Slasher
From The Living Dead, we move to the one subgenre beloved by many horror fans, the slasher movies. Those are the films where we witness a group of people (often horny dumb teenagers) getting followed by a killer. The blacks die first (a bunch of racist movies), the ones having sex get killed afterward (cause sex before marriage is punishable), and the virginal innocent girl turns into the Final Girl. Despite knowing the drill, we still love watching them and can’t get enough of them.
Halloween (1978)
Director: John Carpenter
This is way too predictable. How couldn’t it be? Like The Exorcist in the Supernatural genre, Halloween remains a timeless and influential slasher film, enthralling audiences after decades. Even after decades, it continues to captivate audiences, showcasing its enduring appeal. If Michael Myers doesn’t make you feel chills down your spine when he stalks Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), I don’t know what else could.
Honorable Mentions:
- Nightmare On Elm Street (1984), Director: Wes Craven
- Candyman (1992), Director: Bernard Rose
- Scream (1996), Director: Wes Craven
Okay, here are the proto-slashers, so nobody kills me:
Yes, I know. There are movies released before Halloween that influenced the modern slasher film. These are added to “Top Slasher” lists, but I’d like to put them in their own category. Let’s call them “proto-slasher,” and something we all agree on what classic film The Proto-Slasher.
Psycho (1960)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
One of the most acclaimed films by the master of suspense himself, it starts as a movie about a woman running away with stolen money. That ends as it turns into the terrifying story of Norman Bates, a mild-mannered predecessor to all the slasher killers that followed him. Although the shower scene might have become a cliche at this point, there’s no denying that this historic piece of cinema laid the groundwork for all the slasher movies we love.
Psycho is available on Peacock.
Honorable Mentions:
- Peeping Tom (1960), Director: Michael Powell
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Director: Tobe Hooper
- Black Christmas (1974), Director: Bob Clark
J-Horror
Japan has one of the best and oldest film industries. Japenese movies reached global acclaim in part of masters of the craft such as Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirō Ozu. Nevertheless, some of the best horror movies ever made come from the land of the rising sun. In subtle or precise ways, they honor their culture and folklore while being scary, grotesque, and weird.
Ring (1998)
Director: Hideo Nakata
Our approach is doing a sort of “Horror 101” list with top recommendations. The supernatural horror film Ringu seems like the appropriate entry point to the bizarre world of J-Horror. Even though Audition (our first honorable mention) is regarded as one of the best horror films ever made, Ringu’s popularity made it easier to discover.
The frightening movie about a cursed videotape that will kill you in 7 days became an international pop culture phenomenon in the late 90s and early 2000s. It kicked off an enthusiastic Japanese genre movie trend, and the American remake of 2002’s The Ring with Naomi Watts was well received and started its own franchise.
Watching Sadako crawl out of the TV screen is still one of the most spine-chilling scenes ever. You can watch it with a Screambox subscription on Amazon.
Honorable Mentions:
- Audition (1999), Director: Takashi Miike
- Kwaidan (1964), Director: Masaki Kobayashi
- Hausu (1977), Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Giallo
Last but not least, we’re moving from Japan to Italy and looking into the Giallo subgenre. The Italian Giallo is a genre of murder mystery that combines elements of detective stories with gruesome horror. Things that often characterize this type of movie are the candy-red colored blood, black leather gloves, robes, knives, and stylish cinematography with some POV shots.
Though this genre, mastered by Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and Lucio Fulci, is short-lived. Its legacy lives on with recent films such as Knife + Blood and The Neon Demon, as well as influencing the Slasher genre.
Deep Red (1975)
Director: Dario Argento
Deep Red follows a Jazz pianist and a journalist getting sucked into a mystery after the former witnesses the murder of a psychic. Though the plot sounds like a boilerplate Italian Giallo, Argento usually separates himself from the bunch by crafting a great-looking film with a beautiful color palette, a distinctive soundtrack from Goblin, and unsettling imagery.
All Giallo flicks from Argento, Bava, and Fulci are worth watching. Among other works, we’ll add a great one in the honorable mentions. However, if there’s one film that sticks to me and still gives me the chills just for remembering it, it’s Profondo Rosso.
As I write this article was written, you can be disturbed for free on Vudu.
Honorable Mentions:
- Blood and Black Lace (1964), Director: Mario Bava
- Tenebrae (1982), Director: Dario Argento
- Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have The Keys (1972), Director: Sergio Martino
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