10 Horror Movies Too Scary To Watch Again

"If this picture doesn't make your skin crawl, it's on too tight", claimed the original tagline of Bob Clark's slasher prototype. Take the iconic opening scene from When a Stranger Calls, draw it out to 90-or-so minutes, and throw in some terrifying POVs - and you have Black Christmas.

Unlike in When a Stranger Calls, the true identity, motive and back-story of the stalker remain unrevealed by the end of the film (this is where the former starts to fall apart after its incredibly hard-hitting opening.) In fact, we never even see him; the closest we get to a physical reveal is a horrifying silhouette, a hand, and a single wide eye peering through a cupboard door. Had Black Christmas been made post-Friday 13th, it would've likely been a different movie entirely, with a forced reveal tacked on the end and a cheesy whodunnit element. Thankfully, the film wasn't raped by insulting sequels as its spiritual successor, Halloween, unfortunately was.

The best way to describe how terrifying this film is would be to call it 'deceptively cosy'. There is something undeniable warm and inviting about Black Christmas, which is unnervingly juxtaposed by an underlying dread that lingers long after the film wraps up.

The "the calls are coming from inside the house" payoff is perfectly tense; of course, it's not news to us, but it still makes no less of an impact. However, it's the ending of Black Christmas that is the most frightening. Satisfied that Peter is their killer, the officers leave final girl Jess to rest, as the focus slowly shifts towards to attic door, where the mysterious "Billy" is still lurking. The camera pans to the police cars outside from the attic window, where Claire Harrison sits in plain sight, head wrapped in plastic, as yet undiscovered. Chills.