10 Great Horror Movies That Will Crush Your Soul

Horror films have never been known for their happy endings. Ever since the genre's earliest days, horror cinema has used downbeat endings and storylines to hammer home its themes and ramp up the fear factor, so if you put a horror flick on, you can usually expect plenty of darkness and tragedy. That's a given, and when horror films have a genuinely happy ending, that often feels like quite the plot twist. 

Having said that, some horror movies go quite a bit further than that. Some go above and beyond to deliver harrowing, miserable narratives that provoke the sort of emotional devastation normally reserved for downbeat dramas or historical films about real-life tragedies - and the following ten movies are great examples of this. 

These films all vary widely in content, ranging from ultra-bleak revenge thrillers to harrowing supernatural tragedies. The one thing they all have in common? They will crush your soul into dust and leave you feeling terrible for the rest of the day. Don't misread that as a criticism, though, as all ten are absolutely terrific works, and how affecting they are is a tribute to the sheer power of the material. But yeah, they're not upbeat. At all. 

Nosferatu was, to no-one's surprise, an incredible piece of horror cinema, a stunningly beautiful Gothic nightmare featuring awards-worthy performances from a consummate cast. It seems like everything director Robert Eggers touches turns to gold, and, in an era where vampires have been heavily undermined by the nonsense of the Twilight movies, it's so refreshing to see a vampire flick where vampires are actually, you know, scary. 

Is it as good as the 1922 original? Well... not quite, but it does outclass that 1920s masterpiece in one key way: it's a much more emotional film. Essentially, the story of Nosferatu is a tragedy in which the embodiment of evil wreaks untold havoc, and in order to stop him, an innocent woman must sacrifice herself. Eggers seemed to understand this, and Nosferatu really emphasizes the tragedy of the story, while also adding in harrowing elements like Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard, who deserved to be nominated for an Oscar for his performance) killing two young children and their mother (Emma Corrin). 

Nosferatu does a superb job of fleshing out the character of Ellen Hutter (Lily Rose-Depp, completely superb), and her heroic sacrifice, even though you know perfectly well it's coming, is gut-wrenchingly sad. Once again, this movie is a tragedy, and it's a great one at that.