It’s October. While I haven’t been watching as many horror films as I should be watching. Instead, I thought I’d take some time and share my thoughts on what I consider to be the essential and underrated horror films that I’ve seen. These films are in no order besides the order that I remember them. As a sidenote, I didn’t include Cache or The Night of the Hunter because I don’t feel they fit as true horror films. Enjoy and please let me know what I missed or goofed on in the comments.

We Are What We Are

I was blown away by this film when I first saw it. The ending shocked me and the acting and pace of the film created a perfect cloud of suspense. I like my horror films to be a bit crazy and this film managed to hit the perfect note on the crazy scale.

The Act of Killing

A documentary can’t be a horror movie you say? PSHHHHHHHH! If you watch this film and tell me that there isn’t an ungodly amount of horror in this film then your soul is black and void. The film scared the absolute shit out of me. The scariest part is that it is all real. This shit actually happened.

The Loved Ones

Batshit. Totally effin batshit film. It’s fun. It’s horrifying. It’s Australian. I can’t say enough about this one. Actually, saying any more than what I have already said will give too much away. Jus find a way to see this one.

Kill List

Easily the scariest final twenty minutes in a film I’ve ever seen. It threw me for a loop for fucking days. One of the few films that completely changes genre in the final twenty minutes. The film is brutal and provides, along with the ass clenching suspense, one of the most what the fuck endings ever. It’s a treat.

Rosemary’s Baby

Classic horror. You don’t need blood thirsty monster or ax wielding maniacs to deliver a truly frightening experience. Polanski may be an asshole, but the guy knows how a craft a truly creepy and unsettling film.

The Changeling

Perfect ghost story. It doesn’t get overly ridiculous and happened to cast one of the best actors working during that time George C. Scott. I inspect houses for a living. The big, old, vacant ones still give me the creeps due to this film.

The Shining

What can be said that hasn’t been said a thousand times. It is in my top five films of all time. It’s THE perfect horror film. Don’t agree? Maybe I should…correct you.

The Thing (1982)

Like The Shining, another perfect horror film. The special effects haven’t been done as good since and most likely will never be as good in a horror film. You ain’t getting Wilford Brimley’s blood and Kurt Russell sports the greatest beard ever committed to film. It’s amazing.

The Innkeepers

I love Ti West. He’s my favorite horror director working today. This is his slowest and creepiest. It builds perfect tension and features two characters who act like real people instead of horror devices. It’s another perfect ghost story and makes me want to work late nights in an empty hotel.

House of the Devil

Ti West’s homage to 80’s slasher films with a great twist ending. Tom Noonan should be cast in ever horror movie ever and the film also has probably the best and most alarming jump scare in film…twice…60 seconds from each other. If this film came out in the 80s it would be an instant classic.

28 Days Later

It took me YEARS to see this movie. The trailer scared the absolute shit out of me as a kid. The image above gave me nightmares for weeks. When I finally sat down to watch it, the most unique “zombie” film of all time opened my eyes. Alarming, horrifying, and loaded with emotional scenes. The empty London scenes are iconic.

Shaun of the Dead

Hilarious? Yes. Scary as shit and full of amazingly serious situations and acting from all involved? Also yes. I still think it’s the best traditional zombie film of all time. The fact that it’s hilarious only adds to its brilliance.

Psycho

What can be said? It changed the game forever. A work of genius.

Jaws

My favorite film of all time. Words can’t explain the amount of enjoyment I get from it. I’m still scared swimming in the ocean.

Alien

I love space horror, even the bad ones. This isn’t a bad one. It’s a brilliant one and among my most watched films of all time. The blu ray version of this is incredible.