Box Office Theory's Top 100 Horror Movies: Vol. 2 | #1 has been revealed!

[WrathOfHan]

19. Suspiria (1977) (77 Points)

Previous Ranking: #23 (+4)

 

Director: Dario Argento

 

Screenwriters: Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi

 

Starring: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Barbara Magnolfi, Susanna Javicoli, Eva Axén, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett

 

Synopsis: An American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders.

 

Box Office: 1.8M

 

Critical Reviews: 93% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 13

Average Position: 31st

Top 5 Placements: 1

 

 

Dario Argento’s Suspiria lands with a slight increase from the 2018 countdown and is the highest ranking international feature this year. In only 99 minutes, Argento establishes an isolated world inside a dance academy. As the film follows the outsider Suzy, the coven’s secrets begin to surface, eventually culminating in a chaotic finale. For a low budget film, Suspiria feels expansive thanks to Argento’s masterful direction.

 

With more submissions but a lower average than 2018, Suspiria eked into the Top 20. The average for Argento’s Suspiria is only one point lower than Guadagnino’s remake. 

 

[TomCruiseTop]

16 minutes ago, baumer said:

I've said it before so I'll repeat it here, the last shot in TBWP is imo, the greatest final shot in horror movie history.  I'd say the ending of Halloween (78) is a good second choice but with Mike standing in the corner and Heather just getting knocked out and then the camera just standing still, yes, it gave me goosebumps and still does.

Agreed.

 

14 minutes ago, Krissykins said:

Did you get to see it in the cinema Baumer? I was too young, but I remember the hype around it. 

I did. I remember getting shivers at that final shot. The sounds that play over the end credits still give me goosebumps. I can recall it in my head without even listening to it the memory is so strong. It's sort of like the sound of stones falling down a well but you're far away (maybe at the bottom).

[WrathOfHan]

18. Black Swan (2010) (88 Points)

Previous Ranking: #38 (+19)

 

Director: Darren Aronofsky

 

Screenwriters: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John McLaughlin

 

Starring: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey,   

 

Synopsis: A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".

 

Box Office: 329.4M

 

Critical Reviews: 85% on RT

 

Appearances on Other BOT Lists: 26th on Top 100 of the 2010s

 

Won Best Actress (Natalie Portman) and nominated for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, and Editing at the Academy Awards

 

Submissions Received: 9

Average Position: 24th

#1 Placements: 1

Top 5 Placements: 3

 

Darren Aronosfky’s Black Swan saw the second highest increase from the 2018 countdown, doubling its previous ranking. With intense buzz leading up to its release, Black Swan broke a host of box office records for a film its size and is still in the top ten highest grossing horror films of all time. Natalie Portman’s mesmerizing Nina Sayers captures the horrors found in perfection, and she gives one of the best performances ever put to film. Portman’s strengths are heightened by Aronofsky’s claustrophobic filmmaking, making Nina’s pain and obsessions inescapable. Black Swan is the third highest ranking film from the 2000s on the countdown, but if you ask me, it’s the best of modern horror. Fittingly, the next film on the countdown is one of Aronofsky’s biggest influences over Black Swan.

 

Black Swan is the final film on the countdown to appear with less than 10 submissions. It’s also the first film to have a higher ranking than its average position thanks to three Top 5 placements, one of which was a #1 vote.

 

 

 

 

[baumer]

34 minutes ago, Krissykins said:

Did you get to see it in the cinema Baumer? I was too young, but I remember the hype around it. 

 

Yes!  I was 19 at the time.  Summer of 99 was one of my greatest movie going times.  Started with Phantom Menace then I remember seeing Sixth Sense, the massively under rated Stir of Echoes and of course Blair Witch.  I saw it three times at the theatre.  The first time kind of knocked me on my butt.  And I remember going camping that summer with my best friend and we were both scared at night lol.  

[baumer]

22 minutes ago, JamesCameronScholar said:

Agreed.

 

I did. I remember getting shivers at that final shot. The sounds that play over the end credits still give me goosebumps. I can recall it in my head without even listening to it the memory is so strong. It's sort of like the sound of stones falling down a well but you're far away (maybe at the bottom).

 

WOW!!  That so perfectly describes it.  Thanks for putting that into words, it's so vivid in my mind as well.

[baumer]

Suspiria is considered by many to be the best Giallo out there.  I haven't seen them all but I've seen a good share of them and I would have to agree.  The thing about Suspiria is that it is so chock full of atmosphere that even if it wasn't directed as well as it was, it would still be a terrific film.  Argento's influence has trickled down into mainstream Hollywood so much so that film makers copy shots of his, especially from Suspiria.  Fincher, in Panic Room, paid homage to Suspiria with one of the shots that was take right out of Argento's classic.  

[WrathOfHan]

17. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) (92 Points)

Previous Ranking: #17 (=)

 

Director and Screenwriter: Roman Polanski

 

Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy

 

Synopsis: A young couple trying for a baby move into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, but find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.

 

Box Office: 33.4M

 

Critical Reviews: 96% on RT

 

Won Best Supporting Actress (Ruth Gordon) and nominated for Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards

 

Submissions Received: 11

Average Position: 31st

#1 Placements: 1

Top 5 Placements: 2

Top 10 Placements: 4

 

 

Roman Polanski’s final appearance on the countdown is also the first film to stay flat from its 2018 ranking: Rosemary’s Baby. This film catapulted Polanski’s career into the Hollywood mainstream after Repulsion’s international success. Much of Rosemary’s Baby’s horror comes from the titular protagonist’s uncertainty. Mia Farrow plays Rosemary with a perfect innocence and completely sells the character’s shock one she realizes what’s happening to her child. Rosemary’s Baby is arguably Polanski’s best work and certainly his best horror film.

 

Rosemary’s Baby has the most Top 10 placements so far with 4. Some lower rankings dragged down the average.

 

[Dementeleus]

I remember seeing BWP in a packed theater too, the vibe was insane. Really really scary and the audience was into it. 

[baumer]

9 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

I remember seeing BWP in a packed theater too, the vibe was insane. Really really scary and the audience was into it. 

 

I thought for sure you'd be in the "hate BWP" camp.  Glad to see you say good thing(s) about it.

[baumer]

I just started watching I Know What you did Last Summer, the series on Prime.  Starts off really bad but gets much better in the last 15 minutes of the first episode.

[The Panda]

1 hour ago, WrathOfHan said:

17. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) (92 Points)

Previous Ranking: #17 (=)

 

Director and Screenwriter: Roman Polanski

 

Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy

 

Synopsis: A young couple trying for a baby move into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, but find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.

 

Box Office: 33.4M

 

Critical Reviews: 96% on RT

 

Won Best Supporting Actress (Ruth Gordon) and nominated for Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards

 

Submissions Received: 11

Average Position: 31st

#1 Placements: 1

Top 5 Placements: 2

Top 10 Placements: 4

 

 

Roman Polanski’s final appearance on the countdown is also the first film to stay flat from its 2018 ranking: Rosemary’s Baby. This film catapulted Polanski’s career into the Hollywood mainstream after Repulsion’s international success. Much of Rosemary’s Baby’s horror comes from the titular protagonist’s uncertainty. Mia Farrow plays Rosemary with a perfect innocence and completely sells the character’s shock one she realizes what’s happening to her child. Rosemary’s Baby is arguably Polanski’s best work and certainly his best horror film.

 

Rosemary’s Baby has the most Top 10 placements so far with 4. Some lower rankings dragged down the average.

 

This is 16 spots too low.

[WrathOfHan]

16. The Exorcist (1973) (97 Points)

Previous Ranking: #11 (-5)

 

Director: William Friedkin

 

Screenwriter: William Peter Blatty

 

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller, Linda Blair

 

Synopsis: When a 12-year-old girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her.

 

Box Office: 441.3M

 

Critical Reviews: 83% on RT

 

Won Best Adapted Screenplay and Sound and nominated for Best Picture, Director, Actress (Ellen Burstyn), Supporting Actor (Jason Miller), Supporting Actress (Linda Blair), Art Direction, Cinematography, and Editing at the Academy Awards

 

Submissions Received: 12

Average Position: 30th

Top 5 Placements: 2

Top 10 Placements: 3

 

 

William Friedkin’s The Exorcist comes in at a small drop from 2018. As a film built around shocking setpieces, the visual effects look astounding, and it’s sometimes hard to believe that a major studio gave this a large budget back in the 70s. Beyond the scares, the story never feels boring thanks to its excellent character development. Beyond Reagan’s bedroom lies a larger conversation on religion, worth, and spirituality, driving a message into the central possession. The Exorcist changed Hollywood cinema and brought the horror genre to new heights.

 

The Exorcist received one less submission than it did in 2018 along with an average position drop of 19 spots.

 

[The Panda]

3 minutes ago, WrathOfHan said:

16. The Exorcist (1973) (97 Points)

Previous Ranking: #11 (-5)

 

Director: William Friedkin

 

Screenwriter: William Peter Blatty

 

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller, Linda Blair

 

Synopsis: When a 12-year-old girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her.

 

Box Office: 441.3M

 

Critical Reviews: 83% on RT

 

Won Best Adapted Screenplay and Sound and nominated for Best Picture, Director, Actress (Ellen Burstyn), Supporting Actor (Jason Miller), Supporting Actress (Linda Blair), Art Direction, Cinematography, and Editing at the Academy Awards

 

Submissions Received: 12

Average Position: 30th

Top 5 Placements: 2

Top 10 Placements: 3

 

 

William Friedkin’s The Exorcist comes in at a small drop from 2018. As a film built around shocking setpieces, the visual effects look astounding, and it’s sometimes hard to believe that a major studio gave this a large budget back in the 70s. Beyond the scares, the story never feels boring thanks to its excellent character development. Beyond Reagan’s bedroom lies a larger conversation on religion, worth, and spirituality, driving a message into the central possession. The Exorcist changed Hollywood cinema and brought the horror genre to new heights.

 

The Exorcist received one less submission than it did in 2018 along with an average position drop of 19 spots.

 

RIP, was hoping it could break into the top 10

[baumer]

The Exorcist is the Citizen Kane of horror movies to me.  And no, I don't mean it in a praising way.  I despise Citizen Kane and think it to be the most over rated film in the history of film.  I don't hate the Exorcist, in fact, it's fine.  I just don't love it the way everyone does.  It never scared me, I never really understood the whole hoopla.  I realize I'm in the very minute minority on this one as pretty much everyone I know is terrified of it including my ex-wife who will never watch it again because the religious aspect of it scared her too much.

[WrathOfHan]

14. The Witch (2015) (100 Points)

Previous Ranking: #27 (+13)

 

Director and Screenwriter: Robert Eggers

 

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson

 

Synopsis: A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic, and possession.

 

Box Office: 40.4M

 

Critical Reviews: 90% on RT

 

Appearances on Other BOT Lists: 16th on Top 25 of 2016

 

Submissions Received: 12

Average Position: 20th

Top 10 Placements: 3

 

 

Robert Eggers’ The Witch stands as one of the best directorial debuts in recent memory. Similar to his second effort The Lighthouse, Eggers commits to a historic period and leaves little inclination of modern technology or filmmaking breaking the illusion. Anya Taylor-Joy shines in her breakout role, giving the coming-of-age story a much greater catharsis. All hail Black Phillip!

 

The Witch has one of the highest averages on the countdown with 11/12 submissions being in the 20s or higher. It is also the final film not to receive any Top 5 placements.

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by WrathOfHan

[WrathOfHan]

13. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) (106 Points)

Previous Ranking: #7 (-6)

 

Director: Jonathan Demme

 

Screenwriter: Ted Tally

 

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine

 

Synopsis: A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.

 

Box Office: 272.7M

 

Critical Reviews: 96% on RT

 

Appearances on Other BOT Lists: 26th on Top 100 of All Time (2020)

 

Won Best Picture, Director, Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Actress (Jodie Foster), and Adapted Screenplay and nominated for Editing and Sound at the Academy Awards

 

Submissions Received: 10

Average Position: 19th

#1 Placements: 1

Top 5 Placements: 2

Top 10 Placements: 3

 

 

Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs is one of two films from 2018’s Top 10 to drop out (the other one is coming up next), but fortunately, it still ranks high this year. The Silence of the Lambs is my favorite film of all time, and I firmly believe it belongs in the horror genre as it unravels ideas much more terrifying than chasing down a serial killer: trauma and vulnerability. Clarice Starling’s lowly background drives her to stop Buffalo Bill and be a hero, yet Hannibal Lecter does let her escape the demons from her past. The scariest scenes in the film are when Demme closes in on Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, creating a power imbalance between the two. The eyes of both actors pierce through the image, revealing each characters’ strengths and weaknesses. The final interaction between Starling and Lecter is one of the greatest scenes in film history because it exemplifies so much of what makes Silence of the Lambs a masterpiece. With a variety of genres on display, The Silence of the Lambs defines why we watch movies.

 

Silence of the Lambs received seven fewer submissions than it did in 2018, but the average held up well despite this and only dropped eight points. Unfortunately, the horror label for Lambs has proven to be divisive among forum members, and without the fans in full force like last time, it dropped out of the Top 10.

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by WrathOfHan

[baumer]

Silence of the Lambs is the only horror film to win best picture. In fact, it swept the big four awards...I'll never forgive it for beating JFK at everything that year.  

[baumer]

FWIW:

 

Here's the my top 15

 

1) Jaws (75)

2) Friday the the 13th Final Chapter (84)

3) Halloween (78)

4)  Nightmare on Elm Street (84)

5) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (74)

6) Aliens (86)

7) My Bloody Valentine (81)

8} Amityville Horror Part II (82)

9) The Ring (2002}

10) Friday the 13th Part 3 (82)

11} Halloween II (81)

12) The Blair Witch Project (99)

13) Scream (96)

14) The Shining (80)

15) The Changeling (80)

 

Pretty sure the ones crossed out were outside the top 100.  Nightmare on Elm Street, Aliens and the Ring have already been mentioned.  I'm pretty sure Halloween and Texas are in the top 10.  I know the Shining is and so that leaves Scream and BWP.  Hoping they are here too.

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

12. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) (109 Points)

Previous Ranking: #8 (-4)

 

Director and Screenwriter: Wes Craven

 

Starring: John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund

 

Synopsis: The monstrous spirit of a slain child murderer seeks revenge by invading the dreams of teenagers whose parents were responsible for his untimely death.

 

Box Office: 57M

 

Critical Reviews: 95% on RT

 

Submissions Received: 20

Average Position: 36th

Top 5 Placements: 2

Top 10 Placements: 3

 

 

Wes Craven changed the slasher game with A Nightmare on Elm Street. This is his fourth film to make the countdown and second Elm Street title to appear, and despite a drop from the Top 10, the introduction to Freddy Kreuger remains a forum favorite. Robert Eungland’s iconic performance launched the actor into horror history, and his first take on the genre’s most unique slasher is a powerhouse of terror. Elm Street’s supernatural elements differ from more traditional slashers, yet the fantastical elements keep it just as frightening as films based in “real” threats. Craven mastered his craft with A Nightmare on Elm Street, and it only got better as the years (and franchises) went by.

 

Elm Street actually had four more submissions than it did in 2018, but the average position fell from 18th to 36th. Elm Street is one of three films to receive 20 submissions (the most on the countdown), so despite the drop in average, the high number of lists kept its drop to a minimum.

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by WrathOfHan

[WrathOfHan]

Oh Christ, I forgot I skipped over one film  The real #15 is incoming soon. The Witch, Lambs, and Elm Street were one spot higher.

Edited November 6, 2021 by WrathOfHan