Top 10 Classic Horror Movies To Watch This Spooky Season

TV & Film

Sep 26

Christopher Lee's eyes — Image Source: IMDB

Regardless of your preferred horror subgenre, most fans can agree that nothing beats a good classic horror film! Whether you love the cheesy acting, bad effects, or creatures creeping in black and white, there really is a classic for everyone. For this list, I am considering a classic film anything released before 1990 (sorry, Scream). For many, this may seem like an early cutoff, but as a millennial born in 1992, I am not ready to consider the 90’s classic. So, here are ten classic horror films that you need to add to your spooky season watchlist!

10. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)

When most people think about Invasion of the Body Snatchers, they see the iconic scene with Donald Sutherland, his mouth agape. What you may not realize is that that film from 1978 is actually a remake! The original film follows a doctor, his ex-girlfriend, and his friend as they attempt to understand why everyone’s loved ones are being replaced by emotionless duplicates. They soon discover that this isn’t mass hysteria and is instead an alien invasion!

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is available to stream on Paramount+.

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9. Friday The 13th (1980)

This film is a classic and while many argue that Friday the 13th Part 2 is a better film, I will always stick with the original. It set the bar for slasher movies and gave audiences one of the best twists in cinematic history. The film follows a group of counselors who are preparing to reopen Camp Crystal Lake. Unfortunately, someone wants the camp to stay closed, and they are willing to kill to make sure it stays that way.

Friday the 13th is available to rent on Amazon Prime.

8. Dracula (1931)

The classic monster movies are still some of the best horror movies of all time, but Bela Lugosi’s Count Dracula stands tall above the others. The film follows the titular character as he makes his way to London to live in a castle and feast on the blood of young women. As he sets his sights on his next victim, he gains the attention of monster hunter Van Helsing who is determined to kill him before he can claim another victim.

Dracula is available to rent on Amazon Prime.

7. Psycho (1960)

There are very few horror fans who haven’t seen this classic film. It is easily one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films. It follows a secretary from Phoenix who is on the run after robbing her boss of $40,000. While traveling the backroads to avoid police, she runs into a heavy rainstorm that forces her to stop at the Bates Motel. There she meets the kind but strange owner, and her night soon turns to terror. There are so many amazing twists in this film!

Psycho is available to rent on Amazon Prime.

6. The Shining (1980)

While Stephen King may hate this Stanley Kubrick film, it truly is great. I mean, you can't go wrong with a crazy Jack Nicholson! The film follows the Torrance family who have decided to move into the Overlook Hotel for the winter. The father is a novelist who is hoping that the quiet of the hotel will cure his writer’s block and provide a change of scenery for his wife and young son. Instead, it results in pure terror for his family, and he slowly goes mad and the hotel seems to come to life.

The Shining is available to rent on Apple TV.

5. House On Haunted Hill (1959)

This is one of my favorite films on this list. Its cast is led by the legendary Vincent Price who plays a mysterious and wealthy man who invites a group of strangers to come and stay in his haunted home. If they make it through the night then they each receive $10,000. Unfortunately, murder and madness are waiting for them around every corner.

House on Haunted Hill is available to stream on Hulu.

4. Poltergeist (1982)

This is one of the best supernatural horror films ever made, and I watch it every spooky season! The film follows a family who move into a newly built neighborhood. Slowly, ghosts begin to communicate with their young daughter through their television and move things around their home. What begins as an interesting phenomenon soon turns to pure terror after the spirits kidnap their young daughter, and the parents must enlist all the help they can get if they are going to bring her back.

Poltergeist is available to rent on Amazon Prime.

3. Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)

This is the best of the classic monster movies because the creature is a character that you actually find yourself rooting for! The film follows a group of marine biologists who are tasked with searching a lagoon after the remains of a mysterious creature are found buried in sediment next to it. As they search for what they believe will be more remains, they quickly discover that something is lurking in the depths.

Creature from the Black Lagoon is available to rent on Amazon Prime.

2. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

This is one of the most recognizable films on the list and for good reason! Wes Craven was a true genius, and his work on the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise proves that. The film follows a group of teens who are being hunted by a horrifying killer in their dreams. As they drop one by one, Nancy is forced to face Freddy Krueger before he kills them all.

A Nightmare on Elm Street is available to stream on Max.

1. Halloween (1978)

This is the best horror classic of all time. It has everything you want in a horror film: blood, a masked killer, humor, and a few well-placed jump scares. The film follows Laurie Strode, a teen who is being unknowingly hunted by her brother Michael Myers after he escapes from the asylum he was being housed in after murdering his older sister 15 years earlier. No one is safe as Michael leaves a trail of bodies in his wake, forcing his former doctor and Laurie to battle the boogeyman.

Halloween is available to rent on Apple TV.

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