I have been a fan of the horror genre ever since I saw the original IT in 1992. I was seven years old when my friends dad introduced us to Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the evilness that Tim Curry terrifyingly embodied. It was a sleepover with my teammates from our select baseball team. We were scared and excited to watch the movie since Blake’s dad, Layne, did the Pennywise voice, “Hiya Georgie, want a balloon,” on the regular and he sounded just like him. I remember being extremely traumatized after the first viewing, yet I wanted more. We would watch it all the time, scared shitless, and would even act like The Losers Club from the movie in our lives. I will never forget this experience and will always credit Blake and Layne, who lived five houses down from our house in Plano, Texas, for establishing my love for the horror genre, with impeccable taste, too.

With Halloween in full swing, I feel like it’s time to illustrate my favorite horror thrillers of all time, educating my audience on what to watch this October, instead of y ‘all wasting nights scrolling for shit to watch and finally landing on something terrible. Below is my list of some of the best and most iconic horror movies across different sub-genres, known for their intelligence, creativity, realness and the ability to terrify:

Psycho (1960)

Known for its shocking twist and innovative use of suspension of disbelief, this film is a psychological thriller that shocked the world in a way it hadn’t before. Norman Bates, played by the creepy Anthony Perkins, is a troubled hotel manager who becomes fond of a pretty blonde stranger (Janet Leigh) who is running from her company in which she stole thousands of dollars from. What comes next is a twisted, deranged “scary as hell” movie that will have you thinking of never taking a shower in a hotel ever again.

The Exorcist (1973)

One of the most disturbing films of all time, this supernatural horror rarity focuses on the possession of a young girl, which has become a cultural touchstone and was the first movie to have people vomit and leave the theatre because of how scary it was. It still holds up today and has gone down as a cinematic masterpiece.

Halloween (1978)

This slasher film introduced the iconic Michael Myers and set the template for many slasher films that followed, including the Friday the 13th movies, Child’s Play and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The original Halloween has to be one of the most iconic and frightening movies of all time, which established Jamie Lee Curtis as the ultimate scream queen of the 80’s & 90’s.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

A gritty and disturbing tale of cannibalistic murderers, this film shocked audiences with its relentless brutality and shocking portrayal of the seriously deranged and dangerous lunatics that live in our world, too. You have to think that some of the most disturbing horror movies have to be based on even a slither of truth, yeah?

Hereditary (2018)

A modern masterpiece that blends family drama with supernatural horror, filled with unsettling imagery and intense psychological terror. Toni Collette gives one of the best performances of all time, not just in the horror movie genre. It’s a shame she wasn’t even nominated for a Golden Globe or an Oscar. Her acting chops are in full force here and you’ll be thinking about the dinner table scene for months. Also, the insane thing that happens to the sister in the backseat of her brother’s car is traumatizing.

SCREAM (1996)

With an opening scene that kills off the biggest star of the movie, you know something awesome is about to develop. Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson created a brilliant, witty, hilarious and scary movie that changed the horror genre forever. Horror movies were dead and mostly crap in the late 80’s and early 90’s, until SCREAM came along and blew audiences away. The opening scene with Drew Barrymore is still one of the best opening sequences of all time. “What’s your favorite scary movie?”

Longlegs (2024)

Nicholas Cage gives the most insane, raw and realistic performance of his life portraying a serial killer named Longlegs. Think Get Out meets Midsommar, with a splash of Seven and Silence of the Lambs. It’s a wild cult like vibe throughout the movie and the female lead’s performance as an FBI agent named Lee Harker will haunt you for weeks. Just when you think it can’t get crazier, it goes to a place you’ll never see coming. This is the most terrifying serial killer movies to come out since The Silence of the Lambs.

Get Out (2017)

A socially-conscious horror film that uses psychological horror and tension to explore issues of race and identity in America. Not only does this film mock and bring to life the idiosyncrasies of black and white culture mixed together, but it also makes you feel like this does happen in real life, especially in cults and in Hollywood. I would hail this the best horror films of this century so far. It’s a near perfect movie and extremely demented. If you haven’t seen this film, you must immediately stream it and get ready for the ride of your life.

Smile 2 (2024)

The way Smile 2 sheds light on the darkness of the entertainment industry, while still keeping that same eerie and creepy vibe of the original is absolutely disturbing in ways you can’t even imagine. It’s the best reviewed horror movie since Get Out and Naomi Scott’s performance is one for the books. The academy of motion pictures and award show dictators of Hollywood need to take the stick out of their ass and give this girl a nomination. Who cares that it’s a horror film, Scott delivered an outstanding performance displaying mental illness, addiction and the brutal abuse that pop stars like Britney Spears and Whitney Houston went through. That’s the real horror tragedy in this movie and Director Parker Finn knows how to entertain an audience with superb performances and disturbing scenes throughout almost every frame in the movie.

This list spans different decades and styles, offering a broad spectrum of horror for various tastes. What’s your favorite scary movie?