10 Horror Movies That Fill You With Dread

For all the fantastical elements at their disposal, the very best horror films are most effective when they tap into a real and tangible fear. Nicolas Roeg’s stylish and influential Don’t Look Now is up there with the best for its ability to express something as deep as the loss of a child by way of a gripping, haunting horror.

Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie star as bereaved parents who hope a change of scenery might help them continue with their lives. They move to Venice for work, and things quickly get weird.

Sutherland’s John begins to see a small figure in a red coat much like his daughter’s around the city. The past has a grip on both characters and won’t let go, all the more so as Christie’s Laura attempts to liaise with the spirit world. As a serial killer creeps around the canals, the fear factor rises.

The beautiful Italian city has never looked so sinister as it does here, the labyrinthine streets and alleys reflecting the jumbled psyches of the film’s protagonists. From the overwhelming sorrow to the invested performances and the utterly wild finale, Don’t Look Now is mystifying and petrifying in equal measure.