14 Must See Classic Horror Films - The Best Classic Horror Movies

Do you wonder about the origins of the cinematic horror?  Are you curious about the evolution of vampire films, zombie films, or the other subgenres?  Do you just want to be entertained by actors no longer breathing?  Classic horror movies are a great place to start. The films that follow were pivotal contributions to the genre and helped it evolve to its current state.  There is no such thing as an original spark of brilliance.  The ‘genius’ we appreciate in story and direction is always built on a foundation of earlier works.  When we say something is ‘original’ what we really mean is that it is a non-hackneyed transition point.  Every film is a product of previous works, but some directors weave earlier elements together in such a way that they appear as ‘original’ threads in and of themselves and stand alone as masterpieces – taking the genre in a direction previously ignored. The two most pivotal transition points were probablyPsycho (1960) and The Exorcist (1973).  In deciding where to draw the line between classic and contemporary horror, I chose the latter.   Psycho was an unprecedented milestone, but I found its foundation too limiting and horror classics of the 1960s introduced many essential elements of the contemporary genre. So, which classic horror films should you take the time to enjoy?  These are my humble picks.  I present them chronologically and highlight the gems in each, but if you want to jump ahead to how they measure up to each other – numbered and scored according to originality (most cleverly stolen ideas), story, scares, gore and creepy theme – jump to the end.