Horror, like every other genre in cinema, is for entertainment. Detractors of horror films are often all too eager to denounce them as nothing more than the product of a warped mind, lacking any notable plot and featuring violence for the sake of violence. Sure, there are films out there that do tick all of those boxes, but such criticisms can be levelled at any genre.
Appealing to the morbid curiosity in all of us, great horror cinema delights in making audiences voyeurs of their twisted worlds, and nothing makes eyes fixate on the big screen quite like gore. Any filmmaker with even the most modest of budgets can depict scenes of ultra violence on-screen, but those directors that make good horror are the ones that make you want to look away in disgust but keep watching in equal measure.
Such films aren't restricted to having a serious tone either. Intentionally or otherwise, gore-fest movies can work just as well as a comedy device, being so outlandish and over-the-top that their violence provoke disbelief - and therefore laughter - among their audiences. Directors such as George A. Romero have even gone so far as to successfully blend horror films with satire on human culture and society.
There's no denying that there are some truly gratuitous and shallow horror films out there that should never have seen the light of day, but the following list is the cream of the crop as far as gore-filled movies go. Read on to find out what they are.
Having gained a large cult following due to its director being none other than Peter Jackson, Braindead (or Dead Alive, depending on which country you live in), is frequently cited as being the goriest film ever made.
After Lionel's controlling mother is bitten by a zombie virus-carrying monkey at the zoo, she proceeds to turn and infect just about everyone including her son and his girlfriend. With no choice but to confront the undead masses head on, Lionel brandishes a lawnmower and almost literally becomes knee-deep in zombie mulch as he eviscerates them all.
Not even close to being a horror film by any stretch of the imagination, Braindead may be gruesome, but its extremely over-the-top gore can only be laughed at.
