Just three movies into his career, Jordan Peele has already amassed a fervid following as the latest wunderkind of the horror genre. Pivoting from his television career where he was mostly known for the Comedy Central hit series ‘Key and Peele’ to become one of the hottest commodities in all Hollywood has been the stuff of legend — a rare sight in an increasingly-homogenous industry where hardly any films bear the personal stamp of the director. That’s certainly not the case with Peele, a creative mind who has imbued each of his three feature films to date with an unmistakable sense of urgency and political conscience — not only breathing new life into a watered-down genre but addressing timely social problems with a refreshing novelty we seldom get to see in the big screen.

‘Get Out’ eschewed from generally accepted clichés to deliver a visceral portrait of race relations in North America, while ‘Us’ refined and expanded on the talent shown on his debut to provide a cautionary tale on guilt, repression and trauma that feels more urgent with each passing day.

The Oscar-winning director is once again on everyone’s lips following the release of his long-awaited third feature, ‘Nope’, a film that has been greeted with much fanfare and will surely become one of the biggest talking points of the year. Unsurprisingly for someone who has been appointed as the new poster boy of the genre, Jordan Peele’s love for horror movies runs deep, as is evident in the many nods and easter eggs that can be found throughout his work. As we celebrate his latest brain-melter, we have assessed ten films hand-picked by the man himself that should be required viewing for any Jordan Peele fan worth his salt.

1. The Fly (1986)

We all have that one particular film that we watched perhaps too soon at an impressionable age that shook us to the core and lives rent-free in our heads ever since. During an interview for the Wall Street Journal, Jordan Peele admitted to being no exception, citing David Cronenberg’s classic remake as the first horror movie that really got to him. Equal parts a cautionary tale of the dangers of playing God with science and a harrowing meditation on mortality, the film centers around an eccentric scientist who inadvertently has his DNA spliced with a housefly while running some tests on his groundbreaking teleportation device.

One can’t fault the director for losing sleep over ‘The Fly’ as a kid, because watching Seth Brundle’s body gradually decompose and mutate into a hideous man-insect hybrid is the kind of stuff that can etch into your cerebral cortex and haunt you long after the credits roll. “So scary, so inappropriate for how old I was, and yet I was able to watch it and understand it, and at the end of it, I felt less scared than I did before watching it, so that’s how I knew the power of horror.”

2. The Witch (2015)

‘Elevated horror’ is a broad term that’s been thrown around ad nauseam as of lately, and that is virtually impossible to discuss without invoking the names of Jordan Peele, Ari Aster and Robert Eggers. Not without reason have these three modern auteurs drawn countless comparisons as the newest trinity in horror cinema. All three represent a particular brand of filmmaking that favors subtle symbolism, atmospheric settings and psychological dread over cheap jump-scares, blood and gore. So, all things considered, it doesn’t come as a shocker to learn that Peele found a kindred spirit in Eggers’ earth-shattering debut, a film that explores familial dynamics through the plight of a dysfunctional Puritan family in 16th century Massachusetts who’s haunted by a sinister force in the woods.

“I really enjoyed ‘The Witch’, which had such an elevated style to it, and it really brought the gravity of introducing us to a real-life actual witch, with a capital W. I thought it was really great,” explained the director. It’s nice to know the respect goes both ways, with Eggers citing Peele’s own debut, ‘Get Out’, among his six favorite film releases of 2017.

3. Jaws (1975)

Beach attendance across North America is said to have plummeted during the summer release of Steven Spielberg’s seminal blockbuster. How many films in history can claim to have had such a strong hold on an entire nation? And that was just the least of the ‘Jaws’ effect, a film that essentially reshaped the way we perceived sharks, boats, suspense and the film industry forever. Jordan Peele is just one of many modern directors who have expressed their profound appreciation for the film, citing it as a key touchstone in the genre that influenced him “a great deal”.

“The most beautiful revelation with ‘Jaws’ was that the audience’s imagination is far more powerful than what you show them. It changes the way we think of how to tell the story of a monster.” His most observant fans may have already noticed Peele’s admiration for the 1975 film in one of his films, ‘Us’, where little Jason can be seen wearing a ‘Jaws’ logo tee at the beginning of the story. The director explained during an interview that the first thing he did after finishing the script was reach out to Steven Spielberg and ask for his blessing. “It was such a validating moment for the design of this film that we were able to get that.”

4. Candyman (1992)

“If there was no Candyman,” Peele told Empire magazine, “I don’t know that there would be a Get Out.” Racism is also at the crux of Bernard Rose’s 1992 cult favorite, a film that broke all kinds of molds in what at the time was a decisively white-centric genre like horror. Set against the backdrop of gentrified Chicago, the film follows a pair of college students who aim to unearth the truth behind Candyman, an urban legend associated with a string of murders in the scary projects of Cabrini-Green.

Thirty years on, the movie still makes salient points about prejudice, poverty and generational trauma, and connecting the dots with Peele’s own output is pretty self-evident. The fact that he co-wrote and executive-produced the 2021 spiritual sequel directed by Nina DaCosta should dispel any lingering doubts concerning his love for the source material. During an interview, Peele further revealed that if he was to assemble an Avengers-style crew of horror villains, he’d include the titular Candyman among other personal favorites such as Freddy Krueger and Chucky.

5. Halloween (1978)

Few villains have left a bigger mark among moviegoers around the globe than Michael Myers, first seen in John Carpenter’s 1978 original film as an unstoppable force of nature who escapes from a sanitarium and goes on a killing spree upon his return to his hometown. Peele rightfully cited him as the scariest horror villain of all time during an interview for the Wall Street Journal, arguing “he’s not even evil, he’s just curious. You know you can’t talk him out of whatever he wants to do.” The director also credited the film as a visual reference point that inspired the opening scene of his 2017 debut by “pulling the horror out from suburbia.”

The original ‘Halloween’ not only set the template for every slasher in the past forty years but gifted us with an iconic villain that has remained ingrained in our collective consciousness and keeps slithering back into our pop culture every once in a while. Though the mindless stream of legacy sequels has failed to recapture the genius simplicity of the original, Carpenter’s classic still feels as riveting and petrifying four decades on.

In the pantheon of great filmmakers who are also avid cinephiles, Tarantino and Scorsese, with their encyclopedic knowledge and infectiously passionate way of speaking, get the most attention from their fellow film lovers.

A name not often cited in this pantheon, but one that should evoke immediate thoughts of pure, unadulterated cinematic geekiness is Guillermo del Toro. One of the most erudite filmmakers around, del Toro’s ample knowledge of literature and film doesn’t preclude a passion for genre, often derided by serious academics as a lesser artistic expression. On the contrary: the director has built his career around horror, and his list of favorite films demonstrates a taste for the macabre that is as genuine as it is expansive.

So here’s a list of some great films in the genre you may not have seen before, guided by the maestro himself.

10. The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Del Toro has claimed that Victor Hugo’s “The Man Who Laughs” is one of his all time favorite novels, calling it “poignant, profound and tragic.” It’s no wonder, then, that his affection extends to this classic 1928 adaptation of the book.

Starring the iconic Conrad Veidt in the title role, the movie is one of most phenomenal examples of silent expressionism to have come out of the US; it’s every bit as heartfelt in its gothic melodrama and striking in its visual splendor as any German silent horror classic of the period. And in a broader cultural scenario, it’s one of the single most influential pictures of it’s era, having been the primary inspiration behind DC’s Joker – a testament to the power of Veidt’s performance and of Jack Pierce’s indelible make-up.

9. Vampyr (1932)

Vampirism is a motif del Toro returns to again and again throughout his career, from “Cronos” to “Blade II,” not to mention the tv show “The Strand,” which he was heavily involved with.

The origin of that obsession might trace back to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s masterpiece “Vampyr,” a film the Mexican director often cites not only as a personal favorite, but as one of the greatest pictures ever made, going so far as to deem it “the closest you can get to a poem on film.”

And though that particular superlative is debatable, the brilliance of Dreyer’s movie is beyond dispute: a vampire movie in which, as del Toro himself noted in his comment for Criterion, the creatures are less physical beings with fangs and more metaphysical representations of death, ever lurking and all encompassing. Dreyer’s lyrical approach to horror, as well as his fluid, restless camera movements are clear influences in del Toro’s own work, so it’s easy to see why this is such a special title for him.

8. Freaks (1932)

The year 1932 is a key year both in the timeline of horror cinema and in del Toro’s gallery of influences, considering it saw the release not only of “Vampyr” but also of another iconic classic: Tod Browning’s “Freaks.”

Like Orson Welles’ “The Magnificent Ambersons,” the movie we have today is the mutilated result of severe studio interference. It was cut down from the original 90-minute version in an attempt to tone down what they perceived to be the “grotesque” nature of the film – a heartbreaking fact not only for what it represents in the context of this deeply humanistic movie that dares to represent people with disabilities as fully formed humans, but also for the immense loss to cinema itself (one can only imagine what Browning’s unadulterated vision looked like).

But it’s a testament to the strength of that vision that, just like Welles’ aforementioned masterpiece, even this studio-reshaped version remains a grand feat, affecting and horrifying in equal measure. Del Toro has said that “there has never been and will never be a film like this again,” and it’s hard to disagree with him.

7. The Haunting (1963)

Shirley Jackson’s story has recently regained popularity with a larger audience thanks to the (very good) Netflix show, but the best version of her iconic horror novel is still Robert Wise’s absolutely incredible “The Haunting.”

Elected by del Toro as one of the best ghost movies ever made, Robert Wise’s masterpiece is not only remarkably eerie (almost 60 years in, the film retains all its scare power), it’s also a tour de force of craft. High in the running for the most technically accomplished horror movie ever made – few other haunted house pictures make such spectacular use of space as a fold for atmosphere – Wise’s sublime deep focus compositions make every little corner of the production design a potential threat.

It was a huge influence in del Toro’s “Crimson Peak” specifically, but in general, it prefaces his artistic philosophy of approaching even the most B-grade material with the utmost respect and care.

6. Black Sabbath (1963)

One can only talk about horror history for so long before arriving at the name of Mario Bava. One of the great Italian masters of the genre, Bava’s influences extend far and wide into today’s horror landscape, so of course, being the academic of fright that he is, del Toro owes the man a great deal.

Stylistically, “Black Sabbath” (which del Toro has singled out as one of his favorites from Bava’s oeuvre) may be the clearest line between the two filmmakers. Bava’s hyper-colorful aesthetic here is a direct influence on del Toro’s work; the quasi-technicolor fright fest that’s gorgeous to look at even when you want to avert your eyes from the horror.

But aside from its importance and influence, it’s just a great movie, the rarest of cinematic treats. An anthology in which each chapter is equally compelling, all marked by Bava’s incomparable dominion over the medium.

At Taste of Cinema we’ve done a lot of lists that looked at the vast film knowledge of director and film buff Quentin Tarantino; maybe the director with the most film trivia ingrained in his brain. In Edgar Wright he has a worthy challenger though, since more and more we come in contact with the Brit and his recommendations. It was already in 2007, on the Hot Fuzz director’s commentary that we learned he could keep up with Tarantino, as they talked movies for the entirety of the Hot Fuzz runtime. Since then we’ve got a bonkers list of his 1000 favourite films (all of these entries being on it), genre specific lists, and most recently he teamed up with Empire to make one of their best issues yet. Besides the Empire issue he also went onto the Empire podcast together with Tarantino and yet again they talked about movies, this time for a staggering 3 hours until batteries ran out.

This podcast ended up being the inspiration for this list and for more lists about Wright’s recommendations to come. With the trailer for Last Night in Soho lurking around the corner, we thought the most fitting genre to start with is of course horror. It could have been 100 recommendations, it could have been just British horror films, but that’s maybe something for the future. For now, here are 10 horror films recommended by Edgar Wright.

1. Daughters of Darkness (1971)

We start with a vampire tale which Wright claims not enough people have seen and we wholeheartedly agree with that statement.

Daughters of Darkness is a Belgian horror film, which alone was a rare sight before Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani entered the game. Director Harry Kümel jumped on the lesbian vampire trend that spawned many films in the early 70’s, but his Daughters of Darkness is one that stands out. The story follows a couple that has just married, but sometimes feel like they’re strangers from each other. When staying in a hotel they cross paths with a mysterious countess and her secretary. Meanwhile the town they’re staying in is experiencing a strange string of murders.

The original title ‘Les lèvres rouges’, meaning the red lips, might fit better with this film, since it sets such a mysterious, but sensual vibe. Not half as sensual as Jess Franco’s ‘Vampyros Lesbos’, but maybe more in the same mood as Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’. It isn’t a coincidence that Wright recommends a double bill of Daughters of Darkness and Only Lovers Left Alive. Again, we’ll have to agree.

2. Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

This list shouldn’t exist without at least a couple of British horror films. Peter Strickland’s masterclass in sound design might not be the first film that would come to mind, since it’s more an homage to Giallos, but it’s a worthy entry. Besides there are two more British entries on this list to look forward to.

The story follows British sound engineer Gilderoy (Toby Jones) who goes to Italy to the Berberian Studio to work on a film he only then discovers to be a Giallo. Even though it’s not what he had in mind he starts working on the film’s sound engineering. As time passes his co-workers seem to be increasingly rude to him and each other. With it the horror sequences of the film become increasingly brutal and Gilderoy slowly gets detached from reality.

Strickland’s second feature film is a technical masterpiece, but mostly a tribute to the Giallo genre that captures all that’s so great about them. If we’re talking double features; this one could follow up any Dario Argento film and offer a sneak peek inside the minds of their makers.

3. The Fourth Man (1983)

The Fourth Man follows a bisexual Catholic writer Gerard Reve (Jeroen Krabbé) who is suffering due to his alcoholism and his visions of death. On his way to giving a lecture Gerard feels attracted to a handsome man who enters another train. After his lecture he begins an affair with a woman Christine from the audience and soon he finds out she’s in a relationship with the man he spotted at the train station. He asks to meet the man, with the intention to seduce him. Meanwhile his visions of death become more frequent and he starts to suspect Christine is the cause of them.

Like neighboring country Belgium, The Netherlands aren’t known for their horror productions either. You’ve got director Dick Maas who often tackles the genre, for example with Amsterdamned and The Lift. Then there is George Sluizer’s ‘The Vanishing’, also a film that made Wright’s top 1000. But probably most notable is Paul Verhoeven’s only stab at the genre with The Fourth Man. Verhoeven is of course best known for his Hollywood sci-fi productions Robocop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers, but before he ventured into Hollywood, he made plenty of Dutch films that are among the best productions the country has to offer; The Fourth Man arguably being the best of them.

4. Blood and Black Lace (1964)

Naturally there had to be a Giallo film on this list other than just a tribute to the genre. It’s no Argento, but it’s just as good or maybe even better: It’s a Bava. Late 2020 Wright took a moment to talk about this film and inevitably about Mario Bava in general with film critic Walter Chaw.

When Isabella, a model living in a fashion house, gets brutally murdered, Inspector Sylvester is assigned to investigate. During the investigation all the dark secrets of the models slowly come to light, meanwhile more of the models are being killed one by one.

A simple horror story that became famous thanks to its style, even being regarded as the first, or one of the first ever Giallo movies. Bava’s connection with the camera makes this film’s visuals so beautiful that they almost overshadow the plot. For any horror or any film buff this is a must watch, since it’s a joy to spot the visible influences for so many films that followed.

5. The Asphyx (1972)

Hugo, a scientist in Victorian England, is showing off his newest invention, a motion picture camera, at a party where in tragic circumstances he captures the drowning of his wife and son. On the moving picture he discovers not a soul but an Asphyx moving to his son’s body. An Asphyx is a force that comes for an individual in the moment of their dead. With this newfound discovery he decides to try and capture these Asphyx to find the key to immortality.

In the Empire podcast Wright mentioned that The Asphyx is one of the movies he wishes people talk about more, so we’d like to comply. The methods of summoning the Asphyx are quite funny, so it’s not necessarily the scariest horror film, but it still has its fair share of thrills. On top of that, with charming performances from Robert Powell and Robert Stephens you’re already one step ahead!

When you look at a guy like Quentin Tarantino you just kind of know that he’s a horror movie afficinato. You don’t have to be particular with his films on an intimate level. You don’t have to know his backstory or his credentials. Just by casually listening to any conversation the guy has or any of his blurbs that come out about films, it’s obvious the man knows his stuff. A living, breathing encyclopedia of film and television with an insatiable thirst for content.

A full-time filmmaker who somehow, someway, has found out how to absorb more media in his lifetime than you or I ever could, even if we watched everything at 120x speed. He has dumbfounded actors by knowing their performances and nuances somehow deeper and better then they themselves even remember, sometimes down to the most particular detail in a performance that deeply matters to him. And when he explains it, he’s able to put it all into words that perfectly expound on that tip of the tongue, partial recall, vague explanation as to why you think something is good. A contextualizing machine that rivals your finest teachers and Forrest Gump’s mother combined.

Despite looking, acting and not so subtly BEING a horror film connousiour and expert, it’s worth pointing out that he’s never actually made a true horror film. Or, more accurately, he’s never made a film that lies too heavily in any one genre. But if you get out your magnifying glass and examine his work a little closer you’d see tons of your favorite horror film earmarks throughout his catalogue. Shady characters. Heists gone wrong. Swift, brutal revenge. Obscure 60’s music. Sudden, frantic, grisly violence. An over the top evil, cantankerous, vile, blowhard villain who you can’t wait to see be beaten, victimized and conquered. Samuel L. Jackson either screaming in someone’s face or intricately describing something vile he’s recently done with the same cadence and temperament he uses when calling in a prescription at Walgreens.

All things that have become synonymous with Tarantino’s films. Cultivated over a nearly 20 year career of homaging his heroes and serving up some scathing recreations of traumatic and shameful moments in human history, but presented with a sweet, thin candy shell of quirky and off-kilter snark and subterfuge. The heartworm pill in the piece of cheese, so you’re getting your medicine and you don’t even know it.

Never has there been a better poster child for someone who has given himself an education from films themselves. Whether it’s obscure 50’s westerns, or rot gut Italian horror video nasties, and sometimes old episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air: he’s always listening and wanting to expand his palette. He has dipped his toes into the exploitation-horror genre before by crafting his own version of a slasher film with 2007’s Death Proof, penning the script (and co-starring in) the 1996 vampire flick From Dusk Till Dawn, and more recently claimed that his 10th, and rumored, final directorial effort could easily be his first all out horror film.

The internet even briefly freaked out back in 2005 when rumor had it that he’d be directing “The Ultimate Jason Voorhees Movie” but negotiations broke down and we were robbed of a potential film where a suit and tie wearing Jason gets real philosophical with Tommy Jarvis before carving him like a turkey while Joe Cocker’s cover of With a Little Help From My Friends blares in the background.

But if you’re truly dying to see just how twisted the vision of Quentin Tarantino can be, why not fall down the rabbit hole of some of the man’s favorites of the genre. From the expected to the obscure, you’d need a pen and probably a few weeks to compile them all, so let’s just just sample ten for now.

1. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Called “the greatest movie that has ever been made and that ever possibly will be made” by Tarantino…when he was five…Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was what the writer/director described as “the perfect blend of my most two favorite things at the time: horror films and classic, screwball comedies.” Granted, most five year old children don’t have favorite actors and actresses or are able to make genre distinctions quite like Tarantino can and did, but AACMF is undoubtedly a perfect gateway horror film that can appeal to both classic horror fans and more casual observers as its horror scenes are very clearly faithful to the mission statement of “Be Scary”, while its comedy element never really takes away from its core and mythos.

It only places heroes with infantile, bumbling naivety inside the Universal horror monster world and ends up being both a love letter to those franchises while also an easy to follow road map for people who can empathize with Lou Costello as he stumbles clumsily into danger. Influential and iconic, it definitely appealed to Tarantino’s freethinking scope.

2. Carrie (1976)

Regularly cited as QT’s favorite horror film of all time and made by one of his true filmmaking heroes: Brian DePalma, is 1976’s Carrie: an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel following a beleaguered young girl who has the power…to move you. In a time when demonic horror themed pictures were predominately portraying its protagonists as borderline dangerous and potential liars and con artists, De Palma dared to make you want to root for the bad guy (girl) more than before by putting you in the shoes of young Carrie, who is just mercilessly tormented at the hands of a group of scumbag high schoolers to the point where, yeah, you want to see her get her just desserts.

More character driven than many horror films of the era and focusing heavily on the plight of the victim, Carrie was a direct inspiration for Tarantino’s own Bride character of Kill Bill fame and he has cited star Sissy Spacek’s performance as his “favorite ever in a horror movie.” It clearly holds a special place in the man’s heart, as it will anyone who is bothered by just how cruel random strangers can be.

3. The Omen (1976)

If you only know The Omen as a reference point for other films, or have already had it explained to you in two sentences, it’s easy to want to dismiss it as a soft or tame film. Especially with its rather classy cast featuring big Hollywood stars like Gregory Peck. Or its quiet and only slightly foreboding trailer.

Tarantino himself recalled seeing it and thinking it would be “a nice horror film for older audiences” but was then blindsided on just how visceral and surprisingly gory the film was. “The interesting thing about it is that it’s a mystery. There’s an investigation going on there and you don’t really know if can trust it until maybe halfway through..” He was quick to also praise it as being particularly influential from a business standpoint, as it was the first of its kind to cast a star of the 50s in the lead to lure older audiences in. A practice that was repeated with stars like Charleton Heson in The Awakening, George C. Scott in The Changeling and Kirk Dougles in The Fury.

Tarantino was generally impressed at the film’s ability to portray itself so objectively and make you as a viewer come to grips with the reality of its true plotline. A nice treat for audiences who THINK they can surmise the film based on its age and their own firsthand knowledge of the plot, but who may be surprised with a present day watch.

4. The Night Stalker (1972)

One particular subgenre of horror that Tarantino has an affinity for is the Made For TV horror films of the 70’s, which many will forget, were pretty big deals to premiere at the time. Quentin has said he feels they “hold up better than most of the exploitation horror of the era — they have better actors..and they had really good stories!” QT’s particular favorite of the bunch is the ABC Movie of the Week from January in 1972: The Night Stalker. Adapted by horror fiction legend Richard Matheson and John Moxley (the TV veteran, not the AEW World Champion), The Night Stalker is a chilling story told from the POV of a man who MAY be a ruthless, hedonistic vampire pounding the streets for blood at night. Or maybe he’s just a regular guy who is having some problematic delusions and is suffering from a seriously bad night.

Tarantino praised its narrative and pacing, saying “the adrenaline drive of this thing just doesn’t stop!” and remembered fondly how well received it was at school the next day and how everyone was buzzing about what they had just seen. The film was a huge success at the time for ABC. Gathering the highest ratings of any of their made for TV films to that point. It even spawned its own sequel and spinoff weekly series.

5. The Mephisto Waltz (1971)

A lesser known horror film that Tarantino wishes more people knew about is 1971’s The Mephisto Waltz. Which stars Alan Alda, Curd Jurgens, and Jacqueline Bisset. Referring to it as “kind of Rosemary’s Baby in reverse,” it’s the story of a failed concert pianist turned journalist and how his chance encounter with Jurgens’ Duncan Ely character leads to him being able to live out his dreams of stardom and prestige. Which will appeal to fans of the horror possession genre.

But what Tarantino warns is how “you will not be prepared for the final 20 minutes” and heaps praise on how it veers off confidently in its own direction, while still being able to genuinely surprise him with how well the story wraps up.

One of the most noticeable aspects of cinema that came out of the last decade was that the horror genre had seriously picked up its game. With auteurs such as Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, Jennifer Kent and Jordan Peele leading the way into perhaps a new golden era of terror. However over the years, some of the greatest filmmakers of all time have made an indelible impact into the world of horror by producing some of the finest films not only in the genre, but also in the history of cinema itself.

Out of fairness, I have decided to leave out Hitchcock’s Psycho, Kubrick’s Shining, Spielberg’s Jaws and Scott’s Alien simply because their vast influence has already been noted and written about to the point of oversaturation. That is why I have made the decision to include films that while they are still classics, have either been unfairly judged alongside the previously mentioned masterpieces or for some reason or another, have simply not been viewed as much by mainstream audiences.

1. Hour of the Wolf (1968, Ingmar Bergman)

We start the list with quite possibly the single most celebrated and revered film director ever to have lived, Ingmar Bergman. The Swedish auteur’s expansive filmography is littered with masterpieces that continue to be studied and enjoyed by film lovers across the world. Lauded for the ability in his work to examine the human condition by raising difficult questions for the audience answer for themselves. His films tackle themes such as existentialism, religion and most notably in his 1968 horror film Hour of the Wolf, insanity.

The plot follows a married couple on the brink of complete collapse as a result of the husband’s deteriorating mental health. The husband, played by the legendary Max von Sydow, is the epitome of a tortured artist. He’s a painter who draws sketches of the horrifying creatures he sees in his nightmares. The wife, played by the equally legendary Liv Ullman, is on the brink of a mental breakdown herself due to the stress of looking after her ailing partner.

As the film progresses, the horrific visions become more and more real, and by the time at night called ‘Hour of the Wolf’, the demons are fully running amok. Critics and movie theorists posits that the husband represents Bergman himself, while not the director exactly, more of an alter ego. It is common knowledge that Bergman suffered from mental health issues all his life, even being hospitalized at one point for severe depression. So it is not difficult to transpose the director into the place of his protagonist, meaning we as an audience are actually watching the legendary filmmaker fighting his own demons onscreen instead.

2. Don’t Look Now (1973, Nicolas Roeg)

Over the years, Nicolas Roeg’s reputation as an influential filmmaker only seems to be getting stronger. Cutting his teeth as a cinematographer, working with acclaimed directors Roger Corman, John Schlesinger and Francois Truffaut among others. But by the end of his career, many of Roeg’s films as a director has inspired some of the leading directors today, including Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott. But out of his entire filmography, there is one film that stands out from the pack.

Adapted from a short story by the acclaimed author, Daphne du Maurier, Don’t Look Now is now seen as one of single most important horror films ever made. The movie’s two leads, Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, each portray perhaps the most realistic depiction of grief in the history of cinema, but to me it’s Roeg who proves to be film’s real star from behind the camera. His sheer revolutionary use of flashbacks and flash-forwards evokes confusion and distress in the audience that instantly puts them in the protagonist’s shoes. Not to mention his composition shots are simply works of genius, showing the full introspection not just into the character’s fragile psyche but also into film’s location itself.

Roeg makes great use of Venice’s classical architecture, crumbling buildings and twisting alleys so that the city presents a haunting atmosphere, filling us with a constant sense of dread, building and building until the film’s iconic climax, cementing Don’t Look Now as an all-time masterwork in psychological terror.

3. Deep Red (1975, Dario Argento)

Dario Argento is perhaps the most recognizable name to come out of the giallo genre. He is seen as one of the defining directors of horror and was positioned by many critics as being the heir apparent to Hitchcock as the new ‘Master of Suspense’. While his recent work has been seen a major deterioration of the director’s reputation, his earlier films are still seen as masterpieces. Perhaps the most famous of his films is the occult classic Suspiria, but the movie that preceded it is often argued as his true magnum opus, Deep Red.

Deep Red has all the traits of a great giallo film; these include beautiful cinematography, vivid colours and of course lots and lots of violence. The movie stars David Hemmings as a pianist turned sleuth who investigates a series of gruesome murders by a black glove-wearing psychopath. The most notable scenes in the film are the slayings themselves, whether it’s being hacked to pieces by meat cleaver, drowned in a scalding hot bath or someone’s head being crushed by speeding car.

The most iconic scene in the film however involves perhaps the creepiest-looking doll in cinema history (that’s right, take that Annabelle). The reason I believe why some people prefer Deep Red to Suspiria is because this is Argento at his least restricted, with every gruesome death it feels like the director is having the time of life. It would almost be disgusting if we weren’t all along for the ride enjoying it with him.

4. Eraserhead (1977, David Lynch)

It’s safe to say that after its release in 1977, David Lynch’s Eraserhead evoked a strong reaction from cinemagoers. It was as much praised as it was reviled, but everyone who has seen it unanimously agrees one one thing, there had never been another film quite like it. To this day, Eraserhead continues to leave audiences stunned, sickened and most likely confused by its surreal images of body horror that has gone on to solidify Lynch’s reputation as the mad genius of cinema.

The film is full of nightmarish moments that have become ingrained into the memories of anyone who has seen it. These include perhaps the most awkward dinner scene in film history that includes a miniature turkey squirming and oozing blood as it’s being carved into, a newborn that resembles an overgrown sperm than it does a human child and of course who can forget the disturbing yet soothing rendition of ‘In Heaven’ from a deformed character credited as ‘Lady in the Radiator’.

The film should also be praised for its frequent uses of dark humour, including a particular scene where the main character’s eraser-shaped hairstyle becomes a self-professed prophecy when he dreams of his decapitated head being taken to a pencil factory. Stanley Kubrick went on record calling Eraserhead his favourite film of all time, if that isn’t enough of a reason to check this movie out then I don’t know what is.

5. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979, Werner Herzog)

F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu is generally seen not only as one of the most impactful horror films ever made, but perhaps the greatest German movie of all time. At least that is what director Werner Herzog felt, that is why in 1979, he decided to direct a remake of Murnau’s masterpiece as a loving homage to his cinematic idol. Herzog had already earned a reputation as a leading figure in German cinema, his films Aguirre, Wrath of God, The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser and Stroszek still hold up as classics to this day. But still, it seemed like a huge step at the time for one of Germany’s best young filmmakers to remake the most influential film in the country’s history.

Herzog reunited himself with his long-time onscreen muse, the controversial Klaus Kinski who plays the iconic role of Count Dracula with such intense menace that at times he surpasses Max Schreck’s portrayal of the iconic character. The film also includes an impressive supporting cast including legends of European cinema, Isabelle Adjani and Bruno Ganz.

Not once does Herzog’s Nosferatu suck the life out of the original’s legacy but instead breathes new life into it, as well as making perhaps the single greatest remake of a classic horror film ever, just think of the ground that covers. The movie contains the right amount of grimness and gore that you want in a vampire flick, while also postulating on themes of abject loneliness and immortality, that positions Dracula as a tragic character, albeit a frighteningly monstrous one.

Love him or hate him, you can’t deny Quentin Tarantino’s passion for film is contagious. Whether he’s joking around on a DVD commentary or answering interview questions, movies are always on his mind. Arthouse or grindhouse, he loves it all, and is constantly gushing about cult classics he believes to be underappreciated. So why not spice up quarantine with a few scares by watching some horror movies recommended by the film nerd himself? Not all of these may be “great” movies, but they’re great to QT, at least somewhere in his heart. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Below are suspenseful arthouse thrillers, cheesy b-movies, and exploitation blood-baths. Bon Appetit!

10. Crawl (2019)

Tarantino named “Crawl” one of his favorite movies of 2019, and when watching you can definitely tell why. Alexandra Aja’s latest entry tells the story of Florida girl Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario), a student athlete who doesn’t go through with the state’s evacuation order to find her missing father when a category 5 hurricane hits. When she does find her dad (who’s perfectly named Dave, played by Barry Pepper) he’s injured in their family home. The rising floodwaters trap them to drown indoors, but an even greater threat emerges from the depths: enormous alligators.

The dialogue in this one’s a bit hokey, but Kaya Scodelario’s amazing acting pulls it off. Barry Pepper delivers too, and their father-daughter relationship definitely adds an emotional core through all the suspense. Toss in the fantastically life-like cgi alligators, and you got yourself a delightfully bloody, self-aware throwback to disaster exploitation flicks of yore.

9. Slaughter Hotel (1971)

“Slaughter Hotel” is an Italian giallo flick starring the one and only Klaus Kinski! Creepy Klaus Kinski is a doctor at an asylum full of women. Everything about this madhouse is off-putting, from the medical professionals to the hot gardener. But things get more disturbing as a traditional black clad serial killer is introduced, and over the top grindhouse gore that Quentin Tarantino oh so loves follows!

Not everyone will love “Slaughter Hotel,” but the film’s brazen rawness in camera work and violence is definitely a spectacle to behold. Man, don’t you wish you could live in a mental asylum with Klaus Kinski. Or even in an asylum full of women? Luckily, it is possible through giallo cinema!

8. My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Regarded as one of the best slasher flicks of all time, as well as Quentin Tarantino’s all time slasher favorite, “My Bloody Valentine” is a Canadian horror movie that is both a love-letter and middle finger to the iconic holiday known as Valentine’s Day. This movie sets up classic archetypes many future slashers would follow. A small mining village defies a 20 year tradition of not celebrating Valentine’s Day. When a Valentine party begins, so does murder!

7. Audition (1999)

Miike Takashi’s masterpiece! What begins as a drama shifts into something darker. “Audition” follows the widower Aoyama, who uses auditions for a fake movie as a way to get him to get dating again. As he gets interested in the beautiful Asami, things start to get weird, to say the least. Enough on the internet has been said about Audition’s greatness already. To say anymore would do the film injustice.

6. Black Sabbath (1963)

Quentin Tarantino’s favorite directors list includes Mario Bava, and Bava’s “Black Sabbath” is a fabulous way to dive into this Italian filmmaker’s filmography. This is also one of Bava’s favorites out of his works.

“Black Sabbath” (also known as “The Three Faces of Fear” in some countries) is a horror anthology hosted by Boris Karloff, giving us three stories, one revolving around an older vampire, another a corpse thief, and a haunting tale of a woman who receives telephone calls from a lover on the other side. Each story is unique, memorable, and bloodcurdling in atmosphere. Each builds on the other as the scare factor progresses.

Getting movie fans to agree on much of anything is rare, but on occasion even the most opinionated will cross the theater aisle to make peace. Over time, film fans have even found common ground in a few select titles offering that most peculiar form of voluntary self-torture – the horror movie.

Films like these that become widely loved are a strange lot, and not easily categorized – while they don’t all reach the pinnacle of artistic accomplishment, their popularity doesn’t automatically imply creative compromise. And these favorites aren’t all shiny, whitewashed PG-13 fare either – some are borderline traumatizing, and would normally be much more polarizing under other circumstances. But, we’re not here to explain why everyone likes these horror movies, we’re just here to list them.

10. It (2017) – Andres Muschietti

The newest entry on this list, It has quickly amassed a respectable fanbase of its own. Building on the legacy of a beloved miniseries which was effective but constrained by its television format, 2017’s film pulled out all the stops and delivered an edgy, truly terrifying experience. And this connection to the older It seems to contribute to the new one’s popularity – on some level, it feels like being treated to a grown-up version of a beloved show that you could only watch a sanitized version of as a kid.

King’s classic novel may have done more to spread a fear of clowns than any other book in history, but the film adaptations made certain that our collective cinematic psyche would remain forever scarred. Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the shape-shifting villain of the story, lives in the sewers of a small town and terrorizes the local children. But seven local kids decide they’ve had enough of the clown’s scare tactics, and band together to take back their psyches and their lives from this nebulous menace. Their camaraderie is the emotional heart of a story that triggers the deepest fears inside all of us.

9. Ringu (1998) – Hideo Nakata

Ringu did as much as any movie to help usher in a new wave of J-horror popularity, which in turn provided the inspiration for many films to follow. With a plot only possible its own digital age, Ringu was perfectly positioned to engage a new generation of movie fans with a horror hook specially designed for their tastes. Though it quickly spawned a Hollywood remake, the Japanese original remains the preferred choice for students of cinema.

This story centers around a video tape which, once watched, curses the viewer with a certain, though slightly delayed, death. When a news reporter’s niece becomes one of the victims, she sets out to unravel the mysterious video’s secret. As she races against her own ticking clock, the reporter’s life hangs in the balance and drives her to find an answer. Ringu is a modern classic guaranteed to similarly haunt those viewers brave enough to watch it.

8. The Thing (1982) – John Carpenter

An updated reinterpretation of 1951’s The Thing from Another World, Carpenter’s film keeps the skeletal plot of the original while boldly staking out its own identity. Additional on-screen violence is an obvious evolution resulting from the passing years, but The Thing also amplifies the tension and the terror to great effect. Kurt Russell anchors a uniformly excellent cast, whose performances help to keep this a perennial favorite.

A group of research scientists living in icy Antarctica fall under threat from a deadly, shape-shifting creature who begins systematically killing the members of their team. Far away from any potential help, the victims begin turning on each other, each suspecting that the evil presence may have taken over the body of a fellow scientist. The paranoia and tension escalate to an inevitable climax which is as entertaining as it is terrifying. This is one of John Carpenter’s very best movies.

7. Let the Right One In (2008) – Tomas Alfredson

This modern Swedish classic is beloved for its unconventional approach to its horror topic. You could call it “vampirism unplugged” – Let the Right One In sucks away the Victorian-style romanticism often applied by Hollywood to the vampire theme in favor of a more realistic treatment. And horror fans loved it, welcoming this much-needed reset to a genre in danger of permanently descending into self-parody.

At the center of the story is a lonely, bullied 12-year-old boy who strikes up a close friendship with and finds an emotional refuge in his new neighbor – a girl who only makes her appearances at night. As the two kids grow closer, it becomes apparent that the girl has something to hide; her oddly specific rules about when and where she can go begin to annoy her new friend who thought he had found a kindred spirit. Let Me In is an intelligent movie that takes an honest look at the concept of vampirism, and follows its implications through to their logical conclusions. It’s also a touching story about human loneliness and connection, viewed through the eyes of two characters at sensitive stages in their lives.

6. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) – Roman Polanski

This trailblazing classic still serves as a kind of bridge between classic and modern horror. Its style, its themes, and its 1968 release date all help it feel quite modern even while it deals with the business of witches and covens. Rosemary’s Baby has dynamic performances, stylish direction, and an engaging story that still hasn’t lost a step after all these decades.

Rosemary is the central figure of the film, and the baby she is expecting is the catalyst for the drama. While delighted about the news of her pregnancy, Rosemary becomes deeply suspicious of her husband’s friendship with the neighbors – an older couple who seem to take an excessive interest in her well-being. Rosemary’s investigations reveal mounting evidence that the friendly neighbors might belong to a coven of witches with evil designs on her child. But could her suspicions just be the result of the taxing physical conditions of her pregnancy? That is the question which creates the horror of Rosemary’s Baby.

Halloween came and went, but do we need another October to watch horrors? As John Carpenter – who also has a film on the list (yes, even Carpenter has underrated movies) – put it, “horror movies will live on forever” and here we will look at some of the great, or at least entertaining horror films from different decades and directors that deserved more attention than they got. Or maybe they were quite popular when they were released but time was not fair to them. The list varies from psychological horror to meta-fiction to vampire films, so hopefully there’s something for everyone.

10. Images (1972)

Altman’s “Images” is one of the more unique films in the director’s resume, yet it remains one of his lesser known. It didn’t get much strong reviews initially; some critics compared its plot to Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion” and thought it came short in comparison. There are definitely some strong Polanski vibes.

However, stylistically Altman was probably more influenced by Bergman, in particular from his “Persona,” which shouldn’t be a surprise considering how its influence was obvious on one of his best films, “3 Women.” As for “Images,” it follows a children’s author who seemingly has a type of schizophrenia that leads her to see and hear people and voices that aren’t really there.

The result is very interesting and compelling. While the score of the film was recognized by AMPAS, it’s a damn shame that Susannah York’s phenomenal leading performance was overlooked. Vilmos Zsigmond also did a wonderful job as a cinematographer; the outdoor scenes are especially beautiful as well as the close-ups of everyday objects, particularly in the beginning. In fact, it can very well be Altman’s most technically daring film.

In the end, “Images” is unique, strange, impressive, and way overlooked film not only in Altman’s resume, but it probably remains as one of the most underrated psychological horrors of all time.

9. Someone’s Watching Me! (1978)

Maybe because this was made before “Halloween” or it was initially premiered on television, but for whatever reason this horror/thriller, “Someone’s Watching Me!” is one of the less discussed and remembered John Carpenter efforts. It was even often referred to as “the lost Carpenter film” due to its scarce availability on home video for many years. But “Someone’s Watching Me!” is actually a pretty damn intense movie that needs to be seen more.

The first part of the film is slightly not so strong, but the writing starts to get better and better and Carpenter’s expert directorial work keeps you engaged as well. It’s also somewhat of a feminist film in Carpenter’s resume as our lead character is an independent, strong woman who tries to defend herself against an older man who watches her, enters her apartment when she’s out, and begins to terrorize her with phone calls and strange gifts.

There is one particularly cool monologue, and other than just a whole tenseness of the movie, it should also be noted for what an effective work Carpenter can come up with in less than 10 days. It was a particularly lovely experience for Carpenter at the time as he met with then-wife Adrienne Barbeau, who he married in 1979 (though, later divorced).

8. The Devil’s Candy (2015)

A family moves into a house where they’re informed by the real estate agent that the women who lived there died when she fell down the stairs, and her husband killed himself out of despair. In fact, the house is cursed by the Devil, and the previous occupant returns to carry out what the demonic voice in his head tells him to do.

It’s a film that is hard to describe in a way that would make it obvious, but what makes it so distinctive is, because if you read the main plot, it may sound like your average possession film but it’s more than that. It has more originality in it and everything is handled with such cool vision. It avoids some of the stereotypical horror elements: nothing really spooky, it’s not exactly bloody, and it’s never too explicit about it. But the undertone of the film makes you feel a bit disturbed and intrigued. The movie uses a metal sound that adds a lot to its atmosphere and it feels like an appropriate choice in general.

The only flaw in the film might be is the ending, which could have been better, but it’s easy to forgive as the movie was tense and atmospheric enough throughout. The imagery is great, and a few haunting shots can be found here and there. The pacing is also good. The movie prefers to keep the pace moving in its relatively short running time.

7. Amer (2009)

In three separate episodes, scenes from the life of Ana are shown in a giallo style: her childhood, her youth, where she accompanies her mother to neighboring village (the shortest segment) and her adulthood – which takes half the length of the movie.

The film does not have a continuous or straightforward narrative. Ana remembers three drastic events of her still young life: as a child, she was fascinated by the horror of her grandfather’s corpse, which had been stored in the gloomy parental domicile. Years later, as an adolescent, she encountered a half-star on a seaside vacation and had to experience how her jealous mother suppressed nascent feelings. And as an adult, she returns to her childhood home, which is not as deserted as it seems, but with more than imagined dangers.

Those three episodes are all encounters with death and sexuality, sometimes both at the same time. It is up to the viewer to decide the reality and hallucination of the protagonist. It encourages a plurality of interpretations. If you love giallo films, especially Dario Argento’s works, this Belgian-French production that is “Amer” – with all of its surrealism and unusual tone – may be right up your alley.

6. Pin (1988)

Yet another Canadian horror on the list, “Pin” is based on the novel of the same name by Andrew Neiderman (“The Devil’s Advocate”). It’s one of those kinds of psychological horrors where it just doesn’t use any kind of gore or violence to make you feel uncomfortable. Special effects are also kept to a minimum, which adds a lot to its suspenseful tone. The movie is about Dr. Frank Linden’s anatomically correct medical that he calls “Pin.” Via ventriloquism, Dr. Linden uses Pin to teach his children, Leon and Ursula, about bodily functions. However, Leon is mentally ill and he starts to believe that Pin is alive.

Barely registering in cinemas on release in the late ‘80s, “Pin” is one of those films that has persisted ever since. The movie develops the theme of repressed sexuality only superficially, but nevertheless, the movie has a surprising dramatic depth. It goes in a subtle direction, so you need great performances and an intriguing script to make you feel the tension.

While one can’t deny the “Psycho” influence and the overall Hitchockian atmosphere, “Pin” still remains a unique film of its own, which certainly makes this a very intriguing watch. The voice of the character Pin also adds a lot to the film as it comes off somewhat disturbing. Some sequences may be little campy/silly to some viewers, but it’s really a film that is dated surprisingly well, and if you’re into ‘80s horror, “Pin” may be an excellent choice.

Sometimes talking about big ideas is difficult. Often times having a message in a film can lead to feelings that the audience is being pandered to. Social commentary is an especially difficult topic to broach. But when used allegorically through the lens of horror movies, lots of societal issues can be discussed without the added weight of importance of message or expectations. Here are some of the best examples of horror movies used as social commentary.

1. Get Out

Get Out could have been a horror movie without the added social commentary. Meeting the parents of your significant other for the first time can be a very scary proposition. Nobody wants to make a bad first impression. But by adding the fact that the boyfriend is black and the girlfriend is white, Get Out manages to turn up the dial to an uncomfortable level immediately.

Tensions are quickly eased as Chris meets Rose’s parents and they are very much the tolerant liberals she has made them out to be. But as Chris starts to meet the other people of the sleepy little town, he begins to see the mindset of the entire group. Young African American men and women having odd relationships with the older white people of the town. An oddly welcoming attitude specifically towards him. Chris is so distracted by how off everything seems that he doesn’t even notice the trap closing around him.

Once it ramps up into the bonkers conclusion, all of the subtext in the movie is brought center stage. Subjugation of another man. Appropriation of culture. The removal of the individual. Jordan Peele has made a masterpiece of psychological terror that also asks tough questions at the same time. And all of that was done while still making a nail biter that delivered to audiences.

2. Rosemary’s Baby

The world of Rosemary’s Baby is wildly different than the world of today. Gender roles were still stuck with tradition. The man was the provider of the family. A woman shouldn’t even have a job outside of caring for the household and being a mother. And she will perform that role without question or complaint.

Rosemary really wants to conform to that role. It’s just that’s she’s pretty sure she was raped by the devil and is carrying the Antichrist. And isn’t that enough to push anyone over the edge?

What is especially terrifying about Rosemary’s Baby is how isolated Rosemary is. She is both far away and ostracized from her family. The one friend she had made in New York City suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances. And she questions the motives of the overly friendly old couple that live next door to them.

A woman was very much the property of her husband back then. She had no real rights of her own. Rosemary’s Baby puts gender roles under the microscope right before these roles were changed forever in the late 60s and early 70s.

3. Tales From The Hood

Every single story in this movie is great. The young black police officer who witnesses his brothers in blue frame and kill a community leader only to be haunted by a mural of the slain man demanding his revenge. The quiet kid who talks of the monster who hurts him and his mother late at night in their house. A racist Senator who learns that the old plantation he has purchased as a campaign headquarters is haunted by dolls possessed by the souls of murdered slaves. A violent gang member learns of the aftermath of his wrath.

All tied up with the wrap around story of funeral home director Mr Simms leading three drug dealers around his mortuary as he takes them to a stash of drugs he has come across.

Tales From The Hood goes after big issues. Police corruption and brutality. Domestic violence. Slavery and institutional racism. Drug violence. Things that have destroyed the African American community for generations. The fact that it wraps it in a wildly entertaining anthology made almost 25 years ago is mind blowing.

4. Ginger Snaps

When girls get to a certain age, their bodies go through changes. Parts of them develop in awkward ways that are very visible to everyone around them. That start getting hair in places where it wasn’t before. They grow fangs and start eating people. Very embarrassing.

Using the analogy of becoming a woman with becoming a werewolf is very clever. Both have physical transformation. Both involve wild mood swings. Watching as Bridgette and Ginger stumble their way through both is funny and awkward and empowering all at the same time. And the movie made a star of scream queen Katharine Isabelle.

5. Dawn of the Dead

George Romero is no stranger to social subtext. Night of the Living Dead is the first film to have an African American in the lead role. So it comes as no surprise that the sequel to that film treads in the same waters. But while much of the social issues from the original are subtle, those issues are much more front and center in Dawn of the Dead.

Consumerism is the real villain of Dawn of the Dead. The zombies are really secondary for the majority of the film. Our heroes board themselves inside a mall. They live in the lap of luxury while the world burns to the ground just outside their doors.

Romero had often said he was bewildered how people could casually deal with the horrors of Viet Nam and Watergate by distracting themselves with consumption. Romero had thought that even in death people would gravitate towards things that had made them comfortable in life. And in typical Romero fashion the consumption wins yet again in the end. Just escaping its wake of destruction is the closest thing to a happy ending.

Movies, particularly horror, have the potential to shock audiences through their content. For a few of these effective movies, audiences found something too difficult to handle and responded with boos or, at times, walking out altogether.

The following ten movies were subjected to such a response upon their premiere. Whether due to content or complexities, these ten great movies found themselves at the hands of audience outrage but are now recognized as excellent works of cinema.

10. Raw

Raw premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival where it immediately made headlines. The enthusiasm and the acclaim for the movie was complimented by a healthy dose of controversy with many viewers finding the imagery too hard to stomach. The story follows vegetarian Justine who discovers that she has an affinity for human flesh after being forced to participate in a hazing ritual during her first days at veterinary school.

The controversial scenes sent audiences fleeing with some reports of people being carried out as a result of having fainted at the graphic imagery. As difficult as some scenes in Raw can be to watch, it serves as a fascinating feminist allegory that never ceases to unnerve and chill.

A modern, independent horror classic that isn’t one to be missed.

Scenes to look out for: A woman eats the dismembered finger of her sister; a man is revealed to having had his leg chewed to the bone.

9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Now deemed one of the most influential and greatest horror movies of all time, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre experienced walkouts upon release due to the style in which its explicit violence was portrayed. Such violence and nihilism had not been shown previously in such a sensory assaulting way. Framing itself as a true story, a number of teenagers go out for a nice vacation only to find themselves at the hands of a chainsaw wielding maniac named Leatherface.

Director Tobe Hooper’s innovative choice to shoot in a grainy, documentary style made the images seem real and thus more effective. Critics of the movie may argue that its violence and twisted nature border on exploitation as opposed to quality filmmaking but time suggests that audiences still find the grisly imagery effective and frightening.

Scenes to look out for: an elderly member of a family of cannibals trying to kill a victim with a hammer; a victim of Leatherface’s hanging by a meat hook.

8. The Neon Demon

After Nicolas Winding Refn’s arthouse action breakout Drive, audiences highly anticipated what he would do next. His follow-up, Only God Forgives, was met with mixed to negative reviews with many critics discarding it as pretentious and self-indulgent. However, fans stood by the director and found their loyalty rewarded with the release of The Neon Demon. The movie centers on Jesse, a new face to the modeling industry whose “natural beauty” inspires jealousy from her competitors.

Pedophilia, cannibalism, and necrophilia can all be found laced throughout its 2-hour run time with many audience members finding themselves ready to head out early. Hyper-stylized and surreal, The Neon Demon is a truly unique horror movie that will shock and thrill audiences daring enough to give it a look.

Scenes to look out for: A woman defiles a corpse; a woman vomits up an eyeball.

7. Funny Games

Michael Haneke is no stranger to controversy but his, perhaps, most divisive and morally reviled film is Funny Games. Funny Games made waves for a number of reasons but its merit was offset by the mixture of raucous applause and intense booing. Viewers found themselves jarred at the innovative narrative techniques, and the mixture of defeatist nihilism and unflinching immorality sparked outrage with many people hitting the exits.

Funny Games follows the story of a family at their vacation home who are interrupted by two psychopathic young men who hold them captive and force them to play sadistic games for them. Motives beyond pure evil don’t seem to exist for the two men and such a pessimistic prospect isn’t one that all audiences found enjoyable.

Scenes to look out for: A man shoots a child in front of his parents; a woman is repeatedly sexually humiliated in front of her husband and son.

6. Suspiria (2018)

Luca Guadagnino followed his critically acclaimed hit Call Me By Your Name with this Suspiria remake, news that came way out of left field for people enthusiastic about Gudagnino’s ability to create emotionally affecting drama. Suspiria immediately garnered attention when audience members at the premiere started to hit the exits early. Dakota Johnson plays Susie, an American dance student in Berlin who begins to learn that the school may be run by sinister forces.

Protruding bones, vomiting spinal fluid, and perhaps the bloodiest finale in cinema history, some critics initially called the movie too over-the-top to be taken seriously. Others recognized it for what it is, the product of a visionary mind given total creative control. Expanding on the lore and heightening the intensity to fever pitch, this is the rare remake that achieves a masterful status by taking on its own unique voice.

Scenes to look out for: A woman breaks her leg with the bone exposed then proceeds to dance on it; a demon figure enters a scene and causes various people’s heads to explode.