Top 10 Best Halloween Horror Movies

After going through all the trick or treating and handing out candies to the neighbors’ kids, most of us have time for family time to end the holiday perfectly. With all the urban legends and myths surrounding the Halloween night, it’s only natural for you and your family to huddle up in front of the TV and watch something chilling and scary. Although a hundred different Top 10 Halloween lists can be made like, we focus solely on the top horror movies that would definitely be watched on Halloween’s night. A lot of horror movies deserve a mention in this list like Anthony Hopkins starring The Rite and The hills have eyes by Wes Craven but the most popular movies which appeal to the masses have been listed here. Most of these titles are easily available online and you wouldn’t have much of a hassle looking them up. Many of the Characters from these movies have become very famous and names like Michael Myers, Hannibal Lecter and Jason Voorhees are more than enough to send chills down your spines (not to forget Freddy Kruger)! So stock up your chips and soda, sit back and enjoy these Top 10 Halloween Horror movies.

 

 

 

10. Jacob’s ladder

  

Unlike other movies in the list, Jacob’s Ladder is not about undead ghosts or avenging spirits. Even so, it succeeds where many a horror movies have failed. It creates such an uncertainty that the line between sanity and madness becomes blurred even the viewer’s head. A solider returning from Vietnam suddenly finds that his deceased son has shown up and strange animals assault him. How the events unfold and conclude is such a shock that it would be wrong to reveal them here. Jacob’s Ladder is the grand daddy of all the “Psychological thrillers” and many hit movies have followed suite

 

9. Tales from the dead

  

Tales from the Dead comes in at the 9^th spot in the Top 10 Halloween Horror movies.  This Asian horror movie is based on four different tales of horror and intrigue. A woman who has the ability to speak to the dead tells narrates the stories to a fellow passenger. The movies basically tell how grief and longing of this world do not end with death but are carried on to the next. Although its producers are from USA, all the cast is Asian which is yet another first. The only set back you might feel in Tales from the Dead is that it is in Japanese language but subtitles are available.

 

8. Army of Darkness

  

The final chapter of The Evil Dead series, Army of Darkness could not be released as Evil Dead 3 because of ownership issues. It, however, retains all the elements that made its precedes a huge hit. With just the right amount of gore and humor, the audience is left laughing and gapping at the same time! The ending was changed when the original one was thought to be too grim and a happier one was made. Nevertheless, both endings were released and the choice was left to the viewer. Army of Darkness is certainly a good choice for Halloween and watching the Evil Dead Trilogy is recommended.

 

7. The Shining

  

A true gem from the king of Horror Stephen King, The Shining was directed by Stanley Kubrick and has achieved cult status. A caretaker (Jack Nicholson) brings his family along with him to an isolated hotel for the winter but finds himself manipulated by the evil intentions of the ghosts living there. The only hope his is son who sees things due to his “gift”. The Shining is definitely one of the most scariest and thrilling movies and stands at the 7^th position in the Top 10 Halloween Horror movies. The eerie score greatly enhances the bleak theme of the movie.

 

 

6. Psycho

  

Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock is no doubt the mother of all slashers as well as the innovator of the psychological thriller genre. All this was achieved with the minimum amount of gore and action scenes as the character build up and suspense are enough to a chill go down your spine. A young woman who has just conned somebody makes a run for it and ends up in a not-to-sane hotel owner’s hands. Norman Bates (the owner) is a fictional character from Psycho but has become as popular as any president of America! Such was the impact of his character portrayal that he is now ranked in the top villains of all time in various lists.

 

5. [REC] / Quarantine

  

[REC] / Quarantine is a movie depicted as a collection of “found footages” from a building which is Quarantined under mysterious circumstances. [REC] was originally shot in Spanish and its shot-for-shot English remake was named Quarantine. It is shown in a shaky camera shot which convinces the viewers that it is real. A local reporter and her team cover a shift of the Fire Station team and end up in a mess they are sure to never forget! [REC] / Quarantine (both languages) is ranked 5^th in the Top 10 Halloween Horror movies. It is highly recommended and will leave you thinking for days afterwards.

 

4. John Carpenter’s Halloween

  

John Carpenter’s Halloween tells a chilling tale of an escaped psychopath who makes his way to his childhood town on Halloween’s night to carry on terrorize the people. This movie is still loved as much as back in 1978 when it was released because of its perfection at telling a gruesome story and its haunting background music which is at times too much to bear. John Carpenter’s Halloween is probably the most watched movie on Halloween but recent releases have pushed it back just a bit to the 4^th spot on the Top 10 Halloween Horror movies.

 

3. Paranormal Activity

  

With its recent release of the third installment, Paranormal Activity is shot in a surveillance camera mode which shows a recently moved family starting a new life in a new home. However, things do not go as planned as supernatural forces start interfering and make their life a living hell. The 3^rd installment goes back to the roots and shows how a couple of kids fooling around with spiritual stuff call a ghost which is not willing to go back. Thus starts Paranormal Activity, a tale of shock and horror which is sure to make you chills even in your own house long after the credits have rolled!

2. The Silence of the Lambs

  

Dr. Hannibal Lecter is the most well known villain of all times and is featured in The Silence of the Lambs. You would think twice before “having your friends for lunch” after watching this epic story of mind numbing horror. An FBI agent interviews a psychopath Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to have a better understanding of the way a criminal works but results are far more horrible than one could have imagined. The Silence of the Lambs won 5 Oscars and more than 35 wins in other categories and has since achieved cult status. It is the runner up in the Top 10 Halloween Horror movies list.

1. Night of the Living Dead

  

With probably hundreds of spinoffs and copies, Night of the Living Dead is the best there is in Horror cinema and is at the top of the Top 10 Halloween Horror movies list. As evident from the name, the dead return and eat the living for dinner! However, it is not so simple once you sit down to watch it. The story fills the viewers with so much hopelessness and despair that sometimes viewer discretion is advised. The movie was released in black and white in 1968 and will not be scary for the audience of today but still the excellent choreography and created environment have made this movie timeless. A remake of Night of the Living Dead was released in 1990 and is fun to watch too!

 

 

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