The Worst Things About Incredible Horror Films

A Nightmare on Elm StreetThis film is good. It is not just another '80s slasher. It examines the subconscious and generational trauma. The kills are amazing. Tina's death stays scary for new viewers and repeat watchers.

The final scene ruins this film. Final girl Nancy walks outside for a school ride with her dead friends. Freddy makes his final move. Nancy's mother waves from the steps. Freddy pulls her in through a small window. Instead, it is a doll-like mannequin wearing a dress and wig. This is a dark spot in the film.

TheUniversal Horror filmsThese films are must-sees for gore fans. They show creatures and characters people still fear today. They also set a standard for future movies.The Invisible ManThis film is astounding. Its effects surpass its time. The concept is much deeper than many other horror movies from that era.

Dr. Jack Griffin creates an elixir that makes people invisible. He slowly loses his mind and becomes a lunatic. This scary idea should have shocked people in the 1930s. Today's viewers find the film a bit mild. Griffin fights people at a B&B and confronts the London Police, but the action isn't terrifying.

That being said,The InvisibleManThe Invisible Man feels like watching someone figure out invisibility. They would throw people down stairs. They would be a creep and run naked through England. It is a fun movie; it is not scary.

The Bride of Frankensteinmay be one of thegreatest horror films ever madeDirector James Whale used this film to show an allegory about creation and the human need to discard the unknown. One scene feels wrong.

During that scene, Doctor Frankenstein visits his mentor, Doctor Pretorious, who also worked on raising the dead. Pretorious only made homunculi. Frankenstein made a full living being.

The homunculi are small human versions: a king, a queen, a knight. Pretorious makes them dance for Frankenstein in a scene. This scene conveys something? Nothing? Pretorious's lack of science? The film runs only an hour and fifteen minutes. This is not a misuse of screen time, but it is a rare mistake in an otherwise perfect film.

John Carpenter'sHalloweenis arguably the most important slasher ever madePeeping TomandPsychomay have come first, but it isHalloweenHalloween inspired every horror movie that came after it. The film shows Michael Myers, a man institutionalized since childhood, returning home. Myers cuts up babysitters, their boyfriends, and a dog. Myers is a pure killing machine, which makes one scene feel too silly.

Michael sticks a teenage boy to a wall with kitchen knives. Michael goes to the bedroom to see Lynda. Instead of breaking in, he puts on a sheet and glasses. The scene feels creepy, yet it seems too playful for someone who embodies evil.

Stephen King has said (and said and said). The Shining.The Shining is likea "big, beautiful Cadillac with no engine inside." Stanley Kubrick focused on visuals over character development.

Even the most devoted Shining fans must admit Jack Nicholson is not the best choice for Jack Torrance. He starts crazy and ends crazy. The performance is fun to watch, but there is zero growth.ShiningFans of Shining must admit Jack Nicholson is not the best choice for Jack Torrance. He starts crazy and ends crazy. The performance is fun to watch, but there is no growth.

No lack of character development takes away from the visual strength and tight feeling of The Shining.The Shining.Kubrick's take on this horror classic remains one of the best horror films of the 20th century. Do not ask Stephen King about it.

Friday the 13th.Friday the 13th is exactly what it needs to be: a simple slasher that took the Halloween formula and increased the body count.HalloweenThis movie is fun; you forget the twist at the end is completely missed.The twist at the end is completely missed.Spoiler Alert: The person killing the staff at Camp Crystal Lake is Jason Voorhees' mother. Jason drowned in the '50s while counselors hooked up instead of watching the kids. This would have been a great twist if it had been set up. Counselors mention Jason Voorhees drowning a couple of times, but there is no talk about his mother or a glimpse of her before she appears and starts talking.

Spoiler Alert: The person killing the Camp Crystal Lake staff is Jason Voorhees' mother. Jason drowned in the '50s because counselors hooked up instead of watching the kids. This twist would have been great if set up. Counselors mention Jason Voorhees drowning a couple of times, but they do not discuss his mother or see her before she appears in the final act and begins talking.

Filmmakers could have made Pamela Voorhees a possibility for this twist. Instead, her appearance seems random. This choice gives first-time viewers a shock, but it fails on repeat viewings.

HellraiserClive Barker's story of madness and sexual depravity keeps frightening and exciting people. Even if later films lack the brutal insanity of the first entry, it remains one of the most loved horror films. Only the actors take a moment to adjust.

Clare Higgins plays Julia well from the start. Doug Bradley as Pinhead is also good. However, other actors seem to need time to figure out their roles while filming happens.HellraiserClive Barker had no directing experience. In 2017, he told The Guardian he needed to study directing before filming began.He told The Guardian he needed to study directing before filming began.The GuardianHe had to check out a book on directing before filming got underway. It is amazing that this happened.HellraiserHellraiser works fine without a director who knows directing.

ScreamScream set a tone for '90s horror. It redefined the slasher genre and showed horror could be a genre for everyone.

A questionable scene occurs early in the third act. Brainy friend Tatum is crushed to death crawling through a doggy door in her family's garage. This moment shows Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson still view young women as props, not characters. The film ends revealing Tatum's brother, Deputy Dewey, survived a knife wound in his back because producers wanted him for the sequel.producers wanted him for the sequel.

It is disappointing that Tatum dies so fast in Scream.Scream, but the film remains a classic.

This is a big nitpick in The Exorcist, but it must be addressed.Throughout The Exorcist, Regan endures a lot. This preteen must vomit pea soup, her body becomes a mess, and her head spins wildly, nearly breaking her neck and spine, yet she survives.Regan is put through the wringer. This preteen has to spew pea soup. Her entire body falls into a gooey disarray. Then, her head spins around completely, which would have broken her neck and spine multiple times, but she survives the ordeal.

Father Karras, one of the priests trying to save Regan's soul, faces a different challenge. The film ends with the demon Pazuzu jumping from Regan into Karras, who then jumps out a window and dies on the stairs. If Regan's body was spared, Karras should be too.the demon Pazuzujumping out of Regan's body and into Karras, who then jumps out a window and falls to his death on a set of stairs. If we believe Regan's body was spared, Karras should be spared too.

Thankfully, this was all wrapped up inThe Exorcist 3, which shows Karras has been alive and possessed by the Gemini Killer for years. Viewers decide if these story twists ruin The Exorcist.The Exorcistfor them or if they just want to go with the flow.

Brian DePalma'sCarrieis a landmark horror film. Picking at it for a small reason is unfair. The film explores generational trauma and the conflict in people raised by strict religious parents. It offers scares for everyone: a scary mother, mean teens, and gallons of blood. Mean teens getting psychic powers? Check.

The film ends with Sue, the sole survivor of the disastrous prom, visiting Carrie's grave to honor her. As she bends to place flowers, Carrie's hand reaches from the ground and grabs Sue. Then Sue wakes up; it was all a dream. This pulls the rug out from under the audience.

Whether or not.PoltergeistWhether Poltergeist is scary enough for you depends on one question: Are you a Tobe Hooper person or a Spielberg fan? These two directors make very different movies. Hooper favors messy, strange films. Spielberg makes crowd-pleasers. Hooper freaks his audience; Spielberg gets people in seats.

Unfortunately for those seeking something more hair-raising,PoltergeistPoltergeist is too Spielberg. The director caused this.The director was deeply involved in the film's production.Even when audiences are shocked by a guy pulling off his face or meat coming to life,the film focuses on the family instead of leaning into the horror. The horror-lite, Spielbergish wonder ofPoltergeistwhy it became a classic that made a lot of money at the box office? Probably.Poltergeist

Ridley Scott'sAlienAlien did much for cinema. It brought the haunted house genre to space. It introduced Ellen Ripley and the scariest creatures ever on screen. It started a franchise that continues today. It did not change the pacing.AlienAlien is amazing. That is the end of it. Still, the first half of this movie feels slow. This is not necessarily bad, but if you cannot lock into a movie, reaching the first chestburster takes a lot of effort.

AlienThe film's pace has nothing to do with bad filmmaking. Scott wants the audience to enter a headspace that can picture the emptiness of space. Still, the director could not have made the film's pace slower if he were paid all the money.

AlienThe film's pace has nothing to do with bad filmmaking. Scott wants the audience to enter a headspace that can picture the emptiness of space. Still, the director could not have made the film's pace slower if he were paid all the money.

The Evil DeadThe Evil Dead is more than a horror movie. It is a real thrill ride that started a running, often horrifying franchise. The film introduced Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and the skin-covered Necronomicon. It is not perfect, but it is scary, fun, and gross. What more do you need?

The one thing that stands out aboutThe Evil Deadis Bruce Campbell's acting. No one in this movie seeks an Academy Award, but Campbell acts so camp that he seems in another film. Campbell's over-the-top acting shows in the first half. Once the Deadites appear and start vomiting everywhere, he starts to blend in.

If it were not for Hitchcock andPsycho, we would not have movies likeHalloweenor DePalma'sDressed to KillHitchcock did not start dealing with a man with a knife who attacks blondes, but he set the pattern. He made the slasher an art form.

Marion Crane attempts a new life with stolen cash. She runs into motel proprietor Norman Bates. Bates seems meek, held by his mother, but he harbors murderous rage. He dresses as his mother while killing people. The reveal of Norman's true nature shocks viewers.

The film ends with Norman in police custody. A doctor explains Norman has a split personality. This takes over when he likes a woman. The scene feels pointless, maybe homophobic. Cut the scene entirely.

John Carpenter loves his moody atmospheres. We like him for it. He mixes score, effects, and vibe to scare audiences before any words. There is little story in it.The Thing.

Basically,The ThingResearchers get stuck at an Antarctic station. A shapeshifting alien arrives and begins killing them one by one. It is a littleBodysnatchers, a bit of Hitchcock, and much atmosphere. Carpenter's directing skill and the cast's charisma keep the 109 minutes engaging. The special effects remain astounding today.