We’ve all had those horror movies that shaped us fans growing up. I’m talking about the films that terrified but also captivated us. The ones that made us come alive and absolutely fall in love with the horror genre. Since well before my teenage years, I’ve been a dedicated fan of these movies, watching all kinds of them, from compelling classics to mediocre schlock, and even ones that I wish I kind of forgot. But there are some horror movies that made me fully appreciate this genre and all its glory.
The ten below are iconic horror movies that made me fall in love with horror. Some aren’t exactly my favorites or the most put-together, but they were instrumental in my rise to becoming a major horror aficionado. But some are even my favorite movies, and I’d love to talk about why they had a profound effect on me after all these years. So, sit back, grab some pop corn, and come see the ten movies that made me want to become a horror fan.
10
‘Drag Me to Hell’ (2009)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Let’s talk about one of the first movies that got me seriously into horror. Directed by one of my filmmaking heroes, Sam Raimi, Drag Me to Hell is a 2009 supernatural horror film about a young loan officer (Alison Lohman) who, after denying an older woman (Lorna Raver) an extension on her home, must find a way to save her soul after the woman uses dark powers to curse her to be dragged into eternal damnation.
I will admit that I was way too young to watch this film, and it scared me for years, but it set me on the right path to becoming a fan. Drag Me to Hell is a blast of horror entertainment. It’s incredibly scary and unique, and, outside the Spider-Man movies, this was the first film I became aware of Sam Raimi as an incredible director. Is it one of my favorites? Honestly not, but it’s a film I will never forget, and I’ll always cite it as one of the first horror films to get me more into the genre. Even today, it’s hard for me to watch that shocking and bleak ending. That was one of the first endings to really leave me speechless.
9
‘Slither’ (2006)
Directed by James Gunn
Here in the United States, the AMC channel broadcasts its annual “FearFest,” a horror movie marathon that airs throughout October. One year, as I was getting more fascinated with the genre, I turned on the channel as it was in the middle of showing one of the most bizarre, disgusting, and outlandish horror movies I’d ever seen up to that point: the 2006 monster horror comedy Slither. Directed by comic book movie legend James Gunn, this delightfully gross flick stars Michael Rooker as a small-town man who gets his body taken over by an alien parasite and creates an army of brain-invading slugs.
It was weird, grotesque, incredibly over-the-top, and I loved every second of it. It had me laughing one second, then had me closing my eyes in fear the next. Even now, that scene of the zombified Strutemyer girls threatening their terrified older sister Kylie (Tania Saulnier) through the car windshield will always be one of the scariest things to me. Now, Slither is not a perfect movie. I’ll admit that. Nor was it the most shocking thing I’ve seen. But it still fascinates me and makes me want to watch more movies like it. We all have those favorite horror films that aren’t the best, but we love them either way. Slither is definitely one of mine.
8
‘Final Destination’ (2000)
Directed by James Wong
Let’s talk about the film that made me deeply paranoid about everything around me. Directed by James Wong, the 2000 supernatural cult classic Final Destination was one of my first introductions into slashers and the one that really stuck with me for a long time after I saw it. Starring Devon Sawa, it follows a high school student who must find a way to evade the Grim Reaper once again after he saves himself and several lucky few by getting them off a doomed flight before it explodes during takeoff.
These movies, especially the first one, made me worried that anything mundane could be used as an instrument that leads to death. Ask anyone, and they’ll probably tell you they’ll never drive behind a truck carrying heavy logs or machinery after watching the Final Destination movies. I saw the 2000 original first, and it’s still the scariest one, in my opinion, mostly because I’ve got a deep fear of airplane disasters. Watching this, of course, made me a fan of the series, and I still love watching this franchise even now.
7
‘Aliens’ (1986)
Directed by James Cameron
The first exposure I had to the Alien series was when I watched most of Alien vs. Predator while channel surfing one day as a kid. Although I loved that film, it didn’t really make me want to be a fan of the series. That was until I saw Aliens for the first time, and boy, did I change my mind. Directed by Oscar-winning director James Cameron, this story follows the survivor of the previous movie, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), as she accompanies a rescue team to save colonists on the same planet where she first encountered the deadly xenomorphs.
This epic horror sequel blew my mind when I first saw it. The horror was shocking, the action was intense, and the characters had me instantly falling in love with them. I was glued to my screen from start to finish as there wasn’t a dull moment in this awesome movie. It got me more into alien-related horror, and even now, I still consider it to be one of the greatest horror sequels ever made.
aliens
- Release Date
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July 18, 1986
- Runtime
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137 minutes
- Director
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James Cameron
- Writers
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James Cameron
6
‘Gremlins’ (1984)
Directed by Joe Dante
While searching through the isles of my local DVD rental store in my hometown as a young kid, I came across an interesting box cover that intrigued me because it looked so mysterious and even a bit spooky, so it looked intriguing, and I rented it, epecially since I was able to because it was rated “PG.” That movie was the 1984 horror comedy classic Gremlins, technically one of the first horror movies I’ve ever seen. Directed by Joe Dante, this darkly comedic monster attack flick sees a small town around Christmastime that gets invaded by mischievous little reptilian monsters known as gremlins after a young man (Zach Galligan) receives an adorable mysterious pet who comes with a strict set of rules.
If only I had known then when renting it just how hardcore PG movies were back in the ’80s. Though it scared the living daylights out of me the first time, Gremlins was instrumental in molding me into becoming a horror fan. As a kid, watching it made it hard for me to fall asleep at night. But as I grew older, I came to appreciate every second of it. Now, I see it as the genious dark comedy masterpiece that it is, and I still watch it from time to time.
5
‘The Evil Dead’ (1981)
Directed by Sam Raimi
After Drag Me to Hell got me interested in seeing more of the creative work of Sam Raimi, it didn’t take long for me to finally see one of his legendary horror masterpieces, which was his 1981 splatter flick, The Evil Dead. A shocking, bloody, and incredibly unsettling film that had me constantly gasping the first time I saw it, the story follows several college friends as their stay at a secluded cabin in the woods turns into a bloodbath when they discover and read a mysterious satanic book that unleashes demonic possessors.
It was brutal and spectacularly gory. Needless to say, I was very impressed and came back for multiple rewatches. It was a passion film by Raimi, who wanted to create something unique and truly unforgettable. As a result, it’s hailed as one of the greatest horror B-movies of all time. It always amazes me every time I see it, and it’s one of those films that I constantly recommend to anyone who wants to get more into the genre.
4
‘Jaws’ (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
A fond tradition I have around the Fourth of July is rewatching the 1975 horror blockbuster film Jaws. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this summer horror smash hit is an absolute blast to always come back to, and I’ve found the time to see it almost ever year since I was young. Starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss, it follows three men as they go on a dangerous high-seas quest to kill a monster great white shark that’s been terrorizing a local community.
This one is just as fun now as it was when I saw it as a youngster. Jaws is an undisputed masterpiece featuring iconic characters, lines, and moments that have become legendary in cinema. It’s a truly celebrated and unforgettable film that gets even more enjoyable to watch around summertime, especially with its 50th anniversary just around the corner.
3
‘Predator’ (1987)
Directed by John McTiernan
Aside from horror, I also had a blast growing up watching some of the best action movies around. They were always fun to enjoy as a kid, especially when, every once in a while, my father allowed me to stay up and watch some of his favorite R-rated action movies with him and my older brother. One of these movie nights I’ll never forget was the first time I saw the 1987 action horror film Predator, directed by John McTiernan. This pulse-pounding thrill ride follows a rescue team of elite soldiers as they’re hunted and picked off one by one in a Central American Jungle by a formidable alien hunter.
It had violence, gore, so much intense action, and plenty of swear words. As a kid, it was one of the most exciting films I’d ever seen. Predator is a film so many people can enjoy, as it’s just nonstop entertaining from start to finish. It thrilled and also terrified me and was one of my first experiences of seeing a horror movie. Even watching it now still has the same profound effect on me as when I was eight years old.
2
‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968)
Directed by George A. Romero
Zombies weren’t exactly my thing growing up. Then, around the time I was a young teen, I came across George A. Romero‘s classic Night of the Living Dead. I became absolutely terrified and had my eyes glued to the screen until the very end. The story is about a small group of strangers as they’re forced to work together to survive a night alone in an isolated farmhouse while the dead have risen from their graves to attack the living.
I saw this for the first time, fittingly enough, on a summer’s night alone, and it created a truly unforgettable movie-watching experience. Since that first time, I’ve been a zombie fan ever since, watching countless movies and TV shows and reading comics about these iconic flesh-eaters. It’s all thanks to the late Romero’s masterpiece, which is a film that continues to age perfectly in my eyes, and it still manages to creep me out. Honestly, I can’t praise this one enough.
1
‘The Thing’ (1982)
Directed by John Carpenter
Finally, of the horror movies I’ve seen over the years, the one that ultimately shaped me into the massive horror fan I am today is John Carpenter‘s 1982 sci-fi horror masterpiece The Thing. Starring the legendary Kurt Russell as this story’s badass hero, R.J. MacReady, it follows this grizzled helicopter pilot as he leads a group of survivors who battle a shape-shifting alien entity that has infiltrated an American Antarctic research base.
I truly regard Carpenter’s The Thing as not only one of the best horror movies of all time but simply one of the most perfect movies, period. It’s nearly flawless, featuring competent directing, brilliant writing, and some of the best acting performances in the genre. Its practical effects, created by Rob Botton, are jaw-dropping, and no matter how many times I watch this, these effects still look wildly impressive and continue to fascinate me, along with many other horror fans. As time goes on, The Thing will always continue to inspire my passion for horror movies.
