Photo by Skyler Sawyer on Unsplash
By Geoff Carter
(Originally published on October 31, 2020)
I grew up in the sixties and seventies, in what might be called the golden age of the horror movie. Not only were we able to see films The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Scream and Scream Again at the drive-in theater, but every Saturday afternoons we were able to tune in to our local TV station to revisit black and white B-movie classics such as The Killer Shrews, Tarantula, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Them. And of course, on Saturday nights, Nightmare Theater was reserved for classics like The Wolfman, Frankenstein, and Creature from the Black Lagoon. We even had a daily TV soap opera with vampires, werewolves, and ghosts: Dark Shadows.
These entertainments were part of my childhood and I loved them, but the horror genre in cinema has been going through a bit of a renaissance recently. You don’t really see the tongue-in-cheek humor of a Dr. Phibes or a Scream anymore. After the slasher flicks of the eighties, horror films have grown into something more than simple formulaic genre fare.
Building on the foundation of such brilliant classics as Psycho, The Exorcist, and Suspiria–some of which are mentioned in this article–modern horror cinema has evolved into more than simply guts, gore, and scream queens. Brilliantly written and brought to the screen by auteurs like Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, and M. Night Shyamalan, these modern horror movies take psychological and existential terror to a brand-new level. If you’re looking to get your pulse racing and your adrenaline pumping, try these.
I did include a classics section just because they’re, well—classic, and need to be included in any list of outstandingly horror movies.
The Pen in Hand’s Top Ten Horror Movies
The New Horror
The Sixth Sense: A child psychiatrist counsels a young boy who is afraid to reveal his dark secret: that he sees ghosts everywhere—and they see him, too. Great performances by Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment. Notable for the mother of all plot twists and as M. Night Shyamalan’s debut feature film.
Starring Bruce Willis, Olivia Williams, Toni Collette, and Haley Joel Osment. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Available on Hulu
The Witch: A family is expelled from its puritanical community in colonial Massachusetts and banished to the wilderness where they begin to encounter strange things in the forest just beyond their fence. Based on the folktales and legends of black magic, possession, and witchcraft, this film balances on the thin psychological edge between delusion and reality. Notable for a wonderfully nuanced performance by Anya Taylor-Joy.
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, and Harvey Scrimshaw. Written and directed by Robert Eggers.
Available on Netflix
Hereditary: After the death of the family matriarch, her grown daughter begins to understand the reasons for the strange and horrible occurrences destroying her family and the nature of her final destiny. Wonderfully written combination of horror, mystery, and suspense with an explosively chilling conclusion. Notable for a disturbing performance by child actress Milly Shapiro.
Starrring Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Milly Shapiro, and Alex Wolf. Written and directed by Ari Aster.
Available on Amazon Prime
Get Out: A young African American man goes with his girlfriend to visit her parents in a bucolic neighborhood and gets much more than he bargained for. Besides being an incredibly scary ride, this film provides a subtle and penetrating commentary on race relations. Notable for being Jordan Peele’s breakout feature film.
Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Alison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Michael Jordan, and Caleb Landry Jones. Written and directed by Jordan Peele.
Available on Amazon Prime
The Babadook: A grieving mother and son try to find solace in a children’s book the boy discovers in their home. Unfortunately, the book turns out to be something more than a mere diversion, causing the two of them to sink deeply into their own personal horror of grief and paranoia. Notable for great performances by Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman.
Starring Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, and Benjamin Winspear. Written and directed by Jennifer Kent.
Available for rent on Amazon Prime
The Classics
Alien: An interstellar cargo ship answers a distress beacon on an unknown planet and unwittingly picks up a stowaway that commences to destroy the crew one by one. One of the great all-time horror classics that is still—forty-three years later—still spawning prequels. Notable for the scene in which the alien pops into view.
Starring Sigourney Weaver, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwrtight, Yaphet Kotto, and Harry Dean Stanton. Written by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. Directed by Ridley Scott.
Available on Amazon Prime
The Exorcist: After her twelve-year-old daughter inexplicably begins demonstrating psychotic behavior, her mother becomes convinced the girl is possessed by the devil and attempts to convince the church to perform an exorcism. Two priests are assigned to purge the demon from the girl. This film has been named one of the scariest films of all time. Notable for iconic vomiting scene and head-spinning special effects.
Starring Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, and Jason Miller. Written by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin.
Available to rent on Amazon Prime
The Shining: A young boy with psychic powers finds himself and his family trapped in an isolated hotel haunted by the souls of those who died there and determined to make him and his family guests there forever. One of the iconic horror movies of all time. Notable for Jack Nicholson’s over-the-top performance and Stanley Kubrick’s outstanding direction.
Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall, Scatman Crothers, Danny Lloyd, and Barry Nelson. Written by Stephen King, Stanley Kubrick, and Diane Lloyd. Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Available to rent on Amazon Prime
Psycho: (1960) Alfred Hitchcock’s landmark horror movie loosely based on the exploits of Wisconsin’s own Ed Gein. A young woman on the run checks in an isolated motel managed by a soft-spoken young man and his domineering mother. When she mysteriously disappears, her sister attempts to discover what really happened at the Bates Motel. Notable—of course—for the iconic shower scene, the gold standard of modern film editing.
Starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, John Gavin, Vera Miles, and Martin Balsam. Written by Joseph Stefano. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Available to rent on Amazon Prime
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: (1974) A group of teenagers accidentally stumble into a house of horrors after picking up a hitcher on a Texas highway and struggle to escape the clutches of a family of psychopathic freaks led by Leatherface. This film has possibly the most shocking climax of any horror film. Notable for the creepy hitchhiker scene.
Starring Marilyn Burns, Alan Danziger, Paul A Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal, and Gunnar Hanson. Written by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. Directed by Tobe Hooper.
Available on Amazon Prime