10 Best Wes Craven Films

Film director Wes Craven died of brain cancer on Sunday August 30th, 2015. He was 76 years old. Many in the industry rushed to social media to express their heartache at the loss of Craven, with most who had met or worked with him calling him a very creative and supportive director but, more than that, a very good man. There weren't many old school guys like Craven, who began making films in the early seventies, left working. His death hit those who had been influenced by him, such as Joe Dante and Edgar Wright, hard. A whole generation of filmmakers grew up on Craven's films and he was considered a master of the horror genre. Indeed, few have impacted modern horror cinema as much as Craven did. He was still working in the genre as recently as 2011's Scream 4. Craven was rarely heralded by the critics when he was alive, with most of his films being written-off as inconsequential, ephemeral trash. Few would have expected them to survive the test of time. But they have, and he has left a cinematic legacy behind that, in terms of horror cinema, is very impressive indeed. In the years to come I suspect we will see a reappraisal of Craven's work. At least, I hope we do, because while some of his films may not have won over critics when they were released, the majority of his films are well worth seeking out, for various reasons. Here are ten of his best.