Few forms of entertainment can reach the staggering heights that are possible in movies. The cinematic experience often goes unrivaled in terms of scope, storytelling, and spectacle, but there's an extra level of excitement that often surrounds the horror genre. There's nothing quite like getting terrified by a good horror movie, especially when that terror is communally shared by an audience in a movie theater.
There's a wide range of horror movies, some of which skew towards different extremes or are more effective under particular circumstances. Some horror movies are more or less effective when they're rewatched, but some movies gain additional depth and weight when they're watched as an adult. The hindsight of life experience can make a huge impact on some horror movies.
10 A Quiet Place Pits A Family Against The Apocalypse
There are a lot of reasons to appreciate A Quiet Place, whether it's the film's clever premise or the disturbing design behind the central creatures. However, it's the close-knit family dynamic that really helps the material excel.
A Quiet Place is more than just a story about survival and figuring out how to outsmart an impossible threat. It raises questions about how to do that as a family and the sacrifices parents selflessly make for their children. A Quiet Place is tense and frightening to begin with, but it's a more uncomfortable experience for parents who can imagine their children stuck in this scenario.
9 Sinister Unravels A Disturbing Mystery That Will Jade Any Adult
Some truly disturbing horror movies have come out in the past two decades. However, Sinister is an especially destabilizing experience due to the traumatic home video footage frequently present in the movie.
The obsessive mystery that Ethan Hawke's character gets caught up in will keep anyone engaged, but the discoveries that he makes which implicate children in grisly murders are genuinely disturbing. Sinister is about maintaining sanity and keeping one's family safe, but it also effectively unpacks how sometimes the worst horrors come from within.
8 The Good Son Makes A Parent Consider The Worst About Their Children
There's a natural weight to stories that explore the idea that someone's innocent child might be deeply deranged or even supernatural in nature. There's such depth to this premise that it's turned into a popular horror sub-genre. Movies like We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Bad Seed will make any parent squirm, but The Good Son is extra effective in this regard.
No parent wants to consider that their child might have deep psychological problems, and The Good Son creates even more tension with a scared, confused sibling as the one who's most alarmed.
7 Hereditary Is An Emotional Onslaught Even Without The Supernatural Elements
The horror genre frequently explores morose territory, but Ari Aster's two feature films, Hereditary and Midsommar, are true exercises in crushing despondency. Hereditary is about as visceral and emotionally draining as a horror movie gets. A cult and a Satanic curse are at the center of Hereditary, but the movie hits hardest with its presentation of the slow dissolution of a family in pain.
Toni Collette's performance as a grieving mother is unparalleled, and the movie is even more difficult to get through for a parent who's lost a child or can simply imagine such a tragedy.
6 The Omen Shows That The Antichrist Can Come In Many Forms
The horror genre is full of movies that explore Satanic rituals and the idea that someone's offspring might be a harbinger of darkness. The Omen is a foundational horror movie in this sub-genre, and it's hard to top what it accomplishes with young Damien.
The entire Omen saga depicts Damien's maturity into the Antichrist, and the first movie is so effective because of young Damien's supposed innocence. Both the audience and the Thorne family don't know if Damien is truly evil, and they're forced to consider the worst about this young boy.
5 It Chapter Two Forces Adults To Confront Their Pasts
Andy Muschietti deserves a lot of credit for what he accomplishes with his It two-parter. He faithfully brings one of Stephen King's most formative texts to life, and he creates a genuinely frightening version of the infamous Pennywise.
Muschiettit's first It movie is undeniably better than its successor, which struggles with tone, yet It Chapter Two does work better for audiences who have actually grown up. The whole point of It's second chapter is to juxtapose the youth of the Losers Club with their adult selves. It's a journey that's more poignant for those with the benefit of hindsight.
4 Rosemary's Baby Turns The Miracle Of Life Into An Anxiety Attack
Movies that depict children in peril can often induce extra anxiety in adults, but a comparable feeling can be generated by stories where pregnant women are the prey. Rosemary's Baby is one of Roman Polanski's very best movies, and it remains a landmark contribution to the horror genre.
The movie is immaculate visually, but it's absolutely devastating to watch Mia Farrow's Rosemary get gaslit and manipulated by everyone she trusts. Pregnancy is such a vulnerable period in a woman's life, and capitalizing on that for the purpose of horror is just chilling.
3 The Conjuring 2 Unleashes Demons On A Fragile Family
James Wan's Conjuring franchise, which looks at the paranormal exploits of Ed and Lorraine Warren, has grown into one of the biggest cinematic universes of all time. Most of the spooky stories from the series feature families in peril, and The Conjuring 2's Hodgson clan is a single mother who struggles to raise four children on her own.
Peggy Hodgson fears for her children, and they all seem highly susceptible to the demonic forces present in the movie. The demonic entities from the Conjuring universe are all horrific, but The Conjuring 2 is particularly interested in this frayed family.
2 Child's Play Turns A Toy Into A Kid's Worst Nightmare
The Child's Play horror franchise has surprisingly endured through multiple decades and even recently successfully transitioned from film to television. The Child's Play movies largely focus on the playful yet disturbing, murderous doll, Chucky. Chucky has grown into a beloved horror mascot, but the original movies also explore some very dark ideas.
The first movies place a sizable amount of guilt on young Andy Barclay as he's bland for Chucky's crimes and treated like he's the one who's disturbed. Chucky is also motivated to take over Andy's body, adding another layer of child endangerment to the movie.
1 Ouija: Origin Of Evil Adds Supernatural Stress To Single Parenting
The original Ouija horror film is a forgettable movie that doesn't bring anything new to the genre. However, its standalone prequel, Ouija: Origin of Evil, is an exceptional take on the creepy device. Helmed by horror auteur Mike Flanagan, Ouija: Origin of Evil unleashes a standard evil entity through its titular board and depicts it in some effectively evil ways.
There are some well-constructed scares in the movie. However, Origin of Evil works so well because of its believable depiction of a single mother who's at the end of her rope, yet determined to provide for her children and keep them safe.