50. The Amityville Horror (1979)
The Amityville Horror hasnt exactly aged gracefully, but its still a plenty effective little slice of mostly harmless horror. Coming at the end of a decade that saw the release of both The Exorcist and Halloween, Amityville feels a bit tame, although it does present an interesting take on the American dream of happy homeownership gone wrong. The film works because it has plenty of atmosphere, an able bodied cast led by James Brolin, and enough uneasy moments to make for tense viewing. Amityville falls under a cloud of what Id call cozy horror, the kind of movie that has enough scares to get your blood pumping but doesnt present anything too threatening. Sometimes thats enough.
49. The Fog (1980)
Another mostly atmospheric piece, though this one was helmed by horror legend John Carpenter. The Fog is a short, sweet revenge tale about a town built on secrets thats about to get its comeuppance. The shots of ghostly figures emerging from the titular fog are stirring, and even if it doesnt leave the lasting impression of some of Carpenters other work, you can tell your in the hands of a skilled craftsmen.
48. American Psycho (2000)
An unapologetic (and extremely controversial) satire on the excess and moral bankruptcy of 80s yuppie culture, Mary Herrons adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis equally controversial novel features one of the most insane yet enjoyable villains in horror history: Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale in an incredible performance). While the movie doesnt get into Batemans head in the same ways that the novel does (which makes the end a bit murkier), the film does present us with an interesting moral quandary: how are we so drawn in and entertained by this man despite what hes doing? If nothing else, the film earns a spot on this list for giving us our only opportunity to watch Christian Bale dance around with an axe to Huey Lewis and the News.
47. Drag Me to Hell (2009)
After directing one of the most successful superhero trilogies of all time, Sam Raimi got back to his roots with Drag Me to Hell, a raucous horror-comedy about a cursed loan officers quest to escape eternal damnation. Raimi, more than almost any other horror director, specializes in entertainment. Hes here to make you laugh as much as hes here to make you scream. And despite not having worked in the genre since the Evil Dead series, he proved that he hadnt lost his touch, mixing humor with jump scares, gross out gags, and a ridiculously enjoyable over the top climax (including a possessed goat). Drag Me to Hell straddles the line between comedy and horror about as tightly as a film can, but its got enough of a bite to keep it from being an all out farce. A completely self aware, campy and creepy joyride.
46. Pet Semetary (1989)
Stephen King has probably written more great horror stories than any other two authors combined, but for all his success on the page, film adaptations of his work are usually lacking. Sure, there are exceptions (Misery and The Shining being the most notable), but on the whole many of his campfire tales are done an injustice when given the big screen treatment. Not so with Pet Semetary, a quiet little family horror film that starts slow but quickly descends to some very deep, dark places. Pet Semetary is horrifying not only for what it presents on screen, but for the moral and ethical questions it raises about our very selfish human nature. How many of us would make the same choices that Louis Creed makes? How many of us want to play God? Pet Semetary is one of Kings deepest journeys into mans heart of darkness.