My top 20 favorite horror movies of all time - Part I: 20-11

October is the time to watch horror movies, so prepare yourself for a descent into the world of high strangeness! What are your favorite horror movies? Some people like horror movies with zombies and maniacs running around with murderous chainsaws, you know, the sort of stuff that use jump scares, blood, and gore to make people scream. But I prefer psychological horrors and macabre stories, the sort of movies which will make you think. I have compiled a list for the 20 horror movies I like the most. 

The list consists of two parts, and the ranking is in ascending order. Part I is from 20 to 11, where Part II will be the top 10. The list is a reflection of my personal preference for the genre. Perhaps from my list you will find a few movies to intrigue you on a rainy night.

Number 20: Attack the Block (2011)

Who knew, a story about aliens invading a block of units could be so entertaining! Attack the Block is a small budget horror movie with a splash of comedy in it. This movie is a cult classic, and it is the kind of movie I would watch on a late Friday night. The story follows a gang of hoodlums, as they struggled to survive an alien invasion in the apartment complex they live in. Attack the Block is a genre-bending film with a fun story, and the special effects are pretty great too, which is even more impressive considering the small budget.

Number 19: IT (2017)

A number of Stephen King's novels have seen movie adaptations, and IT is one of my favorites. There are two motion picture adaptations for IT; a TV series from 1990, and a recent movie in 2017. I think the 2017 movie is better than the TV series. The story is about a bunch of kids growing up and facing their deepest fears, where the monster, Pennywise, is a physical manifestation of all their fears. However, the best thing about this movie is not the scary clown, but the kids themselves. I mean, even if Pennywise was removed from this movie, leaving a story only about the kids, it would still be just as good.

Number 18: The Wicker Man (1973)

The Wicker Man? The one starring Nicholas Cage? No no, I am not talking about the disastrous 2006 remake which starred Nicholas Cage. I am talking about the original from 1973, a British horror/mystery movie inspired by a novel called "Ritual". The Wicker Man takes an interesting peek into cults and belief systems. There is no supernatural element in this movie, but it is terrifying nevertheless because it uses paranoia so well. The Wicker Man is one of the finest horror movies I have ever seen.

Number 17: The Conjuring (2013)

The recent years brought us a movie franchise, based on the (allegedly true) stories of Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were paranormal investigators and Christian exorcists. There are now 5 or 6 movies in this franchise, but I like The Conjuring the most. I remain skeptical of the paranormal and supernatural activities, but The Conjuring is genuinely terrifying and suspenseful. This movie may have dramatized the effects of demonic activities and Christian exorcisms, but what surprised me is that many religious people are also skeptical of Ed and Lorraine Warren's stories. I mean, only a few hundred years ago this stuff was the fabric in the everyday life of religious people, and these things were also recorded in their holy scriptures. However, nowadays when religious people encounter modern-day possession and exorcism stories they don't believe it, instead they usually examine the modern-day claims through the lens of scientific skepticism. This made me wonder, why aren't present-day religious people applying the same scientific skepticism they used on the modern-day claims, to also examine the claims in their holy scriptures? Their positions seem inconsistent to me. I mean, if they don't believe in the present day stories then they have even less reason to believe in the ones from antiquities.  

Number 16: Alien (1979)

The best movies in the Alien franchise, are the first two movies. But the first one, Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, is a sci-fi/horror masterpiece. But where, or who, is the horror in Alien? Is it the Xenomorph? Well, if you think about it, being locked up in a spaceship with a Xenomorph is no more terrifying than being locked up in a cage with a lion or a pack of wolves. But that is not "horror". So where is the horror? I believe, Alien is influenced by the philosophy of Cosmicism. This is a literary philosophy invented by author H.P. Lovecraft and it is the very heart for the famous Cthulhu mythos. I was not a big Alien fan until I discovered the philosophical connection between the movie and the Lovecraftian horrors, then suddenly I saw Alien in a new light, with a newfound sense of appreciation.

Number 15: The Gift (2015)

Are the things we say to each other just words? Take a look at a movie called The Gift. This is a psychological horror movie made with a very small budget. If I tell you anything more about the movie then I will spoil it, so let me just say The Gift is a damn good movie. There is no supernatural element in this movie, and there is no blood and no gore. This movie has a very clever story. Don't watch any trailers for The Gift, just pick up this movie and watch it, and it will surprise you, with two hours of suspense and mystery.

Number 14: The Babadoook (2014)

The Babadook is an Australian psychological horror movie. This movie was made with a very small budget. The Babadook feels a bit Indie and arthouse. It is quite scary and I love it. The first time I watched The Babadook I was cowering behind a blanket and a cushion. The story follows a widowed mother, who was raising her 6 year old son alone. Her son began to display strange behaviors and it drove her to the brink of exhaustion. This movie successfully made the audience wonder if the characters were experiencing an imagined event or a genuine supernatural episode, and it was intense and suspenseful. The Babadook is a prime example of good Australian film making, and it also showcases what good acting and a good story can achieve with a small budget.

Number 13: Get Out (2017)

Get Out is a psychological horror movie, but it is also a little bit comedic because it is a satire and a social commentary. This movie received the Oscar award for the best original screenplay, which is extraordinary for a horror movie! I mean, how often do we see the judges on Oscar handing out an award to a horror movie? Not very often, right? I think this movie deserves the critical acclaims, because it is very clever, and it offers a thought provoking story, one you have never seen before.

Number 12: The Mist (2007)

At number 12 is another adaptation of Stephen King's novel. I believe there is a more recent TV series adaptation for The Mist but it is poorly received. Anyway, I am not talking about the TV series, I am talking about the 2007 movie adaptation, The Mist. 

The premise of the story is quite simple, a mist of unknown origin suddenly invaded a small town, and the residents found themselves besieged by mysterious assailants in the mist. This movie has multiple interpretations, and its ending will punch you in the gut, for it has the most horrifying conclusion to a movie I have ever seen. However, I think the ending also sends a powerful message, and although it deviates from the novel, but even Stephen King himself said he wished he could have come up with that ending. Does this sound interesting to you? Make sure you check out The Mist.

Number 11: Rosemary's Baby (1967)

Rosemary's Baby, directed by Roman Polanski, is an adaptation of a novel of the same name. I like both the movie and the novel, and it is also worth mentioning the movie is a very faithful adaptation of the book. The story follows a young woman, Rosemary, who, together with her husband, just moved into a posh apartment in New York. The young couple encountered very friendly neighbors, but soon Rosemary discovered something is amiss about their new friends. The horror in Rosemary's Baby is the sense of paranoia. The movie keeps the audience guessing if Rosemary's ordeals were real or the products of her own imaginations. The story is also a commentary about control and women's health. Rosemary's Baby is an icon in the horror genre, and it is worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet.

This covers number 20 to 11. But what about the top 10? Gentle readers, stay tuned for Part II, where I will continue and list my top 10 favorite horror movies of all time.

Until then, happy haunting!