The 15 Best Warner Bros. Horror Movies Of All Time
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- 1Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight
Whether horror fans believe it was truly Tobe Hooper or Steven Spielberg who directed the generational paranormal horror film Poltergeist, there is simply no doubt that it could, and should be considered one of the best horror films of all time. Mixing the whimsy and fantastical elements that Speilberg presents with the outright terror and dread of Hooper, the film is the best of both worlds and is widely considered to be one of the best entry-level horror movies of all time.
- 2Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow
The crown jewel of the Warner Bros. horror catalog is undoubtedly The Exorcist. A film that revolutionized horror, terrified an entire generation, and was one of the most successful films critically and financially of all time, the story of Regan, Pazuzu, and the titular exorcism is, to this day, a landmark in horror and one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time. Released 50 years ago in 1973, the film shocked, appalled, disturbed, and haunted audiences with its far too realistic portrayal of possession and satanic culture, and instilled to the movie-loving world that horror is one of the best, most original, and most remarkable genres in all of film.
- 3John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp
The slasher subgenre was alive and well by the time Wes Craven released A Nightmare on Elm Street, but it was this glorious turn in nightmarish terror that solidified the horror subgenre as one of the greatest of all time. Introducing Freddy Kruger to the world, A Nightmare on Elm Street took all the sadistic and masochistic tropes of slashers and flipped them on their head, delivering a holistically unique work of art that still managed to scratch the itch the horror fans were clamoring for. Brutal and horrifying gore, some of the most unique kills of all time, and a character who has withstood the test of time and become a legend, A Nightmare on Elm Street is not only one of the best Warner Bros. horror movies, but one of the best horror movies of all time.
- 4Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor
While Warner Bros. may be more known for the way they revolutionized the horror genre throughout the 70s and 80s, they also had a second magnificent renaissance in the 2010s, starting with the stellar paranormal film, The Conjuring. Switching the mainstream horror audiences attention away from splatter films and into a more melancholic paranormal vibe, The Conjuring is a catalyst for the modern horror film, as it showcases great feats of terror, but also has phenomenal directorial style and heart. The impact the film has had on the genre is astronomical, and helped change cinema forever.
- 5Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies
After a 10-year slumber from the silver screen, Evil Dead Rise saw the Evil Dead franchise return to its horrific, sadistic, and goretastic roots as the carnage of the film was dialed up to eleven in this waking nightmare of a film. With standout performances, some of the most unique kills and weapons of all time, and further solidification that the franchise is one of the best of all time, Evil Dead Rise managed to not only meet, but exceed any and all expectations.
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- 6Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining remains an, ironically, shinning example of how to adapt source material, make it completely your own, and utterly petrify audiences for all time. Inarguably one of the greatest horror movies of all time, The Shining turned this sadistic ghost story and transformed it into a modern work of art that simultaneously challenged and rewarded viewers with some of the most unique and frightening scenes of all time, while giving them plenty of mind-altering ideologues to digest. While Stephen King may not be a big fan of what Kubrick did to his novel, he is most certainly in the minority, as The Shining is an incredible cinematic achievement.
- 7Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith
The horror landscape was changed forever in 2000 with the release of the stellar and wildly original Final Destination. A film that saw Death itself chasing after the films cast of characters and killing them off in wildly original, shocking, and graphic ways, the film oozed 2000s charm and aesthetics and ushers in a new era of horror. No longer were ghost stories all the rage, but instead teens getting brutally massacred was back in fashion, with this generations sorry victims being loud, brash, and obnoxious, perfectly encapsulating the culture of the time.
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- 8
It
Jaeden Martell, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia LillisWhen Stephen King's It released in 2017, almost no one could have imagined or predicted the global sensation this utterly terrifying film would become. Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise the Dancing Clown became a legend overnight, and showed the world that there was still terror in horror. It transcended the horror genre and, for all intense and purpose, made horror the popular culture for a short while as suddenly everyone wanted a piece of the clown and The Losers Club. Warner Bros. has had, arguably, the biggest horror hit in decades on their hands, and they managed to not only live up to expectations, but surpass them in every way.
- 9Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough
While the world at large may mainly know Dracula as the beloved and iconic Universal Monster, in 1958, a dark, sinister, and sadistic twist on the character was introduced in Horrors of Dracula. Christopher Lee cemented his legacy as a horror legend with his turn in the film, one that saw the vampiric creature of the night be less sensual and romantic, and more crazed and sadistic. A staple of Hammer Horror and one of the most beloved adaptations of the character of all time, Horrors of Dracula showed the world that these beloved characters didn't need to be shackled to Universal, and that Warner Bros. could create just as powerful a story as anyone else in the world.
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- 10Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker
While Trick 'r Treat was originally a straight-to-DVD release that Warner Bros. thought would be forgotten in time, it shockingly became a massive cult classic seemingly overnight, and now is widely considered to be one of the best and most important Halloween movies ever made. This anthology-based horror film brings the spooky vibes in droves as the fall atmosphere is drenched throughout the film. Showcasing stories of werewolves, vampires, serial killers, aliens, and zombies, there is something for every horror fan to love in this remarkable little horror film.
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- 11Wallace Ford, Olga Baclanova, Leila Hyams
One of the earliest horror films to release from Warner Bros., Freaks is a fascinating, melancholiac, and heartbreaking tale of a group of circus performers who are viewed at as freaks because of their disabilities, their stature, or simply because of the way they look. While not the traditional type of horror that mainstream audiences may be used to today, Freaks was one of the first instances of showing that the true monster is indeed man, and no matter how hard we wish for it, more often than not, the good guys don't come out on top.
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- 12Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Tom Conway
One of the earlier horror films to release under Warner Bros., Cat People was highly regarded when it released in 1942, became forgotten in time, and then suddenly resurged as a staple of LGBTQ+ horror. A fascinating and fantastic tale of a woman who transforms into a panther and kills those who threaten her, the film managed to have a deeply profound and heartfelt message that resonates more in today's society than when it initially released. While the film will not be everyones cup of tea, there is no discrediting the impact and importance of this treasured horror film.
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- 13Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Miko Hughes
The final chapter in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise from Wes Craven, New Nightmare saw the film take a far more meta, psychological, and horrifying turn as suddenly everyone in the world knows who Freddy is, including the characters in the film. A brief few years before Craven would break the horror world with Scream, he did a dry run with one of the most beloved horror franchises of all time, and sparked new life into the beloved and deranged killer. Widely regarded as the second or third best film in the franchise, Wes Craven's New Nightmare was a brave, bold, and fantastic horror film that showed the world was ready for meta horror.
- 14Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow
John Carpenter's surrealist nightmare and fever-dream like odyssey of In the Mouth of Madness saw the director showcase his wild imagination like never before. A film filled to the brim with wild imagery, sick and twisted creatures, and a paranoid vibe that forces audiences to question if everything just witnessed was real or a nightmare, In the Mouth of Madness is argubaly more shocking today than when it innitially released, and would fit snugly in the new horror generations “elevated horror.” Creepy, sadistic, and masochistic, this film has everything fans could ever dream of.
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- 15Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young
Director James want helped shape the horror landscape throughout the 2000s with his massive hits Saw and The Conjuring, so in 2021, he decided to make a film that he would love, one that didn't have to be a massive hit, but one that came from his heart, and that film was Malignant. One of the strangest mainstream movies to release in years, Malignant is a bizarre Giallo-esque B-movie thriller that is purposefully strange and off-putting, in all the best ways imaginable. Brutally violent, completely unforgettable, and one-of-a-kind, Malignant is a film horror fans have never seen before, and will likely never see again.
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