15 Best Anthology Horror Film Segments

"You know, for a moment, I could've sworn it was the dummy speaking..."

Supernatural skeptic, Dr Van Straaten, recounts the case of a troubled ventriloquist (Michael Redgrave) who believes that his dummy, Hugo, has a will of his own. The double act falls under threat when Hugo takes an interest in teaming up with a rival ventriloquist. Is this simply a case of split personality disorder, or is Hugo really plotting against him?

Ealing’s classic portmanteau prototype is an all-round phenomenal horror film that still holds up remarkably well 75 years on, but this final segment, in particular, is masterful. 'Living' dolls and their uncanny brand of horror are a staple of the genre, with the likes of Pin (1988), Magic (1978) and the Child's Play series (1988) to name a few. But long before Chucky, Talky Tina, Slappy and... er... Annabelle came on the scene (with varying degrees of effectiveness), we had Hugo - and he remains the most frightening of the lot even to this day. This vignette is a masterclass in how to unsettle your audience, and it puts a lot of horror filmmakers working today to shame.