What is fear? It is certainly something objective. It does not work the same way for all people. Throughout the history of cinema, there have been many horror movie titles that have appeared, some with more box office success and others with less.
Although the genre of horror movies it has not always been valued well among critics, there are some titles that have reached the top. These are films that cannot be missed among the highlights of the best moviegoers.
Horror movies can be classified into subgenres. On the one hand, there is often talk of psychological terror, in which we "play" with our mind. There is also the gore terror, characterized by blood and violence more extreme. Finally, we must highlight a subgenre for a younger audience called "slasher", where a murderer is eliminating victims who are teenagers for the most part.
The ring, 2002
"The ring" is the North American version of a 1998 Japanese horror film called "Ringu”, Based in turn on a novel of the same name.
It should be remembered that the names of actresses that were considered for the title role were Jennifer Connelly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale. Would finally be Naomi Watts who would put a face to the character, who on the other hand would launch him to fame.
The story centers on a mysterious cursed videotape made up of random nonsensical images. Whoever looks at the images receives a call advising that he has seven days to live.
The movie was a total blockbuster, and also of criticism.
Record, 2007
Manuela Velasco played Ángela Vidal, a reporter who has to interview a group of firefighters in a normal working day. When the entire team enters an old building in Barcelona to help an old woman, things start to get stranger every time. There are a virus that has caused a bloodthirsty being to be all over the building.
Your shoot in the form of mockumentary it gives us the feeling of being in the same building.
Poltergeists, 1982
A must-have title among horror movies and one of the great classics from the 80s. It is said, Steven Spielberg He was inspired for this film by his own childhood fears.
The special effects were made by Industrial Light and Magic, a company founded in 1975 by George Lucas.
As for the plot, the story is based on a family with three children, who gradually experience strange events. Carol-Anne, the little girl comes down to the living room and sees a strange presence behind the screen. At that moment he pronounced the famous phrase "They're here".
Although there have been some attempts to rescue the franchise, shooting a Poltergeist remake, for now it is best to remember the first one.
Scramble, 1996
The Scream saga has grossed more than $ 600 million worldwide. The initial idea for "Scream" was to parody classic scary movies. However, it had a revitalizing effect by combine the best teen-horror style, or "slasher", with humor and clever plot.
In the fictional city of Woodsboro we find a masked murderer with the mask of a terrible gesture, whose main hobby is tormenting innocent victims with his macabre phone calls.
Warren expedient. 2013
James Wan took a real case as the basis for this film. In 1971, parapsychologists Lorraine and Ed Warren investigate a farm where a family that has just moved begins to experience paranormal phenomena.
El real terror from "Warren File" is in what is not seen, and that was a great contribution to the cinema. All this with an excellent staging.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 1974
La visit to the grave of the grandfather of some teenagers, unleashes a terrible episode of savagery, violence and cannibalism. A very tough movie, shot with amateur actors, which was a revolution in the cinema of those years, and laid the groundwork for the "slasher" genre, with the killer taking down his victims one at a time.
Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984
Continuing with the "slasher" style, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" enhanced this film subgenre, at a time when it was in the doldrums. It generated a long franchise, always with the terrible claws of Freddy Krueger, whom in all cases he put face (and in what way) Robert Englund.
The story centers on a group of young people who have nightmares in which a man with a deformed face is chasing them. For this he uses a glove that ends in very sharp blades. In a mix of murders, dreams and realities, young people are dying in an inexplicable way.
As a curious fact, we must remember that "A Nightmare on Elm Street" was one of the first times that Johnny Deep appeared on the big screen.
The Shining, 1980
The known Stephen King horror novel, served as the basis for one of the best horror films in history.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley DuvalHe tells us the story of Jack Torrance, a writer in low hours who accepts the position of guard in an isolated hotel, back in the Colorado desert.
Evil lives in the area and the poor writer is influenced by it. In parallel to the family violence that breaks out in Jack's environment, different unexplained phenomena occur around the family. But the child has a special ability, and that is why it is called "radiance."
The Devil's Seed, 1968
Directed by Roman Polanski and played by Mia Farrow, it is one of the most famous films made in its time, for its history and for a black legend associated with the same film.
A married couple from New York move to a building across from Central Park, which has, they say, a curse.
Once installed, they become friends with some neighbors who fill them with attention. Faced with such prospects, the couple decides to have a child; But, when Rosemary gets pregnant, the only thing she remembers It is having made love to a strange creature. And it is not a mental issue, because your body is full of amazing marks.
The plans shot by Polanski are disturbing, and the sound effects as well. Is about generate the same concern in the viewer, in a similar way to what the protagonist suffers.
The Exorcist, 1973
One of the Essential titles among the best horror movies ever and a true reference. It is based on a novel by William Peter Blatty about an actual exorcism, carried out in Washington in 1949.
In your argument, Regan, a twelve-year-old girl, is a victim of paranormal phenomena such as levitation and other superhuman manifestations.
The mother of the little girl, seized with terror, subjects her daughter to multiple medical tests that do not offer any results. Then make the decision to go to a priest with psychiatric studies. With the conviction that it is a diabolical possession, he begins the process to practice an exorcism.
"The Exorcist" has two Oscars: best adapted screenplay and best sound.
Such was the expectation and the climate of tension that was experienced with this film that, on the same day of the premiere, viewers in the screening room suffered nervous breakdowns. As a precautionary measure (and also a marketing maneuver), the owners of the movie theaters decided to park ambulances and health services at the doors of the rooms.
Alien, the eighth passenger
The film that launched sigouney weaver it was a resounding box office success. For this reason, it generated an important franchise of novels, toys, icons, video games and comics. Directed by Ridley Scott.
What is the argument? In the Nostromo cargo ship there are seven crew members and they are heading to a strange planet, because of that the ship's central computer has detected a strange transmission of an unknown life form.
This movie is considered the precursor of modern terror. It got the Oscar for the best special effects.
Saw, 2004
It is found in an underground chamber. His name is Adam and he has another person by his side, chained like him. It's Dr. Lawrence Gordon. A dead person separates them. Although they do not know why they are there, they discover a recording with instructions ordering Dr. Gordon to assassinate Adam within eight hours.
Both are victims of a macabre game, carried out by a psycho who calls himself Jigsaw. Ambost have very few hours to unravel a puzzle that could save or end their life.
The Blair Witch Project, 1999
In 1994, some young people entered a forest to shoot a documentary about a true local legend, “The Blair Witch”. Although nothing was heard from them again, the camera with which they shot was found, and the facts that led to his disappearance were discovered.
Image sources: Film Blog / Living Room Lights