I'm glad we live in a time where we don't have to wait until October to watch all of the best scary movies...but I'd be lying if I said I haven't purposely been saving scary titles for spooky season so I can savor that eery — and somewhat cozy — familiar frightening feeling this year. I've been a horror movie junky my whole life, so I have to save some of my favorites for the best time of the year: Halloween.
So while I stock up on all the cute and spooky Halloween decorations to prep for the best holiday, let me clue you in to some of my all time favorite, absolute best scary movies. From '80s slashers to thought-provoking horrors, these 18 films are at the top of my must-watch list!
20th Century Studios
1. Alien
Alien is the reason why I'm obsessed with science fiction horror films. It reels you in with a harmless expedition that quickly turns sinister when one of the crew members is implanted with an alien embryo. Growing at an alarming rate, the alien wrecks havoc on the crew one by one until only Ripley is left to face off with it.
New Line Cinema
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street
It took me forever to fall asleep after watching this as a kid because I was convinced Freddy Kreuger was coming to get me in my dreams. Due to one man's sadistic life and penchant for revenge, A Nightmare on Elm Street follows Nancy's discovery of him — as well as the horrible secret her parents have been keeping.
Dimension Films
3. From Dusk Till Dawn
This isn't your typical vampire movie because it makes you begin rooting for the 'bad guy' by the time the vampires come out to feast. Unfortunately, a father and his two kids get caught in the cross hairs of a successful robbery celebration gone wrong.
Hulu
4. Hellraiser
The original Hellraiser scared me to no end, but I couldn't resist watching the newer version! Following the main theme of the original franchise, this updated film begins with a mysterious puzzle box landing in the hands of those whose pleasures still aren't fulfilled on earth.
When recovering addict Riley McKendry comes across it, she and those around her begin experiencing horrifying events they'll never recover from.
Dimension Films
5. Scream
I have a fond memory of going to the movie theater to watch
Scream with my dad and sister, so I'll always watch it every Halloween.
It's all about an unknown 'Ghostface' killer who begins terrorizing high school students in a small community. While the attacks seem random, a group of friends begin to connect the dots to realize Sydney Prescott could be the next victim. The problem is that the killer is much closer than she realizes and she'll have to dig deep inside herself to survive his psychotic ways.
Columbia Pictures
6. Child's Play
If you didn't want a Good Guy doll just so you could pretend it was Chucky, did you truly live? I'm kidding!
Child's Play is so iconic because it features our favorite smart aleck serial killer in doll form. Chucky may have been under 3 feet tall, but you could always count on him to have the courage to carry out his murderous tendencies while insulting his victims.
Warner Bros. Entertainment
7. It
Bill Skarsgaard immersed him into his role as Pennywise in It, and it's quickly become one of my favorite movies to watch. It's to the point where my three year old knows about his deadlights...which may not win me any Mother of the Year points. To be fair, I watched the original TV series as a kid, so I'm just following tradition!
For anyone who hasn't seen It before, it's about a group of outcast kids who realize they're seeing different versions of something horrifying. The more they talk about their experiences, the more it becomes clear there's one entity behind it. When they resolve to fight back against Pennywise the Dancing Clown, his murderous ways increase in frequency and threaten to break the friends' bond.
Universal Pictures
8. Candyman
This newer adaptation of Candyman takes place years after the first film and meets back up with the young baby — Anthony — Candyman once kidnapped. It seems he had a purpose for the infant because the adult Anthony's curiosity eventually turns him into a new variant of the vengeful spirit.
New World Pictures
9. Children of the Corn
Imagine a town full of kids and teens who decide to kill adults based on the teachings of one sick twisted person. Now picture a cornfield that stretches for miles in all directions and you have Children of the Corn. It's the #1 reason why I still can't stand corn fields!
Dimension Films
10. The Faculty
When a group of students realize something's wrong with the faculty at their school, they band together to try to survive a horrific alien takeover. However, the source of the threat is much closer than they can imagine...and it may just be their undoing.
MGM
11. Pumpkinhead
Fans of creature feature films will enjoy watching a father regret his decision to seek revenge after his son is accidentally killed. Instead of listening to the advice of those who know better, Ed Harley seeks out a witch who can conjure an evil demon, and he binds his soul to Pumpkinhead — leaving all hell to break loose.
Universal Pictures
12. I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer should serve as a cautionary tale to never run someone over and dump their body in a lake because they may not forget what you did. In fact, they just may wait an entire year so they can begin stalking you and your friends before going in for the kill. Oh, and you also just shouldn't run someone over to begin with. Duh.
20th Century Studios
13. Wrong Turn
There's a reason this movie is called Wrong Turn. After taking a detour that leads to a stranger colliding with a group of friends, they try to figure out their next course of action — only to they discover they're being hunted in a grisly manner. It'll take their survival skills and a ton of luck for them to survive the twisted ways of the people looking for them.
Warner Bros. Pictures
14. The Conjuring
The scariest thing anyone can encounter is an evil presence in their home that feeds off their family's energy and taunts them at every turn. And what's even worse? Watching your mom suffer from the strong possession of this entity, making you feel like you're living in a walking nightmare. Can the Warren family rid this home of possession once and for all?
Warner Bros. Pictures
15. Annabelle: Creation
The ever-so creepy doll from The Conjuring has a backstory — and it's not like Chucky's tale in Child's Play at all. Instead of twisted man who transferred his soul into a doll, a demonic entity entered the doll of a couple mourning the death of their daughter. It gained their trust and attacked the wife in such an awful manner that they swore to keep it locked up. However, demons know how to manipulate others which is what happens when the couple opens up their homes to a group of young orphans.
P.S. My fiancé and I didn't finish watching this because it was too scary. He usually rolls his eyes at most scary movies, but the part he watched without me spooked him to the point he immediately turned the movie off. That says a lot to me!
FilmDistrict
16. Insidious
I didn't know a movie could make astral projection terrifying until I watched Insidious with my sister. Viewers are introduced to a family who has three young children. Things seem to be going well when they move into a new home, but their oldest son Dalton unexplainably falls into a deep coma that doctors are stumped by.
When it's revealed that Dalton isn't sick and is trapped, his dad will have to remember what happened to him when he was a young boy so he can travel into The Further.
Constantin Film
17. Resident Evil
Resident Evil made everyone want to be a bada-- who willingly took on zombified humans, animals, and other ghoulish creatures because of Mila Jocovich's brilliant portrayal as Alice. Though she was an Umbrella employee, she quickly loses faith in her employer when she realizes the horrors it was responsible for creating.
Universal Pictures
18. Us
I highly recommend that you don't pass by a mirror directly after watching this because your own reflection may scare you. This story follows a family who visits the matriarch's family home after her mom has passed and ends with the realization that she's not who she says she is.
Though not everyone in her family connects the dots, her son notices his mom reverting back to her former primal state the more her double closes in on her.
In the need of more scares? Check out the 10 fall thriller movies you don't want to miss this year!
Header images via Dimension Films, Universal Pictures, FilmDistrict, and Columbia Pictures.
