Horror Movies Worth Watching
Each of these films bring something unique to the table that is the horror genre, so for whatever reason(s), here they are.
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- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyNaomie HarrisChristopher EcclestonFour weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.What George Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead" did to the zombie films of that time, "28..." does to everything prior, but don't tell George that, he hates this film simply because the "zombies" are fast. I think he hasn't yet realized that these "zombies" aren't really dead, that they're living people infected with the "rage virus". And hey, he's got room to talk? His "zombies" aren't "true" zombies either.
- DirectorJuan Carlos FresnadilloStarsJeremy RennerRose ByrneRobert CarlyleSix months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes according to plan.Take the first "28" film, cut out the slow-moving dialogue, and add some of the most intense moments in horror film history and you've got one of the best sequels of all time. Even people who hated the first one liked this.
- DirectorLamberto BavaStarsUrbano BarberiniNatasha HoveyKarl ZinnyA group of random people are invited to a screening of a mysterious movie, only to find themselves trapped in the theater with ravenous demons.This mid-80's campy masterpiece isn't overtly horrific, but it offers massive nostalgic value to those of us old enough to remember when "cheesy" was a good thing. It's just as hilarious as it is a good horror story, and it has some classic metal featured in the soundtrack, namely Saxon, Motley Crue, and Accept.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsEllen BurstynMax von SydowLinda BlairWhen a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.How can you have a good horror list without the inclusion of this highly controversial film? Sure it's just a great movie NOW, but when it was released, there were death threats, people running out of the theaters, and a bunch of strange coincidences going on behind the scenes.
- DirectorTom DeSimoneStarsLinda BlairVincent Van PattenPeter BartonFour college fraternity and sorority pledges spend the night in a deserted old mansion as part of a hazing ritual during hell night, where they are stalked by the only survivor of a family massacre from the mansion's sordid past.Speaking of Linda Blair, here she is about 8 years after "Exorcist" with much bigger breasts. This film is more of a fun horror movie, something you don't see much of nowadays.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.George Romero revolutionized the zombie (or properly - the ghoul) in this classic. He removed the black voodoo/slave aspect of zombies and kept the flesh-eating corpse part making this the iconic zombie mold for just about every zombie film during the next 2 or 3 decades. And hey, the 1990 remake is one of the best remakes ever made.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDavid EmgeKen ForeeScott H. ReinigerDuring an escalating zombie epidemic, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his TV executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.Ten years after his original zombie film, Romero puts his creatures in a mall and continues his theme of social commentary, this time being more about consumerism rather than racism. I've always thought that setting is always a main character in a zombie movie, secondary only to the walking dead themselves.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsLori CardilleTerry AlexanderJoseph PilatoAs the world is overrun by zombies, a group of scientists and military personnel sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida must decide on how they should deal with the undead horde.In his third installment of the series, Romero sets the stage in an underground military base. Taking things a step further, George couldn't help but pose the questions: Do zombies have human memories somewhere in their rotting brains? Can you train a zombie?
- DirectorTom SaviniStarsTony ToddPatricia TallmanTom TowlesWhen the unburied dead return to life and seek human victims, seven refugees shelter in a house in the Pennsylvanian countryside.One of the most faithful remakes in horror, this version differs very little from the 1968 ground-breaker.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsSarah PolleyVing RhamesMekhi PhiferA nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.While this remake is entertaining in it's own right, it bares little resemblance to the Romero original other than the fact that it too is set in a shopping mall. None of the original characters are featured, the zombies are fast this time (much like the ones in "28 Days Later"), and the story line is only vaguely similar. On the other hand, it is fast-paced for the most part, and the initial onset of the infection creates one hell of an opening to the film.
- DirectorDaniel AttiasStarsGary BuseyEverett McGillCorey HaimIn a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.A favorite as a kid, I'd constantly rent this from the local video store (remember when they weren't all chains or through the mail?) with my dad asking "again???".
Probably not a favorite of serious horror snobs, this is yet another gem from the 80's with tons of charm and nostalgia, yet this one still escapes the general goofiness with which the decade has come to be identified. All these years later, I STILL consider this to be one of the best werewolf movies ever made. - DirectorEric RedStarsMariel HemingwayMichael ParéMason GambleAfter being bitten by a werewolf in the jungle, Ted looks for a cure. His lawyer sister, with a son and dog, invites him to park his camper by her house in the woods and live out of her fridge.As the genre started fizzing out in the box offices, this film came out and gave me a little hope. It's one of the most underrated werewolf films I can think of. Sure, most of you have heard of it, but how many of you speak of it highly? The werewolf itself looks incredibly realistic, probably moreso than any other I've seen.
- DirectorDanny PangOxide Chun PangStarsDylan McDermottPenelope Ann MillerKristen StewartAn ominous darkness invades a seemingly serene sunflower farm in North Dakota, and the Solomon family is torn apart by suspicion, mayhem and murder.When most of you hear the name Kristen Stewart, you probably think of "Twilight", but I think of "The Messengers". It's a story of a teenage girl whose family moves from the city to farmland, USA. She has difficulty adjusting, then the horror unfolds. There isn't too much to the story, but it doesn't feel like it's lacking anything either, because of the strong cast and general mood of the film.
- DirectorEduardo SánchezStarsAmy SmartDennis ChanTim ChiouMelissa/Amy Smart and her Chinese American husband honeymoon in China during Hungry Ghost Festival. At night at a village they discover, the legend is real.Why this film isn't widely known and critically acclaimed by horror fanatics is a mystery to me. I just recently watched this on Netflix and thought it was one of the best things I've seen in a long time. The atmosphere is so real in the beginning - courtesy of Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project) that it sets the mood perfectly, for the absolute dread that follows.
This one is more of an occult-based creature feature that draws you in throughout pretty much the entire running time. - DirectorRob SchmidtStarsEliza DushkuJeremy SistoEmmanuelle ChriquiChris and a group of five friends are left stranded deep in the middle of the woods after their cars collide. As they venture deeper into the woods, they face an uncertain and bloodcurdling fate.This is what I would consider a modern classic of the genre. Starring Eliza Dushku, this film follows young adults in the middle of nowhere (I believe it's West Virginia) on a road trip, taking a wrong turn and being terrorized by a family of deformed inbreds. Not the most original idea for a horror movie, but it doesn't always have to be original to be good does it?
- DirectorStuart GordonStarsJeffrey CombsBarbara CramptonJonathan FullerA man travels to Italy with his family to live in the castle they have recently inherited. But he soon begins to suspect that they are not the only occupants.Akin to "Hell Night" but without as much of the cheese, "Castle Freak" heavily emphasizes it's roots in H.P. Lovecraft lore.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsMarilyn BurnsEdwin NealAllen DanzigerFive friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.Leatherface makes his debut performance in this self-described mutilation-fest. One of the quintessential horror films according to just about any fan of the genre.
- DirectorBruno MatteiClaudio FragassoStarsMargie NewtonFranco GarofaloSelan KarayAfter an experiment gone wrong, a virus that turns people into zombies spreads throughout New Guinea. A female reporter and her cameraman, and a team of four commandos sent to investigate try to survive the onslaught.Set in the New Guinea jungle, this is your pretty basic zombie film, just better than most and pretty underrated. It's a bit slow at parts, but it's worth it. This is also one of those films with many names depending on which country you are in. I know it as "Hell Of The Living Dead".
- DirectorStuart GordonStarsEzra GoddenFrancisco RabalRaquel MeroñoA boating accident runs a young man and woman ashore in a decrepit Spanish fishing town which they discover is in the grips of an ancient sea god and its monstrous half human offspring.Based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, I'd say this one captures his essence pretty well. Eerie, otherworldly creatures live in a sea-side village in Spain and worship the god Dagon, terrorizing victims of a boat accident.
- DirectorJohn ShibanStarsJaimie AlexanderMichael ChildersJennifer CormackThe film follows Nicole Carrow, a young woman who is threatened by a maniac serial killer, after her boyfriend Jess, is abducted in a rest stop.I usually prefer my horror to be based around the occult, werewolves, zombies, etc. but this is one of the better serial killer-type films that starting getting more popular a few years ago.
- DirectorScott DerricksonStarsLaura LinneyTom WilkinsonShohreh AghdashlooA lawyer takes on a negligent homicide case involving a priest who performed an exorcism on a young girl.If "The Exorcist" left you hungry for more, this one feeds that hunger. While being similar for obvious reasons, it's different enough to stand on it's own as a modern-day classic.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsKlaus KinskiIsabelle AdjaniBruno GanzCount Dracula moves from Transylvania to Wismar, spreading the Black Plague across the land. Only a woman pure of heart can bring an end to his reign of horror.A retelling of the silent film from the 1920's, this version while slow-going creates a strong tension that remains throughout much of the film.
- DirectorTi WestStarsJocelin DonahueTom NoonanMary WoronovIn 1983, financially struggling college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret, putting her life in mortal danger.Usually when a film is set in the past, certain inaccuracies jump out at you, but this really feels like it was released in 1986. My only complaint is that the ending left a bit to be desired, but the gradual build-up to that point made it all worthwhile.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsVera FarmigaPeter SarsgaardIsabelle FuhrmanA husband and wife who recently lost their baby adopt a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she appears.An instant modern classic, I saw this at the drive-in and was really into it even though I didn't really know much about it before-hand. This is more of a psychological thriller with a pretty creepy turn in the plot, so I won't spoil it for you.
- DirectorThom EberhardtStarsCatherine Mary StewartKelli MaroneyRobert BeltranA comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls fighting against cannibal zombies and a sinister group of scientists.Let's run the checklist here shall we? The 80's? Check. Zombies? Check. A desolate city (creepy, I always love to see that in horror movies)? Check. Thanks, Jen, for this one.