One goes down as one of the scariest films ever made, despite its differences from the Stephen King novel.
9 Insidious (2010)
Made for just $1.5 million dollars, Insidious went on to gross more than $100 million dollars at the box office, and it's easy to see why. Directed by James Wan, and written by Leigh Whannell, this film takes every parent's worst nightmare and makes it a reality when the Lambert's son falls into a comatose state, with seemingly no explanation. This paves the way for him to become host to several demonic entities, leading to a supernatural battle on the astral plane.
Insidious subverts expectations in several ways, not the least of which sees the Lamberts move out of their haunted house, when in every other horror movie the family ends up staying. It relies far more on a slow, suspenseful build than it does blood, making for an atmospheric piece that's a departure from Wan's previous work like Saw, and Death Sentence. That was enough to scare audiences silly, turning Insidious into an entire franchise of films, with Insidious: The Red Door being the most recent movie in the series.
8 Sinister (2012)
After moving his unsuspecting family into a murder house, a struggling true-crime writer discovers a box of snuff tapes that he thinks is the key to recapturing some of his former success. Instead, he unleashes an ancient evil that's determined to make sure his loved ones become the next victims in a string of murders dating back decades.
Released in 2012, Sinister stars Ethan Hawke in a truly terrifying film from director Scott Derrickson. Combining elements of the paranormal and found footage sub-genres, Sinister is a reminder to not neglect your family, while at the same time exploring themes of narcissism. Though it features an ending that some might say is a downer, Sinister is a cautionary tale that makes no apologies for what it becomes in those final few minutes, which definitely makes it one of the scariest films ever made.
7 Halloween (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter, Halloween is one of those rare films that influenced an entire genre, and has since gone on to be known as not only one of the scariest movies ever made, but one of the greatest films in history. With the simple premise of a masked killer stalking a group of babysitters, Halloween has become legendary, and deservedly so.
With a franchise that now consists of 13 films, when the original hit theaters in 1978, audiences weren't ready for it. Sure, they had been scared by films like The Exorcist, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but those stories felt far away. Halloween brought the horror home to the suburbs, warning us that nowhere was safe. Light on gore, and heavy on atmosphere, the film made a star out of Jamie Lee Curtis, and marked Carpenter as one of the genre's greatest filmmakers.
6 The Ring (2002)
A re-make of the 1998 Japanese classic, Ringu, The Ring has become a contemporary, American classic in its own right. Starring Naomi Watts as a journalist that watches a cursed videotape, and then has seven days to figure out a way to stay alive, The Ring dives deep into mystery, while at the same time providing enough spine-chilling visuals to keep you on the edge of your seat.
As the first film in a slew of American re-makes of horror films out of Japan, The Ring is held to a higher standard than most, and director Gore Verbinski doesn't disappoint, as he takes what made Ringu so scary, and puts his own spin on it for Western audiences. It still holds up to this day, with the often quoted line, "Seven days," remaining a favorite among horror fans. While we may not use videotapes anymore, that doesn't stop The Ring from being just as effective thanks to the iconic scene of Samara crawling out of a well, and through a TV.
5 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Though a group of friends being terrorized by a gang of maniacal killers might seem cliché today, back in 1974 it was a fresh idea that helped propel The Texas Chain Saw Massacre into infamy. Directed by the late Tobe Hooper, the film somewhat falls under the Mandela Effect, as many people remember it for being a blood-soaked mess, when in reality the movie features very little gore.
Featuring disturbing imagery, and an antagonist that has become part of pop culture history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre premiered during a shift in both the political, and cultural landscape of America. It hit at just the right time, with some comparing its importance to the likes of Night of the Living Dead. Over the years, it has been analyzed in books, essays, and documentaries, with the consensus being that it remains one of the scariest films ever made, despite being nearly 50 years old.
4 The Shining (1980)
Controversial to say the least, The Shining is a work of art that's riddled with suspense and tension, making for a terrifying examination of addiction, insanity, and the disintegration of family. Comparisons to the Stephen King novel aside, it's one of Stanley Kubrick's best films, and arguably the best performance in Jack Nicholson's long career.
As one of the first films to utilize the newly-invented Steadicam, The Shining is a visually stunning piece that relies on its slow build to lure audiences in, before unraveling into madness. While critics panned the film upon its release, the years have been kinder to Kubrick's vision, with many praising the movie for its complexities upon various reexaminations. It has been recognized several times by the American Film Institute, and was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress in 2018.
3 The Conjuring (2013)
James Wan has the distinction of having another film on the list by way of the 2013 smash hit, The Conjuring. Featuring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, this film harkens back to the horror movies of yesteryear, utilizing classic maneuvers to scare modern audiences.
With many complaining that today's horror movies aren't as effective anymore, The Conjuring delivered in a big way, surprising even the most cynical genre fan. It didn't try and reinvent the wheel, and that's what made it such a success. Wan took tropes we're all familiar with, and wrapped them in a compelling story that was bolstered by the ensemble cast. It has since spawned an entire franchise of films, with a series for the small screen in the works.
2 Hereditary (2018)
While he had directed several short films before, Hereditary marked the feature film debut of Ari Aster, and what a way to make an entrance. A blend of supernatural and psychological horror, Hereditary takes the family dynamic and turns it on its head to provide audiences with a downright terrifying film that only gets more twisted the longer it goes.
Grossing $82 million dollars at the box office, many remember the film for its decapitation scene (which mirrored a real-life incident from 2004), but Hereditary is so much more than just a single sequence. When stripped down to its core, the film is a perfect family drama about the fractured relationship between mother and son that uses its horror to showcase the grieving process. Toss in a coven of witches, and a demon king, and Hereditary makes for one of the best film debuts of the modern era.
1 The Exorcist (1973)
It's hard to imagine a world in where The Exorcist isn't considered the scariest horror movie ever made, so it's no surprise where it falls on the list. One can wonder if that's due to nostalgia, or tradition, as the film is pretty tame by today's metrics, but you can't argue the cultural significance of a movie that affected audiences so severely back in 1973.
When was the last time you heard about people fainting in the aisles, or running from theaters due to what they were seeing on screen? The tales are as legendary as The Exorcist itself, making them close to folklore. With its simple premise of a young girl possessed by demons, and the priests called in to exorcise them, no other horror movie has since impacted audiences the way this one did. Argue all you want, but until another horror film comes along and premiers at just the right moment in time, and delivers on all that it promises, The Exorcist will always remain the scariest horror movie of all time.
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