Top 5 Horror Films of All Time

A particularly personal list, because this is a genre that affects everyone so differently. The common theme of all of the selections here is that they have all seemingly found a place in my mind - permanently. My standards for horror are also going to differ from someone else's. The horror films that are excessively gory become caricatures. there's a certain conditioning effect. You watch anything because you want it to affect you in some way. Horror plays on fear, and that's a good thing. Life would be bland if all you ever watched were Pixar movies. It's good to explore the entire spectrum of human emotion. And to take you out of your comfort zone. To play on your imagination. The best ones do just that, and they do it well.

5. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

It was also so groundbreaking and inventive. It created the found footage genre, and holds up. It seems that people who didn't live in the woods and saw this weren't really affected by it. I was living deep in the Connecticut woods at the time, and didn't go in them at night for a while. Never fully recovered either, I think I would still be thinking about some of the aspects of this film if I were alone in the woods even at present day.

4. Let the Right One In (2008)

Watching this film for the first time was such a treat. It would probably be the #1 Vampire film of all time (if I made that list). The American remake Let Me In is also really good, but not quite AS good as the original.

3. The Ring (2002)

The Ring obviously uses a lot of horrific imagery to make its point, but it does so effectively. 

2. Paranormal Activity (2007)

Probably the most controversial selection. For some reason this one gave me this lingering fear every time I got into the shower for about 2 years. It's strange, because there are no Psycho-like shower scenes in the film - and Psycho never really affected me in that way anyway. I suppose it's because it plays on the concept of the invisible entity. I even had unrealistic thoughts that it may have spoiled my own house, because there were similarities in terms of the layout of the one in the film (mainly the bedroom). I also have not and CAN'T see any of the sequels. That scene where the door opens, and then all of a sudden the menacing footsteps run out will be ingrained in my mind forever. Like the Blair Witch, this one was either hit or miss with people it seems.

1. The Exorcist (1973)

The classic. This one speaks for itself. Probably wouldn't get much of an argument from anyone here. That staircase scene.... damn. To this day I can't watch anything with an exorcism theme. 

Honorable Mentions:

Poltergeist

Rosemary's Baby

Child's Play

It

A Nightmare on Elm Street