My Top 5 Horror Films Ranked 

Werner Herzog’s ‘Nosferatu the Vampire’ is such an underrated horror film

John Carpenter’s The Thing is my favourite horror film. Its a masterpiece.

Nice choices. For me it’s John Carpenter’s The Thing. It’s everything I could ever want from a monster movie and then some.

Your analogy of Rosemary’s Baby was absolutely brilliant, explains perfectly how I feel too when I watch the film

Really good list. My personal top 5: 5. A Nightmare On Elm Street 4. Evil Dead II 3. The Exorcist 2. Peeping Tom 1. The Thing

Black Christmas 74 is amazingly atmospheric...The Shining is truly scary, which is actually hard to pull off

Am I the only person who doesn't find The Shining scary?

Rosemary's Baby is brilliant at putting all of the most unsettling factors just out of reach of perception, either by physically placing them (by putting them on the other side of thin walls or just around corners) or by messing with a character's perception (via hallucinations or dreams). By the middle of the film, when Rosemary is out waiting for Hutch (who is not coming... duh duh DUUUH), there is a throwaway shot of a helicopter which is just going out of sight for Rosemary behind a tall building, and it has nothing to do with anything, but it feels so unsettling that I wonder "who is in that helicopter? what do they know? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" :D

5: Hellraiser - Really like the tone and the lore. Very memorable lines and is genuinely scary. 4: The Witch - One of the most suspenseful movies. Does more with less. Incredible ending, I get goosebumps every time. 3: The Shining - Classic and creepy. Everyone has their own unique reason why they find it scary. 2: Eraserhead - Nightmare fuel. Images burned in my head. Everything from bleeding chicken to cheek lady singing. 1: Don't Look Now - Favorite horror movie. Light on horror, but keeps you on edge of your seat with one of the best payoffs I have seen in any movie.

Kiri kiri kiri... My favorites: 5. In the mouth of madness 4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3. Possession 2. Alien 1. The Thing 0. Come and See

The Evil Dead (1981); The Exorcist; Rosemary's Baby; Midsommar; The Fly (1986); Martyrs...

I have OD'd on your content these past couple weeks! Love this channel and all of your content.

My Top 5: 1.Rosemary's Baby(1968) 2.The Haunting(1963) 3.The Excorcist(1973) 4.The Innocents(1961) 5.The Shining(1980)

The problem I find with ranking horror movies is that the reactions they draw from you can change tremendously with time and experience. Aliens terrified me as a child, but now I could watch it only as an action flick. By the time I first saw Videodrome (in my early twenties) it was far more fascinating than frightening, excepting the aspect of Nicki’s fate having been left to the worst of one’s imagination. Conversely Requiem for a Dream went from merely interesting to a movie I have never watched again after a relationship with a young woman who had stopped using heroin only a short time before I met her.

1. Frankenstein/The Bride of Frankenstein 2. Carrie 3. The Exorcist 4. The Fly 5. Eraserhead Both of James Whale’s masterpieces are inextricable from each other and I don’t have the heart to separate them. They are also the most iconic genre-defining films of the 20th century. And after all these years, Boris Karloff still scares and tugs at the heartstrings. Carrie is not only an ultra-compelling horror spectacle but one of the most bruising “coming-of-age” films ever, capturing all of the awkwardness and pain of adolescence better than almost any other film I can think of. Sissy Spacek’s performance is one for the ages. You could include The Exorcist in the pantheon solely on the basis of possessing one of the greatest high concept ideas ever. Case in point: Sprinkle equal parts Oedipal complex, religious patriarchy, prepubescent phobia, mid-life crisis, home invasion/body horror, and a climactic battle of good vs. evil and I don’t know what else you could cram in there other than the kitchen sink. The fact that William Friedkin elevates it past potential farce and pushes it into Grand Guignol type theatrics that shocked 70’s audiences into disbelief is a historic achievement that may never be duplicated. The Fly... Be afraid; be very afraid. But also brace yourself for one of the most tragic, heart-rending love stories ever, complete with adorable “meet cute” in the beginning followed by the dramatic rise-and-fall of our couple’s relationship. Only, prepare yourself for an uncompromisingly grim and cataclysmic ending. Cronenberg, as usual, pulls no punches. Eraserhead... Just three words: David f***ing Lynch.

Bong Joon Ho says “Cure ,” directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, isn’t just the greatest horror film, but one of the greatest films ever, period, and I totally agree. Just saying.

Ok my list just at the moment would be something like... 5. Night of the Living Dead, the original. Really disturbing, has a lot to say about human beings. 4. The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, almost perfect film 3. The Mask of Satan, the greatest example of gothic horror, with sublime acting and immaculate photography and lighting 2. Possession. Yeah we all love the arthouse horror film classic. Still haunting the dark corners of my mind 1. The Thing. How it ratchets up the tension, while simultaneously peeling back the layers of self-control to expose how humans react when afraid make it a masterpiece.

Rosemary's baby and the Shining are also my all time faves as well as Robert Eggers the witch from 2015.

I love ALL these movies. Plus The Wicker Man, Company of Wolves, Don't Look Now and Eraserhead

It’s so hard to make a top 5 list, and I really love all the movies you chose. In no particular order I would mention: The Entity (1982) it’s not a perfect movie, but Barbara Hershey is just so incredible in it. The Exorcist (1973) I prefer the original version without the spiderwalk. The Gate (1987) an 80’es kiddy horror. Again, not a perfect movie, but the concept and idea behind it is really lovely. The Fly (1986) Croningberg at its best in my opinion. Alien (1979) … yeah, it’s pretty incredible.

Spot on with your number one! Only saw it recently for the first time and man oh man does it wrap you up in its narrative in such a twisted and unique way. It's one of those rare horror films that isn't satisfied with just being consigned to its genre label - the story unfolds so organically that you don't really think of it as a horror film (until the end, of course!). It's a great film first, then a great horror film. Love your videos btw :)

I would go for in reverse order: Raw (2017) Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Dawn of the Dead (1978) Videodrome (1983) The Witch (2015) I really find The Witch to be completely fascinating and it's to do with its folkloric historical character. I think it's both direct and one step removed, The Shining done right.

Videodrome is absolutely underrated. It’s mind-blowing.

A very good list. For a second there, I thought Promising Young Woman was going to go the Audition ending route. 1. Alien 2. Martyrs 3. I Saw the Devil 4. Let the Right One In 5. Dead Alive

This is so tough, I'll just make a top15 'cause I can't decide. Eraserhead Mulholland Drive Martyrs (2008) The Shining Jacob's Ladder The Witch 28 Days Later Alien The Eyes of My Mother Hereditary Possum Lake Mungo Kairo Under The Skin Let The Right One In

Only saw Rosemary's Baby once before and want to return to it because I don't remember much, but the feeling it gave me by the end invaded my dreams and stayed ever since

When she said "fuck it," my heart leaped.

So interesting to watch the video and read the comments. There is wide differences of opinion on top five but what comes out is that there is a lot of great horror movies. A lot.

Right now for me it would go something like this: 1. Martyrs 2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3. The Last House on the Left 4. Rabid 5. Alien

"That's odd. Usually the blood gets off at the second floor." -- Mr. Burns; The Shinning (sh! wanna get sued?)

1. Mother ! 2. The Thing 3. CLIMAX 4. Rosemary's Baby 5. The Creature from the Black Lagoon

That's a solid list! However, I see no Kiyoshi Kurosawa film :) He's considered one of the first J-horror filmmakers. Please check 'Cure', 'Kairo' (they made an awful remake called Pulse) and more recently 'Creepy' (not as great but still...). Judging by what makes you tick (subtle eeriness, social/family commentary, slow build-ups), I'm betting you'll love him. Or if you've watched them, how about reviewing them ;) ?

Very happy to see Audition here. Having seen 50 of Miike's movies now, it's no longer my favorite Miike but it's still a masterpiece and one of the best horror movies ever made. You should check out his movie Lesson of the Evil, one of my favorites of his and might even prefer that one ever so slightly if I really think about it. He's overall just a great director, in my top 5 for sure!

It's the rare movie that can make you believe in the supernatural. The Exorcist and The Entity are such movies.

Couldn’t agree more on Rosemarys Baby, such a subtle film but the horror is so much more terrifying than Halloween or Scream etc.

just watched Audition for the first time because you recommended it in one of your early videos and just now... SO GOOD! your taste is sublime

Videodrome was awesome. Good to see that one getting some love. Cronenberg is hit or miss for me, but when it's a hit, by god it's a direct hit.

Night of the hunter, The Tenant, Repulsion, Martyrs.

In the documentary Visions of Light, I think William A. Fraker (the dp on Rosemary's Baby) remembered Polanski lining up a shot of Minnie Castavets on the phone (after learning that Rosemary is pregnant), but hiding her halfway behind the door jamb. Fraker said he told Polanski that she was not fully visible in the shot, thinking it was an error, but Polanski said that is what he wanted. Fraker remembered seeing the film in a theater later, and during that moment, the entire audience involuntary leaned to the side, trying to see what was going on. I loved that story.

Audition IS the scariest film I've ever seen. Seen it once. Don't want to ever see it again. Congrats on listing it at #1.

Audition is on my list, The Thing and Sinister are underated but my favourite is Psycho. Traditional slasher like Halloween and Friday the 13th pt 3 & 4... and a huge love for the Italian gore cult classics

Have you ever seen "Sorcerer" by William Friedkin? It's technically not a horror film but it was so intense that even though I knew the story from beginning to end, there were still scenes that made me want to scream in terror. Many scenes feel like they're lifted from a horror film especially with the eerie Tangerine Dream score. It's truly a dark and horrific film not just because of what happens on screen, but also because it highlights the futility of life. I don't care much for horror films, but if I had to pick one as my favorite, it would be "Sorcerer."

Hi:) wonderful video there. I have subscribed to your channel and enjoyed your reviews of some Noé and Von Trier's movies. You have a very interesting and passionate way of speaking about films and you are an absolute delight to hear and look at if I may say so:) keep up the great work. You are awesome! :)

5. The Blair Witch Project (1999) 4. The Thing (1982) 3. Suspiria (2018) 2. Possession (1981) 1. The Shining (1980)

Audition puts you through the proverbial mangle every single time you watch it. Astonishing bit of work.

1. Eyes Wide Shut ~ deeply disturbing. An unconventional horror story that wanders into Alex Jones territory. 2. The Wickerman (1970s version); of course Christopher Lee is in here. 3. Carrie ~ all that she said!! The hand coming out of the grave had everyone gasping in the cinema when I saw it in the 1970s. 4. Murder By Decree (Sherlock Holmes investigates the Jack the Ripper murders in late Victorian London); this film has it all....suspense in buckets, great acting ie Peter Cushing as Holmes, James Mason as Watson, so well shot, wonderful dialogue. The scene of the horse and coach racing thru cobblestone streets to intervene with sinister intent was truly memorable. 5. The Talented Mr Ripley ~ a psychopath is born. The scariest films for me are those that are the most believable. Eyes Wide Shut is all too believable!

I love your description of Rosemary's Baby... couldn't have put it better

Exorcist; Halloween; Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer.

My top 5: 5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 4. The Shining 3. Rosemary's Baby 2. The Thing (1982) 1. Alien

I'm a huge fan of contemporary horror. I adore films like Hereditary, Mandy, Helter Skelter, The Neon Demon, mother!, It Follows, Raw, The Witch etc. However, Rosemary's Baby, Audition, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien would also be up there for me.

Thanks for sharing. "Carrie" is in my top five of all-time favorite films. And, yes, Sissy Spacek is phenomenal. I hadn't thought of "Videodrome" as a horror film. Been a while since I've seen it. I'll have to watch it again. Shawn R., Mo-Mutt Music

"M" "Don't Look Now" "Eyes without a Face" "Rosemary's Baby" "Salo" Love Kubrick Hate the Shining

1. Inside 2. The Loved Ones 3. I Saw the Devil 4. Phenomena 5. The Evil Dead

your description of rosemary's baby was great.

In no particular order: An American warewolf in London Halloween The excorcist Hereditary Suspiria

I couldn't agree more with your list! I need to rewatch Audition like, right now! I'll attempt my own list (without using the ones you chose): -Perfect Blue -Hereditary -The Wailing -Suspiria (Argento) -Don't Look Now

Original Texas Chainsaw is my fav

I think you are absolutly right about how to watch Audition.

We share two favorites 1) The Shining 2) Rosemary's Baby 3) The Witch 4) Texas Chainsaw Massacre 5) Suspiria (2018) 6) The Green Room 7) Burnt Offerings 8) The Brood 9) The Vanishing (1988) 10) Let the right one in (2008)

Amazing list! Here’s mine: 5. Halloween (1978) 4. Let The Right One In 3. Scream 2. Black Swan 1. The Thing (1982)

Really surprised you didn't have Possession on here. Fantastic list though!

Would love to see another list video on your favs Horrors for just 2000 to date. There have been a lot of great ones.

spielberg's poltergeist scared the shit out of me when i was a kid, but later i came to really love the film. i think old school vfx makes it really cool. but i would put the exorcist on no1 of any horror list. it's just very unpleasant and different in general.

The Exorcist M the VVitch Horror Hotel (aka- The City of the Dead) The Night Stalker Honorable mentions: Rosemary's Baby, Carnival of Souls, Psycho, oh and I almost forgot- See the Sea (Regarde la Mer)

Nice list, I would struggle to do a top 5 because I have seen a lot of horror films... Could do a top 20 at a push, will post back shortly.

Audition is also a favorite of mine, great list :)

I love and hate the Shining. I can't explain it but you always put words to the way I feel that I can never crystalize myself. Btw, I just watched two DePalma movies and both were really interesting in their own right: Blow Out with John Travolta and The Fury, with Amy Irving and Kirk Douglas. I especially liked Kirk Douglas. He is a very warm and relatable character, and Travolta's performance in Blow Out was really impressive.

My list My list changes all the time. I was thinking about Audition in top 5 but the ending got spoiled for me, Still great 5. Scream 4. Halloween 1978 3. Night of The Living Dead Original 2. Texas Chainsaw 1974 1. Train to Busan

As someone who doesn't really watch lots of traditionally "horror" films, I'm surprised that I've actually seen 4/5 of these. I'm honestly not too big on the last two but that's just me. I love the way you described Rosemary's Baby. That moldy house analogy works eerily well.

Pupi Avati is an interesting Italian director. He's made films in various genres, for example one about a very young Mozart (Noi Tre), which is just charming. Apparently he contributed to the script of Pasolini's Salò, 120 Days of Sodom uncredited... His 1977 opus "The House with Laughing Windows" is a great horrific mystery (since it's an Italian horror film, it's also called a Giallo but... it's not your typical Giallo for sure) with some beautiful scenery, a dilapidated house, disturbing art and creepy villagers. His later horror films Zeder and Arcane Sorceror are also interesting but not quite as convincing. Bava's Black Sunday from 1960 is another unmissable Italian horror film. Featuring the intriguing Barbara Steele, in probably her most famous film. The cinematography in a lot of Bava's films I find quite strikingly beautiful at times... Black Sabbath (guess who watched that one!) and Operazione Paura are also very much worth seeing. The Wicker Man... Maybe I'll even watch the 2006 remake one day... Nicholas Cage sure is a brave actor. Is there anyone with a range quite like him? From bonkers to brilliant? Anyway, the 1973 original is a true classic and apparently Christopher Lee's favorite role of his career. Agreed on Audition being so effective for being not quite what it would appear for the longest time. Unfortunately I never did see the movie without spoilers beforehand, although I did have a mate back then who was nearly traumatized by it. Great to hear your thoughts on this. Been enjoying quite a few of your videos lately, since RU-vid wisely recommended your channel and seeing the thumbnail I was like: "Hey, Julia Galef is doing movie reviews now?" (sorry :)

Nice choices, here is my list 1 Alien 2 Videodrome 3 Creepshow 4 Madhouse(1974) 5 From Dusk till Dawn

My favorite horror film is also a Miike: Ichi the Killer. Next is Rosemary's Baby. Great list.

i closed the video right away to watch audition and thank god i didn't see the poster. its amazing and i really loved how the horror aspects of it yet the trauma of the girl's life and childhood where you don't know which one is wrong. thanks for the recommendation :))

1). A Nightmare on Elm Street 2). The Shining 3). Halloween 4). The Exorcist 5). Carrie Honorable Mentions: Scream, Candyman, Rosemary's Baby, Hellraiser, The Birds

Great top 5! I have been a subscriber since i watched ur Onibaba review.

5. Suspiria 4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre by Tobe Hooper 3. The Exorcist 2. The Thing 1. The Shining

Huh, not a kubrick fan, is surprising. But glad u put it at #5

5. Amityville 2: The Possession 4. Requiem for a Dream 3. The Exorcist 2. The Fly(1986) 1. Audition

Rosemary's Baby is a masterpiece of psychological horror.

Those are great. Others are Midsommar Funny Games Martyrs You're Next - Not sure why but I love this one. Eden Lake - More Thriller but scary because every bit of it is realistic. It could easily happen.

If you haven't seen A Tale of Two Sisters(2003) by Kim Jee-Woon I think you'll like it:) great ' horror' film but it's much more than that:) it's layered and it verges on the psychological and sad...agreed on The Shining, I would also put Possession(1981) by Zulawski in there:)

The Exorcist is still the greatest horror film of all time. Made by filmmmakers who believed in the real possibility of possession, and that belief comes through on screen. Excorcist 3 is truly underrated, with the best jump scare of all time. The Omen is pretty creepy too if you believe in God and the antichrist. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is unrelenting and definitely has a disturbing vibe too it. Also, The Killing of America is the scariest doco you’ll ever watch. Rosemar’s Baby does capture the dark demonic side of the late 60’s new age movement.

Awesome list👍. Would carnival of souls be in your top 10 ? It's one of my favorites an i know you like it too

Also, you should try watching a movie called Messiah of Evil at some point. It's one of the most dreamlike films ever. There are a few things about it that feel clumsy, but they just add to the dreamlike, absurdist feel of it. The first time I saw it I was expecting a gory zombiefest and didn't really like it. Now it's a movie I can't go more than three months without re-watching. Some shots in it remind me a lot of Argento. Anyway, it's one of those you-either-get-it-or-you-don't films, but I think you just might get it... anyway, it's worth a chance. Another worth a look is Let's Scare Jessica To Death.

it's tough to weigh horror movies because it's so subjective. do you go with genuinely good films, or what scared you the most? is something brilliant like Shaun of the Dead worth considering on this list? or splatterpunk nonsense like dead/ alive or evil dead?

I agree that horror films which "sneak up on you" are the best. I LOVE movies which become a different movie halfway through, like Malignant. Not getting what I expected is a gift and I wished more filmmakers had the guts to do that.

"The Shining", "Rosemary's Baby", "Don't Look Now", "The Tenant", "Eraserhead", "Jacob's Ladder"

excellent list. audition is terrifying. well-crafted, & will cause shivers and tremors. others i'd add in no order: original "The Vanishing", "Possession" (1981), The Brood, original "Psycho", "The Haunting" and more for style than horror, the Val Lewton produced films ("I Walked With a Zombie", "Isle of the Dead")..recent horrors, "The Witch", "Hereditary"...your list is stellar!

Halloween original, The shining, the Vanishing, the exorcist, the Omen.

My Top 5 List 1. The Exorcist (1973) 2. The Shinning (1980) 3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 4. Halloween (1978) 5. Alien (1979)

for some reason i knew you'd say audition lol i love all these movies

Good choices! Mostly mainstream, but sometimes things are mainstream because they're actually GOOD, and that's the case for all of those. I think the "distance" you feel in The Shining is actually effective... even from the beginning, there's something broken in the Torrence's relationship, so the distance adds tension. We know that these people, being in isolation for months, are headed for big trouble. Your last choice (I won't say the name to keep the secret) is effective because for a long time that movie plays like a goofy romantic comedy... like you could almost imagine Jennifer Anniston in it. It's a total romantic comedy plot. Then, suddenly around the middle, there's and it turns into the darkest damn thing ever. :) It's a left hook out of nowhere.

Nightmare on elm street( back in the day) Heredity ( latest) Anhilation( sci fi horror???)

i used to drive to the city to visit hole in the wall art house theatres. one weekend they were playing some movie called 'Audition'. that was over 20 years ago and i still remember being rocked

I'd agree with Audition, The Shining, Rosemary's Baby but would add Black Christmas and The Wicker Man ( obviously the originals ) instead.

5. Eraserhead 4. The Innocents 3. Hour Of The Wolf 2. Salo 1. The Hourglass Sanatorium

1.Ravenous (1999) 2.Possession 3.Messiah of Evil 4.Lake Mungo 5.The Neon Demon 6.Phenomena 7.Demons (1985) 8.Hausu 9.The Slumber Party Massacre 10.Nosferatu the Vampyre

Two of my favourite horror films are by Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Kairo (aka Pulse) and Cure. I lack the film vocabulary to truly describe why the films are so great, but maybe you can do much better. :)

Damn we almost could sit together on a coach with a beer and popcorn😳😂 those are my all time favorite horrors, accept videodrome, i once saw it but i can't remember it, those 4 other movies i like also how good the actors act, sometimes i suggest rosemary's baby to other people but a lot of them fall asleep or are disapointed that there was no super devil monster at the end😱 they just don't see how good it is, Greetzz from The Netherlands✌🏻

1. The Thing 2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 3. Night of the Living Dead 4. Hereditary 5. Videodrome