Box Office Theory's Top 50 Horror Movies (2018): THE REVEAL | The countdown is complete! Full list in the first post

[Krissykins]

See I was quite strict with newer films being on my list. 

 

If I’ve only seen them once or twice, they’re not on it. 

 

Nostalgia played a big part in mine though. More impressionable during the 90’s hence why I love 90’s horror the most (I was 12 years old in 1999)

[WrathOfHan]

2 hours ago, kitik said:

So one thing we've learned is that everyone has a different definition of horror movies. It's generally pretty easy to look at a movie and say whether it's animated or not. But sometimes it's not so easy to tell the difference between thriller and horror.

 

Some movies we can all agree on. The Conjuring, Hellraiser, It, A Nightmare on Elm St, those are all horror movies. 

 

But Night of the Hunter? Or Split? Or Jaws?

 

Now I loved the heck out of Split, but I chose not to put it in my list because I didn't want to put any Shyamalan movies on my list. Not because I don't like him, I've liked most of his movies, but because many of them are these little niches all their own.

 

 

So here's a thought. Next time there's a list of horror movies like this in a year or two, how about banning all of the "borderline" ones? And be strict about it. Limit the list to only the most easily defined movies.

 

Not that I'm trying to badmouth this list or anything. I love Split and Aliens and I'll have no problems seeing them on any "top whatever" lists. I'll be glad to see that other people appreciate good movies. And I know I put some movies on my list that some other folks here might not consider for a pure horror list either. So it's all good.

 

Just trying to offer a suggestion to make the next iteration of this different enough to be interesting. If people have a different subset of films to choose from, they'll make a different list.

 

 

And regarding this specific collection of lists, yeah, if YOU selected YOUR top horror movies, then it's all good. You did it right, and this list will be an accurate reflection of that.

I let anything listed as horror on IMDB/Letterboxd/Wikipedia be eligible for a reason. When you discriminate against certain movies but not others, it's unfair. People get scared/thrilled by different things. A lot of the fun would be taken out of doing the list if I had to strike down every 10 movies submitted

Edited October 22, 2018 by WrathOfHan

[WrathOfHan]

Gonna reveal a few more movies soon-ish.

[WrathOfHan]

47. Eraserhead (1977) (32 points)

 

Director and Screenwriter: David Lynch

 

Starring: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, and Jeanne Bates

 

Synopsis: Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.

 

Box Office: 7M

 

91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 81 on Metacritic

 

Submissions Received: 5

Average Position: 13^th

Top 5 Placements: 2

 

David Lynch makes his first (and last?) appearance on the countdown with his debut film Eraserhead. This movie is an extremely bizarre and disturbing horror flick that set the path for even MORE fucked up films from Lynch, but it is a good starting point for those unfamiliar with Lynch’s work. Eraserhead started Lynch’s working relationship with frequent collaborator Jack Nance, who plays the film’s protagonist Henry Spencer. We join Henry in his descent into madness as we witness the horrors of his new child. Nance gives a strong performance here that displays lots of anger, pain, and confusion, even though so much of it is subtle. Eraserhead is a great descent into the insane, and it is something everyone should check out.

 

Eraserhead was a gigantic passion pick. Despite being on only five lists, almost everyone ranked this in their top 25; I was the only one who didn’t, but I had it at 26^th. There were two top five votes and another in the top fifteen. The next film on the countdown received the same amount of points but had an advantage with one more list.

 

[WrathOfHan]

46. The Babadook (2014) (32 points)

Director and Screenwriter: Jennifer Kent

 

Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear

 

Synopsis: A widowed mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.

 

Box Office: 7.5M

 

98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 86 on Metacritic

 

Submissions Received: 6

Average Position: 23^rd

 

The Babadook is one of the most notable indie horror films of the past few years. This Australian film is the directorial debut of director Jennifer Kent, who still has not released a follow up! One of the movie’s biggest strengths is its blend of drama and horror. Essie Davis gives a fantastic performance as the widowed mother Amelia. Her performance is essential to the film being so effective because this is essentially a film about the horrors of grief. Without diving into spoilers, Amelia’s depression is what a large part of The Babadook revolves around, and you want her to become better throughout the film. Her son Samuel is incredibly obnoxious, but again, this is Jennifer Kent’s intent. His loud episodes make Amelia’s breakdowns even more effective. Of course, what is a horror movie without terrifying moments? The Babadook has plenty. Kent directs the scenes featuring the titular creature as if the audience was in the POV of a child battling an imaginary monster, which makes us feel as if we are right in the middle of the action. The Babadook is a movie that has its fans and haters (shading someone here), but you cannot deny the level of craft put into the film. It is an excellent modern horror film.

 

The Babadook tended to fall in the middle on most lists, which is reflected by its average position of 23^rd. This definitely is not the highest ranking horror film of the decade; we still have plenty to get through.

 

[WrathOfHan]

Going to take a break, but I'll have a few more reveals lined up for later tonight. In the meantime, here are the movies at the bottom of the list that received only one point each:

 

299. The Abominable Dr. Phibes

300. Black Sunday (1960)

301. The Exorcist III

302. Ghost Story

303. Lords of Salem

304. The Love Witch

305. Night of the Living Dead (1990)

306. Saw 2

307. Silent Hill

308. Stir of Echoes

309. The Strangers

310. Them (2006)

311. Vacancy

312. What Lies Beneath

[kitik]

Them (Ils) is a great movie. Great location, and legit scary. Quality ending. Definitely worth checking out for the horror fans here. You may find it listed under "Ils" instead of "Them". I briefly thought about including it on my top 50, but it's probably not quite that high up. Definitely way above average though.

 

I've managed to see Lords of Salem a couple of times in theaters somehow. I think I liked it more the second time than the first. If and when I watch it again, I hope I like it even more. It's challenging in parts, but it absolutely has a lot going for it too.

 

I finally saw The Abominable Dr Phibes for the first time a year or three ago. It was far more entertaining than I thought it would be. Had a blast watching it and would certainly watch it again some day.

 

Let's see, any other comments on that bottom list? Okay, Silent Hill. Of all the crappy video game movies, that's actually a pretty good one. A bit too video-gamey in places, but absolutely creepy as heck in other places. Probably deserves to be higher up the list. Not as fun to watch as Resident Evil, but the movie itself is actually more scary than Resident Evil, so that's a plus. I've certainly enjoyed it every time I've seen it.

[WrathOfHan]

45. The Descent (2005) (32.5 points)

 

Director and Screenwriter: Neil Marshall

 

Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring, and Nora-Jane Noone

 

Synopsis: A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.

 

Box Office: 57.1M

 

85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 71 on Metacritic

 

Submissions Received: 7

Average Position: 21^st

Top 5 Placements: 1

 

The Descent is director Neil Marshall’s second film after his debut Dog Soldiers. Marshall was actually very apprehensive about making this film as he did not want to become stereotyped as a horror director, so when he eventually agreed to make the film, he decided to spice it up a bit by making all the main characters female. This was a great step for diversity in the genre, and the film’s qualities go even further. Critics and audiences loved The Descent for its claustrophobic environment, high tension, and terrifying creature design for the crawlers. A sequel came out four years later to mixed reviews and horrible box office returns, but the original’s praise is still applicable today.

 

The Descent was a passionate pick on most lists. 5/7 lists submitted had it in the top 20, and one list had it in the top 5. It is tied with #44 in points, but that film had one extra submission to push it over the edge.

 

[Eric Duncan]

Solid lists, but I should note that Jennifer Kent has released a follow-up, albeit not in wide distribution yet. She recently directed The Nightingale, a film that opened just last month at the Venice Film Festival, and according to IMDB will be released next January.

[WrathOfHan]

44. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) (32.5 points)

Director: Robert Wiene

 

Screenwriters: Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer

 

Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover and Hans Twardowski

 

Synopsis: Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.

 

Box Office: Unknown

 

100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62 on Metacritic

 

Submissions Received: 8

Average Position: 25^th

Top 5 Placements: 1

 

Often considered to be the first true horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of the few foreign films that managed to make the countdown. Released during the German Expressionist period, Robert Wiene’s film is a technical masterpiece that features innovative production design and lighting achieved by the set design. “Dr. Caligari was not just influential for the horror genre; it also had a gigantic impact on the entire industry. It affected just about every single genre for decades, as did many other German Expressionist films. Jeff Saporito explains the historical significance of the film:

 

“Germany was largely isolated from the rest of the world following the first World War. Expressionism therefore became confined to the country, and refers to a number of creative movements from WWI through the 1920s. Expressionist works examined the current and future state of the culture through bold and artistic expressions of creativity, and often explored topics of madness, betrayal, and other intellectual concepts. Nothing encapsulates all these ideas more than The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. As German filmmakers and artists emigrated from the country over time, their work influenced art in other parts of the world. The expressionist movement was well in swing in other artistic mediums when it moved into the art of film. Now, almost a century later, Dr. Caligari is often cited as the cinematic height of the movement.”

http://screenprism.com/insights/article/why-is-the-cabinet-of-dr.-caligari-considered-the-definitive-german-express

 

Almost 100 years after its release, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is still highly regarded, and its impact on cinema and horror has not been forgotten.

 

Dr. Caligari appeared on 8 lists and pretty much stayed around the middle on most lists. Its average position of 25^th is very representative of that.

 

[WrathOfHan]

I'm done for the night, but here's a look ahead at the next four films:

 

#43: A prominent horror franchise's first appearance on the list

#42: One of the biggest horror films of the past few years

#41: A notable horror comedy

#40: The first film to appear on the countdown with a #1 vote

 

The countdown will continue tomorrow morning!

[baumer]

Ils is absolutely terrifying and it's gut-wrenching and it's horrific and it's another amazing achievement by French producer Grand Pierre. He's also responsible for doing martyrs.

[kitik]

A little surprised The Descent is this low. Seems like it would be perfect for some of the younger folks submitting lists. If you kids haven't seen it, you need to prioritize watching it. And then take a visit down to Mammoth Cave or someplace like that afterwards. IT'S REALLY GOOD!

 

17 minutes ago, Dr Loomis baumer said:

Ils is absolutely terrifying and it's gut-wrenching and it's horrific and it's another amazing achievement by French producer Grand Pierre. He's also responsible for doing martyrs.

 

 

Another high quality recommendation for Ils. I guarantee there are not 309 horror movies better than Ils.

 

So that's another one you guys need to check out. Though I suspect The Descent will be a bit easier to find for the handful of folks here who haven't seen it.

[baumer]

I also absolutely love Lords of Salem and it was actually pretty high on my list as well. Rob Zombie is a terrific filmmaker outside of the Halloween films. He hasn't done one film that I have not enjoyed outside of the Halloweens.

[WrathOfHan]

1 hour ago, Dr Loomis baumer said:

I also absolutely love Lords of Salem and it was actually pretty high on my list as well. Rob Zombie is a terrific filmmaker outside of the Halloween films. He hasn't done one film that I have not enjoyed outside of the Halloweens.

You had it at 47th; you’re the sole point  Unless 47 is high on a grander scale 🤔

[baumer]

Sorry. Lol. Thought I had it higher. My mistake. 

[Krissykins]

14 hours ago, WrathOfHan said:

Going to take a break, but I'll have a few more reveals lined up for later tonight. In the meantime, here are the movies at the bottom of the list that received only one point each:

 

299. The Abominable Dr. Phibes

300. Black Sunday (1960)

301. The Exorcist III

302. Ghost Story

303. Lords of Salem

304. The Love Witch

305. Night of the Living Dead (1990)

306. Saw 2

307. Silent Hill

308. Stir of Echoes

309. The Strangers

310. Them (2006)

311. Vacancy

312. What Lies Beneath

I forgot about Vacancy, that’s a great film. I think I was the person that included The Strangers, but I might’ve removed it lol

[WrathOfHan]

1 hour ago, Krissykins said:

I forgot about Vacancy, that’s a great film. I think I was the person that included The Strangers, but I might’ve removed it lol

Nope you had Strangers lol

 

Anyways, I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal shit this morning, so I haven’t been able to crank out a couple like I planned. I’m leaving to see Halloween in about 40 minutes, so maaaaaaybe I can squeeze one in now. Otherwise, the countdown will continue later.

[WrathOfHan]

43. Army of Darkness (1992) (33 points)

Director: Sam Raimi

 

Screenwriters: Sam and Ivan Raimi

 

Starring: Bruce Campbell and Embeth Davidtz

 

Synopsis: A man is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home.

 

Box Office: 25.5M

 

72% on Rotten Tomatoes, 57 on Metacritic

 

Submissions Received: 5

Average Position: 12^th

Top 5 Placements: 1

 

The Evil Dead franchise makes its first (and certainly not last) appearance on the countdown with Army of Darkness. This is a big departure from the first two films of the franchise as Ash gets transported back to medieval times, which threw some audiences and critics off-guard at the time of release. However, fans of the series look back fondly on the film, and it has become a favorite of the genre for many.

 

As that last sentence suggestions, this was a big favorite among those who voted for it. Army of Darkness received one top three placement, and three of the other four had it right at tenth. Just how high did the rest of the series place on the list?

 

[kitik]

Guess I must have been one of the folks who had it at #10. Should be higher on this list, you primitive screwheads!

 

And just right this second, I thought of the movie Ginger Snaps for some unknown reason. Anyone vote for that on this list? I might have considered it. I demand the next list be top 100, not top 50.

 

50 is way too limiting for top horror films.