All Horror films are my children! But here’s my Top 5 favourite 🤭

October 9, 2025730 words

Emily English

As a horror movie connoisseur such as myself, the question I get asked ALL the time is “whats your favourite scary movie?” To be completely honest I never have a straight answer. I usually end up going on a long-winded rant about how's theres so many different sub-genres of horror and what makes each decade of horror movies uniquely special to me. Suffice to say, this month's writing challenge made me sit down, think long and hard, and come up with a “Top 5 List" of my absolute all-time favourite horror films. It wasn't easy (it was pretty much impossible) but here it is..

Anybody who knows me, knows that Ari Aster's Midsommar is a film I haven't been able to shut up about since it was released. This film is so incredibly stunning and complex yet still manages to scare the sh*t out of it's viewers. Midsommar is an absolute whirlwind of candy-coloured imagery, disturbing deaths and problematic characters. The thing that gets me to watch this film once a month though, is the impressive amount of layers it has. I find out something new and disturbing every time I watch it. A rare horror gem in my books!

Let me start of by saying that Rob Zombie is my biggest artistic inspiration. He's a horror filmmaker, a heavy metal musician AND he's vegan. Also, he just so happen to make one of the greatest horror films ever made (controversial opinion, I know). House of 1000 Corpses feeds me everything I crave and more when it comes to what I'm looking for in a horror film. A murderous family of cannibalistic “hillbillies”, outrageous dialogue, insanely grotesque creatures and an amazing sound track. Not to mention the cinematography is a feast for the eyes, with rich hues and striking contrast that evoke the feel of classic horror films while still feeling fresh and innovative. This film reminds me why I love horror films so much.

It's hard to make a “Hall of Fame” horror movie list and not include Wes Craven's Scream. This film came out at a time when the slasher sub-genre was dying out, it managed to completely deliver as a witty, self aware and totally inventive cinematic experience. When taking all the horror films ever made into consideration, this is definitely the #1 film made for horror movie fans. It includes a sneaky cameo from Linda Blair, about a gazillion horror movie references, an iconic killer and plays off all the horror genre cliches in a way that feels extremely clever. This modern horror classic is a beautiful love letter to all the horror films that came before.

Is it the 80's campiness? Is it the impressive SPFX? Who knows.. But there's something about Tom Holland's Fright Night that makes it so damn loveable. From the shadowy candle-lit environments to the terrifying vampire makeup, this movie exudes Halloween time vibes. The vampires in the this film are absolutely terrifying but at the same time this film feels so comforting. It might have something to with the charming cast of characters (including a sexy creature of the night played by Chris Sarandon) or the overall cozy atmosphere. Whatever the case may be, Fright Night will always hold a special place in my heart and forever be at the top of my Halloween movie night watchlist.

The Evil Dead (2013) remake directed by Fede Alveraz is a perfect re-imagining of the original. I said what I said. This film is a blood-soaked, gory masterpiece that is truly terrifying. The first time I watched this film I was completely gobsmacked with how many different levels of horror it covered. The creepy messages in the human skin bound book, the disturbing tongue splitting scene and the unsettling atmosphere of the dark, damp woods. Each of these aspects of the film trigger a slightly different feeling, together they create the perfect horror movie viewing experience. Now don't get me wrong, I love the original Evil Dead as much as the next horror movie fan but this film stuck with me since the moment it came out.

At the end of the day, I could've added 1,000 more horror films to this list but I'll have to share my love for the next 995 films in future articles.. Thanks for reading! Let me know what your favourite spooky season films are below :)