200 mejores películas de terror de todos los tiempos
Las fuerzas del viento abren la ventana con cortinas. Las velas se apagan en la oscuridad. Y un escalofrío baja por tu columna vertebral. No, no es solo tu imaginación. Algo está acechando en tu pantalla, preparado para matar todo tu tiempo libre: ¡la gran lista de las 200 mejores películas de terror de Rotten Tomatoes de todos los tiempos!
Las maravillas de ver lo desconocido siempre han sido la tentación tentadora de las películas, por lo que el horror se siente especialmente cerca de este medio, un género que expone al público a más allá de lo normal y a la muerte. Así que estamos sacando de 100 años de historia del cine, de aquellos primeros días del expresionismo alemán ( Nosferatu , El gabinete del Dr. Caligari ) y monstruos universales ( Drácula [ 19459007], El hombre lobo ). Las características de la criatura ( King Kong , The Fly ) se acurrucan con los nominados a Mejor Película ( The Exorcist , Get Out ). Slashers ( Scream ), zombies ( Dawn of the Dead ), vampiros ( Let the Right One In ) abundan en el terror de la persuasión más psicológica ( ] No mires ahora , Los inocentes ). O eso parece.
Y honramos las recientes puñaladas y avances de las directoras de terror femeninas ( A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night at Night , The Babadook , The Invitation ) y directores en el extranjero ( Under the Shadow , The Wailing ). Cada una de estas mejores películas de terror lanzadas en nuestro caldero burbujeante tenía que tener al menos 20 reseñas con una calificación de Fresh, antes de ser ordenadas por el Tomatómetro ajustado.
Dead last but not dead, hemos ampliado la guía a 200 películas, dejando espacio para lo último en terror de vanguardia como The Invisible Man , Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark , Rastrear y Midsommar . Mientras tanto, un montón de clásicos también entran sigilosamente.
¿Listo para instalarse en noches oscuras de miedo fresco? Luego enciende el interruptor de Las 200 mejores películas de terror de todos los tiempos … ¡está vivo! ¡¡Está vivo!!
80 mejores películas de terror de los años 2000 | 140 Mejores películas de terror de los años 2010
40 Mejores películas de terror de los años 90 | Mejores y peores películas de terror de 2019
# 200
Puntuación ajustada: 76.265%
Consenso de críticos: El procedimiento policial se encuentra con la película de hombres lobo en Wolfen, una característica de criatura espeluznante con un lado sorprendentemente profundo.
Sinopsis: Basado en la novela de Whitley Strieber, un rico promotor inmobiliario y su esposa son brutalmente asesinados en el sur … [Más]
# 199
Puntuación ajustada: 76.359%
Consenso de críticos: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors ofrece un rebote imaginativo y sorprendentemente satisfactorio para una franquicia que ya comienza a sucumbir a la secuela.
Sinopsis: La mejor de las secuelas de Elm Street, esta espeluznante fantasía surrealista presenta efectos fabulosos, un excelente reparto joven y un … [Más]
# 198
Puntuación ajustada: 76.367%
Consenso de críticos: Un thriller de bajo presupuesto con algunos momentos intensos.
Sinopsis: Basado en una historia real, un thriller sobre una pareja estadounidense, Daniel y Susan, que están de vacaciones en la isla … [Más]
# 197
Puntuación ajustada: 76.369%
Consenso de los críticos: Resistente y desagradable, It’s Alive estrangula al espectador con su extraña teatralidad mutante para bebés.
Sinopsis: La pequeña e inquietante caldera de Larry Cohen se mezcla con medidas de The Exorcist y Rosemary’s Baby y presenta a un escalofriante Bernard … [Más]
# 196
Puntuación ajustada: 76.457%
Consenso de críticos: Incluso con sus saltos desorientadores de lógica y estructura, la Escalera de Jacob es una experiencia apasionante y desgarradora.
Sinopsis: Un hombre torturado se encuentra atrapado en un punto medio entre la alucinación y la realidad en este thriller sobrenatural, escrito por Bruce … [Más]
# 195
Puntuación ajustada: 76.465%
Consenso de críticos: El impresionante trabajo de cámara de Frank Darabont y su guión políticamente incisivo hacen de The Mist una experiencia verdaderamente aterradora.
Sinopsis: David Drayton y su joven hijo Billy se encuentran entre un gran grupo de personas aterrorizadas atrapadas en un supermercado local … [Más]
# 194
Puntuación ajustada: 76.614%
Consenso de críticos: Si bien Basket Case definitivamente ofrece todo el gonzo gore prometido por su premisa agrietada, realmente se distingue por su rica veta de genuino patetismo.
Sinopsis: Un joven extraño llega a la ciudad con una canasta bajo el brazo, que resulta sostener su … [Más]
# 193
Puntuación ajustada: 76.623%
Consenso de críticos: Un falso documental inteligente que presenta un pinchazo sangriento, divertido y obviamente cariñoso del género slasher.
Sinopsis: En la superficie, Leslie Vernon parece tu pequeña ciudad promedio, buen tipo. Tiene objetivos, ambición y aspiraciones para … [Más]
# 192
Puntuación ajustada: 76.71%
Consenso de los críticos: Phantasm: Remastered agrega claridad visual a la primera entrega de una de las franquicias más duraderas y entrañablemente idiosincrásicas.
Sinopsis: El clásico original remasterizado que lo comenzó todo, en el que dos hermanos descubren que su mortuorio local esconde una legión de … [Más]
# 191
Puntuación ajustada: 76.858%
Consenso de críticos: Horror claustrofóbico y peculiar, este es un debut decentemente sucio para el director Todd Haynes.
Sinopsis: El debut cinematográfico de Todd Haynes se estructura en torno a tres viñetas entrelazadas. En la alegoría del SIDA «Horror», filmado al estilo de … [Más]
# 190
Puntuación ajustada: 76.878%
Consenso de críticos: Con poca sangre y muchas imágenes espeluznantes, The Ring se mete debajo de tu piel, gracias al inquietante sentido de la atmósfera del director Gore Verbinski y una actuación apasionada de Naomi Watts.
Sinopsis: Una cinta de video inquietante parece tener el poder de la vida y la muerte sobre aquellos que lo ven en este poco convencional … [Más]
# 189
Puntuación ajustada: 77,163%
Consenso de los críticos: Atemorizante, divertido y lleno de acción, Vale la pena echarle un vistazo a Dog Soldiers para los fanáticos del género, y marca al escritor y director Neil Marshall como un talento para vigilar.
Sinopsis: El debut como director del director británico, Neil Marshall, Dog Soldiers resucita y abraza la comedia de terror de bajo presupuesto. El sargento Harry Wells (Sean Pertwee) lidera … [Más]
# 188
Puntuación ajustada: 77.768%
Consenso de los críticos: Salò o los 120 días de Sodoma sorprenderán a algunos espectadores como depravados irremediablemente, pero su visión inquebrantable de la crueldad humana hace que sea imposible ignorarlo.
Sinopsis: El trabajo final del famoso director italiano Pier Paolo Pasolini, esta película actualiza la novela más extrema del marqués de Sade … [Más]
# 187
Puntuación ajustada: 78.018%
Consenso de críticos: Espeluznante e inquietante, Frailty está bien elaborada y es un horror discreto.
Sinopsis: El actor Bill Paxton hizo su debut como director con Frailty. La mayor parte de la historia se cuenta a través de flashbacks, como un … [Más]
# 186
Puntuación ajustada: 78.114%
Consenso de críticos: Scanners es una oscura historia de ciencia ficción con efectos especiales que harán explotar tu cabeza.
Sinopsis: El título de esta película de terror de ciencia ficción de David Cronenberg se refiere a un grupo de personas que tienen poderes telequinéticos que … [Más]
# 185
Puntuación ajustada: 78,643%
Consenso de críticos: Aunque en última instancia sacrifica algún misterio en nombre de las emociones sangrientas, Candyman es una historia matizada y realmente escalofriante que se beneficia de una premisa interesante y algunas actuaciones excelentes.
Sinopsis: Investigando el folclore urbano, un estudiante de la Universidad de Chicago husmea alrededor de los proyectos de vivienda de Cabrini Green para encontrar más sobre … [Más]
# 184
Puntuación ajustada: 78.934%
Consenso de los críticos: La sátira cultural de Valley Girl Night of the Comet obtiene mucho kilometraje de su enfoque zombie de ciencia ficción.
Sinopsis: En esta excursión ingeniosa de desastres de ciencia ficción, un cometa se estrella contra California dejando a un par de chicas del Valle y algunas … [Más] [19459003 ]
# 183
Puntuación ajustada: 79,177%
Consenso de críticos: Una brutal y efectiva sudadera con capucha británica que, a pesar de los clichés, se mantiene en el lado derecho de miedo.
Sinopsis: Un romántico fin de semana en el bosque se convierte en una lucha sangrienta por la supervivencia cuando una pareja de vacaciones encuentra su campamento … [Más]
# 182
Puntuación ajustada: 79,697%
Consenso de críticos: Trick ‘r’ Treat, un tributo hábilmente elaborado a las leyendas de Halloween, golpea todas las marcas de género con entusiasmo y suspenso a la antigua.
Sinopsis: El director prolífico Bryan Singer da un giro hacia el horror como productor de esta sorpresa de Halloween dirigida por X2 y … [Más]
# 181
Puntuación ajustada: 79.792%
Consenso de los críticos: La última entrada de George A. Romero en su tan preciada serie Dead no es tan fresca como su original inventador de género, Night of the Living Dead. Pero Land of the Dead cumple con la acción de gore y zombies-banquete en carne.
Sinopsis: Han pasado dos décadas desde que los zombis del cineasta maestro GEORGE A. ROMERO han acechado las pantallas de los cines … [Más]
# 180
Puntuación ajustada: 80.045%
Consenso de críticos: Deficiente pero eminentemente observable, el thriller de vampiros adolescente de Joel Schumacher combina horror, humor y mucho estilo visual con actuaciones destacadas de un elenco lleno de jóvenes estrellas de los años ochenta.
Sinopsis: En este exitoso híbrido de los 80 de la película de terror y la película para adolescentes, una madre soltera y sus dos hijos … [Más]
# 179
Puntuación ajustada: 80.285%
Consenso de los críticos: Brian De Palma domina su extravagancia estilística con un efecto espeluznante en The Fury, una quemadura lenta telequinética que recompensa a los pacientes con sus sorprendentes piezas.
Sinopsis: Brian De Palma vuelve al potencial alucinante de la telequinesis en el seguimiento de su éxito de 1976 Carrie. Mientras que … [Más]
# 178
Puntuación ajustada: 80.523%
Consenso de los críticos: Con un énfasis en el miedo a la sangre y un final que deja la puerta abierta para las secuelas, Oculus podría ser solo el primer capítulo en una nueva franquicia para los fanáticos de terror más exigentes.
Sinopsis: Hace diez años, la tragedia golpeó a la familia Russell, dejando las vidas de los hermanos adolescentes Tim y Kaylie cambiados para siempre cuando … [Más]
# 177
Puntuación ajustada: 80.737%
Consenso de críticos: Dirigido por una impresionante actuación de Riley Keough, The Lodge debería ser un destino adecuadamente inquietante para los fanáticos del horror oscuro y atmosférico.
Sinopsis: Una pesadilla escalofriante de los directores de GOODNIGHT MOMMY, THE LODGE sigue a una familia que se retira a su remoto invierno … [Más]
# 176
Puntuación ajustada: 80.829%
Consenso de los críticos: Kill List es un thriller de crimen de combustión lenta, ejecutado por expertos que prospera en la tensión antes de transformarse en horror visceral.
Sinopsis: Del director Ben Wheatley, Kill List es una mezcla de género alucinante que se llama la «Película de terror # 1 del año» … [Más] [ 19459003]
# 175
Puntuación ajustada: 81,175%
Consenso de los críticos: Southbound no evita por completo los cambios bruscos comunes en las películas de antología, pero gracias a algunos giros y vueltas emocionantes, esta película de terror es un viaje sorprendentemente suave.
Sinopsis: En un tramo desolado de la carretera del desierto, viajeros cansados, dos hombres huyendo de su pasado, una banda en su … [Más]
# 174
Puntuación ajustada: 82.075%
Consenso de críticos: La nueva pesadilla de Wes Craven agrega una inesperadamente satisfactoria, sin mencionar inteligente, meta capa a una franquicia de horror que hace mucho tiempo perdió su camino.
Sinopsis: Freddy Krueger regresa de la tumba en otro thriller del famoso director de terror Wes Craven. Esta película difiere de … [Más]
# 173
Puntuación ajustada: 82,198%
Consenso de críticos: The Brood es una exploración grotesca, retorcida, hilarante y estridente del lado extraño y mortal de la maternidad.
Sinopsis: Como resultado de un experimento científico poco ortodoxo, una mujer da a luz a un grupo de niños mutantes homosexuales asesinos … [Más]
# 172
Puntuación ajustada: 82.463%
Consenso de críticos: Lights Out hace un uso hábil de los fuertes tropos de género, y algunas actuaciones increíbles, para una experiencia inquietante y llena de miedo que ofrece escalofríos superiores sin escatimar en la historia.
Sinopsis: Cuando un ser sobrenatural sediento de sangre que acecha en las sombras se aprovecha de una familia, una joven debe luchar para … [Más]
# 171
Puntuación ajustada: 81.562%
Consenso de los críticos: El sólido reparto, la dirección hábil y el subtexto sorprendentemente pesado de VFW agregan un peso extra a un thriller sangriento que debería contener cubos de atractivo sanguíneo para los fanáticos de grindhouse.
Sinopsis: Una noche típica para un grupo de veteranos de guerra en el VFW local se convierte en una batalla total por la supervivencia … [Más]
# 170
Puntuación ajustada: 82,64%
Consenso de críticos: The Cat O’Nine Tails es una salida de Argento sólidamente entretenida, elevada por un elenco bien elegido y el estilo visual distintivo del director.
Sinopsis: En este thriller de misterio defectuoso del extravagante director de terror Dario Argento, Karl Malden retrata a un ciego que une fuerzas con … [Más]
# 169
Puntuación ajustada: 82.874%
Consenso de críticos: La deconstrucción subversiva del género del ícono del horror Wes Craven es astuta, ingeniosa y sorprendentemente efectiva como una película slasher, incluso si es demasiado descarada para algunos.
Sinopsis: El pequeño pueblo somnoliento de Woodsboro acaba de despertar gritando. Hay un asesino en medio de ellos que ha visto algunos … [Más]
# 168
Puntuación ajustada: 83.596%
Consenso de críticos: La combinación enérgica y efectiva de Gore brutal y humor negro de You’re Next complacerá a los aficionados al horror y más allá.
Sinopsis: Una de las películas más inteligentes y aterradoras en años, USTED SIGUIENTE reinventa el género dando un nuevo giro … [Más]
# 167
Puntuación ajustada: 83.775%
Consenso de los críticos: Mute Witness es una película de terror / suspenso hábilmente elaborada con algunos sorprendentes giros cómicos.
Sinopsis: Este thriller británico toma muchos giros y vueltas inusuales, ya que sigue los peligros de tres jóvenes cineastas estadounidenses en … [Más]
# 166
Puntuación ajustada: 83.851%
Consenso de la crítica: Audition, una película de terror japonesa audaz e inquietante del director Takashi Miike, Audition se presenta como una espeluznante sorpresa y un drama psicológico.
Sinopsis: El controvertido director japonés Takashi Miike crea esta desconcertante película de terror sobre un productor de televisión viudo que está audicionando para futuras esposas. En su … [Más]
# 165
Puntuación ajustada: 84.124%
Consenso de la crítica: La elegante Thirst ofrece muchas emociones sangrientas para satisfacer a los fanáticos de las películas de vampiros y del director Chan Wook Park.
Sinopsis: Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun y Kim Ok-bin protagonizan el espanto del director de Oldboy, Park Chan-wook, sobre un sacerdote cuya vida toma … [Más]
# 164
Puntuación ajustada: 84,16%
Consenso de críticos: Visualmente audaz, desorientador y simplemente extraño, las reflexiones de Videodrome sobre tecnología, entretenimiento y política todavía se sienten frescas hoy.
Sinopsis: Videodrome es una pesadilla de ciencia ficción pulsante sobre un mundo donde el video puede controlar y alterar la vida humana … [Más]
# 163
Puntuación ajustada: 84.498%
Consenso de críticos: Dead Ringers sirve una dosis doble de Jeremy Irons al servicio de un concepto diabólicamente inquietante y un trabajo increíblemente espeluznante del director David Cronenberg.
Sinopsis: Basado extremadamente libremente en una historia real, Dead Ringers está protagonizada por Jeremy Irons y Jeremy Irons. Has leído bien: los ensayos de Irons … [Más]
# 162
Puntuación ajustada: 85.328%
Consenso de críticos: Esta antología contiene historias de terror brutales y poderosas de tres de los principales directores de Asia.
Sinopsis: Tres directores asiáticos, de Hong Kong, Corea y Japón, unen fuerzas para crear una película de terror ómnibus, Tres … extremos. En Fruit … [Más]
# 161
Puntuación ajustada: 85.679%
Consenso de los críticos: Confiando en la tensión psicológica en lugar de la violencia abierta y el gore, 1408 es un thriller genuinamente espeluznante con una fuerte actuación principal de John Cusack.
Sinopsis: El famoso novelista de terror Mike Enslin cree solo en lo que puede ver con sus propios ojos. Pero después de un … [Más]
# 160
Puntuación ajustada: 86.01%
Consenso de los críticos: Restringida pero inquietante, A Tale of Two Sisters es una película de terror espeluznantemente efectiva, aunque a veces confusa.
Sinopsis: Esta película de terror sobrenatural de Kim Jee-woon está inspirada en el antiguo cuento popular coreano «Jangha y Hongryun». Ubicado en … [Más]
# 159
Puntuación ajustada: 86.126%
Consenso de los críticos: Shivers usa ingredientes básicos elementalmente efectivos para lograr un efecto brillante, y sienta las bases profundamente inquietantes para la carrera del director David Cronenberg.
Sinopsis: Un ejercicio apasionante de horror corporal y paranoia social, la función debut del prolífico director canadiense David Cronenberg ofrece una apariencia sorprendente … [Más]
# 158
Puntuación ajustada: 86,148%
Consenso de los críticos: Ingenioso y sobrio pero aún tenso y divertido, este Pontypool es una raza diferente de película de zombies de bajo presupuesto.
Sinopsis: Un thriller psicológico en el que un virus mortal infecta una pequeña ciudad de Ontario … [Más]
# 157
Puntuación ajustada: 86,48%
Consenso de críticos: Al igual que en la primera película, Scream 2 es un alegre retiro de las convenciones de películas de miedo que logra burlarse de las terribles secuelas de terror sin ser víctima del mismo destino.
Sinopsis: El astuto Wes Craven sigue el golpe sorpresa del año pasado con otro thriller supremamente autorreferencial pero satisfactoriamente divertido … [Más]
# 156
Puntuación ajustada: 86.805%
Consenso de críticos: Shadow of the Vampire es aterrador, convincente y divertido, y presenta una excelente actuación de Willem Dafoe.
Sinopsis: F W Murnau está haciendo Nosferatu en Europa Oriental. El director está decidido a hacer esto más … [Más]
# 155
Puntuación ajustada: 87.117%
Consenso de críticos: Ouija: Origin of Evil desvía inesperadamente la planchette de su franquicia a SÍ con un seguimiento sorprendentemente aterrador y dramáticamente satisfactorio para su deslucido predecesor.
Sinopsis: En esta secuela de terror, un juego de Ouija conduce a una actividad sobrenatural. Annalise Basso, Henry Thomas, Doug Jones y Elizabeth … [Más]
# 154
Puntuación ajustada: 87.126%
Consenso de críticos: Delgado y sólidamente diseñado, The Shallows trasciende los cansados tropos de ataque de tiburones con emociones desagradables y una potente actuación de Blake Lively.
Sinopsis: En el tirante thriller The Shallows, cuando Nancy (Blake Lively) está surfeando en una playa aislada, se encuentra en … [Más]
# 153
Puntuación ajustada: 87.721%
Consenso de críticos: Al igual que la serie de libros más vendidos que lo inspiró, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark abre una puerta espeluznante al horror para los entusiastas del género más jóvenes.
Sinopsis: Es l968 en Estados Unidos. El cambio sopla en el viento … pero aparentemente lejos de los disturbios en las ciudades … [Más]
# 152
Adjusted Score: 87.945%
Critics Consensus: Like the best horror/comedies, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil mines its central crazy joke for some incredible scares, laughs, and — believe it or not — heart.
Synopsis: Tucker & Dale vs Evil is a hilariously gory, good-spirited horror comedy, doing for killer rednecks what Shaun of the… [More]
#151
Adjusted Score: 88.077%
Critics Consensus: Guy Maddin’s film is a richly sensuous and dreamy interpretation of Dracula that reinvigorates the genre.
Synopsis: A cinematic transposition of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Interpretation of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire yarn from stage to screen…. [More]
#150
Adjusted Score: 88.221%
Critics Consensus: The Others is a spooky thriller that reminds us that a movie doesn’t need expensive special effects to be creepy.
Synopsis: On the secluded Isle of Jersey in the final days of World War II, a young woman waits in vain… [More]
#149
Adjusted Score: 88.449%
Critics Consensus: A solid, atmospheric creature feature that entertains without attempting to be deeper than it needs.
Synopsis: Universal Pictures introduced audiences to yet another classic movie monster with this superbly crafted film, originally presented in 3-D. The… [More]
#148
Adjusted Score: 89.135%
Critics Consensus: A smart, odball take on found-footage horror, Creep is clever and well-acted enough to keep viewers on the edges of their seats.
Synopsis: Looking for work, Aaron (Patrick Brice) comes across a cryptic online ad: «$1,000 for the day. Filming service. Discretion is… [More]
#147
Adjusted Score: 89.241%
Critics Consensus: Carnival of Souls offers delightfully chilling proof that when it comes to telling an effective horror story, less can often be much, much more.
Synopsis: Mary Henry is enjoying the day by riding around in a car with two friends. When challenged to a drag,… [More]
#146
Adjusted Score: 89.264%
Critics Consensus: Clever yet clearly indebted to the masters of the genre, Sisters offers an early glimpse of De Palma at his stylishly crafty peak.
Synopsis: Reporter Jennifer Salt thinks she has witnessed a murder; apparently, Margot Kidder is the killer and Lisle Wilson is the… [More]
#145
Adjusted Score: 89.381%
Critics Consensus: Using its low-budget effects and mockumentary method to great result, Paranormal Activity turns a simple haunted house story into 90 minutes of relentless suspense.
Synopsis: A haunted house makes no secret of the fact it’s not pleased with its new tenants in this independent tale… [More]
#144
Adjusted Score: 89.404%
Critics Consensus: Plunging viewers into the nightmarish hellscape of an apartment complex under siege, [Rec] proves that found footage can still be used as an effective delivery mechanism for sparse, economic horror.
Synopsis: After teaming up in 2002 for the dramatic music documentary OT: The Movie, Spanish horror specialists Jaume Balagueró (Darkness) and… [More]
#143
Adjusted Score: 89.546%
Critics Consensus: Though its underlying themes are familiar, House of the Devil effectively sheds the loud and gory cliches of contemporary horror to deliver a tense, slowly building throwback to the fright flicks of decades past.
Synopsis: Sam is a pretty college sophomore, so desperate to earn some cash for a deposit on an apartment that she… [More]
#142
Adjusted Score: 89.652%
Critics Consensus: The Abominable Dr. Phibes juggles horror and humor, but under the picture’s campy façade, there’s genuine pathos brought poignantly to life through Price’s performance.
Synopsis: Long thought dead, the victim of a horrible accident, Dr. Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) still lives, surrounded by art-deco bric-a-brac… [More]
#141
Adjusted Score: 89.67%
Critics Consensus: Stocked with solid performances, Freaks is a clever sci-fi/horror hybrid that suggests a bright future for co-writers/co-directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein.
Synopsis: Kept locked inside the house by her father, 7-year-old Chloe lives in fear and fascination of the outside world, where… [More]
#140
Adjusted Score: 89.698%
Critics Consensus: The Girl with All the Gifts grapples with thought-provoking questions without skimping on the scares — and finds a few fresh wrinkles in the well-worn zombie horror genre along the way.
Synopsis: The near future humanity has been all but destroyed by a mutated fungal disease that eradicates free will and turns… [More]
#139
Adjusted Score: 89.757%
Critics Consensus: Bloody horror with barbed wit, Come to Daddy anchors its brutal violence in a surprisingly mature approach to provocative themes.
Synopsis: Norval Greenwood, a privileged man-child arrives at the beautiful and remote coastal cabin of his estranged father, who he hasn’t… [More]
#138
Adjusted Score: 89.861%
Critics Consensus: Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter’s The Thing is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects.
Synopsis: John Carpenter’s The Thing is both a remake of Howard Hawks’ 1951 film of the same name and a re-adaptation… [More]
#137
Adjusted Score: 90.055%
Critics Consensus: The Omen eschews an excess of gore in favor of ramping up the suspense — and creates an enduring, dread-soaked horror classic along the way.
Synopsis: The young son of an American diplomat and his wife, living in London, turns out to be marked with the… [More]
#136
Adjusted Score: 90.189%
Critics Consensus: The strong female cast and biting satire of teenage life makes Ginger Snaps far more memorable than your average werewolf movie — or teen flick.
Synopsis: In this modern werewolf tale, sisters Ginger and Brigitte are ostracized by their town because of their morbid inclinations. Soon… [More]
#135
Adjusted Score: 90.354%
Critics Consensus: Smart, suspenseful, and visually distinctive, Julia’s Eyes marks another modern Spanish thriller that quickens the pulse while engaging the mind.
Synopsis: A woman is trying to unravel a mystery that she literally can no longer see in this thriller from Spanish… [More]
#134
Adjusted Score: 90.411%
Critics Consensus: A slimy, B-movie homage oozing with affection for low-budget horror films, Slither is creepy and funny — if you’ve got the stomach for it.
Synopsis: The sleepy town of Wheelsy could be any small town in America — somewhat quaint and gentle, peopled with friendly… [More]
#133
Adjusted Score: 90.43%
Critics Consensus: Campy by modern standards but spooky and atmospheric, House on Haunted Hill is a fun, well-executed cult classic featuring a memorable performance from genre icon Vincent Price.
Synopsis: A very wealthy man gives a haunted house party, offering to give each of his guests $10,000 – if they… [More]
#132
Adjusted Score: 90.482%
Critics Consensus: Cargo takes a refreshingly character-driven approach to the zombie genre that’s further distinguished by its Australian setting and Martin Freeman’s terrific lead performance.
Synopsis: Stranded in rural Australia in the aftermath of a violent pandemic, an infected father desperately seeks a new home for… [More]
#131
Adjusted Score: 90.526%
Critics Consensus: An affectionate throwback to 1950s creature features, Tremors reinvigorates its genre tropes with a finely balanced combination of horror and humor.
Synopsis: Tremors is actually two movies in one. On its own terms, it’s an enjoyable modern sci-fi horror-thriller, with good pacing… [More]
#130
Adjusted Score: 90.533%
Critics Consensus: The Conjuring 2 can’t help but lose a bit of its predecessor’s chilly sting through familiarity, but what remains is still a superior ghost story told with spine-tingling skill.
Synopsis: Reprising their roles, Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga («Up In the Air,» TV’s «Bates Motel») and Patrick Wilson (the «Insidious» films),… [More]
#129
Adjusted Score: 90.643%
Critics Consensus: Smartly filmed, tightly scripted, and — most importantly — consistently frightening, Poltergeist is a modern horror classic.
Synopsis: With Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper, Steven Spielberg had his first great success as a producer. Released around the same… [More]
#128
Adjusted Score: 90.787%
Critics Consensus: The delightfully gonzo tale of a lovestruck teen and his zombified mother, Dead Alive is extremely gory and exceedingly good fun, thanks to Peter Jackson’s affection for the tastelessly sublime.
Synopsis: Considered by many to be the goriest film ever made and one of the funniest «splatstick» horror films since Sam… [More]
#127
Adjusted Score: 90.803%
Critics Consensus: Deft direction and strong performances from its all-female cast guide The Descent, a riveting, claustrophobic horror film.
Synopsis: A group of close female friends on a yearly adventure vacation find themselves trapped and hunted in a series of… [More]
#126
Adjusted Score: 90.884%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to director Zak Hilditch’s patient storytelling and strong work from lead Thomas Jane, 1922 ranks among the more satisfying Stephen King adaptations.
Synopsis: 1922 is based on Stephen King’s 131-page story telling of a man’s confession of his wife’s murder. The tale is… [More]
#125
Adjusted Score: 90.934%
Critics Consensus: An action-packed creature feature that’s fast, terrifying, and benefits greatly from a completely game Kaya Scodelario, Crawl is a fun throw-back with just enough self-awareness to work.
Synopsis: When a massive hurricane hits her Florida hometown, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) ignores evacuation orders to search for her missing father… [More]
#124
Adjusted Score: 90.941%
Critics Consensus: Carried by its charismatic young cast, Better Watch Out is an adorably sinister holiday horror film.
Synopsis: This holiday season, you may be home, but you’re not alone… In this fresh and gleefully twisted spin on home-invasion… [More]
#123
Adjusted Score: 91.002%
Critics Consensus: Terrifying and funny in almost equal measure, John Landis’ horror-comedy crosses genres while introducing Rick Baker’s astounding make-up effects.
Synopsis: While wandering the English moors on vacation, college yanks David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) happen upon a quaint… [More]
#122
Adjusted Score: 91.037%
Critics Consensus: A rough-edged thriller that lacks the precision of Polanski’s best work, but makes up for it with its skillful mounting of paranoia, dread, and dark themes.
Synopsis: Director Roman Polanski casts himself in the lead of the psychological thriller The Tenant. Trelkovsky (Polanski) rents an apartment in… [More]
#121
Adjusted Score: 91.096%
Critics Consensus: Dark, violent, and drenched in dread, Goodnight Mommy is perfect for extreme horror enthusiasts — or filmgoers who prefer to watch between splayed fingers.
Synopsis: In the heat of the summer. A lonesome house in the countryside between woods and corn fields. Nine-year-old twin brothers… [More]
#120
Adjusted Score: 91.12%
Critics Consensus: The Exorcist rides its supernatural theme to magical effect, with remarkable special effects and an eerie atmosphere, resulting in one of the scariest films of all time.
Synopsis: Novelist William Peter Blatty based his best-seller on the last known Catholic-sanctioned exorcism in the United States. Blatty transformed the… [More]
#119
Adjusted Score: 91.35%
Critics Consensus: The Invitation makes brilliant use of its tension-rich premise to deliver a uniquely effective — and surprisingly clever — slow-building thriller.
Synopsis: In this taut psychological thriller by Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Jennifer’s Body), the tension is palpable when Will (Logan Marshall-Green, Prometheus)… [More]
#118
Adjusted Score: 91.457%
Critics Consensus: Smartly constructed and powerfully acted, Hounds of Love satisfies as a psychological thriller with a few nasty surprises — and marks writer-director Ben Young as a promising talent.
Synopsis: In suburban Perth during the mid 1980s, people are unaware that women are disappearing at the hands of serial killer… [More]
#117
Adjusted Score: 91.52%
Critics Consensus: Rare Exports is an unexpectedly delightful crossbreed of deadpan comedy and Christmas horror.
Synopsis: It’s the eve of Christmas in northern Finland, and an ‘archeological’ dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But… [More]
#116
Adjusted Score: 92.004%
Critics Consensus: Creepy lives up to its title with a suspenseful and thoroughly unsettling – not to mention well-acted – blend of crime procedural and domestic drama.
Synopsis: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who made his name with classics Cure and Bright Future, gets back to his roots by putting the… [More]
#115
Adjusted Score: 92.299%
Critics Consensus: House is a gleefully demented collage of grand guginol guffaws and bizarre sequences.
Synopsis: A schoolgirl travels with six classmates to her ailing aunt’s creaky country home and comes face-to-face with evil spirits, a… [More]
#114
Adjusted Score: 92.413%
Critics Consensus: George A. Romero’s contribution to vampire lore contains the expected gore and social satire — but it’s also surprisingly thoughtful, and boasts a whopper of a final act.
Synopsis: One of horror filmmaker George Romero’s many «small» 1970s films, Martin was fortunate enough to foster a cult following that… [More]
#113
Adjusted Score: 92.675%
Critics Consensus: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is an effective, chilling profile of a killer that is sure to shock and disturb.
Synopsis: Although the title makes Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer seem like a cut-rate slasher flick, the movie is actually… [More]
#112
Adjusted Score: 92.717%
Critics Consensus: Deeply unnerving and surprisingly poignant, The Orphanage is an atmospheric, beautifully crafted haunted house horror film that earns scares with a minimum of blood.
Synopsis: Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro produces director Juan Antonio Bayona’s gothic frightener about a long-abandoned orphanage with a particularly… [More]
#111
Adjusted Score: 92.814%
Critics Consensus: As ambitious as it is daringly transgressive, Prevenge should thrill fans of pitch-black horror-comedy — and open untold opportunities for writer/director/star Alice Lowe.
Synopsis: A pitch black, wryly British comedy from the mind of Alice Lowe, «Prevenge» follows Ruth, a pregnant woman on a… [More]
#110
Adjusted Score: 93.129%
Critics Consensus: Fright Night deftly combines thrills and humor in this ghostly tale about a man living next to a vampire.
Synopsis: Classic Vampire film about a teenager who learns that his next door neighbor is a vampire, and no one will… [More]
#109
Adjusted Score: 93.173%
Critics Consensus: Duel makes brilliant use of its simple premise, serving up rock-solid genre thrills while heralding the arrival of a generational talent behind the lens.
Synopsis: In this TV movie, Dennis Weaver is driving down a deserted Southern California highway when he passes a large gas… [More]
#108
Adjusted Score: 93.304%
Critics Consensus: Scary, strange, and maybe a little silly, House of Usher represents an early high mark for Vincent Price and a career triumph for director Roger Corman.
Synopsis: This adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s terrifying gothic tale of the last members of the ancient race of the Ushers… [More]
#107
Adjusted Score: 93.319%
Critics Consensus: Well-crafted and gleefully creepy, The Conjuring ratchets up dread through a series of effective old-school scares.
Synopsis: Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. «The Conjuring» tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson,… [More]
#106
Adjusted Score: 93.343%
Critics Consensus: The Devil’s Candy playfully subverts horror tropes while serving up more than enough stylish thrills to satisfy genre enthusiasts.
Synopsis: An artist and his family think they’ve moved into the house of their dreams, but when he is possessed by… [More]
#105
Adjusted Score: 93.492%
Critics Consensus: Carla Gugino carries Gerald’s Game’s small-scale suspense with a career-defining performance.
Synopsis: Gerald Burlingame (Bruce Greenwood) and his wife Jessie (Carla Gugino) attempt to rekindle the flames of their marriage with a… [More]
#104
Adjusted Score: 93.704%
Critics Consensus: Kinetically directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later is both a terrifying zombie movie and a sharp political allegory.
Synopsis: After breaking into a primate research facility, a group of animal rights activists discover caged chimps chained up before banks… [More]
#103
Adjusted Score: 93.73%
Critics Consensus: Though it deviates from Stephen King’s novel, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a chilling, often baroque journey into madness — exemplified by an unforgettable turn from Jack Nicholson.
Synopsis: «All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy» — or, rather, a homicidal boy in Stanley Kubrick’s eerie… [More]
#102
Adjusted Score: 93.91%
Critics Consensus: Bone Tomahawk’s peculiar genre blend won’t be for everyone, but its gripping performances and a slow-burning story should satisfy those in search of something different.
Synopsis: When a group of cannibal savages kidnaps settlers from the small town of Bright Hope, an unlikely team of gunslingers,… [More]
#101
Adjusted Score: 93.939%
Critics Consensus: A welcome return for director Richard Stanley, Color Out of Space mixes tart B-movie pulp with visually alluring Lovecraftian horror and a dash of gonzo Nicolas Cage.
Synopsis: After a meteorite lands in the front yard of their farm, Nathan Gardner (Nicolas Cage) and his family find themselves… [More]
#100
Adjusted Score: 94.081%
Critics Consensus: Trading gore for grandeur, Horror of Dracula marks an impressive turn for inveterate Christopher Lee as the titular vampire, and a typical Hammer mood that makes aristocracy quite sexy.
Synopsis: This Hammer Studios classic is far closer to the letter (and spirit) of the Bram Stoker novel than the Bela… [More]
#99
Adjusted Score: 94.215%
Critics Consensus: Full of creepy campfire scares, mock-doc The Blair Witch Project keeps audiences in the dark about its titular villain, proving once more that imagination can be as scary as anything onscreen.
Synopsis: Combining Hi-8 video with black-and-white 16 mm film, this film presents a raw look at what can happen when college… [More]
#98
Adjusted Score: 94.278%
Critics Consensus: This intelligent horror film is subtle in its thrills and chills, with an ending that is both shocking and truly memorable.
Synopsis: A righteous police officer investigating the disappearance of a young girl comes into conflict with the unusual residents of a… [More]
#97
Adjusted Score: 94.625%
Critics Consensus: Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, this taut and frightening film is one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date.
Synopsis: Adapted from a Stephen King novel, Rob Reiner’s Misery cast James Caan as a writer at a career crossroads. The… [More]
#96
Adjusted Score: 94.73%
Critics Consensus: Chilling performances and a restrained, eerie atmosphere make this British horror both an unnerving parable of its era and a timeless classic.
Synopsis: In this film, a supernatural force causes residents of a small British town to fall asleep. They wake up to… [More]
#95
Adjusted Score: 94.732%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a smart script and documentary-style camerawork, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre achieves start-to-finish suspense, making it a classic in low-budget exploitation cinema.
Synopsis: Just as Hitchcock’s Psycho was based on the life of deeply disturbed farmer Ed Gein, so is this little story… [More]
#94
Adjusted Score: 94.738%
Critics Consensus: The Dead Zone combines taut direction from David Cronenberg and and a rich performance from Christopher Walken to create one of the strongest Stephen King adaptations.
Synopsis: A man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic detective ability…. [More]
#93
Adjusted Score: 94.857%
Critics Consensus: Ambitious and beautifully shot, Demon delivers a gripping — and sadly final — testament to the singular talent possessed by director/co-writer Marcin Wrona.
Synopsis: Newly arrived from England to marry his fiancee Zaneta (Agnieszka Zulewska, Chemo), Peter (Israeli actor Itay Tiran, Lebanon) has been… [More]
#92
Adjusted Score: 94.92%
Critics Consensus: Similar to the original in all the right ways — but with enough changes to stand on its own — Let Me In is the rare Hollywood remake that doesn’t add insult to inspiration.
Synopsis: Twelve-year old Owen is viciously bullied by his classmates and neglected by his divorcing parents. Achingly lonely, Owen spends his… [More]
#91
Adjusted Score: 94.988%
Critics Consensus: Halloween largely wipes the slate clean after decades of disappointing sequels, ignoring increasingly elaborate mythology in favor of basic – yet still effective – ingredients.
Synopsis: Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers,… [More]
#90
Adjusted Score: 95.18%
Critics Consensus: Effortlessly mixing scares, laughs, and social commentary, Attack the Block is a thrilling, brisky-paced sci-fi yarn with a distinctly British flavor.
Synopsis: From the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city… [More]
#89
Adjusted Score: 95.316%
Critics Consensus: Deliciously campy and wonderfully funny, Theater of Blood features Vincent Price at his melodramatic best.
Synopsis: A Shakespearean actor becomes enraged after losing a prominent acting award and decides to seek revenge on the critics responsible,… [More]
#88
Adjusted Score: 95.569%
Critics Consensus: Creepily atmospheric and haunting, The Devil’s Backbone is both a potent ghost story and an intelligent political allegory.
Synopsis: The mournful fable of the Santa Lucia School during the last days of the Spanish Civil War. An imposing stone… [More]
#87
Adjusted Score: 95.598%
Critics Consensus: David Lynch’s surreal Eraserhead uses detailed visuals and a creepy score to create a bizarre and disturbing look into a man’s fear of parenthood.
Synopsis: This surreal nightmare examines male paranoia. Our hero and title character, Henry, faces a number of horrifying obstacles in meeting… [More]
#86
Adjusted Score: 95.808%
Critics Consensus: Smart, powerfully acted, and devilishly clever, We Are Still Here offers some novel twists on familiar territory — and heralds the arrival of a major talent in writer-director Ted Geoghegan.
Synopsis: In the cold, wintery fields of New England, a lonely old house wakes up every thirty years – and demands… [More]
#85
Adjusted Score: 95.814%
Critics Consensus: Alternately hilarious, gross, and simply diverting, Housebound is the rare horror-comedy that delivers on both fronts.
Synopsis: Kylie Bucknell is forced to return to the house she grew up in when the court places her on home… [More]
#84
Adjusted Score: 96.085%
Critics Consensus: Combining a deadly thriller plot with the stylized violence that would become his trademark, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage marked an impressive horror debut for Dario Argento.
Synopsis: This trend-setting thriller put its director, Dario Argento, on the international map and began a flood of imitative mystery-horror hybrids… [More]
#83
Adjusted Score: 96.396%
Critics Consensus: One of the most compelling and entertaining zombie films ever, Dawn of the Dead perfectly blends pure horror and gore with social commentary on material society.
Synopsis: Viewers who haven’t seen George Romero’s low-budget horror masterpiece Night of the Living Dead, might be at a loss during… [More]
#82
Adjusted Score: 97.606%
Critics Consensus: Train to Busan delivers a thrillingly unique — and purely entertaining — take on the zombie genre, with fully realized characters and plenty of social commentary to underscore the bursts of skillfully staged action.
Synopsis: TRAIN TO BUSAN is a harrowing zombie horror-thriller that follows a group of terrified passengers fighting their way through a… [More]
#81
Adjusted Score: 96.681%
Critics Consensus: Don’t Breathe smartly twists its sturdy premise to offer a satisfyingly tense, chilling addition to the home invasion genre that’s all the more effective for its simplicity.
Synopsis: A trio of reckless thieves breaks into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the… [More]
#80
Adjusted Score: 96.835%
Critics Consensus: The Endless benefits from its grounded approach to an increasingly bizarre story, elevated by believable performances by filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.
Synopsis: Following their Lovecraftian modern cult classic SPRING, acclaimed filmmakers Moorhead and Benson return with this mind-bending thriller that follows two… [More]
#79
Adjusted Score: 96.977%
Critics Consensus: Decades later, it still retains its ability to scare — and Lon Chaney’s performance remains one of the benchmarks of the horror genre.
Synopsis: Lon Chaney stars as Erik, the Phantom, in what is probably his most famous and certainly his most horrifying role…. [More]
#78
Adjusted Score: 97.024%
Critics Consensus: Revenge slices and dices genre tropes, working within an exploitation framework while adding a timely — yet never less than viscerally thrilling — feminist spin.
Synopsis: Jen (fearlessly embodied by Matilda Lutz, Rings) is enjoying a romantic getaway with her wealthy boyfriend which is suddenly disrupted… [More]
#77
Adjusted Score: 97.027%
Critics Consensus: A classic. The definitive version of the Robert Louis Stevenson novella from 1931, with innovative special effects, atmospheric cinematography and deranged overacting.
Synopsis: The good Doctor Jekyll invents a drug that unleashes Mr. Hyde, the incarnation of his uncontrollable evil side, with devastating… [More]
#76
Adjusted Score: 97.275%
Critics Consensus: Perfectly mixing humor and horror, the only thing more effective than Re-Animator’s gory scares are its dry, deadpan jokes.
Synopsis: Scientist Herbert West has discovered a fluid which brings living tissue back to life. After the death of his professor,… [More]
#75
Adjusted Score: 97.304%
Critics Consensus: It Comes at Night makes lethally effective use of its bare-bones trappings while proving once again that what’s left unseen can be just as horrifying as anything on the screen.
Synopsis: Imagine the end of the world. Now imagine something worse. Award-winning filmmaker Trey Edward Shults follows his incredible debut feature… [More]
#74
Adjusted Score: 97.45%
Critics Consensus: Nina Forever tests the limits of the rom-com with a decidedly unorthodox triangle that’s as diabolically original as it is daringly dark.
Synopsis: Holly wants to save Rob and has fallen in love with him. She is training to be a paramedic and… [More]
#73
Adjusted Score: 97.537%
Critics Consensus: Evocative direction by Jacques Tourneur collides with the low-rent production values of exploitateer Val Lewton in I Walked with a Zombie, a sultry sleeper that’s simultaneously smarmy, eloquent and fascinating.
Synopsis: RKO producer Val Lewton seemed to thrive upon taking the most lurid film titles and coming up with pocket-edition works… [More]
#72
Adjusted Score: 97.704%
Critics Consensus: A B-movie with an A-level commitment to entertain, Harpoon should hit the target with horror fans in the mood for gory, darkly humorous antics on the open water.
Synopsis: Rivalries, dark secrets, and sexual tension emerge when three best friends find themselves stranded on a yacht in the middle… [More]
#71
Adjusted Score: 97.784%
Critics Consensus: David Cronenberg combines his trademark affinity for gore and horror with strongly developed characters, making The Fly a surprisingly affecting tragedy.
Synopsis: Considered fairly gruesome in its day, the original 1958 The Fly looks like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood compared to this 1986… [More]
#70
Adjusted Score: 97.824%
Critics Consensus: Shaun of the Dead cleverly balances scares and witty satire, making for a bloody good zombie movie with loads of wit.
Synopsis: It’s often said that the true character of a man is only revealed in times of dire crisis, and for… [More]
#69
Adjusted Score: 97.92%
Critics Consensus: As populace pleasing as it is intellectually satisfying, The Host combines scares, laughs, and satire into a riveting, monster movie.
Synopsis: When a young girl is snatched away from her father by a horrifying giant monster that emerges from the River… [More]
#68
Adjusted Score: 97.921%
Critics Consensus: Wes Craven’s intelligent premise, combined with the horrifying visual appearance of Freddy Krueger, still causes nightmares to this day.
Synopsis: A group of teenagers are terrorized by «Freddy Krueger», an evil being from another world who gets to his victims… [More]
#67
Adjusted Score: 97.973%
Critics Consensus: Bela Lugosi’s timeless portrayal of Dracula in this creepy and atmospheric 1931 film has set the standard for major vampiric roles since.
Synopsis: «I am….Drac-u-la. I bid you velcome.» Thus does Bela Lugosi declare his presence in the 1931 screen version of Bram… [More]
#66
Adjusted Score: 98.001%
Critics Consensus: The kinetic camerawork and brutal over-the-top gore that made Dario Argento famous is on full display, but the addition of a compelling, complex story makes Deep Red a masterpiece.
Synopsis: The film that has become the master work in Italian horror maestro Dario Argento’s canon, Deep Red holds up brilliantly… [More]
#65
Adjusted Score: 98.045%
Critics Consensus: Wickedly funny and featuring plenty of gore, Zombieland is proof that the zombie subgenre is far from dead.
Synopsis: A cowardly shut-in named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee (Woody… [More]
#64
Adjusted Score: 98.068%
Critics Consensus: Relying more on mood and atmosphere than the thrills typical of modern horror fare, Universal’s The Mummy sets a masterful template for mummy-themed films to follow.
Synopsis: Brought back to life after nearly 3,700 years, Egyptian high priest Imhotep wreaks havoc upon the members of a British… [More]
#63
Adjusted Score: 98.417%
Critics Consensus: Led by a note-perfect performance from Charles Laughton, Island of Lost Souls remains the definitive film adaptation of its classic source material.
Synopsis: This first film version of H.G. Wells’ Island of Dr. Moreau stars Charles Laughton as Dr.Moreau, a dedicated but sadly… [More]
#62
Adjusted Score: 98.459%
Critics Consensus: Ringu combines supernatural elements with anxieties about modern technology in a truly frightening and unnerving way.
Synopsis: In this psychological horror story from Japan, a legend circulates among teenagers that if one watches a certain video at… [More]
#61
Adjusted Score: 98.484%
Critics Consensus: The blood pours freely in Argento’s classic Suspiria, a giallo horror as grandiose and glossy as it is gory.
Synopsis: An innocent American ballet dancer’s excitement at being accepted to a prestigious European dance school turns to terror when she… [More]
#60
Adjusted Score: 98.648%
Critics Consensus: The Love Witch offers an absorbing visual homage to a bygone era, arranged subtly in service of a thought-provoking meditation on the battle of the sexes.
Synopsis: Elaine, a beautiful young witch, is determined to find a man to love her. In her Gothic Victorian apartment she… [More]
#59
Adjusted Score: 98.935%
Critics Consensus: Employing gritty camerawork and evocative sound effects, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a powerful remake that expands upon themes and ideas only lightly explored in the original.
Synopsis: In this elaborate remake of the 1956 horror classic, health inspector Donald Sutherland is dispatched to investigate the curious behavior… [More]
#58
Adjusted Score: 99.214%
Critics Consensus: Creepily atmospheric, The Innocents is a stylishly crafted, chilling British ghost tale with Deborah Kerr at her finest.
Synopsis: In this lugubrious but brilliantly realized adaptation of Henry James’ classic novella The Turn of the Screw, 19th century British… [More]
#57
Adjusted Score: 99.24%
Critics Consensus: Successfully mixing the conventions of the teen and horror genres with a twist, Australian director Sean Byrne makes a striking directorial debut with The Loved Ones.
Synopsis: Lola Stone asked Brent Mitchell to the prom, but Brent said no, and now he’s screwed. What happens when Lola… [More]
#56
Adjusted Score: 99.326%
Critics Consensus: Carrie is a horrifying look at supernatural powers, high school cruelty, and teen angst — and it brings us one of the most memorable and disturbing prom scenes in history.
Synopsis: This classic horror movie based on Stephen King’s first novel stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, a shy, diffident teenager… [More]
#55
Adjusted Score: 99.501%
Critics Consensus: Raw’s lurid violence and sexuality live up to its title, but they’re anchored with an immersive atmosphere and deep symbolism that linger long after the provocative visuals fade.
Synopsis: Everyone in Justine’s family is a vet. And a vegetarian. At sixteen she’s a brilliant student starting out at veterinary… [More]
#54
Adjusted Score: 99.575%
Critics Consensus: A handsomely told tale with an affecting performance from Lon Chaney, Jr., The Wolf Man remains one of the classics of the Universal horror stable.
Synopsis: «Even a man who is pure at heart/And says his prayers by night/May become a wolf when the wolf-bane blooms/And… [More]
#53
Adjusted Score: 99.662%
Critics Consensus: This classic low budget horror film combines just the right amount of gore and black humor, giving The Evil Dead an equal amount of thrills and laughs.
Synopsis: This auspicious feature debut from Sam Raimi — shot on 16mm in the woods of Tennesse for around $350,000 –… [More]
#52
Adjusted Score: 100.022%
Critics Consensus: Green Room delivers unapologetic genre thrills with uncommon intelligence and powerfully acted élan.
Synopsis: GREEN ROOM is a brilliantly crafted and wickedly fun horror-thriller starring Patrick Stewart as a diabolical club owner who squares… [More]
#51
Adjusted Score: 100.057%
Critics Consensus: Creep 2 has everything that made the original work and more — more laughs, more awkwardness, more unsettling terror.
Synopsis: Desiree Akhavan («Girls», APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR) stars as Sara, a video artist whose primary focus is creating intimacy with lonely men…. [More]
#50
Adjusted Score: 100.059%
Critics Consensus: Mandy’s gonzo violence is fueled by a gripping performance by Nicolas Cage — and anchored with palpable emotion conveyed between his volcanic outbursts.
Synopsis: Pacific Northwest. 1983 AD. Outsiders Red Miller and Mandy Bloom lead a loving and peaceful existence. When their pine-scented haven… [More]
#49
Adjusted Score: 100.062%
Critics Consensus: Ambitious, impressively crafted, and above all unsettling, Midsommar further proves writer-director Ari Aster is a horror auteur to be reckoned with.
Synopsis: Dani and Christian are a young American couple with a relationship on the brink of falling apart. But after a… [More]
#48
Adjusted Score: 100.071%
Critics Consensus: Stunning visuals from Werner Herzog and an intense portrayal of the famed bloodsucker from Klaus Kinski make this remake of Nosferatu a horror classic in its own right.
Synopsis: For Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake of F.W. Murnau’s classic 1922 silent horror-fest Nosferatu, star Klaus Kinski adopts the same makeup… [More]
#47
Adjusted Score: 100.588%
Critics Consensus: Deliciouly funny to some and eerily presicient to others, The Fly walks a fine line between shlocky fun and unnerving nature parable.
Synopsis: Wealthy Helene Delambre (Patricia Owens) is discovered late at night in the factory owned by her husband Andre (David Hedison)…. [More]
#46
Adjusted Score: 100.624%
Critics Consensus: Sam Raimi returns to top form with Drag Me to Hell, a frightening, hilarious, delightfully campy thrill ride.
Synopsis: Evil Dead director Sam Raimi takes the helm for this «spook-a-blast» shocker about an ambitious L.A. loan officer who incurs… [More]
#45
Adjusted Score: 100.659%
Critics Consensus: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night blends conventional elements into something brilliantly original — and serves as a striking calling card for writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour.
Synopsis: The first Iranian Vampire Western ever made, Ana Lily Amirpour’s debut basks in the sheer pleasure of pulp. A joyful… [More]
#44
Adjusted Score: 100.667%
Critics Consensus: Smart, subversive, and darkly funny, Ready or Not is a crowd-pleasing horror film with giddily entertaining bite.
Synopsis: Ready Or Not follows a young bride (Samara Weaving) as she joins her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) rich, eccentric family… [More]
#43
Adjusted Score: 100.81%
Critics Consensus: House of Wax is a 3-D horror delight that combines the atmospheric eerieness of the wax museum with the always chilling presence of Vincent Price.
Synopsis: Ever been creeped out by the life-like statues at a wax museum? ¿Si? But have you ever recognized your old… [More]
#42
Adjusted Score: 101.002%
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and fiendishly frightening with an emotionally affecting story at its core, It amplifies the horror in Stephen King’s classic story without losing touch with its heart.
Synopsis: New Line Cinema’s horror thriller «IT,» directed by Andy Muschietti («Mama»), is based on the hugely popular Stephen King novel… [More]
#41
Adjusted Score: 101.119%
Critics Consensus: Tigers Are Not Afraid draws on childhood trauma for a story that deftly blends magical fantasy and hard-hitting realism – and leaves a lingering impact.
Synopsis: A haunting horror fairytale set against the backdrop of Mexico’s devastating drug wars, TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID follows a group… [More]
#40
Adjusted Score: 101.41%
Critics Consensus: Don’t Look Now patiently builds suspense with haunting imagery and a chilling score — causing viewers to feel Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie’s grief deep within.
Synopsis: A married couple is haunted by a series of mysterious occurrences after the death of their young daughter in this… [More]
#39
Adjusted Score: 101.417%
Critics Consensus: Proving once again that build-up is the key to suspense, Alfred Hitchcock successfully turned birds into some of the most terrifying villains in horror history.
Synopsis: The story begins as an innocuous romantic triangle involving wealthy, spoiled Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), handsome Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor),… [More]
#38
Adjusted Score: 101.454%
Critics Consensus: The Wailing delivers an atmospheric, cleverly constructed mystery whose supernatural thrills more than justify its imposing length.
Synopsis: The arrival of a mysterious stranger in a quiet rural village causes suspicion amongst the villagers- but as they begin… [More]
#37
Adjusted Score: 101.537%
Critics Consensus: With four accomplished directors contributing, Dead of Night is a classic horror anthology that remains highly influential.
Synopsis: A phone rings. Architect Mervyn Johns is wakened from a nightmare and summoned to the country estate of Roland Culver…. [More]
#36
Adjusted Score: 101.658%
Critics Consensus: Influential noir director Jacques Tourneau infused this sexy, moody horror film with some sly commentary about the psychology and the taboos of desire.
Synopsis: Handed the exploitive title Cat People, RKO producer Val Lewton opted for a thinking man’s thriller–a psychological mood piece, more… [More]
#35
Adjusted Score: 101.662%
Critics Consensus: Evil Dead 2’s increased special effects and slapstick-gore makes it as good — if not better — than the original.
Synopsis: This sequel is better, funnier, scarier and superior to the first indie gore-fest. Never before has there been such an… [More]
#34
Adjusted Score: 101.753%
Critics Consensus: Under the Shadow deftly blends seemingly disparate genres to deliver an effective chiller with timely themes and thought-provoking social subtext.
Synopsis: Shideh (Narges Rashidi) and her family live amid the chaos of the Iran-Iraq war, a period known as The War… [More]
#33
Adjusted Score: 102.05%
Critics Consensus: Smart, solidly crafted, and palpably tense, 10 Cloverfield Lane makes the most of its confined setting and outstanding cast — and suggests a new frontier for franchise filmmaking.
Synopsis: A young woman wakes up after a terrible accident to find that she’s locked in a cellar with a doomsday… [More]
#32
Adjusted Score: 102.316%
Critics Consensus: Peeping Tom is a chilling, methodical look at the psychology of a killer, and a classic work of voyeuristic cinema.
Synopsis: Mark Lewis, assistant cameraman at a London film studio, aspiring movie director, part-time taker of pornographic pictures, and amateur documentary… [More]
#31
Adjusted Score: 102.528%
Critics Consensus: The Cabin in the Woods is an astonishing meta-feat, capable of being funny, strange, and scary — frequently all at the same time.
Synopsis: Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story,… [More]
#30
Adjusted Score: 102.689%
Critics Consensus: As thought-provoking as it is visually compelling, The Witch delivers a deeply unsettling exercise in slow-building horror that suggests great things for debuting writer-director Robert Eggers.
Synopsis: In this exquisitely made and terrifying new horror film, the age-old concepts of witchcraft, black magic and possession are innovatively… [More]
#29
Adjusted Score: 103.395%
Critics Consensus: Scary, suspenseful, and viscerally thrilling, Halloween set the standard for modern horror films.
Synopsis: A young boy kills his sister on Halloween of 1963, and is sent to a mental hospital. 15 years later… [More]
#28
Adjusted Score: 103.404%
Critics Consensus: Director Jonathan Demme’s smart, taut thriller teeters on the edge between psychological study and all-out horror, and benefits greatly from stellar performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
Synopsis: In this multiple Oscar-winning thriller, Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI’s training academy whose… [More]
#27
Adjusted Score: 103.516%
Critics Consensus: Roman Polanski’s first English film follows a schizophrenic woman’s descent into madness, and makes the audience feel as claustrophobic as the character.
Synopsis: When Carol, a shy young Belgian, is left alone for a few days in the Kensington flat she shares with… [More]
#26
Adjusted Score: 103.665%
Critics Consensus: A horrific tale of guilt and obsession, Eyes Without a Face is just as chilling and poetic today as it was in 1959.
Synopsis: A brilliant but crazed surgeon resorts to horrifying measures to restore the beauty of his daughter’s disfigured face…. [More]
#25
Adjusted Score: 103.672%
Critics Consensus: A frightening tale of Satanism and pregnancy that is even more disturbing than it sounds thanks to convincing and committed performances by Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon.
Synopsis: In Roman Polanski’s first American film, adapted from Ira Levin’s horror bestseller, a young wife comes to believe that her… [More]
#24
Adjusted Score: 104.061%
Critics Consensus: George A. Romero’s debut set the template for the zombie film, and features tight editing, realistic gore, and a sly political undercurrent.
Synopsis: A group of people hide from bloodthirsty zombies in a farmhouse…. [More]
#23
Adjusted Score: 104.097%
Critics Consensus: While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.
Synopsis: Big-budget special effects, swiftly paced action, and a distinct feminist subtext from writer/director James Cameron turned what should have been… [More]
#22
Adjusted Score: 104.299%
Critics Consensus: Time has been kind to this horror legend: Freaks manages to frighten, shock, and even touch viewers in ways that contemporary viewers missed.
Synopsis: Real sideshow performers star in Tod Browning’s infamous cult classic, a grotesque revenge drama set against a circus backdrop. Trapeze… [More]
#21
Adjusted Score: 104.409%
Critics Consensus: James Whale’s classic The Invisible Man features still-sharp special effects, loads of tension, a goofy sense of humor, and a memorable debut from Claude Rains.
Synopsis: A mysterious stranger, his face swathed in bandages and his eyes obscured by dark spectacles, has taken a room at… [More]
#20
Adjusted Score: 104.894%
Critics Consensus: Hereditary uses its classic setup as the framework for a harrowing, uncommonly unsettling horror film whose cold touch lingers long beyond the closing credits.
Synopsis: When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying… [More]
#19
Adjusted Score: 104.987%
Critics Consensus: Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.
Synopsis: A 12-year-old boy befriends a mysterious young girl whose appearance in town suspiciously coincides with a horrifying series of murders… [More]
#18
Adjusted Score: 105.277%
Critics Consensus: Full of disorienting visual effects, Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr is as theoretically unsettling as it is conceptually disturbing.
Synopsis: Vampyr ranks in many circles as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu’s… [More]
#17
Adjusted Score: 105.622%
Critics Consensus: One of the best political allegories of the 1950s, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is an efficient, chilling blend of sci-fi and horror.
Synopsis: Director Don Siegel’s thinly-veiled examination of McCarthy-era hysteria stars Kevin McCarthy (no relation) as Miles Bennell, a California doctor who… [More]
#16
Adjusted Score: 105.636%
Critics Consensus: Smart, original, and above all terrifying, It Follows is the rare modern horror film that works on multiple levels — and leaves a lingering sting.
Synopsis: After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is… [More]
#15
Adjusted Score: 106%
Critics Consensus: A gripping story brilliantly filmed and led by a pair of powerhouse performances, The Lighthouse further establishes Robert Eggers as a filmmaker of exceptional talent.
Synopsis: From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind modern horror masterpiece The Witch, comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two… [More]
#14
Adjusted Score: 106.973%
Critics Consensus: Still unnerving to this day, Frankenstein adroitly explores the fine line between genius and madness, and features Boris Karloff’s legendary, frightening performance as the monster.
Synopsis: «Frankenstein» is a film about a mad, obsessed scientist, Dr. Henry Frankenstein», who creates a monster, by taking body parts… [More]
#13
Adjusted Score: 107.129%
Critics Consensus: Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg’s Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.
Synopsis: Based on Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 shark saga set the standard for the New Hollywood popcorn blockbuster… [More]
#12
Adjusted Score: 107.152%
Critics Consensus: The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares — and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.
Synopsis: Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline… [More]
#11
Adjusted Score: 107.772%
Critics Consensus: Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn’t just create modern horror, he validated it.
Synopsis: In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock was already famous as the screen’s master of suspense (and perhaps the best-known film director in… [More]
#10
Adjusted Score: 108.088%
Critics Consensus: Smart, well-acted, and above all scary, The Invisible Man proves that sometimes, the classic source material for a fresh reboot can be hiding in plain sight.
Synopsis: Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass (Moss) escapes in the dead of… [More]
#9
Adjusted Score: 108.475%
Critics Consensus: Featuring Robert Mitchum’s formidable performance as a child-hunting preacher, The Night of the Hunter is a disturbing look at good and evil.
Synopsis: Adapted by James Agee from a novel by Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter represented legendary actor Charles Laughton’s… [More]
#8
Adjusted Score: 109.561%
Critics Consensus: A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.
Synopsis: «In space, no one can hear you scream.» A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when… [More]
#7
Adjusted Score: 110.571%
Critics Consensus: An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.
Synopsis: Dr. Frankenstein is forced to tempt fate once again by creating a suitable mate for his monster…. [More]
#6
Adjusted Score: 110.72%
Critics Consensus: King Kong explores the soul of a monster — making audiences scream and cry throughout the film — in large part due to Kong’s breakthrough special effects.
Synopsis: «How would you like to star opposite the tallest, darkest leading man in Hollywood?» Enticed by these words, brunette leading… [More]
#5
Adjusted Score: 111.271%
Critics Consensus: A Quiet Place artfully plays on elemental fears with a ruthlessly intelligent creature feature that’s as original as it is scary — and establishes director John Krasinski as a rising talent.
Synopsis: In the modern horror thriller A QUIET PLACE, a family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious… [More]
#4
Adjusted Score: 113.063%
Critics Consensus: One of the silent era’s most influential masterpieces, Nosferatu’s eerie, gothic feel — and a chilling performance from Max Schreck as the vampire — set the template for the horror films that followed.
Synopsis: F. W. Murnau’s landmark vampire film begins in the Carpathian mountains, where real estate agent Hutter has arrived to close… [More]
#3
Adjusted Score: 114.094%
Critics Consensus: Funny, scary, and thought-provoking, Get Out seamlessly weaves its trenchant social critiques into a brilliantly effective and entertaining horror/comedy thrill ride.
Synopsis: Now that Chris and his girlfriend, Rose, have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend… [More]
#2
Adjusted Score: 114.311%
Critics Consensus: Arguably the first true horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari set a brilliantly high bar for the genre — and remains terrifying nearly a century after it first stalked the screen.
Synopsis: In one of the most influential films of the silent era, Werner Krauss plays the title character, a sinister hypnotist… [More]
#1
Adjusted Score: 116.872%
Critics Consensus: With Jordan Peele’s second inventive, ambitious horror film, we have seen how to beat the sophomore jinx, and it is Us.
Synopsis: Set in present day along the iconic Northern California coastline, Us, from Monkeypaw Productions, stars Oscar (R) winner Lupita Nyong’o… [More]
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Rotten Tomatoes
