Favorite Horror Films

In honor of Halloween, I've decided to share with you my all-time favorite horror films. I didn't include some "horror" films that don't really fit the bill for me, so you won't find Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, or "horror comedies" like Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland.

Some of these are classics that you'll find on many lists, but some are newer and maybe even lesser known. 

 

1. The Shining (1980)

The Shining is a film I enjoy a little more every time I watch it. I saw it for the first time when I was about 12 and was terrified by what I experienced. Now when I watch it, that terror has transformed into more of a feeling of unease and dread, but that doesn't mean The Shining is any less effective now than it was 20 years ago. Stanley Kubrick, who has a near masterpiece in almost every genre he tackled, put together the best horror film I have ever seen and yet there's only one killing and a small amount of violence. The horror is more psychological, which is exactly what I like. It's a film that stays with me and I find myself thinking about it quite frequently - which might be the highest praise I can give any film.

2. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Paranoia and fear are at the heart of Rosemary's Baby and those feelings have the ability to leap from the screen and infect the viewer. Even though I've seen the film several times, every time I watch Rosemary's Baby, I feel an immense sense of tension and despair. There's no logical reason for it - I know what happens to poor Rosemary - but I can't help it. That's a sign of an effective horror film, it can circumvent your logical brain and still make you feel what the protagonist is going through.

3. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

The film that really kicked off the zombie sub-genre (you're welcome, The Walking Dead!), George Romero's classic, low budget independent film combines legitimate horror with an undercurrent of political satire. There are a lot of reasons to love Night of the Living Dead, among them the impressive acting (mostly from amateurs making their film debuts) and the claustrophobic atmosphere, but the main reason I love the film is how it shows that anyone can make a great film, as long as they're dedicated and love what they're doing. George Romero took his passion, translated it to the screen and created a career for himself, an entire sub-genre of horror films, and a film that has entertained millions of people for almost 50 years. Very impressive, indeed.

4. The Strangers (2007)

The Strangers takes an old premise -  psychotic killers terrorizing an unsuspecting couple - and does everything just right and, in the process, creates an excellent film. The killers in The Strangers aren't demons or ghosts or huge, hulking monsters - they're just regular people. The same people you might see at the grocery store or the gym. It helps that the story is billed as being "inspired by true events" because it makes you think that you could be in this very situation sometime, which makes it all the more terrifying. This is probably the least popular film on this list and I hope at least one person checks it out because of my recommendation.

5. The Babadook (2014)

There are two ways to think about The Babadook, the newest entry on my list, and both are equally disturbing and effective. 1) The main character (a mother to a slightly unbalanced six year old) is being tormented by a sinister demon of some kind or 2) The mother is suffering from a mental breakdown and is imagining all the things happening to her and her son. Either way, there is no shortage of suspense and outright terror. The two main actors were both terrific and everything about this film is nearly perfect. Lately, I've been disappointed by almost all of the new horror films I've seen, but The Babadook was a refreshing change of pace.

6. Psycho (1960)

Since it's arguably Alfred Hitchcock's most famous film, Psycho doesn't really need an introduction. It's stood the test of time, spawned the slasher sub-genre, and still entertains people to this day, 55 years later. Not even a God awful remake, the Gus Van Sant disaster from 1998, could tarnish its reputation, and that's saying a lot!

7. The Devil's Rejects (2005)

In the same vein as The Strangers, The Devil's Rejects has "regular" people - although, certifiably insane - as the villains. Their victims are not chosen for any particular reasons for the most part, they just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The crazy thing about this film is, despite how awful and grotesque the villains are, you almost start to root for them to survive by the end. Or at least I did. Maybe that says something about me...

8. The Ring (2002)

I'll admit I've never seen the Japanese original film Ringu that The Ring is a remake of, and I doubt I ever will. Maybe it's better, but when a film is as good as this one is, I don't need anything more. The Ring has an interesting premise, great makeup and special effects, a wonderful lead performance (from the always talented Naomi Watts), and some legitimately scary moments. The Ring is the last of three films on this list where a child is in immediate, horrifying danger - something that has always put me on edge, but does so even more ever since my son was born.

9. 28 Days Later (2002)

28 Days Later isn't a zombie film, even though it's often identified as such. The voracious killers in the film are actually infected with the "rage" virus and become exceptionally fast, blood thirsty monsters. This is an important point to make, because director Danny Boyle didn't set out to change the zombie sub-genre, but his film nevertheless did, directly influencing dozens of other lesser films. The way 28 Days Later is filmed, almost like a documentary, brings you that much closer to the action and you end up feeling like you're really next to these characters, trying to survive among all the chaos. 

10. Halloween (2007)

I'll start out by saying that I never really liked the original Halloween - John Carpenter's 1978 classic and beloved slasher film - but I adore Rob Zombie's remake. It adds a much needed backstory, improves the writing, acting, and overall production design and creates a believable, human monster in Michael Meyers. All of which is ruined in the terrible sequel from 2009, so do yourself a favor and avoid that one at all costs. 

Well, there's my list. Do you like any of them? Hate them? Have I turned you on to any films you hadn't heard of or had just forgotten? I'd love to read your comments.

Happy Halloween!