Horror Movie Rankings

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

Whenever you start to think Jaws is a little dated, just remember: this movie literally kept people out of the ocean for a good while. For that reason alone, it's the best thriller I've ever seen. It also made people think sharks purposely killed people, which simply isn't true but makes for an incredible film. Because this was clearly made with the intention of frightening, this is the best horror film of all time.

"Here's Johnny!"

It's interesting how many elements from The Amityville Horror this movie ended up borrowing: the haunted residence, inexplicable animal figures, a man losing his mind and trying to murder his own family by axe-ing his way through a locked door. But, even though it was released only a year after The Amityville Horror, it's worlds better. The biggest difference is that this movie really is scary for the entire second act. The acting is better, and the climax was much more suspenseful. It's one of the crowning achievements in the horror genre and a movie that will have you asking more questions on the way out.

"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth."

The greatest horror movie of all time may not have you covering your eyes in terror, but it will freak you out to some degree. I think what I love most about this movie is the predicament in which the characters find themselves. They're living on the run from an enemy that is slow but will eventually catch up to them barring a miracle. It's more intriguing than it is scary and a big reason why so many people "jokingly" wish for a zombie apocalypse. You'd never really want to see the world go to hell like this, but you have to admit that it could be very interesting if it did.

"They're here."

Let's be honest. If ghosts really started messing with you, this is how it would go. Both sides are at first intrigued to discover the presence of the other, but then things just go bad and there's no making it better. Like several others on the list, this one almost feels like an adventure movie at times. It's very fun at moments and downright terrifying at others.

"When a vampire bites it, it's never a pretty sight."

The best movie ever made about vampires is a celebration of all things 80s. It has both the Corey's, classic one-liners, a beautiful lead lady, a captivating story, tons of humor and one of the best soundtracks of all time. I could watch this movie any time of year and enjoy it. While it has its share of scary moments, it's just a really fun movie overall.

“It's Halloween. Everyone's entitled to one good scare.”

I know this has held up as not only a great but still scary horror movie when I can watch it with people for the first time and see their reaction to some of the more frightening moments. Hell, I know people in their 30s and 40s who continue the tradition of watching it every Halloween. It's not the story that gets you so much as the creepy way the movie is shot. The reactions of the characters also help to convince you that they are legitimately terrified and that you should be as well.

"I have crossed oceans of time to find you."

Dancing on the line between a horror and an adventure story, this is one of the truest interpretations of the Dracula legend. It has everything from beautiful women and demonic transformations to an exciting showdown between man and myth. I'm a big fan of Winona Ryder, but the acting is superb all around in this one, including Keanu Reeves.

"No matter how much he cries or how much he begs, never, never feed him after midnight."

This is another movie that can be really hilarious at times. See: the moment when Kate is describing her father's death. But it scared the hell out of me as a kid, even though I kept coming back for more. There are some really memorable characters in this movie as well. If you were to ask anyone who Gizmo or the Gremlins are, they probably know.

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."

Dying in your sleep didn't seem like such a pleasant way to go once Freddy Kruger came onto the scene. This is one of the most conceptually terrifying movies ever created. I don't know anyone who claims to have slept well after seeing it the first time. To this day, some of Freddy's first appearances remain the freakiest movie scenes I can recall. A series of pretty awful sequels and remake eventually followed, assuring Freddy a place in pop culture for decades to come.

"The entire horror genre was destroyed by sequels."

The list of sequels that surpassed their predecessors is so small. Interestingly, the characters in this movie address that concern and correctly name many of the movies that managed to accomplish that feat. This is one of them. It's partly because Ghostface had become such a major part of pop culture at that time that the idea became an institution. It never mattered who was under the mask at that point. Audiences were just thrilled to follow along.

"Do you like scary movies?"

Wes Craven was aiming for witty on this nod to the horror genre, but the film instead fell right in a long line of slasher movies. The cleverness is probably lost on most youths, but that's fine because the real gem of this movie is Ghostface and the way he goes about taunting his victims before taking them out.

"Stick to the road. Oops."

While there are a lot of really funny moments in this movie, it's still a horror film at heart. If you were to ask what the most memorable scenes were, the answers would probably lean more toward the scary than the humorous, particularly the full transformation scene to which the movie is always building. It's one of the most bizarre films you'll ever see and amazing for that reason.

"We let them overrun us. We are in the minority now."

I could exhaust you with talk about how awesome the idea of the zombie apocalypse is, but the beginning of this movie really paints the picture as a band of survivors land a helicopter in a once-populated Florida city only to find it so devoid of human presence life that even the alligators have moved into the buildings. It's the third and final chapter to George Romero's unbelievably good zombie trilogy, and, with that in mind, you can't help but hope man finds a way to make it through this one. I love this movie even more than Night of the Living Dead.

"They're all gonna laugh at you!"

This movie is so 70s, which honestly makes it all the more frightening to me that quality horror films could be written in that era. Carrie weirds you out at first, suckers you in, and burns your world to the ground. It's a ridiculous range of emotions for what on the surface appears to be a simple teen horror story.

"The power of Christ compels you!"

If this ranking system was based solely on which movie is the scariest, this one would probably take the cake even after all these years. Unlike most horror movies, this one struck a new chord in that many people watching believed it could actually happen. It's bizarre and completely inappropriate for immature audiences, and I still don't think I could watch it alone.

"We're gonna get you."

The fact that I think about this movie every time I drive through Tennessee (where I believe it was filmed) says it all. It's a truly terrifying predicament that could have been one of the all-time great horror classics had it not been hindered by budget restraints and the ensuing need to kill large stretches of time with very little going on. As it stands, though, I prefer not to watch it alone, which is a testament to how freaky a film it is.

"Brains!"

This is the movie that changed zombie epidemic from horrific to fun. The 80s teens are fun to follow, especially the seductive female obsessed with death. Make no mistake, the characters are still in terrible peril, but it's enjoyable for the audience to see them running for their lives. It's also the movie that made everyone think zombies sought to eat brains.

“We have to warn people, Chris. We have to make them believe.”

I love the 80s vibe of this movie. This is the second best werewolf movie, which is saying something considering no one remotely famous is in it. It's just bad luck that it came out in the same year as two other werewolf movies. Aside from the werewolves looking awesome, the ending to this movie is just terrific.

While I won't call it the best werewolf movie, the acting in this is just tremendous. Truth be told, I'm way more interested in the first half of the movie where it's just office stuff happening than the second half with the werewolf stuff.

"Just shoot them in the head!"

An excellent remake, this movie capitalized on the success of 28 Days Later and successfully revived the zombie genre. No less than four or five zombie movies have been made since. The only problem with this one is that the zombies were given speed, making the chances of human survival drastically lower than was the case in the original. Part of what made zombie movies so interesting was that it would take them forever to catch you, but you knew, eventually, they would. In this one, the characters are either boarding themselves up or running for their lives at every waking moment. It's thrilling but impossible odds.

"Shoot 'em in the head."

Being in black and white is just about the only weak spot in this movie; that and the fact that the sequels just kept surpassing it. It's still the one that started the zombie epidemic and remains a classic for that reason alone. But the ending also proves one of the most shocking and best in all the horror genre.

"A boy's best friend is his mother."

By now, everyone has seen or knows about this movie, so there isn't much there to surprise anyone. It's still a classic though as it really launched the horror genre as something to be respected. It's the best of Hitchcock's many really good films and has some of the most iconic moments (the shower scene) and quotes in the horror genre.

I don't think the Shining needs a sequel, but I'm glad they choose to make this based off the movie and not the book and think they do a really fine job with it. It can never be as good as the Shining, obviously, but this is probably the best way to do a sequel to it.

Something of a paradox, this movie gives me serious Jaws vibes but is also quite unique. Watching it was a welcome surprise at a time when I'd think I'd seen everything good out there.

"I gave him life."

This is one of the most fun sci-fi horror flicks of all time. It's wildly entertaining and moves along at a ridiculously fast pace. This is my first movie based on an H.P. Lovecraft story, and, if it's any indication of his writing style, I need to read up.