Lists
15 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From Psycho to Talk to Me
The Exorcist, The Shining, Hereditary, Get Out, A Quiet Place and more: the horror films that still scare audiences, classics and modern picks.
DailyMovieHub TeamEditorial team3 min read
Great horror isn't just about jump scares. The films that last find something people are genuinely afraid of, and stay with you long after the lights come back on.
We split this list into the classics that shaped the genre and modern films that made it exciting again.
The classics
1. Psycho (1960)
★ 8.41h 49mHorror · Thriller · MysteryEnglish
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock · Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh
A woman on the run checks into a quiet motel run by a nervous young man. Alfred Hitchcock broke every rule of the time, and the shower scene is still one of the most famous moments in film.
2. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
★ 7.82h 18mDrama · Horror · ThrillerEnglish
Directed by Roman Polanski · Starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes
A young wife becomes convinced her friendly neighbours have terrible plans for her unborn child. Slow, paranoid and deeply creepy.
3. The Exorcist (1973)
★ 7.72h 2mHorrorEnglish
Directed by William Friedkin · Starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair
When a girl seems possessed, her desperate mother turns to two priests. It shocked audiences on release and was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
4. Halloween (1978)
★ 7.61h 31mHorror · ThrillerEnglish
Directed by John Carpenter · Starring Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis
A masked killer returns to his hometown on Halloween night, and a babysitter played by Jamie Lee Curtis fights back. A low-budget film that created the modern slasher.
5. The Shining (1980)
★ 8.22h 24mHorror · ThrillerEnglish
Directed by Stanley Kubrick · Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall
A writer takes a winter job caretaking an isolated hotel with his wife and son, and the hotel slowly takes over his mind. Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King, with Jack Nicholson.
6. Ring (1998)
★ 7.11h 36mHorror · ThrillerJapanese
Directed by Hideo Nakata · Starring Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada
A cursed videotape kills anyone who watches it within seven days. The Japanese original that launched a wave of Asian horror. The American remake, *The Ring* (2002), is also excellent.
Modern horror
7. The Conjuring (2013)
★ 7.51h 52mHorror · ThrillerEnglish
Directed by James Wan · Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren help a family terrorised in their farmhouse. James Wan's old-fashioned haunted-house film is the best of a huge franchise.
Watch it if you want classic scares done perfectly.
8. The Babadook (2014)
★ 6.51h 34mDrama · HorrorEnglish
Directed by Jennifer Kent · Starring Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman
A widowed mother and her troubled son find a sinister picture book, and something from it enters their home. A horror film that is really about grief.
9. It Follows (2015)
★ 6.61h 41mHorror · MysteryEnglish
Directed by David Robert Mitchell · Starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist
After a single encounter, a young woman is followed by a slow, shape-shifting presence that only she can see, and it never stops walking toward her. Simple idea, terrifying execution.
10. Train to Busan (2016)
★ 7.81h 58mAction · Horror · ThrillerKorean
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho · Starring Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an
Zombies on a high-speed train. The Korean film that proved horror can be thrilling and emotional at the same time.
11. Get Out (2017)
★ 7.61h 44mMystery · Thriller · HorrorEnglish
Directed by Jordan Peele · Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams
A young Black man visits his white girlfriend's family for the weekend, and their politeness starts to feel wrong. Jordan Peele won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
12. A Quiet Place (2018)
★ 7.41h 31mHorror · Drama · Science FictionEnglish
Directed by John Krasinski · Starring Emily Blunt, John Krasinski
A family survives in a world where creatures hunt anything that makes a sound. Watch it in total silence for the full effect.
13. Hereditary (2018)
★ 7.32h 8mHorror · Mystery · ThrillerEnglish
Directed by Ari Aster · Starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolff
After a grandmother's death, a family begins to unravel in horrifying ways. Toni Collette gives one of the greatest performances in horror. Very disturbing.
14. Talk to Me (2023)
★ 7.11h 35mHorrorEnglish
Directed by Michael Philippou, Danny Philippou · Starring Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen
Teenagers discover that an embalmed hand lets them contact spirits, and it becomes a party game until it goes too far. A sharp, modern horror film from Australia.
15. Tumbbad (2018)
★ 7.61h 53mFantasy · HorrorHindi
Directed by Rahi Anil Barve · Starring Sohum Shah, Mohammad Samad
Our pick from India: a cursed family treasure in a village where it always rains. One of the most original horror films of the last decade. See more in our best Indian horror movies.
How we picked
We chose horror films that critics and fans still rate highly years later, balancing timeless classics with modern favourites.
Frequently asked questions
What is the scariest movie ever made? The Exorcist and Hereditary are the most common answers.
What is a good horror movie for beginners? The Conjuring or A Quiet Place: scary, but not extreme.
Where can I stream these? Check each card for current options in your country.
Ratings, runtimes and streaming availability come from TMDB and JustWatch and update automatically. Availability differs by country.