Most of us love a good horror movie, whether we're looking for that jump-scare or slow-building suspense that bursts into full-blown terror and leaves our minds racing as the credits roll. The best ones do both - scare the ever-loving crap out of you and make you think about just why you're so afraid, or why you didn't see it coming. These are some of the best movies for these things, in my personal opinion.
1. 'The Woman In Black'
GiphyThis was my first-ever horror movie (that I willingly participated in). The appeal lay exclusively in Daniel Radcliffe, but it quickly became more than that with the way the plot builds so slowly, the pieces coming together only to make sense at the end. As I was about thirteen when I saw it, this one did stick with me for a little bit afterward - some of the children in the movie were scarcely younger than me, and every dark corner became a place for the Woman in Black to hide in. I watch it now and it's only mildly frightening, but back then, it had me screaming in the theater (and the audience around me laughing).
2. 'Insidious 2'
GiphyI saw this one before I saw the first and went into it knowing literally nothing about it. It was fantastic, even more so because I was watching it with my best friend and we were sitting on the couch with our backs to the picture window, only upping the scare-factor.
3. 'As Above, So Below'
GiphyI watched this fairly recently with my roommate and I just loved everything about it - it's shot entirely as if it's a documentary and the footage from the cameraman and the attached cameras to each cast member was edited together later. It makes it all the more horrifying as they go into the catacombs in search of the philosopher's stone because every scare is seen from their point of view. To make it worse, at one point another one of our roommates came into the (pitch-black) living room from her bedroom to ask me a question and just softly said my name, which made me scream and subsequently scared everyone else. A short break was taken from the movie before I returned to it at that point.
4. 'The Boy'
GiphyIf you're interested in a mindfuck, this is the one to watch. It's creepy from the start and only escalates from there.
5. 'The House at the End of the Street'
GiphyAnother mindfuck, though it's really the first five minutes that were the scariest. Unlike most horror movies, it jumps straight in and then takes a step back, so if you need buildup in your movies, maybe skip this one. Overall, still pretty good.
6. 'The Silence of the Lambs'
It may be a bit long-winded, but the suspense hovers throughout the whole movie and when you watch it, the tension is an almost physical thing in the air. It's incredible how this one just wraps you up and leaves you with questions when it's over.
7. 'It'
I'm partial to the new one because I watched it first, but the old version is excellent as well. The cast, visuals, and story come together in a way that I admire quite a bit and inspired me to buy the original book.
8. 'The Mist'
GiphyIf you hate bugs...well, I'd say don't watch it, but definitely watch it, because it's amazing.
