Since I’ve already said that I’m not much of a fan of Horror movies, I expect some of you won’t give my reviews of the genre much credit, and rightfully so. To attempt to give you a way to gauge your interests compared to mine, I’ve decided I should do another controversial list. So, here it is: The Top 15 Horror Movies.

15. The Wolf Man

The son of the Man of a Thousand Faces, Lon Chaney Jr. stars as Larry Talbot – a man who returns home for the burial of his brother. His father, John (Claude Rains), is a difficult man to be be around, but Larry’s return is an opportunity for reconciliation. Larry’s life changes when he’s bitten by a werewolf – a Romani Bela Lugosi. Now, he transforms into a werewolf every night, killing a villager and waking up without remembering. The terror of the town is eventually brought down by John Talbot, who looks on in horror as the wolf he’s just beaten with a silver cane turns back into his son. Sad-eyed Chaney Jr. does his father proud with his work in this classic monster movie, and Claude Rains proves yet again that he can literally act in anything.

14. The Lighthouse

Inspired by an unfinished story by Edgar Allen Poe and a myth about the mysterious deaths of a couple of lighthouse wickies in Wales, The Lighthouse follows two wickies as they spend their time in isolation. Over the course of the film, the two slowly descend into drunken madness. That descent ramps up ever more when Robert Pattinson’s Ephraim kills a one-eyed seagull, something that Willem Dafoe’s Thomas superstitiously warns him against doing. This film is filmed in black and white and contains frequent use of period-accurate maritime dialogue, which gives it a greater sense of historical and mythological presence. Robert Eggers’ previous film, The Witch, also notoriously keeps it’s depiction accurate to the period in which it is based, making Eggers an interesting new-ish director to watch.

13. The Others

Nicole Kidman stars as Grace Stewart, a mother who lost her husband in World War II and now spends her time taking care of her children who are sensitive to light by keeping the house as dark as possible. However, before too long, many inexplicable thing happen, convincing Grace that her house is haunted. Things take an even stranger turn when her husband she was convinced is dead returns home. Eventually, Grace uncovers the truth of what is going on in her home, and it’s honestly probably not what you think. Kidman’s performance and the beautiful look of the film carry it. And while everyone loves a good twist, there’s more to keep you invested in the movie than just that. Perfectly creepy in tone, The Others is a thrilling supernatural horror mystery just waiting to be solved.

12. Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled youth in the late 1980s. He sleepwalks and has visions of a man in a creepy rabbit costume named Frank, something that saves his life from being crushed by a crashing airplane that no one can account for. Frank convinces Darko to cause a flood in his school and burn down the house of a motivational speaker (Patrick Swayze in an unusually sinister role), all the while trying to get him to understand something about time travel and explain that the world is going to end on Halloween night. Things come to a head mere moments before the end of the world in an absolutely bonkers finale. Donnie Darko is a complex and twisty independent horror film that is probably to blame for Horror’s recent-ish fascination with 1980s nostalgia, but that’s not a mark against it.

11. Cat People

This film is sort of the female version of The Wolf Man. Simone Simon plays Irena, an immigrant from a village in Serbia who believes she is descended from a group of people who turn into black panthers when aroused. We’ve all been there, am I right? (I’m so sorry, mom) She falls in love with Oliver, who doesn’t believe Irena’s superstitions, and they get married. However, Irena becomes increasingly concerned with turning into a cat, and Oliver convinces her to see a psychiatrist. Irena and Oliver’s marriage gets rocky and Oliver finds solace in the arms of his coworker, Alice. Irena is suspicious of their relationship and ends up stalking Alice, but is it as human or as a panther? I have a difficult time getting people to take my recommendation on this movie. I guess because it’s a kinda-goofy concept, but let me tell you this: no other Horror movie draws from the fear of what you don’t see more than Cat People, and that includes most Hitchcock films.

10. A Nightmare on Elm Street

Wes Craven was the Slasher director, and his talent and thoughtfulness for the subgenre were at their peak with A Nightmare on Elm Street. When some of the promiscuous teens in town start having weird dreams about a man in a red and green sweater and hat, who walks around with steak knives on his gloved hand, the line between dream and reality get blurred. What this man, the one and only Freddy Krueger, does in their dreams, follows them into their awakened lives, including death. Nancy, one of the girls plagued by these nightmares, slowly uncovers who Freddy is (or was) and in the end, it’s up to her to stand up to him. The premise of being unable to avoid Freddy because he attacks your dreams is a wonderfully frightening thought, and it separates A Nightmare on Elm Street from other movies of the genre.

9. The Exorcist

When Chris MacNeil’s (Ellen Burstyn) daughter, Regan (Linda Blair), starts exhibiting strange behavior, Father Karras (Jason Miller) is convinced it’s demon possession. However, he is currently experiencing a crisis of faith and feels unfit for the task, so they call in Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) who is quite experienced with exorcisms. Together, Fathers Merrin and Karras attempt to extract the demon from Regan, but unfortunately, they are not capable of doing it. It’s not until Father Karras makes a Christ-like sacrifice that the demon leaves poor Regan alone. Most Horror films, especially newer ones, are very antagonistic towards religion, but The Exorcist treats it’s Catholic origins with respect and therefore, it makes it’s story more believable.

8. The Thing

John Carpenter’s best film takes place in Antarctica, where an American research team witness a helicopter blow up in pursuit of a dog. R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) investigates and finds an unusual-looking body, which he brings back to base to have investigated. However, it soon becomes clear that the body is that of an alien creature taking the form of a human. As the revelations about the aliens abilities come to fruition, MacReady and the others realize, in their isolation, none of them are safe. The alien could be impersonating any one of them. That paranoia of who is who they say they are drives the movie to it’s explosive end. Kurt Russell’s performance and the special effects, which are still quite impressive if not disgusting, make this film a must-watch.

7. Diabolique

Michel runs a boarding school with an iron fist. He mistreats his wife, Christina, and his mistress, Nicole. Fed up with his abuse, Nicole and Christina agree to murder Michel and make it look like an accident, so they drown him in a bathtub and throw his body in the pool. However, the next morning, there is no body. Several mysteries surrounding Michel’s body and ghost plague Christina to the point of sickness. As her sanity unravels, the film presents so many twists, it’ll make your head spin. There’s a reason there was a warning before the movie was shown in theaters telling audiences not to spoil the ending for others. This French film is tense from start to finish, and thrilling to watch. It’s no wonder Alfred Hitchcock wanted the rights so badly. However, the film is nearly perfect in the hands of Henri-Georges Clouzot.

6. Jaws

The ultimate summer blockbuster. Only Steven Spielberg’s third film, Jaws shot him to the stratosphere as well as revitalized the Monster movie genre. When a great white shark terrorizes the beach of a coastal town, the new police chief, Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), closes the beaches. The heartless mayor is on his case about keeping the beaches closed, as he fears the town’s economic suffering for the summer months. Instead, a bounty is placed on the shark, and when the many would-be bounty hunters fail at bringing the shark down, it’s up to Brody, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and Quint (Robert Shaw) to save the local waters. You know the movie. You know the soundtrack. The movie and specifically the image of just a shark fin gliding across the water has been parodied and referenced to death, but that just proves it’s longevity.

5. An American Werewolf in London

Two American travelers, David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne), get attacked by a wolf out in the Yorkshire moors, leaving David bedridden for weeks and killing Jack. David appears to be healing up rather quickly according to Dr. Hirsch and the nurse, Alex, but he’s convinced he’s getting worse. He and Alex fall in love and sleep together at her apartment. When she goes to work for her night shift, David transforms into a werewolf in one of the most excruciatingly long scenes ever, and then attacks people night after night. His reign of terror on London is ended when the police corner him in an alley behind an adult movie theater. The movie is funnier than you might expect, but it’s also truly horrific, with jump scares and intense shadows. Quite frankly, it’s one of the best monster movies of all time.

4. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Considered the first true horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari has all the makings of a classic. The German Expressionist set pieces, the creeping shadows, the twist ending – it’s all there. The story is recounted in a discussion between two men. The one telling the story, Francis, relays his personal experience with the eponymous doctor to an older man. Dr. Caligari is a hypnotist with a somnambulist under his spell. He uses the somnambulist to murder and kidnap people. When Caligari has his somnambulist kidnap his fiancee, Jane, Francis attempts to put a stop to Caligari’s misdeeds, but Caligari escapes into an insane asylum, where, it turns out, he’s the director. I won’t spoil the ending, but this 1921 German silent film is a movie that has to be seen to be believed.

3. Dracula

The original Universal monster movie. Dracula started the explosive era of monster movies in America in the 1930s. Bela Lugosi stars as the famous Count Dracula, who recruits the easily-persuaded Renfield into his services. Renfield secures passage for the Count on a boat traveling from Transylvania to London, England. There, he meets Dr. Seward and John Harker, as well as his next two victims, Mina Seward and Lucy Weston. Harker becomes suspicious of Dracula after Lucy dies and brings in the famous Dr. Van Helsing to investigate. Together, they have to take down Dracula before Mina becomes completely under his spell. Bela Lugosi had a struggling career after this movie because of how well he embodied Dracula, and it’s no wonder. There has never been a better monster performance or movie.

2. Psycho

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) steals from her boss in order to pay her boyfriend’s debts. Immediately feeling regret and paranoia, she decides to return the money, but the rain on the road is impossible to see through and she finds haven at the Bates Motel. But things aren’t all as they seem at the motel or with its proprietors. The unsuspecting Marion will never finish her shower. (Is this a spoiler? Come on, you all know the scene.) From there, the movie shifts focus to Marion’s boyfriend and sister as they investigate Marion’s mysterious disappearance. Hitchcock turned the audience’s expectations completely on their heads by casting the headliner Leigh in a role that disappears after the first third of the movie, but that’s just the beginning of what this movie has in store.

1. The Silence of the Lambs

Along with the above film, The Silence of the Lambs ignited a love affair between American audiences and serial killers. Clarice Starling is an FBI agent that gets involved with the case of the Buffalo Bill murders by being asked to interview known cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, to get a profile on Buffalo Bill. Lecter complies but only if Starling lets him psychoanalyze him as well. At each of their meetings, he offers a nugget of information about Bill in exchange for personal information about her. Starling follows Lecter’s clues, pursuing Bill, and Lecter is transferred to a different prison facility, where he successfully breaks out. This Oscar-winning film keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout and only heightens its intensity in its climax. Both this movie and Psycho take a lot of inspiration from real-life serial killer, Ed Guinn. That true-life comparison and its proximity serve to inflame our fear. The Silence of the Lambs is truly terrifying.