My favorite horror films – 2016 update – Writings & musings by Robert Ropars

Each year I like to update my ever-growing list of favorite horror films. This year I’m starting to incorporate short films of high quality as I see them.

The Collins English dictionary defines “horror” like this:

horror [noun]
1. extreme fear; terror; dread
2. intense loathing; hatred
3. (often plural) a thing or person causing fear, loathing, etc.
4. (modifier) having a frightening subject, esp a supernatural one a horror film

[According to them and the American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, it’s etymology is: Middle English horrour, from Old French horreur, from Latin horror, from horrre, to tremble./trembling with fear]

The following films are presented in chronological order and are the ones I most often come back to for visceral thrills. Some are classics that might not be nail biters, but more Gothic horror in nature, some are gory and some are scary as hell. Many cross genres (Science Fiction in particular), but in one way or another, these are the films I come back to and exploring dark matters. I’m also partial to films that try something new and are fully committed to their vision even if some flaws are present.

And before the attacks begin, there are some “glaring” omissions, but those are due to either my personal preferences or not getting around to certain films. This list is based on films I’ve seen only not just ones I know are great by ratings/reviews/reputation.

Please feel free to comment and offer your thoughts on the list, your personal favorites, but again-these are my personal favorites. I’m not saying this is a “best” list because that is subjective, but I did review a TON of sites’ “Best” lists to refresh my memory. Some of those links appear at the bottom of the post for reference.

Without further ado…

Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Cat and the Canary (1927)
Frankenstein (1931)
King Kong (1933)
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The Abominable Snowman (1957)
Curse of the Faceless Man (1958)
Psycho (1960)
La Maschera del Demnio (1960 – aka Black Sunday (US title), The Mask of Satan or Revenge of the Vampire)
The Haunting (1963)
Castle of Blood (1964)
Nightmare Castle (1965)
Eye of the Devil (1966)
Kill, Baby Kill (1966)
Wait Until Dark (1967)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971)
Daughters of Darkness (1971)
The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
Asylum (1972)
The Blind Dead (1972)
The Exorcist (1973)
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Madhouse (1974)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Vampyres (1974)
Jaws (1975)
The Omen (1976)
Eraserhead (1977)
Halloween (1978)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
The Fog (1979)
Alien (1979)
Phantasm (1979)
The Fog (1980)
Prom Night (1980)
The Shining (1980)
Terror Train (1980)
The Evil Dead (1981)
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Poltergeist (1982)
The Thing (1982)
Curtains (1983)
The Dead Zone (1983)
The Hunger (1983)
A Nightmare of Elm Street (1984)
The Terminator (1984)
Re-Animator (1985)
The Fly (1986)
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Aliens (1986)
Angel Heart (1987)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Predator (1987)
Prince of Darkness (1987)
Phantasm II (1988)
Clownhouse (1989)
Puppetmaster (1989)
Exorcist III (1990)
Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Misery (1990)
Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut (1990)
The Silence of the Lambs (1990)
Subspecies (1991)
Candyman (1992)
Cronos (1993)
Fire in the Sky (1993)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
The Addiction (1995)
Castle Freak (1995)
The Prophecy (1995)
Se7en (1995)
Species (1995)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Scream (1996)
Cube (1997)
The Devil’s Advocate (1997)
Blade (1998)
Bride of Chucky (1998)
Fallen (1998)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Pitch Black (2000)
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)
Session 9 (2001)
Signs (2002)
28 Days Later (2002)
Blade 2 (2002)
Underworld (2003)
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Hellboy (2004)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Saw (2004)
Chainsaw Sally (2004)
The Descent (2005)
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
30 Days of Night (2007)
Grindhouse (Planet Terror & Deathproof) (2007)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
Bedfellows (2008 – short)
Cloverfield (2008)
Deadgirl (2008)
Fringe (2008 – short)
I Love Sarah Jane (2008 – short)
Let the Right One In (2008)
Mama (2008 – short)
Quarantine (2008)
Alma (2009 – short)
Dead Hooker in a Trunk (2009)
District 9 (2009)
The Final Destination (2009)
The Good Sisters (2009)
The House of the Devil (2009)
Suck (2009)
Black Death (2010)
Black Swan (2010)
Home (2010 – short)
Monsters (2010)
Stake Land (2010)
Trollhunter (2010)
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)
The Disco Exorcist (2011)
Red State (2011)
Suffer (2011 – short)
What They Say (2011 – short)
You’re Next (2011)
American Mary (2012)
The Awakening (2012)
Prometheus (2012)
Sushi Girl (2012)
2AM: The Smiling Man (2013 – short)
Avenged (2013)
Europa Report (2013)
A Field in England (2013)
Lights Out (2013 – short)
The Sacrament (2013)
These Final Hours (2013)
Truth or Dare (2013)
V/H/S/2 (2013)
A Girl Walks Home at Night (2014)
ABCs of Death 2 (2014)
Call Girl (2014 – short)
He Took His Skin Off For Me (2014 – short)
House of Manson (2014) (aka “Manson” in Europe)
It Follows (2014)
Late Phases (2014)
Pieces of Talent (2014)
Starry Eyes (2014)
Willow Creek (2014)
Blackwood (2015)
The Final Girls (2015)
Goodnight Mommy (2015)
The Mill at Calder’s End (2015 – short)
Scythe (2015 – short)
Spring (2015)
We Are Still Here (2015)
What We Do in Shadows (2015)
The VVitch (2016)