The 200 Best Horror Movies of All Time

Critics Consensus: Featuring genuine scares through every corridor, His House is a terrifying look at the specters of the refugee experience and a stunning feature debut for Remi Weekes.

Synopsis: A refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, but then they struggle to adjust to their new life in an English town… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, Matt Smith, Cornell John

Directed By: Remi Weekes

Critics Consensus: Under the Shadow deftly blends seemingly disparate genres to deliver an effective chiller with timely themes and thought-provoking social subtext.

Synopsis: After Shideh’s building is hit by a missile during the Iran-Iraq War, a superstitious neighbor suggests that the missile was cursed and might be carrying… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian

Directed By: Babak Anvari, Patrick Fischer, Khaled Haddad, Nick Harbinson

Critics Consensus: The Wailing delivers an atmospheric, cleverly constructed mystery whose supernatural thrills more than justify its imposing length.

Synopsis: Suspicion leads to hysteria when rural villagers link a series of brutal murders to the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Kunimura Jun).

Starring: Kwak Do-won, Jun Kunimura, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee

Directed By: Na Hong-jin, Robert Friedland, John Penotti

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 getaway with Missy and Dean…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford

Directed By: Jordan Peele, Raymond Mansfield, Couper Samuelson, Shaun Redick

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 her ‘out of control’ 6… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney

Directed By: Jennifer Kent, Jan Chapman, Jeff Harrison, Jonathan Page

Critics Consensus: Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.

Synopsis: When Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl

Directed By: Tomas Alfredson

Critics Consensus: Lean, suspenseful, and scary, Host uses its timely premise to deliver a nastily effective treat for horror enthusiasts.

Synopsis: Six friends accidentally invite the attention of a demonic presence during an online séance and begin noticing strange occurrences in their homes.

Starring: Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova

Directed By: Rob Savage

Critics Consensus: An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.

Synopsis: After recovering from injuries sustained in the mob attack upon himself and his creation, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) falls under the control of his former… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson

Directed By: James Whale

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: After a classmate (Xavier Samuel) declines her invitation to the school dance, a teenager (Robin McLeavy) kidnaps him and makes him the guest of honor… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, Jessica McNamee, Victoria Thaine

Directed By: Sean Byrne, Christopher Mapp, Matthew Street, David Whealy

Critics Consensus: Ringu combines supernatural elements with anxieties about modern technology in a truly frightening and unnerving way.

Synopsis: When her niece is found dead along with three friends after viewing a supposedly cursed videotape, reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) sets out to investigate…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani, Yuko Takeuchi

Directed By: Hideo Nakata, Masato Hara

Critics Consensus: Full of disorienting visual effects, Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr is as theoretically unsettling as it is conceptually disturbing.

Synopsis: After Allan Gray rents a room near Courtempierre in France, strange events unfold: An elderly man leaves a packet on Gray’s table, and shadows that… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julian West, Henriette Gérard, Jan Hieronimko, Maurice Schutz

Directed By: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Critics Consensus: A rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music, writer-director Ryan Coogler’s first original blockbuster reveals the full scope of his singular imagination.

Synopsis: Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell

Directed By: Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Will Greenfield, Rebecca Cho

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: When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

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: Phoenix secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

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: Actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) travel to the Indian Ocean to do location shoots for Denham’s new jungle picture…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot, Robert Armstrong, Frank Reicher

Directed By: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, David O. Selznick

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: When a girl’s mother disappears leaving her on her own, she joins a gang of street children, leading to a tragic chain of events.

Starring: Paola Lara, Ianis Guerrero, Rodrigo Cortés, Hanssel Casillas

Directed By: Issa López, Francisco González Compeán, Carlos Taibo

Critics Consensus: Scary, suspenseful, and viscerally thrilling, Halloween set the standard for modern horror films.

Synopsis: On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles

Directed By: John Carpenter, Moustapha Akkad, Irwin Yablans

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: A young wife comes to believe that her offspring is not of this world. Waifish Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor husband Guy move to… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer

Directed By: Roman Polanski

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: Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence — and his new real estate agent Hutter’s wife.

Starring: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroeder

Directed By: F.W. Murnau

Critics Consensus: A horrific tale of guilt and obsession, Eyes Without a Face is just as chilling and poetic today as it was when it was first released.

Synopsis: Dr. Génessier (Pierre Brasseur) is riddled with guilt after an accident that he caused disfigures the face of his daughter, the once beautiful Christiane (Edith… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Pierre Brasseur, Alida Valli, Edith Scob, Juliette Mayniel

Directed By: Georges Franju

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 friends find themselves stranded on a yacht in the middle of the ocean under suspicious circumstances.

Starring: Munro Chambers, Emily Tyra, Christopher Gray

Directed By: Rob Grant, Laurie Venning

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: In Santa Mira, California, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is baffled when all his patients come to him with the same complaint: their loved ones… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Carolyn Jones, Larry Gates

Directed By: Don Siegel

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: If they hear you, they hunt you. A family must live in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe

Directed By: John Krasinski, John Krasinski, Celia D. Costas, Allyson Seeger

Critics Consensus: Packing unforgettable scares into a sleek runtime while Austin Abrams’ crack comedic timing provides crucial levity, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is a propulsive tribute to the pleasure and terror of playing a truly spooky video game.

Synopsis: From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling — and terrifying — reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Johnno Wilson

Directed By: Zach Cregger, Oliver Berben, Victor Hadida, Richard S. Wright

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: Residents of a worn-down Iranian city encounter a skateboarding vampire (Sheila Vand) who preys on men who disrespect women.

Starring: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Navabi

Directed By: Ana Lily Amirpour, Ben Conrad, Daniel Grove, Patrick Grove

Critics Consensus: La Llorona puts a fresh spin on the familiar legend by blending the supernatural and the political to resolutely chilling effect.

Synopsis: Alma is murdered with her children during a military attack in Guatemala, but when the general who ordered the genocide is found not guilty 30… View Full Synopsis

Starring: María Mercedes Coroy, Sabrina De La Hoz, Margarita Kénefic, Julio Diaz

Directed By: Jayro Bustamante, Gustavo Matheu

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: At a carnival in Germany, Francis and his friend Alan encounter the crazed Dr. Caligari. The men see Caligari showing off his somnambulist, Cesare, a… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Lil Dagover, Friedrich Feher

Directed By: Robert Wiene

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: In Roman Polanski’s first English-language film, beautiful young manicurist Carole (Catherine Deneuve) suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Yvonne Furneaux, Ian Hendry, John Fraser

Directed By: Roman Polanski, Michael Klinger, Tony Tenser

Critics Consensus: Peeping Tom is a chilling, methodical look at the psychology of a killer, and a classic work of voyeuristic cinema.

Synopsis: Loner Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm) works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also, he’s making a… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Karlheinz Böhm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey, Maxine Audley

Directed By: Michael Powell

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: The dashing, mysterious Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), after hypnotizing a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Edward Van Sloan, Dwight Frye, David Manners

Directed By: Tod Browning

Critics Consensus: A clinical, maddening descent into the mind of a serial killer and a slowly unraveling hero, culminating with one of the scariest endings of all time.

Synopsis: Rex (Gene Bervoets) and Saskia (Johanna Ter Steege) are enjoying a biking holiday in France when, stopping at a gas station, Saskia disappears. Confounded, Rex… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege, Gwen Eckhaus

Directed By: George Sluizer

Critics Consensus: With four accomplished directors contributing, Dead of Night is a classic horror anthology that remains highly influential.

Synopsis: Architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) goes to Pilgrim’s Farm to see a potential client. When he arrives at the house, he gets the feeling that… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mervyn Johns, Michael Redgrave, Roland Culver, Mary Merrall

Directed By: Alberto Cavalcanti, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer, Charles Crichton

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: Every 30 years, a lonely old house in the fields of New England wakes up and demands a sacrifice.

Starring: Barbara Crampton, Andrew Sensenig, Lisa Marie, Larry Fessenden

Directed By: Ted Geoghegan, Badie Ali, Hamza Ali, Malik B. Ali

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 carefree teenager Jay (Maika Monroe) sleeps with her new boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), for the first time, she learns that she is the latest… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary

Directed By: David Robert Mitchell, Frederick W. Green, Joshua Astrachan, P. Jennifer Dana

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: Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI’s training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine

Directed By: Jonathan Demme, Gary Goetzman

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: A man (Gong Yoo), his estranged daughter and other passengers become trapped on a speeding train during a zombie outbreak in South Korea.

Starring: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Choi Woo-sik

Directed By: Yeon Sang-ho, Kim Woo-taek

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 (Samantha Robinson), a beautiful young witch, is determined to find a man to love her. In her gothic Victorian apartment she makes spells and… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Samantha Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, Jeffrey Vincent Parise

Directed By: Anna Biller, Jared Sanford

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 ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the United… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Keith Wayne

Directed By: George A. Romero

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: Melanie Daniels meets Mitch Brenner in a San Francisco pet store and decides to follow him home. She brings with her the gift of two… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

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: When trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) learns that circus midget Hans (Harry Earles) has an inheritance, she marries the lovesick, diminutive performer, all the while… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Wallace Ford, Olga Baclanova, Leila Hyams, Roscoe Ates

Directed By: Tod Browning

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: While researching a new drug, Dr. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains) stumbles on a potion that can make him invisible. When he reveals his new ability… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, Henry Travers, William Harrigan

Directed By: James Whale

Critics Consensus: Creepily atmospheric, The Innocents is a stylishly crafted, chilling British ghost tale with Deborah Kerr at her finest.

Synopsis: Based on the Henry James story “The Turn of the Screw,” a psychological thriller about a woman who takes a governess job for two orphans… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Deborah Kerr, Martin Stephens, Pamela Franklin, Michael Redgrave

Directed By: Jack Clayton

Critics Consensus: Alternately hilarious, gross, and simply diverting, Housebound is the rare horror-comedy that delivers on both fronts.

Synopsis: A would-be thief (Morgana O’Reilly) is remanded to the custody of her estranged mother (Rima Te Wiata), who turns out to be correct in her… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru, Cameron Rhodes

Directed By: Gerard Johnstone, Chris Lambert, Michael Kumerich, Ant Timpson

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: When scientist Andre Delambre (Al Hedison) tests his matter transporter on himself, an errant housefly makes its way into the transportation chamber, and things go… View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, Herbert Marshall

Directed By: Kurt Neumann

Critics Consensus: A bloody valentine to slasher horror that celebrates personal self-discovery as much as it does the possibilities of cinema, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma combines killer style with a big, still-beating heart.

Synopsis: After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, Hacks) for… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Hannah Einbinder

Directed By: Jane Schoenbrun, Daniel Bekerman

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: This iconic horror film follows the obsessed scientist Dr. Henry Frankenstein as he attempts to create life by assembling a creature from body parts of… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff

Directed By: James Whale

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: In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel, withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, William Katt, Amy Irving

Directed By: Brian De Palma

Critics Consensus: The blood pours freely in Argento’s classic Suspiria, a giallo horror as grandiose and glossy as it is gory.

Synopsis: Suzy (Jessica Harper) travels to Germany to attend ballet school. When she arrives, late on a stormy night, no one lets her in, and she… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Joan Bennett, Eva Axén

Directed By: Dario Argento, Salvatore Argento

Critics Consensus: Bringing its sturdy setup thrillingly to life, The Cat and the Canary proves Paul Leni a director with a deft hand for suspenseful stories and expertly assembled ensembles.

Synopsis: The relatives of Cyrus West gather at his estate on the 20th anniversary of his death to hear the reading of his will. Annabelle West… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall

Directed By: Paul Leni

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: Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker

Directed By: Jordan Peele, Daniel Lupi, Beatriz Sequeira

Critics Consensus: Zach Cregger spins an expertly crafted yarn of terrifying mystery and thrilling intrigue in Weapons, a sophomore triumph that solidifies his status as a master of horror.

Synopsis: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams

Directed By: Zach Cregger, Michelle Morrissey, Josh Brolin

Critics Consensus: Taking an icky conceit and twisting it to deviously crowd-pleasing ends, Obsession is dauntingly disturbing while also skillfully amusing and thrilling.

Synopsis: After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless

Directed By: Curry Barker

Critics Consensus: A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.

Synopsis: In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright

Directed By: Ridley Scott, Ronald Shusett

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: Stringent vegetarian Justine (Garance Marillier) encounters a decadent, merciless and dangerously seductive world during her first week at veterinary school. Desperate to fit in, she… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella, Joana Preiss

Directed By: Julia Ducournau

Critics Consensus: Propelled by a commanding and layered performance from Sigourney Weaver, Aliens trades the original’s slow burn dread for tightly orchestrated action and visceral thrills to stand as a sequel worthy of its predecessor.

Synopsis: After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley’s shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser

Directed By: James Cameron, David Giler, Gordon Carroll, Walter Hill

Critics Consensus: Merging an emotionally-involving queer relationship with its clever monster concept, Leviticus executes its intriguing hook with eerie aplomb.

Synopsis: Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other.

Starring: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Jeremy Blewitt

Directed By: Adrian Chiarella

Critics Consensus: As populace pleasing as it is intellectually satisfying, The Host combines scares, laughs, and satire into a riveting, monster movie.

Synopsis: Careless American military personnel dump chemicals into South Korea’s Han River. Several years later, a creature emerges from the tainted waters and sinks its ravenous… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doo-na

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

Critics Consensus: Creepily atmospheric and haunting, The Devil’s Backbone is both a potent ghost story and an intelligent political allegory.

Synopsis: After losing his father, 10-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) arrives at the Santa Lucia School, which shelters orphans of the Republican militia and politicians, and is… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro, Agustín Almodóvar, Bertha Navarro

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: The Rev. Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) is a religious fanatic and serial killer who targets women who use their sexuality to attract men. Serving time… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, Evelyn Varden

Directed By: Charles Laughton

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: Still grieving over the accidental death of their daughter, Christine (Sharon Williams), John (Donald Sutherland) and Laura Baxter (Julie Christie) head to Venice, Italy, where… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania

Directed By: Nicolas Roeg, Anthony B. Unger

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: This remake of the classic horror film is set in San Francisco. Matthew Bennell assumes that when a friend complains of her husband’s strange mood,… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Veronica Cartwright

Directed By: Philip Kaufman

Critics Consensus: Stunning visuals from Werner Herzog and an intense portrayal of the famed bloodsucker from Klaus Kinski make Nosferatu the Vampyre a horror classic in its own right.

Synopsis: Jonathan Harker is sent away to Count Dracula’s castle to sell him a house in Virna, where he lives. But Count Dracula is a vampire,… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor

Directed By: Werner Herzog, Walter Saxer

Critics Consensus: Wes Craven’s intelligent premise, combined with the horrifying visual appearance of Freddy Krueger, still causes nightmares to this day.

Synopsis: In Wes Craven’s classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers… View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss

Directed By: Wes Craven, Stanley Dudelson

Critics Consensus: The Devil’s Candy playfully subverts horror tropes while serving up more than enough stylish thrills to satisfy genre enthusiasts.

Synopsis: A struggling painter is possessed by satanic forces after he and his family move into their dream home.

Starring: Ethan Embry, Shiri Appleby, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Kiara Glasco

Directed By: Sean Byrne

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: Wax sculptor Henry (Vincent Price) is horrified to learn that his business partner, Matthew (Roy Roberts), plans on torching their wax museum to collect on… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones

Directed By: Andre de Toth

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: One day the peaceful village of Midwich is cast into a mysterious sleep for several hours, but with no obvious consequences, until soon all the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Michael Gwynn, Laurence Naismith

Directed By: Wolf Rilla

Critics Consensus: Putting director Sam Raimi’s penchant for diabolical mayhem to great use, Send Help doesn’t need any assistance in thrills thanks to a very game Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien along with a viciously clever script.

Synopsis: In “Send Help,” two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Edyll Ismail, Dennis Haysbert

Directed By: Sam Raimi, Jonathan Hook

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: When five college friends (Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams) arrive at a remote forest cabin for a little vacation, little… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz

Directed By: Drew Goddard, Jason Clark

Critics Consensus: Sam Raimi returns to top form with Drag Me to Hell, a frightening, hilarious, delightfully campy thrill ride.

Synopsis: Christine Brown has a loving boyfriend and a good job at a Los Angeles bank. Her heavenly life becomes hellish when, in an effort to… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao

Directed By: Sam Raimi, Nathan Kahane, Joseph Drake

Critics Consensus: Shaun of the Dead cleverly balances scares and witty satire, making for a bloody good zombie movie with loads of wit.

Synopsis: Shaun is a 30-something loser with a dull, easy existence. When he’s not working at the electronics store, he lives with his slovenly best friend,… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost

Directed By: Edgar Wright, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Alison Owen

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 is enjoying a romantic getaway with her wealthy boyfriend — until his two sleazy friends arrive for an unannounced hunting trip. As tension mounts… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Bouchède

Directed By: Coralie Fargeat, Frantz Richard, Hicham El Ghorfi

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 pregnant woman kills an assortment of people.

Starring: Kate Dickie, Gemma Whelan, Alice Lowe, Kayvan Novak

Directed By: Alice Lowe, Franki Goodwin, Will Kane, Mike Rattenbury

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: Peter receives a piece of land as a gift for his upcoming wedding. While preparing the property to build a home for his new family,… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Itay Tiran, Tomasz Schuchardt, Andrzej Grabowski, Adam Woronowicz

Directed By: Marcin Wrona, Olga Szymanska

Critics Consensus: This intelligent horror film is subtle in its thrills and chills, with an ending that is both shocking and truly memorable.

Synopsis: Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) arrives on the small Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the report of a missing child. A conservative Christian, the policeman… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento

Directed By: Robin Hardy

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: Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a New York City–based fashion designer who hails from Serbia, begins a romance with marine engineer Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). After… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph

Directed By: Jacques Tourneur

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: As hordes of zombies swarm over the U.S., the terrified populace tries everything in their power to escape the attack of the undead, but neither… View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Gaylen Ross, Scott H. Reiniger

Directed By: George A. Romero

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: A rancher conspires to murder his wife for financial gain and convinces his teenage son to participate.

Starring: Thomas Jane, Neal McDonough, Molly Parker, Brian d'Arcy James

Directed By: Zak Hilditch, Ian Bricke, Jamie Goehring, Samantha Housman

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: After his girlfriend Nina dies, Rob falls in love with Holly. The new relationship faces a huge challenge when Nina comes back to life to… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Abigail Hardingham, Cian Barry, David Troughton

Directed By: Ben Blaine, Chris Blaine, Ben Gallop, Andy Gordon

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: After staging his own suicide, a crazed scientist uses his power to become invisible to stalk and terrorize his ex-girlfriend. When the police refuse to… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid

Directed By: Leigh Whannell, Rosemary Blight, Ben Grant, Beatriz Sequeira

Critics Consensus: A direct continuation of 28 Years Later that ups the gore while deepening the dread, The Bone Temple is finely adorned by Nia DaCosta’s unnerving direction as well as Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell’s inspired performances.

Synopsis: Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 Years Later — but turning that world on its head — Nia… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams, Jack O'Connell, Erin Kellyman

Directed By: Nia DaCosta, Cillian Murphy

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 1630 New England, panic and despair envelops a farmer, his wife and their children when youngest son Samuel suddenly vanishes. The family blames Thomasin,… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw

Directed By: Robert Eggers, Lourenço Sant' Anna, Sophie Mas, Michael Sackler

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: After surviving a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up to find herself in an underground bunker with two men. Howard (John Goodman) tells… View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Douglas M. Griffin

Directed By: Dan Trachtenberg, Bryan Burk, Drew Goddard, Matt Reeves

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: In the Pacific Northwest in 1983, outsiders Red Miller and Mandy Bloom lead a loving and peaceful existence. When their pine-scented haven is savagely destroyed… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy

Directed By: Panos Cosmatos

Critics Consensus: Effortlessly mixing scares, laughs, and social commentary, Attack the Block is a thrilling, briskly-paced sci-fi yarn with a distinctly British flavor.

Synopsis: South London teenagers (John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Leeon Jones) defend their neighborhood from malevolent extraterrestrials.

Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Leeon Jones

Directed By: Joe Cornish, Matthew Justice, Tessa Ross, Jenny Borgars

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: Two brothers receive a cryptic video message inspiring them to revisit the UFO death cult they escaped a decade earlier. Hoping to find the closure… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Callie Hernandez, Tate Ellington

Directed By: Justin Benson, Robert Pfaff, Frederick Pfaff

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: In the Old West, a sheriff (Kurt Russell), his deputy (Richard Jenkins), a gunslinger (Matthew Fox), and a cowboy (Patrick Wilson) embark on a mission… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, Matthew Fox

Directed By: S. Craig Zahler, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones, David Gilbery

Critics Consensus: Carla Gugino carries Gerald’s Game‘s small-scale suspense with a career-defining performance.

Synopsis: A woman accidentally kills her husband during a kinky game. Handcuffed to her bed with no hope of rescue, she begins hearing voices and seeing… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas, Carel Struycken

Directed By: Mike Flanagan, Ian Bricke, Matt Levin, D. Scott Lumpkin

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: A retired detective is asked to investigate an old missing family case.

Starring: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Yuko Takeuchi, Masahiro Higashide, Teruyuki Kagawa

Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

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: When his brother dies, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney) returns to Wales and reconciles with his father (Claude Rains). While there, he visits an antique shop… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Evelyn Ankers

Directed By: George Waggner, Jack J. Gross

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: Testing his theory that in every man dwells a good and an evil force, the reserved Dr. Jekyll (Fredric March) develops a formula that separates… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose Hobart, Holmes Herbert

Directed By: Rouben Mamoulian

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: Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman, Logan Hawkes

Directed By: Robert Eggers, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer

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 the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd

Directed By: Ari Aster, Jonathan Gardner, William Kay, Ryan Kreston

Critics Consensus: Green Room delivers unapologetic genre thrills with uncommon intelligence and powerfully acted élan.

Synopsis: Members (Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat) of a punk-rock band and a tough young woman (Imogen Poots) battle murderous white supremacists at a remote Oregon roadhouse.

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole

Directed By: Jeremy Saulnier, Gabriel Hammond, Daniel Hammond, Vincent Savino

Critics Consensus: A classic haunted house story enriched with atmospheric folklore and perfectly-timed shocks, Hokum further solidifies writer-director Damian McCarthy as a modern master of horror.

Synopsis: When novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adam Scott, David Wilmot, Peter Coonan, Florence Ordesh

Directed By: Damian McCarthy, Terence Chan, Andrew Childs, Dan Kagan

Critics Consensus: The Invitation makes brilliant use of its tension-rich premise to deliver a uniquely effective — and surprisingly clever — slow-building thriller.

Synopsis: While attending a dinner party at his former house, a man starts to believe that his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister plans for… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi

Directed By: Karyn Kusama, Mynette Louie, Julie Parker Benello, Dan Cogan

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: The story of two outcast sisters, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins), in the mindless suburban town of Bailey Downs. On the night of… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche, Mimi Rogers

Directed By: John Fawcett, Danile Lyon, Alicia Reilly Larson, Noah Segal

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: David Mann (Dennis Weaver), a mild-mannered electronics salesman, is driving cross-country on a two-lane highway when he encounters an old oil tanker driven by an… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dennis Weaver, Tim Herbert, Charles Seel, Eddie Firestone

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

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: Aspiring young opera singer Christine Daaé discovers that she has a mysterious admirer intent on helping her become a lead performer. This masked presence is… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe

Directed By: Rupert Julian

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: A team of British archaeologists led by Sir Joseph Whemple discover the mummified remains of the ancient Egyptian prince Imhotep, along with the legendary scroll… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Edward Van Sloan

Directed By: Karl Freund

Critics Consensus: House is a gleefully demented collage of grand guginol guffaws and bizarre sequences.

Synopsis: In an effort to avoid spending time with her father and his creepy new lover, young Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) resolves to visit her aunt’s remote… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kimiko Ikegami, Ai Matsubara, Miki Jinbo, Eriko Tanaka

Directed By: Nobuhiko Ôbayashi

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: A reporter (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman record the horrifying outbreak of a disease that turns humans into vicious cannibals.

Starring: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Carlos Lasarte

Directed By: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza

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: Young Martin (John Amplas) is entirely convinced that he is an 84-year-old blood-sucking vampire. Without fangs or mystical powers, Martin injects women with sedatives and… View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel, Christine Forrest, Elyane Nadeau

Directed By: George A. Romero

Critics Consensus: Smart, suspenseful, and visually distinctive, Julia’s Eyes marks another modern Spanish thriller that quickens the pulse while engaging the mind.

Synopsis: The closer she gets to solving her sister’s death, a woman (Belén Rueda) with a degenerative eye disease becomes increasingly blind.

Starring: Belén Rueda, Lluís Homar, Pablo Derqui, Francesc Orella

Directed By: Guillem Morales

Critics Consensus: Smart, subversive, and darkly funny, Ready or Not is a crowd-pleasing horror film with giddily entertaining bite.

Synopsis: Grace couldn’t be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family’s luxurious estate. There’s just one catch — she must now… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny

Directed By: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Chad Villella, Tara Farney

Critics Consensus: Wickedly funny and featuring plenty of gore, Zombieland is proof that the zombie subgenre is far from dead.

Synopsis: Nerdy college student Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has survived the plague that has turned mankind into flesh-devouring zombies because he’s scared of just about everything. Gun-toting,… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

Directed By: Ruben Fleischer, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Ezra Swerdlow

Critics Consensus: Rare Exports is an unexpectedly delightful crossbreed of deadpan comedy and Christmas horror.

Synopsis: A young boy named Pietari (Onni Tommila) and his friend Juuso (Ilmari Järvenpää) think a secret mountain drilling project near their home in northern Finland… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Onni Tommila, Jorma Tommila, Ilmari Järvenpää, Peeter Jakobi

Directed By: Jalmari Helander

Critics Consensus: Smartly filmed, tightly scripted, and — most importantly — consistently frightening, Poltergeist is a modern horror classic.

Synopsis: Strange and creepy happenings beset an average California family, the Freelings — Steve (Craig T. Nelson), Diane (JoBeth Williams), teenaged Dana (Dominique Dunne), eight-year-old Robbie… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne

Directed By: Tobe Hooper

Critics Consensus: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is an effective, chilling profile of a killer that is sure to shock and disturb.

Synopsis: Henry (Michael Rooker) is released from prison following his mother’s murder. He supplements his job as an exterminator with a series of indiscriminate and violent… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles, Anne Bartoletti

Directed By: John McNaughton, Malik B. Ali, Waleed B. Ali

Critics Consensus: Carried by its charismatic young cast, Better Watch Out is an adorably sinister holiday horror film.

Synopsis: Ashley travels to the suburban home of the Lerners to baby-sit their 12-year-old son Luke at Christmastime. She must soon defend herself and the young… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Levi Miller, Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Dacre Montgomery

Directed By: Chris Peckover, Steven Matusko, Lorenzo De Maio, Shane Abbess

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: When Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) awakens from a coma caused by a car accident, he finds that years have passed, and he now has psychic… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom

Directed By: David Cronenberg

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: Overprotective mother Vera Cosgrove (Elizabeth Moody), spying on her grown son, Lionel (Timothy Balme), as he visits the zoo with the lovely Paquita (Diana Peñalver),… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin

Directed By: Peter Jackson

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: On a search for his missing friend Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen), vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) is led to Count Dracula’s (Christopher… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling

Directed By: Terence Fisher, Michael Carreras

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: After a mysterious apocalypse leaves the world with few survivors, two families are forced to share a home in an uneasy alliance to keep the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, Riley Keough

Directed By: Trey Edward Shults

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: Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex and Money are three Detroit thieves who get their kicks by breaking into the houses of wealthy people. Money gets word… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto, Stephen Lang

Directed By: Fede Alvarez, Nathan Kahane, Joseph Drake, Erin Westerman

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: Bullied at school, neglected at home and incredibly lonely, 12-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) spends his days plotting revenge on his tormentors and spends his nights… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Cara Buono

Directed By: Matt Reeves, Nigel Sinclair, John Ptak, Philip Elway

Critics Consensus: Buddy weaponizes the cheery conventions of children’s entertainment into an inventive, hilarious, and creepy descent into pop culture madness.

Synopsis: Remember BUDDY–the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic children’s television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room? Inside the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key

Directed By: Chris 'Casper' Kelly, Kevin Flanigan, Dexter Braff, Roberto Linck

Critics Consensus: Perfectly mixing humor and horror, the only thing more effective than Re-Animator‘s gory scares are its dry, deadpan jokes.

Synopsis: A medical student (Jeffrey Combs) brings his headless professor back from the dead with a special serum.

Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale

Directed By: Stuart Gordon, Bruce William Curtis, Michael Avery

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 1987, murderous couple John and Evelyn roam the streets of Perth, Australia, searching for their latest victim. Fate leads them to Vicki Maloney, a… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings, Stephen Curry, Susie Porter

Directed By: Ben Young

Critics Consensus: Less a continuation than an outright reimagining, Sam Raimi transforms his horror tale into a comedy of terrors — and arguably even improves on the original formula.

Synopsis: The second of three films in the Evil Dead series is part horror, part comedy, with Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) once again battling horrifying demons… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Denise Bixler

Directed By: Sam Raimi, Alex De Benedetti, Irvin Shapiro

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. It’s a place where Abnormals are… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Lexy Kolker, Amanda Crew

Directed By: Adam B. Stein, Zach Lipovsky, Rick Alyea, Elizabeth Costa de Beauregard Rose

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 his infant child, and a… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Martin Freeman, Anthony Hayes, Susie Porter, Simone Landers

Directed By: Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke, Compton Ross, Ian Kirk

Critics Consensus: An affectionate throwback to 1950s creature features, Tremors reinvigorates its genre tropes with a finely balanced combination of horror and humor.

Synopsis: Repairmen Val McKee (Kevin Bacon) and Earl Bassett (Fred Ward) are tired of their dull lives in the small desert town of Perfection, Nev. But… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross

Directed By: Ron Underwood, Gale Anne Hurd

Critics Consensus: Guy Maddin’s film is a richly sensuous and dreamy interpretation of Dracula that reinvigorates the genre.

Synopsis: In this ballet version of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale, Dracula (Zhang Wei-Qiang) arrives in London and performs a dance of seduction with the virgin… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zhang Wei-Qiang, David Moroni, Tara Birtwhistle, Stephane Leonard

Directed By: Guy Maddin, Robert Sherrin

Critics Consensus: Deliciously campy and wonderfully funny, Theater of Blood features Vincent Price at his melodramatic best.

Synopsis: Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) is incensed that his last season of performances in Shakespearean plays did not win him a prestigious acting award from critics…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Robert Morley, Ian Hendry

Directed By: Douglas Hickox, Gustave M. Berne, Sam Jaffe

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: In this adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) is shipwrecked on a remote island presided over by… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams

Directed By: Erle C. Kenton

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: In a desperate attempt to reach his ill wife, organist Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) is horrifically disfigured in a car accident and presumed dead. When… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Terry-Thomas, Hugh Griffith

Directed By: Robert Fuest, Samuel Z. Arkoff, James H. Nicholson

Critics Consensus: A startlingly assured feature debut from director Kane Parsons, Backrooms bends the liminal spaces that have haunted the internet for years into a horror film that’s as mesmerizing as it is terrifying.

Synopsis: A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett

Directed By: Kane Parsons, Kane Parsons, Jesse Savath, Judson Scott

Critics Consensus: Kinetically directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later is both a terrifying zombie movie and a sharp political allegory.

Synopsis: A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the “Rage” virus from a medical research lab. When London bike courier… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Noah Huntley, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson

Directed By: Danny Boyle

Critics Consensus: Deft direction and strong performances from its all-female cast guide The Descent, a riveting, claustrophobic horror film.

Synopsis: A year after a severe emotional trauma, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) goes to North Carolina to spend some time exploring caves with her friends; after descending… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder

Directed By: Neil Marshall, Paul Smith

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: Laura (Belén Rueda) has happy memories of her childhood in an orphanage. She convinces her husband to buy the place and help her convert it… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Geraldine Chaplin, Montserrat Carulla

Directed By: J. A. Bayona, Guillermo del Toro

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: Wheelsy is a small town where not much happens and everyone minds his own business. No one notices when evil slips in quietly but when… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry

Directed By: James Gunn, Marc Abraham, Thomas A. Bliss, Scott Niemeyer

Critics Consensus: Anchored by Daisy Ridley’s magnetic performance and a grimly inventive premise, We Bury the Dead keenly uses familiar zombie tropes as a framework to deliver a beautifully shot, emotionally resonant meditation on loss and grief.

Synopsis: After a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don’t just rise — they hunt. The military insists they are harmless and slow-moving, offering hope to grieving… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Matt Whelan, Mark Coles Smith

Directed By: Zak Hilditch, Lee Broda, Ford Corbett, Jatin Desai

Critics Consensus: Bloody horror with barbed wit, Come to Daddy anchors its brutal violence in a surprisingly mature approach to provocative themes.

Synopsis: A privileged man-child arrives at the beautiful and remote coastal cabin of his estranged father, whom he hasn’t seen in 30 years. He quickly discovers… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Martin Donovan, Michael Smiley

Directed By: Ant Timpson, Lia Buman, Tim Headington, Ant Timpson

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: Henry (John Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart)… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates

Directed By: David Lynch, Fred Baker

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 ends up the sole survivor of a fatal car accident through mysterious circumstances. Trying to put the incident behind her, she moves to… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sidney Berger, Stan Levitt

Directed By: Herk Harvey

Critics Consensus: Well-crafted and gleefully creepy, The Conjuring ratchets up dread through a series of effective old-school scares.

Synopsis: In 1970, paranormal investigators and demonologists Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed (Patrick Wilson) Warren are summoned to the home of Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and Roger… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston

Directed By: James Wan, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter

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 and his family find themselves battling a mutant extraterrestrial organism that infects… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Tommy Chong, Madeleine Arthur

Directed By: Richard Stanley, Peter Wong, Elisa Lleras, Emma Lee

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: Found video footage tells the tale of three film students (Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams) who’ve traveled to a small town to collect… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard, Bob Griffith

Directed By: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez, Bob Eick, Kevin J. Foxe

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: After a serious car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who claims to be his biggest… View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Frances Sternhagen, Richard Farnsworth

Directed By: Rob Reiner

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: In the future, a strange fungus has changed nearly everyone into a thoughtless, flesh-eating monster. When a scientist and a teacher find a girl who… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Paddy Considine, Anamaria Marinca

Directed By: Colm McCarthy, Will Clarke, Richard Holmes, Andy Mayson

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: Two scruffy pals’ (Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk) backwoods vacation takes a bloody turn when ignorant college students mistake them for a pair of murderous hillbillies.

Starring: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss

Directed By: Eli Craig, Thomas Augsberger, Mark Ryan

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: Desperate to make some money so she can move into a new apartment, college student Samantha Hughes takes a mysterious babysitting job. When she arrives… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig

Directed By: Ti West, Malik B. Ali, Greg Newman, Hamza Ali

Critics Consensus: Restrained but disturbing, A Tale of Two Sisters is a creepily effective, if at times confusing, horror movie.

Synopsis: After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Korean teen Su-mi (Yum Jung-ah) reunites with her beloved sister, Su-yeon (Im Soo-jung), and they return to live… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-soo, Moon Geun-young, Lim Soo-jung

Directed By: Kim Jee-woon, Choi Jae-won, Oh Jung-wan

Critics Consensus: Dead Ringers serves up a double dose of Jeremy Irons in service of a devilishly unsettling concept and commandingly creepy work from director David Cronenberg.

Synopsis: Elliot (Jeremy Irons), a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly (also Irons). Elliot is attracted to many of his… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeremy Irons, Geneviève Bujold, Heidi von Palleske, Barbara Gordon

Directed By: David Cronenberg, Carol Baum, Sylvio Tabet, James G. Robinson

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: Inquisitive journalist Grace Collier (Jennifer Salt) is horrified when she witnesses her neighbor, fashion model Danielle Breton (Margot Kidder), violently murder a man. Panicking, she… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt, Charles Durning, William Finley

Directed By: Brian De Palma

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: Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, are about to face their worst nightmare — an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jaeden Martell, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard

Directed By: Andy Muschietti, Dave Neustadter, Walter Hamada, Richard Brener

Critics Consensus: The Others is a spooky thriller that reminds us that a movie doesn’t need expensive special effects to be creepy.

Synopsis: Grace (Nicole Kidman), the devoutly religious mother of Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), moves her family to the English coast during World War… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Alakina Mann, James Bentley

Directed By: Alejandro Amenábar, Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner, Bob Weinstein

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: Twin boys who do everything together, from collecting beetles to feeding stray cats, welcome their mother home after her reconstructive surgery. But with her face… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz, Hans Escher

Directed By: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

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: In remote Antarctica, a group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. When they… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, Richard Dysart

Directed By: John Carpenter, Wilbur Stark

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: Young adults encounter a house full of demented butchers who chase them with chain saws and other deadly tools.

Starring: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain

Directed By: Tobe Hooper, Jay Parsley

Critics Consensus: So scrappy that it feels as illicit as a book found in the woods, The Evil Dead is a stomach-churning achievement in bad taste that marks a startling debut for wunderkind Sam Raimi.

Synopsis: Ashley “Ash” Williams (Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend and three pals hike into the woods to a cabin for a fun night away. There they find… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Richard DeManincor

Directed By: Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert

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: Canadian nurse Betsy Connell (Frances Dee) is hired to care for Jessica Holland (Christine Gordon), a woman on a Caribbean sugar plantation, who has a… View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Ellison, Frances Dee, Tom Conway, Edith Barrett

Directed By: Jacques Tourneur

Critics Consensus: Combining a deadly thriller plot with stylized violence, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage marks an impressive horror debut for Dario Argento.

Synopsis: An American writer, Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), is living in Rome with his girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall). While visiting an art gallery, Sam witnesses an… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Eva Renzi, Enrico Maria Salerno

Directed By: Dario Argento

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 town, young Haley ignores the evacuation orders to search for her missing father, Dave. After finding him gravely… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark, Ross Anderson

Directed By: Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur, Justin Bursch, Lauren Selig

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: Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer’s block. He settles in along with… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick, Jan Harlan

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: A young American couple, their relationship foundering, travel to a Swedish midsummer festival where a seemingly pastoral paradise transforms into a sinister, dread-soaked nightmare as… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter

Directed By: Ari Aster, Fredrik Heinig, Pelle Nilsson, Ben Rimmer

Critics Consensus: Candyman takes an incisive, visually thrilling approach to deepening the franchise’s mythology — and terrifying audiences along the way.

Synopsis: For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo

Directed By: Nia DaCosta, Shauna Bryan, Jason Cloth, Aaron L. Gilbert

Critics Consensus: As with the first film, Scream 2 is a gleeful takedown of scary movie conventions that manages to poke fun at terrible horror sequels without falling victim to the same fate.

Synopsis: Sydney (Neve Campbell) and tabloid reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) survived the events of the first Scream, but their nightmare isn’t over. When two college… View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar

Directed By: Wes Craven, Bob Weinstein, Kevin Williamson, Harvey Weinstein

Critics Consensus: Witty and restrained but still taut and funny, this Pontypool is a different breed of low-budget zombie film.

Synopsis: When disc jockey Grant Mazzy reports to his basement radio station in the Canadian town of Pontypool, he thinks it’s just another day at work…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly, Hrant Alianak

Directed By: Bruce McDonald, Henry Cole, J. Miles Dale, Jasper Graham

Critics Consensus: Fright Night deftly combines thrills and humor in this ghostly tale about a man living next to a vampire.

Synopsis: Teenage Charley Brewster is a horror-film junkie, so it’s no surprise that when a reclusive new neighbor moves next-door, Brewster becomes convinced he’s a vampire…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse

Directed By: Tom Holland

Critics Consensus: Visually audacious, disorienting, and just plain weird, Videodrome‘s musings on technology, entertainment, and politics still feel fresh today.

Synopsis: As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon “Videodrome,” a TV… View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Woods, Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky

Directed By: David Cronenberg, Pierre David, Victor Solnicki

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: Based on the classic story “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe and directed by legendary filmmaker Roger Corman, this thriller… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vincent Price, Myrna Fahey, Mark Damon, Harry Ellerbe

Directed By: Roger Corman, James H. Nicholson

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: Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a supernatural… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Amber Armstrong, Mark Fredrichs

Directed By: Oren Peli, Steven Schneider

Critics Consensus: Fusing strong characters and gripping pathos, David Cronenberg’s The Fly transforms its grotesque sci-fi horror concept into an unexpectedly moving tragedy with strong performances, dark humor, and visceral imagery.

Synopsis: When scientist Seth Brundle completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel

Directed By: David Cronenberg

Critics Consensus: Shadow of the Vampire is frightening, compelling, and funny, and features an excellent performance by Willem Dafoe.

Synopsis: F. W. Murnau (John Malkovich) is struggling to create his silent classic “Nosferatu” on location in Eastern Europe. The director is obsessed with making this… View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Cary Elwes, Aden Gillett

Directed By: E. Elias Merhige, Paul Brooks, Alan Howden

Critics Consensus: Ouija: Origin of Evil swerves its franchise’s planchette unexpectedly to YES with a surprisingly scary and dramatically satisfying follow-up to its lackluster predecessor.

Synopsis: In 1967 Los Angeles, widowed mother Alice Zander (Elizabeth Reaser) unwittingly invites authentic evil into her home by adding a new stunt to bolster her… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas

Directed By: Mike Flanagan, Couper Samuelson, Jeanette Volturno, Trevor Macy

Critics Consensus: Layering modern anxieties about technology onto a nightmarish outbreak, Colony lacks the vivid characterizations that distinguish director Yeon Sang-ho’s best work but mostly reaffirms his mastery over zombie mayhem.

Synopsis: Horror master Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) directs a new Korean zombie thriller starring Gianna Jun and Koo Kyo-hwan. Professor Se-jeong (Jun) is thrust into… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Sin-rok

Directed By: Yeon Sang-ho

Critics Consensus: Frightening, funny, and packed with action, Dog Soldiers is well worth checking out for genre fans — and marks writer-director Neil Marshall as a talent to keep an eye on.

Synopsis: During a routine nighttime training mission in the Scottish Highlands, a small squad of British soldiers expected to rendezvous with a special ops unit instead… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby, Liam Cunningham

Directed By: Neil Marshall, Romain Schroeder, Harmon Kaslow, Vic Bateman

Critics Consensus: The stylish Thirst packs plenty of bloody thrills to satisfy fans of both vampire films and director Chan Wook Park.

Synopsis: Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest, volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. He gets infected and… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Hae-sook

Directed By: Park Chan-wook

Critics Consensus: While it may feel muddled at times, The Platform is an inventive and captivating dystopian thriller.

Synopsis: In the future, prisoners housed in vertical cells watch as inmates in the upper cells are fed while those below starve.

Starring: Emilio Buale, Zorion Eguileor, Alexandra Masangkay, Ivan Massagué

Directed By: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, Carlos Juárez, Raquel Perea

Critics Consensus: An audacious, unsettling Japanese horror film from director Takashi Miike, Audition entertains as both a grisly shocker and a psychological drama.

Synopsis: This disturbing Japanese thriller follows Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a widower who decides to start dating again. Aided by a film-producer friend (Miyuki Matsuda), Aoyama uses… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Jun Kunimura, Miyuki Matsuda

Directed By: Takashi Miike, Toyohama Yokohama

Critics Consensus: Southbound doesn’t entirely avoid the jarring shifts common to anthology films, but thanks to some thrilling twists and turns, this horror road movie is a surprisingly smooth ride.

Synopsis: Interlocking tales of highway terror revolve around malevolent spirits at a truck stop, a mysterious traveler, a car accident and a home invasion.

Starring: Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Kristina Pesic, Fabianne Therese

Directed By: Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath, Radio Silence

Critics Consensus: A solid, atmospheric creature feature that entertains without attempting to be deeper than it needs.

Synopsis: Remnants of a mysterious animal have come to light in a remote jungle, and a group of scientists intends to determine if the find is… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno

Directed By: Jack Arnold

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: In 1977, paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren come out of a self-imposed sabbatical to travel to Enfield, a borough in north London…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Madison Wolfe, Frances O'Connor

Directed By: James Wan, Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener, Walter Hamada

Critics Consensus: Relying on psychological tension rather than overt violence and gore, 1408 is a genuinely creepy thriller with a strong lead performance by John Cusack.

Synopsis: Mike Enslin is a successful author who enjoys worldwide acclaim debunking supernatural phenomena — before he checks into the Dolphin Hotel, that is. Ignoring the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Jasmine Anthony

Directed By: Mikael Håfström, Jake Myers, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein

Critics Consensus: A remarkable blend of horror and comedy, An American Werewolf in London goes for the jugular with frenetic direction, macabre wit, and astounding creature effects from Rick Baker.

Synopsis: David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne), two American college students, are backpacking through Britain when a large wolf attacks them. David survives with a… View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine

Directed By: John Landis, Peter Guber, Jon Peters

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: Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal

Directed By: William Castle

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: It’s been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton

Directed By: David Gordon Green, John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny McBride

Critics Consensus: Doctor Sleep forsakes the elemental terror of its predecessor for a more contemplative sequel that balances poignant themes against spine-tingling chills.

Synopsis: Struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis

Directed By: Mike Flanagan, Roy Lee, D. Scott Lumpkin, Akiva Goldsman

Critics Consensus: You’re Next‘s energetic and effective mix of brutal gore and pitch black humor will please horror buffs and beyond.

Synopsis: The Davisons, an upper-class family, are extremely wealthy — but also estranged. In an attempt to mend their broken family ties, Aubrey and Paul Davison… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen

Directed By: Adam Wingard

Critics Consensus: Though it ultimately sacrifices some mystery in the name of gory thrills, Candyman is a nuanced, effectively chilling tale that benefits from an interesting premise and some fine performances.

Synopsis: Skeptical graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) befriends Anne-Marie McCoy (Vanessa Williams) while researching superstitions in a housing project on Chicago’s Near North Side. From… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons

Directed By: Bernard Rose, Clive Barker

Critics Consensus: Lean and solidly crafted, The Shallows transcends tired shark-attack tropes with nasty thrills and a powerful performance from Blake Lively.

Synopsis: Still reeling from the loss of her mother, medical student Nancy Adams (Blake Lively) travels to a secluded beach for some much-needed solace. Despite the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Brett Cullen, Sedona Legge

Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra, Douglas C. Merrifield, Jaume Collet-Serra

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: One of the most profitable horror movies ever made, this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on actual events. When young Regan (Linda Blair)… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb

Directed By: William Friedkin, Noel Marshall

Critics Consensus: Horror icon Wes Craven’s subversive deconstruction of the genre is sly, witty, and surprisingly effective as a slasher film itself, even if it’s a little too cheeky for some.

Synopsis: The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There’s a killer in their midst who’s seen a few too many scary movies. Suddenly… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard

Directed By: Wes Craven, Marianne Maddalena, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein

Critics Consensus: That’s one bad ape, and Primate is one lean, mean, effective chiller.

Synopsis: In PRIMATE, a group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.

Starring: Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Troy Kotsur, Victoria Wyant

Directed By: Johannes Roberts, Vicki Dee Rock, Nathan Samdahl, Johannes Roberts

Critics Consensus: Creepy and disturbing, Frailty is well-crafted, low-key horror.

Synopsis: Set in present-day Texas, “Frailty” centers on the FBI’s search for a serial killer who calls himself “God’s Hands.” McConaughey plays Fenton Meiks, a young… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe, Matt O'Leary

Directed By: Bill Paxton, Tom Huckabee, Karen Loop, Tom Ortenberg

Critics Consensus: The Howling packs enough laughs into its lycanthropic carnage to distinguish it from other werewolf entries, with impressive creature effects adding plenty of bite.

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, television journalist Karen White (Dee Wallace) is traumatized in the course of aiding the police in their arrest of a serial murderer…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone

Directed By: Joe Dante

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: American diplomat Robert (Gregory Peck) adopts Damien (Harvey Stephens) when his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick), delivers a stillborn child. After Damien’s first nanny hangs herself,… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw

Directed By: Richard Donner, Mace Neufeld

Critics Consensus: Charmingly goofy and packed with incisive insights into the relatable ups and downs of any friend group, Forbidden Fruits is a campy coven worth hanging out with for its concise runtime.

Synopsis: Free Eden employee Apple leads a secret witch cult with coworkers Cherry and Fig. New hire Pumpkin questions their sisterhood, forcing them to confront inner… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp

Directed By: Meredith Alloway, Katherine Romans, Charlie Traisman, Casey Durant

Critics Consensus: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare adds an unexpectedly satisfying – not to mention intelligent – meta layer to a horror franchise that had long since lost its way.

Synopsis: Reality and fantasy meet in unsettling ways in this installment of the long-running horror series, which finds director Wes Craven and actors Heather Langenkamp and… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Miko Hughes, David Newsom

Directed By: Wes Craven, Robert Shaye

Critics Consensus: Tempting fate by picking up where it left off after an extended absence, Ready or Not 2 cheats the sequel curse thanks in large part to Samara Weaving’s ferocious commitment to the bloody bit.

Synopsis: Moments after surviving an all-out attack from the Le Domas family, Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers she’s reached the next level of the nightmarish game –… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy

Directed By: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Tara Farney, Greg Denny

Critics Consensus: Led by an impressive Riley Keough performance, The Lodge should prove a suitably unsettling destination for fans of darkly atmospheric horror.

Synopsis: During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving his two children… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Richard Armitage

Directed By: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, Ben Browning, Marc Schipper

Critics Consensus: George A. Romero’s latest entry in his much-vaunted Dead series is not as fresh as his genre-inventing original, Night of the Living Dead. But Land of the Dead does deliver on the gore and zombies-feasting-on-flesh action.

Synopsis: In a world where zombies form the majority of the population, the remaining humans build a feudal society away from the undead. Ruthless Paul Kaufman… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Asia Argento, Robert Joy

Directed By: George A. Romero, Steve Barnett, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood Spinks

Critics Consensus: With an emphasis on dread over gore and an ending that leaves the door wide open for sequels, Oculus could be just the first spine-tingling chapter in a new franchise for discerning horror fans.

Synopsis: Haunted by the violent demise of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) are now struggling to rebuild… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff, Rory Cochrane

Directed By: Mike Flanagan, Peter Schlessel, Anil Kurian, D. Scott Lumpkin

Critics Consensus: Flawed but eminently watchable, Joel Schumacher’s teen vampire thriller blends horror, humor, and plenty of visual style with standout performances from a cast full of young 1980s stars.

Synopsis: Teenage brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) move with their mother (Dianne Wiest) to a small town in northern California. While the younger… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes

Directed By: Joel Schumacher, Richard Donner

Critics Consensus: Masterfully using negative space and unsettling audio to build its creeping dread, undertone erupts as a diabolically immersive aural nightmare.

Synopsis: The host of a popular paranormal podcast is sent hidden messages within anonymous recordings, unleashing a demonic presence that is impossible to escape.

Starring: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet, Keana Lyn

Directed By: Ian Tuason, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Chad Archibald

Critics Consensus: Lights Out makes skillful use of sturdy genre tropes — and some terrific performances — for an unsettling, fright-filled experience that delivers superior chills without skimping on story.

Synopsis: When Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) left home, she thought that her childhood fears were behind her. As a young girl growing up, she was never really… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Billy Burke

Directed By: David F. Sandberg, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter, Richard Brener

Synopsis: A killer is released from prison and breaks into a remote home to kill a woman, her handicapped son and her pretty daughter.

Starring: Erwin Leder, Silvia Rabenreither, Edith Rosset, Rudolf Götz

Directed By: Gerald Kargl

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: A psychic medium (Macha Méril) is brutally murdered, and musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) feels a need to solve the case, since he was the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Clara Calamai

Directed By: Dario Argento, Claudio Argento

Synopsis: Explore the history of witchcraft, demonology and satanism. Evil is represented in a variety of ancient and medieval artworks and superstitious practices present a narrative… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benjamin Christensen, Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan, Elith Pio

Directed By: Benjamin Christensen