Horror movies are, generally speaking, just meant to frighten you. It's their whole modus operandi - but that doesn't mean a horror film can stop there. They can make you laugh (like Evil Dead 2), or be action-packed, like Aliens. In fact, the best horror films usually run a gamut of emotions.

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One of those emotions is sadness. It makes sense, as cast members are often killed by masked maniacs or vengeful ghosts. Upsetting horror films are usually found as a subgenre of psychological horrors. Sometimes it's the ones you least expect that make you really sad.

10 Silent Hill Tackles Heavy Themes

Creepy nurses attack in Silent Hill movie.

There aren't many good video game movies out there. Most of the decent ones are still not highly praised. But 2006's Silent Hill, directed by Brotherhood Of The Wolf's Christophe Gans, is one of the few (if not the only) video game movie that is a solidly good film. Silent Hill was praised for its cinematography, perfectly capturing the morbid beauty and iconography of the games. Silent Hill's core story follows a cult - torturing and killing an innocent girl. The tragedy permeates the town and its residents, making Silent Hill harrowing and leads to a horrific - but cathartic - climax.

9 A Quiet Place Is Loud With Emotions

John Krasinski in A Quiet Place

After his feature directorial debut The Hollars, John Krasinski (who played Jim in The Office) tried his hand at directing horror with the smash hit A Quiet Place. A Quiet Place starred Krasinski and his real-life wife, Emily Blunt. Set in a post-apocalyptic world besieged by aliens who attack at the slightest sound, A Quiet Place follows a family just trying to survive. This family are still reeling from the tragic death of Lee's youngest son - the death that his eldest daughter (Millicent Simmonds) believes was her fault.

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While A Quiet Place is ostensibly a sci-fi horror piece, it's also just as much a family drama about the devastating sacrifices that sometimes need to be made to keep that family safe.

8 The Fly Gives Sympathy To The Monster

Brundle full transformed in 1986's The Fly

David Cronenberg's 1986 sci-fi/body horror film The Fly starred Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. The 1986 version is a remake of the 1958 cult classic of the same name starring Vincent Price. The Fly follows the genius scientist Seth Brundle (Goldblum), who strikes up a romance with the no-nonsense reporter Veronica, as he works on a revolutionary teleportation device. Things go awry when he accidentally merges with a housefly during a test-run, and the housefly teleports alongside him. Brundle then begins transforming into a grotesque half-man/half-fly hybrid monster, and things come to a head when Brundle becomes too far gone. By the end of The Fly, Quaife has to tragically mercy kill him out of love.

7 Mama Shows The Best - And Worst - Of Motherhood

mama movie

The 2013 horror film Mama was directed by Andy Muschietti (IT Parts 1 and 2) and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro. Mama follows two feral girls living in the woods who get adopted by a childless couple. However, unbeknownst to the couple, the girls were raised by a malevolent ghostly entity (the titular "Mama") who wants the children back. At its core, Mama is about the bond between mother and child and shows how that bond can be a beautiful and loving connection, or one that can turn toxic and destructive. Mama eventually leads to a tragic and bittersweet climax.

6 The Babadook Is A Metaphor For Coping

the babadook

The Babadook, from director Jennifer Kent, is about Amelia - an overwhelmed and overworked single mother. Amelia struggles to raise her troubled, neurodivergent son Sam (played by Noah Wiseman) while maintaining her sanity. The Babadook shows Sam becoming obsessed with a storybook called Mister Babadook, which is about the titular top-hat-wearing ghoul who tortures his victims from the shadows.

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As The Babadook continues, Amelia begins to believe in the Mister Babadook tale and also believes he's out to hurt her and Sam. However, the Babadook becomes a metaphor for mental illness. In the end, it's not about killing or banishing the Babadook, but about learning to live and cope with him.

5 The Others Confronts Trauma And Denial

the others movie

2001's atmospheric gothic ghost story The Others starred Nicole Kidman, and was a surprise hit at the time. The Others is set just after World War II and follows an overprotective mother living in a large mansion with two children who can't go in the sunlight. As time goes on, Kidman's character becomes convinced the house is haunted, and she becomes even more protective of her photosensitive children, causing a rift between them. In a devastating twist, the children discover the truth about their mother and their unfortunate circumstances - which is absolutely heart-wrenching to behold.

4 The Devil’s Backbone Is About The Ghosts Of Fascism

A boy looks into a pool of water in Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone

Guillermo del Toro's tragic story The Orphanage focusses on spiritual ghosts, as well as the lingering ghosts of fascism. The Orphanage taps into the pain and destruction causes by fascists, similar to the ones of the nascent Franco regime from the late '30s. The Orphanage follows a young boy named Carlos, who is taken in by an orphanage after his father dies in the Spanish Civil War. Carlos is visited by the ghost of a young boy, a victim of the fight between the loyalists and the fascist nationalists. The ghost ends up being a reminder of the innocent victims killed by fascism, in all its forms.

3 Frankenstein's Monster Is Misunderstood To The End

Universal Frankenstein

1931's classic Universal monster film Frankenstein is based on the classic horror novel of the same name by author Mary Shelley. Frankenstein centers a scientist, Dr. Frankenstein, who attempts to create new life by reanimating a corpse - stitching different body parts together. In Frankenstein, the Doctor's monster is played by legendary horror icon Boris Karloff, wearing the classic flat-topped head prosthetics by make-up artist Jack Pierce. Similar to the novel, the monster simply wants to be understood and become a part of humanity. But due to the persecution of everyone around him (as well as not being aware of his own strength), the monster is tragically killed in a fire.

2 The Mist Has An Unexpected Ending

David kills his family in the climax of The Mist

Frank Darabont's The Mist, based on the novella by Stephen King, is a great contained Lovecraftian monster film. The Mist follows the lead David Drayton (played by Thomas Jane), as he and his family get stuck inside a grocery store with other townspeople (including the vile Christian fanatic played by Marcia Gay Harden). As the titular mist covers the town, it brings along large tentacled creatures that start picking off the citizens one by one.

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Eventually, Drayton and his family, and a couple of other townsfolk, manage to escape. All hope seems to have been lost, with Drayton attempting to make the ultimate sacrifice by killing everyone (except himself) to save them from death by monster. Unfortunately, it prevails that the military is able to subdue the creatures, making his actions ultimately (and tragically) null and void.

1 Train To Busan Is Tear-Inducing

Train To Busan

The Korean-zombie film Train To Busan is one of the best zombie films ever made. It's scary, exciting, action-packed, and - best of all - emotional. Train To Busan follows the perpetually-overworked fund manager, Seo Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), as he and his estranged young daughter, played by Kim Su-an, try to survive a suddenly zombie-ravaged world. What follows is a harrowing adventure full of mayhem, biting social satire, and ultimately bittersweet tragedy. Train To Busan well worth watching, but the ending is more devastating than a zombie bite.

NEXT: 10 Best Horror Movies For People Who Aren't Fans Of The Genre