Overview
A great horror movie is something most people reach for when they are looking for a good adrenaline rush, especially in the month of October. Your heart starts pumping, and your hands start shaking as they grow clammier by the second. The main protagonist peeks into a dark room, where you will inevitably get jump-scared when the bad guy suddenly appears. It really is the best. So, what is a better option out of all the good thriller films than a classic slasher movie? Let’s dive into the top 5 best classic horror movies!
1: Halloween (1978)
This spine-tingling movie takes place on a cold Halloween night in 1978. A crazed murderer named Michael Myers is being transferred for a court date after being sentenced to 15 years in prison for murdering his sister on Halloween in 1963. He escapes Smiths Grove and steals a car to get away. Now, he is returning to his hometown Haddonfield, Illinois to find his next victims. Written and directed by John Carpenter, this movie is a horror masterpiece. Carpenter shows his skill in writing and directing a fantastic horror film by pacing the story slowly and suspensefully and creating lovable characters such as Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence). Carpenter was also able to create an unnerving and scary atmosphere without gore and blood, which is not typical for classic or current slasher films. He really knows how to get you jumpy and your blood pumping, even if there is none.
2: Friday the 13th (1980)
Crystal Lake is known for its murderous past, but that does not deter new young counselors from setting up a summer camp in the woods near it. Even though locals told them the dangers of the area, the young people — Jack (Kevin Bacon), Bill (Harry Crosby), Marcie (Jeannine Taylor), Alice (Adrienne King), and Ned (Mark Nelson) — fail to heed their warning. Now, they find themselves being stalked by a vicious killer. As they are chopped, slashed, and stabbed the counselors are now fighting to stay alive. This frightening film was written by Victor Miller and then produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham. Unlike Halloween (1978), this film does thrive off of the blood and gore present in the movie. Due to the movie being made in the 80s, there were not yet any visual effects that could be created online after the filming, so all of the gore that you see is prosthetics and practical effects. This makes the movie much more realistic because it directly affects the characters and the environment. This also makes the actors performances more authentic because they physically engage with the effects which only makes this thrilling film even more terrifying!
3: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven, the director of A Nightmare on Elm Street created a truly terrifying film. A vicious midnight murderer named Freddy Krueger, who kills targets by preying on them in their dreams that end up ending their lives in reality, has his sights set on a group of teenagers. Nancy (Heather Langencamp) and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) figure that a dark secret kept by her friend’s parents and hers is the key to unraveling this mystery, but they don’t know if they can solve the puzzle in time. Being the fantastic horror movie that it is, A Nightmare on Elm Street has introduced two iconic horror characters and will be considered a classic for years to come. There’s something about the concept of there being nowhere safe, not even in your dreams, that gets everyone’s bones rattling!
4: Childs Play (1988)
Caught and gunned down by Detective John Norris (Chris Sarandon) dying serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) speaks an incantation that inserts his soul into a Good Guys doll named Chucky to save himself. That doll is later purchased by Karen Barklay (Catherine Hicks) for her son Andy’s (Alex Vincent) birthday. When Chucky kills Andy’s babysitter, he tries to warn people that Chucky is alive, but he is institutionalized. Now Karen has to convince Detective John Norris of Chucky’s murderous intentions before her son becomes his next victim. Directed by Tom Holland, Childs Play has become a large horror franchise with 8 movies released, and there’s a good reason. The Chucky films are hilarious along with the blood and gore every horror lover wants to see. Chucky’s character design also adds a lot to the scare factor, with his fiendish edge and an array of fast-changing facial features that allow for scarier expressions. With the perfect balance of frolic and fear, Childs Play is one of the best classic horror movies of all time.
5: The Shining (1980)
Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) becomes a caretaker during the winter for an isolated hotel called the Overlook Hotel in Colorado in hopes of curing his writer’s block. He is there with his wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) who has psychic premonitions. As Jack continues to suffer from his writing block and Danny’s visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel’s dark secrets and he begins to become a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his wife and child. Directed by Stanley Kubrick and story written by Stephen King, this movie is an incredibly well-paced and suspenseful film. Kubrick keeps watchers hooked by keeping the audience guessing and instilling the feeling that something is always coming. Acting techniques like the Kubrick stare that actor Jack Nicholson does so incredibly well and the simple cut-to-scene shots increase the intensity of the atmosphere. This spine-chilling thriller will always be remembered as one of the best classic horror films to date!