All this makes for a fantastic horror film that’s filled with psychological thrills, jump scares, and an overarching motive that leaves the characters unable to escape their destiny. Such an impactful film is bound to leave viewers wanting more.
8 Scream
The villain in this film is undeniably one of the most famous and easily recognized characters in film history. It’s all over the place on Halloween and many film fans consider it a perfect entry point into the horror genre. It’s not too old of a film and still holds up as being pretty scary.
Overall, it’s a fantastic slasher that involves some great characters who don’t take themselves too seriously. It’s also got some recognizable faces and an even better storyline that will have fans locking their doors and being gripped to the screen throughout.
7 Midsommar
Where Scream is a classic slasher film, Midsommar takes on a more psychological perspective. However, that never takes any of the horror genre away as viewers are instead left wishing the main characters would just turn back.
From the offset, this film takes a dark turn and just continues to do so throughout each disturbing scene. It tells the tale of a group of people who visit their friend’s cult to see how they live. After they are led into the middle of nowhere and meet this cult it becomes quickly apparent things are not all they seem.
6 Wolf Creek
Initially, Wolf Creek looks like an innocent delve into 2005 Australia and how young adults go about their lives exploring the world they live in. This is a trope closely followed by the likes of X, the trick that everything seems okay at the start, apart from maybe one aspect many characters and viewers may ignore. Then, it all comes crashing down.
This trope is portrayed fantastically by Wolf Creek and enables it to still bring the tension, the action, and the fear. The worst bit is the fact that it’s based on a true story.
5 Psycho
Often considered one of the best horror films ever made, Psycho is a Hitchcock great and should never be missed by any horror fan. Despite being released in 1960, this experience holds up particularly well and will definitely get fans engrossed, even if they’re just waiting for the famous scenes.
It’s all about classic villain Norman Bates and the horrors that ensue the poor victims of his bloodlust. Nevertheless, just like X, this has tension, blood, and a great storyline which is all complimented perfectly by Hitchcocks fantastic direction. It set the tone for films many know and love.
4 Green Room
Both Green Room and X focus on the issues around intolerance and how ignorance can often lead to some dire consequences from some rather unsavory people. They’re also both incredibly bloody and almost never stop handing out some great tension to anyone watching.
Ultimately Green Room tells the tale of a band who, while performing, say some things to offend a rather hateful group of people. Thus initiating a deadly manhunt within the building. It’s brutal, holds nothing back, and isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s a great film for any horror fan.
3 Mother!
Filled with A-list stars, Mother! is an award-winning horror filled with jarring scenes and some shocking storylines that will pull the viewer into a sense of unease throughout its runtime. It’s all about a couple who are thrown into a sense of unrest when some unexpected guests arrive at their house.
It’s not horrendously bloody but takes on a new perspective in the horror genre and is one many horror fans will enjoy. Even though it’s a little different from X, it still has the same problematic characters and is still filled with that rendering sense of impending disaster throughout.
2 Raw
Although it’s a more recent film, Raw feels like it will be a classic as time goes on. It seems to cleverly combine the coming of age genre with the horror tropes which are complemented by rather disturbing themes of cannibalism.
It brings together the initiation of lust for human meat as well as how the main character learns more about herself during this discovery phase. What makes this film so interesting is how it handles the horror genre. It’s not overly scary, more uneasy, which is a nice break if viewers need a film without loads of jump scares.
1 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
While Raw may not be jumpy or the typical horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre definitely is. It’s a classic horror that serves as a great warning to never enter random abandoned houses, especially when it seems to be relatively clear there’s a chainsaw-wielding murderer inside.
Either way, similarly to Psycho or Scream, this is a fantastic example of what horror films are capable of and is a must-watch for any horror film fan. After all, what will send shivers down the spine like a man chasing people through a creepy house with a chainsaw?
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