My favorite horror movies of all time
My Top 5 Horror Films
Spooky season is here, and I wanted to share my favorite horror movies with you. I love so many that narrowing it down to five was hard. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen all or most of them, so I’m not here to introduce them to you or to pretentiously explain why I think they’re great. I’ll just share my own connection to these films.
5. The Strangers (2008)
I was torn between Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone and The Strangers for #5. While I think the Spanish film might be a bit closer to my heart, I ended up picking The Strangers because I’m impressed that it flew under the radar. This Halloween, I’ll be dressing up as Pin-Up Girl (the brunette masked killer). I went to a few Halloween stores, and when I asked for The Strangers masks, the clerk replied, “Do you mean Stranger Things?” I was shocked! Needless to say, I had to put the costume together myself.
As a fan of Funny Games, I love how The Strangers pays homage to Haneke’s film. We always want to know why people do what they do. Why would someone kill? Was it self-defense? Were they abused? Is it in their genes? Were they angry, repressed, or mentally ill? I find it chilling to explore a reason that runs cold through my veins: “just because.” While other movies have done this well, The Strangers does this in slasher fashion. I used to have the terrible habit of forgetting to lock my door, but I haven’t slipped up since watching this film.
4. The Ring (2002)
I usually don’t enjoy remakes, but this may be the only exception. I was twelve when The Ring came out, and to this day, it’s the only movie that has given me nightmares. I refused to pick up the phone for weeks! There were no cell phones back then, so it was extra scary to hear your home phone ringing. My friends and I used to call each other and whisper “seven days” before bursting out laughing.
I could blame the terror this film gave me on my age—I was technically still a kid—but at that time, I was watching every horror film I could get my hands on, and none affected me like The Ring. I still remember watching it in the theater with two friends, and all of us screamed when Samara Morgan popped out of the TV. It felt like she might just pop out of the screen and onto our seats. I don’t remember any other horror movie causing me such a visceral reaction.
3. Eyes Without a Face (1960)
I watched this movie fairly recently for the first time, and I immediately became obsessed with it. I’m a big fan of The Skin I Live In and Open Your Eyes, and I was a little embarrassed when I finally watched Eyes Without a Face and realized this movie is the genesis of it all. It’s so complex in its themes of identity and beauty, and in my opinion, way ahead of its time.
Since it’s such an old film, I wasn’t expecting to get scared, and while it’s true that there weren’t any jump scares like those in modern horror films, it was still unsettling to watch. It’s a visually stunning film, but I also found it quite uncanny and grotesque.
2. Psycho (1960)
Well, of course! This film blew me away the first time I watched it, and it’s always such a pleasure to rewatch. Norman Bates is one of the most well-rounded and crafted characters, and it truly fulfills my obsession with human psychology. It’s refreshing to see a film that doesn’t hit you over the head with explanations of Norman’s disorder, yet it’s clear that the writers knew the diagnosis well. It’s inspiring that someone said “fuck structure” and decided to change protagonists halfway through the movie—and did it well.
I love this film because it reminds me that there’s a world of possibilities when it comes to storytelling and creativity.
1. The Orphanage (2007)
There’s a reason why this is not only my favorite horror movie but also my favorite movie, period. The reason is simple: it destroyed and stole my heart.
When it came out, I was used to horror movies that were less layered—people getting killed or haunted, and that’s it. The relationships and characters were very simple. When I first watched The Orphanage, I found myself tearing up during the last minutes of the film, and I couldn’t stop sobbing for minutes after it ended. I didn’t know a horror movie could do that to me. My entire perspective on the genre completely changed. There have been a lot of horror movies that have done that since, and probably before, but this was the first for me. It still gets me every time I rewatch it. The Orphanage is classic horror wrapped in tenderness and pure love.
What’s your favorite scary movie?
♥
The Haunting of Hill House
Scary Movie (ironically)
Cabin in the Woods