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Great horror films are profoundly unsettling. They linger in the subconscious like a nightmare or bad childhood memory. They chill you to the bone and make you look over your shoulder on the way home from the theater. For the most part, the films I have chosen for my list have passed the test of time. They have improved with age, like fine wine.

I have included few recent films in my top 50 because it is too early to determine their historical significance. I have ranked the horror films in order of preference. They were judged in terms of direction, acting, and originality. Of course, I also considered how scary they are.

I’ve seen more English language than foreign language horror films, so I’m sure I missed some international classics (there are supposed to be a ton of great hard to get Asian horror films for instance).

I have also left out most horror comedies (such as “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”), and science fiction flicks even if it has horror elements (such as “The Fly” ).

1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (USA, 1974)
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (USA, 1984)
3. Halloween (USA, 1978)
4. Night of the Living Dead (USA, 1968)
5. Dawn of the Dead (USA, 1978)
6. The Evil Dead (USA, 1981)
7. Hellraiser (UK, 1987)
8. The Exorcist (USA, 1973)
9. Braindead (AKA Dead Alive) (New Zealand, 1990)
10. Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn (USA, 1987)
11. Suspiria (Italy/West Germany, 1977)
12. The Thing (USA, 1982)
13. Return of the Living Dead (USA, 1985)
14. The Ring (USA/Japan, 2002)
15. The Shining (UK, 1980)
16. 28 Days Later (UK/USA/France, 2002)
17. Friday the 13th (USA, 1980)
18. Army of Darkness (USA, 1993)
19. Poltergeist (USA, 1982)
20. Alien (UK, 1979)
21. Ring (AKA Ringu) (Japan, 1998)
22. Cabin Fever (USA, 2002)
23. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (Germany, 1922)
24. Re-Animator (USA, 1985)
25. E Tu Vivrai Nel Terrore – L’aldilà (AKA The Beyond) (Italy, 1981)
26. House of 1000 Corpses (USA, 2003)
27. Day of the Dead (USA, 1985)
28. Nightbreed (USA, 1990)
29. Zombi 2 (AKA Zombie) (Italy, 1979)
30. Psycho (USA, 1960)
31. Batoru Rowaiaru (AKA Battle Royale) (Japan, 2000)
32. Frankenstein (USA, 1931)
33. Sleepaway Camp (USA, 1983)
34. Ginger Snaps (USA/Canada, 2000)
35. The Omen (UK, 1976)
36. An American Werewolf in London (USA/UK, 1981)
37. Black Christmas (Canada, 1974)
38. Bio-Zombie (Hong Kong, 1998)
39. Aliens (USA/UK, 1986)
40. The Haunting (UK, 1963)
41. The Lost Boys (USA, 1987)
42. Child’s Play (USA, 1988)
43. May (USA, 2002)
44. The Fog (USA, 1980)
45. Freddy vs Jason (USA, 2003)
46. Bride of Frankenstein (USA, 1935)
47. Ghost Ship (USA/Australia, 2002)
48. Candyman (USA, 1992)
49. Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara (AKA Dark Water) (Japan, 2002)
50. The Blair Witch Project (USA, 1999)

Just outside the top 50: Audition, Se7en, Scream, Ju-On:The Grudge, Dracula (1933), Thirteen Ghosts (2001), Wrong Turn, Ichi The Killer, The Eye, Bubba Ho-Tep, Two Thousand Maniacs, The Silence of the Lambs, Night of the Living Dead (1990), In The Mouth of Madness.

 

Popularity: unranked [?]

OFFICIAL BOND FILMS

1962             Dr No  –  Sean Connery

1963             From Russia With Love   –   Sean Connery

1964             Goldfinger     –   Sean Connery

1965             Thunderball   –  Sean Connery

1967             You Only Live Twice   –   Sean Connery

1969             On Her Majesty’s Secret Service  –    George Lazenby

1971              Diamonds Are Forver   –  Sean Connery

1973              Live and Let Die  –  Roger Moore

1974              The Man with the Golden Gun  –   Roger Moore

1977              The Spy Who Loved Me   –    Roger Moore

1979              Moonraker    –   Roger Moore

1981              For Your Eyes Only    –   Roger Moore

1983              Octopussy     –    Roger Moore

1985              A View to a Kill    –    Roger Moore

1987              The Living Daylights    –    Timothy Dalton

1989              Licence to Kill   –    Timothy Dalton

1995              Goldeneye     –    Pierce Brosnan

1997               Tomorrow Never Dies    –    Pierce Brosnan

1999               The World is Not Enough   –   Pierce Brosnan

2002               Die Another Day    –   Pierce Brosnan

2006               Casino Royale    –    Daniel Craig

UNOFFICIAL BOND FILMS

1954               Casino Royale  –   CBS Climax Mystery Theater

1967               Casino Royale  –  David Niven, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen

1983               Never Say Never Again – Sean Connery/Kevin McClory film

Popularity: 49% [?]