When we watch a typical horror movie, we somehow always know what's about to happen. The poor girl who goes off searching for whatever is making noise in the dark is about to meet her demise.
Horror movies are notorious for this type of cliché. However, other horror movies turn the trope around and make it work. These are the horror movies that truly make the genre something worth watching.
While it does not hurt horror movies to follow stereotypes, it's horror movies that break the mold that tend to become blockbuster hits. With the likes of The Exorcist, Scream, and Halloween becoming the hallmarks of horror movies in the past couple of decades, here are some of the best horror movies in existence.
Hereditary
Hereditary is one of those movies that get you into an uncomfortable state. From the visuals to the musical score, everything about this movie is utterly perfect.
The movie follows the story of a mourning family who tries to move past the tragedy of losing their grandmother, only to find something sinister about their entire lineage.
Directed by Ari Aster in his directorial debut, Hereditary became one of the few horror movies that rarely incorporates the typical jumpscare scenes. The movie brings to life the evil with its atmosphere and the overall performance of the cast.
The movie also does not end with your typical heroic victory, but it encapsulates what the movie truly about - that evil can sometimes win. Truly a horrifying movie from start to finish; it is no wonder why both critics and audience widely praised the movie.
Awards
Hereditary became one of the biggest hits for its studio, bringing in a total of around $80 million against a budget of only $10 million.
While the movie was highly publicized to be nominated for an Oscar, it wasn't meant to be as even the powerful performance of lead Toni Collete did not even score her a nomination for the Academy Awards.
Audition
There are horror movies that thrive in gore and violence. Some to the extent of becoming unbearable, most of its viewers look away or even leave the theaters. Audition is probably one of those movies that will truly haunt you after watching it.
Known for its violence, director Takashi Miike brings to life a man who recently lost his wife as he tries to search for a new one by conducting an audition. Soon after, he becomes enamored by a woman who seems to be very attuned to her emotion only to find out that she harbors a secret.
The movie takes a dark turn when we discover that the woman has sadistic tendencies, especially to the men she likes. This Japanese movie made rounds in 1999 and was one of the most sadistic and graphic films.
This led to the movie's popularity and became one of the most unsettling Japanese horror movies to date. Many viewers were caught off guard with the graphic violence while critics continue to debate whether the movie has a feministic theme or simply a horror movie about violence.
The Descent
We've all seen monster horror movies in the past, but there is nothing like what The Descent has brought to the screen.
The Descent follows a group of young women as they go on a spelunking expedition only to discover that they are being hunted by rabid humanoid creatures and deal with the forces of Mother Nature herself.
Gore, violence, claustrophobia, and betrayal all abound in this horror movie, making it one of the best out of the genre.
The movie takes place mostly underground, and with almost nothing to see during dim areas, audiences are left terrified of the dark and the unseen only to be surprised by some of the best and most intense scenes of the movie.
The Ending
The Descent ends with a classic head-scratcher of whether our protagonist survived or not. The movie gained popularity over the years, and fans and critics alike have praised this well-made horror movie's intensity.
Alien
Alien is the first movie of the Alien franchise and stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley as she fends off a creature that is hunting down the crew of a spaceship. The movie launched Weaver's career and ultimately made her an icon when the second movie arrived.
In the original film, Ripley followed the usual tropes of horror movies but later became a force when she broke all the rules and survived the onslaught of the titular alien creature.
The movie scored an Oscar award for Best Visual Effects and was highly praised for its unsettling environment. In space, no one can hear you scream - became a line that terrified audiences as the alien creature became one of the most popular movie monsters of all time.
Alien became a box office hit and produced more Alien movies, including two sequels, two prequels, and two crossover events.
The Others
The early 2000s was one of the few times that horror films got it right. It was also a time when horror movies truly took a creative turn with The Others. The Others is a gothic horror movie following the lives of a mother and her two children while living in a remote house.
In the film, the family and the workers follow strict rules for their safety, but the movie takes a dark turn when they discover that the house is haunted. The mother begins to unravel secrets to what happened to them during the time of the great depression.
The Others was praised as one of those movies with a twist-heavy ending; however, many people have overlooked the movie's storytelling prowess. The movie also conveys its terrifying scenes perfectly by using natural sounds and a creepy score.
In the end, the movie became a box office hit and was nominated for several awards, including the first-ever English-language film to win at the Goyas.
Get Out
Horror fans will truly understand why Get Out is part of this movie list. Get Out follows the story of a young African-American man who meets his white girlfriend's family and begins to uncover troubling secrets from the family.
In his directorial debut, Jordan Peele was mostly known for his comedy skits and solidified himself as one of the best horror movie directors with this and his other horror movie - Us.
The film does not shy away from controversial topics such as racial inequality and slavery. The movie was highly praised for allowing its characters and plot to discuss such themes when America was undergoing a racial divide.
Timely and poetic, the film was a box office hit and garnered very positive reviews for its plot and witty dialogue.
The Thing
The Thing is a perfect example of a monster horror movie. From the cast's amazing performance to the breathtaking special effects, the movie depicts true horror from start to finish.
The storytelling is a class act on its own and is a subject of many film students to create tension and a satisfying release.
The movie follows a team of scientists as they discover a creature that takes the form of any living being by devouring them. Tense, anxiety-inducing, and awe-inspiring, The Thing embodies the perfect way to describe what a horror movie is all about.
The 1982 horror film didn't become a hit when it was released in theaters. The movie made average earnings at the box office. However, years after its release, the movie gained a following, and soon, critics and audiences changed their tone and became one of the best in the genre.
Conclusion
Horror movies have always gotten a bad rep for being cliché. Some movies make those stereotypes work while others bend them and cross the line from being a mediocre horror movie to an instant classic.
These movies not only provide great entertainment but also reel in great profits at the box office.
