30. Let The Right One In (2008)
This Swedish export seems, on its surface, almost warmhearted. Oskar, a young, lonely, and oft-bullied boy finally finds a friend in Eli, a young girl who moves in next to him. The only problem, of course, is that shes a vampire. Thomas Alfredsons film is beautifully shot to reflect the lonliness and isolation of its main characters. On first look, despite its violence, the film feels positive, an unlikely friendship, even a love story perhaps. But when we realize the true implications of Oskar and Elis bond, there is only darkness.
29. The Wicker Man (1973)
A film that lives off of the feeling of the uncanny, that sudden strangeness and unfamiliarity that you just cant place, but cant shake either. The Wicker Man follows a police sergeant whos sent to the island of Summerisle to try to track down a missing young girl. From the minute he steps onto the shores we sense that something isnt right, but its impossible to tell exactly what it is. The more we learn about the mysterious island, its traditions, and its leader, Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee in one of his finest performances), the more that feeling of unease weighs on our stomaches. A slow burn of escalating dread, by the time we reach the finale and are introduced to the Wicker Man, the film feels ready to explodes. But then it does something worse - it only smolders, refusing to let us out easy. Instead we have to watch the proceedings slowly, almost painfully, assuring that theyll stay with us for days.
28. The Omen (1976)
Gregory Peck and Lee Remick headline Richard Donners tale about the coming of the Antichrist. Peck plays the US embassador to London, who must confront the fact that his son, Damien, may be the son of the Devil. The Omen works because of how it combines traditional horror with adventure, as Peck has to do a bit of globetrotting to try to find out the truth about his son and how to stop him. It lacks explicit gore and an abundance of jump scares, but it has enough tone and atmosphere to make up for it. More fun than many of its contemporaries, and featuring great performances from its two stars, The Omen is a classic.
27. The House of the Devil (2009)
Both an homage to the horror films of the late 70s and early 80s and an achievement in its own right, Ti Wests The House of the Devil is a masterclass in pacing. Following desperate for cash Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) on one of the worst babysitting jobs of all time, the film has a slow, steady but still unnerving build up to a manic, frenzied finish. West styles the film with 16mm and a deep, dark color palette of browns and reds, making for a gorgeous watch, even during the nastier bits. But what really holds the film together is Donahues performance, often because shes on screen for extended periods by herself. Shes able to convey so much through her body language, especially during a jazzercise-scored pool game, that we feel as if we know her personally. That makes us all the more invested in her fate once things take their inevitable turn for the worst.
26. Hostel (2005)
The high water mark of the so-called torture porn subgenre, Eli Roths Hostel is a film thats always been a bit smarter than its given credit for. The promise of extreme violence, torture, and an exciting chase finish give the film plenty of surface texture, but below that (if you can get past the blood, guts, and eyeball goo) is a film that reflects Americas fear of the rest of the world, and comments on how rampant consumer culture has become. Hostel is a film where you can buy anything, and everything (and everyone) is for sale to the highest bidder. We see this early on with the main characters sex filled journey through Europe, than realize its morbid implications when they become just another product for a willing buyer. Hostel isnt easy viewing, but its a horror film with something to say.