The 50 Best Horror Films of All Time, According to Critics
Here's a ranking of the greatest horror films ever made, based on Metacritic scores.
Have you found yourself watching more scary movies than ever lately? You're not alone. Our fraught times have made many of us gravitate toward the most frightening films imaginable. But with so many great movies to choose from, where do you start? To make things a little less daunting, here's a list of the best horror movies of all time, according to critics.
This ranking is based on scores from review aggregator site Metacritic. To make sure this list focuses on the spookiest and most spine-tingling entries in the genre, we only included movies that can be firmly categorized as "horror." Some are funny, some are gory, some are decades-old classics, and some are new additions to the canon—but all of them are bound to get under your skin. And for more recommendations, these are The 18 Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now.
50
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Metascore: 81
And to see how the critics felt about other '90s movies, check out Ranking Every '90s Teen Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best.
49
The Exorcist (1973)
Metascore: 81
48
The Wailing (2016)
Metascore: 81
And for more movies the critics loved, These Are the Top-Rated Movies on Rotten Tomatoes.
47
Us (2019)
Metascore: 81
46
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
Metascore: 81
And for more of the all-time greatest films, discover The Best Movie That Came Out the Year You Graduated, According to Critics.
45
In Fabric (2019)
Metascore: 81
44
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Metascore: 81
43
Revenge (2018)
Metascore: 81
And to see how more thrillers stack up against each other, check out Ranking Every Alfred Hitchcock Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best.
42
Raw (2017)
Metascore: 81
41
Wait Until Dark (1967)
Metascore: 81
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40
Mandy (2018)
Metascore: 81
39
The Love Witch (2016)
Metascore: 82
38
Let the Right One In (2008)
Metascore: 82
37
Black Sabbath (1964)
Metascore: 82
36
A Quiet Place (2018)
Metascore: 82
35
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Metascore: 83
34
It Follows (2015)
Metascore: 83
33
Taxidermia (2009)
Metascore: 83
32
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Metascore: 83
31
The Lighthouse (2019)
Metascore: 83
30
The Witch (2016)
Metascore: 83
29
Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary (2003)
Metascore: 84
28
Under the Shadow (2016)
Metascore: 84
27
Carrie (1976)
Metascore: 85
26
The Host (2007)
Metascore: 85
25
Get Out (2017)
Metascore: 85
24
One Cut of the Dead (2019)
Metascore: 86
23
The Babadook (2014)
Metascore: 86
22
The Wolf House (2020)
Metascore: 86
21
The Wicker Man (1974)
Metascore: 87
20
Hereditary (2018)
Metascore: 87
19
Jaws (1975)
Metascore: 87
18
Eraserhead (1978)
Metascore: 87
17
Halloween (1978)
Metascore: 87
16
The Invisible Man (1933)
Metascore: 87
15
The Innocents (1961)
Metascore: 88
14
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Metascore: 89
13
Alien (1979)
Metascore: 89
12
Deep Red (1976)
Metascore: 89
11
Eyes Without a Face (1960)
Metascore: 90
10
King Kong (1933)
Metascore: 90
9
The Birds (1963)
Metascore: 90
8
Repulsion (1965)
Metascore: 91
7
Frankenstein (1931)
Metascore: 91
6
Werckmeister Harmonies (2001)
Metascore: 92
5
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Metascore: 92
4
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Metascore: 95
3
Don't Look Now (1973)
Metascore: 96
2
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Metascore: 96
1
Psycho (1960)
Metascore: 97
