Nothing is more terrifying than sitting in anticipation in the dark waiting for that unexpected jump scare mastered over the decades by directors who have defined the horror genre since the 1920s with spooky monsters, ghoulish demons and scream queens.
Directors like Hitchcock, Craven, and Carpenter have set the standard for the genre as rising horror directors today including Ari Aster and Jordan Peele make their mark on film with their own style of scare tactics.
Some horror films are even considered to be the most iconic movies in cinematic history such as Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1955 arthouse thriller Diabolique, Charles Laughton’s psychological terror The Night of the Hunter, Brian De Palmas’ 1976 Carrie and Tobe Hooper’s slasher classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
We’ve chronicled our picks for Deadlines’ top 50 classic Halloween films that range from comedy camp classics to borderline B-horror and arthouse thrillers.
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SAW X, 2023
Image Credit: Alexandro Bolanos Escamilla /Lionsgate Dir. Kevin Greutert, starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith & Synnøve Macody Lund
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TALK TO ME, 2023
Image Credit: A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou, starring Sophie Wilde, Ari McCarthy, Hamish Phillips & Kit Erhart-Bruce
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SMILE, 2022
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Parker Finn, starring Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher and Kyle Gallner.
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HEREDITARY, 2018
Image Credit: A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Ari Aster, starring Toni Collette
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MANDY, 2018
Image Credit: RLJE Films Dir. Panos Cosmatos, starring Nicolas Cage
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GET OUT, 2017
Image Credit: Universal Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Jordan Peele, starring Daniel Kaluuya
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THE WITCH, 2015
Image Credit: A24/courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Robert Eggers, starring Anya Taylor-Joy.
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IT FOLLOWS, 2014
Image Credit: RADiUS-TWC/Courtesy Everett Collection Dir. David Robert Mitchell, starring Maika Monroe
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THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, 1999
Image Credit: Artisan Entertainment/courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez, starring Heather Donahue
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SCREAM, 1996
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Wes Craven, starring Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette.
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HOCUS POCUS, 1993
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Kenny Ortega, starring Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker
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THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, 1993
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Henry Selick
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DEATH BECOMES HER, 1992
Image Credit: Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Robert Zemeckis, starring Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn
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DEAD ALIVE, (aka BRAINDEAD), 1992
Image Credit: Trimark/courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Peter Jackson starring Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver and Elizabeth Moody
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CANDYMAN, 1992
Image Credit: TriStar/courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Bernard Rose, starring Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen.
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THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS, 1991
Image Credit: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy Everett Dir. Wes Craven, starring Brandon Quintin and Adams Everett McGill
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THE ADDAMS FAMILY, 1991
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld starring, Raul Julia, Jimmy Workman, Christina Ricci, Dana Ivey, Anjelica Huston, Carel Struycken, Judith Malina, Dan Hedaya
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IT, (aka STEPHEN KING’S IT) 1990
Image Credit: Warner Bros Dir. Tommy Lee Wallace, starring Tim Curry
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EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, 1990
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox Film Dir. Tim burton, starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder
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KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE, 1988
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Stephen Chiodo
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CHILD’S PLAY, 1988
Image Credit: United Artists/courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Tom Holland, starring Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon and Alex Vincent
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BEETLEJUICE, 1988
Image Credit: Warner Bros./Everett Collection Dir. Tim Burton, starring Winona Ryder, Geena Davis and Michael Keaton
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THEY LIVE, 1988
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. John Carpenter, starring Roddy Piper and Keith David
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HELLRAISER, 1987
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Clive Barker, starring Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins and Ashley Laurence.
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THE LOST BOYS, 1987
Image Credit: Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Joel Schumacher, starring Kiefer Sutherland
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LABYRINTH, 1986
Image Credit: TriStar/courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Jim Henson, starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie
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A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, 1984
Image Credit: New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection Dir. Wes Craven, starring Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp and Robert Englund.
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SLEEPAWAY CAMP, 1983
Image Credit: American Eagle Films Dir. Robert Hiltzik, starring Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten and Karen Fields
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POLTERGEIST, 1982
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Tobe Hooper, starring Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourk, Jobeth Williams
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THE EVIL DEAD, 1981
Image Credit: New Line Cinema Dir. Sam Raimi, starring, Bruce Campbell
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FRIDAY THE 13TH, 1980
Image Credit: Paramount Dir. Sean S. Cunningham, starring Kevin Bacon, Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King and Jeannine Taylor.
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THE SHINING, 1980
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall
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HALLOWEEN, 1978
Image Credit: Compass International Pictures Dir. John Carpenter, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle.
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HOUSE (aka HAUSU), 1977
Image Credit: Janus Films Dir. Nobuhiko Ôbayashi, starring Miki Jinbo
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SUSPIRIA, 1977
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Dario Argento, starring Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini and Flavio Bucci.
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CARRIE, 1976
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Brian De Palma starring Sissy Spacek.
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THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, 1975
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox Dir. Jim Sharman, starring Richard O’Brien, Tim Curry, Patricia Quinn
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THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, 1974
Image Credit: Vortex Dir. Tobe Hooper, starring, Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal and Vortex Allen Danziger.
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THE EXORCIST, 1973
Image Credit: Warner Bros./ Courtesy: Everett Collection. Dir. William Friedkin, starring Linda Blair and Jason Miller
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DON’T LOOK NOW, 1973
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Nicolas Roeg, starring Donald Sutherland and Sharon Williams
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NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, 1968
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. George A. Romero
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ROSEMARY’S BABY, 1968
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Roman Polanski, starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes
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THE BIRDS, 1963
Image Credit: Everett Collecteion Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, starring Tippi Hedren
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WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, 1962
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Robert Aldrich, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford
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PSYCHO, 1960
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Alfred Hitchock, starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles
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EYES WITHOUT A FACE, 1960
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Georges Franju, starring Edith Scob
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PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, 1959
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Edward D. Wood Jr.
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THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER,1955
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Charles Laughton, starring Robert Mitchum
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DIABOLIQUE, 1955
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot and Paul Meurisse
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FRANKENSTEIN, 1931
Image Credit: Everett Collection Dir. James Whale, starring Boris Karloff.
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