October is finally upon us, which means it’s time for big sweatshirts, brisk walks listening to Bleed American, and, of course, scary movies. Because the genre has roots that reach back to the ’60s, there are an overwhelming number of styles to choose from — gory slashers, campy melodrama, final girl twists, and beyond. Given that Halloween is just around the corner, we asked our readers to name the best horror movies of all time. These are the top picks, ranked accordingly below.
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5. The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi’s 1981 supernatural horror The Evil Dead is just good fun. Featuring the classic cliche of five college students staying in a cabin in the woods, they discover a tape that releases a host of spirits once played. All but one of their group gets possessed, forcing lone member Ash Williams to fight off a torrent of gory havoc. Put simply, The Evil Dead is an essential watch for this time of the season.
4. The Exorcist
Another supernatural horror, The Exorcist will chill you to the bone. Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn give eye-widening performances in this slow-building story about the demonic possession of a young woman and her mother’s attempt to save her. Decades later, the scenes remain gripping and unsettling, becoming the framework for movies in this vein.
3. Scream
Scream has fingerprints on nearly every modern horror film. Starring Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, the 1996 film opens with a series of increasingly unsettling phone calls from the killer — “Do you like scary movies?” The taunts keep coming, too, as Ghostface plays with their victims like it’s just another Saturday night. Poking fun at horror cliches with sharp storytelling and campy twists, Scream oozes originality and pushes the boundaries of the genre in ultra-satisfying ways.
2. A Nightmare On Elm Street
Wes Craven is clearly a master of horror, but his 1984 film A Nightmare On Elm Street presents a terrifying concept: Sleep is inevitable, but how safe are you in your dreams? Following Nancy Thompson and her friends, the film transforms into a literal nightmare as the characters fight to stay awake or die at the hands of Freddy Krueger. Forty years later, this slasher remains absolutely vital to the genre.
1. Halloween
Are you surprised? From its soundtrack to the eternal legacy of Michael Myers, John Carpenter’s Halloween took horror to another level. Taking place in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, the suburban setting made the terror so much more real — you could be killed in your own neighborhood. Acting as Jamie Lee Curtis’ film debut, the tension that builds as she continues to evade Myers is anxiety-inducing — and her character Laurie Strode is the epitome of a final girl. Halloween set the tone for a legion of horror films to come.