With over 38,000 horror titles on IMDb, it can be difficult to choose which horror movies to watch. However, IMDb has made it easier by compiling the highest-rated horror films by user rating. These movies all have at least 50,000 user votes on the platform, making them among some of the most popular horror films ever made, according to IMDb users.
From great psychological thrillers to slasher classics, here are the top 20 highest-rated horror movies by users on IMDb.
20
‘Evil Dead II’ (1987)
IMDB Rating 7.7
Beating out the original, which sits at 7.4, Evil Dead II remains the definitive film in the franchise, building on the events of the first film but bringing more blood, gore, chaos, and memorable dialogue than the original. Here, the movie follows Ash (Bruce Campbell) as he tries to stay alive and sane in a remote cabin surrounded by evil entities and the bodies of his friends who passed in the first film.
The Shocking B-Horror Movie That Inspired a Whole Generation of Film Fans and Makers
Barely squeaking onto this list, tied in score with Invasion of the Body Snatchers but about three times the amount of votes, Evil Dead II nonetheless deserves a spot on the list of most revered horror movies according to IMDB. The original movie, along with this one, would innovate new camera techniques, and show that you did not need a massive budget to gain infamy in the genre. Chock full of gnarly practical effects and quotable dialogue, Evil Dead II would set the groundwork for an entire franchise based around Ash (Bruce Campbell) and his never-ending fight against the demonic zombies known as Deadites.
19
‘Halloween’ (1978)
IMDb Rating: 7.7
An undisputed horror classic and endlessly influential piece of cinema, John Carpenter’s masterpiece Halloween featured the first Hollywood appearance of the silent killing machine Michael Myers (Nick Castle), who escapes from an insane asylum after viciously murdering his sister 15 years prior and returns to his town of Haddonfield to terrorize teenage babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and wreak havoc.
Carpenter’s Masterclass in Horror
Shot on a budget of just $300,000, Halloween became one of the most profitable independent films of all time, grossing $70 million and being celebrated for Carpenter’s expert direction, electrifying score, and chillingly unstoppable antagonist. Its phenomenal performance led to countless sequels and reboots and Myers becoming one of the most distinct faces of horror, with IMDb users deeming it the greatest slasher movie ever made and a masterclass in the thrilling genre.
18
‘Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror’ (1922)
IMDB Rating 7.8
The black and white silent film, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, serves as an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula with a similar plot. Notably, the movie follows a real-estate agent tasked with selling a property only to find its owner, Graf Orlok, Max Schreck to be a macabre figure hiding a secret.
Creating a Legend of Film
The mere vision of Max Schreck as Graf Orlok remains a source of inspiration and awe to this day, as his ghastly visage is nothing short of terrifying. One of the earliest horror films ever made, Nosferatu’s haunting atmosphere, cinematography, and expressionist style has withstood the test of time with its unique visual appearance. An essential film in understanding the horror genre, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is timeless.
17
‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968)
IMDB Rating 7.8
The definitive zombie movie, Night of the Living Dead, would chronicle various groups of people who find themselves caught in the middle of an extraordinary event that sees the dead walking the Earth. Cooped up in a small abandoned home, the intensity of the outside world is only given brief clues as it comes through the radio the chaos spreading across the world.
Making of the Modern Day Zombie
Infamously made free the moment it was released due to forgetting to copyright the film, Night of the Living Dead, has become one of the most recognizable horror films of all time thanks to its appearance in other horror movies in scenes where characters are watching a film. Yet, it is not just the accessibility that makes George Romero’s iconic film so memorable, as it not only offered the modern vision of zombie, but is legitimately terrifying decades after its release and contains a sharp social commentary that is relevant to this day.
16
‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978)
IMDB Rating 7.8
Set in the midst of a global zombie apocalypse, Dawn of the Dead follows a group of survivors who have made a mall their refuge. Yet, as the dead outside slowly start to make their way in, along with raiders, the group struggles to maintain order among themselves and safety from exterior threats.
Landmark Horror Film That Balances Terror and Satire
From the original straight into the sequel! There is no denying that Dawn of the Dead was the film that cemented director George Romero as a master of his craft, with the movie touching on many of the same themes of Night of the Living Dead, but expanding them by adding a critique of consumerism at its core. Moreover, while Night gave us the modern definition of zombies, Dawn was arguably the more influential of the two on the genre as a whole, with every moment offering a perfect blend of drama, commentary, and zombie madness that many would try to replicate.
15
‘Let the Right One In’ (2008)
IMDB Rating 7.8
The Swedish horror film centers itself on a young bullied child, Oskar, who becomes obsessed with his neighbor Eli, who saves him one night and appears to be unaffected by the harsh winter. As the two get closer, Oskar soon learns that Eli is an ancient vampire, but his feelings for her override the horror of her existence and her unending desire for blood.
A Dark Coming-of-Age Vampire Movie
It is very rare that a foreign film breaks through into the mainstream with such fanfare and adoration as Let the Right One in did. The film melds coming-of-age drama with a dark, yet oddly beautiful, visual presentation with the horror of a bloodthirsty vampire. Let the Right One In, in many ways, acts as a precursor to the ‘elevated horror’ that would come after it, with companies like A24 moving on to try to capture the same balance of terror, drama, and artistry that Let the Right One In does so seamlessly.
14
‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)
IMDB Rating 7.8
The film that would make Edgar Wright a big name for cinema fans, Shaun of the Dead offered up a humorous look at the zombie apocalypse that brought new life to the living dead. Here, a slacker in a dead-end job, Shaun (Simon Pegg), decides that the zombie apocalypse is the perfect point to turn his life around and become the leader he always wanted to be, even if he is ill-equipped to take on the responsibility.
Blundering Through the Zombie Apocalypse
Is there a horror comedy more beloved than Shaun of the Dead? 600 thousand plus IMDB users certainly don’t think so. It is easy to see why the film was so beloved, with the mix of British wit and gore, making for one of the most exciting zombie movies in some time. Every decade a film seems to come along that helps to cement the sub-genre as a heavy hitter, and Shaun of the Dead did just that.
13
‘Get Out’ (2017)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
A modern entry for this list, the critically acclaimed horror hit Get Out proved that social issues can be terrifying when presented under the guise of entertainment. When a Black man accompanies his white girlfriend to meet her family, he discovers a conspiracy in which middle-class white liberals transplant people’s brains into others’ bodies. While some consider this movie to be more thought-provoking than scary, many critics felt its layered themes of racism created an unsettling atmosphere.
A Modern-Day Horror Masterpiece
Get Out wasn’t only a box office success in 2017, but remains one of the best-rated horror movies of the last decade. It earned four Academy Award nominations and has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with numerous reviews calling it funny, scary, and thought-provoking. With an IMDb rating of 7.8 from approximately 731,000 users, this one proves that original horror can still have a deep impact on viewers.
12
‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ (1962)
IMDb Rating: 8.0
This 1962 classic starring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis tells the story of two aging sisters who live together. “Baby” Jane Hudson (Davis) is a former child star slowly spiraling into madness while her sister Blanche (Crawford) is a person with a mobility disability after an accident. The two are terrorized by each other in a gripping rivalry that touches on themes of jealousy, loneliness, and mental illness.
An Unforgettable Hollywood Rivalry
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? holds an 8.0 rating on IMDb and was nominated for numerous awards and even competed for the Palme d’Or at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, with the cinema classic crossing over from the horror genre and into the mainstream thanks to the film’s major stars. Overall, the picture has become one of the most iconic psychological thrillers in film history. The pairing of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis is iconic here, and the lines here are still referenced by those who love campy and dramatic delivery.
11
‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ (1920)
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Widely regarded as the first true horror film in history, the 1920 German silent horror picture The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari tells the chilling tale of the titular unhinged hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who manipulates the somnambulist Cesare (Conrad Veidt) to carry out a series of gruesome murders. The groundbreaking movie helped pave the way for German cinema and also served as a stepping stone for arthouse films, and was noteworthy for its dramatic and gothic aesthetic and revolutionary and chaotic cinematography.
A Trailblazing Horror Triumph
The highly influential and then-controversial picture currently has an 8.0 IMDb rating and during its worldwide release, women in the audience reportedly screamed and even fainted when Cesare made his spine-tingling reveal. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is considered a classic picture and one of the most lauded and famous German pictures of the silent era. Visually, the movie is quintessential in understanding the German expressionism art movement, which is still influential throughout cinema today.
