20 Cult Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die

Someone is strangling coeds in Perugia. The only clue is that the killer owns a red and black scarf, and police are stumped. American exchange student Jane (Suzy Kendall) and her friends decide to take a break from classes by going up to Danielle's uncle's villa in the country. Unfortunately the killer decides to follow, and the women begin suffering a rapid attrition problem.

Discussions about Italian horror films, particularly giallo films, always involve the following directors: Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and Lucio Fulci. And for good reason - those guys comprise Italy’s holy trinity of terror. But one of the country’s best scare flicks has always been overlooked and under-appreciated, despite the fact that it’s just as good as any of those filmmakers’ most celebrated movies. The film is Torso, and it’s directed by Sergio Martini, an accomplished giallo storyteller in his own right.

Martino delivered all of the goods here; nudity, violence and some really solid scares. The stylized direction and cinematography really amps up the tension using tried and true gimmicks like point-of-view action and odd angled camera shots. What the film lacks in explicit gore, it more than makes up for it in off-screen carnage and uncontaminated suspense.  As the tagline says: "Enter... if you dare the bizarre world of the psychosexual mind." 

What other cult-classic horror films would you like to add to the list? Let us know in the comment section below.