Ten scariest horror films on the top 1000 films of all time

 I will be the first to admit that I don't like horror films. Alas, I am too cowardly to brave all the jumpscares and torture porn. However, since I have started working through the top 1000 films of all time, I have naturally watched a number of different horror films. Here are my top ten. This list is only ranked chronologically. Spoilers to come.

Freaks (1932)

Freaks ranks 377th on our famous list. And we are going all the way back to the thirties with this pre-code horror film. Yes, it suffered terribly from studio interference, but it was still one of the earliest examples of how cinema has the power to scare us. True, it might be tame compared to modern standards, but the final scene of the eponymous "freaks" crawling through the morning rain to kill one of their own was terrifying to see.

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Wicker Man ranks 620th on the list. Without a doubt, it is the scariest horror film of all time. It also pioneered the folk-horror genre. If you loved the Witch or Midsommar then you owe the Wickerman a debt of thanks. Made on a miniscule budget, it was no less the scary for it. The final scene of the villagers gaily singing while Ed Woodwood burns to death was horrific.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

This film comes in at 813th. And it is a brilliant example of how less is more. It was another low-budget film that excelled in building atmosphere. Rather than overlying on jumpscares and gore, it chose when to scare us. Yes, Leatherface chasing after Sally was awful, but I'd argue the previous scene of her strapped to the chair with the cannibals all around her was scarier still.

Suspiria (1977)

This Italian horror film ranks as the 851st best film of all time. A dance student discovers a coven of witches at her academy. Cue one of the scariest films of the seventies. Yes, the special effects were a bit dated, but the soundtrack performed by Italian rock band Goblin sent the scares through the roof. The scene of one student falling into a pit of razor wire still lives rent-free in my head.

Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott's Alien is the 58th best film of all time. It will have you on the absolute edge of your seat. Alien is a terrifying film that never lets up for a moment. From start to finish, it is high on suspense. Ellen Ripley remains one of the best movie heroines of all time while much of horror and science-fiction owes a huge debt to Ridley Scott. From face-hugging to chest-bursting, this film has many iconic scenes. In fact, it scared me so much that I'm not brave enough to go back and rewatch it.

Misery (1990)

Misery is the 469th best film of all time. While I was tempted to include the 1976 adaptation of Carrie - also based on a Stephen King book - Misery edges it for Kathy Bathes Oscar-winning, standout performance of superfan Annie Wilkes. What was scary about her was how real she was. She isn't a vampire or an alien or a weird pagan cult, but she is a human being driven to madness by her fanatism toward author Paul Sheldon played by James Caan. And there are plenty of people just like Annie Wilkes in the real world. That's what makes her so scary.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Number 29 on the top 1000 films of all time is only the third film to have won the Big Five Oscars. There are some who might not agree that it is a traditional horror film but everybody would agree that it is scary. It features Anthony Hopkins in a career-defining role where despite only having eight minutes of screentime still won the Best Actor Oscar. This shows just how he gave such a scary performance.

Speaking of scares, the final scene of Clarice Starling hunting Buffalo Bill in the dark cemented this film as having legendary status.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Requiem for a Dream is the 87th best film of all time. Similarly to the previous entry, not everybody would argue this is a traditional horror film, but I still think it is one of the scariest films ever. Not to mention one of the most intense watches since Alien. Telling the story of four drug addicts in New York City, it is one of those films too upsetting to watch more than once. I have, because I obviously hate myself. But if you want your children to never do drugs, show them this film. They'll be teetotal for life. And probably traumatised too.

The Ring (October 2002)

The Ring is the 971st best film of all time. I'm so glad that I watched it in the morning and not in the evening. I would never have fallen asleep otherwise. This remake of the Japanese Ringu has become an iconic film in its own right. After all, what could be scarier than turning off the TV and still having a possessed demon girl crawl through it to kill you.

28 Days Later (November 2002) 

28 Days Later comes in at 653 on the list. By 2002, the zombie horror genre was floundering. This was long after George A. Romero pioneered the genre and long before the Walking Dead TV series. 28 Days Later helped to revolutionise the genre by introducing zombies that could run, which are far scarier than anything you could might see in Night of the Living Dead. Of course, it also introduced us to future Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy.

This intimate, quiet yet horrifying zombie horror film was the perfect shot of adrenaline that the genre needed. 

Suspiria review

 Number 851 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Italian 1977 horror film Suspiria.

Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) is an American student who enrols in a prestigious ballet school in Germany. However, when staff and students alike start dying, she realises that the school is at the front of a supernatural conspiracy.

As was common for Italian films at the time, all sound was added in post-production. This meant that all the actors were dubbed. To say this was distracting would be a massive understatement. It very much broke the immersive nature of the film. And this also interfered with the sound mixing. At times, the dialogue was too quiet and, at others, the sound effects were too loud. The film opens in a massive storm, noisy enough to drown out the character's speech.

Perhaps I've been spoiled by modern-CGI, but the special effects looked dated. When the deaths do occur, the bodies look more like waxwork models. But technical aspects aside, this was a scary film. The setting of a ballet school was a refreshing change to the haunted houses which is usually par for the course. Suzy progressively gains more agency and becomes more likeable. Granted, while her friend Stephanie is being murdered, Suzy is drugged up and of little use. But she gains enough bravery/stupidity to go into the restricted area of the school and confront the head witch.

I also enjoyed the supernatural element. Slasher movies were popular in the seventies - Suspiria is sandwiched between the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween. Witches made a nice change to your deranged serial killer. And the film had some genuine scares. Instead of solely using jumpscares, David Argento created a tense and unsettling atmosphere from the word go. The original score performed by Italian progressive rock band Goblin sent the fear factor through the roof.

All in all, I did enjoy, if that's the right word, this 70's horror film. Weird dubbing aside, it had me on the edge of my seat. Will I be watching the 2018 remake? Maybe with my eyes closed.