100 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time
49. Let The Right One In
Not to be confused with the lesser (if still good) English-language remake, Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 romantic horror has a genuine claim to being one of the most beautiful scary movies ever made.
That’s not just because of its gorgeous cinematography, with the Scandinavian backdrop making for an indelibly atmospheric setting, but the story of two kids aching with loneliness who find companionship in each other, regardless of what they may be,
A story of friends and fiends, it’s a refreshing entry into the vampire oeuvre; completely haunting, splattered with blood, and yet containing something you’d never associate with a vampire: a beating heart.
[JH]
48. The Witch
One of the best horror outputs this side of the millennium, The Witch (stylised as The VVitch) is another A24 gem that should rightly go down in the spooky hall of fame. Whilst it’s divisive at best, The Witch’s expertly paced slow-burn narrative carefully places its teeth around your neck as it builds in tension, so carefully you don’t even notice, before tearing everything apart in a fit of destruction as the film draws to a close.
Yes, that is hyperbolic, but this tale of a family coming to terms with witchcraft in 1600 New England is a fantastic one. Is it truly a supernatural force, or is circumstance and isolation that drives the family towards their doom?
[AM]
47. Ghostbusters
Who you gonna call? Well, someone to complain about this not being a horror movie, probably, but here it is, folks, so choke on it.
Ghostbusters IS a horror movie (specifically, it's a horror comedy) that doesn't try to spoof the genre in the same way as something like Scary Movie or Young Frankenstein. Instead it uses a perfectly blended balance of supernatural elements (and some real scares like that opening jump-scare) to create a more family-friendly horror movie that is inclusive and entertaining primarily.
While the effects are now a touch ropey, the characters are great (and never resort to mugging), the story is compelling and the idea behind the whole thing is irresistible. Which is why the franchise continues to be talked about even after that diabolical remake.
[SG]