Best Scary Movie

This is a list of the best scary movies of all time, ranked by movie fans with film trailers when available. This poll includes funny scary movies and scary comedy movies, but does not include horror films that are considered more psychological than creepy.

If you think the greatest scary movie isn’t as high as it should be, then make sure to vote it up so that it can take its rightful place among the scariest films ever made. You can also make your own version of this greatest scary movie list by re-ranking it and putting it in your own order.

Trying to find a specific scariest movie? This list covers all kinds of thriller and horror movie genres, including alien horror movies, werewolf horror movies, b-horror movies, and zombie horror films.

The full length horror movies listed below are all American productions filmed in either Los Angeles or Hollywood unless stated otherwise. We also have funny scary movie titles for you to browse through if you like funny creepy stuff.”

The Birds (1963)

The Birds is a 1963 American horror-thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on the 1952 story of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. It focuses on a series of sudden and unexplained violent bird attacks on the residents of Bodega Bay, California over the course of a few days.

Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor star, along with Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, Veronica Cartwright and Ethel Griffies. The film is known for its use of special effects.

The screenplay by Evan Hunter (using the pseudonym “George Axelrod”) is different from the source material. Hunter also uses an unreliable narrator, a device not present in du Maurier’s story. Hitchock originally gave the film the working title of The Birds Again, but Paramount Pictures told him to use a more commercial one; he chose The Birds, a title he had been saving for another project.

Production took place in both Bodega Bay and at Universal Studios in Hollywood. The film was shot in darkPre-production began in early 1962, when Hitchcock was two years into his retirement. He told reporters that he would soon produce his first film during this time,[3] and Warner Bros., who owned the rights to du Maurier

The Evil Dead (1981)

A group of friends travel to an isolated cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

Description:The Evil Dead (1981) is a horror movie. It was written by Sam Raimi and produced for $375,000. The movie received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $2 million at the box office.

Description:In the summer of 1967, aspiring filmmaker and Michigan State University student Sam Raimi gathered six fellow students for a trip to a deserted cabin in the remote woods near Burkittsville, Maryland. Once there, they discovered an audio tape recorder with a tape containing some sort of unintelligible cacophony of sound.

While playing it, the wind picked up outside, and lightning struck nearby. To their astonishment, they were inexplicably attacked by demonic forces. All but one escaped alive; that film student’s head was crushed by a demon when he tried to grab its still-recording hand during his escape.

Raimi and his friends had unwittingly unleashed demons living in the woods by playing the tape on the recorder. The legend of “The Evil Dead” spread rapidly among the students at Michigan State University, and Raimi began developing it into a feature film script with

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project (also known as The Blair Witch Project: The Movie or The Blair Witch Project 1999) is a 1999 American psychological horror film written, directed and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. It tells the story of three student filmmakers (Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard) who journey into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch.

They disappeared, but their footage was discovered a year later. This movie is considered to be the first found-footage movie. It has been influential in the creation of other films in its genre.

The film is told through documentary-style video footage recorded by the student filmmakers on “analog” Hi8 videocassette tapes. The film’s narrative is presented as found footage from two of the student filmmakers, Heather and Michael, who set out to make a documentary about local folklore called “the Blair Witch”.

As they hike through Burkittsville, Maryland an unexplained phenomenon starts occurring around them; they begin to receive threatening messages on their walkie-talkies and encounter unsettling phenomena that lead them to suspect that an entity known as “the Blair Witch” exists in the area…

Poltergeist (1982)

About: A family whose suburban home is haunted by evil spirits tries to uncover the truth about their predicament and save their young daughter from the clutches of a rapacious ghost.

Description: This terrifying, Oscar-nominated thriller still delivers shocks and chills, even though it’s been almost 30 years since it first scared audiences. The film combines gruesome special effects with a clever story to create something that still feels fresh today.

As you watch little Carol Anne being dragged into a TV set or see skeletons coming out of the closet, it’s hard not to get the creeps. Poltergeist was the first film Steven Spielberg directed after he became a major movie star, but you’d never know it by watching it.

He puts his name on the film only as executive producer; he had nothing to do with the direction or writing of the movie. Spielberg did, however, supervise the special effects, which earned him an Oscar nomination for best visual effects.

The movie made good use of CGI when it came out in 1982, though today its computer effects seem a bit clunky and limited. Still, everything looks much better than in most horror films from that time period. And there are enough classic moments in this one to make it almost worth

The Omen (1976)

A diplomat couple adopts the son of their housekeeper after she dies in a mysterious accident. They soon realize that the child is the Antichrist, and must do whatever they can to stop him before it is too late.

Description:A newly appointed Ambassador of Great Britain (Gregory Peck) and his wife (Lee Remick) move into a palatial home in London. Shortly after settling in, they are visited by an old friend who immediately takes a liking to the Ambassador’s young son Damien (Harvey Stephens).

Unfortunately, Damien exhibits some strange behavior and soon begins to display disturbing signs that all may not be as it seems. As time goes on, the Peck’s begin to realize that Damien may be something more than just a normal child…

The Omen is a horror film classic for several reasons. First and foremost, this is one of the most effective films of its genre.

Throughout the entire film there is an aura of dread that permeates every scene; from the moment we see Damien’s mother being crushed by a falling beam to the final shot of Damien as an adult standing outside the window of his mansion with lightning flashing around him. Secondly, this film was directed by Richard Donner who would later go on to direct such blockbuster hits as Superman

Freaks (1932)

Synopsis:Tod Browning’s “Freaks” is a horror film, but the genre is the least of its concerns. The film is dominated by its characters, a troupe of famous circus sideshow performers who have been cast as themselves in a fictionalized version of their everyday lives.

Freaks is one of the most powerful and disturbing films ever made, not because it presents scary monsters but because it exposes the real-life human monsters that populate our world. The film’s freaks have been relegated to “freak shows” by people who are disgusted by them but can’t keep themselves from gawking at them.

The freaks have accepted this social position and even find comfort in it; after all, where else could they find acceptance? They are exploited and abused, but they seem to be able to take it.

It’s only when they discover that they’re going to be discarded to make way for a new attraction (a “normal” little girl) that the film discovers its true subject: human cruelty. Many of the freaks were born into their circumstances, but others were once just like everyone else until something happened to them — an accident or an illness — that left them with physical or mental deformities

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)

Nosferatu is a silent German Expressionist horror film, directed by F. W. Murnau in 1922. The film stars Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok, and Gustav von Wangenheim as Thomas Hutter, his terrified victim.

Told entirely in flashback, the film is framed by an old man (Hutter) telling the story to his visitors of how he became acquainted with the vampiric Orlok, and how Orlok’s curse was ultimately broken when he was driven away from his castle in the village of Wisborg by “the plague.”

The movie does not show Count Orlok (Schreck) until the end of the movie, when he arrives at the door of Hutter’s house. It only shows Hutter’s imagination: his dreams, his nightmares and his visions. They include images of rats and bats, which represent Orlok’s army and are also a reference to their vampiric nature.

There are also some religious symbols: a cross, holy water, etc.[3] These were added by Murnau to make the film more interesting for international audiences because they had no connection whatsoever to vampires in Germany.

The Haunting (1963)

The Haunting (1963) is a very good movie. Having been made in 1963, and being directed by the legendary Robert Wise, it captures the same style of classic horror films such as The Innocents (1961). However, The Haunting is much more sinister than its predecessors and still retains a sense of the unknown that has not been matched to this day.

The film tells the story of a group of five people who have come together to investigate the mysterious Hill House. Dr. Markway, played by Richard Johnson, has been researching paranormal activity for many years and has finally found what he thinks is the perfect location for his studies – Hill House.

He invites four other people with supernatural experiences to join him: Eleanor Lance, played by Julie Harris; Theodora, or Theo as everyone calls her, played by Claire Bloom; Luke Sanderson, played by Russ Tamblyn; and Theodora’s cousin Abigail Abernathy.

Their goal is to spend a good amount of time in Hill House and see if they can find any evidence of spirits or ghosts. Dr. Markway plans to write a book about their findings but they soon discover that Hill House is more than they bargained for and they start experiencing things they know can’t be

Audition (1999)

Audition (1999) is a 1999 Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Miike, and written by Daisuke Tengan. The film follows Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a widower who holds a fake audition for a film to find an actress who resembles his dead wife.

Takashi Miike’s Audition is a brutal, excruciating, and often unnerving excursion into the human psyche. It deals with a widower who, after two years of marriage, lost his wife due to an illness. He has remained faithful to her memory, refusing to move on with his life until he finds someone who reminds him of her.

This leads him to hold a fake audition for a film where he will search for the one actress that truly reminds him of his late wife. Ryo Ishibashi gives an amazing performance as the widower whose grief has turned him into a mind warped stalker intent on finding the girl that he believes is out there somewhere.

He holds auditions across Japan where he looks for the perfect “replacement” and settles on Asami Katsuragi (Eihi Shiina). Katsuragi comes off as shy and timid as she walks in with all eyes upon her as she enters into this strange setting.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

In order for a film to be considered for inclusion in the National Film Registry, it must be at least ten years old. Films that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant to American society are selected each year. The following films were selected by the Library of Congress in 2002.

In the early 1980s, many horror movies began to reflect on the more graphic and violent direction that slasher films had taken in the 1970s. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare was one of these films. After Craven directed A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), he stated that he wanted to make a film that would be a “tribute” to the original.

The script for A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge was written with this in mind and was originally intended to end with the words, “A Nightmare on Elm Street is dead.” However, when New Line Cinema acquired the rights to produce five more movies after Freddy’s Revenge, they decided that Freddy would return in those sequels.

After a number of unsuccessful sequels and no news of another installment in the series after 1991’s Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Craven returned to write and direct Wes Craven’s New Nightmare in 1994.

Let the Right One In (2008)

A picture of a young girl standing in the snow, hands covered in blood. This is a story about a vampire, but it’s unlike any you’ve heard before.

From Swedish filmmakers Tomas Alfredson and John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In tells the tale of an unusual friendship that forms between Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a 12-year-old boy living with his father and stepmother, and Eli (Lina Leandersson) a vampire who has lived for centuries.

Not much is known about Eli – she only moves at night and survives on the blood of animals – but she finds herself drawn to Oskar.

Eli has difficulty relating to other children her age; she’s something of an outcast in her small apartment building. She’s been alive so long that the world has changed around her, leaving both her and Oskar feeling very lonely. The two form a strong bond that eventually becomes something more than friendship.

Despite Eli’s supernatural nature, Alfredson and Lindqvist treat her just as any other person might be treated: as a 12-year-old girl who likes to play with dolls, listen to music and watch movies.

The Fly (1986)

In the tradition of the great 1950s monster movies comes this scary, suspenseful and exciting sci-fi thriller from writer-director David Cronenberg (Videodrome, The Dead Zone, Scanners).

Jeff Goldblum (“The Big Chill”) stars as Seth Brundle, a brilliant but eccentric scientist whose experiments in teleportation transport him into a web of horror. Geena Davis plays Veronica Quaife, a magazine reporter who becomes involved with Brundle and bears witness to his transformation into a hideous mutant creature.

Description:

There is nothing more terrifying than the concept of something so desired in our lives being taken away. It’s even stronger when it’s something we rely on everyday that we can’t imagine living without. But what if we could? What if one day we woke up and could no longer use our legs? Or our arms? Our voice? Our eyesight?

One day “I” is gone, but “I” is replaced with something else that’s more powerful than anything we’ve ever experienced before. Something that’s completely alien to us because it’s beyond our reality. Something that can’t be controlled or held back because it’s so intense and far surpasses any human understanding of the world around us.

Evil Dead II (1987)

Evil Dead II (also known as Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn and Evil Dead 2) is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi. It is the sequel to the 1981 horror film The Evil Dead and the second installment in The Evil Dead franchise.

Tia Carrere plays Linda, Ash’s girlfriend who gets possessed by an evil force after reading from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, Bruce Campbell reprises his role as Ashley “Ash” Williams, and Sarah Berry appears as his sister, Cheryl.

Ted Raimi portrays Scott, Ash’s brother, who gets possessed early on in the film. The film was released on March 13, 1987 in 1,090 theaters. It grossed $2.4 million during its opening weekend and went on to earn over $3.5 million during its theatrical run.

The movie was well received by critics and audiences alike who praised it for its humor, acting, dialogue and special effects.

Evil Dead II is particularly notable for featuring state-of-the-art computer-generated imagery work that was cutting edge at the time of the film’s release. Campbell and Raimi made use of a Silicon Graphics workstation to generate the visual effects seen in this sequence

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror comedy film written and directed by John Landis, and starring David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne.

The film tells the story of two young American men, David Kessler and Jack Goodman, attacked by a werewolf on a backpacking holiday in England.

The film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success. In addition to being Landis’ most financially successful film as a director, it was notable for its special effects, which are widely acclaimed as groundbreaking.

The film’s R rating meant that it was marketed as a mainstream horror film. It has since become a cult classic.

The film inspired a 2001 semi-sequel (of sorts) called An American Werewolf in Paris. That film stars different actors in the leading roles, but contains significant references to the original and is based on the same screenplay (though the earlier draft did not have a sequel hook).

In 2006, An American Werewolf in London was spoofed in an episode of Family Guy titled “An American Werewolf in Jesus’ Hometown”.

Carrie (1982)

Carrie is a horror movie directed by Brian De Palma and based on the novel Carrie by Stephen King. The film stars Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt, Betty Buckley and John Travolta in his film debut.

Carrie is the fourth adaptation of King’s 1974 novel of the same name; the first was a 1976 television movie starring Sissy Spacek as the title character. A second adaptation was released in 1999 as a cable TV movie starring Angela Bettis in her only film role to date. An Off-Broadway musical version was also produced in 1988.

The plot revolves around Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her domineering, religious mother (Piper Laurie). In an attempt to make her more socially acceptable, Mrs. White forces her daughter to attend her Junior Prom with her soon-to-be stepsister Sue Snell (Amy Irving).

During the prom, the telekinetic Carrie is humiliated by her peers and has a painful psychic awakening that triggers latent telekinetic powers. She uses these powers to exact revenge on anyone who has ever wronged her—notably the cruel and arrogant Sue Snell—and goes

The Innocents (1961)

The Innocents is a 1961 British film directed by Jack Clayton, based on the novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

The plot revolves around the experiences of a young governess for two children at an English country estate. She becomes convinced that the housekeeper and her ex-lover are conspiring to possess and corrupt the children.

There is also a subplot involving a former nanny of the children who had mysteriously died years before. The film was adapted by Truman Capote, John Mortimer, and William Archibald, with music composed by Georges Auric.

The movie stars Deborah Kerr, Pamela Franklin, and Michael Redgrave as Miss Giddens’ employers. It also features Hugh Griffith, Megs Jenkins and Noel Willman. It was filmed in black-and-white at Elstree Studios and in London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb and Buckinghamshire.

The Innocents is widely considered to be a classic of the horror genre. The film has been ranked one of the best horror films ever made.

In June 2011, it was named “the scariest ever” by readers of The Observer newspaper.[5] In 2013 it was named Britain’s