The 25 most entertaining horror movies

Get out your popcorn! It's time to dive into one of the most entertaining horror flicks ever made. Alfred Hitchcock's thriller about a man who spots a murder from his window is cramped with tension, yes. But it's a rollicking good time as well. Hitch knew that great horror meant more than just scares. It meant adding tension, atmosphere and hot blondes.

Guess who's coming to dinner? A black guy who doesn't realize his white girlfriend's parents are racist. Jordan Peele's breakout is very entertaining, not least for the way it toes the line between comedy and horror. He's established himself as a director who can take a comedic sketch and twist it into a visceral fright.

It opens with a human zombie going about his routine. Milk, cereal, lying on the couch and yawning his way to the grocery store. But what's this? There are real zombies everywhere? Edgar Wright's horror flick sees a schlub surviving the apocalypse in some incredibly funny scenarios.

If you're sick of jump scares and gore fests, this is the movie you want to watch. The Thing is the opposite of most horror movies today, where every basement, hallway and corridor leads to some grisly death. John Carpenter's film is eerily restrained, building tension out of a snowy campsite where a bunch of people are gathered to find science but eventually find a monster instead.

What happens when you have two Jack Nicholsons from The Shining in one room? You get The Lighthouse. A mad, magnificent and mesmerizing film that sees a couple of lighthouse keepers lose their minds, this is one of the most artsy and audacious movies to be released in years. 

Yes, it's the shark movie. Yes, it's the movie that scared millions from going in the ocean. Yes, it's the movie where a small town gets eaten alive by a giant monster. And yes, it's still entertaining. Steven Spielberg's classic still has bite.

Like Jaws, this is a monster movie that is both entertaining and scary. As a bunch of dinosaurs run wild in a park, it's up to a bunch of humans to stop them. If the sequels have taught us anything, it's that dinosaur theme parks are a bad idea — as are sequels of this timeless classic.

Is it a horror flick? A slapstick comedy? An art film or a cheesy indie? It's all the above, thanks to Sam Raimi's mix of tones that brings this haunted house to life.

A vampire flick with bite... and abs. The Lost Boys sees a bunch of teenage vampires search for food in a small town.

Just a casual movie about the apocalypse and some creepy dude who locks a family in his basement. This is the kind of thriller that makes you question everything on screen. There may not be scares, but you're going to be on the edge of your seat anyway.

A movie about a bunch of astronauts being torn to shreds by an alien? What's this doing on an entertaining list? Let me tell you about Ridley Scott's Alien: there may not be a more textured, tenacious and atmospheric monster flick than this one. Every time we watch it, we are thrilled to be aboard the ship.

The sequel is a more conventionally entertaining choice. The heroine is joined by a crew and a lot more aliens, which makes for a lot more action.

Is it just me, or do you look at birds a little differently after watching The Birds? Those hawks gliding over the mountains seem a little more dangerous; those crows hanging on a telephone pole a little more mysterious. What would happen if they went after you instead of a rabbit? How would you defend yourself? That's the question a town has to deal with when the birds arrive. 

Folk horror has always been entertaining for me, mainly because I'm drawn to the world building of horror flicks. The lush, golden hour pastures of this remote island have a mystery to them, an indescribable feeling that's as old as the hills. Add to that a crazy cult and you got a lyrically unsettling setting. 

Speaking of folk horror, this gem from 2023 is just waiting to be discovered like a species of unidentified flowers on a remote island. One woman is in charge of looking after these flowers, but she's starting to lose her mind. Here come the hallucinations! 

You probably weren't planning on joining a ballet school, but if you were, Suspiria will change your mind for good. The horror classic sees a girl arrive at a ballet school run by witches, which leads to all sorts of terror amidst its halls. It's a showcase for Dario Argento's stylish filmmaking — a gonzo blend of bright colors and fairytale dread. 

I've seen this one a number of times and it's still entertaining. It's a paranoid thriller about aliens who look like us, making for a social commentary that's still being investigated today.

Now this is a fun horror flick. There's a reason people watch it every year — John Carpenter's slasher pulses with atmosphere, autumn leaves, hidden shadows and timeless scares. His killer is as perfect as any monster in cinema, right up there with Jaws, Alien and Mean Girls.

Some people prefer M. Night Shyamalan's other films, but this for me is his masterpiece. A thriller about a family who tries to survive an alien invasion, every single frame of this movie has been as meticulously assembled as the crop signs in their backyard. There isn't a more visible sign of the director's talents.

Honestly, you can pick from any of the classic Godzilla movies. The later ones were actually more entertaining, pinning a giant monster against other monsters in a massive battle. But the original remains a staple of monster cinema, despite being a metaphor for nuclear destruction.  

Monster movies are generally entertaining, extremely violent spectacles that audiences can enjoy on a big screen. And The Mist is no exception. When the mist brings in a bunch of monsters, audiences can watch from their seats with eager eyes.

The Night of the Hunter may not be entertaining for everyone, especially since it contains some of the most unsettling moments in the genre. In one scene, a murderous "priest" hovers over his wife with a knife, swallowed in expressionistic shadows and lustful greed. But it's one of the most beautiful examples of the genre as well. A fairytale about kids on the run from that "priest," The Night of the Hunter glows with the light of a moon shimmering on a forest stream.

Can you believe this won multiple Oscars? A man gets his face ripped off! Silence of the Lambs is one of the only horror movies to be recognized at the Oscars, thanks to a pair of chilling performances and a serial killer who chews on more than just the scenery.

The Conjuring is entertaining in a packed theater. There's nothing fun about its premise, but it's fun to see with a bunch of terrified people.

Is this a horror movie? There's fencing, fighting, monsters, a kidnapped princess, a torture chamber, a creepy forest and a bloodsoaked duel. If it is, it's one of the best ones ever made.