Not all movies stand the test of time, and this is particularly true of the horror genre. Special effects can become dated and lose their impact, and common tropes can make movies predictable and far from scary. Writers and directors also often use the genre to comment on social and political issues, meaning movies can become dated or contain elements that modern audiences might find offensive. In addition, what scares audiences can change drastically over the years.
But there are plenty of horror movies that have stood the test of time and are still great to watch to this day, from iconic slasher movies that have spawned entire franchises to genre-defining zombie flicks and some of the most notable directors in the genre.
10 'Scream' (1996)
In Scream, released in 1996, a teenage girl and her friends are attacked a year after her mother’s murder by a masked killer known as Ghostface. The cast includes Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan and Matthew Lillard, and it was directed by horror master Wes Craven.
Classic, well-done slasher movies never get old, and Scream has become a modern-day classic, complete with references to horror films that came before it. The franchise now includes six films and a TV show—not to mention similar movies it inspired and parodies—and Ghostface is a pop-culture icon.
9 'Friday the 13th' (1980)
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No one is safe at Camp Crystal Lake. Released in 1980, Friday the 13th follows the camp’s teenage counselors as they attempt to reopen the long-closed camp and are attacked by a mysterious killer in the process.
The original film feels kind of quaint, but still holds an untouchable place in horror history. Introduced in the first sequel as a villain, Jason Vorhees is among those horror slashers that is instantly recognizable. He also has staying power—the Friday the 13th franchise includes 12 films, including a crossover with another iconic killer, Freddy Krueger.
8 'Halloween' (1978)
Scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis stars in Halloween, released in 1978, as Laurie Strode, a babysitter who’s terrorized by killer Michael Myers after his escape from a mental hospital 15 years after he killed his sister. It was written and directed by yet another horror great, John Carpenter.
The Halloween franchise now includes 13 films and came to a close in 2022 with Halloween Ends, but it doesn’t get any better than the movie that started it all. Halloween relies on suspense rather than violence, and that’s what Carpenter does best.
7 'The Shining' (1980)
Based on a Stephen King novel, 1980’s The Shining is the story of writer Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, who spends a winter with his wife and son working as the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. But the hotel has a dark past, and Jack begins to spiral, culminating in a violent attack on his own family. The movie was directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Part of what makes The Shining a time-tested classic is its theme of isolation and the tension that comes with it. It’s also full of memorable moments, from “redrum” scrawled on the walls to Nicholson chopping through a door with an axe.
6 'Carrie' (1976)
Sissy Spacek stars as the titular Carrie, a sheltered and bullied teenager who lives with her religious mother and discovers she has telekinetic powers. Sympathetic classmates invite her to prom, but her bullies pull a cruel prank—one they’ll regret, as it sets Carrie off, reveals the extent of her powers and leaves nothing but carnage in her wake. The movie was released in 1976 and was based on a novel by Stephen King.
Carrie is a classic revenge story. Spacek plays the character wonderfully, from shy and withdrawn early in the movie to downright menacing at its climax, drenched in blood with her eyes wide.
5 'The Omen' (1979)
In 1979, The Omen told audiences the story of Damien, who is, simply put, the Antichrist, complete with the “666” markings. After an American ambassador’s wife gives birth to a stillborn baby, the couple adopts Damien, but it soon becomes clear something is very different about him. The cast includes Gregory Peck as Damien’s mortal adoptive father.
Creepy kids are ubiquitous in horror, and The Omen’s Damien is among the most famous and the most menacing. One of the most disturbing elements of the film is the way people—and even animals—react to Damien, showing just how unusual and dangerous he really is. The movie was remade in 2006 and starred Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles.
4 'Suspiria' (1977)
1977’s Suspiria is an Italian film about an American dancer, Suzy, who joins a prestigious German ballet academy. As Suzy suffers from bouts of illness and fellow students begin dying, Suzy discovers something more sinister is happening in the school. It was directed by Dario Argento.
Suspiria stands out in part because of its look, featuring bright colors in a genre that’s almost always darker, literally. It also features a wonderfully creepy soundtrack with music by Goblin, with an almost whimsical music-box like sound that takes a menacing turn with deep humming vocals and atmospheric noise. A divisive remake was released in 2018 starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton.
3 'Alien' (1979)
Alien, released in 1979 and directed by Ridley Scott, is about the crew of a spaceship who investigates a distress call coming from another ship and is stalked and attacked by—what else?—an alien. It stars Sigourney Weaver.
The xenomorph in Alien is just as recognizable as any killer in a slasher movie, and Ripley is the film’s iconic final girl, plus it, too, launched a lengthy franchise. The practical effects still look fantastic, especially the infamous chest-burster scene, and everything about the movie, from its claustrophobic setting to the violent xenomorph, still delivers scares.
2 'The Thing' (1982)
John Carpenter directed The Thing, released in 1982 and starring Kurt Russell as a member of a research team in Antarctica who discover an alien that can take on the appearance of its victims. Because of its shapeshifting nature, anyone could be the alien, and the team is unable to trust each other.
The Thing is packed with suspense from beginning to end as the team breaks down. But it’s not just the plot and execution that make it a great movie to this day—the film uses practical effects with no effect repeated, making the movie that much more compelling and disturbing.
1 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968)
George A. Romero is the godfather of zombie movies, and Night of the Living Dead was his first. Released in 1968, the black-and-white classic tells the story of seven strangers seeking refuge in an abandoned house in rural Pennsylvania as the dead start to come back to life and attack the living.
Sometimes, the simplest stories are the best. The survival plot of Night of the Living Dead is still compelling decades later because of both the suspense and Romero’s subtle political commentary. Star Duane Jones was the first Black man to be cast in a starring role in a horror movie.