What Are Some “Perfect” Horror Movies?

By JonathanBarkan on May 1, 2016

Just last night, I watched Jonathan Demme’s 1991 psychological horror/thriller The Silence of the Lambs and, just like every time I pop it in, was absolutely blown away by how near-perfect it is. From the casting choices and their performances to the brilliant direction. From the haunting DP work to the wonderful score. Seriously, it’s one of those movies that I can watch time after time and always find myself absolutely engrossed.

That got me thinking about horror movies that are considered to be “perfect” by the horror community. Are there more films that fall under that banner?

So let’s discuss this! I’ve got a few of my choices below (by no means all of them) and then I want you all to give me some of your own “perfect” favorites in the comments below!

The Shining

This may be one of my all-time favorite horror movies. Look at all those amazing qualities I mentioned above about The Silence of the Lambs and you can easily apply them to Stanley Kubrick’s absolutely terrifying masterpiece. Few movies manage to haunt me as much as The Shining and its brilliant representation of descent into madness.

Dawn of the Dead

Night of the Living Dead might have been the movie that kicked off the zombie craze that we’re still swept in today but it was the sequel that I feel really showed just how important and culturally significant these kinds of movies are. Featuring scathing social commentary, likable characters, and enough gore for any fan, this is the epitome of a brilliantly realized horror film.

The Fly

It’s hard to pick a Cronenberg film that isn’t stunning in some way or another. But this remake took the concept of the original 1958 film and took it in directions darker and more horrific than I think anyone could’ve imagined. Never straying from its tone, this film ends in such a way that we find ourselves questioning the very idea of who plays the villain. An absolute masterpiece.

Suspiria

Obviously this was going to appear somewhere on here. It’s a timeless classic and for damn good reasons. It’s gorgeous, it’s got a razor-thin plot that it never deviates from, and it’s simply a nightmarish yet highly entertaining journey that every horror fan needs to undertake at least once in their life.

The Thing

While many would consider Carpenter’s Halloween to be a better example of his work, I think The Thing is the director’s true masterpiece. Yes, Michael Myers has become a cultural icon but this alien biological virus is where true horror comes forth. I still question the ending every time I rewatch this film, all while marveling at how fresh and gorgeous the practical FX still look to this day.

The Sacrament

This may surprise some of you but I found this film to be an incredible achievement and a way to inject new life into the whole “found footage” craze. Additionally, while many found footage horror movies tackle something supernatural or otherworldly, The Sacrament stay firmly planted in reality, using a real life event as its inspiration. I remember watching this movie and going from horror to grief to anxiety in the third act. I honestly can’t remember a film that made me feel so much in the past several years.