50.  The Last House On The Left

Mari (Sandra Cassel) and Phyllis (Lucy Grantham) are brutally murdered by Krug (David Hess), an escaped convict and his gang.  Krug and his friends then seek refuge at a nearby house which, unbeknownst to them, is the home of Mari and her parents.  The parents, realizing what has happened, decide to take revenge.

49.  Diabolique

Is Michael Delasalle (Paul Meurisse) really dead?  After his wife, Christina (Vera Clouzot), and his mistress, Nicole (Simone Signoret) kill him and bury the evidence, Michael’s body disappears.

48.  The Thing

This 1982 John Carpenter film starred Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley.  Set in Antarctica, a group of scientists must defend themselves against a shape shifting alien.

47.  Nosferatu

The 1922 silent film “Nosferatu” starred Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok.  The Count, after deciding to relocate with the help of Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim), becomes obsessed with Hutter’s wife Ellen (Greta Schroder).

46.  The Sentinel

1977’s “The Sentinel” starred Cristina Raines as Alison Parker.  Alison moves into a new apartment building but it isn’t long before strange things start to happen.

45.  The Wicker Man

Investigating the disappearance of a young girl, Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) happens upon the strange residents of a small town.  Will he be able to survive their unusual practices?

44.  The Game

Michael Douglas and Sean Penn starred in 1997’s “The Game”.  Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas), a wealthy but solitary man, gets an unusual birthday present from his brother Conrad (Penn).

43.  It’s Alive!

Frank and Lenore Davies (John Ryan and Sharon Farrell) are the parents of a new baby.  But what will happen when it’s discovered the baby has murderous tendencies?

42.  An American Werewolf In London

After being attacked while traveling through England, strange things begin to happen to David Kessler (David Naughton).  Is he becoming a werewolf?

41.  The Hills Have Eyes

This 1977 flick was written and directed by Wes Craven.  A family’s car breaks down in an isolated area.  They soon find out that they aren’t alone.

40.  Black Sunday

1960’s “Black Sunday” starred Barbara Steele in dual roles.  A witch (Steele) returns from the grave and tries to possess one of her descendants (also played by Steele).

39.  Dawn Of The Dead

Although “Dawn of the Dead” was remade in 2004, it’s the original 1978 film that makes the countdown at number 39.  In the George Romero classic, while zombies are roaming nearby, survivors seek refuge in a mall.

38.  Peeping Tom

Mark Lewis (Karlheinz Bohm) is an unusual man who videotapes the faces of his dying victims.  Will Helen (Anna Massey) suffer the same fate when he befriends her?

37.  House On Haunted Hill

The original 1959 “House on Haunted Hill” starred Vincent Price.  An eccentric millionaire offers five people $10,000 if they survive the night in his haunted mansion.

36.  Cape Fear

Robert Mitchum was listed as one of the American Film Institute’s Top Movie Villains for his portrayal of Max Cady in 1962’s “Cape Fear”.  A lawyer (Gregory Peck) and his family are stalked by a man that he sent to prison.

35.  Aliens

The sequel to the 1979 hit film “Alien” starred Sigourney Weaver who reprised her role as Ripley.  In the movie, Ripley, the only survivor of the previous expedition is found, in a deep sleep, in space.  However, after contact is lost with the colonists on the planet she escaped, Ripley and her crew must save the survivors and face the terror of the alien life form.

34.  The Hitcher

Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) picks up a hitchhiker, John (Rutger Hauer).  However, Jim is about to find out that John is a serial killer who plans to frame him for a string of murders.

33.  The Fly

Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is a scientist.  All seems well with his relationship with Vernonica (Geena Davis) and his research with matter transportation.  But things go horribly wrong when he fails to notice a fly while taking part in an experiment.

32.  Pet Sematary

This 1989 film was based on the novel by Stephen King.  Everything seems to be picture perfect for Louis and Rachel Creed (Dale Midkiff and Denise Crosby).  But, when their daughter’s cat is killed, will the secret that their neighbor (Fred Gwynne) shares with Louis be their undoing?

31.  Friday The 13th

Several years after counselors at Camp Crystal Lake are murdered, Steve Christy (Peter Brouwer) decides to reopen.  But someone is out to kill the new set of counselors.  Who is responsible for the grisly murders?

30.  Blair Witch Project

Some urban legends are true!  That’s what three students find out when they venture into a Maryland forest to make a documentary on the Blair Witch.

29.  Serpent And The Rainbow

Bill Pullman played Dennis Alan in this 1988 Wes Craven film.  Dennis travels to Haiti to investigate the rumors of a drug that causes people to behave like zombies.

28.  When A Stranger Calls

Jill Johnson (Carol Kane) is a babysitter who is receiving disturbing phone calls throughout the evening.  Years later the same killer begins to stalk her again.

27.  Frankenstein

The original 1931 version of “Frankenstein” starred Boris Karloff in the title role.  A scientist (Colin Clive) assembles one creature from several corpses.  What happens when he brings the creature to life?

 26.  Seven

The seven deadly sins come into play in this 1995 flick.  Detectives David Mills (Brad Pitt) and William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) are trying to track down serial killer John Doe (Kevin Spacey).  The movie asks one question.  “What’s in the box?”

 25.  Phantasm

Something unnatural is happening at the local cemetery.  It’s up to Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), Reggie (Reggie Banister) and Mike’s brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) to find out what the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) is up to and put a stop to it.

24.  Suspiria

A young girl joins a ballet school.  However, she soon discovers that things are not what they appear to be.

23.  Rosemary’s Baby

Mia Farrow starred as Rosemary Woodhouse in this 1968 Roman Polanski movie.  During her pregnancy Rosemary has had strange dreams and weird encounters with her neighbors.  What role does her child play in all this?

22.  Don’t Look Now

Who is the person in the red cloak?  This is what John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) wants to find out when he and his wife (Julie Christie) move to Venice shortly after the death of their daughter.

21.  Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) is losing his sanity, or is he.  Jacob has trouble distinguishing from reality and imagination when he begins seeing creatures and his deceased son.

20.  The Ring

Seven days after seeing a strange video, those who happen to watch it meet a tragic end.  Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) must find out the secret of the tape before she and her son Aidan (David Dorfman) become its next victims.

19.  Hellraiser

When Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) disappears after receiving The Lament Configuration, his brother Larry (Andrew Robinson) moves into his vacant home along with his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) and daughter Kirsty (Ashley Laurence).  Soon Julia, who was also Frank’s lover, discovers that the attic holds a dark secret while Kirsty, who has accidentally opened the Lament Configuration, must race against time and the Cenobites, to insure Frank goes back to where he belongs!

 18.  The Haunting

Although “The Haunting” was remade in recent years, it’s the original 1963 version that ranks at number 18.  Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson) tries to prove the existence of ghosts in Hill House and includes Eleanor (Julie Harris), Theo (Claire Bloom) and Luke (Russ Tamblyn) in the experiment.

 17.  A Nightmare On Elm Street

One, two Freddy’s coming for you!  In 1984 Wes Craven brought the infamous Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund) to the big screen.  Freddy was killed by a mob for murdering children.  He has murder and revenge on his mind when he comes back to haunt the dreams of the children of those who killed him.

 16.  The Omen

Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) switches his baby for another when his wife Katherine (Lee Remick) delivers a stillborn child.  When the child Damien (Harvey Stephens) grows older mysterious deaths seem to occur.  Who are the actual parents of Damien and how can the murderous entity be stopped?

 15.  Freaks

Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) and Hercules (Henry Victor), performers in a traveling circus, concoct a plan when it’s discovered that Hans (Harry Earles) is set to inherit a fortune.  But things don’t go according to plan when Cleopatra insults the other performers of the circus.

 14.  Halloween

Jamie Lee Curtis starred as Laurie Strode in the 1978 John Carpenter film “Halloween”.  After being institutionalized for a number of years, Michael Myers escapes and goes back to his hometown of Haddonfield where he starts to stalk Laurie.

 13.  Scream

“What’s your favorite scary movie?”  Someone is killing the teenagers of a quiet, peaceful town.  Will Sidney (Neve Campbell) be the masked murderer’s next victim?

 12.  Misery

Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) is author Paul Sheldon’s (James Caan) biggest fan.  But it soon becomes obsession when an accident leaves Paul stranded at Annie’s home and he has to write to survive.

11.  Audition

Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is still grieving for his wife who’s been dead several years when he agrees to help with an audition.  He immediately becomes infatuated with Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina) who is not what she appears to be.

10.  Wait Until Dark

Sam Hendrix (Efrem Zimbalist Jr) mistakenly receives a doll that is filled with drugs.  After leaving the doll at home with his blind wife Susy (Audrey Hepburn), three gang members arrive to find the stash.

 9.  Night Of The Living Dead

One of the original zombie movies (and one of the scariest) is 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead”.  When the dead start to roam, a group of individuals fight for survival in an old farm house.

 8.  Carrie

Sissy Spacek starred as Carrie White in this 1976 horror film.  Carrie is a shy, quiet girl who is constantly picked on by her school mates.  What will happen when the students plan a cruel joke on Carrie during their prom?

  7.  Silence Of The Lambs

Anthony Hopkins not only won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs” but on some countdowns the character is considered to be the ultimate movie villain.  FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) must enlist the help of Lecter in order to find a serial killer, Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine).

 6.  Shining

Jack Nicholson starred as Jack Torrance in this 1980 film based on the novel by Stephen King.  Jack Torrance slowly descends into madness when he, his wife (Shelley Duvall) and young son (Danny Lloyd) are isolated at a resort that harbors the remnants of a questionable past.

  5.  Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The 1974 film “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” introduced us to Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen).   Sally (Marilyn Burns), along with her brother and some friends travel to the graveyard where her grandfather is buried.  Along the way the group picks up a hitchhiker and this is where the trouble begins!

  4.  Psycho

Taking a shower wasn’t the same after you saw the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic “Psycho”.  Marion (Janet Leigh) arrives at the Bates Motel with over $40,000 that she’s stolen from her employer and plans to make a new life for herself.  Will she survive the night after she meets Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a lonely man with a peculiar interest in his mother?

  3.  Exorcist

Linda Blair received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Regan MacNeil in the 1973 film “The Exorcist”.  Something is troubling Regan and before long it becomes apparent that the girl is possessed.  Can anyone save her?

  2.  Alien

The 1979 movie “Alien” starred Sigourney Weaver as Ripley.  While investigating a call for help on a planet, the team becomes embroiled in a fight for their lives when they discover a creature that kills indiscriminately.

  1.  Jaws

 Everyone was afraid to go in the water after watching this 1975 Steven Spielberg film.  The seaside town of Amity Island is terrorized by a Great White shark.

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See Also:

Bravo's Scariest Movie Moments 51-100

AFI's Top 50 Villains

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