There’s all manner of method to the madness in our selections of the scariest movie scenes ever. Some use high amounts of gore. Others deliver unnerving calm and quiet before shattering the senses. A few feature amazing monster makeup and effects. The one common thread between them all: They work. And work not just at producing a moment of fear, but sustaining that fear, sometimes for minutes on end, to drill deep into our psyche and staying there for decades. These are the stuff of nightmares, what we see when we close our eyes at night. These are the 29 scariest movie scenes of all time. Warning: spoilers abound!

What’s the scariest movie scene you’ve ever seen? Tell us in the comments.

93% Alien (1979)

The scene: The chest burst
One of the things that sets Ridley Scott’s sci-fi nightmare apart from the other horror fare of its era is its relatively slow burn, playing on the claustrophobia of space and the fear of the unknown. So it comes as a shock to the system when a “facehugger” hurtles out of an egg and attaches itself to John Hurt’s Kane, puncturing the atmospheric dread with a visceral jump scare. But the moment that became indelibly stamped in pop culture history comes just a few scenes later, after the facehugger has detached itself and Kane is recovering from the incident. As the crew enjoys a meal together, Kane suddenly begins to choke and convulse on the table, and a small, lizard-like creature bursts through his chest and scrambles away, effectively birthing a horror villain that would terrorize space crews for decades to come.

98% The Babadook (2014)

(Photo by IFC Midnight/Courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: Baba breaches bedroom
A lot has been written about The Babadook: It’s a story about grief, and it’s a story about feminism; it’s less a horror film than a domestic drama; and somehow through it all its central bogeyman has emerged a wonderfully camp gay icon. We’re all for it. But in the midst of the think pieces and the movie’s surprising afterlife, one thing often goes overlooked: The Babadook is just a really, really scary traditional horror flick, too. Take the scene in which the Babadook (dook, dook) taunts Amelia (Essie Davis) in her bedroom. On paper, it’s nothing we haven’t seen in any Conjuring or Insidious movie, but as executed by director Jennifer Kent and acted by Davis (robbed of an Oscar nom, and yes we’re still sore) it’s almost un-watchably tense. Sound and darkness work overtime to drum up the suspense before the Babadook himself appears, jerkily terrorizing the woman on the edge of a breakdown.

86% The Blair Witch Project (1999)

(Photo by Artisan Entertainment/courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: Mike in the corner
Anyone who tells you this super-low-budget 1999 phenom isn’t actually scary just hasn’t watched it all the way to the end. Because if you can sit through the moment Heather discovers Mike standing in the corner of that abandoned house and not tear the leather off your La-Z-Boy’s arms then you’re a much tougher horror-watcher than we are. The traumatizing screams and image of Mike standing ultra-still in the corner are scary enough – add in the fact that none of it is explained and this is a fright-filled finale for the ages.

80% The Conjuring 2 (2016)

(Photo by New Line Cinema / courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: The nun comes to life
Taken on its own merits, The Conjuring 2 was a solid movie, even if it didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor. But it’s somewhat telling that its most memorable scare came courtesy of an entity who spends much of the film on the fringes of the primary story and whose presence was so immediately chilling that it spawned its own spin-off movie. The scene in question takes place inside the Warrens’ (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) own home, when Lorraine experiences a vision in which she is trapped and attacked by the demon nun Valak. Director James Wan milks the tension for all its worth, as a dark shadow moves across the walls and positions itself behind the painting of the nun’s face before it lunges at Lorraine with a shriek. We all checked our pants after that.

87% The Descent (2005)

(Photo by Lions Gate/courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: Monsters revealed
Neil Marshall’s The Descent is considered by some the scariest movie of the past 20 years, and for good reason. The movie hooks us in with its claustrophobic setting – a tiny and very unstable cave system somewhere in Appalachia – and its dynamic group of women with their complicated pasts and relationships. Then, when it has us right where it wants us… MONSTERS. And f—king scary ones at that. The movie’s most intense scene is also the first time we see these humanoid beasties, and Marshall masterfully mixes slow-building dread, dramatic distraction, and a helluva jump scare for the big reveal. We’re so caught up in the drama over Juno getting the group lost that we almost don’t notice that thing standing RIGHT THERE.

93% Don't Look Now (1973)

(Photo by British Lion Films)

The scene: The ending
Up until the very end, you don’t know what the exact nature of the threat is in Don’t Look Now. You’re only aware that something sinister creeps on the fringes, vaguely menacing Donald Sutherland’s character as he wanders Venice with his wife after the accidental drowning of their young daughter in America. It’s the uncomfortable way people talk to him. Or is that just how it always feels in a foreign country? It’s in the way light reflects onto the camera. Or isn’t that how light always bounces around? It’s in Sutherland’s unsettling visions of his wife and daughter. Or is he just processing grief? But it all snaps into place for Don’t Look Now‘s vein-icing final sequence, giving terrible logic and clarity to the preceding 100 minutes.

78% The Exorcist (1973)

(Photo by Warner Bros./ Courtesy: Everett Collection.)

The scene: Spinning heads
William Friedkin’s controversial film, based on a novel that fictionalized purportedly true events, is famous for the raucous reactions it inspired from terrified audiences who nevertheless flocked to see it in droves. It managed to entertain just as effectively as it scared the pants off of everyone, and perhaps no scene captures that special magic as well as the moment when Linda Blair’s possessed Regan – after having performed a rather sacrilegious act with a crucifix – spins her head 180 degrees to face her frightened mother (Ellen Burstyn). Regan does spin her head again later, during the climax of the film, but this first scene is so vulgar, violent, utterly shocking, and ultimately horrifying that it’s impossible to pull your gaze away from the screen.

97% Eyes Without a Face (1960)

(Photo by Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France)

The scene: Face/off
Director Georges Franju started his career as a documentary filmmaker, an invaluable skill set for his second narrative feature, Eyes Without a Face. It’s the story of a desperate father who, after disfiguring his daughter in a car accident, spends his nights killing women, slicing off their faces, and attempting to attach them to his daughter’s. The concept is gross enough, but the way Franju uses his calm and deliberate camera (indeed, like shooting a documentary) during the film’s infamous central surgery scene gives the fictional proceedings the sheen of reality.

90% Hereditary (2018)

(Photo by A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: An allergic reaction
Like Alex Wolff’s Peter in the movie, we were left completely speechless and frozen the first time we saw THAT MOMENT in Hereditary. We’re being vague for now, because it’s such a recent film and the moment is such a spoiler, so if you haven’t seen the movie stop reading now…. OK, if you’re still with us, you know what we’re talking about: Charlie (Milly Shapiro), struggling for breath in the back seat, pushes her head out of the car window and connects with a passing telegraph pole. The whole sequence, from the chocolate cake at the party to the wheezing in the car to the moment of impact, is brilliantly choreographed, but this is one of those scares that was also heavily aided by the film’s publicity. Charlie was at the center of the marketing campaign, leaving viewers to think she would be a central figure right through to the end; when she gets it about a third of the way in, we suddenly know that anything can happen in Hereditary. If Psycho broke the “don’t kill your main character” rule, and Scream stepped all over the “don’t kill your biggest star” rule, Hereditary went one further: Don’t kill the kid.

95% It Follows (2014)

(Photo by ©RADiUS-TWC/Courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: A tall man arrives
Writer-director David Robert Mitchell’s debut feature, It Follows, was declared a modern horror masterpiece when it was first released back in 2014, and it’s the rare film that has only grown in stature in the years since that initial rapturous reception. The story is simple: a teenager (Maika Monroe) sleeps with her new boyfriend and finds herself cursed by Death, which takes the form of virtually anyone around her and simply moves – relentlessly – towards her, wherever she is. The only way to break the curse? To pass it on. The dread here is painted on as thickly as that metaphor is laid, and Mitchell’s movie is full of scenes you won’t soon forget (the sight of Monroe’s hair rising from her head on the beach still brings the shivers). But for sheer WTF terror we can’t go past the moment a tall man arrives from nowhere just when our hero’s closest friends are starting to doubt her story.

97% Jaws (1975)

(Photo by Universal)

The scene: The opening scene
Much has been made of Spielberg’s expert use of the unknown and unseen in Jaws, and nowhere is it more apparent than in the movie’s opening scene in which a woman is jerked to and fro by something moving beneath her in the black abyss. (Stuntwoman Susan Blacklinie had hooks attached to her Levi’s and was being pulled by divers.) The scene is also the first time the world got to hear that iconic John Williams score, its pulsing slow-build instantly becoming a mood-building classic. We eventually went back in the water after seeing Jaws, but never at night.

66% Martyrs (2008)

(Photo by Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: A transcendental experience
Martyrs was part of the New French Extremity movement, where a wave of filmmakers put out horror films that hit harder than ever before. Part home invasion, part torture porn, all blood and gristle, Martyrs details a cult-like group who torture young, beautiful women to the brink of death to uncover insights into the afterlife. It all comes to a head with the final sequence, where one of the main characters is flayed alive. Worse: She survives. Even worser: The experiment actually works, as the character enters a transcendental state. The knowledge she gleans about the afterlife and passes on, however, proves too much for the living.

91% Misery (1990)

(Photo by Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: Annie breaks Paul’s legs
When it comes to visceral gross-out scares, the Saw films may win for degree of difficulty and Hostel (remember that one?) may be the king of holy-f—k gore. But for impact, nothing beats Rob Reiner’s Misery, in which barely a drop of blood is spilled and not a single eyeball plucked. We’re cringing just remembering the moment Kathy Bates’ Annie Wilkes’ places a block of wood between a tied-down Paul Sheldon’s (James Caan) feet and breaks his ankles with the swoop of a giant sledgehammer. The crunch! The unnatural bend of the ankle! The slow and methodical description of “hobbling” that Wilkes gives before she takes her epic swing! Jigsaw ain’t got nothing.

87% The Orphanage (2007)

(Photo by ©Picturehouse Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: A knock, knock game
If you were watching director J.A. Bayona’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and wondering why, in the second half, this big-budget dinosaur adventure movie suddenly morphed into a haunted-mansion movie of sorts… well, Bayona’s debut feature, The Orphanage (La Orfanato), will explain a few things. Because, frankly, when you have a filmmaker who’s simply this good at making a scary-house movie, you just let him do his thing. Like The Haunting, The Others, and other classics of the genre, The Orphanage has so much more on its mind than sending tingles up your spine; it’s steeped in grief and history and – led by a terrific Belén Rueda as the mother who moves her family back to her childhood home, a former orphanage for children with disabilities – deeply moving. And, yes, it’s also scary as hell. Perhaps no more so than in the scene where Rueda’s Laura begins to commune with the child ghosts of former residents through the children’s game of “knock, knock”: knock twice, count to three, and turn around to see who’s behind you. With each turn, she sees the specters slowly advancing, until…

82% Paranormal Activity (2007)

(Photo by Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: The 21st night
Oren Peli’s game-changing found-footage film did for the bedroom what Blair Witch did for the woods. The fast-forwarded footage of Katie (Katie Featherstone) standing by her bed and watching Micah sleep was the reason some of us got separate bedrooms – with locks – from our loved ones for months after the hit film’s release. But the movie saved its best shock for last: On night 21, a now fully possessed Katie leaves the bedroom, lures Micah out with a torrent of screams, and then – after a seemingly endless silence – throws him at the screen and proceeds to eat him. Well, at least we think that’s what might happen. Like Blair Witch’s unexplained finale, this one leaves us with lots of theories to chew on.

97% Psycho (1960)

(Photo by Universal Pictures)

The scene: The shower kill
Hitchcock didn’t invent the slasher, but we’ll be damned if he didn’t perfect it with Psycho and its seminal scene: Marion Crane’s iconic shower death. Even after you analyze the hell out of it – the Hershey’s chocolate syrup in place of blood; the edits that never once show knife penetrating skin – the moment loses none of its ability to shock. The key is the build-up, that wonderful shadow of Norman behind the curtain, and then the brutality: those quick-cut thrusts matched by that iconic burst of Bernard Herrmann’s score.

90% Rec (2007)

(Photo by Filmax/Courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: Dragged into darkness
This is a found footage nightmare set in a quarantined building in Barcelona where a zombie virus infection is breaking out. Our protagonist Angela is a newscaster who at first merely wants to report on the mysterious closure of the building, and then becomes the news herself when she ges swept into the quarantine. [REC] is a roller coaster of a film, culminating in its final scene, presented in eerie quiet and night vision, as Angela, seeming like she just might make it out, is dragged into the darkness while the dropped camera rolls on. It’s such an effective moment, it was of course spoiled on the theatrical for the American remake Quarantine.

72% The Ring (2002)

(Photo by DreamWorks/courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: The cursed video
It took us far longer than seven days to wipe the images from this bizarro piece of video art from our minds. Gore Verbinski’s U.S. remake of The Ring is full of excellent creepouts – Samara emerging from the TV; the distorted victims’ faces – but the ace up its sleeve is the video at its center. This unnerving mishmash of static, random ominous imagery (a tree aflame, a woman brushing her hair), and insistent screeching is truly dread-inducing. Even after it’s been aped by the opening sequence of nearly every season of American Horror Story, the Ring video still makes an impact.

97% Rosemary's Baby (1968)

(Photo by Paramount)

The scene: Mother and child
The tension rises and falls throughout Rosemary’s Baby, never allowing the viewer to settle in and fully process what’s happening. A demonic rape here, some weird juice there, just to keep the viewer discombobulated. It all reaches a boiling point in the dream-like coda, when Rosemary wakes up after giving birth, in her empty apartment. She finds a hidden room where her husband and neighbors have gathered, all in on the conspiracy for her to deliver Satan’s child, and welcome her in. You never see the baby, but Rosemary’s line says it all: “What have you done to him? What have you done to his eyes?!”

78% Scream (1996)

(Photo by Dimension Films)

The scene: ‘Do you like scary movies?’
Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s genre-reinvigorating classic kicks off with what many consider the greatest opening scene in horror history. Plot-wise, it’s basically When A Stranger Calls, ’90s-style – girl is alone in the house, receives stalk-y phone call, happens to have encyclopedic knowledge of the film genre in which she suddenly finds herself – but Craven brings so much smarts and bravura skill to the direction of it that it kicks complete ass even decades later, after we’ve seen the countless imitators that followed and the shock of having a big-star snuffed out in the first 10 minutes has worn off. Credit too to Ghostface voice Roger L. Jackson, that perfectly placed pan of Jiffy Pop, and to Williamson’s script, a step-by-step screenwriting masterclass in how to ratchet up tension. “The question who am I, the question is where am I?”: Chills to this day.

84% The Shining (1980)

(Photo by Warner Bros)

The scene: Jack on the attack
Kubrick stuffed his adaptation of Stephen King’s novel with so many scary moments and images, trying to pick just one could drive you to Jack Torrance levels of craziness. But we’re doing it anyway. While the Grady twins in the hallway are spooky as hell, and we still can’t erase the image of the bathtub woman from our minds, we had to go with the movie’s most iconic moment: Wendy trapped in a bathroom as Jack hammers at the door. Kubrick’s swinging camera, Jack Nicholson’s mania, and Shelley Duvall’s totally convincing fear combine to make this the most terrifying scene in one of cinema’s most terrifying movies.

95% The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

(Photo by ©Orion Pictures Corporation/courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: Night vision
Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning thriller makes good on all its pent-up tension with a finale that takes the “killer cam” idea to terrifying new levels. Having just clocked that Jame Gumb (Ted Levine) is ‘Buffalo Bill,’ the killer she’s been tracking – with the help of imprisoned cannibal Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) – Jodie Foster’s Agent Clarice Starling suddenly finds herself plunged into complete darkness in the murderer’s home and desperately trying to orient herself. Demme shoots the scene from Gumb’s point-of-view, through the killer’s night vision goggles, forcing us to watch a seemingly helpless Clarice as she is silently stalked and even taunted, Gumb reaching out a hand to just inches from her face. The sequence was reportedly shot over a 22-hour period and its influence lives in on the found-footage/screen life genre.

84% The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

(Photo by Bryanston Distributing Company)

The scene: Leatherface appears
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is considered one of the most punishing, sickly transformative experiences in horror. And it’s not even 90 minutes long – and nothing really happens for the first 30 minutes. But once Leatherface appears, the movie never lets up. His grand debut happens inside his house, when a stupidly intrepid young adult enters looking for fuel for his car. Leatherface pops out from a hallway and hits the dude in the hammer, the body crumpling and then twitching on the ground. Leatherface drags the body into the butcher room, and slams the door. There’s plenty of more scares to come, but this opening salvo is as disturbing as they come.

85% The Thing (1982)

(Photo by Universal/courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: Getting something off your chest
John Carpenter was well into his groove by the time he made The Thing, and he put all of his talents on display to contribute one of the most influential entries in the “body horror” genre not directed by David Cronenberg. We get our first glimpse of the “thing” fairly early in the movie when it absorbs a pack of huskies, and we see it again when it attempts to assimilate Peter Maloney’s Bennings. But the big scare comes when Charles Hallahan’s Norris appears to have a heart attack, and Dr. Copper (Richard Dysart) attempts to revive him with a defibrillator. Norris’ chest opens up like a giant mouth, complete with teeth, and rips Copper’s arms off before Kurt Russell’s MacReady blasts it with a flamethrower. Thanks to some top-notch practical effects and the judicious use of a jump-scare, the scene remains the most memorable and viscerally disturbing in the movie.

93% Us (2019)

(Photo by Claudette Barius / © Universal / courtesy Everett Collection)

The scene: “There’s a Family In Our Driveway”
Horror fans are split on whether Jordan Peele’s Us is a match for his debut feature, the Oscar-nominated and ground-breaking Get Out, or whether the film itself manages to sustain the tension of its first act as its story expands. But few would argue that the initial visit of the Wilson family’s mysterious, red-jumpsuit-clad doppelgängers (their Tethereds) to their vacation home is not among the most well-orchestrated and suspenseful home-invasion scenes the genre has ever given us. It’s not just the expert build-up of tension, as Winston Duke’s Gabe suddenly realizes he may need to get a little “crazy” with the strange quartet who’ve come a-knocking, but Peele’s ability to sear instantly iconic images onto our brain, from the shadowy figures holding hands in the driveway to Lupita Nyongo’s Adelaide clutching tightly to her children and, as the sequence settles, the first appearance of those golden scissors.

96% The Vanishing (1988)

(Photo by Argos Films)

The scene: The truth
Forget everything you know about The Vanishing. Oh, that was fast — as if you’ve never seen the Jeff Bridges/Sandra Bullock kidnap thriller before. It was a lousy movie with the distinction of being a remake…with the same director. George Sluzier was brought to Hollywood to direct the remake, and it’s easy to see why: the 1988 Dutch original is a chilling, methodical examination about the mundane face of pure evil. Naturally, the American version has none of that. It also doesn’t have the original’s ending: When the hero finally confronts his girlfriend’s kidnapper, who offers him the opportunity to find out what happened to her. The answer is one of the most terrifying scenes in movie history.

96% Wait Until Dark (1967)

(Photo by Everett Collection)

The scene: A climax in the dark
Sensory deprivation has long been a part of some of the most terrifying sequences in horror film history; see, for example, the climax from Silence of the Lambs, highlighted in this list, or the two Don’t Breathe movies, or, in a kind of inverse of the idea, A Quiet Place and its sequel. All likely owe some debt to Wait Until Dark, the 1967 thriller about a recently blinded woman (Audrey Hepburn) who finds herself under siege in her New York apartment when a group of criminals begin casing the place to find a heroin-stuffed doll they believe is inside. (And yes, you read that right: Audrey Freaking Hepburn is an OG Scream Queen.) The movie’s finale, in which Hepburn’s Susy Hendrix is trapped inside her apartment with the criminals (and which features a jump scare for the ages), is a nerve-shattering crescendo for a movie Stephen King has described as among the scariest of all time.

38% When a Stranger Calls (1979)

(Photo by Columbia Pictures)

The scene: The phone calls
Pop in When a Stranger Calls and for the first 20 minutes, you’ll think you’re watching the scariest movie ever made. Carol Kane plays the babysitter, and she keeps on getting increasingly menacing calls to check on the kids upstairs. When she gets the call traced, naturally it’s coming from inside the house! Think this scene won’t work anymore because it’s been parodied and referenced to death since? Think again. It remains a masterclass in editing and suspense. The rest of the movie is pretty lousy, but that opening act can still dial up the tension decades later.

91% The Wicker Man (1973)

(Photo by British Lion Films)

The scene: The burning
Not quite a masterpiece these days but definitely a classic, The Wicker Man follows a prudish police officer as he investigates the disappearance of a young girl on a remote English island populated by pagans. As he follows the clues and contradicting statements of the village people, he edges ever closer to the titular wicker man, a sacrificial vessel to be burned at dusk. Even if you can get who gets put inside it, the sheer intensity and terror of the scene is still something to be witnessed.

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Thumbnail image: IFC Films

My motto is, no matter what, if a film moves me, there is no shame in turning on the waterworks. I ugly cried in the theater during Disney’s Coco, I sobbed through the second half of Titanic, and I bawled my eyes out for the third and fourth installments of Toy Story. But I’ve been known to get teary-eyed during scary movies, too — when I say I’ll cry if a film moves me, I do mean any film, including horror.

It may seem odd to get emotional during horror films, but they can do so much more than just be terrifying. Some can inspire sadness, hope, or even happiness. The first one I remember getting me in my feelings is Candyman (1992); I was nine years old and begged my father to take me to see it. While the film terrified me throughout, a dramatic tear rolled down my cheek during the last 15 minutes. There was something about sacrifice and children that got to me, even at a young age — it still gets me to this day.

As Halloween approaches, we revisited some of the films that include a little slashing, a little bashing, and a little sensitivity. Got suggestions of horror movies that made you weep? Let us know in the comments.

[Warning: Major spoilers follow below.]

Lizzie (Ella Balentine) is a bright young 11-year-old who has to deal with her mother Kathy’s (Zoe Kazan) alcoholic, abusive, unpredictable ways. As they travel on the road at night, they find themselves stranded on an isolated road in the middle of nowhere, fighting for their lives against one ugly forest monster.

Cry Factor: The best mother and daughter bonding happens on this frightful night. You don’t get the sense that Kathy cares for Lizzie until it’s life or death; as a mother who feels she’s given her child nothing but strife, the only thing left for Kathy to do is to sacrifice her own life so Lizzie has a fighting chance to survive. The characters started crying, and then I started crying. It’s a scary cry fest!

In this moody Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, single mom Yoshimi Matsubara (Hitomi Kuroki) is dealing with a bitter divorce and custody battle for her young daughter, Ikuko (Rio Kanno). As the two try to start life anew in their new apartment, ghostly apparitions of a young girl with a red backpack begin to haunt them, and it’s clear something supernatural — and evil — is afoot.

Cry Factor: This movie is just sad all around. The body of a young girl who drowned in the building water tower still lingers in it; her spirit haunts the building’s hallways looking for a new “mother” to latch onto, and Yoshimi is it. The woman must choose between crossing over to be with this ghost child or allowing her own daughter to be possessed by the spirit. Yoshimi ultimately decides to sacrifice herself so Ikuko can live in peace. Ten years later, Ikuko returns to the site of her mother’s disappearance and sees her ghost, who assures her that she’s OK in the afterlife and not to worry, providing rare horor-film closure for Ikuko.

A college student commits suicide on a live internet stream, setting off a chain reaction across Tokyo that causes others to follow suit. The film follows Michi (Kumiko Aso), Ryosuke (Haruhiko Kato), and Harue (Koyuki), three unrelated folks whose stories eventually converge in this atmospheric, supernatural horror in which the internet plays a pivotal role.

Cry Factor: Kairo isn’t a typical horror film as it’s more about existentialism than anything else. Ghosts are lonely, and they travel through the internet to make contact with the living. In the end, 85% of the population is gone, and Michi begins to realize the power of human connection. The film asserts that death is just as finite as the living world, and if people cannot connect in life, they will be forced to do it in death. It will hit you in the feels, ya’ll.

Many consider this to be Guillermo del Toro’s best film. The horror/fantasy tale is told against the backdrop of Franco’s authoritarian rule over Spain amd packs an emotional punch. The film follows 12-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), otherwise known as Princess Moanna of the underworld, who meets a faun that wants to help her return to her kingdom. In reality, Ofelia lives a harsh life with her stepfather, a captain under Franco’s regime.

Cry Factor: Ofelia’s mortal mother dies, and she herself is abused by her stepfather and nearly eaten by the Pale Man, all while living under Franco’s rule. This kid goes through it all. Just when you think she’s victorious, she’s shot and killed by her stepfather. Not all is bleak in death, though: she returns to the underworld to rule as its princess once again. How can you not feel anything from that?

If Before Sunrise and H.P. Lovecraft had a baby, it would be the horror/romance film Spring. Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci) is an American in Italy learning how to farm. He meets Louise (Nadia Hilker), a genetics student, and it’s love at first sight. The two exchange life stories, but Louise forgets to mention she is a 2,000-year-old Cthulhu-like monster. Until, that is, Evan catches her one day in the midst of a transformation phase that’s pretty gnarly to witness.

Cry Factor: Evan sees this transformation and doesn’t care; he is still in love with Louise. She explains this is a hereditary trait that helps her achieve immortality. She injects a special serum to keep herself in human form, but every 20 years, she must transform into a new look and new body – the only thing that will stop this process is falling in love. The duo decide to spend Louise’s final moments in her present form together, but when the time comes, the transformation doesn’t happen because she’s in love with Evan. It’s enough to bring tears to your eyes and butterflies to your stomach.

Creepy dead children, a haunted house, and a mother at her wits’ end trying to find her missing son – nothing is as it seems in The Orphanage. Laura’s (Belén Rueda) son Simón (Roger Princep) is missing, and she is desperate to find him. The cops aren’t helpful, and she’s seeing frightening apparitions of dead children in her home, a former orphanage. Laura can’t decipher if she’s going mad or if the ghosts are trying to tell her something.

Cry Factor: Laura has truly lost all hope, but emotions escalate when she discovers she killed her son by accident and didn’t even realize it: What she thought was the ghost of one of the creepy children was, in fact, her own child in disguise. You’ll tear up just thinking about it even years after watching. The film ends on a bittersweet note, as Laura commits suicide to cross over and be with Simon and the other children. Now she too is a part of the orphanage.

Thumbnail image by ©Picturehouse Entertainment courtesy Everett Collection

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(Photo by © Focus Features)

105 Great Movies to Watch Alone

For some, staying home right now can mean curling up with a loved one on the couch for a date-night flick or gathering the whole family together for movie night. For many others, it can mean flying solo – long days and nights of streaming by yourself. We’re here to help with some movie suggestions we think are tailor-made for that latter experience.

Just like going to the movie theater alone can be a singularly joyous “treat yo self” excursion, solo home-viewing can be a great experience too – if you choose the right film. There are movies out there that actually benefit from being watched alone: It might be that they require a level of concentration and focus that distracting friends and loved ones just won’t allow you, or that the maximum scare factor is best felt when you are completely isolated – just like the babysitter being stalked on screen. It might just be that the movie has the kind of awkward/titillating sexy bits that make watching it with a first date – or, let’s say, mom – not exactly ideal. Watch it alone – no judgment, no nervous giggles.

To help those solo-fliers get through the next little while, the RT team pulled together a list of movies perfect for watching alone for all of those reasons – and a bunch that are just guaranteed to put you in an awesome mood the moment they start. Which might be the best reason of all.

What’s your favorite movie to watch by yourself? Let us know in the comments.
Click on each movie’s title to find out more, including where to stream, rent, or buy.

BECAUSE THE MOVIE REQUIRES YOUR ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION…

#13

Memento (2000)
93%

#13

Critics Consensus: Christopher Nolan skillfully guides the audience through Memento's fractured narrative, seeping his film in existential dread.

Synopsis: Leonard (Guy Pearce) is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty, however, of locating his [More]

Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

#12

Synecdoche, New York (2008)
69%

#12

Critics Consensus: Charlie Kaufman's ambitious directorial debut occasionally strains to connect, but ultimately provides fascinating insight into a writer's mind.

Synopsis: Life is looking pretty bleak for theater director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman). His wife and daughter have left him, [More]

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener

Directed By: Charlie Kaufman

#11

The Irishman (2019)
95%

#11

Critics Consensus: An epic gangster drama that earns its extended runtime, The Irishman finds Martin Scorsese revisiting familiar themes to poignant, funny, and profound effect.

Synopsis: In the 1950s, truck driver Frank Sheeran gets involved with Russell Bufalino and his Pennsylvania crime family. As Sheeran climbs [More]

Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Anna Paquin

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

#10

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
93%

#10

Critics Consensus: Propelled by Charlie Kaufman's smart, imaginative script and Michel Gondry's equally daring directorial touch, Eternal Sunshine is a twisty yet heartfelt look at relationships and heartache.

Synopsis: After a painful breakup, Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergoes a procedure to erase memories of her former boyfriend Joel (Jim Carrey) [More]

Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo

Directed By: Michel Gondry

Annihilation (2018)
88%

Critics Consensus: Annihilation backs up its sci-fi visual wonders and visceral genre thrills with an impressively ambitious -- and surprisingly strange -- exploration of challenging themes that should leave audiences pondering long after the end credits roll.

Synopsis: Lena, a biologist and former soldier, joins a mission to uncover what happened to her husband inside Area X -- [More]

Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson

Directed By: Alex Garland

Magnolia (1999)
82%

Critics Consensus: An eruption of feeling that's as overwhelming as it is overwrought, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia reaches a feverish crescendo and sustains it thanks to its fearlessly committed ensemble.

Synopsis: On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous [More]

Starring: Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

12 Monkeys (1995)
88%

Critics Consensus: The plot's a bit of a jumble, but excellent performances and mind-blowing plot twists make 12 Monkeys a kooky, effective experience.

Synopsis: Traveling back in time isn't simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030s, James [More]

Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer

Directed By: Terry Gilliam

Zodiac (2007)
90%

Critics Consensus: A quiet, dialogue-driven thriller that delivers with scene after scene of gut-wrenching anxiety. David Fincher also spends more time illustrating nuances of his characters and recreating the mood of the '70s than he does on gory details of murder.

Synopsis: In the late 1960s and 1970s, fear grips the city of San Francisco as a serial killer called Zodiac stalks [More]

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards

Directed By: David Fincher

Silence (2016)
83%

Critics Consensus: Silence ends Martin Scorsese's decades-long creative quest with a thoughtful, emotionally resonant look at spirituality and human nature that stands among the director's finest works.

Synopsis: Two 17th-century Portuguese missionaries, Father Sebastian Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), embark on a perilous journey [More]

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

The Deer Hunter (1978)
86%

Critics Consensus: Its greatness is blunted by its length and one-sided point of view, but the film's weaknesses are overpowered by Michael Cimino's sympathetic direction and a series of heartbreaking performances from Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken.

Synopsis: In 1968, Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage), lifelong friends from a working-class Pennsylvania steel [More]

Starring: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale

Directed By: Michael Cimino

Parasite (2019)
99%

Critics Consensus: An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft.

Synopsis: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan. [More]

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

The Master (2012)
85%

Critics Consensus: Smart and solidly engrossing, The Master extends Paul Thomas Anderson's winning streak of challenging films for serious audiences.

Synopsis: Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a troubled, boozy drifter struggling with the trauma of World War II and whatever inner [More]

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

The Game (1997)
77%

Critics Consensus: The ending could use a little work but this is otherwise another sterling example of David Fincher's iron grip on atmosphere and storytelling.

Synopsis: Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is a successful banker who keeps mostly to himself. When his estranged brother Conrad (Sean [More]

Starring: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger, James Rebhorn

Directed By: David Fincher

Inherent Vice (2014)
73%

Critics Consensus: Inherent Vice may prove frustrating for viewers who demand absolute coherence, but it does justice to its acclaimed source material -- and should satisfy fans of director P.T. Anderson.

Synopsis: In a California beach community, private detective Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) tends to work his cases through a smoky [More]

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Burning (2018)
95%

Critics Consensus: Burning patiently lures audiences into a slow-burning character study that ultimately rewards the viewer's patience -- and subverts many of their expectations.

Synopsis: Jong-soo runs into Hae-mi, a girl who once lived in his neighborhood, and she asks him to watch her cat [More]

Starring: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo, Kim Soo-kyung

Directed By: Lee Chang-dong

Vertigo (1958)
93%

Critics Consensus: An unpredictable scary thriller that doubles as a mournful meditation on love, loss, and human comfort.

Synopsis: Hitchcock's romantic story of obsession, manipulation and fear. A detective is forced to retire after his fear of heights causes [More]

Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

The Tree of Life (2011)
86%

Critics Consensus: Terrence Malick's singularly deliberate style may prove unrewarding for some, but for patient viewers, Tree of Life is an emotional as well as visual treat.

Synopsis: In this highly philosophical film by acclaimed director Terrence Malick, young Jack (Hunter McCracken) is one of three brothers growing [More]

Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Fiona Shaw

Directed By: Terrence Malick

The Prestige (2006)
77%

Critics Consensus: Full of twists and turns, The Prestige is a dazzling period piece that never stops challenging the audience.

Synopsis: An illusion gone horribly wrong pits two 19th-century magicians, Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman), against each [More]

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Under the Skin (2013)
83%

Critics Consensus: Its message may prove elusive for some, but with absorbing imagery and a mesmerizing performance from Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin is a haunting viewing experience.

Synopsis: Disguising herself as a human female, an extraterrestrial (Scarlett Johansson) drives around Scotland and tries to lure unsuspecting men into [More]

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay, Dougie McConnell

Directed By: Jonathan Glazer

Gattaca (1997)
82%

Critics Consensus: Intelligent and scientifically provocative, Gattaca is an absorbing sci fi drama that poses important interesting ethical questions about the nature of science.

Synopsis: Vincent Freeman has always fantasized about traveling into outer space, but is grounded by his status as a genetically inferior [More]

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal

Directed By: Andrew Niccol

BECAUSE THE MOVIE IS GONNA MAKE YOU UGLY CRY…

#13

Life Is Beautiful (1997)
80%

#13

Critics Consensus: Benigni's earnest charm, when not overstepping its bounds into the unnecessarily treacly, offers the possibility of hope in the face of unflinching horror.

Synopsis: A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with [More]

Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano

Directed By: Roberto Benigni

#12

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
95%

#12

Critics Consensus: Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups, with the horrors of both reality and fantasy blended together into an extraordinary, spellbinding fable.

Synopsis: In 1944 Spain young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her ailing mother (Ariadna Gil) arrive at the post of her mother's [More]

Starring: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Álex Angulo

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#11

Beaches (1988)
42%

#11

Critics Consensus: Not all great soundtracks make good movies, and Beaches lacks the wind beneath its wings.

Synopsis: Hillary (Barbara Hershey) and CC (Bette Midler) meet as children vacationing in Atlantic City, N.J., and remain friends throughout the [More]

Starring: Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey, John Heard, Spalding Gray

Directed By: Garry Marshall

#10

Steel Magnolias (1989)
73%

#10

Critics Consensus: Steel Magnolias has jokes and characters to spare, which makes it more dangerous (and effective) when it goes for the full melodrama by the end.

Synopsis: M'Lynn (Sally Field) is the mother of bride-to-be Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts), and as friend Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) fixes [More]

Starring: Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah

Directed By: Herbert Ross

Stepmom (1998)
45%

Critics Consensus: Solid work from Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon isn't enough to save Stepmom from a story whose manipulations dilute the effectiveness of a potentially affecting drama.

Synopsis: Three years after divorcing Jackie (Susan Sarandon), the mother of his children, Luke Harrison (Ed Harris) decides to take the [More]

Starring: Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris, Jena Malone

Directed By: Chris Columbus

The Color Purple (1985)
73%

Critics Consensus: It might have been better served by a filmmaker with a deeper connection to the source material, but The Color Purple remains a worthy, well-acted adaptation of Alice Walker's classic novel.

Synopsis: An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South [More]

Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Terms of Endearment (1983)
81%

Critics Consensus: A classic tearjerker, Terms of Endearment isn't shy about reaching for the heartstrings -- but is so well-acted and smartly scripted that it's almost impossible to resist.

Synopsis: Widow Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), have a strong bond, but Emma marries teacher Flap [More]

Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels

Directed By: James L. Brooks

Toy Story 3 (2010)
98%

Critics Consensus: Deftly blending comedy, adventure, and honest emotion, Toy Story 3 is a rare second sequel that really works.

Synopsis: With their beloved Andy preparing to leave for college, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), and [More]

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty

Directed By: Lee Unkrich

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
81%

Critics Consensus: Wise, funny, and heartbreaking without resorting to exploitation, The Fault In Our Stars does right by its bestselling source material.

Synopsis: Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), a 16-year-old cancer patient, meets and falls in love with Gus Waters (Ansel Elgort), a [More]

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Willem Dafoe, Nat Wolff

Directed By: Josh Boone

Wendy and Lucy (2008)
85%

Critics Consensus: Michelle Williams gives a heartbreaking performance in Wendy and Lucy, a timely portrait of loneliness and struggle.

Synopsis: Wendy (Michelle Williams), a near-penniless drifter, is traveling to Alaska in search of work, and her only companion is her [More]

Starring: Michelle Williams, Will Patton, Will Oldham, John Robinson

Directed By: Kelly Reichardt

My Girl (1991)
57%

Critics Consensus: My Girl has a mostly sweet story and a pair of appealing young leads, but it's largely undone by its aggressively tearjerking ending.

Synopsis: Tomboy Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) has good reason to be morbid: her mother died giving birth to her, and her [More]

Starring: Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis

Directed By: Howard Zieff

Selena (1997)
67%

Critics Consensus: Selena occasionally struggles to tell its subject's story with depth or perspective, but those flaws are rendered largely irrelevant by Jennifer Lopez in the title role.

Synopsis: In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla (Jennifer Lopez) is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham [More]

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Constance Marie

Directed By: Gregory Nava

Up (2009)
98%

Critics Consensus: An exciting, funny, and poignant adventure, Up offers an impeccably crafted story told with wit and arranged with depth, as well as yet another visual Pixar treat.

Synopsis: Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), a 78-year-old balloon salesman, is about to fulfill a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to [More]

Starring: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson

Directed By: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
99%

Critics Consensus: Playing as both an exciting sci-fi adventure and a remarkable portrait of childhood, Steven Spielberg's touching tale of a homesick alien remains a piece of movie magic for young and old.

Synopsis: After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott [More]

Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
81%

Critics Consensus: Beautifully scripted and perfectly cast, Me & Earl & the Dying Girl is a coming-of-age movie with uncommon charm and insight.

Synopsis: An awkward high-school senior (Thomas Mann) and a gravely ill classmate (Olivia Cooke) surprise themselves by becoming inseparable friends. [More]

Starring: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Nick Offerman

Directed By: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Stories We Tell (2012)
94%

Critics Consensus: In Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley plays with the documentary format to explore the nature of memory and storytelling, crafting a thoughtful, compelling narrative that unfolds like a mystery.

Synopsis: Through a series of revealing interviews, filmmaker Sarah Polley investigates the truth about her family history. [More]

Starring: Sarah Polley, Michael Polley, Harry Gulkin

Directed By: Sarah Polley

Old Yeller (1957)
100%

Critics Consensus: Old Yeller is an exemplary coming of age tale, packing an emotional wallop through smart pacing and a keen understanding of the elemental bonding between humanity and their furry best friends.

Synopsis: While Jim Coates (Fess Parker) is off on a cattle drive, his wife, Katie (Dorothy McGuire), and sons, Travis (Tommy [More]

Starring: Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran

Directed By: Robert Stevenson

Marley & Me (2008)
63%

Critics Consensus: Pet owners should love it, but Marley and Me is only sporadically successful in wringing drama and laughs from its scenario.

Synopsis: Newlyweds John and Jenny Grogan leave behind snowy Michigan and move to Florida, where they buy their first home and [More]

Starring: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Kathleen Turner

Directed By: David Frankel

A Walk to Remember (2002)
30%

Critics Consensus: Though wholesome, the Mandy Moore vehicle A Walk to Remember is also bland and oppressively syrupy.

Synopsis: Set in North Carolina, "A Walk To Remember" follows the rite of passage of a jaded, aimless high school senior [More]

Starring: Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote, Daryl Hannah

Directed By: Adam Shankman

BECAUSE THE MOVIE WILL INSTANTLY PUT YOU IN A BETTER MOOD…

#13

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
93%

#13

Critics Consensus: Warm, whimsical, and poignant, the immaculately framed and beautifully acted Moonrise Kingdom presents writer/director Wes Anderson at his idiosyncratic best.

Synopsis: The year is 1965, and the residents of New Penzance, an island off the coast of New England, inhabit a [More]

Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand

Directed By: Wes Anderson

#12

Groundhog Day (1993)
94%

#12

Critics Consensus: Smart, sweet, and inventive, Groundhog Day highlights Murray's dramatic gifts while still leaving plenty of room for laughs.

Synopsis: Phil (Bill Murray), a weatherman, is out to cover the annual emergence of the groundhog from its hole. He gets [More]

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky

Directed By: Harold Ramis

#11

The Goonies (1985)
77%

#11

Critics Consensus: The Goonies is an energetic, sometimes noisy mix of Spielbergian sentiment and funhouse tricks that will appeal to kids and nostalgic adults alike.

Synopsis: When two brothers find out they might lose their house they are desperate to find a way to keep their [More]

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman

Directed By: Richard Donner

#10

Singin' in the Rain (1952)
100%

#10

Critics Consensus: Clever, incisive, and funny, Singin' in the Rain is a masterpiece of the classical Hollywood musical.

Synopsis: A spoof of the turmoil that afflicted the movie industry in the late 1920s when movies went from silent to [More]

Starring: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen

Directed By: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly

Amélie (2001)
90%

Critics Consensus: The feel-good Amelie is a lively, fanciful charmer, showcasing Audrey Tautou as its delightful heroine.

Synopsis: "Amélie" is a fanciful comedy about a young woman who discretely orchestrates the lives of the people around her, creating [More]

Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Yolande Moreau

Directed By: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The Princess Bride (1987)
96%

Critics Consensus: A delightfully postmodern fairy tale, The Princess Bride is a deft, intelligent mix of swashbuckling, romance, and comedy that takes an age-old damsel-in-distress story and makes it fresh.

Synopsis: A fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a [More]

Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon

Directed By: Rob Reiner

The Birdcage (1996)
84%

Critics Consensus: Mike Nichols wrangles agreeably amusing performances from Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in this fun, if not quite essential, remake of the French comedy La Cage aux Folles.

Synopsis: In Miami Beach, a gay couple pretend to be man and wife when a son's future father-in-law and family visit. [More]

Starring: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest

Directed By: Mike Nichols

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
83%

Critics Consensus: Matthew Broderick charms in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a light and irrepressibly fun movie about being young and having fun.

Synopsis: Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one [More]

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey

Directed By: John Hughes

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
79%

Critics Consensus: Zellweger's Bridget Jones is a sympathetic, likable, funny character, giving this romantic comedy a lot of charm.

Synopsis: At the start of the New Year, 32-year-old Bridget (Renée Zellweger) decides it's time to take control of her life [More]

Starring: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Gemma Jones

Directed By: Sharon Maguire

Clueless (1995)
82%

Critics Consensus: A funny and clever reshaping of Emma, Clueless offers a soft satire that pokes as much fun at teen films as it does at the Beverly Hills glitterati.

Synopsis: Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. [More]

Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd

Directed By: Amy Heckerling

The Intouchables (2011)
75%

Critics Consensus: It handles its potentially prickly subject matter with kid gloves, but Intouchables gets by thanks to its strong cast and some remarkably sensitive direction.

Synopsis: An unlikely friendship develops between a wealthy quadriplegic (François Cluzet) and his caretaker (Omar Sy), just released from prison. [More]

Starring: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot

Directed By: Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache

Tommy Boy (1995)
40%

Critics Consensus: Though it benefits from the comic charms of its two leads, Tommy Boy too often feels like a familiar sketch stretched thin.

Synopsis: After his beloved father (Brian Dennehy) dies, dimwitted Tommy Callahan (Chris Farley) inherits a near-bankrupt automobile parts factory in Sandusky, [More]

Starring: Chris Farley, David Spade, Brian Dennehy, Bo Derek

Directed By: Peter Segal

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
91%

Critics Consensus: Little Miss Sunshine succeeds thanks to a strong ensemble cast that includes Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, and Abigail Breslin, as well as a delightfully funny script.

Synopsis: The Hoover family -- a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) [More]

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin

Directed By: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

The Full Monty (1997)
96%

Critics Consensus: Cheeky and infectiously good-natured, The Full Monty bares its big beating heart with a sly dose of ribald comedy.

Synopsis: After losing his job at a steel factory, Gaz (Robert Carlyle) learns that his wife wants to sue him for [More]

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, Lesley Sharp

Directed By: Peter Cattaneo

Mamma Mia! (2008)
55%

Critics Consensus: This jukebox musical is full of fluffy fun but rough singing voices and a campy tone might not make you feel like "You Can Dance" the whole 90 minutes.

Synopsis: Donna (Meryl Streep), an independent hotelier in the Greek islands, is preparing for her daughter's wedding with the help of [More]

Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård

Directed By: Phyllida Lloyd

Billy Elliot (2000)
85%

Critics Consensus: Billy Elliot is a charming movie that can evoke both laughter and tears.

Synopsis: The life of 11-year-old Billy Elliot, a coal miner's son in Northern England, is forever changed one day when he [More]

Starring: Julie Walters, Jamie Bell, Jamie Draven, Gary Lewis

Directed By: Stephen Daldry

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
54%

Critics Consensus: Provides lots of laughs with Myers at the healm; as funny or funnier than the original.

Synopsis: In his second screen adventure, British super spy Austin Powers must return to 1969, as arch-nemesis Dr. Evil has ventured [More]

Starring: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Michael York, Robert Wagner

Directed By: Jay Roach

Step Brothers (2008)
54%

Critics Consensus: Step Brothers indulges in a cheerfully relentless immaturity that will quickly turn off viewers unamused by Ferrell and Reilly -- and delight those who find their antics hilarious.

Synopsis: Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) have one thing in common: they are both lazy, unemployed [More]

Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen

Directed By: Adam McKay

Coming to America (1988)
73%

Critics Consensus: Eddie Murphy was in full control at this point, starkly evident in Coming to America's John Landis' coasting direction.

Synopsis: Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is the prince of a wealthy African country and wants for nothing, except a wife who [More]

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, John Amos, James Earl Jones

Directed By: John Landis

Airplane! (1980)
97%

Critics Consensus: Though unabashedly juvenile and silly, Airplane! is nevertheless an uproarious spoof comedy full of quotable lines and slapstick gags that endure to this day.

Synopsis: This spoof comedy takes shots at the slew of disaster movies that were released in the 70s. When the passengers [More]

Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Peter Graves, Robert Stack

Directed By: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Game Night (2018)
85%

Critics Consensus: With a talented cast turned loose on a loaded premise -- and a sharp script loaded with dark comedy and unexpected twists -- Game Night might be more fun than the real thing.

Synopsis: Max and Annie's weekly game night gets kicked up a notch when Max's brother Brooks arranges a murder mystery party [More]

Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan

Directed By: John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein

Pride (2014)
93%

Critics Consensus: Earnest without being didactic and uplifting without stooping to sentimentality, Pride is a joyous crowd-pleaser that genuinely works.

Synopsis: Realizing that they share common foes in Margaret Thatcher, the police and the conservative press, London-based gays and lesbians lend [More]

Starring: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine

Directed By: Matthew Warchus

Pitch Perfect (2012)
81%

Critics Consensus: Pitch Perfect's plot is formulaic, but the performances are excellent and the musical numbers are toe-tapping as well.

Synopsis: College student Beca (Anna Kendrick) knows she does not want to be part of a clique, but that's exactly where [More]

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Adam DeVine

Directed By: Jason Moore

Hot Fuzz (2007)
91%

Critics Consensus: The brilliant minds behind Shaun of the Dead successfully take a shot at the buddy cop genre with Hot Fuzz. The result is a bitingly satiric and hugely entertaining parody.

Synopsis: As a former London constable, Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) finds if difficult to adapt to his new assignment in the [More]

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine

Directed By: Edgar Wright

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
42%

Critics Consensus: Undisciplined, scatological, profoundly silly, and often utterly groan-worthy, Robin Hood: Men in Tights still has an amiable, anything-goes goofiness that has made it a cult favorite.

Synopsis: Crusading nobleman Robin of Loxley (Cary Elwes) escapes from prison in Jerusalem and returns home to find that the evil [More]

Starring: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck

Directed By: Mel Brooks

Sing Street (2016)
95%

Critics Consensus: Sing Street is a feel-good musical with huge heart and irresistible optimism, and its charming cast and hummable tunes help to elevate its familiar plotting.

Synopsis: In 1985, a Dublin teenager (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) forms a rock 'n' roll band to win the heart of an aspiring [More]

Starring: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen

Directed By: John Carney

Big (1988)
98%

Critics Consensus: Refreshingly sweet and undeniably funny, Big is a showcase for Tom Hanks, who dives into his role and infuses it with charm and surprising poignancy.

Synopsis: At a carnival, young Josh Baskin wishes he was big, only to wake up the next morning and discover his [More]

Starring: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard

Directed By: Penny Marshall

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
91%

Critics Consensus: With a terrific cast and a surfeit of visual razzle dazzle, Crazy Rich Asians takes a satisfying step forward for screen representation while deftly drawing inspiration from the classic -- and still effective -- rom-com formula.

Synopsis: Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. She's also surprised [More]

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan

Directed By: Jon M. Chu

BECAUSE THE MOVIE’S VERY SEXY BITS WILL BE LESS AWKWARD SOLO…

#13

Magic Mike XXL (2015)
66%

#13

Critics Consensus: Magic Mike XXL has enough narrative thrust and beefy charm to deliver another helping of well-oiled entertainment, even if this sequel isn't quite as pleasurable as its predecessor.

Synopsis: It's been three years since Mike Lane's (Channing Tatum) retirement from stripping, but the former dancer misses the excitement and [More]

Starring: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash

Directed By: Gregory Jacobs

#12

Basic Instinct (1992)
56%

#12

Critics Consensus: Unevenly echoing the work of Alfred Hitchcock, Basic Instinct contains a star-making performance from Sharon Stone but is ultimately undone by its problematic, overly lurid plot.

Synopsis: The mysterious Catherine Tramell, a beautiful crime novelist, becomes a suspect when she is linked to the brutal death of [More]

Starring: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn

Directed By: Paul Verhoeven

#11

Y tu mamá también (2001)
90%

#11

Critics Consensus: Led by a triumvirate of terrific performances, Alfonso Cuarón's free-spirited road trip through Mexico is a sexy and wistful hymn to the fleetingness of youth.

Synopsis: The lives of Julio and Tenoch, like those of 17-year old boys everywhere, are ruled by raging hormones, intense friendships, [More]

Starring: Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Diana Bracho

Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón

#10

The Dreamers (2003)
59%

#10

Critics Consensus: Though lushly atmospheric, The Dreamers doesn't engage or provoke as much as it should.

Synopsis: In May 1968, the student riots in Paris only exacerbate the isolation felt by three youths: an American exchange student [More]

Starring: Michael Pitt, Eva Green, Louis Garrel, Robin Renucci

Directed By: Bernardo Bertolucci

Lust, Caution (2007)
73%

Critics Consensus: Ang Lee's Lust, Caution is a tense, sensual and beautifully-shot espionage film.

Synopsis: During World War II a secret agent (Tang Wei) must seduce, then assassinate an official (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) who [More]

Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Joan Chen, Wei Tang, Leehom Wang

Directed By: Ang Lee

Sirens (1994)
73%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In 1930s Australia, Anglican clergyman Anthony Campion (Hugh Grant) and his prim wife, Estella (Tara Fitzgerald), are asked to visit [More]

Starring: Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Sam Neill, Elle Macpherson

Directed By: John Duigan

Secretary (2002)
77%

Critics Consensus: Maggie Gyllenhaal impresses in this romantic comedy with a kinky twist.

Synopsis: Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young woman with a history of severe emotional problems, is released into the care of [More]

Starring: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Davies, Patrick Bauchau

Directed By: Steven Shainberg

Boogie Nights (1997)
91%

Critics Consensus: Grounded in strong characters, bold themes, and subtle storytelling, Boogie Nights is a groundbreaking film both for director P.T. Anderson and star Mark Wahlberg.

Synopsis: In the San Fernando Valley in 1977, teenage busboy Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg) gets discovered by porn director Jack Horner [More]

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Wild Things (1998)
65%

Critics Consensus: Wild Things is a delightfully salacious, flesh-exposed romp that also requires a high degree of love for trash cinema.

Synopsis: When teen debutante Kelly (Denise Richards) fails to attract the attention of her hunky guidance counselor, Sam (Matt Dillon), she [More]

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Theresa Russell

Directed By: John McNaughton

Unfaithful (2002)
51%

Critics Consensus: Diane Lane shines in the role, but the movie adds nothing new to the genre and the resolution is unsatisfying.

Synopsis: Described by director Adrian Lyne ("Fatal Attraction") as "an erotic thriller about the body language of guilt." When Edward (Richard [More]

Starring: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez, Erik Per Sullivan

Directed By: Adrian Lyne

Bound (1996)
87%

Critics Consensus: Bound's more titillating elements attracted attention, but it's the stylish direction, solid performances, and entertaining neo-noir caper plot that make it worth a watch.

Synopsis: Sparks fly when Violet (Jennifer Tilly) sets eyes on Corky (Gina Gershon) in an elevator. Violet is the girlfriend of [More]

Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, Barry Kivel

Directed By: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Swimming Pool (2003)
84%

Critics Consensus: A sensual thriller with two engaging performers demanding our undivided attention.

Synopsis: When uptight British writer Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) has difficulty with her new detective novel, her publisher, John Bosload (Charles [More]

Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, Charles Dance, Marc Fayolle

Directed By: François Ozon

Mulholland Dr. (2001)
84%

Critics Consensus: David Lynch's dreamlike and mysterious Mulholland Drive is a twisty neo-noir with an unconventional structure that features a mesmerizing performance from Naomi Watts as a woman on the dark fringes of Hollywood.

Synopsis: A dark-haired woman (Laura Elena Harring) is left amnesiac after a car crash. She wanders the streets of Los Angeles [More]

Starring: Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Ann Miller

Directed By: David Lynch

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
76%

Critics Consensus: Kubrick's intense study of the human psyche yields an impressive cinematic work.

Synopsis: After Dr. Bill Hartford's (Tom Cruise) wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, [More]

Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Weekend (2011)
95%

Critics Consensus: It may be a chamber piece but Weekend's revelations on modern sexuality expand far beyond the modest setting.

Synopsis: A gay man's (Tom Cullen) weekend-long encounter with an artist (Chris New) changes his life in unexpected ways. [More]

Starring: Tom Cullen, Chris New, Jonathan Race, Laura Freeman

Directed By: Andrew Haigh

Body Heat (1981)
96%

Critics Consensus: Made from classic noir ingredients and flavored with a heaping helping of steamy modern spice, Body Heat more than lives up to its evocative title.

Synopsis: Shyster lawyer Ned Racine (William Hurt) begins a passionate affair with Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner), wife of a wealthy Florida [More]

Starring: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson

Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan

Shame (2011)
79%

Critics Consensus: Boasting stellar performances by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, Shame is a powerful plunge into the mania of addiction affliction.

Synopsis: Successful and handsome New Yorker Brandon (Michael Fassbender) seems to live an ordinary life, but he hides a terrible secret [More]

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie

Directed By: Steve McQueen

Showgirls (1995)
24%

Critics Consensus: Vile, contemptible, garish, and misogynistic -- and that might just be exactly Showgirls' point.

Synopsis: Nomi (Elizabeth Berkley) arrives in Las Vegas with only a suitcase and a dream of becoming a top showgirl. She [More]

Starring: Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer

Directed By: Paul Verhoeven

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
25%

Critics Consensus: While creatively better endowed than its print counterpart, Fifty Shades of Grey is a less than satisfying experience on the screen.

Synopsis: When college senior Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) steps in for her sick roommate to interview prominent businessman Christian Grey (Jamie [More]

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Jennifer Ehle, Eloise Mumford

Directed By: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Fear (1996)
47%

Critics Consensus: Fear has an appealing young cast, but their efforts aren't enough to consistently distract from an increasingly overblown - and illogical - teen stalker story.

Synopsis: When 16-year-old Nicole Walker (Reese Witherspoon) meets 23-year-old David McCall (Mark Wahlberg) at a Seattle nightclub, she falls in love. [More]

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Amy Brenneman

Directed By: James Foley

BECAUSE THE MOVIE’S EVEN SCARIER IN PERFECT SILENCE…

#13

The Descent (2005)
87%

#13

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Neil Marshall

#12

A Quiet Place (2018)
96%

#12

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 [More]

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

Directed By: John Krasinski

#11

Switchblade Romance (2003)
41%

#11

Critics Consensus: There is indeed a good amount of tension in this French slasher, but the dubbing is bad and the end twist unbelievable.

Synopsis: A beautiful young Frenchwoman, Alex (Maïwenn Le Besco), travels out to the country to visit her family and brings along [More]

Starring: Cécile de France, Maïwenn, Philippe Nahon, Franck Khalfoun

Directed By: Alexandre Aja

#10

The Strangers (2008)
50%

#10

Critics Consensus: The Strangers has a handful of genuinely scary moments, but they're not enough to elevate the end results above standard slasher fare.

Synopsis: Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) are expecting a relaxing weekend at a family vacation home, but their stay [More]

Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks

Directed By: Bryan Bertino

Hush (2016)
92%

Critics Consensus: Hush navigates the bloody waters of home invasion thrillers and incisive slashers for a contemporary horror puree.

Synopsis: A deaf woman is stalked by a killer in her home. [More]

Starring: John Gallagher Jr., Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan

Directed By: Mike Flanagan

28 Days Later (2002)
87%

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Danny Boyle

Alien (1979)
93%

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Dead Silence (2007)
21%

Critics Consensus: More tasteful than recent slasher flicks, but Dead Silence is undone by boring characters, bland dialogue, and an unnecessary and obvious twist ending.

Synopsis: After his wife meets a grisly end, Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) returns to their creepy hometown of Ravens Fair to [More]

Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Bob Gunton

Directed By: James Wan

The House of the Devil (2009)
86%

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 (Jocelin Donahue) takes [More]

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

Directed By: Ti West

The Others (2001)
84%

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Alejandro Amenábar

Don't Breathe (2016)
88%

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Fede Alvarez

The Shining (1980)
84%

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. [More]

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

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Wait Until Dark (1967)
96%

Critics Consensus: Nail-bitingly tense and brilliantly acted, Wait Until Dark is a compact thriller that makes the most of its fiendishly clever premise.

Synopsis: After a flight back home, Sam Hendrix (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) returns with a doll he innocently acquired along the way. [More]

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Directed By: Terence Young

The Conjuring (2013)
86%

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 [More]

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

Directed By: James Wan

When a Stranger Calls (1979)
38%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A retired police detective (Charles Durning) hunts a deranged British seaman out to re-create a baby sitter's (Carol Kane) horror. [More]

Starring: Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst, Rutanya Alda

Directed By: Fred Walton

Silent House (2011)
42%

Critics Consensus: Silent House is more technically proficient and ambitious than most fright-fests, but it also suffers from a disappointing payoff.

Synopsis: Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) is working with her father (Adam Trese) and uncle (Eric Sheffer Stevens) to renovate an old family [More]

Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Adam Trese, Eric Sheffer Stevens, Julia Chan

Directed By: Chris Kentis, Laura Lau

It Comes at Night (2017)
88%

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Trey Edward Shults

The Orphanage (2007)
87%

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 [More]

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

Directed By: J. A. Bayona

Thumbnail image: Everett Collection, Paramount Pictures, Focus Features

Hereditary torments viewers with every horror trick and trope in the book. It’s got jump scares, dreadful atmosphere, supernatural goings-on, the occult, spirits and seances, and, yes, creepy kids. You’ll be hard pressed to find a young girl more unsettling at the movies than Milly Shapiro as the forlorn Charlie, who may be channeling her dead grandmother…or worse. But enough tongue clucking: we present this week’s gallery of the 24 creepiest kids from horror movie history.

*The Bad Seed* (1956, 65%)
A little angel that could contort into incinerating evil, Rhoda Penmark was the hellspawn against which all other hellspawn were measured for decades.

*Burial Ground* (1981)
Italian law at the time prohibited children on sets of violent or extremely sexual movies, so the director hired a 25-year-old actor to play someone 15 years younger, a bratty boy who has the hots for mama. Seems like a zombie invasion is the worst time let go of your Oedipal inhibitors, no?

*Firestarter* (1984, 38%)
Fearful that she’d be typecast as baby sisters in alien visitation movies, 8-year-old drew grabbed her career by the hojos and shocked audiences as this pyrokinetic gremlin ripped from the pages of Stephen King.

*The Other* (1972, 88%)
Niles and Holland Perry are identical and inseparable twin brothers. But when a summer at the farm yields fatal heart attacks, severed fingers, and missing babies, all signs point to something amiss among the Perry boys.

*Spider Baby* (1967, 100%)
Three orphaned siblings with the fictional Merrye Syndrome begin regressing in every way post-puberty, most notably the title sister with an appetite for arachnids.

*The Brood* (1979, 79%)
A series of grisly murders is going down. Could this pack of dwarf-like mutant kids be responsible. It’s a David Cronenberg movie, so…

*Alice, Sweet Alice* (1976, 78%)
Someone wearing a raincoat and a slick mask is committing murder in church and neighborhood. Could it really be Alice, sweet Alice?

*The Changeling* (1980, 76%)
You only get glimpses of the ghostly David — drowned in a bathtub, or as part of a cobwebbed wheelchair’s shadow — but it’s nearly enough to send George C. Scott running for the hills.

*The Children* (1980)
A toxic nuclear cloud sweeps the English countryside, turning all kids into zombies, causing their parents to lead a reluctant assault on them.

*Children of the Corn* (1984, 36%)
While the Corn kids alternate between goofy and moronic, it’s Isaac’s sunken, adultman eyes and thin pursed lips that made him the perfect candidate as creep leader.

*The Exorcist* (1973, 86%)
The ultimate in creepy kids, Linda Blair’s demonic turn as a foul-mouthed, puke-spewing Regan MacNeil still turns heads today.

*The Good Son* (1993, 27%)
Young Macaulay Culkin’s one credited foray into horror (besides *The Pagemaster*) was playing against type as an Elijah Wood-whacking cousin of the family.

*The Grudge* (2004, 39%)
*Grudge* may have been part of the J- and K-horror invasion of the early 2000s, but the filmmakers didn’t settle for imitation Asian here: original *Grudge* actress Takaka Fuji reprises her role as vengeful Kayako.

*The Babadook* (2014, 98%)
Is it a monster? Is it a metaphor for depression? Why not both? Samuel is a screaming terror who terrorizes his exhausted single mother, though Sam’s children’s book that fills its pages with threats towards the family might have something to do with it.

*The Omen* (1976, 86%)
Checks and balances guarantee Satan would never get anywhere near the White House — luckily, we have the movies to indulge in our unrequited fantasies! In The Omen, an American diplomat secretly switches out his stillborn baby with a newly orphaned toddler without telling his wife. Should’ve checked that bassinet tag closer, because hellacious tyke Damien grows up with an ungodly power of persuasion and, in the sequels, finds success in both the private and public sector.

*Orphan* (2009, 56%)
Isabelle Fuhrman, at the time 12, plays a child adopted into a grieving household. She then unleashes suburban hell, including trying to seduce her new dad.

*The Orphanage* (2007, 87%)
Tomas himself isn’t himself much of a creep, but wearing a mask whose face looks like it was flayed off a scarecrow doesn’t help.

*Pet Sematary* (1989, 48%)

Gage Creed is resurrected by his father (a kid with a name like that shouldn’t stay dead) through an unholy rite, and the kid immediately picks up a scalpel to go after his family. Millenial ingrate.

*Poltergeist* (1982, 86%)
She’s heeeeere. Carol Anne Freeling was a cute kid, which made her announcement of spectral visitors all the more creepy.

*The Shining* (1980, 86%)
Possessed Danny Torrance and his wagging hooked finger would’ve been the creepiest thing in any other movie, but the twins at the end of the hallway have made their place in the pop culture spook pantheon.

*Village of the Damned* (1960, 96%)
These hive kids terrified in the 1960 *Village*. In the 1995 remake, the scariest thing was that they kept the hair.

*Who Can Kill a Child?* (1976)
A married vacation couple arrive on a seculded island that appears to be populated only by knife-friendly children, and can seem to pass murderous intention from one to another through eye contact.

*Audrey Rose* (1977, 56%)
Suppose a stranger told you your daughter was his daughter in another life? Suppose you began to believe him? Suppose it was true?

*The Ring* (2002, 71%)
The death of VHS is not taken lying down in *The Ring*: Anyone who sneaks a peek of Samara and her black vine hair on a cursed videotape is killed one week later.

Halloween only comes once a year, but we celebrated every day this month with the October Daily Double: A recommendation every weekday of themed scary movie double feature!

*The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* (1974, 88%)
*Pieces* (1982, 42%)

Let’s start with a tribute with Tobe Hooper, who passed away in August and shaped the face of modern horror with *Texas Chainsaw Massacre*. Made on a $300,000 budget and shot documentary-style, *Chainsaw* would become among the most profitable movies ever, as theaters – grindhouse, drive-ins, and mainstream alike – booked it to shock audiences with Hooper’s detached imagery, chilling plausibility, pervasive tension, and implied violence.

Meanwhile, “implied violence” and “plausible” are the last phrases you’d use to describe *Pieces*, a splatterfest supposedly set in Boston but filmed entirely in Spain, directed by Juan Piquer Simon. Expect goofy dialogue, pig guts with red herrings, and one very real chainsaw — the authenticity of terror on these actors’ faces as they’re being menaced and massacred is up to your interpretation. And let’s not forget the ballsy shock ending! The easiest way to watch this is on Blu-ray via Grindhouse Releasing; if you do, watch the American version – it’s faster-paced with a better soundtrack.

*The Watcher in the Woods* (1980, 43%)
*Lady in White* (1988, 64%)

These two are good to watch with your kids, or simply if you want to watch some horror movies starring kids with legitimate scares, since the nation’s in an It kinda mood. *Watcher in the Woods* takes place on a rural forest estate whose new owners’ daughter begins receiving astral visions of a girl pleading, suspended somewhere in time. *Watcher* is an uncharacteristically dark movie from Walt Disney Productions, though this era would also produce the bleak *Dragonslayer* and grimy *Black Cauldron*.

*Lady in White* treads the same kind of ground. It’s a nostalgic movie set in 1960s upstate New York, about a long-deceased girl who returns as a ghost to haunt and impel a local boy to solve her death, along with other children’s murders at the school. The quaint, small town scenery and scenes of daily Italian-American home life give *Lady* a little flavor, and, like *Watcher in the Woods*, it’s entirely without gore, except for a scene of sudden violence which knocks it into PG-13 territory.

*Prophecy* (1979, 23%)
*It’s Alive* (1973, 69%)

*Prophecy* is an eco-disaster mutant bear movie by John Frankenheimer, directed probably while he was drunk, and features the best sleeping bag kill in cinema history. Yes, even besting *Friday the 13th: The New Blood*‘s. Here’s my headcanon for this double feature: *Prophecy* ends with the pregnant wife, who ate fish from the contaminated lake, unsure if she’s about to give birth to a freak of nature. The answer lies in *It’s Alive*…

*The Devil’s Backbone* (2001, 92%)
*The Orphanage* (2007, 87%)

After *Mimic* got stomped on at the 1997 box office, Guillermo del Toro looked to be the latest victim in Hollywood’s game of courting young international directors only to see their careers implode on our studio backlots. Del Toro returned to Spain and put together *Devil’s Backbone*, an exquisite classical ghost story set at an orphanage and about the young boy who unravels its grim past.

Years after *Backbone*, Del Toro was in position to foster new filmmaking talent, producing J.A. Bayona’s directorial debut: *The Orphanage*. Here, we shift to an adult point of view: a mother whose son goes missing just as she attempts to re-open the orphanage she grew up in, now ostensibly be occupied by spirits. A terrifying and tender picture.

*Dawn of the Dead* (1978, 93%)
*Chopping Mall* (1986, 57%)

Closing the week with another tribute. George A. Romero, the godfather of modern horror who, like Tobe Hooper, passed away earlier this year. The towering Pittsburgh native released six *Night of the Living Dead* movies in as many decades, the best in the series (and one of the best horror movies ever) being *Dawn*. It moves like an action movie, has plenty of gore and head trauma, and features Romero’s most palatable social critique: That the zombies gravitate to a cherished place in death, in this case a tacky mall where our motley crew of survivors have holed up.

But if there’s one mall you want to get *out* of in horror, it’s the Park Plaza in *Chopping Mall*. Four couples break into the place after hours to test the goods at the mattress place and desecrate the food court, but after an electrical storm set the security robots to KILL, these store’s bargains start getting paid in blood. Sex, big hair, exploding heads, and teenagers who look like twentysomething actors from Burbank…get everything you expect from *Chopping Mall*!

*Final Destination* (2000, 34%)
*Sole Survivor* (1983)

An airline passenger avoids a timely demise after their plane goes down; afterwards, the passenger’s friends begin dying all around, as though Death wants to claim what it’s owed. Know the plot? Not only is it the starting point for the *Final Destination* franchise, but also the premise to tonight’s other recommended flick, *Sole Survivor*. FD director James Wong was obviously inspired by *Survivor* (he originally planned it as an *X-Files* episode), though there’s a key difference between the two movies: while *Destination* features its victims getting caught up in mystical Rube Goldberg-esque scenarios of doom, *Survivor* actually has zombies walking around trying to take the heroine.

*Valerie and Her Week of Wonders* (1970, 100%)
*Alice* (1988, 100%)

If you were one of those kids watching *Alice in Wonderland* and thought “Sweet cakes, this is kinda creepy”, then Czechoslovakia has got you on that one: The former European country produced two unsettling films inspired by the Lewis Carrol tale decades apart. First is 1970’s *Valerie and Her Week of Wonders*, a fantastical parabale of puberty as creepy pale dudes and animals emerge from the woodwork to vaguely menace the title character. Then there’s 1988’s *Alice*, a dark, more direct adaptation featuring the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, along with stop-motion animation and a layer of dust and decay over each location.

*Lifeforce* (1985, 67%)
*Species* (1995, 36%)

Another week, another Tobe Hooper movie! As it crystallized for Hooper that he’d never match *Texas Chainsaw*‘s impact and that 1982’s *Poltergeist* would be his commercial peak, the director made the most out of being alive in the ’80s and unleashed the outrageous *Lifeforce*, starring Mathilda May as Space Girl, aka naked comet-riding vampire come to turn the greater London population into zombies. Bizarre sci-fi/horror material with sublime special effects.

10 years later, Species took the same idea and downplayed the metaphysics and upped the titillation. It was the ’90s and Hollywood churned out R-rated mainstream sleaze on the regular, though rarely involving beautiful women spilling out of oozing cocoons or tongue-through-skull puncturings. A pleasant guilty filthy pleasure.

*Tucker and Dale vs. Evil* (2011, 84%)
*The Cabin in the Woods* (2012, 92%)

In this riotous send-up of the secluded cabin blueprint, Tucker and Dale (Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine) play two vacationing hillbillies when a group of annoying stock teenagers come upon them in the woods and promptly deduce the two are serial killers. Through their own incompetence, the teenagers start offing themselves in wacky, unpredictable manner, leaving T & D baffled at the bloody proceedings.

*Cabin in the Woods* brandishes the same basic premise, but with some huge sci-fi bookends that diminish and mock horror tropes. I’m personally not a fan of *Cabin* as it’s directed with obvious contempt for them undignified slashers, but critics and a majority of fans who discover the movie love it, and it pairs well with *Evil*.

*Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter* (1984, 25%)
*Sleepaway Camp* (1983, 84%)

*The Final Chapter*, the best in the *Friday* series, came at a crucial juncture in franchise history. Parts 2, 3D, and *Final Chapter* are set over a few days, with Jason starting as resilient bastard and the story slowly introducing the unstoppable zombie conceit we know now. *Final* pushes viewer suspension of disbelief to the bleeding edge (‘Did Jason really just come back to life at the morgue?!’) and helmer Joseph Zito (hot off the underground success of *The Prowler*) sagely throws in misdirections and obscures Jason’s figure for the first two acts to keep the audience in a state of confusion. And whereas in later sequels Jason is framed and fetishized as some kind of anti-hero (a mistake IMO), his strikes in *Final Chapter* are so fast and sudden, Jason’s like the shark in *Deep Blue Sea* and everyone else Samuel L. Jackson. A total rush, and that’s not even mentioning the nimble camerawork, photography (seriously, this movie *looks* good), and unusually memorable characters: Crispin Glover dancing can only be described as a *Seinfeldian* full body dry heave. *Final* opens with a recap of the first three films and has a conclusive ending, so if you watch only one *Friday the 13th*, this is it.

And if you watch only one more summer camp horror flick, make sure it’s *Sleepaway Camp*. The characters and kills are fairly derivative, but there’s a few cutaways to surreal, John Waters-esque suburban life to give the movie a unique taste. But I’m mostly recommending this for the ending — it’s the cutest little thing!

*Event Horizon* (1997, 24%)
*Sunshine* (2007, 76%)

I initially watched *Event Horizon* as a double feature with *Good Will Hunting*…hey, you make do when the only rental option was a Blockbuster across from home. While *Good Will*‘s idea of adult R-rated scenarios put me and my brother to sleep, *Event Horizon* had us jumping from the sofa with its heavy guitar intro theme. We were fans of *Doom* like all good suburban kids, so *Event*‘s deep space descent through portals of Hell resonated. And the movie remains a propulsive ride — not too scary, but about as entertaining a movie featuring blood orgies and Dr. Alan Grant as you’re gonna get.

Next: *Sunshine*, big budget sci-fi from Danny Boyle, following a ship with a nuclear payload heading towards the galaxy’s center to reignite our dying sun. Like *Event Horizon*, *Sunshine*‘s a space sprawler that trades on isolation and madness, but it’s not a horror movie per se. It does, however, tweak the genre: Most villains in slashers (which this movie gradually turns into) operate in darkness and shadows; here, Boyle challenges himself to shoot the villain in full blinding light, drawing from a toolbox of dazzling visual tricks to mostly pull it off.

*High Tension* (2005, 40%)
*Martyrs* (2008, 53%)

We recently put up a slightly mis-monikered video called “13 Horror Movies Too Rotten To Miss,” detailing Rotten films that have an Audience Score of at least 60%. One of those movies is *High Tension*, an extreme French film that was relatively rejected by critics for its unearned, implausible switcheroo in its final minutes. Up to that point, it’s a breakneck flick.

Tonight’s other film that fits this category that we didn’t feature in the video is *Martyrs*, another exemplar of the French wave of boundary-pushing horror from a decade ago. The performances here are fearless (France seems the best in nurturing these actresses), fully developing *Martyrs*‘ lucid, sickening themes. Every few years, we get a movie that becomes a horror litmus test to see what depths a viewer is willing to dive through with the genre. This was one of them.

*The Witch* (2016, 91%)
*It Comes At Night* (2017, 89%)

Yesterday, we featured two Rotten horror movies that audiences loved. Today, vice versa: two Certified Fresh horror movies that audiences collectively gave a sub-60% score, and they both happened to be put out by fan-favorite distributor A24. *The Witch*, a bleak folktale set in authentically recreated 17th century New England, confounded mainstream viewers with the thick accents and lack of a strong ending. And *It Comes At Night* was marketed as a supernatural spooker when the terror is actually psychological. Both are strong films if you approach it on their terms, but in an age when it’s all about the consumer and their myriad platforms to voice displeasure, buyer booware!

*Ravenous* (1999, 45%)
*Raw* (2017, 90%)

Cannibalism and female directors. Two great tastes that…I don’t know where I’m going with this. What I do know is you should check out *Ravenous* (directed by the late Antonia Bird) for a slice of biting, mordant horror. It stars Guy Pearce as a disgraced 19th century Army soldier banished to the High Sierras where he’s greeted by more soldiers with tales of a Wendigo nearby feeding on humans. *Ravenous*‘s setting was the last place I expected ’90s snark and attitude, but here we are — this is a movie as funny and as it is bloody.

Nearly two decades later comes *Raw* (written/directed by Julia Ducournau), an oppositional take on the cannibalism taboo. It’s set in contemporary Belgium and larded with symbolism, following a young vegan girl who begins craving human chops after a hazing ritual. Female coming-of-age stories are frequently attached to horror (where fear, sexuality, and ecstasy co-exist), but rarely ever this elegantly disgusting.

*It Follows* (2015, 97%)
*Only Lovers Left Alive* (2014, 86%)

“Horror changes and gets reinvented each generation,” John Carpenter said recently to the *L.A. Times*, “It’s continually being modernized.”

The legend was right: just look at how horror was modernized as an extension of economic anxiety for two Detroit-set films. In *It Follows*, director David Robert Mitchell redefines the stalking horror camera as a literal invisible force, but can be read as the pervasive dread of a post-automobile society. The shuttered, dilapidated buildings loom over star Maika Monroe like Snow White running through the forest.

*Only Lovers Left Alive*, Jim Jarmusch’s sublime hipsters-as-vampires mood joint, puts Detroit on display as a microcosm that chugs along, fine with itself while giving the finger to everyone on the outside looking in. It’s a place of private worlds to kick out the jams, to hoard ancient tomes and analog equipment, to hide and literally vamp it up. *Only Lovers* is pure rock ‘n’ roll. And both that and *It Follows* use horror as a vehicle of social critique, and a mirror to expose our dark side.

*Let the Right One In* (2008, 98%)
*A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night* (2014, 96%)

Continuing the theme of last week’s closing film *Only Lovers Left Alive*, we recommend two more vampiric films: *Let the Right One In* and *A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night*. Both chronicle lonely young female vampires hiding under society’s nose, and both have an international touch: *Right* is Swedish, and *Girl* is purportedly set in desolate Iran (though was actually shot in the far-off wonderland known as Bakersfield, California).

*Eyes Without a Face* (1962, 98%)
*The Skin I Live In* (2011, 80%)

Who would believe that Los Angeles, city of vaginal rejuvenation billboards on every street, *wasn’t* home to the world’s worst plastic surgery problems? First, look to France for *Eyes Without a Face*, an eerie and deeply haunting movie about a father who murders young women, using their skin to reconstruct his daughter’s car accident-damaged face. Director Georges Franju shot documentaries before *Eyes* and he uses those learned tactics on this film’s infamous surgery scene — it’s so matter-of-fact and quiet that it casually burrows into the mind.

Afterwards, hop on over to Spain for Pedro Almodovar and Antonio Banderas’ first collabo in decades. *The Skin I Live In* is also about facial reconstruction, along with rape and gender-bending — squirmy subjects that Almaodovar expertly treats with his usual flourishes of passion and color.

*House* (1986, 50%)
*House* (1977, 90%)

Bet you can’t guess the connection between these two horror comedies! The American *House* stars William Katt as a writer whose son disappears at his aunt’s house and decides to move in after she commits suicide by hanging. The Japanese *House*, never seen in the U.S. until 2010, is a decidedly more bizarre affair. Several schoolgirls are beckoned to their aunt’s house, which begins devouring them one-by-one. As wacky as both movies can get, they operate within their own established twisted logic, and subsequently became hits within their home countries.

*The Neon Demon* (2016, 57%)
*Starry Eyes* (2014, 75%)

Elle Fanning, the model with no past, arrives in *The Neon Demon*‘s Los Angeles eager to penetrate the city’s highest cultural echelon, which involves joining a coven of starlets and Keanu Reeves as a scumbag landlord. Director Nicolas Winding Refn’s film is windy and eager to displease, but worth watching for the splashy vacant visuals and a Cliff Martinez soundtrack that works overtime.

*Starry Eyes*, also about the L.A. acting scene, is smaller in budget but bigger in cosmic scope, with a notable lead performance from Alex Essoe as the actress who pulls apart and succumbs to the industry’s sinister secret. The occult and cannibalism feature into these movies; they’re still not as far-fetched as *La La Land*.

*Popcorn* (1991, 29%)
*Dead End Drive-In* (1986)

Time for a killing at the box office! *Popcorn* is a tasty little comedy slasher set during an all-night horrorfest set up by teens…who each start getting killed when a Leatherface wannabe starts slicing from the shadows. Follow that up with *Dead End Drive In*, an Ozploitation flick about New Wavers and gutter punks who become trapped by adults in a post-apocalyptic outdoor movie venue. I originally bought *Dead End* thinking it was going to be some trashy undead flick. There’s no undead but it is trashy with some wicked car stuntwork, and it’s also a surprisingly palatable allegory on how fascism foments among disaffected youth.

*The Guest* (2014, 89%)
Tonight, think twice before crossing Dan Stevens with science! *The Guest* is a hybrid mixing horror, action, sci-fi, and mystery topped with a wicked soundtrack, starring Stevens as an American soldier who has apparently undergone some kind of super-soldier experiment. Stevens shows up at the Peterson home claiming to be a platoon friend of their son, who was killed in Afghanistan. He ingratiates himself into the family (which includes Maika Monroe a year before her breakthrough *It Follows*) and this fun, unpredictable thrill ride takes off from there.

*Silent Rage* (1982)
Chuck Norris is Dan Stevens! That is, he plays Sheriff Dan Stevens, chasing down a psycho killer who’s been genetically endowed by unscruplous science lab dwellers with superhuman strength and regenerative powers. Norris as Sheriff Stevens may roundhouse kick his way through the scenery as usual, but make no mistake: this was shot and edited as a horror movie. The antagonist is framed like a slasher villain, there’s a few single-take Steadicam shots to creak up tension, and the movie throws a Jason-jumps-from-the-lake scare in its final frames. (You might also recognize this movie from *Hot Fuzz* as one of the movies Nick Frost contemplates purchasing at the supermarket.)

*Trick ‘r Treat* (2007, 83%)
*Halloween III: Season of the Witch* (1982, 37%)

We’re concluding this series with two of the most October-thirty-firstiest films widely available. First on the bill is *Trick ‘r Treat*, Mike Dougherty’s interwoven collection of modern interpretations of Samhain fable and legend. The movie’s playful tone and top-shelf scripting has made this a cult classic, humble origins for something that was denied a general release for years, which now has its own dedicated zone during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios.

*Halloween III: Season of the Witch* was released when the Michael Myers saga ostensibly concluded after the second *Halloween* movie. The idea going forward was to regale aduiences with a new annual spooky tale, starting with *Season*‘s yarn of popular trick-or-treating masks featuring a nasty bit of built-in obsolescence: they melt the faces of anyone wearing them. One wonders why these chintzy masks would be all the rage with kids (especially with ColecoVision having launched that year!!), but that’s one of the goofy charms of this franchise black sheep. Happy Halloween!

Best Horror Movies by Year Since 1920

Look, we know that it’s the time of year when everyone and their sister has a list of the best horror movies of all time. This time out, we at Rotten Tomatoes decided to take a slightly different tack. Using our weighted formula, we compiled a list of the best-reviewed fright fests from each year since 1920 — the year The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which created the template for horror cinema, was released. This wasn’t an easy assignment — there were several years, like 1932 and 1960, that boasted a slate of classic films (and a few others, like 1937 and 1938, in which we had trouble finding any solid contenders). What was the best horror flick the year you were born? Check out our list — if you dare.

#1920

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)
96%

#1920

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Robert Wiene

#1921

The Phantom Carriage (1921)
100%

#1921

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: On New Year's Eve, the driver of a ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to reflect on his selfish, wasted [More]

Starring: Victor Sjöström, Hilda Borgström, Tore Svennberg, Astrid Holm

Directed By: Victor Sjöström

#1922

Nosferatu (1922)
97%

#1922

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. [More]

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

Directed By: F.W. Murnau

#1923

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
93%

#1923

Critics Consensus: A heart-rending take on the classic book, with a legendary performance by Lon Chaney.

Synopsis: In 15th-century Paris, Jehan (Brandon Hurst), the evil brother of the archdeacon, lusts after a Gypsy named Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth [More]

Starring: Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller, Ernest Torrence, Tully Marshall

Directed By: Wallace Worsley

#1924

The Hands of Orlac (1924)
91%

#1924

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A world-famous pianist loses both hands in an accident. When new hands are grafted on, he doesn't know they once [More]

Starring: Conrad Veidt, Fritz Kortner, Alexandra Sorina, Carmen Cartellieri

Directed By: Robert Wiene

#1925

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
90%

#1925

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Rupert Julian

#1926

Faust (1926)
91%

#1926

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this classic of silent cinema, the demon Mephisto (Emil Jannings) makes a bet with an archangel that a good [More]

Starring: Gösta Ekman, Emil Jannings, Camilla Horn, Yvette Guilbert

Directed By: F.W. Murnau

#1927

The Cat and the Canary (1927)
94%

#1927

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Paul Leni

#1928

The Man Who Laughs (1928)
100%

#1928

Critics Consensus: A meeting of brilliant creative minds, The Man Who Laughs serves as a stellar showcase for the talents of director Paul Leni and star Conrad Veidt.

Synopsis: Disfigured by a king as a child, an 18th-century clown (Conrad Veidt) again becomes the pawn of royalty. [More]

Starring: Conrad Veidt, Mary Philbin, Olga Baclanova, Josephine Crowell

Directed By: Paul Leni

#1929

Haxan (1922)
93%

#1929

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A hybrid of documentary and fiction, this silent film explores the history of witchcraft, demonology and satanism. It shows representations [More]

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

Directed By: Benjamin Christensen

#1930

The Bat Whispers (1930)
67%

#1930

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Infamous burglar "The Bat" commits a daring jewelry theft despite heavy police presence. Soon after, a bank theft occurs, which [More]

Starring: Chester Morris, Una Merkel, Maude Eburne, Chance Ward

Directed By: Roland West

#1931

Frankenstein (1931)
94%

#1931

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 [More]

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

Directed By: James Whale

#1932

Vampyr (1932)
98%

#1932

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 (Julian West) rents a room near Courtempierre in France, strange events unfold: An elderly man leaves a [More]

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

Directed By: Carl Theodor Dreyer

#1933

King Kong (1933)
97%

#1933

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack

#1934

The Black Cat (1934)
89%

#1934

Critics Consensus: Making the most of its Karloff-Lugosi star pairing and loads of creepy atmosphere, The Black Cat is an early classic in the Universal monster movie library.

Synopsis: Stranded Budapest honeymooners follow a mad doctor (Bela Lugosi) to a black-lipped architect's (Boris Karloff) Art Deco manor. [More]

Starring: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Julie Bishop

Directed By: Edgar G. Ulmer

#1935

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
98%

#1935

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 [More]

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

Directed By: James Whale

#1936

The Devil Doll (1936)
79%

#1936

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Wrongfully convicted of a robbery and murder, Paul Lavond (Lionel Barrymore) breaks out of prison with a genius scientist who [More]

Starring: Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Frank Lawton, Robert Greig

Directed By: Tod Browning

#1939

Son of Frankenstein (1939)
95%

#1939

Critics Consensus: Boris Karloff's final appearance as the Monster is a fitting farewell before the series descended into self-parody.

Synopsis: Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone) is determined to prove the legitimacy of his father's scientific work, thus rescuing the [More]

Starring: Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill

Directed By: Rowland V. Lee

#1940

Dr. Cyclops (1940)
79%

#1940

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: To assist with his work due to his failing eyesight, renowned biologist Dr. Alexander Thorkel (Albert Dekker) invites two prominent [More]

Starring: Albert Dekker, Janice Logan, Thomas Coley, Charles Halton

Directed By: Ernest B. Schoedsack

#1941

The Wolf Man (1941)
91%

#1941

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, [More]

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

Directed By: George Waggner

#1942

Cat People (1942)
92%

#1942

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Jacques Tourneur

#1943

I Walked With a Zombie (1943)
85%

#1943

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 Betsey Connell (Frances Dee) is hired to care for Jessica Holland (Christine Gordon), a woman on a Caribbean [More]

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

Directed By: Jacques Tourneur

#1944

Bluebeard (1944)
100%

#1944

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When seamstress Lucille (Jean Parker) accepts a job designing costumes for charismatic puppeteer and portrait artist Gaston Morrell (John Carradine), [More]

Starring: John Carradine, Jean Parker, Nils Asther, Ludwig Stössel

Directed By: Edgar G. Ulmer

#1945

Dead of Night (1945)
96%

#1945

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, [More]

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

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

#1946

The Beast With Five Fingers (1946)
95%

#1946

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Astrologist Hilary Cummins (Peter Lorre) works as a personal assistant to the eccentric and mostly paralyzed pianist, Francis Ingram (Victor [More]

Starring: Robert Alda, Andrea King, Peter Lorre, Victor Francen

Directed By: Robert Florey

#1947

Scared to Death (1947)
63%

#1947

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Dr. Josef Van Ee (George Zucco) runs a private mental institution where he and his son, Ward (Roland Varno), are [More]

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Douglas V. Fowley, Joyce Compton, George Zucco

Directed By: Christy Cabanne

#1948

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
90%

#1948

Critics Consensus: A zany horror spoof that plays up and then plays into the best of Universal horror cliches.

Synopsis: In the first of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello's horror vehicles for Universal Pictures, the inimitable comic duo star as [More]

Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Bela Lugosi, Lenore Aubert

Directed By: Charles Barton

#1949

The Queen of Spades (1949)
96%

#1949

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin, this creepy drama tells the tale of Countess Ranevskaya (Edith Evans), an [More]

Starring: Anton Walbrook, Edith Evans, Yvonne Mitchell, Ronald Howard

Directed By: Thorold Dickinson

#1950

House by the River (1950)
60%

#1950

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A man (Louis Hayward) kills his maid and dumps her in the river with his brother (Lee Bowman). [More]

Starring: Louis Hayward, Jane Wyatt, Lee Bowman, Dorothy Patrick

Directed By: Fritz Lang

#1951

The Thing (1951)
87%

#1951

Critics Consensus: As flying saucer movies go, The Thing From Another World is better than most, thanks to well-drawn characters and concise, tense plotting.

Synopsis: When scientist Dr. Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite) reports a UFO near his North Pole research base, the Air Force sends in [More]

Starring: Margaret Sheridan, Kenneth Tobey, James Arness, Robert Cornthwaite

Directed By: Christian Nyby

#1952

The White Reindeer (1952)
100%

#1952

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A shaman turns a newlywed woman into a vampiric white reindeer after she seeks his help. [More]

Starring: Mirjami Kuosmanen, Åke Lindman, Kalervo Nissilä, Jouni Tapiola

Directed By: Erik Blomberg

#1953

House of Wax (1953)
93%

#1953

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Andre de Toth

#1954

Them! (1954)
93%

#1954

Critics Consensus: One of the best creature features of the early atomic age, Them! features effectively menacing special effects and avoids the self-parody that would taint later monster movies.

Synopsis: While investigating a series of mysterious deaths, Sergeant Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) finds a young girl (Sandy Descher) who is [More]

Starring: James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness

Directed By: Gordon Douglas

#1955

The Night of the Hunter (1955)
93%

#1955

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Charles Laughton

#1956

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
97%

#1956

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Don Siegel

#1957

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
83%

#1957

Critics Consensus: A curiously sensitive and spiritual addition to the Universal Monsters line-up, tacking on deep questions about a story who is shrinking to death.

Synopsis: While on a boating trip, Scott Carey (Grant Williams) is exposed to a radioactive cloud. Nothing seems amiss at first, [More]

Starring: Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, April Kent, Paul Langton

Directed By: Jack Arnold

#1958

The Fly (1958)
95%

#1958

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Kurt Neumann

#1959

House on Haunted Hill (1959)
80%

#1959

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 [More]

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

Directed By: William Castle

#1960

Psycho (1960)
97%

#1960

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#1961

The Innocents (1961)
95%

#1961

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Jack Clayton

#1962

Eyes Without a Face (1960)
97%

#1962

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, [More]

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

Directed By: Georges Franju

#1963

The Birds (1963)
95%

#1963

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 (Tippi Hedren) meets Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) in a San Francisco pet store and decides to follow him [More]

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

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#1964

Kwaidan (1964)
91%

#1964

Critics Consensus: Exquisitely designed and fastidiously ornate, Masaki Kobayashi's ambitious anthology operates less as a frightening example of horror and more as a meditative tribute to Japanese folklore.

Synopsis: Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai [More]

Starring: Rentarô Mikuni, Michiyo Aratama, Tetsurô Tanba, Katsuo Nakamura

Directed By: Masaki Kobayashi

#1965

Repulsion (1965)
96%

#1965

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Roman Polanski

#1966

Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966)
81%

#1966

Critics Consensus: Never veering too far from the usual Hammer trappings, Dracula, Prince of Darkness casts an effectively vicious vampire yarn with its chilling atmosphere and spirited cast of characters.

Synopsis: Four tourists dine and spend the night at Dracula's (Christopher Lee) castle; two escape and warn a monk (Andrew Keir). [More]

Starring: Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Andrew Keir, Suzan Farmer

Directed By: Terence Fisher

#1967

The Sorcerers (1967)
100%

#1967

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A professor (Boris Karloff) and his wife (Catherine Lacey) can feel the sensations of a mod British teen (Ian Ogilvy) [More]

Starring: Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacy, Ian Ogilvy, Elizabeth Ercy

Directed By: Michael Reeves

#1968

Rosemary's Baby (1968)
97%

#1968

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 (Mia Farrow) and [More]

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

Directed By: Roman Polanski

#1969

Spirits of the Dead (1968)
86%

#1969

Critics Consensus: Three auteurs descend on the works of Poe, each putting on a ghoulish show -- adapting The Tomahawk Man's tales of dreams and fright, with Fellini's segment particularly out of sight.

Synopsis: In one chapter of this three-in-one feature inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's tales, a countess (Jane Fonda), shunned by a [More]

Starring: Jane Fonda, Brigitte Bardot, Terence Stamp, Alain Delon

Directed By: Roger Vadim, Louis Malle, Federico Fellini

#1970

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)
81%

#1970

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Valerie (Jaroslava Schallerová), a Czechoslovakian teenager living with her grandmother, is blossoming into womanhood, but that transformation proves secondary to [More]

Starring: Jaroslava Schallerová, Petr Kopriva, Jirí Prýmek, Jan Klusák

Directed By: Jaromil Jires

#1971

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
88%

#1971

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Robert Fuest

#1972

Last House on the Left (1972)
64%

#1972

Critics Consensus: Its visceral brutality is more repulsive than engrossing, but The Last House on the Left nevertheless introduces director Wes Craven as a distinctive voice in horror.

Synopsis: Teenagers Mari (Sandra Cassel) and Phyllis (Lucy Grantham) head to the city for a concert, then afterward go looking for [More]

Starring: Sandra Peabody, Lucy Grantham, David Hess, F.J. Lincoln

Directed By: Wes Craven

#1973

Don't Look Now (1973)
93%

#1973

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) [More]

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

Directed By: Nicolas Roeg

#1974

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
84%

#1974

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. [More]

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

Directed By: Tobe Hooper

#1975

Jaws (1975)
97%

#1975

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, [More]

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

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

#1976

Carrie (1976)
94%

#1976

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Brian De Palma

#1977

Suspiria (1977)
94%

#1977

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Dario Argento

#1978

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
93%

#1978

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 (Donald Sutherland) assumes that when a [More]

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

Directed By: Philip Kaufman

#1979

Alien (1979)
93%

#1979

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Ridley Scott

#1980

The Shining (1980)
84%

#1980

Synopsis: Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer's block. [More]

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

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

#1981

The Evil Dead (1981)
85%

#1981

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Sam Raimi

#1982

Poltergeist (1982)
88%

#1982

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Tobe Hooper

#1983

The Dead Zone (1983)
89%

#1983

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, [More]

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

Directed By: David Cronenberg

#1984

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
94%

#1984

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Wes Craven

#1985

Re-Animator (1985)
90%

#1985

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. [More]

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

Directed By: Stuart Gordon

#1986

Aliens (1986)
94%

#1986

Critics Consensus: While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.

Synopsis: After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. [More]

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

Directed By: James Cameron

#1987

Evil Dead II (1987)
88%

#1987

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) [More]

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

Directed By: Sam Raimi

#1988

The Vanishing (1988)
96%

#1988

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 [More]

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

Directed By: George Sluizer

#1989

Santa Sangre (1989)
88%

#1989

Critics Consensus: Those unfamiliar with Alejandro Jodorowsky's style may find it overwhelming, but Santa Sangre is a provocative psychedelic journey featuring the director's signature touches of violence, vulgarity, and an oddly personal moral center.

Synopsis: In Mexico, the traumatized son (Axel Jodorowsky) of a knife-thrower (Guy Stockwell) and a trapeze artist bonds grotesquely with his [More]

Starring: Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, Guy Stockwell, Sabrina Dennison

Directed By: Alejandro Jodorowsky

#1990

Misery (1990)
91%

#1990

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Rob Reiner

#1991

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
95%

#1991

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Jonathan Demme

#1992

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
69%

#1992

Critics Consensus: Overblown in the best sense of the word, Francis Ford Coppola's vision of Bram Stoker's Dracula rescues the character from decades of campy interpretations -- and features some terrific performances to boot.

Synopsis: Adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel. Gary Oldman plays Dracula whose lonely soul is determined to reunite with his [More]

Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

#1993

Dead Alive (1992)
89%

#1993

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Peter Jackson

#1994

Cronos (1993)
88%

#1994

Critics Consensus: Guillermo del Toro's unique feature debut is not only gory and stylish, but also charming and intelligent.

Synopsis: Antique dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) stumbles across Cronos, a 400-year-old scarab that, when it latches onto him, grants him [More]

Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#1995

Mute Witness (1995)
85%

#1995

Critics Consensus: Mute Witness is a slickly crafted horror/thriller with some surprising comic twists.

Synopsis: Billy (Mary Sudina) is mute, but it hasn't kept her from becoming a successful makeup artist. While in Russia, working [More]

Starring: Mary Sudina, Fay Ripley, Evan Richards, Oleg Jankovskij

Directed By: Anthony Waller

#1996

Scream (1996)
78%

#1996

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Wes Craven

#1997

Scream 2 (1997)
83%

#1997

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Wes Craven

#1998

The Ring (1998)
98%

#1998

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Hideo Nakata

#1999

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
86%

#1999

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez

#2000

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
82%

#2000

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 [More]

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

Directed By: E. Elias Merhige

#2001

The Devil's Backbone (2001)
93%

#2001

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#2002

The Ring (2002)
72%

#2002

Critics Consensus: With little gore and a lot of creepy visuals, The Ring gets under your skin, thanks to director Gore Verbinski's haunting sense of atmosphere and an impassioned performance from Naomi Watts.

Synopsis: It sounds like just another urban legend -- a videotape filled with nightmarish images leads to a phone call foretelling [More]

Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox

Directed By: Gore Verbinski

#2003

28 Days Later (2002)
87%

#2003

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Danny Boyle

#2004

Shaun of the Dead (2004)
92%

#2004

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Edgar Wright

#2005

Land of the Dead (2005)
75%

#2005

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 [More]

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

Directed By: George A. Romero

#2006

The Descent (2005)
87%

#2006

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Neil Marshall

#2007

The Host (2006)
93%

#2007

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

#2008

Let the Right One In (2008)
98%

#2008

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, [More]

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

Directed By: Tomas Alfredson

#2009

Drag Me to Hell (2009)
92%

#2009

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Sam Raimi

#2010

Let Me In (2010)
89%

#2010

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Matt Reeves

#2011

Attack the Block (2011)
91%

#2011

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. [More]

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

Directed By: Joe Cornish

#2012

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
92%

#2012

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Drew Goddard

#2013

The Conjuring (2013)
86%

#2013

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 [More]

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

Directed By: James Wan

#2014

The Babadook (2014)
98%

#2014

Critics Consensus: The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.

Synopsis: Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline [More]

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

Directed By: Jennifer Kent

#2015

It Follows (2014)
95%

#2015

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 [More]

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

Directed By: David Robert Mitchell

#2016

The Witch (2015)
91%

#2016

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 [More]

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

Directed By: Robert Eggers

#2017

Get Out (2017)
98%

#2017

Critics Consensus: Funny, scary, and thought-provoking, Get Out seamlessly weaves its trenchant social critiques into a brilliantly effective and entertaining horror/comedy thrill ride.

Synopsis: Now that Chris and his girlfriend, Rose, have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend [More]

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

Directed By: Jordan Peele

#2018

A Quiet Place (2018)
96%

#2018

Synopsis: If they hear you, they hunt you. A family must live in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by [More]

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

Directed By: John Krasinski

Need some last minute programming to fill out a Halloween watching marathon? Then you’ve come to the fright place: 24 Certified Fresh horror movies and TV shows from the last 24 years.

*The Walking Dead* (2010-present)
All seasons are Certified Fresh. Season 1 is 92%, season 2 is 86%, season 3 is 93%, season 4 is 89%, season 5 is 95%, and season 6 is 88%.

*Penny Dreadful* (2014-present)
Season 1 is Certified Fresh at 78%, and season 2 is 100%.

*The Strain* (2014-present)
Season 1 is 87% Certified Fresh, and season 2 is 79%.

Sleepy Hollow (2013-present)
Season 1 is Certified Fresh at 77%, season 2 is 100%, and season 3 is 83%.

*American Horror Story* (2011-present)
Season 2 (“Asylum”) is 77%, season 3 (“Coven”) is 81%, and season 4 (“Freak Show”) is 87%.

*Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale* (2010, 88%)

Guillermo del Toro - Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com

With a reputation for excellence in the realms of fantasy and horror, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro brought a visionary touch to such critically-acclaimed films as Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone, Cronos, and last year’s The Orphanage, which he produced. When del Toro turned his attentions to Dark Horse Comics’ Hellboy franchise in 2004 — infusing the big, horned anti-hero with a distinct sense of style and wit — fans and critics were summarily delighted, and the reins came loose for a bigger and more fantastical sequel. Hellboy II: The Golden Army surpassed the critical and box office performances of its predecessor and is Certified Fresh at 88 percent on the Tomatometer.

Rotten Tomatoes caught up with del Toro at the Hellboy II: The Golden Army DVD/Blu-ray Launch Party, where, in signature self-deprecating fashion, he guided those in attendance through the immersive Hellboy II Blu-ray experience. More importantly, del Toro announced plans to join fans in a ground-breaking BD-Live chat event (November 23rd at 6pm PST), where Blu-ray owners can log in and ask him their most burning questions. Except for, say, his favorite movies of all time; we’ve got that covered below.

Read on for Guillermo del Toro‘s Five Favorite Films (click for the Five Favorite Films of Hellboy II star Doug Jones and Hellboy comics creator Mike Mignola, who shared at least one top movie with del Toro himself)…

Bride of Frankenstein (1935, 100% Tomatometer)

Bride of Frankenstein is absolutely perfect. It has the innocence and beauty of a fairy tale, but has the darkness of a gothic horror tale. So the combination is irresistible. [On hearing that Hellboy comics creator Mike Mignola also named Bride of Frankenstein among his favorite films, del Toro said with a smile, “Well, we are alike in some aspects.”]

Blade Runner (1982, 91% Tomatometer)

Blade Runner is simply one of those cinematic drugs, that when I first saw it, I never saw the world the same way again.

The Forgotten Ones (Los Olvidados) (1950, 93% Tomatometer)

The third film, Los Olvidados — Bunuel‘s movie — which I think is one of the best depictions of childhood ever made.

The Road Warrior (1981, 100% Tomatometer)

The Road Warrior — again, it transformed the way I see the world.

The Gold Rush (1925, 100%) / City Lights (1931, 100% Tomatometer)

And [lastly] probably The Gold Rush, or City Lights, by Chaplin, because they are absolute pinnacles of filmmaking. You have precision comedy, precision filmmaking, and one of the best directors ever. He and Buster Keaton were fantastic, and they were two of my idols.

Click for images from Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II production diary!For more on Hellboy II: The Golden Army, click here.

Unbelievably, Fox almost didn’t release their animated Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who on the Easter weekend. Until a couple of weeks ago the film was going to be released the week before (and still was in a few cities), when most kiddies were still swapping ringtones in the schoolyard.

The studio will be glad they made the switch though, as armies of rugrats piled into theatres over the weekend to make the film UK box office number one, and pass it a cool £3 million in the process.

It’s generally accepted wisdom ’round these parts that Seuss doesn’t translate to a British audience, seeing as, unlike in the States, he is not required bedtime reading for our crumpet-scoffing nippers. But it seems that despite our relative unfamiliarity with the artist’s peculiar brand of gurn-tastic, inky nonsense, a combination of the film’s strong reviews (it’s at 79% on the Tomatometer) and bedraggled parents literally dragging their unkempt spawn to cinemas to stop them rampaging through their dining rooms conspired to give the film top spot.

A similar healthy formula worked for the second placed movie – and another newcomer in the charts – The Spiderwick Chronicles. Based on the books by Tony Di Teerlizzi and Holly Black, this CGI-happy children’s fantasy, starring the gnomic Freddie Highmore, was praised by critics for having several genuinely scary moments and not being too cutesy. High praise indeed and perfect fodder for today’s hoodied, Harry Potter-obsessed, iPod-thieving youngsters.

Arguably even more successful than either of these child friendly entries however was breakdancing sequel Step Up 2: The Streets, which came third in the charts but nabbed more dough per screen than any other film in the top five. It seems ‘The Kids’ were enthralled by the sweaty, pumped-up dance sequences, and didn’t care one jot about the ropey acting, lack of correlation with the original, and, as some reviewers noted, some rather unsavoury racial stereotypes. Empire‘s Anna Smith summed up the thoughts of jaded critics, saying the film “suffered from a real lack of charisma… still, the dance bits are good.”

Sadly a film without any redeeming features whatsoever also made a strong showing this week. Yes, of course we’re talking about Fox’s Meet the Spartans, which aimed not only to spoof Zack Snyder‘s 300, but also ingeniously skewer the pomposity of today’s celebrity culture. Naturally, seeing as this was written by two of the witless scribes behind Scary Movie and Date Movie, the best way to do this was to simply repeat scenes from/simultaneously pimp last year’s Fox movies and especially TV shows (American Idol, America’s Next Top Model) and hope their audience of braying morons would reward themselves with a self-congratulatory laugh for making the association in their tiny minds. Still, it made Fox over £1 million in the first four days, so fair play.

From the ridiculous to the sublime, and ending on a high note, the Guillermo del Toro-produced Spanish-language horror The Orphanage snuck into our top ten, despite only opening on a select 74 screens. Featuring superb performances, a haunting atmosphere and the obligatory terrifying deformed child, here’s hoping this film gets a wider distribution in the next few weeks.

This week
at the movies, we’ve got two wild and
crazy guys (The Bucket
List, starring
Jack Nicholson
and Morgan Freeman),
pious crooks (First Sunday, starring
Ice Cube and
Tracy Morgan), botanical
buccaneers (The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggietales Movie),
haunted expatriates (The
Kite Runner), tormented mothers (The
Orphanage), and Uwe Boll (In
the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, starring
Jason Statham
and Burt
Reynolds). What do the critics have to say?

How can a
movie directed by Rob Reiner and starring
Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman
possibly fail? If, say critics, it has a really contrived, sappy script, which
is the problem with
The Bucket List.
Nicholson and Freeman star as a couple of sixtysomethings who, after discovering they each have terminal
illnesses, team up to do all the living they can in the time they have left —
in the form of skydiving and tattoo-getting, among other things. Pundits say the
two stars give it their all, but they’re undercut by a predictable plot that
overdoses on schmaltz. At 44 percent on the Tomatometer, Bucket probably
shouldn’t top your list.

"I never would’ve put strip solitaire on my list."

Ice Cube
and
Tracy Morgan are talented people. Unfortunately, critics say their despite
their combined ability to generate intermittent chuckles, they’re unable to save
First Sunday. The film is a tale of two incompetent crooks who contrive a
plot to rob the local house of worship. However, their plan goes awry rather
quickly, and the pair has a crisis of faith. Pundits say First Sunday has
its moments, but it’s ultimately undone by a script that lacks nuance and
consistency; others aren’t buying the sentimentality of the last act. At 25
percent on the Tomatometer, First Sunday might need to do penance.

Ice Cube in the first Sunday the Friday after next.

Fear not,
parents:
The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggietales Movie contains
no plank-walking, keel-hauling, or bottles of rum. But guess what? Critics say
it’s clever enough to keep you entertained. The latest in Christian animation’s
most venerable franchise since
Davey and Goliath, Pirates follows
the comic misadventures of Larry the Cucumber, Mr.
Lunt and Pa Grape, as they are transported from their humdrum lives back in time
to the days of William Kidd — and trouble on the high seas. Pundits say while Pirates,
may be several cuts below
Ratatouille, it’s sweet and inoffensive, with a
positive message and some good laughs. At 67 percent on the Tomatometer,
this Pirates‘ life may not be for everyone, but at least it won’t make
you want to mutiny.

"We’re off to see the Eggplant Wizard!"

Khaled Hosseini‘s novel

The

Kite Runner drew widespread praise for its tale of
youngsters living through a tumultuous period in Afghani history. And critics
say Marc Forster’s big-screen adaptation does a reasonably good job of
translating the book’s sweep — while still taking some liberties. Kite
stars Zekiria Ebrahimi and
Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada as two youngsters who survive both the Soviet invasion and the rise
of the Taliban — albeit with some pretty heavy emotional baggage. The scribes
say Forster gets some great performances from his child actors, and captures the
visual beauty of the war-torn land. But some say the film doesn’t quite have the
same impact as the novel, dialing up some of the big emotions while skimping on
nuance. Still, at 65 percent on the Tomatometer, this Kite flies
reasonably high. (Check out our interviews
here and
here.)

"Take dictation, please. Possible candidates for kite flying
society…"

If you
feel the fine art of cinematic suspense has drowned in a sea of gore, critics
say you’re in for a treat with
The Orphanage. Produced by
Pan’s
Labyrinth helmer
Guillermo del Toro, The Orphanage follows Laura (Belén
Rueda) and Carlos (Fernando Cayo) , the adoptive parents of Simon (Roger
Príncep), an orphan suffering from HIV. The boy has a host of imaginary friends,
and what he says about them starts sounding pretty sinister. The scribes say
Juan Antonio Bayona‘s film is loaded with dread and spooky atmospherics, but it
also succeeds as a heart-wrenching psychological portrait. At 85 percent on the
Tomatometer, The Orphanage is Certified Fresh. (Check out our interview
with Bayona and screenwriter Sergio Sanchez
here and our review from Cannes
here.)

"Oh, crap, I didn’t mean to screen Manos, the Hands of
Fate."

Yes, Uwe
Boll, everyone’s favorite critical pariah, has a new movie out:

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. No it wasn’t screened for critics. But
what did you expect, given the fact that the man’s career Tomatometer is at five
percent? Critics don’t really dig him, especially the one he knocked out. Dungeon
Siege stars
Jason Statham,
Ray Liotta,
Leelee Sobieski,
Burt
Reynolds, and
Matthew Lillard in a tale of a regular guy who must do battle with beasts
conjured by an evil sorcerer; swordplay no doubt ensues. Hey kids, stop laying
siege to that dungeon and guess the Tomatometer! (And read our [qualified]
defense of Mr. Boll’s work in this week’s Total Recall.)

Just pretend it’s your agent, Jason.

Also
opening this week in limited release:

Liberty Kid, a drama about the
after-effects of 9/11 on several blue-collar New Yorkers, is at 100 percent on
the Tomatometer.
Hong Sang-soo‘s
Woman on the Beach, a subtle rom-com
about a filmmaker with writer’s block, is at 94 percent.
The Business of
Being Born, a documentary about several couples and their experiences with
childbirth, is at 71 percent.
The Turkish import
Times and Winds,
a deceptively simple tale of three youngsters coming of age in a small village,
is at 73 percent.

It looks like Anne Geddes is going in a more avant garde direction.

Finally,
props to
tabascoman77, both for boldly announcing that
One Missed Call
would end up at zero percent on the Tomatometer, and for his excellent taste in
hot sauce. Personally, I like the garlic Tabasco, but that’s just me.

Recent
Morgan Freeman Movies:
—————————————
93% — Gone Baby Gone (2007)
42% — Feast of Love (2007)
24% — Evan Almighty (2007)
62% — 10 Items or Less (2006)
52% — Lucky # Slevin (2006)

Uwe Boll
Movies:
————————
4% — BloodRayne (2006)
1% — Alone in the Dark (2005)
4% — House of the Dead (2003)
11% — Blackwoods (2002)

Juan Antonio Bayona The
Orphanage is being touted as this year’s
Pan’s Labyrinth,
a fitting tribute considering Orphanage is produced by Pan
director
Guillermo Del Toro. Though mixing horror with disparate genres is familiar
ground for del Toro, it’s virgin territory for director

Juan Antonio Bayona and writer

Sergio Sanchez, both making their feature-length debut. Their film tells the
story of Laura (Belen
Reuda), who, with her husband and son (Fernando
Cayo and Roger Princep, respectively), move back into her childhood
orphanage with plans of re-opening for business. Soon, her son goes missing and
Laura is convinced he’s been whisked away by his invisible friends. What follows
is one of the most haunting, wistful horror movies in recent memory.

The Orphanage, which opens wide this Friday, is Spain’s Oscar entry for Best
Foreign Film this year. We also
dug it when we first
saw it at Cannes, and it’s subsequently made our

top 20 list for 2007. We sat down with Bayona and Sanchez in San Francisco,
discussing studio interference, classic horror, and the role the titular manor
had in shaping the movie.

Did you ever think The Orphanage could become an
Oscar contender?

Juan Antonio Bayona: Yes, of course. [Laughs.] We
took it to Cannes and we got a wide reaction there. It was amazing. And things
started to snowball from there. The numbers in Spain have been so huge
that…there are so many good things, but there’s a lot to assimilate as well.

How did you first come in contact with the screenplay?

Sergio Sanchez: I wrote the first draft of the
script in 1998, 1999. It’s actually something I wanted to direct myself. So what
I did was I shot a short film with a similar theme. When I met Antonio at a film
festival, he really liked the short film I did. He asked me if I had any
screenplays. I gave him the script of The Orphanage which, at the time, I
was showing to production companies in Spain. And they all kept complaining
about the same things. They said, "You know, this is a mixture of drama and
horror and those two elements cannot mix. They’re like oil and water, you can’t
do that." "You don’t have a main villain." "You have two different endings."
"The first act is too long, blah blah blah." Basically, all the things that made
the script unique they didn’t like. They wanted to go for a formula.

You didn’t take heed of any of it?

JAB: Well, yes, we did. For example, with the
opinion of there being no evil character in the movie we decided to kill the
"bad guy" in the middle of the story in a very extreme and violent way to let
the audience know that this is not that kind of movie. That there is an "evil
guy" or a "good guy." That [instead] the evil lurks in every character.

So that character’s death wasn’t in the original
screenplay?

SS: The death came later on. What Antonio decided to
do was like, we’re not only not going to listen to the studios but we’re going
to go against them. [Laughs.] We’re going to kill her earlier and in the most
violent way possible so the audience is thrown off.

The movie starts off like classic horror. Suddenly, we
start taking away all the elements. [When] the story’s halfway through, it’s
very barebones and you have no idea where it’s going to go next. The final half
of the film is practically a silent movie.

When you mention classic horror films, which ones were
you thinking of when you wrote the screenplay?

SS: To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t thinking of any
movie in particular. I guess my big two influences were…one was Peter Pan,
the other was The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. I guess if I have to
talk about film influences, it’d be
The Innocents,
the Jack Clayton
adaptation of Turn of the Screw. But I wasn’t thinking of movies. I was thinking
of classic horror stories, I was thinking of Edgar Allan Poe, I was thinking of
Henry James, Shirley Jackson.

JAB: We talked about the tone of the movie. It’s
unique because it starts as a chamber movie and ends as a melodrama more or
less. We were talking about the tone of the movie and I remember talking about
not just The Innocents. I remember we talked about
Our Mother’s House
from Jack Clayton which was a very unique ghost story that also deals with
childhood.

What sort of role did Guillermo del Toro act out as
producer?

JAB: I met Guillermo, like, 15 years ago. I used to
say "50." [Laughs.] People say, "No, no, you’re not 50." We had a very funny
meeting. I was very young, more or less like you.

SS: No, a lot less than you. [Laughs.]

JAB: I was 15 at the time, I was a minor. I went to
a festival pretending to work as a journalist to get free tickets and interview
people I really admired. I remember one of these people was Guillermo del Toro.
When he saw me for the first time he thought I was a 10-year-old boy with
sideburns, [but] he was impressed by my questions so we kept in touch. He came
to Spain to shoot a movie and I went to film school and I shot a lot of stuff,
different stuff like music videos, short films. And he really liked them. Since
he knew I was going to do a movie he wanted to be there, to protect us. So he
never, for example, insisted on an idea more than once. He gave a few
suggestions. We took some and rejected others. He was there just to help us. He
would remind us of experiences he had with
Pedro
Almodovar producing
The Devil’s Backbone.
Almodovar used to say the good producer is the one who’s always there when you
need him and he’s never there when you don’t. So [del Toro] was trying to do
exactly the same with us.

And once del Toro was on board, the budget doubled.

JAB: We talked about a lot of things. Shoot the
movie in ten weeks. We talked about building a set, building the whole orphanage
set. These kinds of things. It was a very low budget movie, a $4 million movie.
But we had maybe more than what a newcomer usually has in Spain.

And that was enough to do everything?

JAB: Oh, no.

SS: No way. [Laughs.]

JAB: We cut out much from the script. But I think
it’s better. It’s like when you think about
Jaws and
Spielberg
decided to…

SS: The POV shots of the shark.

JAB: Right, from the view of the shark, because the
shark wasn’t working. That kind of thing of trying to get a benefit from your
limitations.

SS: We went though many different drafts. The final
one [is] where the major cutting happened. Actually, basically everything that
was in the script got shot. It’s not like we couldn’t shoot stuff that was in
the shooting script that was in the film. I would say something like 15 minutes
of the film was cut to get to the final cut. Antonio was very convinced [on] a
single point of view. That the audience knew what Laura knew so that you could
identify with her. So whenever the story drifted away, he just chose to leave it
out of the film.

JAB: For example, you think about the seance with
Geraldine
Chaplin. I remembered that we had to shoot that sequence in a single
morning. It was crazy. Then it was like, "Why don’t we shoot Geraldine Chaplin
with a video camera because we were going to be fast?" Then, just at that
moment, we realized that the only way to shoot that sequence was with a
video camera. That’s the kind of thing [where] we took from our limitations.

What was the working relationship between you two like?

SS: I was on the set everyday. I was there even for
most of the rehearsal period. We did a lot of research with the main actress. We
went to visit a couple of grieving groups. We visited parents whose kids were
missing. We tried to incorporate that into the character. So sometimes things
would happen during rehearsal that were very interesting so I’d go back home,
re-write the scene, and hand it back. Things like that happened all the time

JAB: For example, [Princep] would always be
brilliant on the first take. Then he would tend to mechanicalize. So we were
trying to make these sequences look like new for the child all the time. So I
remember changing the lines of dialogue between takes.

Was it difficult finding the right house for the movie?

JAB: We went to find the house in Austrias, which is
where [Sanchez] was born. And I saw a short film he did, 7337, which had the
same mood, the same atmosphere [of The Orphanage]. We found the house at
the entrance of this village. It was surrounded by another house that we had to
erase from the computer. When we finally found the house, we were very happy. It
was a very strange house because the four sides were completely different. If
you put the camera there, or there, or there [it] looks completely different.
The house has personality. It was very interesting. But when we were talking
about shooting inside the house, it was impossible because we’ve got these
complicated shots. What we did was build the interior house in a set in
Barcelona. We had wanted to shoot the movie shot-by-shot like in the old
classical Hollywood way.

Who was living in the house at the time?

SS: No one. It had been abandoned for over 30 years.
Actually the owner of the house was there during the shoot but I guess just so
we didn’t break anything. It’s a house that looks as if someone had left running
in the middle of some apocalypse. [Laughs.] Everything was still in place. What
happened was that the woman who owned the house [at the time], her child was hit
by a car right in front of the main entrance. She associated the house with all
those memories so she decided to move out and never come back. The house was
left just like that. As a result, it was in a very decaying state and the roof
was about to collapse.

And everything was still inside?

SS: The things were still inside. We were shooting
in the house and after you get the good take usually the sound crew will ask for
silence to record the ambience, the room tone. And many times what would happen
they would yell, "Okay, quiet. Room tone." And the guy with earphones would just
go, "Quiet!" [Laughs.] "Who is that?" Always some strange stuff would find its
way [into the microphone] and we could never find where the sounds were coming
from.

That’s oddly appropriate for the movie.

SS: Yeah. It’s actually in the film. During the
seance, the very first noises that you hear, the whispering, that was recorded
from the house and we don’t know what that is.

Since you’ve directed before, did you guide the
direction in any way?

SS: Nope. None at all. It was just an agreement we
had. You have to understand and respect that he’s the director and he makes the
decisions. So whenever he asked for my opinion, I would give it. But [otherwise]
I would just sit there and not say anything. There was only one time that I
pushed for something to be done in a different way, which was the knock on the
wall scene. Again, he had very limited time to shoot, he had to do everything in
a rush. He drew the storyboards for the whole movie and [that scene] was
originally more complicated. I just walked up to him and said, "You know, it
would be wonderful if you had the balls to do this in one take." And I walked
away and hoped he would listen. [Laughs.]

Is the American remake still in production?

JAB: Yes. Guillermo is attached to the project. He
will be part of production. We really don’t know anything about that. Guillermo
doesn’t want to do exactly the same movie with an American director. He’s trying
to find a way of retelling the story in a parallel way.

SS: Yeah, we’re not involved. And we don’t want to
be. This thing was so personal and it was so hard to get this film made. I’m not
going to say 10 years even though the first draft is that old. It’s been,
really, five years working non-stop on this, fighting really hard to get the
movie made. We just want to move on to the next thing. We’re happy with the
movie as it is.

This week at the movies, we have galactic monsters (Alien vs Predator: Requiem), ol’ Nessie (The
Water Horse: Legend of the Deep), big talkers (The Great Debaters,
starring Denzel Washington), and preggered pubescents (Juno, starring
Ellen Page
and Michael Cera). What do the critics have to say?

The story of a youngster who befriends a mythical beast, The
Water Horse: Legend of the Deep makes for occasionally magical family
entertainment, critics say. Sorta like E.T but with a thicker brogue, The
Water Horse tells the story of Angus (Alex Atel), who stumbles upon a
mysterious egg that contains a creature that grows up to be the Loch Ness
Monster. Pundits say that while it feels familiar and doesn’t stray too from
coming-of-age story conventions, The Water Horse is loaded with charm and
a sense of majesty, carried by strong CGI work. At 71 percent on the Tomatometer, this Water is safe to wade in for the whole family.

Denzel Washington directs and stars in
The Great Debaters, the based-on-truth
account of a group of African American college students from Texas that
challenged the status quo. While the film follows the inspirational drama
formula to a tee, critics were willing to forgive its conservative plot and be
inspired by the rousing performances and Washington’s unobtrusive direction. At
74 percent, Debaters is Great indeed.

Teen pregnancy is not generally a topic that lends itself to hilarity.
However, critics say Juno
is a touching, intelligent, and laugh-out-loud
exception to the rule. Juno stars
Ellen Page as
a smart, headstrong teenager who finds herself pregnant after a one night stand
with her best friend (Michael Cera) and tries to deal with the repercussions. The pundits say Juno
is full of quirk and heart, featuring fine performances from Page, Cera,
Jennifer Garner, and
Jason Bateman, as well as fine direction from
Jason Reitman
and a precociously smart script from first-time writer
Diablo Cody. At 94
percent on the Tomatometer, Juno is not only Certified Fresh, it’s one of the
best-reviewed films of the year. (Check out our interview with Page
here.)

The very presence of Alien vs Predator: Requiem in theaters this week
begs an important question: is there any better way to celebrate the holiday
season than with a cataclysmic throwdown between two of sci fi’s most iconic
monsters? Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait and see, since this one wasn’t shown
to critics prior to release (probably a wise move, since the first
AVP
notched a lusty 22 percent on the Tomatometer). AVP:R finds the action has
moved from outer space to Colorado, where Predator and the aliens duke it out.
Kids, take time out from celebrating the fact that you received a Nintendo Wii
and guess that Tomatometer.

Also opening in limited release this week:

Persepolis, based on
Marjane
Satrapi‘s graphic novel about
growing up in Iran, is at 97 percent. (Read our interivew with Satrapi
here.)
There Will Be Blood,
P.T. Anderson‘s sprawling American
epic of oil and greed, is at 88 percent.
The Orphanage, a
Guillermo del Toro-produced horror
melodrama from Spain, is at 74 percent.
Honeydripper, the new Southern drama from director
John
Sayles, is sweet with 64 percent.
The Bucket List, starring
Jack Nicholson and
Morgan Freeman
as two men facing death and lovin’ it, is at 45 percent.

Between Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, both versions of The Orphanage, and his various rumored projects, Guillermo del Toro has become something of a mainstay here at RT News — so imagine our delight when we learned that ShockTillYouDrop.com recently interviewed the director about what’s on his slate!

First, the site asked him about the English-language version of The Orphanage that he’s agreed to produce for New Line:

“I cannot say yet who is the director and writer but if I get who I want, it would definitely make a difference. It won’t be the same movie just done by a guy that has an American name. It’s a new proposition.”

ShockTillYouDrop also asked del Toro about the status of his long-in-development adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, a project we discussed not long ago. According to the director, recent rumors regarding the film soon starting production are just that — rumors:

“I wish I knew, but Universal has acquired it, which is a great thing because it was in limbo, and I have, together with Michael, self-financed the designs and maquettes and everything, but we’ll see. It’s R-rated, it’s expensive and it doesn’t have a happy ending. I think that big-scale horror, big tentpole horror, which you used to have with ‘Alien,’ ‘The Shining,’ ‘The Exorcist‘ before everyone thought horror needs to be this or that and pre-conceptualized, I think big tentpoles like that should be back at some point in life, so I’m patiently waiting my turn.”

Finally, del Toro was asked about another rumor; specifically, one putting him behind the lens for a reboot of one of Universal’s classic monster franchises. He didn’t say yes or no, really, but he did give a clue as to which direction he might head if he gets the chance:

“The movie I would kill to do — and I know it’s been done and I’m very conscious of that — is ‘Frankenstein‘ but to do Frankenstein as the Miltonian tragedy that it is. I remember reading the Frank Darabont screenplay that was illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, and saying, ‘That’s it! I’m screwed and never going to do it’ but thanks to Kenneth Branagh, I can still do that version.”

To read more of Guillermo del Toro’s interview with ShockTillYouDrop, click on the link below!

Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com

Juan Antonio Bayona‘s The Orphanage will be Spain’s candidate for Oscar consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The horror movie, which was produced by Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth), beat out Emilio Martinez-Lazaro‘s 13 Roses and Jose Luis Garci‘s Luz de domingo. The synopsis for The Orphanage, which reaches American screens December 28:

The Orphanage, presented by Oscar-Nominee Guillermo del Toro, centers on Laura (Belen Rueda from The Sea Inside) who purchases her beloved childhood orphanage with dreams of restoring and reopening the long abandoned facility as a place for disabled children.

Once there, Laura discovers that the new environment awakens her son’s imagination, but the ongoing fantasy games he plays with an invisible friend quickly turn into something more disturbing. Upon seeing her family increasingly threatened by the strange occurrences in the house, Laura looks to a group of parapsychologists for help in unraveling the mystery that has taken over the place.

For more on the movie, including a trailer, click here!

Source: Variety

93% Alien (1979)

98% The Babadook (2014)

86% The Blair Witch Project (1999)

80% The Conjuring 2 (2016)

87% The Descent (2005)

93% Don't Look Now (1973)

78% The Exorcist (1973)

97% Eyes Without a Face (1960)

90% Hereditary (2018)

95% It Follows (2014)

97% Jaws (1975)

66% Martyrs (2008)

91% Misery (1990)

87% The Orphanage (2007)

82% Paranormal Activity (2007)

97% Psycho (1960)

90% Rec (2007)

72% The Ring (2002)

97% Rosemary's Baby (1968)

78% Scream (1996)

84% The Shining (1980)

95% The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

84% The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

85% The Thing (1982)

93% Us (2019)

96% The Vanishing (1988)

96% Wait Until Dark (1967)

38% When a Stranger Calls (1979)

91% The Wicker Man (1973)

105 Great Movies to Watch Alone

BECAUSE THE MOVIE REQUIRES YOUR ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION…

Memento (2000) 93%

Synecdoche, New York (2008) 69%

The Irishman (2019) 95%

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 93%

Annihilation (2018) 88%

Magnolia (1999) 82%

12 Monkeys (1995) 88%

Zodiac (2007) 90%

Silence (2016) 83%

The Deer Hunter (1978) 86%

Parasite (2019) 99%

The Master (2012) 85%

The Game (1997) 77%

Inherent Vice (2014) 73%

Burning (2018) 95%

Vertigo (1958) 93%

The Tree of Life (2011) 86%

The Prestige (2006) 77%

Under the Skin (2013) 83%

Gattaca (1997) 82%

BECAUSE THE MOVIE IS GONNA MAKE YOU UGLY CRY…

Life Is Beautiful (1997) 80%

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 95%

Beaches (1988) 42%

Steel Magnolias (1989) 73%

Stepmom (1998) 45%

The Color Purple (1985) 73%

Terms of Endearment (1983) 81%

Toy Story 3 (2010) 98%

The Fault in Our Stars (2014) 81%

Wendy and Lucy (2008) 85%

My Girl (1991) 57%

Selena (1997) 67%

Up (2009) 98%

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 99%

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) 81%

Stories We Tell (2012) 94%

Old Yeller (1957) 100%

Marley & Me (2008) 63%

A Walk to Remember (2002) 30%

BECAUSE THE MOVIE WILL INSTANTLY PUT YOU IN A BETTER MOOD…

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) 93%

Groundhog Day (1993) 94%

The Goonies (1985) 77%

Singin' in the Rain (1952) 100%

Amélie (2001) 90%

The Princess Bride (1987) 96%

The Birdcage (1996) 84%

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) 83%

Memento (2000)
93%

Synecdoche, New York (2008)
69%

The Irishman (2019)
95%

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
93%

Annihilation (2018)
88%

Magnolia (1999)
82%

12 Monkeys (1995)
88%

Zodiac (2007)
90%

Silence (2016)
83%

The Deer Hunter (1978)
86%

Parasite (2019)
99%

The Master (2012)
85%

The Game (1997)
77%

Inherent Vice (2014)
73%

Burning (2018)
95%

Vertigo (1958)
93%

The Tree of Life (2011)
86%

The Prestige (2006)
77%

Under the Skin (2013)
83%

Gattaca (1997)
82%

Life Is Beautiful (1997)
80%

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
95%

Beaches (1988)
42%

Steel Magnolias (1989)
73%

Stepmom (1998)
45%

The Color Purple (1985)
73%

Terms of Endearment (1983)
81%

Toy Story 3 (2010)
98%

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
81%

Wendy and Lucy (2008)
85%

My Girl (1991)
57%

Selena (1997)
67%

Up (2009)
98%

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
99%

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
81%

Stories We Tell (2012)
94%

Old Yeller (1957)
100%

Marley & Me (2008)
63%

A Walk to Remember (2002)
30%

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
93%

Groundhog Day (1993)
94%

The Goonies (1985)
77%

Singin' in the Rain (1952)
100%

Amélie (2001)
90%

The Princess Bride (1987)
96%

The Birdcage (1996)
84%

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
83%

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
79%

Clueless (1995)
82%

The Intouchables (2011)
75%

Tommy Boy (1995)
40%

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
91%

The Full Monty (1997)
96%

Mamma Mia! (2008)
55%

Billy Elliot (2000)
85%

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
54%

Step Brothers (2008)
54%

Coming to America (1988)
73%

Airplane! (1980)
97%

Game Night (2018)
85%

Pride (2014)
93%

Pitch Perfect (2012)
81%

Hot Fuzz (2007)
91%

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
42%

Sing Street (2016)
95%

Big (1988)
98%

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
91%

Magic Mike XXL (2015)
66%

Basic Instinct (1992)
56%

Y tu mamá también (2001)
90%

The Dreamers (2003)
59%

Lust, Caution (2007)
73%

Sirens (1994)
73%

Secretary (2002)
77%

Boogie Nights (1997)
91%

Wild Things (1998)
65%

Unfaithful (2002)
51%

Bound (1996)
87%

Swimming Pool (2003)
84%

Mulholland Dr. (2001)
84%