With The Watchers creeping into theaters soon, fright fans can look forward to having their nerves frayed and spines chilled simultaneously. Of course, those who just can't wait can find plenty of other horror thriller movies to hold them over. From genre-defining classics to contemporary favorites, the following 13 films provide a potent mix of nightmare-inducing scares and nail-biting suspense.
Too Long, Didn't Read summary:
• The Watchers is an original movie directed and co-scripted by Ishana Shyamalan.
• Part of the "horror thriller" sub-genre, The Watchers aims to dole out edge-of-the seat suspense and spine-tingling scares in equal measure.
• The best horror thrillers brilliantly nail this tricky approach, absorbing audiences while scaring them half to death. The following films are masters of this art, ensuring viewers' eyes remain glued to the screen even as their fears and phobias gnaw at their nerves.
13. The Shining (1980)
83% on the Tomatometer
Jack Nicholson's disturbing turn as a creatively-blocked writer/hotel caretaker driven to madness in Stanley Kubrick's psychological horror classic is one of the greatest horror movie performances of all-time. And while much of Nicholson's portrayal is a slow-burn that simmers across the two-plus hour Stephen King adaption, it morphs into heart-stopping, tension-ratcheting terror as soon as he grabs that ax and begins hunting his wife and son through the spooky Overlook Hotel.
And that's not even accounting for the creepy twin ghost girls and tidal wave of blood spewing from the elevator. "Here's Johnny!," indeed.
12. Seven (1995)
83% on the Tomatometer
Director David Fincher's dark, twisted drama squarely fits into the crime thriller category, but its atmospheric setting, unsettling vibe, and gruesome, seven deadly sins-inspired murders also push it firmly into the horror genre. Of course, that dread-inducing combination of horror and thrills culminates in the film's ridiculously tense “What's in the box?” climax, a scene that still haunts us every time we crack the seal on a delivered package.
11. The Thing (1982)
84% on the Tomatometer
Upon its release in 1982, some dismissed The Thing as an Alien ripoff looking to cash in on the decade's sci-fi craze. But 40-plus years on, John Carpenter's claustrophobic horror flick is considered a cult-classic – and with good reason.
Beneath its jump scares and gory effects, its story – which sees an Antarctica research team battling an alien species capable of hiding within its human hosts – sowed a potent, palpable combination of paranoia, dread and fear that still holds up against today's flashier, big-budget offerings.
10. The Sixth Sense (1999)
86% on the Tomatometer
The film that established director M. Night Shyamalan as a master of horror movies with a knack for shocking his audience with twist endings, The Sixth Sense forgoes the genre's typical blood and gore for a supernatural mystery, simmering sense of dread and suspenseful pacing that pays off big time. It also packs its fair share of genuinely frightening, "I see dead people" encounters – the creepy girl under the bed still gets us every time.
9. Misery (1990)
91% on the Tomatometer
If it's psychological thrills you're after, look no further than Misery. One of the best Stephen King film adaptations, it brilliantly leverages the increasingly terrifying dynamic that emerges between two characters – Kathy Bates' unhinged, homicidal fan Annie Wilkes and the object of her affection/torture author Paul Sheldon (James Caan).
While many thrillers have explored the potentially dangerous relationships that can spawn from an unstable fan's obsession with a famous person, Misery absolutely nails the concept while exploring it through the lens of King's character-driven, macabre style.
8. Alien (1979)
93% on the Tomatometer
1986's Aliens gets lots of love for its James Cameron-honed sci-fi action and special effects. But if it's bone-chilling thrills you crave, Ridley Scott's 1979 original's got you covered. Its toothy, extraterrestrial antagonist – and, of course, that chest-bursting scene – easily earn it a spot on this list.
More than its in-your-face frights though, Alien deserves credit for consistently scaring with its claustrophobic, nightmare-conjuring atmosphere and a ratcheting sense of dread that more than lives up to its “In space, no one can hear you scream” tagline.
7. The Fly (1986)
93% on the Tomatometer
David Cronenberg's sci-fi classic mastered the “body horror” sub-genre long before it was even a thing. Thanks to its stomach-churning practical effects and makeup, 1986's The Fly is best remembered for scientist Seth Brundle's (Jeff Goldblum) graphic transformation.
But while the image of the titular monster melting a man's hand with acidic vomit will be forever burned in viewers' brains, it's his gradual, gruesome metamorphosis that makes for an unforgettable, foreboding cautionary tale on the dangers of messing with science.
6. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
95% on the Tomatometer
Psychological horror thriller The Silence of the Lambs is famous for many things – from the gripping dynamic between Jodie Foster's FBI agent Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins' imprisoned cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter to the latter's highly quotable lines (“I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”).
But the horror movie's ability to spike pulses beyond any doctor recommended level is its most notable achievement. If you need a reminder of its brilliance in this regard, just re-watch the audience-deceiving sequence where the FBI and Starling simultaneously ring doorbells at two different houses.
5. A Quiet Place (2018)
96% on the Tomatometer
The concept of an alien apocalypse brought on by terrifying extraterrestrials that can't see, but who relentlessly hunt and kill using their keen, otherworldly sense of hearing, could have come off like a shallow gimmick. But A Quiet Place thoughtfully leverages its simple premise to spin an incredibly taut, perfectly paced tale that'll have you subconsciously keeping as silent as the movie's perpetually imperiled survivors.
4. Psycho (1960)
97% on the Tomatometer
Nearly 40 years before Scream killed off Drew Barrymore in its opening moments, Psycho was offing its supposed star Janet Leigh in a scene that still has fans afraid to take a shower. Thanks to that shocking turn of events, the rest of Alfred Hitchcock's classic flick – which actually stars Anthony Perkins in a career-defining role – is a foreboding slow-burn that keeps rapt viewers wondering what will drop their jaws next. By the time we meet “Mother,” we've been nudged to the edge of our seat and our neck hairs are standing at full attention.
3. Jaws (1975)
97% on the Tomatometer
Jaws' iconic, ominous theme alone justifies its high ranking on this list. Even after nearly 50 years and dozens of viewings, the audio track is able to firmly place hearts in throats with just a few bars. But the minimalist, albeit highly effective, music represents just a fraction of the film's greatness.
The Steven Spielberg “stay out of the water” classic is credited as cinema's first summer blockbuster, but its story, characterizations, practical effects and perfect pacing earn it equal acclaim for elevating the thriller genre to new, pulse-pounding heights.
2. The Ring (1998)
98% on the Tomatometer
From its absolutely terrifying ghost-girl antagonist to the equally frightening, scared-to-death state she leaves her victims in, The Ring has managed to send even the most seasoned horror fans hiding under the covers. But the chilling imagery the Japanese supernatural hit has become synonymous with wouldn't be nearly as effective without the incredibly suspenseful tale – about a VHS tape-tied curse that claims its victims within a week – supporting it.
1. Get Out (2017)
98% on the Tomatometer
Blending smart social commentary with some serious Stepford Wives vibes, Jordan Peele's directorial debut subverts genre expectations while scaring the hell out of us. Eschewing typical tropes of horror movies before it in favor of psychological scares, stress-inducing tension and even some surprising humor, Get Out grabs you with an early twist and doesn't let go until its final, heart-racing encounter. The film earned Peele a Best Original Screenplay Oscar, as well as a faithful following of horror genre fans.
