Horror Movies That Don't Suck
The State of Horror Today
As a horror movie aficionado, I have become quite frustrated with the lack of quaility in the genre lately. What happened to the good old days of terror? Why am I seeing a lack of blood and gore in the newer movies? Where is the suspense? You know suspense: that growing sense of unease that creeps up on you. It makes your ass scoot up on the edge of the seat, ready to leap up and scream at the drop of a hat.
I blame the Hollywood Machine. It churns out the money making horror and shuns the quality works of talented writers and directors. By money making horror I mean the dreaded PG-13 horror movie. In assembly-line fashion, these teeny-bopper movies are manufactured for mass consumption and maximum profit. After all, an R-rating restricts ticket sales doesn't it. Teens are a big bulk of the movie going public. So, not only does the Hollywood Machine ease up on the violence of the movie but also the general terror (the MPAA has been known to give the R-rating solely for general terror throughout).
This brings me to my list. I have compiled a list of movies I believe live up to the name "Horror Movie". These movies are good in different ways. Some are on here for quality of writing/directing/acting, some for originality and some for just being really freaking scary. These are my own choices and they are in no particular order. Feel free to disagree and/or add to my list via comments.
The Exorcist
This is a must for every horror fan.
Here are some facts:
- Paramedics had to be called to some theaters because of people fainting in their seats while watching the movie.
- Bodyguards had to protect Linda Blair because of death threats from religious freaks who believed that she glorified Satan.
- Billy Graham once stated that a demon lived in the film reel of the movie.
Need I say more?
One warning: the only sequel to The Exorcist worth seeing is Exorcist III with George C. Scott. Do not bother seeing The Heretic or the recent prequel (either version)!
The Exorcist trailer
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
A classic that changed everything. Ahead of its time in the horror genre. Despite its low budget looks, this film is a masterpiece of horror and suspense. It is the first good zombie movie to come out of the cheese of the past.
Romero later followed up with a few sequels, some very good (Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead) and some not so good (Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead) but the most memorable for me is the original classic.
NOTLD Trailer
28 Days Later
Thank God for this movie! Not only did it resurrect (excuse the pun) the zombie movie but also the horror genre in general. It is such a refreshing thing to see an intelligent horror movie that has good writing, directing and acting now-a-days.
Danny Boyle made the genius decision to shoot the movie in DV rather that 35mm wide-screen, creating a more raw feel. In my opinion, this is best for horror movies. I am sick of seeing slick and glossy horror, with pretty girls and even prettier boys preening for the nice expensive camera and the big-headed director behind it. I need it raw and low budget and 28 Days Later delivers!
28 Days Later trailer
The Descent
This is edge of your seat horror plain and simple. The first half of the movie depicts a group of women exploring a cave but then changes quickly to a frightening and bloody fight for their lives (this reminds me of the sudden change from regular movie to horror in From Dusk Til Dawn).
I will not say more for fear of giving away some surprises. See this movie...you will not regret it.
The Descent trailer
![The Descent (Original Unrated Cut) [Blu-ray]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51qsfHMFDJL._SL160_.jpg)
Frailty
A great and original story drives this movie.
Frailty is about a father who sees a vision of an angel. This angel bestows upon him the mission of destroying demons. The father recruits his two young sons to assist him in this mission. There is one big problem...these demons look just like regular human beings. This forces the elder son to doubt his father's sanity.
Is his father a murderer of humans or destroyer of demons? Watch it and see.
Frailty trailer
The Thing (1982)
Something rare — a remake that is better than the original.
This movie is intense! Intense, intense intense — in every way intense!!! With ground-breaking (and gross) special effects and a paranoia-inducing story, The Thing will have you either puking in your lap or crapping in your underwear. It's all in good fun either way.
Have fun watching The Thing, just don't eat during it.
The Thing (1982) trailer
![The Thing [Blu-ray]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HXtWBLURL._SL160_.jpg)
Dead Alive (aka Braindead)
It is said that Dead Alive (aka Braindead) is literally the bloodiest movie ever made. Need I say more? No I don't but I will anyway.
It all starts when Lionel's mother is bitten by a Sumatran Rat-Monkey (a vile varmint brought about by the rape of a rat by a monkey). This bite infects her until she eventually becomes a decaying zombie with a taste for flesh. Lionel cannot bear to destroy his mother so he tries to hide her. Well, his mother needs flesh and she eventually gets it. This further spreads the infection and bloody zaniness begins.
This is an early Peter Jackson (LOTR director) film. Braindead is the Australian title.
Dead Alive trailer
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Raw and disturbing. You get the feel that you are watching a snuff movie. No wonder, TCM was brought to you by the same people that produced Deep Throat!
This movie originally received an X rating. The weird thing about that is that TCM has very little blood and no sex, nudity or gore! Tobie Hooper (director) actually thought he was going to get a PG rating when he submitted it to the MPAA. It was rated X due to just general disturbing images throughout the movie.
The talent of the director is to blame. After watching TCM, you swear you have seen a graphic and gory movie. In reality, the gore is not there. This is reminiscent of the shower scene in Psycho. You swear you see the knife piercing the nude body of Janet Leigh, yet no nudity or knife penetration is shown.
After appeal it was giving an R rating.
TCM (1974) trailer
![The Texas Chain Saw Massacre [Blu-ray]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51s50X2MCHL._SL160_.jpg)
Lord of Illusions
The critics have not been kind to Lord of Illusions but I just don't care. This movie is very creepy; after all, it is written and directed by Clive Barker (Hellraiser). It is a strange blend of horror and film-noir but it works for me.
Lord of Illusions is about a private detective named Harry D'Amour, who — while working a case — stumbles upon a freaky religious cult that is trying to resurrect their long dead leader Nix. Nix is the real deal; an evil prophet that wants to rule the world. The resurrection of Nix needs to be stopped and Harry is just the P.I. to do it.
Despite what some critics say, watch this movie. If you like the weird and evil, you will like this movie.
Lord of Illusions
The Amityville Horror (1979)
I cannot described to you how much this movie frightened me when I was a child. I had nightmares for years and slept in my parent's room for quite a while after seeing The Amityville Horror.
This is another movie the critics didn't care for and again I say, "I don't care". This movie is freaking scary! You just have to see the scene with the priest in the upstairs room of the demonic house and your hair will stand on end. When the priest hears that deep ripping disembodied voice roaring, "GET OUT!!!", you yourself are ready to get the hell out of whatever room you are in currently.
The recent remake is alright too but it does not come close to the unsettling feeling I experience when I watch the original.
Amityville Horror trailer
Halloween (1978)
This movie brought about the genesis of the boogieman. Michael Meyers (aka The Shape) is the first horror movie villan and spawned a series of other great unstoppable killers such as Freddy and Jason. It also kick-started the career of the Queen of Scream, Jamie Lee Curtis.
Other interesting trivia:
- The mask that The Shape wears is actually a Halloween mask of Captain Kirk painted white.
- The awesome and eerie music played throughout the movie was actually composed by the director John Carpenter.
- Halloween is one the highest grossing independent movies ever made (taking inflation into account).
Halloween trailer
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Have you ever heard of the urban myth that if you die in your dreams that you will die in real life? Such a great premise for a horror movie, isn't it? Well, if you are wondering why that hasn't been explored in the movies then you must have been in a coma for the last 25 years.
I love the first Elm Street movie. Hell, I love all the Elm Street movies (well, I must exclude the 2nd movie from the love list). Freddy is the greatest and most entertaining horror villan of all time. If you have been in a coma then go out and rent all of these movies (after you learn how to walk again).
A Nightmare on Elm Street trailer
Other Notable Horror
Other Relevant Hubs
- What's That Movie?
- Horror Movies You May Have Missed
These are some movies that you may have missed in the theaters or on the dvd shelf. Some may have missed them because they were too young at the time of release. Some may have missed them because of limited... - Clive Barker Hates PG-13 Horror, OK With Remakes
- Horror Movie Recommendations
Comments
Good list man. All great movies. Haven't seen Dead Alive or Frailty but I'll check em out.
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Thanks kpfingaz. I appreciate the comment.
Good list. Didn't much care for 28 Days Later, but everything else is good. You could add Last House on the Left. Not very scary but it's disturbing as hell.
I loved the Nightmare on Elm Street, The Amityville Horror and Halloween movies. The newer ones don't seem to have the same effect!
There is one big problem...these demons look just like regular human beings. way to give the whole movie away dumbass.
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Supafly...I did not give away anything. The fact that the demons look like regular humans is not a spoiler. Watch the movie before you call me a dumbass. If you have seen the movie then you need a few more IQ points to understand the movie.
You know, I have heard a lot of people say Lord of Illusions sucks; I like it however. Anyway, you have a good list of horror films that do not suck and I think you have a pretty firm grasp of good horror. Here are some other ones that do not suck: Event Horizon, Inside, Oldboy, Dusk Till Dawn & Hellraiser.
Excellent. Those are all classics. I love that you included The Thing! That is such a classic, and it was great when Kurt Russell was a badass, and John Carpenter made good films. And there haven't been too many good ones out lately.
Hey, thanks for the link, imadork. I like your taste, too! I deliberately kept to the psychological thriller genre for my list. But I totally forgot about Frailty -- thanks for that reminder! And I would love to know ifyou like the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre from a couple of years back. I did!
Great hub, great list! The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one movie that really freaked me out big time...high suspense, very creepy. For the record, I think the remake was good too. :)
Nice list. I didn't like The Thing at all, but that may have to do with the fact that I took Vicki Zompa as my date and I was looking forward to other things after the movie.Two recent classics to add....The Devil's Rejects and House of 1000 Corpses.
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The Devil's Rejects I liked. 1000 Corpses was ok. You must like Rob Zombie Rockinjoe. Did you check out his version of Halloween? I thought it was very good. I liked the greater emphasis on Michael as a child.
Check out The Thing again. Great movie!
I have to give you props on this list. The Thing as old as it is actually is pretty good. I saw that for the first time about a month ago.
Amityville Horror is a good movie. It is sad that the original family the DeFeo's that were murdered died in such a way. Based on the facts of the family thats been living in it the last 20 years say they have had no such Supernatural experiences and only the one family The Lutz's that moved in for a short period of time after the murders who wrote a book about it coincidentally had experiences....it seems hard to believe that their whole story is credible.
The Exorcist is my all time fav. How about compiling a list of the worst horror films! I'm a horror fan fantic and have see hundreds of horror films. Alot were horrible! Like Sci-fi's "Manquito." You can guess what it's about.
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Sounds cool Christine. Sci-fi Channel does put out some horrible horror!
Excellent list!!!! Nothing more needs to be said!
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Thanks Anna.
Awesome movies! I totally agree... I can't FIND a movie now-a-days that can scare me! They all make me sit there and say..."Alright then... Whatever... NEXT?" I liked "Wrong Turn". That kinda freaked me out a little. Emily Rose, And Mothman Prophesis... because of their truth, kinda freaked me out, but as far as "SCARE ME"- No, they didn't. The movies you have listed here, I agree, are of the top best horror flicks.
ANOTHER Great hub!
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I love The Exorcism of Emily Rose. That chick that played her was intense!
VERY good movie... And yes, very well acting!
Great List! They just don't make them like they used to though - I did love The Descent too - it was very cool. The original Omen was pretty cool too and a lot of freaky stuff happened on set. I also like what I call the horror/comedy genre like Jack Frost, The Ice Cream Man, Santa's Slay, etc. I also thought Slither was pretty good for a newer horror flick and funny. And for Mama Dragonfly - read The Mothman Prophesies book - it's nothing like the movie (well a little bit) but it's way scarier and a true story.
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PT - Gotta love the crazy, dumb and funny horror! I have seen all of the ones you named. At least I think if seen Santa's Slay. Is that the one with the wrestler Goldberg playing Santa? Very entertaining. Have you seen Bubba Ho-Tep and Dead Alive?
PS - Clint Howard rocks!!! He's right up there with Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Campbell.
I'm not quite the horror fan that you are, but I've been seeing many horror movies recently on Fear.net. (I prefer sci-fi horror actually.) "Idle Hands" is a big kick and so is "House of Wax." I also saw "Descent," but the verisimilitude with the monsters didn't seem believable. Good hub, dude! Later!
Nice list - I agree that horror today has taken a turn for the worst. It seems that using 'Gap models' and really good looking people for the main characters is the norm, and makes it seems completely unrealistic (example - compare old and new Texas Chainsaw). Some other truly creepy ones are Mother of Tears,Suspiria, and the Sentinal. The sheer evil of those ones always creep me out when I watch them!
Also, I agree, the comedy horro (another hub?) is great, too. Slither was pretty funny, as was the Feast trilogy.
Great Zombie hub, I gave it a rate up, I am a big zombie fan too. I got a Zombie Movie Hub https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Best-Zombie-Mov , check it out and leave a comment, I'd like to know what you think.
Great Great List. I am actually from St. Charles, MO! I guess us Missourians are fans of good horror. Thank you for including The Descent on there. Did you watch the U.K ending or the U.S ending?
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Howdy neighbor! I used to live in St. Charles (Thrush Dr. if you're familiar). Now I live in St. Peters between Salt Lick and Mid-Rivers Mall Dr.
I'm not sure which ending I saw. I seem to recall seeing alternate endings though. I don't want to describe too much. I don't want to ruin it for the readers that haven't seen the movie.
My complaint is that we have the same taste in movies but your list is tooo short! I was hoping to see a recommendation on here for something that I dont already own.
Well at least I now know I am not the only one frustrated by the horror movies of today.
Althoagh you left out the evil dead.
solid list...my only comment is that by listing Dead Alive, you opened up a can of worms on the whole "horror-comedy" genre and leaving Evil Dead out of the loop is then a bit of a misstep...
oh and no offense, but like kutter i was hoping to see a recommendation for something i haven't already seen, but it's refreshing every once in a while to know that i'm not the only person who finds today's crop of horror films to be beyond sub-par
you have some really good stuff here.......and i thought that i ran out of good horror to re-watch.......thx 4 share
You have some awsome taste imadork! Excellent movies all the way around! Hey, how did you feel about Silent Hill? I saw it in the movies when i was a little kid so i dont remember much. I know its not as scary as the video game though! Anyway, amazing list of movies, enough said.
Just want to say, Great List!!!! You've got great taste! With the Exorcist leading off I knew you did! .... and Dead Alive.... good call, lol. From absolute hair on your neck standing up to movies that make you giggle at the gore, I'm so saving this page to my fav's list. None of my friends like horror =(
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Abby G - sorry for the delay but I do not use Hubpages much anymore. Thanks for the compliments!
I'm pretty sure I saw Silent Hill but I don't remember much about it, which is not a good sign. I think I was messing around on the laptop and not paying much attention to it.
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Samantha - Thanks for commenting. I'll be your horror movie friend. ;)
Are there any movies on this list that you haven't seen? If there are, will you check them out?
I would, if I hadn't seen them. I own Dead Alive and The Exorcist.... had to, those are the movies you can just let roll in the backround for visual fun lol. Have you seen the Descent 2. I wasn't disappointed, it was fun too. I just recently watched Texas Chainsaw Masacre and I had no idea what I had been missing. Great slasher movie with a splash of crazy, the only kind of slasher movie I really get into. I hate to say it but the straight slasher movies aren't too entertaining for me usually. ....um.... I hate to say it outloud... for fear of what will be thrown at my head by one of it's fan base...but, I soooo didn't like the Halloween movie. I kind of like the one in space, that was kind of fun, but I just couldn't get into them much. I like Freddy vs. Jason, but I guess I lean more to the supernatural, sci-fi, monster type movies I guess. I looooove it when I can't guess what's gonna happen, which VERY rarely happens.
Like you, I'm a fan of the genre so I googled "horror movies that don't suck." Imagine my delight when I happened upon your list and totally agree with everything you have on here (probably even in that exact order) but haven't seen Frailty or Dead Alive. Updating my Netflix queue now...
Did you enjoy "Quarantine"? Nothing original about the formula but for some reason I found it extremely effective. Even had a little trouble sleeping that night.
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Thank you Inga for reading and I hope you enjoy Frailty and Dead Alive. Those are two very different horror movies but both great in their own respective sub-genres.
Quarantine, if I remember correctly, I did not care for that much. I will say that I was not paying much attention to it as I watched it. Maybe I will give it another try.
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Samantha: I'm sorry but I did not see your reply until now. I have not seen Descent 2. I was afraid I'd be disappointed but maybe I'll thrown it on my Netflix queue. I think you may have Halloween and Friday the 13th mixed up cuz I do not remember a Halloween in space but there was a Friday in space. The original Halloween is a fucking classic!
I like the exocist rather than the others because it makes me scare every time I watch it even now.
And what about Cube 1997? The first one was definitely scary and original.
@imadork... If you haven't seen decent 2 your missing out! If you liked the first you will love the 2nd. It is really good! goes into more detail and explains the first one in more detail! I love it!
I watched this movie on lifetime i think and it was about a girl i wana say in the 60s maybe 50s or even 40s and she is a bastard child and left with her grandparents by her mom her grandfather is abusive toward her starves her makes her sleep outside and fight with the dogs for food she wonders into the black lady's yard one night she locked outside to sleep and the black lady kinda takes her in through out the movie I cant remember the name of the movie and its killing me do you know
i watched a film when i was younger about a boy who finds a book in his attic and when he starts reading it, doors in the attic open to another world. when he goes into the other world, he meets a wood chopper, a boxing kangaroo and a wizard he has to find a sword to give to the prince who has been taken prisoner by his evil auntie.his granddad had told him not to go in the attic at the beginning of the story and at the end he goes home and his dad comes back from the army.
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Kaylee - I did see it and I liked it. I just didn't love it like the first. I thought is was an unnecessary sequel. Most sequels are.
theres two movies i've seen when I was like 9 but never knew the names. i've looked all over google and jeeves but no one knows. the first one is with the boy and he dies while he was playing out in the rain and falls off a cliff but comes back to life and tries to kill his mom who wasn't watching him. The second one is the sequal to it and it takes place in the fild museum with this little devil or clay doll.. and it's tring to kill this lady that works there. Can you help me find it
OK, what's the name of the (very unpleasant to watch) horror film where a girl & guy take a trip in the western part of the country, pull into a rest stop, guy disappears, girl is unable to leave because of killer(s), and she finds other dead females in the restroom, is unable to summon help - help gets killed too.
other notables: hostel....what? no way, that was a laughably retarded movie, the only saving grace being all the boobs in the first half of the movie. saw/saw2 would easily replace this, even though the acting in saw was horrific in of itself.
I'm looking for a movie, I don't know the name of it. The dad lost his money and his two rich daughters had to get jobs. What is the name of that movie? It came out a few years ago.
good list you have there. Have you seen "the Changeling" with George C. Scott? Some eastern movies like "A Tale of Two Sisters" are also remarkable.
Hi can some1 plz help me I'm looking for a movie I watched on Aussie tv al in no it was 1 of those midday weekend movies bak in the 80s is Wen I watched it it was based on Aladdin story but its not a cartoon and not black or white if I see the guy of a scene ill no if its it iv bin looking for over 5 years n still havnt come close
My favourite of recent times is Switchblade Romance. Really scary
I would add Dead End to this. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0308152/combined
What is the movie where the boy loses the girl because a spirit comes in a wrecks his life. The ending shot shows the boy looking into a mirror with the spirit wrapped around his shoulders which he cannot see. American made and not too old a film. Probably a thriller and not horror. Thanks.
insifious
almost sounds like insidious minus the girl being lost. a boy got taken
what is the name of a french boy film about bullying in the film a black and white sheep dog helps him. we saw it in like 2nd grade
i'm looking for a name of a movie. all i can remember is a teenage guy comes to a new town and meets 3 others and one of the guys he meets is like a leader and he believes he does black magic and they do drugs and alcohol and the guy that thinks he does magic puts a cat in a bag and kills it by slamming it against a tree and at the end the new guy has to fight the leader. not sure about the year but i don't know is was before 2000 and after 1990
Umm.... High Tension and Splinter....
I think I'm pretty jaded, however I still won't watch "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", never seen it! Too scared! A couple of movies that I've seen, enjoyed and was scared by are "The Haunting" (1963) and "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (1992).
im looking for a movie with 5 or 6 college kids that get stranded and they come across this girl who dresses like a little girl but seems to be insane and she ends up killing everyone does anyone know what the name of this is cause i cant remember what its called
Thanks so much for this list, I've been looking for the name of the frailty for many years :D
This is old school. This is a list of someone who is 60 years old saying what the best horrors are. They were great for their time, but now-a-days look like puppet shows with pickles and ketchup mashed up.
Heya! What's that movie where the guys is killing gay people and is hiding them in his basement? Or was that a TV show?
i wouldn't consider myself an "aficionado" with a list of topical movie like this. not being a dick, it just is a bit topical.
try harder.
what was the movie where the guy wakes up and he rolls over and the woman is a skeleton with white hair.
Awesome list. I love 28 Days later, and a lot of the films on it. I hated the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, though. For me, in a good horror movie, I have to give a damn if the people die, and I just did not care in this one. Especially the blond. When she ran through the woods screaming for what seemed like forever, all I could think was, "Please, just kill that bitch already." Lol. She just got on my nerves. I also love the Nightmare On Elm Street series. Except the second one.
The Demon movies from the 80s new movies r horrbile. For some reason I have an obsession with demon nun movies strange I know!!
in what movie does a European cop meet up with the devil and finally end up going to his house where defeats another demon
Okay there is this movie that takes place in a diner where this girl is talking to this older guy about how she wants to grow old and have a family and she doesn't want the deal anymore and he gives her twelve hours to find someone to take her place in the diner and then there is a couple that i guess is going through a divorce but at the end don't lol I don't really know about them but the waitress is on an abusive relationship with her husband but in love with the chef but she didn't know that the chef felt the same way about her and the. There is a couple that wee going to rob the diner but end up getting stuck in there along with everyone else cause of the devil does anyone know what thee movie is called
This movie I believe was set in the 80s in the uk. This red head girl wants to be a singer, her family lives in a bar, and at the en if the movie her and her band sneer into a tv show like Americas got talant and start performing the crowed loves them and they win.
Here's a tough one. I saw this movie on cable TV in the mid-90s, so I'm not sure when it was actually released. It involves 2 brothers, one around 18, and a younger around 13, who run off with their Dad's beautiful and much younger blonde girlfriend. They steal the Dad's convertible and head south. There is a wild scene where the Dad, girlfriend, and sons are at the dinner table, and the oldest son (who has been trying to seduce the girlfriend), pulls her panties off under the table with Dad sitting across from them. Similar to scene in Italian film "Malicious".
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