Horror films have been ingrained into our cinematic history for more than 100 years at this point. Even films a century old have the power to turn our dreams into nightmares and have us double-checking the dark corners of our rooms before bed. From the early days of literary legends and Universal Monsters, to more recent, horrifying slow burns that will some day be cult classics, there has never been a shortage of incredible horror movie releases around the globe.
Here, we look at the best horror movie of each decade from the past 100 years, starting with the 1920s. The choices made on this list are selected by overall recognition with both moviegoers and horror fans, as well as their impact on the horror genre and the movie industry as a whole.
1920s – Nosferatu (1922)
The granddaddy of all vampire films, Nosferatu is a 1922 German silent film, directed by F.W. Murnau and written for the screen by Henrik Galeen, based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror novel, Dracula. Even to this day, Max Schreck gives one of the creepiest, and nightmare-inducing vampire performances as Count Orlok in this black-and-white film.
Because the film is only loosely based on Stoker’s novel, more focus is put on Orlok’s grim and terrifying features. The pale, long-fingered bloodsucker may not be as iconic looking as his Universal Pictures’ counterpart, but he’s certainly more frightening. Nosferatu is not just the best horror movie of the 1920s, it’s one of the most important films in movie history, as it essentially pioneered the monster movie.
1930s – Frankenstein (1931)
Directed by 1930s horror guru James Whale (Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man), Frankenstein edges out Universal’s Dracula by an inch. Not only does this adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel have a lot more heart and a stronger message than the vampire film, but to this day, it contains three of the best acting performances in classic horror, with Colin Clive as Dr. Henry Frankenstein, Mae Clarke as Elizabeth, and Boris Karloff as the titular monster.
Karloff was hand-picked by James Whale, after Dracula actor Bela Lugosi and John Carradine turned down the role. Once hired, Karloff had to undergo more than four hours of makeup application every day of shooting. Most consider Frankenstein as the first science fiction-horror movie ever made, which paved the way for many incredible all-timers in the genre, including Alien, Eraserhead, and The Fly.
1940s – The Wolf Man (1941)
Another Universal Pictures movie, George Waggner’s The Wolf Man may be the best of Universal’s early classic monster movie lineup (at least until Creature From the Black Lagoon). The Wolf Man had an engaging story written by German writer Curt Siodmak, superb acting from both Claude Raines and Lon Chaney Jr., and never-before-seen makeup and effects for the wolf man’s transformation.
The film also pioneered many of the modern “myths” known throughout werewolf lore, including werewolves being weak to silver, and the effect of a werewolf bite resulting in becoming a werewolf. More than 90 years later, The Wolf Man still remains one of the best films in the werewolf sub-genre; a category of film that has been proven tough to create quality films in.
1950s – House on Haunted Hill (1959)
The 1950s were a competitive decade for horror, especially with sci-fi-horror bangers like Godzilla and Universal’s Creature from the Black Lagoon being released. However, when it comes to importance to the horror genre, House on Haunted Hill delivered one of the most iconic and memorable performances of Vincent Price, the face of the macabre in movies, himself.
House on Haunted Hill expertly combined the horror and mystery genres, keeping the viewers constantly guessing which was worse between the evil of humans and the terror of the supernatural. Though it wasn’t his first performance in a horror movie, House on Haunted Hill cemented Vincent Price’s impact on the genre, and he went on to star in more than 30 movies in the genre.
Related: Meeting Victoria Price: The Accepting Nature of the Horror Community
1960s – Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The 1960s were a two-horse race between Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, and George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. One essentially pioneered the slasher flick, while the other brought forth the modern zombie sub-genre. While both are phenomenal movies in their own right, I feel that two things place Night of the Living Dead in the top spot of the decade.
The first is the ending. Where Psycho left off with Norman Bates doing crazy Norman Bates things, the audience got the closure they needed. In Night of the Living Dead, the audience was left with a pit in their stomach, as the antagonist they’d followed for the entire movie was shot on the spot and thrown into a pile of bodies to burn. It was a truly horrific conclusion to a terrifying (at the time) movie, and stuck with the viewer much harder.
The second thing was the importance to the future of Black actors in horror. Duane Jones played the first Black main character in a horror film, and his performance went on to inspire not only countless Black actors in the genre, but paved the way for movie executives to start casting more Black actors in major roles in the genre.
1970s – The Exorcist (1973)
The 1970s are easily the most difficult decade to choose from, with films like Jaws, Alien, Black Christmas, and Halloween all in the running. However, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist takes the top spot. For some time, The Exorcist has been referred to as the scariest movie of all time, and with good reason. Never before had such a terrifying take on religious horror been brought forth on the big screen on a massively wide release. The film routinely caused walkouts, protests, and even fainting from its initial viewers.
The Exorcist was massively successful with both critics and fans upon its release. So much so, that it became the first horror film to be recognized by the Academy Awards in 1974. The film was nominated for a whopping 10 awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director. Sadly, it only took home two wins; Best Screenplay Writing for William Peter Blatty (who wrote the original novel), and Best Sound.
1980s – TIE – The Fly (1986) & John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982)
In the heyday of iconic slashers, Stephen King adaptations, and an all-out war of the best special effects in horror, this one ends in a tie between two horror remakes; David Cronenberg’s 1986 version of The Fly and John Carpenter’s 1982 re-telling of The Thing. Both films aren’t just masterclasses in practical effects, but the aesthetics are surrounded on all sides by intensely haunting tales that focus on the fear of isolation in different ways, fantastic camera work, incredible acting from all parties involved, and memorable musical scores.
Strangely enough, both movies have kind of gone in opposite directions in the horror movie cultural zeitgeist, as The Thing was poorly received upon release but is now considered one of the best horror movies ever, and The Fly was an Oscar winner in 1987, but now seems to be overlooked and underappreciated.
Related: Cronenberg’s ‘The Fly’ Remains a Masterpiece in Body Horror
1990s – Scream (1996)
Scream inspired a run of late-‘90s and 2000s slashers that were never able to live up to their predecessor, and brought forth one of the most financially successful horror franchises of all time. The film also put Neve Campbell on the map as the most well-known Final Girl not named Jamie Lee Curtis. The Scream franchise is still going strong, more than 25 years later, and Scream VI is set to release this year.
2000s – The Descent (2005)
The 2000s were a strange decade for horror. Aside from a gem here or there, like American Psycho, 28 Days Later, or Trick ‘r Treat, there wasn’t a lot outside of middling remakes, niche horror comedies, and found footage films for the genre to hinge on. One such gem is Neil Marshall’s The Descent, a claustrophobic monster movie that didn’t just boast excellent practical effects, but also drove its viewers to high anxiety with its film style.
The Descent is regarded as one of the scariest and best horror films of all time, not just the decade. It released to extremely high praise and currently holds an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Upon release, Neil Marshall won a British Independent Film Award for Best Director, and the movie won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film.
2010s – Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele is already recognized as one of the best modern horror directors in Hollywood, after his latest film, Nope, released in 2022. The one that kicked off his already-cemented legacy was Get Out, the racism-focused horror-thriller from 2017.
Get Out boasted an incredibly original storyline about a cult of white people that used Black bodies to transfer their consciousness into, in order to improve and continue their legacies. The unique story would go on to win Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, and the movie was nominated for four others, including a Best Actor nod for Daniel Kaluuya.
The film was a perfect blend of horror, mystery, comedy, and science fiction. It truly hits on all facets of the genre spectrum. Get Out is seen as one of the best horror movies of the last several decades, and one of the best directorial debuts in cinematic history.
2020s (So Far…) – The Invisible Man (2020)
Being just three years into a decade, it’s a little early to be judging the best. But in looking at how things are so far, we circle right back around to Universal Studios and Leigh Whannell’s powerhouse remake of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man.
Whannell’s modern retelling was two hours of non-stop intensity, which kicked off from the very first scene in the movie. Elisabeth Moss gave a thrilling and heartbreaking performance as someone who has been gaslit and abused to the bare bones, and her story of recovery and reclamation was inspiring, engaging, and all-out incredible. It’s going to be hard to beat this one, but we’ve got some time.
