Movies have always rescued us from boredom and have been a quick space from work stress. It also calls for a great family gathering and friends get together.
But not all movies have that craze and excitement as one of your favorite genres. If you are the peppy one, who has always been high on energy, definitely a horror genre would attract you among the other cliched genres of movies.
Horror movies never run out of fashion. Rather with time they have only evolved with their sub-genres and technology to engross you in creepy fun.
Whether ghosts and spirits exist in reality, it is a question yet to be explained. But why go in the deeper technicalities when you can explore a superfluity of the horror creations.
If you have always been the one who has experienced and visualized terror out of your gut feelings in the spookiest of places, then definitely horror movie is created for someone like you. For not all bravehearts, embrace the horror in their leisure time.
Horror Movie: Gearing Up for a Spooky Fun!
Horror movies have always had their own share of attention. Quite popular among the kids and the youth, the horror genre is captivating enough to attract the young generation for spine chilling, spooky and creepy fun.
Types of Horror Genres:
There are a variety of different horror genres that are further subdivided to create some terrific creepy horror.
Some of the widely used horror genres are:
- Monsters
Zombies
Vampires
Werewolves
Aliens
Neo Monsters
Animals
Creatures
- Killers
Slasher
Crime and Giallo
Bumpkin and Redneck
- Paranormal Phenomenon
Ghosts
Spirits
Possessions
Devil and demonstrate
Wishes and occults
Supernatural powers
- Psychological Horror
Madness
Paranoia
Home invasion and survival
Phobia
- Gore and Disturbing
Splatter
Cannibal
Torture
Reasons for Watching Horror Movie:
Horror is among the most loved genres. But what is so special about horror that it attracts a wide audience? Well, experiencing horror creates a simulation helping you gain utmost pleasure in the most fearful of the moment causing adrenaline rush and a surge in the energy levels.
There are many reasons why people like horror movies:
- If you are someone who's sensation seeking trait is on a higher end, you tend to enjoy a horror movie
- Openness to experience also tends to a higher consumption of horror.
- Gender and age also plays a crucial role in being attracted towards horror movies.
- Usually if you are not so empathetic you are more likely to enjoy a horror movie and horror stories.
- Watching a good horror movie releases endorphins that help you relax and feel refreshed.
To derive the most pleasure from a horror movie, you must:
- Psychological safety frame:
Create a safety frame visualizing that the horrific entity is restricted only to your digital screens
- Psychological detachment:
Activate a psychological detachment by focusing on the fact that the characters are either the advanced technology or merely the actors showcasing a spooky act and that's all folks.
- Overcome fears and dangers:
Control and overcome your fears by thinking that if you were encountering the horror terror in a real life situation you would have been the protagonist of your life and would have easily outsmart the ghosts and the zombies
Factors Behind a Successful Horror Movie
The factors that horror genres are one of the most popular and attractive genres are the aesthetics and psychology that goes in behind the horror script. One needs to master the sense of engaging the audience by instilling fears in them through horrific images, spooky sounds and dark and gray themes and situations that creates the core of a good horror movie.
Many factors that goes in making a successful horror movie includes:
- Elements of mystery, suspense and thrill
- Fear of death
- Fear of unknown/ unusual
- Creating tension
- Shadows
- Supernatural figures
- Darkness
- Dismemberment (like the Saw franchise)
- Disfigured ghosts (like Frankestien, Zombies and the Phantom of the Opera)
- Playful lighting
- Lightning and thunder
- Deep and scary locations
- Creepy and spooky things
- Costumes
- Incongruous sounds
- Use of infrasounds
- Cranky doors
Apart from this many techniques are used in cinematography by the technical department to create spine chilling sounds and mise-en-scène to create the perfect horror settings.
Best Horror Movie List
Some of the best horror movie of all times includes:
1. The Exorcist:
Based on a true story, The Exorcist is one of the most popular and scariest movies of all time. It portrays the story of a young girl, Regan, who gets possessed by a spirit after engaging in a game with an Ouija Board.
The basic highlights of this horror movie includes:
- Release Date: 1973
- Runtime: 122 minutes
- Genre: Horror and thriller
- Director: Willian Friedkin
- Star Cast:
Linda Blair
Ellen Burstyn
Max Von Sydow
Jason Miller
Lee J. Cobb
- Available Platforms:
Netflix
YouTube
Google Play Movies and TV
2. It Follows:
It is another horror movie that entails the story of a teenager, Jay and Hugh, and the supernatural events occurring in their lives. It follows supernatural encounters where the antagonist (the unnamed entity) pounces on its victims at a walking pace.
The basic highlights of this movie includes:
- Release Date: 2015
- Runtime: 100 minutes
- Genre: Horror and thriller
- Director: David Robert Mitchell
- Star Cast:
Maika Monroe
Keir Gilchrist
Daniel Zovatto
Jake Weary
Olivia Luccardi
Lili Sepe
- Available Platforms:
Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
YouTube
Google Play and TV
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street
A nightmare on Elm street is one of the most popular movies of all times where a clawed killer is out to kill a group of people. Though the movie is a work of fiction, but the inspiration of Freddy, the antagonist, is drawn from real encounters.
The film’s basic highlights includes:
- Release Date: 1984
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Genre: Horror and mystery
- Director: Wes Craven
- Star Cast:
Heather Langenkamp
Robert Englund
Johnny Depp
Ronee Blakley
John Saxon
Amanda Wyss
Nick Corri
- Available Platforms:
Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Vudu
YouTube
Google Play Movies and TV
4. Anaconda
Released in 1997, it is one of the favorite movies amongst the kids and adults where the antagonist is none other than a giant snake, Anaconda. Having the elements of horror and thrill this horror movie can be rewatched a number of times.
The basic highlights of the movie Anaconda includes:
- Release Date: 1997
- Runtime: 89 minutes
- Genre: Horror and thriller
- Director: Luis Llosa
- Star Cast:
Jennifer Lopez
Ice Cube
Jon Voight
Eric Stoltz
Jonathan Hyde
Owen Wilson
- Available Platforms:
Netflix
YouTube
Vudu
Amazon Prime Video
Google Play Movies and TV
Apple TV
5. We Summon The Darkness
Sadistic killers also make for a psychopath horror, especially when you can fall prey to the claws of such a killer becoming the victim unknowingly.
We Summon the Darkness is one such movie entailing the lives of three besties who travel to a secluded country after a metal concert but cross paths with sadistic killers making their experience worse.
The highlights of this horror movie includes:
- Release Date: 2020
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Genre: Horror and thriller
- Director: Marc Meyers
- Star Cast:
Alexandra Daddario
Amy Forsyth
Maddie Hasson
Keean Johnson
Logan Miller
Austin Swift
Johnny Knoxville
- Available Platforms:
Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Google Play Movies and TV
YouTube
Apple TV
Vudu
6. The Ring
Based on the Japanese novel, The Ring Cycle and The Girl in The Well, The Ring is a globally renowned horror movie. Though released in 2002, the story and the plot still feels as fresh as new. The popularity of Samara seems like an antagonist next door.
The basic highlights of The Ring movie includes:
- Release Date: 2002
- Runtime: 115 minutes
- Genre: Horror and thriller
- Director: Gore Verbinski
- Star Cast:
Naomi Watts
Martin Henderson
Brian Cox
- Available Platforms:
Netflix
YouTube
Paramount Plus
Vudu
Google Play Movies and TV
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV
7. The Conjuring
The conjuring is another horror movie that has successfully released its two sequels after the widespread popularity of the prequel. The spine chilling paranormal phenomenon and the timing of the plot is set in a way that it calls for a great thriller to watch.
The concept of demonologists was also widely loved especially when it was told that the movie was based on the real life experience of these demonologists.
The basic highlights of The Conjuring movie includes:
- Release Date: 2013
- Runtime: 112 minutes
- Genre: Horror and thriller
- Director: James Wan
- Star Cast:
Vera Farmiga
Patrick Wilson
Ron Livingston
Lili Taylor
- Available Platforms:
Netflix
HBO Max
Google Play Movies and TV
Amazon Prime Video
YouTube
Apple TV
Vudu
8. Nosferatu
The concept of horror movies is not new, this can be seen in the 1922 famous horror movie, Nosferatu. “Nosferatu” is a Romanian word that translates to ‘vampires' in the English language. Showcasing Vampires and their deadly ordeal, you can watch this movie on the many available OTT platforms.
The basic details highlighting this movie includes:
- Release Date: 1922
- Runtime: 81 minutes
- Genre: Horror and fantasy
- Director: W. Murnau
- Star Cast:
Max Schreck
Alexander Granach
Gustav Von Wangenheim
Greta Schroeder
- Available Platforms:
Amazon Prime Video
Google Play Movies and TV
YouTube
Pluto TV
Apple TV
Vudu
Tubi
The Roku Channel
PLEX
Sling TV
9. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
With the main theme of hypnosis, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is roughly based on a madhouse visual style. The movie is mysterious, keeping the audiences hooked till the end to know who the actual antagonist is. The movie is still available on various OTT platforms.
The basic details of the horror movie, The cabinet of Dr. Caligari includes:
- Release Date: 1920
- Runtime: 71 minutes
- Genre: Horror and mystery
- Director: Robert Wiene
- Star Cast:
Werner Krauss
Conrad Viedt
Lil Dagover
Friedrich Feher
- Available Platforms:
The Roku Channel
Amazon Prime Video
Tubi
PLEX
YouTube
Apple TV
Google Play Movies and TV
10. The Lost Boys
The Last Boys is a 1987 movie entailing vampires, vampire hunters and even bikers. It features the story of kidnapping where two boys in California are drawn into a mysterious world of bikers and vampires. Its sequel was also released a decade back titled, The Lost Boys, in 2010.
The basic highlights of this horror movie includes:
- Release Date: 1987
- Runtime: 97 minutes
- Genre: Horror and comedy
- Director: Joel Schumacher
- Star Cast:
Corie Feldman
Jami Gertz
Corey Haim
Edward Hermann
Barnard Hughes
Jason Patric
Killer Sutherland
Dianne Wiest
- Available Platforms:
Sling TV
Google Play Movies and TV
The Roku Channel
Hulu
Apple TV
Vudu
Showtime Anytime
YouTube
Fubo TV
Amazon Prime Video
Showtime
Horror Books
Many horror movie are inspired from horror novels and horror books. Amongst the ones listed down below, many good horror story books were shot by screenwriters.
Some of the quite popular horror novels of all time are:
1. The Shining:
- Released Date: 1977
- Author: Stephen King
- Genre: Gothic novel, psychological horror
- Price: $ 30.63
2. Carrie:
- Released Date: 1974
- Author: Stephen King
- Genre: Horror novel
- Price: $ 28.95
3. The Mummy: A Tale of the Twenty Second Century
- Released Date: 1827
- Author: Jane Wells Webb Loudon
- Genre: Feminist science fiction horror
- Price:$ 19.99
4. The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow
- Released Date: 1820
- Author: Washington Irving
- Genre: Children’s book Gothic horror
- Price:$ 8.71
5. The Pit and the Pendulum
- Released Date: 1842
- Author: Edgar Allan Poe
- Genre: Short stories horror novel
- Price:$ 0.69
6. The Call of Cthulhu
- Released Date: 1928
- Author: P. Lovecraft
- Genre: Cosmichorror novel
- Price: $ 6.99
7. Three Ghost Stories
- Released Date: 1866
- Author: Charles Dickens
- Genre: Horror and ghost novel
- Price: $ 9.83
8. The Ring Cycle
- Released Date: 2004
- Author: Koji Suzuki
- Translator: Glynne Walley
- Genre: Horror novel
- Price: $ 6.71
9. The Summer of the Ubume
- Released Date: 1994
- Author: Natsuhiko Kyogoku
- Translator: Alexander O. Smith and Elye J. Alexander
- Genre: Japanese horror novel
- Price: $ 1262.57
10. Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror
- Released Date: 2007
- Author: Junji Ito
- Editor: Annette Roman
- Genre: Psychological horror fiction novel
- Price: $ 96.35
Horror Stories PDF
If you have covered the list of all the popular horror movies, you can blindly indulge in reading these movie’s original story books and a lot more horror stories and novels online at your ease.
You can easily download the PDF of these horror stories from PDFdrive.org and from many other sites to engage in a spooky read.
You can download the PDFs of horror novels and horror stories from any website online. Some of the many websites that assist you with the PDFs of horror stories include:
- Info books
- Book Rix
- Book riot
- PDF books world
- PDF drive
- O booko
- PDF books free
- Free ebooks
- Planet publish
- Poudre libraries
- Scribd
Once you have downloaded the PDF files of the horror books you can use a smart PDF software such as, SwifDoo PDF Reader to open and read the horror stories.
With SwifDoo PDF software you can create a horror library of sub-genres and share them with your friends and family. You can also create a customized file of your favorite horror books to read them anywhere on the go with ready access.
A Quick Sum Up
Irrespective of age and gender, horror movie has a large fan following. But not all types of horror goes well with the ardent horror fans. It takes a great storyline, and the visual effects for a skin ripping horror to satisfy the horror craving souls.
Whether it be a visual horror movie or some spooky yet enchanting horror stories, you can now download and watch the famous all time horror movies from the many available OTT platforms until the release of a new one.
You can also read and share some horror books with your friends and family to experience horror your way. After all, this is how you grow your hidden power of some great visualization.
Lydia