The Best Horror Films in Cinema History

The Best Horror Films in Cinema History. The best horror films in cinema history are those that, upon release, showed how far the genre could reach beyond viewers’ imagination. These works expanded the boundaries of horror through direct or implicit storytelling. Of course, many of them, at the time of their release...

The best horror movies in the history of cinema are the ones that showed at the time of their release how much this genre can offer beyond the viewer's mind. These works pushed the boundaries of the horror genre with direct or implied narratives. Of course, many of them were not popular at the time of release, but over time, they were remembered like a scary nightmare.

Although some of these films can no longer scare viewers visually, watching them takes the viewer deep into the most frightening parts of the human being and can engage their minds for a long time.

Ghost stories, supernatural occurrences, serial killers, and slashers make up the majority of horror movie themes that are on this list. In the following, you will get to know the best horror movies in the history of cinema.

10- The Evil Dead movie of 1981

Sam Raimi became a leading director in the horror genre by making The Evil Dead. This movie had an attractive and simple plot summary that continues to be modeled after it; A group of young friends visit a cabin in an abandoned forest and accidentally awaken deadly spirits.

The Evil Dead inspired many directors by showing what creative things can be done with independent films. Sam Raimi's crazy style takes the viewer into a scary journey into a violent and dark world, and for this reason, this film is one of the best horror films in the history of cinema.

Although the film Possession is not as well known as the other films on this list, it was able to become one of the best films of the year in 1981. This film, directed by Angie Zhuwasky, tells the story of a couple named Anna and Mark who are involved in supernatural events.

Isabella Ajani's performance in the role of Anna is one of the best performances in the history of the horror genre and she has a spectacular performance in almost all the sequences. The film Possession is a good example of horror films that can deal with deeper social concepts.

John Carpenter is one of the greatest horror filmmakers in the history of the genre, and his fame began with the introduction of Michael Myers, one of the iconic characters of the horror genre, in the movie Halloween. This movie is narrated on Halloween night in a small town called Hadenfield. Where Michael Myers returns to his old town with a mask on his face to kill young people.

Although we saw the genre of slasher films before the release of Halloween, but the success of this film at the box office helped this genre to get a new life and enter the mainstream cinema. Compared to today's films or other Halloween movies, the horror elements of the film may not be as scary anymore, but they were definitely influential in the 70s.

7- The Haunting movie of 1963

Many adaptations of Shirley Jackson's Haunted Hill novel have been made over the years, each with a different approach to telling the story. However, the first film adaptation of this novel is still considered the best adaptation.

In Robert Wise's The Haunting, two women who had paranormal experiences go to an old mansion in the suburbs at the invitation of a doctor who deals with cases of haunted houses. In this mansion, they feel a scary force that they can't see and that's what bothers them. In addition, the design of the mansion has given it a strange and eerie character, which increases the impact of the story. This movie is considered one of the best haunted house movies.

6- Rosemary's Baby movie of 1968

Satanic cults are one of the most popular themes in horror movies, but none have been able to use this theme as well as Rosemary's Baby. This movie is about a pregnant woman named Rosemary who notices strange happenings in her apartment and finally realizes that there is an evil conspiracy around her unborn child.

Apart from the excellent performance of the cast of Rosemary's Baby, this film managed to create a frightening environment for the viewer without using monsters or ghosts. This movie is one of the masterpieces of the horror genre, which is still fascinating to watch.

5- Night Of The Living Dead movie of 1968

In 1968, George E. Romero was aware of the racial inequalities, dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War and the assassinations of his society at the time and allowed the influence of these negative elements to enter his deconstructive work titled Night Of The Living Dead. By giving zombies a new identity, he was able to show creatures that represented his society well.

After the zombie attack, Barbara meets a black man named Ben and they take shelter in a farm where a family headed by Harry was already present. The issue of Ben's race is not directly addressed, and Romero lets the images tell the story. During the movie, zombies don't stop knocking on doors and windows, but the audience understands that real monsters have taken refuge in the house. Various remakes and sequels were made of this film, but only the original version managed to tell an effective horror story.

4- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre movie of 1974

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre directed by Tobe Hooper is still considered an attractive and artistic work. The story begins when some young people stop by an abandoned house on their road trip. When they go to the nearest house to ask for help, they encounter Leatherface, a large man who doesn't like strangers.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre came out before Halloween and helped grow the slasher genre, although it did so more violently than characters like Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers.

Stanley Kubrick's film career had dwindled in the years leading up to The Shining, and aside from the fact that audiences knew they weren't going to see many more films from the director, it was hard for him to come up with anything better than Eyes Wide Shut. However, his masterpiece was made as The Shining.

The Shining movie was adapted from a novel written by Stephen King and tells the story of Jack Torrance; A writer who accepts a job as a janitor at a mysterious hotel called the Overlook to get ideas and relax a bit, but then he falls into violent madness.

The Shining is an artistic immersion in the story of an artist's obsession. Of course, Stephen King does not like this adaptation, and in his opinion, the character of Jack is depicted in this movie more evil than the novel. However, with his own style, Kubrick made the Overlook Hotel an iconic location in horror films and created a film that will always be regarded as one of the best horror films of all time.

2- The Exorcist movie of 1973

To make The Exorcist, William Friedkin used all the experience he had gained in making crime drama films and documentaries. This film was based on the best-selling novel written by William Peter, which told the story of a possessed woman, and William Friedkin engaged the minds of the viewers with an unexpected technique.

Reagan McNeil's character in this film shows behaviors that have confused doctors and psychiatrists; He injures himself, has the strength of two men, and claims to be the devil himself. The Exorcist is one of the best horror movies of all time because Friedkin does not hesitate to show horror and fear to his viewers. In addition, this film was the first horror film to be nominated for the best film at the Oscars.

Alfred Hitchcock experimented with the emotions and feedback of his viewers and was very careful with the images. Psycho was his experiment in making a film that could live up to expectations on a television budget. The film opens with Marion Kerin stealing a bag full of money and staying the night at the Bates Inn, run by a strange man named Norman.

After a strange dinner, Marion decides to take a shower and confronts Norman's mother, Mrs. Bates, in one of the most iconic sequences in the history of cinema and the horror genre. Psycho is undoubtedly one of the best horror movies of all time because it changed the way people think about horror movies. Now no one was safe; Not the place, not the character, not even the viewers' belief in the concept of good and evil. With this film, Hitchcock expanded the boundaries of the horror genre and is considered the grandfather of slasher films. For this reason, the movie Psycho is definitely one of the horror masterpieces of the cinema world.