4 of The Scariest Horror Films in History
It’s pretty routine for you to find a list of the scariest movies in history. However, we’ve managed to pick four of the best horror movies from a pool of 40 classics, and it was certainly not an easy task to pick only four of the 40 best horror movies in history.
With this in mind, here are our top four picks for the scariest horror films of all time. If you’re looking for the best scary flick to watch with your friends and family, then you can never go wrong with these five horror movie classics.
1. (1973) The Exorcist
We know that there are people who won’t agree that the 1973 film The Exorcist is the scariest movie of all time. However, people certainly can’t be surprised to find this classic at the top of our list. Without a doubt, William Friedkins’ epic adaptation of a novel about a possessed child easily takes credit as one of the scariest films in history.
This movie is so celebrated that it wasn’t a surprise that it became the highest-grossing horror film in history. The Exorcist also managed to receive several nominations at the Oscars. Outside of its reputation and accolades, The Exorcist is also known for the protests it generated back in the ‘70s. There were even widespread reports of nausea and fainting coming from those who watched it. Talk about the effects of creating an all-time great!
2. (2013) The Conjuring
James Wan is one of the most prolific directors when it comes to this genre, and he’s responsible for films such as Insidious, Saw, and many more. This 2013 classic is certainly one of them, and The Conjuring easily gets credit as one of the scariest films of all time. This film focuses the spotlight on Ed and Lorraine Warren who are best known for their work that inspired the Amityville Horror series.
If you’re looking for a film that has a surplus of effective jump scares, then The Conjuring is definitely on top of our list. Besides the sheer number of jump scares, it also tells a story in such a way that’ll captivate, and of course spook, anyone who watches it for the first time.
3. (1980) The Shining
Stephen King’s novels and stories have mostly made their way to big-screen adaptations. Interestingly, a good number of those adaptations are considered horror classics today, and the list includes Carrie, Pet Sematary, and Misery. Of course, one can’t enjoy the full Stephen King experience without Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining.
The Shining is easily considered the mother of all horror movies, and it features a plethora of memorable film moments. Of course, who could forget Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance in this 1980 classic? Though this film had relatively few jump scares, it still was able to provide an absolutely chilling experience. You could say that the entire cast, the director, and the story deserves all the credit for putting together a well-rounded horror classic.
4. (2002) The Ring
One formula that always seems to work when it comes to horror movies is to take something that works for one culture and try to transform it into something that translates for another. Gore Verbinski certainly was able to do that with his remake of Hideo Nakata’s thriller about a cursed videotape. Without question, Verbinski’s version of The Ring struck its audience with an interesting story that managed to keep the original film’s striking imagery.
Anyone who watches this film for the first time will certainly find the girl in a white dress incredibly haunting. Without question, The Ring took credit for its ability to scare the hell out of its audience no matter where they’re from. Besides its striking imagery, it also paved the way for an iconic performance from actress Naomi Watts, and it was also able to pave the way to East Asian horror cinema.