Introduction:
Horror is a movie genre used to elicit fear or disgust in the audience for entertainment purposes. They often explore dark themes and deal with transgressive topics, which has proven to provoke a psychological reaction in the audience. Many film inspirations are from gothic and horror literature written by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelly, Bram Stoker, etc. Despite being subjected to controversy due to the themes and matters shown, many horror films have become commercially successful. Here is the list of the Top 10 Horror Movies Of All Time.
List Of Top 10 Horror Movies Of All Time:
The Exorcist (1973):
- Director: William Friedkin
- Released: 26 December 1973
- Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair
- Based on: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Released in 1973, The Exorcist is a film based on a 12-year-old demon-possessed girl named Regan and the attempts to banish Horror Movies Of All Time the demon in her. It became the highest-grossing film of the time and was the first to be nominated at The Oscars for Best Picture.
The movie has created mass hysteria, inspired other films nationwide, and has received many critical and commercial bona fides. The Exorcist has still been the scariest film seen and remained the highest-grossing film til the 2017s.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974):
- Director: Toby Hooper
- Released: 1974
- Stars: Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal, Allen Danzinger
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an American Horror Franchise. The original movie was released in 1974 and was directed and Horror Movies Of All Time produced by Toby Hooper. The film was an exploration of bizarre macabre and is inspired by the crimes of Ed Gein.
The film explores the most extreme version of American Freedom and the essence of the cult. It is a blunt instrument of horror. It is a thought-provoking, shocking, violent, and artistic movie.
Halloween (1978):
- Director: John Carpenter
- Released: 1978
- Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, with P. J. Soles and Nancy Loomis
Halloween is another one of the American Slasher media franchises that consist of 13 films. It is one of the most critical franchises in horror history. The entire series is filled with tension and inventive thrills with an untouchable legacy. Horror Movies Of All Time The story begins on a Halloween night in 1963, with Micheal Myers killing his older sister, and the plot proceeds with how he stalks and kills babysitters.
The events in the movie are telegraphed long before, yet they randomly occur, not allowing the audience to guess second. The scenes play a psychological horror effect with their eerie music, dark atmosphere lighting, camera angles, etc. Micheal Myer’s character is a personification of terror.
Hereditary (2018):
- Director: Ari Aster
- Released: 8 June 2018
- Stars: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne
Directed by Ari Aster, Hereditary was a massive success in the horror genre. Released in 2018, the film was based on the Horror Movies Of All Time destruction of a suburban family with the nature of grief couched within a supernatural horror film.
The story unravels the secrets, results of loss, grief, anger, and supernatural interventions. Toni Collette’s performance earned her a spot at The Oscars. The movie has many surprises, intensities, and disturbing scenes and is one of the most psychologically scarring films.
The Shining (1980):
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Released: 23 May 1980
- Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and Danny Lloyd Based on: The Shining by Stephen King
The Shinning is adapted from Stephen King’s novel about a writer’s slow descent into madness at a haunted hotel during its off-season. Horror Movies Of All Time The movie features the iconic performance of Jack Nicholson and hosts memorable images. The film is about extreme family dysfunction amidst an unhealthy work-life balance.
The art of the film is legendary with its terrifying sequences, iconic visuals, shots, and dialogues. The fans still quote the iconic conversations. The Shinning was the chosen movie to be kept in the United States National Film Registry for its historical, cultural, and artistic significance.
Psycho (1960):
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Released: 16 June 1960
- Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, and Martin Balsam Based on: Psycho by Robert Bloch
A horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, released in 1960, Psycho centers are the encounter between an on-the-run Horror Movies Of All Time embezzler and a motel proprietor.
It’s about a man obsessed with his mother and the perils of parents prohibiting their children from becoming autonomous adults of fear. The film is infamous for its nihilism and disturbing sense of unease. The movie is a pure distillation of terror, tension, and sexuality.
Alien (1979):
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Released: 6 December 1979
- Stars: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto
Directed by Ridley Scott, Alien is a complete turn from classic horror movies. The movie is known for its sci-fi, sparseness, and space setting. The slow-building suspense and great jumpscares leave the audience Horror Movies Of All Time squirming in their seats. The plot follows the crew of commercial space, which comes across a mysterious spaceship and finds themselves against a deadly and aggressive extraterrestrial.
It is also an allegory for the U.S. Government against the mistreatment of military members abroad and also for the gender role reverse assault, female on male. According to the screenwriter Dan O’ Bannon, the face hugger plays on the fear of cis-gender men.
Carnival of Souls (1962):
- Director: Herk Harvey
- Released: 26 September 1962
- Stars: Candace Hilligoss
Carnival of Souls is centered on a woman who moves to a new town after experiencing a mental breakdown after a car accident. There she is haunted by dark, sinister figures and aggressive men. The film is significant for featuring Horror Movies Of All Time a female protagonist. The movie is explained from the female perspective, showing a character that defies social norms and pushes back persuasive male gazes.
Harold “Herk” Harvey, who had mainly done educational and industrial short films, directed Carnival of Souls with a DIY aesthetic and a budget of $33,000. Arriflex cameras for motion capture, high-contrast black-and-white visuals, eerie organ music, and minimal but haunting makeup blend to give a haunted chill.
The Thing (1982)
- Director: John Carpenter
- Released: 10 December 1982
- Stars: Kurt Russell and R.J. MacReady
- Based on: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr.
Directed by John Carpenter, The Thing is based on the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. The plot concerns a group of American researchers in a desolate research station in Antarctica who encounters a parasitic Horror Movies Of All Time extraterrestrial creature, “The Thing.” The movie continues how the group cannot trust anyone and lives in paranoia, fearing anyone among them could be The Thing.
The Thing is a mutating organism that can embody other organisms, absorb anything in its path, and potentially wipe out the earth if not stopped. The film leaves the audience on the edge of their seats with its palpable tension.
IT (2017):
- Director: Andrés Muschietti
- Released: 8 September 2017
- Stars: Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård as the lead roles
- Based on: IT by Stephen King
Directed by Andrés Muschietti, IT is a supernatural horror film. The film is set around a town named Derry Maine, and the mysterious disappearance of children. A group of 7 outcasted children known as “The Barrens” are terrorized by a Horror Movies Of All Time shape-shifting creature called Pennywise; the evil appears from the sewer, and how they face their demons in the process.
It is an adaptation of the novel IT, written by Stephen King. A fear of clowns can be developed after seeing Pennywise’s bizarre and unsettling performance. It tells the story of children scarred by trauma. The film is famous for its jump scares, impressive set pieces, and top-snatch CGI.
Top 10 Horror Movies Of All Time:
| S.No | Name | Website |
| 1 | The Exorcist (1973) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist |
| 2 | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Texas_Chain_Saw _Massacre |
| 3 | Halloween (1978) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_(1978_film) |
| 4 | Hereditary (2018) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereditary_(film) |
| 5 | The Shining (1980) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film) |
| 6 | Psycho (1960) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psycho_(1960_film) |
| 7 | Alien (1979) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(film) |
| 8 | Carnival of Souls (1962) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_of_Souls |
| 9 | The Thing (1982) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(1982_film) |
| 10 | IT (2017) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_(2017_film) |
Conclusion:
Everyone from teenagers to adults enjoys horror movies; they are the ones that tend to keep the audiences attention Top 10 Horror Movies Of All Time and make you squirm in their seats.
While some may find it disturbing, horror movies are known for the jumpscares, eerie music, and dark generic atmosphere, which leaves the audiences excited to guess what will happen further.
My name is Sai Sandhya, and I work as a senior SEO strategist for the content writing team. I enjoy creating case studies, articles on startups, and listicles.
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