Horror is a film genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears. Inspired by literature from authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley, horror films have, for more than a century, featured scenes that startle the viewer. With that being said I'm going to bring you more of my favorite horror films of all-time. You can see my first list here and my second list here. These movies are ranked 21-30 so when you see number 5 it is actually number 25. So without further ado...
10. (30) Paranormal Activity
This is an absolutely brilliant film and one of the more original horror films in the modern era. A haunted house makes no secret of the fact it's not pleased with its new tenants in this independent tale of supernatural horror. Katie (played by Katie Featherson) and Micah (played by Micah Sloat) are a twentysomething couple who've just moved into a new home in San Diego, CA. Katie has an interest in the paranormal and believes that malevolent spirits have been following her since childhood, though Micah is not so easily convinced. However, after several nights of loud noises and strange happenings, Micah starts to agree with Katie that some sort of ghost may have followed them to the new home. After a paranormal researcher tells the couple he can't help them, Micah decides to take control of the situation and sets up a battery of video cameras so that if a spirit manifests itself, he can capture its behavior on tape. Once the surveillance cameras are in place, Katie and Micah bring in a Ouija board in an effort to talk to the spirits, a move that deeply offends the ghosts. Paranormal Activity has a rating of 83% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. (29) Pan's Labyrinth
This is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, some of the best creatures in a film and one of the most haunting films I have ever seen. Carmen (played by Ariadna Gil), recently remarried to sadistic army captain Vidal (played by Sergi Lpez) and soon to bear the cruel military man's child, shy young Ofelia (played by Ivana Baquero) is forced to entertain herself as her recently-formed family settles into their new home nestled deep in the Spanish countryside. As Ofelia's bed-ridden mother lies immobilized in anticipation of her forthcoming child and her high-ranking stepfather remains determined to fulfill the orders of General Francisco Franco to crush a nearby guerilla uprising, the young girl soon ventures into an elaborate stone labyrinth presided over by the mythical faun Pan (played by Doug Jones). Convinced by Pan that she is the lost princess of legend and that in order to return to her underground home she must complete a trio of life-threatening tasks, Ofelia sets out to reclaim her kingdom and return to her grieving father as Vidal's housekeeper Mercedes (played by Maribel Verd) and doctor (played by Alex Angulo) plot secretly on the surface to keep the revolution alive. Pan's Labyrinth was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Best Foreign Language Film while winning 3 ( Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Makeup) and it has a rating of 95% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. (28) The Fly (1986)
This is an absolutely terrifying film with spectacular makeup and performances from both Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davs. Seth Brundle (played by Jeff Goldblum), is a self-involved research scientist, and Veronica Quaife (played by Geena Davis), is a science-magazine reporter. Inviting Veronica to his lab, Seth prepares to demonstrate his "telepod," which can theoretically transfer matter through space. As they grow closer over the next few weeks, she inadvertently goads Seth into experimenting with human beings rather than inanimate objects. Seth himself enters the telepod, preparing to transmit himself through the ether -- but he doesn't know that he is sharing the telepod with a tiny housefly. The Fly was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and it has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. (27) Shaun of the Dead
This is just an absolutely hilarious film and the best Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright film. It's often said that the true character of a man is only revealed in times of dire crisis, and for likable, lovelorn loser Shaun (played by Simon Pegg), that moment of reckoning came when the dead rose from their slumber to feast on the flesh of the living. A hapless electronics store employee who spends most of his spare time downing pints at the local pub with his roommate, Ed (played by Nick Frost), Shaun's life seems to fall apart when he is dumped by his girlfriend, Liz (played by Kate Ashfield), and his obnoxious stepfather, Philip (played by Bill Nighy), shows up to berate him for not being more attentive to his caring mother Barbara (played by Penelope Wilton) -- especially since he forgot to send flowers for her birthday. Things take a turn for the worse when the dead return to stake their claim on the Earth, and though the chaos that follows threatens to swallow up all of England, it's up to Shaun to keep his cool and prove himself once and for all by successfully rescuing Liz and his mother. With his trusty roommate by his side, nothing -- not even the living dead -- can stand between Shaun and the two most important women in his life. Shaun of the Dead has a rating of 92% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. (26) 28 Days Later
This is one of the best filmed, directed and written horror film of all-time. After breaking into a primate research facility, a group of animal rights activists discover caged chimps chained up before banks of screens displaying horrifying, violent images. Ignoring the warnings of the terrified researcher who maintains that the chimps are infected, they begin to free the animals and are immediately subjected to a bloody attack from the enraged creatures. Twenty-eight days later, Cycle courier Jim (played by Cillian Murphy) awakes from a coma in the deserted intensive care unit of a London hospital. He wanders out into a church where he finds dead bodies piled in heaps on the chapel floor. A sudden explosion from a makeshift bomb heralds the arrival of fellow "survivors" Selina (played by Naomie Harris) and Mark (played by Noah Huntley). They take Jim to safety and explain to him that this infection is transmitted by blood and overwhelms the infected victim with a murderous rage within seconds. Britain has been overrun, and they have no way of knowing if it has spread worldwide. Their only hope of survival may lie in the hands of a Manchester group of soldiers, as they claim to have the "answer" to infection and invite any survivors to join them at their blockade. Faced with no practical alternative, the group sets out northwards, unaware that the worst is yet to come. 28 Days Later has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. (25) The Babadook
The is a frightening film and one of the best horror films of of this century. Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (played by Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her 'out of control' 6 year-old, Samuel (played by Noah Wiseman), a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel's dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called 'The Babadook' turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he's been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son's behaviour, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real. The Babadook has a rating of 98% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. (24) Scream 2
This film does everything that a horror sequel should do and that's build upon what came before it and make the film stand-out and be different than the first film. Two years after the first series of murders, a new psychopath dons the Ghostface costume and a new string of killings begins. Scream 2 has a rating of 81% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. (23) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
This is the film that took the horror genre to a whole other level and made the genre more mainstream. A group of teenagers are terrorized by "Freddy Krueger" (played by Robert Englund) , an evil being from another world who gets to his victims by entering their dreams and killing them with gloves that have knife blades attached to each finger. A Nightmare on Elm Street has a rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. (22) It Follows
This is a fascinating film and it is in the top 5 best horror films of the century. After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager (played by Maika Monroe) finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. It Follows has a rating of 96% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. (21) Saw II
This like Scream 2 does a great job of making a great horror sequle, but it isn't quite as good as the first film. Eric Matthews (played by Donnie Wahlberg) is a police detective who, after discovering the aftermath of a particularly gruesome murder, is convinced that Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell) is up to his ugly tricks again. Matthews' hunch turns out to be correct, but the master criminal proves to be disconcertingly easy to capture. As it happens, Jigsaw is eager to be put behind bars in order to throw the authorities off his trail as he once again punishes people who in his eyes have transgressed the boundaries of acceptable moral behavior. But instead of trapping two people in a filthy dungeon where they must engage in a terrible contest in order to win their freedom, eight people have been locked away by Jigsaw, and they must torture their bodies and minds to achieve the terrible justice Jigsaw seeks. Saw II has a rating of 36% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of my list and what are some of you favorite horror films? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
10. (30) Paranormal Activity
This is an absolutely brilliant film and one of the more original horror films in the modern era. A haunted house makes no secret of the fact it's not pleased with its new tenants in this independent tale of supernatural horror. Katie (played by Katie Featherson) and Micah (played by Micah Sloat) are a twentysomething couple who've just moved into a new home in San Diego, CA. Katie has an interest in the paranormal and believes that malevolent spirits have been following her since childhood, though Micah is not so easily convinced. However, after several nights of loud noises and strange happenings, Micah starts to agree with Katie that some sort of ghost may have followed them to the new home. After a paranormal researcher tells the couple he can't help them, Micah decides to take control of the situation and sets up a battery of video cameras so that if a spirit manifests itself, he can capture its behavior on tape. Once the surveillance cameras are in place, Katie and Micah bring in a Ouija board in an effort to talk to the spirits, a move that deeply offends the ghosts. Paranormal Activity has a rating of 83% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. (29) Pan's Labyrinth
This is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, some of the best creatures in a film and one of the most haunting films I have ever seen. Carmen (played by Ariadna Gil), recently remarried to sadistic army captain Vidal (played by Sergi Lpez) and soon to bear the cruel military man's child, shy young Ofelia (played by Ivana Baquero) is forced to entertain herself as her recently-formed family settles into their new home nestled deep in the Spanish countryside. As Ofelia's bed-ridden mother lies immobilized in anticipation of her forthcoming child and her high-ranking stepfather remains determined to fulfill the orders of General Francisco Franco to crush a nearby guerilla uprising, the young girl soon ventures into an elaborate stone labyrinth presided over by the mythical faun Pan (played by Doug Jones). Convinced by Pan that she is the lost princess of legend and that in order to return to her underground home she must complete a trio of life-threatening tasks, Ofelia sets out to reclaim her kingdom and return to her grieving father as Vidal's housekeeper Mercedes (played by Maribel Verd) and doctor (played by Alex Angulo) plot secretly on the surface to keep the revolution alive. Pan's Labyrinth was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Best Foreign Language Film while winning 3 ( Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Makeup) and it has a rating of 95% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. (28) The Fly (1986)
This is an absolutely terrifying film with spectacular makeup and performances from both Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davs. Seth Brundle (played by Jeff Goldblum), is a self-involved research scientist, and Veronica Quaife (played by Geena Davis), is a science-magazine reporter. Inviting Veronica to his lab, Seth prepares to demonstrate his "telepod," which can theoretically transfer matter through space. As they grow closer over the next few weeks, she inadvertently goads Seth into experimenting with human beings rather than inanimate objects. Seth himself enters the telepod, preparing to transmit himself through the ether -- but he doesn't know that he is sharing the telepod with a tiny housefly. The Fly was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and it has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. (27) Shaun of the Dead
This is just an absolutely hilarious film and the best Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright film. It's often said that the true character of a man is only revealed in times of dire crisis, and for likable, lovelorn loser Shaun (played by Simon Pegg), that moment of reckoning came when the dead rose from their slumber to feast on the flesh of the living. A hapless electronics store employee who spends most of his spare time downing pints at the local pub with his roommate, Ed (played by Nick Frost), Shaun's life seems to fall apart when he is dumped by his girlfriend, Liz (played by Kate Ashfield), and his obnoxious stepfather, Philip (played by Bill Nighy), shows up to berate him for not being more attentive to his caring mother Barbara (played by Penelope Wilton) -- especially since he forgot to send flowers for her birthday. Things take a turn for the worse when the dead return to stake their claim on the Earth, and though the chaos that follows threatens to swallow up all of England, it's up to Shaun to keep his cool and prove himself once and for all by successfully rescuing Liz and his mother. With his trusty roommate by his side, nothing -- not even the living dead -- can stand between Shaun and the two most important women in his life. Shaun of the Dead has a rating of 92% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. (26) 28 Days Later
This is one of the best filmed, directed and written horror film of all-time. After breaking into a primate research facility, a group of animal rights activists discover caged chimps chained up before banks of screens displaying horrifying, violent images. Ignoring the warnings of the terrified researcher who maintains that the chimps are infected, they begin to free the animals and are immediately subjected to a bloody attack from the enraged creatures. Twenty-eight days later, Cycle courier Jim (played by Cillian Murphy) awakes from a coma in the deserted intensive care unit of a London hospital. He wanders out into a church where he finds dead bodies piled in heaps on the chapel floor. A sudden explosion from a makeshift bomb heralds the arrival of fellow "survivors" Selina (played by Naomie Harris) and Mark (played by Noah Huntley). They take Jim to safety and explain to him that this infection is transmitted by blood and overwhelms the infected victim with a murderous rage within seconds. Britain has been overrun, and they have no way of knowing if it has spread worldwide. Their only hope of survival may lie in the hands of a Manchester group of soldiers, as they claim to have the "answer" to infection and invite any survivors to join them at their blockade. Faced with no practical alternative, the group sets out northwards, unaware that the worst is yet to come. 28 Days Later has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. (25) The Babadook
The is a frightening film and one of the best horror films of of this century. Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (played by Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her 'out of control' 6 year-old, Samuel (played by Noah Wiseman), a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel's dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called 'The Babadook' turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he's been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son's behaviour, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real. The Babadook has a rating of 98% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. (24) Scream 2
This film does everything that a horror sequel should do and that's build upon what came before it and make the film stand-out and be different than the first film. Two years after the first series of murders, a new psychopath dons the Ghostface costume and a new string of killings begins. Scream 2 has a rating of 81% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. (23) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
This is the film that took the horror genre to a whole other level and made the genre more mainstream. A group of teenagers are terrorized by "Freddy Krueger" (played by Robert Englund) , an evil being from another world who gets to his victims by entering their dreams and killing them with gloves that have knife blades attached to each finger. A Nightmare on Elm Street has a rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. (22) It Follows
This is a fascinating film and it is in the top 5 best horror films of the century. After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager (played by Maika Monroe) finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. It Follows has a rating of 96% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. (21) Saw II
This like Scream 2 does a great job of making a great horror sequle, but it isn't quite as good as the first film. Eric Matthews (played by Donnie Wahlberg) is a police detective who, after discovering the aftermath of a particularly gruesome murder, is convinced that Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell) is up to his ugly tricks again. Matthews' hunch turns out to be correct, but the master criminal proves to be disconcertingly easy to capture. As it happens, Jigsaw is eager to be put behind bars in order to throw the authorities off his trail as he once again punishes people who in his eyes have transgressed the boundaries of acceptable moral behavior. But instead of trapping two people in a filthy dungeon where they must engage in a terrible contest in order to win their freedom, eight people have been locked away by Jigsaw, and they must torture their bodies and minds to achieve the terrible justice Jigsaw seeks. Saw II has a rating of 36% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of my list and what are some of you favorite horror films? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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