Top 10 Scariest Films

Welcome, dear horror fans or those unacquainted with the genre, to a journey of exploration into the very darkest recesses of the human psyche, to the primeval fear of that which goes bump in the night, the boogeyman in the cupboard. Awaken that shivering child under the sheets as we take a trip to the horrible, the gory and the bloodee in this Top 10 Scariest Films.

Sure to make you break out in a cold sweat - The Shining (Kubrick, 1980)

From the twisted cinematic craft of director Stanley Kubrick comes this adaptation of the Stephen King novel, in which Jack Nicholson terrorizes his wife and child in the hallways of an abandoned, haunted hotel. While only one murder happens on screen, it is the slow and steady descent into madness of father Jack Torrance shot in such a claustrophobic setting which makes you burrow into the back of your seat. Certain scenes such as Torrance embracing a rotting woman in the bath may seem a little hammy today but Kubrick’s legendary attention to detail pays off in showing that having a good narrative is essential in freaking people.

High-point: “Here’s Johnny!”

Low-point: Shelley Duvall’s entire screeching performance. Dear God, Jack, show her the meaning of Redrum next time!

Innovation through gore – Cannibal Holocaust (Deodato, 1980)

Still little-known to this day, few films have split the critical community like Cannibal Holocaust. The story of a film crew captured, raped and murdered by cannibal tribes in South America may not seem innovative today, but the brutal direction of Deodato and the harsh realities of life on set, in which animals were really slaughtered and actors encouraged to have sex with each other almost seems as brutal as the stunning executions on camera. The slow impalement of a captured tribeswoman stands out as one of this film’s unforgettable moments but the first-person camera-style and the rumours that this was a real ‘snuff film’ which led to Deodato being arrested and the film being banned make this a true fixture of the genre, long before Blair Witch Project made a lame grab for the throne.

High-point: THAT impalement scene.

Low-point: Lame sub-plot attempts to make this film a social commentary on modern civilization. Watch the gore, and forget about the rest.

Unexpected Offing of the Hero – Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960)

Few remember just how big Janet Leigh was in her time. All remember what an absolute bastard Alfred Hitchcock could be to his leading actresses, icy blondes the man had no chance with which he would put through hell during his shoots. However, Hitchcock was a master at psychological drama and knew his audiences well. The brutal murder of Leigh’s character in the shower, and the stunning revelation of Norma Bates’ true identity stand out as two unmissable scenes, but personally, Psycho’s creepiness is better embodied in a single shot, taken from the top of the stairs as Norman Bates looks down on the soon-to-be-deaded Arbogast, hovering like a bird of prey. Flawless cinematography.

High-point: The beginning of the movie following Janet Leigh as we know she is going to be killed. Even ‘I am your father’ didn’t top that shock.

Low-point: The epilogue with Norman Bates finally dominated by his mother, and the superimposed montage of their two faces. Mildly scary but ineffective, we already get it.

Zombies Fuck Your World - Living Dead Series – (Romero, 1960s-2000s)

The zombie movie to end all zombie movies, Night of the Living Dead gave rise (badum-tish!) to a whole sub-genre of horror. The slow shuffling undead may seem really cheesy by today’s standards but the very charitable relaunch of the series in recent years renders them far more terrifying. The flesh-eating barbarism of the zombies and sheer slaughter of the main characters makes it tough not to wish it all away. Close your eyes if you want, but we owe the coolness of zombies to one man. Romero, we are not worthy.

High-point: “Choke on ‘em”, last words from Captain Rhodes as he gets vividly ripped in half.

Low-point: Ben getting capped in the head by the rescuing army who mistake him for a zombie. Poignant social commentary but God, you want him to escape.

Very Best of Thrillers – Ringu (Nakata, 1998)

Already risen to the pantheon of horror gods within a decade of its release, Ringu engulfed Japan and the world as viewers feared to turn on their TV sets. For a country that knows its horror, the sheer impact of Ringu is enough to warrant any seeing it. The tale of Sadako and her thirst for revenge is an awesome plot, belying great suspense acting from Matsushima Nanako and Sanada Hiroyuki. The sheer incomprehension of the characters as they try to escape matches the willing suspension of belief demanded of spectators and Sadako takes her place among the very greatest horror characters of all time.

High-point: Sadako climbing out of the TV to claim Ryuji’s life.

Low-point: None.

Cinema Masterclass – The Exorcist (Friedkin, 1973)

The Exorcist bears no introduction. Even the most avid hater of the horror genre has heard of this 70s classic, narrating the possession of a young child, Regan, by a demonic spirit and two priests’ fight to exorcise it. Visually stunning with iconic examples of the possession (head rotating 360°, crucifix masturbation), it was Friedkin’s clever melding of multiple storylines and subliminal imagery that made the Exorcist deliver a rabbit-punch to all who watched it, and cemented it as one of the most thought-out and groundbreaking horror films.

High-point: The climatic exorcism finale which claims the lives of both the priests.

Low-point: Some of the scenes showing Regan falling to Pazuzu are a little much, such as the copious urination as she comes down the stairs.

The Juiciest Story – Three Mothers Trilogy (Argento, 77-07)

Dario Argento’s trilogy about the terrifying Three Mothers, aka Death Personified, may have spanned thirty years, but the first two instalments in particular, Suspiria and Inferno, are must-sees for all horror fans. Forget snazzy special effects, liberally-splattered gore, Argento’s art shines in two ways. His love for the camera as every shot is set-up and lit as its own tableau, and his plot-driven style with a solid backstory given to the Three Mothers. The mothers’ brutal and innovative murders, the action keeping up the pace of the movie, the high body-count keep viewer on the edge of their seats.

High-point: Read this account on the first murder in the series: The first student to die initially has her face shoved through a window, then she is stabbed in the heart repeatedly (in close up), then she is tied up, and her body dropped through the glass skylight of a building, only to be stopped in mid-fall by a rope around her neck. A large shard of glass from the skylight claims the second victim, also a young woman. Need anything else be added?

Low-point: The Mother of Tears, released in 2007, suffered both from coming too late after Suspiria and Inferno, and from shoddy directing and producing following twenty years of stop and starts. It was disconnected in viewers’ minds and was panned by critics, despite not being a bad movie on its own.

Torture Porn – Hostel (Roth, 2005)

The first foray into a sub-genre that would soon be labelled ‘torture-porn’, Hostel showed backpackers getting kidnapped by a murder-for-profit venture and sold to the highest bidder to practice his dreams of torture. However, the story comes a very distant second to watching young and attractive people get carved up in innovative ways. While the media naturally rose up against Hostel, Eli Roth’s eye-catching movie grossed millions at the box office and holds its place as perhaps the best horror film of the 21^st century so far.

High-point: The Dutch businessman explaining carefully that he is simply fulfilling his dreams of becoming a surgeon before torturing Josh to death is simply deliciously dark.

Low-point: Paxton’s vengeful murder of aforementioned Dutch businessman on the train. Much better to have no-one survive, methinks.

Stockholm Syndrome – Saw Series (Various, 2004-?)

Many serial killers have earned a place in folklore, Jason, Freddy or Michael to name a few. However, none of them have been so instantly charismatic, so envied for their intelligence and sheer deviousness as the Jigsaw Killer, played with superlative skill by Tobin Bell. His skewed sense of righteousness, engineering prowess and calculating mind always put him several steps ahead of any would-be apprehender, and audiences cannot help but admire him. The sheer variety of traps and mental torture he enacts upon his victims make him memorable as one of the greatest characters of any horror franchise. Unfortunately, the weakness of Saw IV and the planned releases of V and VI have put Saw in danger of being reduced to the very formulaic nature its original outing sought to counter-balance. But if you had to place your money on one series overcoming these odds, Saw would be it.

High-point: The traps! The jaw splitter, the needle pit, the razor wire maze, the Venus Flytrap/Iron Maiden head trap, all of these testaments to Jigsaw’s genius.

Low-point: The decline of the series at every new instalment.

Slashers R Us – Halloween (Carpenter, 1978)

While many series can lay claim to the slasher genre crown, Halloween stands head-and-shoulders above the rest. Its inception by the master that is John Carpenter, its coming before other pretenders such as Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13^th, and the sheer cool of Michael Myers. Forget childhood issues, dream monsters, or unsatisfied losers, the aura of mystery around Myers remained intact as he savagely butchered his way around town, his features always obscured by his hockey mask. Following sequels sought to pad out the story, showing Michael obsessed with slaying his sister but the original pays testament to all that is good (or bad) with the horror genre, and helped launch the career of Jamie Lee Curtis.

High-point: Michael’s body missing as Dr. Loomis looks out the window. Chills. Spine. Tingling.

Low-point: The selling-out of the series, retconning and eventual remake by Rob Zombie.

Written by Chris Dalby

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