10 Best Horror Movies For Virgins

The key movies you need to watch when popping your horror cherry.

Ginger Snaps
Motion International

The horror genre is one overflowing with a hugely passionate fan base that covers pretty much every demographic out there. Being honest, near-enough everybody likes horror - at least in some form or fashion.

That said, there are still those out there who have never fully embraced the world of the horror movie, or maybe there are those who are quite simply unsure where to start when perusing the vast array of horror films and plentiful subgenres to chose from. But fear not, for that's where we've got your back, as we've put together a list of go-to movies for the horror virgins amongst you.

Sure, there are plenty of horror classics not mentioned here, but this list is designed to ease you in gently to the world of horror. It would be easy to throw out some mind-twisting, multi-layered Hitchcock, some J-horror favourites, some torture porn offerings, or some true stomach-churners, yet it's about taking things slow here.

Well, relatively slow, for there are still some true terrifying greats lying ahead in this feature. Likewise, it's about trying to cover certain horror subgenre bases and not just filling this piece out with five or six brilliant slasher efforts.

So with all of that in mind, then, here are ten movies absolutely ripe for any and all horror virgins.

10. Creepshow

Ginger Snaps
Warner Bros.

Because what would a list about horror recommendations be without the inclusion of Creepshow, right?

So many people love the anthology format of showcasing four or five short stories across the length of a film, and George A. Romero and Stephen King's Creepshow is the undoubted pinnacle of horror anthologies.

Comprising of five stories across a combined run time of two hours, Creepshow pulls wonderfully from the camp and playful delights of the EC Comics output of the 1950s. All five stories are fun, are laced in some brilliant practical effects from the legendary Tom Savini, and have a nice shot of spine-tingling dread dropped in across them. Added to that, the impressive ensemble cast of Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, Tom Atkins, E.G. Marshall, and King himself all deliver spectacularly in their respective roles.

Creepshow is nothing if not shlocky, campy horror fun for the family. And when considering popping your horror cherry, it's hard to argue against making this 1982 anthology release an instant part of your go-to collection.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.