9. Freaks (1932)
Tod Browning (of Dracula 1931 fame) directs this touching melodrama about the dangerous consequences of intolerance that only truly becomes a horror film in its terrifying climax. Browning worked for a travelling circus in his early years and drew from his personal experience to weave a tale about an amoral trapeze artist named Cleopatra who seduces a little person named Hans so she can murder and rob him of his large inheritance. Browning cast people with real deformities to lend authenticity to his depiction of a community of outsiders who band together to form a family of sorts in a travelling circus. When Cleopatra marries Hans for his money, the other deformed sideshow performers try to accept her as one of their own only to have her reject and ridicule them. Once the freaks uncover Cleopatra's plot to poison Hans so she can get her hands on his money, they exact a horrific revenge circus style. This film is a must for anyone who loves watching good movies but especially for horror buffs who get a thrill when an artist rises above the tawdry, exploitative roots of the genre to deliver a work of cinematic art.