25 Horror Movies That Will Haunt Your Dreams Forever

1. Alien 1979，IMDB Rating: 8.5, IMDB Votes: 962341, ID: 0078748
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The Alien is the story of the spaceship Nostradamus, whose crew accidentally brings a deadly alien creature aboard after receiving a distress call. As the aliens hunt down the crew one by one, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) fights to survive and becomes the last survivor. The film creates a constant sense of dread through its tense pace and claustrophobic environment.
2. Låt den rätte komma in 2008，IMDB Rating: 7.8, IMDB Votes: 228162, ID: 1139797
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Let the Right One In tells the relationship between Oskar, a bullied boy in a small Swedish town, and Ellie, a mysterious girl who has newly moved in. Ellie is a vampire and their friendship is complicated by a backdrop of loneliness and violence. Director Tomas Alfredsson blends elements of horror with a coming-of-age story through icy environments and subtle portrayals of emotion, revealing a unique atmosphere of bloodshed and warmth.
3. Aliens 1986，IMDB Rating: 8.4, IMDB Votes: 770810, ID: 0090605
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Alien 2 (Aliens) continues the story of Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver), this time returning to an alien-infested planet with a team of marines to rescue trapped colonists. The film shifts from the slow horror of the first film to tense action scenes, with Ripley showing great leadership and determination in the face of a large number of aliens. The film finds the perfect balance between action and horror, making it a classic of sci-fi action cinema.
4. Jaws 1975，IMDB Rating: 8.1, IMDB Votes: 668833, ID: 0073195
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Jaws is about the hunt for a small town after it is attacked by a giant man-eating shark that brings together police officer Brody (Roy Scheider), oceanographer Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and shark fisherman Quinn (Robert Shaw). As the shark threat intensifies, the film creates a strong sense of suspense through the tense chase and the fear of the unknown.
5. The Exorcist 1973，IMDB Rating: 8.1, IMDB Votes: 460098, ID: 0070047
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The Exorcist is a tale of a mother, Chrissy (Ellen Burstyn), who turns to two priests to perform an exorcism after her daughter, Regan (Linda Blair), shows signs of demonic possession. The horrific physical and mental changes in Regan, the intense scenes of the exorcism and the religious themes combine to make a film that explores the profound meaning of the confrontation between good and evil.
6. Get Out 2017，IMDB Rating: 7.8, IMDB Votes: 714859, ID: 5052448
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Get Out concerns a young black man, Chris (played by Daniel Kaluuya), who gradually discovers a series of disturbing secrets when he visits his white girlfriend’s family. As he gets to know the family better, the film reveals the racist machinations that lie behind the apparent harmony. Using a combination of thriller and social critique, the film exposes the racial tensions in modern society.
7. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens 1922，IMDB Rating: 7.9, IMDB Votes: 106760, ID: 0013442
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Nosferatu, an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel, tells the story of the mysterious vampire Count Orlok (played by Max Schreck), who arrives in Germany from Eastern Europe to bring terror and plague to the town. With its use of shadows and expressionistic style, the film still holds an important place in the history of horror cinema with its bold visual narrative and unique style, despite being over a century old.
8. Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari 1920，IMDB Rating: 8.0, IMDB Votes: 70763, ID: 0010323
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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari tells the story of Cesar (played by Conrad Veidt), a mad doctor Caligari who commits serial murders by controlling sleepwalkers through hypnosis. The disturbing and nightmarish world perfectly illustrates the German Expressionist style. The film not only pioneered horror cinema, but is also a masterpiece of Expressionism in the history of cinema!
9. Dracula 1931，IMDB Rating: 7.4, IMDB Votes: 59306, ID: 0021814
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Tod Browning’s Dracula tells the story of vampire Count Dracula (played by Bela Lugosi) who arrives in London and sets out to prey. The film manages to create a sense of horror through eerie castles, mist-shrouded scenes and a classic gothic atmosphere. Bela Lugosi’s performance is particularly memorable and has become synonymous with the image of the vampire.
10. The Wolf Man 1941 1977，IMDB Rating: 0.0, IMDB Votes: 0, ID: 27703730
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George Wagner’s The Wolf Man tells the story of Larry Talbot (played by Lon Chaney Jr.) who, after being bitten by a wolf, gradually turns into a werewolf and hunts out of control on the night of a full moon. Mist-shrouded forests and shadowy villages create an atmosphere full of unease. Larry’s painful transformation is not only terrifying, but also tragic, as he is forced to struggle between fate and humanity. The film laid the foundation for subsequent werewolf films and became a classic in the genre.
11. King Kong 1933，IMDB Rating: 7.9, IMDB Votes: 91742, ID: 0024216
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King Kong (1933) tells the story of a team of film makers who travel to the mysterious Skull Island, where they discover the giant gorilla King Kong and bring him back to New York for an exhibition. The film shows King Kong’s strength and vulnerability through the raw danger of the island and the chaos of a modern city. Through groundbreaking stop-motion animation, the film succeeds in creating a powerful image of King Kong.
12. The Fly 1958，IMDB Rating: 7.1, IMDB Votes: 25915, ID: 0051622
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The Fly (1958) tells the story of Andrei, a scientist who accidentally fuses with the genes of a fly during an experiment and gradually becomes half-human and half-fly. Through its tense narrative and sudden horrific transformations, the film shows the horror of a scientific experiment gone haywire. Especially the ‘help me’ scene at the end of the film has become a classic moment in the history of horror films.
13. Scream 1996，IMDB Rating: 7.4, IMDB Votes: 393249, ID: 0117571
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Scream (1996) is about a group of small-town students who are pursued by a serial killer, the Ghost Mask, during which a common horror film trope is revealed. Director Wes Craven skillfully blends suspense, horror and humour to create a tense and witty viewing experience. By keeping the audience’s interest through occasional reversals, it became a milestone in modern horror films.
14. Dawn of the Dead 1978，IMDB Rating: 7.8, IMDB Votes: 129637, ID: 0077402
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Dawn of the Dead (1978) follows a group of survivors who take refuge in a shopping centre after a zombie outbreak in an attempt to fend off the outside world. As the zombies continue to come in, the film not only shows the horror of survival, but also reflects on modern society’s reliance on materialism through the zombies’ behaviour as a metaphor for a critique of consumer culture.
15. Don’t Look Now 1973，IMDB Rating: 7.1, IMDB Votes: 63736, ID: 0069995
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Spirited Away Venice (Don’t Look Now, 1973) tells the story of John and Laura, a couple who travel to Venice after the loss of their daughter and attempt to recover from their grief, only to be accidentally plunged into supernatural horror. The horror deepens as they make their way through the labyrinthine streets of Venice. The film’s haunting visual style makes it a classic among psychological horror films.
16. The Innocents 1961，IMDB Rating: 7.7, IMDB Votes: 33361, ID: 0055018
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The Innocents follows a governess (played by Deborah Kerr) who gradually becomes haunted by supernatural events as she cares for two orphaned children on an isolated estate. As she becomes more and more convinced that the children are possessed by the undead, the film leaves the viewer torn between reality and hallucination through its suspenseful narrative and atmosphere.
17. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night 2014，IMDB Rating: 6.9, IMDB Votes: 38979, ID: 2326554
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A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night tells the story of a fictional Iranian town, Bad City, where a mysterious female vampire (played by Sheila Vand) roams the night hunting the corrupt and cruel. The film’s black and white cinematography creates a lonely and eerie atmosphere, revealing the silence and violence of this desolate town.
18. The Babadook 2014，IMDB Rating: 6.8, IMDB Votes: 250423, ID: 2321549
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The Babadook is about a single mother, Amelia (Essie Davis), who, after the death of her husband, shares emotional pain with her son and is haunted by a mysterious monster, The Babadook. As the monster’s threat intensifies, the film explores loss, depression, and the burdens of motherhood by interweaving supernatural horror with Amelia’s inner breakdown.
19. The Invitation 2015，IMDB Rating: 6.6, IMDB Votes: 120129, ID: 2400463
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The Invitation is about Will (Logan Marshall-Green), who is invited to his ex-wife’s dinner party. As the night progresses, Will gradually feels the atmosphere of the party becoming eerie, and becomes suspicious of his ex-wife’s and her new friend’s true intentions. Through restrained pacing and deepening tension, the movie gradually uncovers the truth about a party full of intrigue. This is a deep and disturbing psychological thriller.
20. Under the Shadow 2016，IMDB Rating: 6.8, IMDB Votes: 30410, ID: 4273292
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Under the Shadow is about Heid (played by Narges Rashidi), a young mother in Tehran, and her daughter who are plagued by mysterious supernatural forces in their home during the Iran-Iraq war. As the threat of war and air strikes grows, Heather realizes that an evil force is lurking in their home. The movie explores the themes of war, repression and fear through the combination of horror elements and the reality of war.
21. Gokseong 2016，IMDB Rating: 7.4, IMDB Votes: 84246, ID: 5215952
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The Wailing is a drama about a police officer, Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won), who investigates to protect his family after a series of strange deaths in a remote village in South Korea. As the case progresses, the rumors of evil spirits and curses in the village become increasingly frightening. The movie gradually creates an unsettling atmosphere of suspense through a complex combination of supernatural phenomena and folk beliefs.
22. An American Werewolf in London 1981，IMDB Rating: 7.5, IMDB Votes: 122039, ID: 0082010
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An American Werewolf in London is a blend of horror and comedy that tells the story of two American tourists, David and Jack, who encounter a werewolf in the eerie English countryside. The movie skillfully balances genuine scares with comedic elements, making it a standout among horror films.
23. The Silence of the Lambs 1991，IMDB Rating: 8.6, IMDB Votes: 1566378, ID: 0102926
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The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological thriller that delves into the darkest depths of the human psyche. Anthony Hopkins gives a chilling performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant and dangerous serial killer. Jodie Foster adds depth and vulnerability to the movie as Clarice Starling, who navigates the complexities of the investigation. The movie delves into the evolving relationship between Clarice and Hannibal.
24. Hereditary 2018，IMDB Rating: 7.3, IMDB Votes: 388184, ID: 7784604
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Hereditary，Annie Graham, lovingly portrayed by Toni Collette, is plunged into grief by the death of her mysterious mother. As Annie tries to cope with the loss of her mother, she is gradually drawn into her family’s dark history, uncovering shocking truths about her lineage.
25. Near Dark 1987，IMDB Rating: 6.9, IMDB Votes: 45610, ID: 0093605
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Near Dark presents a fresh, unconventional take on the vampire genre, blending horror with the aesthetics of a Western. The movie follows Caleb as he struggles with his transformation and the brutal lifestyle of a vampire gang, subverting the typical vampire trope by abandoning the traditional gothic style for a grittier, more down-to-earth approach.