Top 100 · Horror

The 100 Best Horror Movies, Ranked

We rank 2,286 of the 23,356 horror films on the site; these are the top 100. Psycho (1960) is #1 with a critics & audiences score of 91/100, ahead of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026) and Frankenstein (2025). Ranked by Echo Score; 31 of these 100 films have none (released before 2017, when Echo Scores start) and are ranked by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings. A ranked watchlist for scares, slashers and psychological terror. For new releases and box office hits, see the horror movies guide.

ranked horror films: 2,286
horror films on the site: 23,356
release years in the top 100: 1933–2026
award winners in the top 100: 20

#1 of 2,286

Best horror movie

Psycho

1960 Mystery Thriller 1h 49m

97 Metascore

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

About Psycho

Top 10

What Are the Best Horror Movies?

Psycho (1960) leads with a critics & audiences score of 91/100, ahead of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026); 5 of the top 10 are from the 2020s. 6 of the top 10 are ranked by Echo Score, led by Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom at 90; the other 4, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.

1. Psycho 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100)

1960 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 49m

Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences · 1 award win
2. Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom 90 Echo (Echo Score 90 out of 100)

2026 · Animation, Adventure · 1h 31m

Dir. Steve Cox $19.3M worldwide
2. Frankenstein 90 Echo (Echo Score 90 out of 100)

2025 · Drama, Fantasy · 2h 29m

Dir. Guillermo del Toro 7 award wins
2. The Bride of Frankenstein 95 Metascore (Metascore 95 out of 100)

1935 · Drama, Horror · 1h 15m

Dir. James Whale No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences · 1 award nomination
5. Werckmeister Harmonies 93 Metascore (Metascore 93 out of 100)

2001 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 2h 25m

Dir. Ágnes Hranitzky No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences
6. The Lighthouse 89 Echo (Echo Score 89 out of 100)

2019 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 49m

Dir. Robert Eggers 2 award wins · $18.1M worldwide
6. X 89 Echo (Echo Score 89 out of 100)

2022 · Horror · 1h 45m

Dir. Ti West $14.7M worldwide
6. Dead Talents Society 89 Echo (Echo Score 89 out of 100)

2025 · Comedy, Horror · 1h 45m

Dir. John Hsu $7.9M worldwide
6. The Innocents 89 Echo (Echo Score 89 out of 100)

2022 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 57m

Dir. Eskil Vogt
10. Invasion of the Body Snatchers 92 Metascore (Metascore 92 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))

1956 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 1h 20m

No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences

#11 to #100

Horror Movies Ranked #11 to #100

Places 11 to 100: Pearl (2022) opens the list and Anything for Jackson (2020) closes it. 27 of these 90 films are not in English; 15 languages appear in all. Filter by decade or language, or sort by year or box office.

Echo Score, our 0–100 rating (films from 2017 on) Blend: Metascore with IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings, for films without an Echo Score

1. Psycho
1960 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 49m

91 Blend
2. Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
2026 · Animation, Adventure · 1h 31m

90 Echo $19.3M
2. Frankenstein
2025 · Drama, Fantasy · 2h 29m

90 Echo
2. The Bride of Frankenstein
1935 · Drama, Horror · 1h 15m

90 Blend
5. Werckmeister Harmonies
2001 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 2h 25m

90 Blend $69.9K
6. The Lighthouse
2019 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 49m

89 Echo $18.1M
6. X
2022 · Horror · 1h 45m

89 Echo $14.7M
6. Dead Talents Society
2025 · Comedy, Horror · 1h 45m

89 Echo $7.9M
6. The Innocents
2022 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 57m

89 Echo $321.8K
10. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1956 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 1h 20m

88 Blend
11. Pearl
2022 · Horror

88 Echo $9.8M
11. Halloween
1978 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 31m

88 Blend $47.2M
11. Leviticus
2026 · Horror, Romance · 1h 26m

88 Echo $8.9M
14. Alien
1979 · Horror, Sci-Fi · 1h 57m

87 Blend $109.1M
15. Jaws
1975 · Adventure, Thriller · 2h 4m

87 Blend $477.9M
15. There Is a Monster
2024 · Horror · 1h 22m

87 Blend $2.8K
17. Rosemary's Baby
1968 · Drama, Horror · 2h 17m

87 Blend
18. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
1974 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 23m

87 Blend $30.9M
19. The Substance
2024 · Drama, Horror · 2h 20m

86 Echo $77.3M
19. Hereditary
2018 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 7m

86 Echo $87.8M
19. One Cut of the Dead
2019 · Horror, Comedy · 1h 36m

86 Echo $1.1M
19. Don't Look Now
1973 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 50m

86 Blend $116.1K
19. The Birds
1963 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 59m

86 Blend
24. Godzilla Minus One
2023 · Action, Adventure · 2h 5m

85 Echo $113.9M
24. The Long Walk
2025 · Horror · 1h 48m

85 Echo $63.2M
24. Mandy
2018 · Action, Drama · 2h 1m

85 Echo $1.8M
24. Son of Saul
2015 · Drama, History · 1h 47m

85 Blend $6.7M
24. Dust Bunny
2025 · Action, Drama · 1h 46m

85 Echo $1.4M
24. Revenge
2018 · Action, Thriller · 1h 48m

85 Echo $938.1K
24. Detective Kien: The Headless Horror
2025 · Horror, Crime · 2h 11m

85 Echo $9.8M
24. The Call
2020 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 52m

85 Echo $1.6M
24. Monstrum
2018 · Horror, Fantasy · 1h 46m

85 Echo $5.2M
24. The Call
2020 · Horror · 1h 35m

85 Echo
24. Saloum
2022 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 24m

85 Echo $5.1K
24. The Serpent's Skin
2026 · Fantasy, Horror · 1h 23m

85 Blend
24. Marni: The Story of Wewe Gombel
2024 · Thriller, Horror · 2h

85 Echo
37. Exhuma
2024 · Horror, Mystery · 2h 14m

84 Echo $93.9M
37. Barbarian
2022 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 42m

84 Echo $46.2M
37. Abominable
2020 · Horror · 1h 12m

84 Echo
37. Deep Red
1976 · Mystery, Thriller · 2h 6m

84 Blend $68.5K
37. Ghost Killer
2025 · Action, Crime · 1h 45m

84 Echo
37. Theater of Blood
1973 · Drama, Horror · 1h 44m

84 Blend
43. The Wicker Man
1974 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 28m

84 Blend $551.9K
44. King Kong
1933 · Adventure, Sci-Fi · 1h 40m

84 Blend
45. Night of the Living Dead
1968 · Horror · 1h 36m

83 Blend
46. You Won't Be Alone
2022 · Drama, Horror · 1h 48m

83 Echo $335.5K
46. In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50
2023 · Documentary, Comedy · 1h 26m

83 Echo $68.8K
46. The Mortuary Collection
2020 · Fantasy, Horror · 1h 48m

83 Echo $107.6K
46. The Invisible Man
1933 · Horror, Sci-Fi · 1h 11m

83 Blend
46. His House
2020 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 33m

83 Echo
51. Eraserhead
1978 · Horror · 1h 29m

82 Blend $37.8K
52. The Menu
2022 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 47m

82 Echo $79.6M
52. The Exorcist
1973 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 2m

82 Blend $430.9M
52. Sleep
2024 · Comedy, Horror · 1h 35m

82 Echo $11.1M
52. Strange Darling
2024 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 36m

82 Echo $4.9M
52. Romancham
2023 · Horror, Comedy · 2h 12m

82 Echo $69.9M
52. The Innocents
1961 · Horror · 1h 40m

82 Blend
52. Moon Garden
2023 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 33m

82 Echo $57.8K
52. The Righteous
2022 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 37m

82 Echo
52. Chain Reactions
2025 · Documentary, Horror · 1h 43m

82 Echo
61. Let the Right One In
2008 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 55m

82 Blend $11.2M
62. Send Help
2026 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 53m

81 Echo $94M
62. Iron Lung
2026 · Horror, Sci-Fi · 2h 7m

81 Echo $50M
62. The Empty Man
2020 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 17m

81 Echo $4.8M
62. Cynthia
2018 · Horror, Comedy · 1h 29m

81 Echo $58.2K
66. The Host
2007 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 1h 59m

81 Blend $89.4M
67. Sinners
2025 · Action, Drama · 2h 11m

80 Echo $371.6M
67. Weapons
2025 · Horror, Mystery · 2h 8m

80 Echo $270.1M
67. Scream VI
2023 · Mystery, Thriller

80 Echo
67. A Quiet Place
2018 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 1h 30m

80 Echo $341M
67. The First Omen
2024 · Horror · 2h

80 Echo $53.8M
67. Get Out
2017 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 44m

80 Blend $255.8M
67. The Devil's Bath
2024 · Drama, History · 2h 1m

80 Echo $5.7M
67. The Fly
1986 · Sci-Fi, Thriller · 1h 36m

80 Blend $60.6M
67. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2026 · Horror · 1h 49m

80 Echo $58.5M
67. Before I Wake
2018 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 37m

80 Echo
67. The Wolf House
2020 · Drama, Horror · 1h 15m

80 Echo
67. Extra Ordinary
2020 · Fantasy, Horror · 1h 34m

80 Echo $223.9K
67. The Wolf of Snow Hollow
2020 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 23m

80 Echo $267K
67. Animale
2025 · Drama, Horror · 1h 38m

80 Echo $71.9K
67. Godzilla
2004 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 1h 38m

80 Blend $9.2M
67. La Llorona
2020 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 36m

80 Echo $294.4K
67. The Wind
2019 · Horror, Western · 1h 26m

80 Echo $131K
67. The Dark Divide
2020 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 47m

80 Echo $2.2M
67. The Devil All the Time
2020 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 18m

80 Echo $12K
67. birth/rebirth
2023 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 38m

80 Echo $138.6K
67. The Forest of the Lost Souls
2018 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 11m

80 Echo $1.5K
67. Roh
2021 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 23m

80 Echo
67. Wait Until Dark
1967 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 48m

80 Blend
67. Eat Me
2018 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 35m

80 Echo
67. Saint Maud
2021 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 24m

80 Echo
67. Birdboy: The Forgotten Children
2017 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 1h 16m

80 Echo
67. Tigers Are Not Afraid
2019 · Mystery, Fantasy · 1h 23m

80 Echo
67. Bou Buttu Bhuta
2025 · Horror, Comedy · 2h 56m

80 Echo
67. Detention
2021 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 42m

80 Echo
96. Carrie
1976 · Horror · 1h 38m

80 Blend $33.9M
97. The Wailing
2025 · Drama, Horror · 1h 47m

80 Blend $749.9K
98. Hokum
2026 · Horror · 1h 51m

79 Echo $25M
98. The Vourdalak
2024 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 31m

79 Echo $78.5K
98. Anything for Jackson
2020 · Horror · 1h 37m

79 Echo $496K

Decade by decade

The Best Horror Movie of Every Decade

From The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) in the 1930s to Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026) in the 2020s: the highest-ranked horror movie of each of 10 decades. The 2020s place the most films in the top 100 (58).

1930s
95 Metascore The Bride of Frankenstein 1935
1940s
85 Metascore Cat People 1942
1950s
92 Metascore Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956
1960s
97 Metascore Psycho 1960
1970s
90 Metascore Halloween 1978
1980s
81 Metascore The Fly 1986
1990s
78 Metascore The Witches 1990
2000s
93 Metascore Werckmeister Harmonies 2001
2010s
89 Echo The Lighthouse 2019
2020s
90 Echo Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom 2026

Awards

Which Horror Movies Won the Most Awards?

Sinners (2025) has the strongest record with 23 wins from 61 nominations, including wins at Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTA. Wins and nominations are counted across every ceremony on our awards pages.

Movie awards

Sinners 23 wins / 61 nom.
2025 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 80 Echo
The Substance 9 wins / 33 nom.
2024 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 86 Echo
The Exorcist 9 wins / 22 nom.
1973 · Oscars, Golden Globes, Saturn Awards · 83 Metascore
Frankenstein 7 wins / 34 nom.
2025 · Oscars, BAFTA, Critics' Choice · 90 Echo
Get Out 6 wins / 24 nom.
2017 · Oscars, Critics' Choice, DGA Awards · 85 Metascore
Sleep Tight 6 wins / 15 nom.
2012 · Gaudí Awards · 70 Metascore
Jaws 5 wins / 24 nom.
1975 · Oscars, Golden Globes · 87 Metascore
The Invisible Man 4 wins / 14 nom.
2020 · Saturn Awards, AACTA Awards · 77 Echo

Keep exploring

More Ways to Explore Horror Movies

The top 100 are the best 4% of 2,286 ranked horror films. The horror guide, the full list of 23,356 films and the horror box office chart cover the rest of the genre.

FAQ

Horror Movies: Questions & Answers

Answers from the horror ranking above: the best horror film, how many horror movies there are, the strongest decade and the most awarded horror film.

What is the best horror movie?

Psycho (1960) is the best-ranked horror movie on What's After the Movie, with a critics & audiences score of 91/100. Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026) and Frankenstein (2025) follow. 6 of the top 10 are ranked by Echo Score, led by Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom at 90; the other 4, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.

About Psycho

How many horror movies are there?

The site lists 23,356 horror films. 2,286 of them are ranked: features of 60+ minutes with a real audience, critic, award or box office signal and a score. This page shows the top 100.

All horror movies

Which decade has the best horror movies?

The 2020s place 58 films in the top 100, more than any other decade. The oldest film in the list is King Kong (1933), the newest Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026).

What is the most awarded horror movie?

Sinners (2025) won 23 awards from 61 nominations, ahead of The Substance (2024) (9 wins), counted across the Oscars, festivals and guild awards on our awards pages.

Movie awards

How is this list different from the horror genre page?

This page is only the ranking of the 100 best horror films. The horror genre page covers the whole genre: new releases, the biggest box office hits, its directors and how it changed over the decades.

Horror movies guide