The Crypt Charts
The Top 31 Horror Movies of All Time
The definitive ranking — the thirty-one greatest horror films ever committed to screen, by the Crypt Score. Only widely-seen titles with real critical and audience weight make the cut.
Ranked by Crypt Score · Updated weekly · captured Jul 20, 2026
Eligibility: a title needs at least 2 rating sources and 1,000+ votes to chart — no thin-data entries.
Psycho
R1960 · Horror, Thriller, Mystery · 109m · Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.
Alien
R1979 · Horror, Science Fiction · 117m · Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars
2009 · Horror, Science Fiction, Drama · 62m · David Tennant, Lindsay Duncan, Peter O'Brien, Sharon Duncan-Brewster
In a Mars base, the inhabitants are being infected by a mysterious water creature which takes over its victims. The Doctor is thrust into the middle of this catastrophe, knowing a larger one is waiting around the corner.
Aliens
R1986 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 137m · Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser
Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.
Se7en
R1995 · Crime, Mystery, Thriller · 127m · Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Cassini
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
The Shining
R1980 · Horror, Thriller · 144m · Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.
Jaws
PG1975 · Horror, Thriller, Adventure · 124m · Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary
When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled shark hunter embark on a desperate quest to kill the beast before it strikes again.
Rosemary's Baby
R1968 · Drama, Horror, Thriller · 138m · Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer
A young couple, Rosemary and Guy, moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.
Obsession
R2026 · Horror, Thriller · 109m · Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless
After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
In Search of Darkness
2019 · Documentary, Horror · 264m · Tom Atkins, John Bloom, Doug Bradley, Lori Cardille
An exploration of '80s horror movies through the perspective of the actors, directors, producers and SFX craftspeople who made them, and their impact on contemporary cinema.
The Sixth Sense
PG-131999 · Mystery, Thriller, Drama · 107m · Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
Following an unexpected tragedy, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe meets a nine year old boy named Cole Sear, who is hiding a dark secret.
The Exorcist
R1973 · Horror, Drama · 122m · Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow
When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
King Kong
1933 · Adventure, Fantasy, Horror · 100m · Robert Armstrong, Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher
Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham sets out to produce a motion picture unlike anything the world has seen before. Alongside his leading lady Ann Darrow and his first mate Jack Driscoll, they arrive on an island and discover a legendary creature said to be neither beast nor man. Denham captures the monster to be displayed on Broadway as King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world.
Bride of Frankenstein
NR1935 · Horror, Science Fiction · 75m · Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Ernest Thesiger
Dr. Frankenstein and his monster both turn out to be alive after being attacked by an angry mob. The now-chastened scientist attempts to escape his past, but a former mentor forces him to assist with the creation of a new creature.
Black Swan
R2010 · Drama, Thriller, Horror · 108m · Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey
A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake."
Get Out
R2017 · Mystery, Thriller, Horror · 104m · Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.
The Thing
R1982 · Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction · 109m · Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
Halloween
R1978 · Horror, Thriller · 91m · Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P. J. Soles
Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
Night of the Living Dead
NR1968 · Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction · 96m · Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman
A ragtag group barricade themselves in an old Pennsylvania farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls ravaging the Northeast.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
1962 · Drama, Horror, Thriller · 135m · Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Wesley Addy
A former vaudeville child star viciously torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1956 · Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller · 80m · Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones
A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
NR1939 · Drama, Romance, Horror · 117m · Charles Laughton, Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Maureen O'Hara
Paris, France, 1482. Frollo, Chief Justice of benevolent King Louis XI, gets infatuated by the beauty of Esmeralda, a young Romani girl. The hunchback Quasimodo, Frollo's protege and bell-ringer of Notre Dame, lives in peace among the bells in the heights of the immense cathedral until he is involved by the twisted magistrate in his malicious plans to free himself from Esmeralda's alleged spell, which he believes to be the devil's work.
The Unknown
NR1927 · Drama, Thriller, Romance · 68m · Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick De Ruiz
On the lam, criminal Alonzo hides in the circus as The Armless Wonder—a performer who uses his feet to hurl knives. Alonzo keeps the arms he really has concealed to hide his identity. Meanwhile, ringmaster's daughter Nanon has a phobia of being touched by men, but is romantically pursued by not only Alonzo but the strongman Malabar. Alonzo's desperation to remain with Nanon will only end in tragedy.
Nightcrawler
R2014 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · 118m · Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
Shaun of the Dead
R2004 · Horror, Comedy · 99m · Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis
Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.
Dirty Harry
R1971 · Action, Crime, Thriller · 102m · Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, John Vernon
When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.
Frankenstein
1931 · Drama, Horror, Science Fiction · 70m · Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff
Henry Frankenstein pieces together body parts in the hope of bringing a human-like creature to life. The mad scientist’s dreams are shattered by his monstrous creation awakening with rage to a world that hates and fears him.
Repulsion
NR1965 · Drama, Thriller, Horror · 105m · Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser, Yvonne Furneaux
Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.
Freaks
NR1932 · Drama, Horror · 64m · Harry Earles, Olga Baclanova, Daisy Earles, Henry Victor
A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.
Peeping Tom
NR1960 · Horror, Thriller, Crime · 101m · Karlheinz Böhm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey, Maxine Audley
Loner Mark Lewis works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also he's making a documentary on fear, which involves recording the reactions of victims as he murders them. He befriends Helen, the daughter of the family living in the apartment below his, and he tells her vaguely about the movie he is making.