The 50 best scary movies of all time, ranked by critics

Libby TorresJun 30, 2020, 04:43 IST

"Get Out" was almost universally praised by critics.Universal Studios

From classics like "Psycho" to modern masterpieces like "Hereditary" and "Get Out," horror movies are a popular part of popular culture.
And while not every spooky film is well-received, some, like "The Birds" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street," have garnered lots of critical acclaim and still hold up even years after their original releases.
Recent years have also seen standout films like "The Conjuring" make waves in Hollywood and beyond.
Here are the best horror movies of all time, ranked by critics.

Recent years have seen standout horror films like "Hereditary" and "Get Out" make waves in Hollywood and beyond, but they're not the only movies to be universally adored by critics.

Classic horror flicks like "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" also received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Even though not every spooky film is well-received, some have received critical acclaim and are still just as great years after they were originally released.

Here are the best horror movies of all time, ranked by critics.

50. A group of female spelunkers get more than they bargained for in 2006's "The Descent."

"The Descent" was praised by critics upon its release. Celador Films

49. 1982's "Poltergeist" is considered a modern horror classic.

JoBeth Williams starred in "Poltergeist." Warner Bros./IMDb

48. 1973's "The Exorcist" focuses on a girl possessed by a demon.

Linda Blair stars in "The Exorcist." Warner Bros.

47. 2013's "The Conjuring" is based on true events.

Vera Farmiga plays a paranormal investigator in "The Conjuring." Warner Bros. Pictures

46. "The Shining" is a classic horror film from 1980.

Jack Nicholson stars in "The Shining." Warner Bros. Pictures

45. "28 Days Later" was released in 2002.

The film focuses on the spread of an incurable virus. Youtube/invisibleuniversedoc

44. A Stephen King novel provided the inspiration for 2017's "It."

Bill Skarsgård plays Pennywise in "It." Warner Bros.

43. 1999's "The Blair Witch Project" is known for originating the "found footage" genre of horror movies.

"The Blair Witch Project" featured improvised dialogue. Artisan Entertainment

42. 2017's "It Comes at Night" is set during an apocalypse.

Christopher Abbott stars in "It Comes at Night." A24

41. Classic horror film "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" was released in 1974.

A family of cannibals are the villains in "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." Vortex

40. A Swedish horror film provided the inspiration for 2010's "Let Me In."

Chloë Grace Moretz stars in "Let Me In." Paramount Pictures

39. 2019's "Ready or Not" follows a new bride as she's forced to partake in a twisted game.

Samara Weaving stars in "Ready or Not." Fox Searchlight Pictures

38. Ari Aster directed 2018's "Hereditary," which focuses on a broken family haunted by demons.

Toni Collette stars in "Hereditary." A24

37. Katy Bates stars in the 1990 film "Misery," based on a Stephen King novel.

Kathy Bates plays murderer Annie Wilkes in "Misery." IMDb/Columbia Pictures

36. 1977's "Eraserhead" is a bleak and terrifying horror film.

"Twin Peaks" director David Lynch also wrote and directed "Eraserhead." Libra Films International

35. A teenage girl possessed by the devil is the focus of 2015's "The Witch."

Anya Taylor-Joy stars in "The Witch." A24

34. "Starfish" (2019) is a sci-fi/horror mash-up.

Virginia Gardner stars in "Starfish." Altered Innocence/Orchard

33. 2017 film "Gerald's Game" is based on a Stephen King novel.

Carla Gugino stars in "Gerald's Game." Intrepid Pictures

32. "The Cabin in the Woods" is a zombie horror film with a twist.

Chris Hemsworth stars in "The Cabin in the Woods." Lionsgate

31. 2009's "Drag Me to Hell" was directed by "Spider-Man" filmmaker Sam Raimi.

A woman is cursed and forced to confront demonic entities in "Drag Me to Hell." Universal Pictures

30. Film icons Bette Davis and Joan Crawford star in 1962's "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?"

"What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" focuses on two aging stars. Warner Bros.

29. In 1976's "Carrie," Sissy Spacek plays a telekinetic teenager.

Sissy Spacek stars in "Carrie. United Artists

28. Jeff Goldblum stars in the 1986 sci-fi horror film "The Fly."

Jeff Goldblum's performance in "The Fly" was widely praised. 20th Century Fox

27. 2004's "Shaun of the Dead" is a parody of zombie horror film "Dawn of the Dead."

Simon Pegg wrote and starred in "Shaun of the Dead." Universal Pictures

26. Korean monster film "The Host," released in 2007, was directed by "Parasite" filmmaker Boon Jong-Ho.

"The Host" received favorable reviews from critics. Magnolia Pictures

25. 1979's "Dawn of the Dead" combines horror with social commentary.

George Romero directed "Dawn of the Dead." MKR Group

24. "Us" was a major hit when it premiered in 2019.

Lupita Nyong'o stars in "Us." Universal Pictures

23. 2016 Korean thriller "Train to Busan" follows a dad and his daughter as they try to escape zombies.

"Train to Busan" was positively received by critics. Next Entertainment World

22. 1977's "Suspiria" was recently remade, although the original is still critically acclaimed.

Dario Argento directed "Suspiria." Produzioni Atlas Consorziate

21. Freddy Krueger is the infamous villain in 1984's "A Nightmare on Elm Street."

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" spawned several sequels. New Line Cinema

20. "Pan's Labyrinth" is a surreal take on the Spanish civil war.

Guillermo del Toro directed "Pan's Labyrinth." New Line Cinema

19. A critically acclaimed version of sci-fi horror film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" was released in 1978.

Donald Sutherland stars in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Allied Artists Pictures

18. Tippi Hedren stars in 1963's "The Birds."

Alfred Hitchcock directed "The Birds." Universal Pictures

17. 2016 film "The Love Witch" satirizes 1960s horror films.

Samantha Robinson stars in "The Love Witch." Oscilloscope

16. "Evil Dead" spawned several sequels after its release in 1981.

"Evil Dead" follows a group of teenagers as they're possessed by demonic forces. New Line Cinema

15. "The Office" star John Krasinksi wrote and directed 2018's "A Quiet Place."

Emily Blunt stars alongside husband John Krasinski in "A Quiet Place." Paramount Pictures

14. "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" is an Iranian vampire western from 2014 with a feminist message.

Sheila Vand stars in "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night." Vice Films via Netflix

13. Most of "Harpoon" (2019) takes place on the open ocean.

"Harpoon" was released in 2019. Dread Central Presents

12. Jamie Lee Curtis stars in 1978's "Halloween."

Jamie Lee Curtis also appeared in the "Halloween" remake. Compass International Productions

11. A ruthless cannibal is the focus of 1991's "The Silence of the Lambs."

Anthony Hopkins plays a cannibal in "The Silence of the Lambs." Orion Pictures

10. Some think that the 2014 film "It Follows" is a parable about HIV/AIDs.

Maika Monroe stars in "It Follows." Netflix

9. One of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous movies is 1960's "Psycho."

Janet Leigh stars in "Psycho." Universal Pictures

8. 1968's "Night of the Living Dead" is a classic zombie film.

George Romero directed "Night of the Living Dead." The Walter Reade Organization/Continental Distributing

7. 1973's "Don't Look Now" is an occult thriller with a controversial sex scene.

Donald Sutherland played a grief-stricken father in "Don't Look Now." Paramount Pictures

6. "Rosemary's Baby" is a quintessential horror film from 1968.

Mia Farrow stars in "Rosemary's Baby." Paramount

5. Grief and loss are the central themes of 2014's "The Babadook."

"The Babadook" stars Essie Davis. Matt Nettheim via Sundance Institute

4. "Let the Right One In" is a Swedish vampire film from 2008.

Lina Leandersson stars in "Let the Right One In." Magnet Releasing

3. Roman Polanski's first film was "Repulsion" in 1965.

Catherine Deneuve played a paranoid manicurist in "Repulsion." Royal Films International

2. "Get Out" was an overnight success when it was released in 2017.

Daniel Kaluuya stars in "Get Out." Universal

1. "Aliens" is the 1986 sequel to "Alien."

Carrie Henn stars as Newt in "Aliens." Twentieth Century Fox

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