20. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Before Freddy Krueger was the face of the franchise, telling jokes and essentially becoming the main character in the films, he was actually quite frightening. A Nightmare on Elm Street is somewhat ingenious in the way it deploys its villain; horror films are designed to keep us up at night anyway, so why not create a killer that can only find you in your dreams? Wes Cravens film uses practical special effects to enhance the dreamscapes in the film, while giving us an age old tale about children inheriting the sins of their parents. The series would later spin into ridiculousness (although the third installment is a fan favorite), but the original is still one of the most creative slasher films of its time.
19. Paranormal Activity (2007)
A love it or hate it film, Paranormal Activity either worked for you or fell flat. Originally made in 2007 and then slowly released at festivals and midnight showings in the following years, Oren Pelis found footage film about a young couple dealing with a malevolent presence in their California home makes use of simple jumps, unnerving waits, and seemingly relentless action over its rather short running time. If Paranormal Activity works for you, its probably because the story never gets too big; we always feel as if these things - a moving sheet, a door shutting on its own, strange noises down the hall - could be happening to us. If theres a drawback from the film, its that it really only works the first time, when you dont know whats coming. But as far as first impressions go, its a strong one; Ive never seen as many people literally sobbing with fear after a horror film as I did leaving a midnight showing of this one years ago.
18. Repulsion (1965)
Rosemarys Baby may be Polanskis best known horror film, but 1965s Repulsion is actually his best. Starring a young, entrancing Catherine Deneuve, Repulsion tells the story a young woman left alone with her escalating fears of her own attractiveness, sexuality, and desire. Much like Rosemarys Baby, Repulsion feels like almost like a manic dream, but in this film Polanski was willing to go farther in his imagery of nightmarish moments. Strange men emerge from no where to molest Deneuve, arms literally reach through the walls to grope at her. The horror comes not only from seeing what she fears could be happening to her, but also from her own internal terror that deep down, she may actually like or want it.
17. Scream (1996)
Meta-horror at its finest. Wes Cravens 1996 hit about a serial killer whos bringing his love of horror movies to life examines the genre while at the same time paying tribute to the great films of its past. Well known for explaining and toying with the rules of slasher films (virgins never die, etc.), the film also has more subtle references to what its doing and where its going in relation to the genre as a whole. Consider an early scene in which Sidney, the main character, receives an unexpected visit from her boyfriend, Billy Loomis. The name Loomis is both a reference to Halloween and Psycho, as it was used as a last name for characters in both of those films. So we see that this film aims to follow in the tradition of those earlier masterpieces. However, during the scene we notice that a song is playing in the background: a slower, mellow cover of Blue Oyster Cults Dont Fear The Reaper. The original version of the song is featured in the original Halloween, when Laurie Strode and her friend Annie are driving through town, while being silently trailed by Michael Myers in the car behind them. The use of this song, but a different version, in Scream clues us in to the fact that a malevolent force is present, but the proceedings are going to be different than they were in the past (meaning that the plot will unfold differently than in Halloween, a straightforward slasher film). Craven is telling the audience, or at least those well versed enough in the genre to pick up on the reference, that while the words and ideas of the slasher film may remain the same, hes changing the melody and updating the tune. Full of similar winks and nods to its forefathers, Scream is one of the most fun films on the list.
16. (2007)
Short and sweet, this Spanish found footage gem about a young reporter and cameraman trapped in a quarantined building starts fast and hardly ever lets up. Soon its apparent that the tenants in the building are trapped inside with something else, a rapidly spreading infection that turns them into zombie-like monsters. Directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza wisely never gave cast members a full script, so the actors on screen were often surprised and anxious about what was coming next, giving the film a frenzied, nervous tone throughout. Likewise, the final scenes were shot in complete darkness, so the actors present had no idea what was going on around them or what would be happening to them. The tension is palpable, and while it is, of course, fiction, it sure feels like the real thing.