Top 10 greatest horror movies of all time

It is strange that for all the sequels and reboots, the original 1974 film (title above) by Tobe Hooper remains the best the franchise has to offer. The film introduced Leatherface, one of the most iconic serial killers in cinema, in a godforsaken region in Texas and set him loose upon a bunch of youngsters. The film basically invented the slasher genre and surprisingly remains as effective as ever.  
 

Another iconic horror movie from the 1970s that spawned more than a dozen sequels John Carpenter's ‘Halloween’ remains the very best. These films on masked serial killers have garnered increased relevance in the internet age, and serve as a reminder of awesome power that anonymity grants to the worst of us. The sequels vary in quality but nearly every one is worth watching at least once. 
 

Jennifer Kent's fantastic debut, 'The Babadook’ posits that the monsters around us are manifestations of dark aspects of our psyche like depression and mental trauma that go out of control. The story follows a mother who is struggling to take care of her young boy who believes there is a monster called Babadook in the house. 
 

Possibly the greatest zombie film ever, ‘Dawn of the Dead’ had George A. Romero perfecting what he had learned from 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'The Crazies'. A bunch survivors trying to protect themselves from a zombie apocalypse hold up in a suburban shopping mall. The metaphors and social commentary aside, ‘Dawn of the Dead’ is a brutal, brutal zombie movie and it is hard to believe Romero was able to pull it off in 1978. 2004's remake directed by Zack Snyder is also worth watching.
 

This film pioneered the found footage horror genre. It remains a living proof that holding back is often scarier that showing and explaining everything. In this film four friends go deep into the woods in a remote region of Maryland to explore a local legend. Right until the last moment, we never see any ghost or monster, and yet it is one of the scariest movies ever. How? Just watch it and find out. 
 

The oldest movie in this list, Alfred Hitchcock's film has a final twist that now pretty much anybody who loves films knows of. And yet, the film still has the ability to chill you to the bone. Still a masterpiece after more than 60 years. 
 

There is nary a horror movie that scares one like 'Hereditary' does. Its terrors envelope you as you watch it and the sense of dread stays long after you are done with it. It is slow burn but thanks to its atmosphere, direction, editing, cinematography, and acting, it is one of the best horror movie of 21st century. Watch out for Toni Collette's spinetingling performance and the cries she makes as the mother who just saw the decapitated body of her daughter. 
 

Ridley Scott's 'Alien' was when science-fiction horror genre in Hollywood came of age. It taps into the fears of humans of malignant extraterrestrials who, people darkly thought, may arrive on earth at any point to enslave or obliterate all life. In 'Alien, a parasitic alien lifeform is let loose on a spaceship and members of the crew began to die. It is Sigourney Weaver's Ripley who stands alone in the end.
 

It is often the monsters we know exist in real-world that end up being more effective than ghosts and ghouls and demons and so on. In 'The Shining’, a couple and their young son are tasked to be caretaker of a hotel in Colorado Rockies. And the man, Jack Torrance (a brilliant Jack Nicholson), begins to lose his sanity, ultimately trying to kill his wife and child. 
 

The undisputed king of the horror genre, the influence of 'The Exorcist' cannot be overstated. But it also remains a frightening film with visuals that have been burned into back of the minds of everyone who have seen this just once. Even if you have seen it -- if you are reading this, you probably have -- give it another watch. It is one of those few horror movies that reward multiple viewings.