Horror movies are always popular, but never more so than during the Halloween season.
And while there are a handful of modern classics like Get Out and It, many of the greatest horror flicks are older films.
To celebrate the scary season, Watch With Us has assembled the best horror movies of all time, as ranked by IMDb.
Note that films like The Silence of the Lambs and Seven are actually thrillers. and not horror flicks. That’s why you won’t find them below, unlike some other horror movie lists.
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7. ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984)
The 1980s horror movies belonged to the slashers, and none of those big-screen killers could match the impact of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Later movies in the franchise significantly watered down Freddy with a more humorous persona. But as envisioned by writer and director Wes Craven, Freddy was a merciless monster who could kill teenagers in their dreams.
Although Johnny Depp made his cinematic debut in this film as Glen Lantz, Glen’s girlfriend, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), is the central figure. Nancy is forced to watch her friends fall prey to Freddy one by one as she attempts to stay awake and figure out why he’s so hellbent on tormenting her from beyond the grave.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is streaming on HBO Max.
6. ‘The Omen’ (1976)
Screen legend Gregory Peck elevated The Omen with his performance as Robert Thorn, the American ambassador to the United Kingdom. Years before his current posting, Robert and his wife, Katherine Thorn (Lee Remick), lost their child at birth, and he secretly agreed to adopt another woman’s baby.
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That was the grand mistake of Robert’s life, because his son, Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens), is literally the Antichrist. Robert doesn’t want to hear the truth from Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton), but there are too many strange things happening around Damien to ignore. And if Robert can’t bring himself to stop his son, then the entire world may be lost.
The Omen is streaming on Tubi.
5. ‘Halloween’ (1978)
Halloween helped usher in the slasher flicks by introducing Michael Myers (Nick Castle), a silent killer whose face was largely hidden behind a white mask. This is one of director John Carpenter‘s best movies, and he even composed the iconic Halloween theme that’s been used in almost every film in the franchise.
In 1978, Michael escapes from the custody of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) and returns to his hometown to resume his murderous ways. Jamie Lee Curtis stars as Laurie Strode, the prototypical final girl who finds herself in danger from Michael. No matter where she goes or hides, Michael follows. And he simply will not stop coming, no matter what Laurie does to fight back.
Halloween is streaming on Plex.
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4. ‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968)
Contrary to popular belief, George A. Romero didn’t create zombies. However, his 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead, shaped the undead monsters in the public’s imagination for decades to come. Romero went on to direct other zombie-related flicks, but this is the one that made his name in cinema.
As the dead inexplicably begin to rise and attack the living, a woman named Barbara (Judith O’Dea) retreats to a farmhouse, where Ben (Duane Jones) and other survivors are also hiding. Casting a Black actor as the hero in a horror film hadn’t been done before this film, but Jones made his mark here. Ben doesn’t just have to fight off the zombies — he also has to face the racism of Harry Cooper (Karl Hardman), one of the other survivors.
Night of the Living Dead is streaming on Netflix.
3. ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)
Aside from Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby may be the best film ever directed by Roman Polanski. The story follows Rosemary (Mia Farrow), the wife of a theatrical actor, Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes). After moving into an exclusive building, Rosemary and Guy are befriended by the owners, Roman (Sidney Blackmer) and Minnie Castevet (Ruth Gordon).
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Over time, Rosemary realizes that something is very wrong about their neighbors and their unusual interest in her unborn child. Her instincts are correct, but even Rosemary couldn’t have predicted what the Castevets really want her child for, or what her husband is willing to do to help them achieve their satanic goal.
Rosemary’s Baby is streaming on Paramount+.
2. ‘The Exorcist’ (1973)
For many fans, The Exorcist is the greatest horror movie of all time. The film’s IMDb ranking may not reflect that, but this could easily be the No. 1 film on any horror list. Director William Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty deserve their share of the credit for the movie’s reception, but young actress Linda Blair is the primary reason why it’s a classic. Her performance as the possessed 12-year-old girl, Regan MacNeil, is terrifying.
Regan’s possession slowly builds, much to the alarm of her mother, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn). Once the demon has a hold of Regan’s body, it refuses to relinquish control, and its profanity-laden speeches were very shocking for audiences in 1973 — and even today. Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) are forced to attempt an exorcism to save Regan’s life and her soul, but even their combined efforts may not be enough.
The Exorcist is streaming on HBO Max.
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1. The Shining (1980)
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” It also makes Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) mad as a hatter in The Shining. Stephen King wasn’t a fan of the deviations that director Stanley Kubrick made from his novel, but the results speak for themselves. Over four decades after its release, The Shining is a horror masterpiece that few films can challenge.
Jack was always a little crazy, even before he packed up his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and their son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), to watch over the Overlook Hotel during its off-season. However, the ghosts in the Overlook are very real, and they successfully drive Jack into a homicidal rage. Danny is also tormented by the spirits, thanks to his emerging psychic powers. But he has more to worry about from his own father than any of the ghosts he encounters.
The Shining is streaming on HBO Max.
