L&G’s Top 30 Scary Movies

30. The Mothman Prophecies

Phone calls from an insect-like voice that may or may not be a real person, with the phone not even plugged in? Who the fuck even is Richard Gere and why is he in Point Pleasant? Plus it’s based on true event. Shit is just creepy.

29. The Devil’s Rejects

We usually aren’t fans of blatant gore for gore’s sake, but Rob Zombie won us over with this one. How could you not be scared of these people?

28. Identity

A psychological thriller mixed with the classic scary motel on the highway standard of  horror films.

27. The Hills Have Eyes

Sometimes you just have to sit bak and enjoy a guilt pleasure horror flick, this is one of those times.

26. 28 Days Later

An interesting and creepy update on classic zombie films.

25. High Tension

Reminiscent of some of the best slasher films and a reminder of how great said genre can be. Some girls you just don’t mess with.

24. The House on Haunted Hill

One of the best cheesy throwaway horror flicks, good only because it’s so self aware.

23. Jeepers Creepers

Great first hour, pretty mediocre last 30 minutes, but that first hour is so freakin weird and well done.

22. Splice

Science fiction horror at it’s best, without having to go into space for some crazy futuristic feel. The moment Adrian Brody bangs the alien girl he created, we knew there was just no going back. Disturbingly wonderful.

21. The Blair Witch Project

Sometimes all we can think of are boogers running down the girls face, but watch this movie again and you realize how subtle this film actually is. At times ridiculous and annoying, but overall a great “point of view” horror movie. Proves sometimes what you don’t see can be just as scary as what you do.

20. Cloverfield

Another point of view film. Not exactly scary, but definitely a lot of fun.

19. Panic Room

A thinking man’s claustrophobic scary movie.

18. Pan’s Labyrinth

What’s scarier? Fantasy or reality? This fantasy for adults will make you feel both the wonder and fear of childhood at it’s mos extreme.

17. The Gift

A quiet and strange supernatural film with one of the best casts on the list. While we don’t love the ending, we do very much like the rest of the film.

16. The Strangers

Not without it’s flaws, but is there really anything scarier than messed up weirdos coming to your house and fucking with you, violently?

15. Spirited Away

This PG film is likely not really meant to be a scary movie, but if we were children, this would have scared the absolute shit out of us. As adults, it’s just a creepy cartoon that takes us places we’ve never seen in films before or since with almost the entire film taking place at a bathhouse for spirits. (Not that kind of bathhouse.)

14. Scream

One of the only teen slasher flicks to offer something smart and interesting, ever. Works as both a fun entertaining film and an homage to all the classic horror movie makings.

13. Donnie Darko

Again, not necessarily intended to be a scary flick, but that life size bunny is like the muppets in hell. Gives us chills just thinking about it.

12. Sleepy Hollow

This update on the classic is a gothic classic in it’s own right.

11. The Others

This psychological thriller creates suspense without any special effects or gore, but through character development, atmosphere, and a great performance from Nicole Kidman.

10. Seven

The cast, the violence, the fact that there’s never any sunlight. There’s nothing really supernatural about this, but it’s just such a good time.

9. The Night Listener

Robin Williams plays a radio host who travels to meet some kid who may or may not be dying, or may not even be real. Disturbing on so many levels.

8. The Sixth Sense

This is probably one of the most well known films on the list, and there’s a reason it was such a huge hit, because it’s that good. At times more of a family film, but definitely interesting and sublte at it’s best.

7. Frailty

Another disturbing film that packs a yowza punch. A crazy religious dad making his kids do weird things? That sentence alone is enough to make us shiver.

6. What Lies Beneath

This underrated film starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeifer is a tongue in cheek ode to classic horror movie trickery. Basically just a showcase for Michelle Pfeifer to be awesome.

5. Bug

Maybe this ranked so high on our list because we are utterly terrified of bugs, but this film contains more tension, weirdness and suspense than most horror films we’ve seen.

4. The Descent

A sadistic creature flick about a bunch of women stuck in some underground tunnels. Ridiculousness ensues. We love it because its so female dominated, something extremely rare in horror films.

3. The Orphanage

Um, just look at that picture. Child ghosts with bags over their heads? A killer twist ending better than any on the list? This film is all about atmosphere that definitely plays with your mind. It’s horrific.

2. The Ring

This chilling to the bone suspense ride gives us one of the creepiest atmospheres and visuals we’ve ever seen on film.

1. Paranormal Activity

This is one of the few times when the film actually lives up to the hype. Many think this is over-rated, but there is literally nothing that scares us more than the image of that bedroom. This genius-played film messes with all the little nuances of horror films and amplifies them by building as the film carries on. The only scary movie to stay with us for months after leaving the theater.