Most, if not all, of my favorite movies fall under the umbrella of “horror.” However, as I’ve realized over the years, it’s difficult to give people recommendations when they ask for “a good horror movie,” as they all fall into vastly different subcategories. In this article, I’ve broken up my favorite “horror” movies into sections based on what you’re in the mood for. Hopefully one of these strikes your fancy:
If you’re interested in some classics:
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“The Shining” (1980) — Jack, Wendy and their son Danny take winter residence at the Overlook Hotel. Jack starts to unravel into madness while Danny has psychic visions. I love this movie (a) because it is based on a Stephen King novel, and (b) because director Stanley Kubrick is a true visionary.
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“Silence of the Lambs” (1991) — FBI trainee Clarice Starling works with murderer and cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter to solve a crime. This is definitely a classic everyone needs to experience.
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“Hellraiser” (1987) — Julia moves into a home with her husband, where she finds the undead remains of her husband’s brother, Frank. Frank convinces Julia to bring men to the house where he kills them and absorbs their blood as a life source. Most people love this film for the Cenobites (the most famous of which is Pinhead) who are gruesome-looking evil creatures from a different dimension.
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“Scream” (1996) — A mysterious masked killer violently murders high schoolers in a small town. “Scream” can be cheesy at times, but is still a true slasher classic.
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“Child’s Play” (1988) — After being shot by police, the spirit of a criminal possesses a doll named “Chucky.” After being gifted to a boy named Andy, Chucky goes on a killing spree to get revenge on everyone who played a role in his death. Chucky has become a horror movie icon, and “Child’s Play” has even been remade as a 2019 film.
If you’re looking for something more family-friendly:
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“Ghostbusters” (1984) — A team of scientists team up to take down supernatural villains, and must save New York after ghosts start pouring out of a portal to another dimension. Ghostbusters is a must-see for people of all ages!
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“Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) — The king of Halloweentown, Jack Skellington, stumbles upon Christmastown and hatches a plan to steal Santa Claus’ role. This movie has become a staple in most people’s celebrations of Halloween.
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“Gremlins” (1984) — A species called “mogwai” transform into an evil gang of gremlins and wreak havoc on a small city. Another classic that might not be for all ages, but definitely for older kids.
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“Beetlejuice” (1988) — A recently deceased couple hire a poltergeist named Beetlejuice to scare people out of their home, but things don’t go as well as planned. The artistry of this movie is unmatched, and it is just so fun to watch.
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“The Addams Family” (1991) — A man claiming to be Fester Addams sneakily earns the trust of the Addams family, but is really conspiring against them. The spooky, charming members of the Addams family make this movie memorable.
If you want some sci-fi:
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“Re-Animator” trilogy (1985-2003) — I am a Re-Animator superfan. The franchise follows the antics of Herbert West, a medical student who is obsessed with finding a serum to bring the dead back to life. There’s just a certain charm to this movie that I can’t quite explain. Watch the first one and maybe you’ll see what I mean.
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“From Beyond” (1986) — Very similar to “Re-Animator,” as it has the same director, some actors, and it is also based in the Lovecraft universe. A scientist’s assistant, Crawford Tillinghast, must venture into a different plane of existence through the brain’s pineal gland, and body horror craziness ensues.
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“Young Frankenstein” (1974) — If you know me, you know I have a special love for Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” and I despise any media that twists her story in an inaccurate way. However, “Young Frankenstein” is my one exception, because it is just so darn entertaining. The great grandson of Victor Frankenstein inherits his estate and falls victim to repeating history; he reanimates a dead body, hoping to finish his great grandfather’s work, but not all goes as planned.
If you’re the musical type:
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“Repo! The Genetic Opera” (2008) — In the near future, an organ-manufacturing company called GeneCo takes rise during a worldwide epidemic of organ failures. The movie follows several characters in this body-obsessed dystopian world. If you like gore and catchy songs, “Repo!” is for you.
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“Little Shop of Horrors” (1986) — Florist Seymour Krelborn discovers an odd plant that feeds on human flesh and blood, and he must carry out malicious deeds to satisfy it. This is one of my favorite musicals ever because of the catchy songs, the hilarious plot, the dark humor, and the lovable characters.
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“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) — Lovers Brad and Janet find themselves stranded in a mysterious castle filled with eccentric people—the most prominent of which is Dr. Frank-N-Furter who boasts a serious Frankenstein complex. This cult classic is a must-see, and if you ever get the chance to see it in theaters, do it!
If you appreciate witty, self-aware humor:
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“Cabin in the Woods” (2012) — Five college friends stay at a remote cabin and find themselves being manipulated by scientists with a much bigger agenda. I won’t spoil the big twist of this movie because it is so, so good. This whole movie is a crazy-smart satirization of so many classic horror tropes, making it such a joy to watch. Not to mention, it has cool monsters.
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“What We Do in the Shadows” (2014) — A mockumentary following the lives of three vampires in modern-day New Zealand. It has the same kind of deadpan humor (and some of the same lovable actors) as “Flight of the Conchords.” I have watched this movie countless times.
If you want to laugh at something cheesy:
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“The Return of the Living Dead” (1985) — Two warehouse workers accidentally release a chemical into the air that turns the population of Louisville, Kentucky into zombies. The zany plot of this movie, not to mention the hilarious looking zombies, make it extremely funny.
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“Dead Alive” (1993) — A woman is bitten by a mysterious rat-monkey and is zombified. Her son tries to lock her away in the basement, but she ends up infecting many others, and bloody chaos ensues. The famous scene where Lionel mows down hundreds of zombies with a lawnmower, along with so many other scenes—and the abundance of cheap special effects—makes this movie laughably bad in the best way.
If you want old-fashioned gore or body horror:
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“The Fly” (1986) — Scientist Seth Brundle (played by the phenomenal Jeff Goldblum) begins to physically transform into a fly after his teleportation device malfunctions.
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“Saw” franchise (2004-2017) — I’ve got mixed feelings about “Saw,” but it deserves to be in this article. The movie follows the lives of many people over the years who’ve been tortured by a serial killer named “Jigsaw,” who puts them in strange and unusual death traps.
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“Hostel” franchise (2005-2011) — In each “Hostel” movie, unexpecting tourists are kidnapped and killed during their stay at a hostel that serves as a front for a mysterious deadly organization.
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“American Mary” (2012) — Mary Mason, a former medical student, enters the world of doing extreme body modifications. Also a great movie for anyone who likes a good female protagonist!