Few cinematic pleasures rival the feeling of watching a good horror flick in the fall. As temperatures dip and howling winds give voice to lost souls, a horror film is something to savor.
For those interested in doing just that there’s no shortage of options. To help cut to the quick, I’ve curated a list of what I believe to be your five best choices. It’s admittedly eclectic and perhaps not fully in line with mainstream tastes, but that’s part of the fun. If you’re going to make a list you may as well go out on a limb.
1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Tobe Hooper, 1974
Few films, if any, are as relentlessly brutal as this. Starting with the very first frames you’re seduced into a world of deep disturbance and foreboding mood. From there, things get worse. It’s a hard film to watch because there’s basically no hope. Even the ending, which offers a token escape, feels like a net loss. This is horror in its purest form.
Stylistically it’s appropriately scratchy and low-fi, which only adds to the sense that things could fall apart at any moment. Which, of course, they do.
Maybe this isn’t the “best” horror film ever made, but it’s #1 on this list for a reason.
2. Halloween, John Carpenter, 1978
At its core, this film answers a most troubling question: what if pure evil took a human form?
History tends to regard Michael Myers as the quintessential slasher flick boogeyman but in truth that’s an unfair reputation. The film features very little gore, and it’s wrong to characterize it as a slasher flick at all. It works because it gives life to the idea that evil could rise up anywhere — even in the most bucolic setting — and do so almost quietly. By the time anyone figures out what’s happening, it’s too late.
3. Suspiria, Dario Argento, 1977
If you’re looking for an airtight plot and/or a conventional horror experience, steer clear of this one. If you’re interested the idea that a horror film could operate on the level of art, here you go.
Argento’s masterpiece is a relentless treat for the senses. The music, cinematography, and direction work together to create a completely unique world, and the death scenes are as gorgeously filmed and choreographed as you’ll find anywhere else. It’s a jarring, seductive, and ultimately beautiful piece of work. More like a symphony than a pop song, which is no easy feat.
4. Friday the 13th Part 2, Steve Miner, 1981
This makes the grade for one simple reason: it’s the best example out there of a classic American slasher film. The first in the series is damn good, but Part 2 hits all the notes. It’s also the first film to feature Jason as the killer.
It’s the steak and potatoes of horror films. Hearty, satisfying, and endlessly enjoyable.
5. The Shining, Stanley Kubrick, 1980
I debated putting this on the list because I’m not entirely sure it’s a “horror” film. It’s a Stanley Kubrick film first and foremost.
Still, it’s amazing. Brilliant even. Perhaps not as stylistically accomplished as Suspiria but far stronger in terms of story and acting. And it satisfies on the level a horror film needs to in that it’s deeply disturbing.
Honorable Mentions: Dawn of the Dead (the original), Last House on the Left (again, the original)
Now it’s your turn. Name your own top five in the comments or take issue with my choices. Consider it a “desert island” challenge. If you could only watch five horror films, which would they be?
These are mine, but I have a hunch many of you won’t agree.
