Do people still like scary movies? Even in the midst of economic anxiety, politicized violence and other headlines that make you want to scream?
Actually, yes. The horror genre has been growing by leaps and bounds, according to data compiled by comScore for Reuters, from just 4% of ticket purchases a decade ago to 11% in 2024. By July of 2025, that share had already reached 17%, the data shows. And in September, the genre blew past the $1 billion mark for the year, according to Fortune.com.
Clearly, there’s still an appetite for fright. If you’re looking to exorcise some demons this Halloween, here’s our list of the 25 scariest movies ever made.
25. PEEPING TOM (1960) This lurid film about a voyeuristic slasher appalled audiences, critics and other filmmakers so thoroughly that it essentially destroyed the 25-year career of Michael Powell, one of England’s most beloved directors. (Somehow, Hitchcock got away with “Pyscho,” released the same year.) Today, Powell’s movie is less shocking but still powerful — like an evil feeling that follows you home.
24. THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012) The less you know about this horror-comedy from director Drew Goddard and his co-writer Joss Whedon the better – there are too many great surprises to spoil. Just know this: It’s a mischievous mindblower without a single predictable moment. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly and Richard Jenkins.
23. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel about a 12-year-old boy and the vampire girl next door has been adapted twice. The Swedish original is a moody, mournful standout, with touching performances from Kare Hedebrant as mortal Oskar and Lina Leandersson as his vampire beloved.
22. LET ME IN (2010) The American version of the Lindqvist story, starring Chloë Grace Moretz as the vampire-girl, is slightly jazzed up with bloody effects but – surprisingly – retains the pensive, morbid atmosphere of the original.
21. BLACK SWAN (2010)
Jericho’s Natalie Portman won an Oscar for her role in “Black Swan.” Credit: Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection
Natalie Portman won an Oscar for portraying a mentally unraveling ballerina in Darren Aronofsky’s hallucinatory horror-drama. (For a close comparison, see Roman Polanski’s psychological chiller “The Tenant,” from 1976.) For such a freaky film, “Black Swan” became a $329 million hit and earned four other Oscar nods, including best picture.
20. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009) This no-budget indie about a possessed McMansion helped kick off the current horror craze. Slamming doors and flickering lights — and not much else — make this a yelp-out-loud treat.
19. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) The zombie genre starts with George Romero’s ghoulish, gory classic. AMC’s “The Walking Dead” may have more splatter, but this one really stares into the existential abyss.
18. ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968)
Could it be Satan? John Cassavetes and Mia Farrow starred in the psychological thriller “Rosemary’s Baby.” Credit: Express/Getty Images/Harry Benson
Roman Polanski’s film about a pregnant woman (Mia Farrow) who gets snookered into Satanism is a slow-building chiller, but the climactic payoff is one of the best you’ll ever see.
17. GET OUT (2017)
Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington in “Get Out,” a race-based version of “The Stepford Wives.” Credit: Universal/Everett Collection
Jordan Peele’s story of a young Black man (Daniel Kaluuya) meeting his white girlfriend’s parents is essentially a race-based version of “The Stepford Wives.” It works best as satirical commentary but has enough wig-out moments to earn a place on this list.
16. THE EVIL DEAD (1981) Five college kids find an audiotape that releases demons in this sophomore feature from Sam Raimi. It’s freaky fun thanks to clever camerawork, a sly sense of humor and a star turn from Bruce Campbell.
15. PSYCHO (1960)
Janet Leigh as Marion Crane in a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 horror film “Psycho.” Credit: Everett Collection/Paramount Pictures
Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous film may not jolt audiences the way it once did. But it’s still a terrific shocker, from Anthony Perkins’ performance as the ultimate mama’s boy to the lightbulb-swinging climax.
14. POLTERGEIST (1982) This Tobe Hooper film has been almost as widely imitated as “Psycho” or “Halloween.” (There’s some controversy about whether producer Steven Spielberg “really” directed it.) It’s the one that made an entire generation afraid to watch television and featured one of the best creepy clown-dolls in cinema history.
13. A QUIET PLACE (2018) John Krasinski stars in his own directorial debut as a man trying to protect his family from alien creatures who hunt by sound. This is 90 solid minutes of hold-your-breath-and-try-not-to-scream moments, with barely a word of spoken dialogue — a tremendous feat.
12. THE OMEN (1976) This knockoff of “The Exorcist” met with mixed reviews but is now considered a modern horror classic. Harvey Stephens is unforgettable as Damien, a literal demon child, while several top-shelf actors (Gregory Peck, Lee Remick) play the unfortunate adults around him.
11. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) Three filmmakers enter a Maryland forest to investigate a local myth. Assembled from their “found” footage, “The Blair Witch Project” uses virtually nothing but weird noises and shaky camerawork — by the actors themselves — to create an atmosphere of deep-reaching terror.
10. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) Before “Poltergeist,” Hooper made his mark with this low-budget shocker about cannibals who prey on hippies. It was the perfect film for the post-flower-power, mid-Watergate moment — a grisly stew of Manson mythology, redneck-phobia and fears of societal collapse. Not for the faint of heart.
9. JAWS (1975)
Richard Dreyfuss, left, and Robert Shaw confront their finned nemesis in a scene from “Jaws.” Credit: Everett Collection/Universal Pictures
Spielberg’s masterpiece about an outsize shark may not pack the scares per minute of other films on this list. It’s part horror movie, part adventure epic. But for white-knuckle suspense — plus several nasty surprises — “Jaws” is tough to beat.
8. THE THING (1982) John Carpenter’s film about an Antarctic crew that discovers a creature frozen in ice was a critical flop upon release. It’s now considered a screamingly great horror flick, full of gore, goo and flamethrowers. The ace cast includes Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley and Keith David.
7. AUDITION (1999) This cinematic sneak-attack begins straightforwardly enough, with a Japanese widower looking for a younger lover. The film’s second half is — well, you’ll have to see it to believe it. Directed by Takashi Miike.
6. HEREDITARY (2018) Ari Aster’s story of an artist (Toni Collette) ensnared by a cult may be too intense for some. Critics raved but audiences balked and gave it a rare D+ CinemaScore. You’ve been warned.
5. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) Jonathan Demme’s tale of an FBI agent (Jodie Foster) on a grisly mission is still the only horror film to win the Oscar for best picture. Anthony Hopkins turned Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter into the cinematic serial killer by which all others are now judged.
4. HALLOWEEN (1978) John Carpenter terrorized middle America with this simple but effective tale about a serial killer stalking suburban teenagers. Even today, “Halloween” feels like your worst nightmare: a home invasion perpetrated by a semi-supernatural murderer. Jamie Lee Curtis makes her big-screen debut as terrorized babysitter Laurie Strode.
3. ALIEN (1979) Director Ridley Scott admitted that “Alien” was basically ” ‘Jaws’ in space.” Nevertheless, thanks to a groundbreakingly hideous space creature (designed by illustrator H.R. Geiger) and a tough-as-nails Sigourney Weaver as a desperate astronaut, Scott’s movie remains the high point of sci-fi horror.
2. THE EXORCIST (1973) Audiences reportedly fainted and vomited during William Friedkin’s film about a little girl (an Oscar-nominated Linda Blair) possessed by a demon. Hype aside, the movie is an absolute hair-raiser, especially the later editions that restored the eye-popping “spider-walk” scene.
1. THE SHINING (1980)
Mad man: Jackie: Nicholson as an unhinged dad in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film “The Shining.” Credit: Warner Bros/Everett Collection
When it comes to imitators, Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel, stands alone. Nobody has ever recreated a hotel quite like the Overlook, nor has anyone equaled Jack Nicholson’s unhinged performance as a father gone mad. It’s a monolith of terror, undiminished by the decades.
