The best pathbreaking horror films
In this day and age where a lot of filmmakers have forgotten what good (or great) horror really means, let's take a look at the examples that taught us that you don't always have to rely on jump scares to create the necessary impact.
The Exorcist (1973)
William Friedkin's horror masterpiece was born out of the creative minds that had the necessary guts to bend the rules of the genre, envisioning images that don't wear off that easily. And the skin-crawling research could make even an atheist question their beliefs.
Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott's seminal space-set horror flick is an example of sustained tension and atmosphere-heavy storytelling, without giving into the temptation of revealing its titular creature early.
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick's film based on Stephen King's novel of the same name famously annoyed the latter, but when one keeps the book separate, and see the film for its own merits, one finds that it gets better and better with each viewing.
Godzilla (1954)
Undoubtedly the best monster film of all time. The fact that a 1954 film achieved a lot with minimal resources and miniature effects is something to be greatly appreciated. The same goes for its stellar cast, broader scope, and thought-provoking questions.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Here's another sophisticated "old" film made with limited resources managing to create more chills than some of the horror films made today. Zombie movie expert George Romero's deftly made thriller is the one that started it all.
Nosferatu (1922)
Now, let's go way, way back, to 1922. How about F.W. Murnau's film that managed to scare audiences with no dialogues and no ambient sounds? Just a few actors, great makeup work, and stunning production design did the trick.
Bramayugam (2024)
The daring of filmmaker Rahul Sadasivan and leading man Mammootty to go ahead with the choice to do the entire film in monochrome cannot be stressed enough. It's a perfect example of every filmmaking department giving their A-game.
Bhoothakaalam (2022)
Another Rahul Sadasivan film that came along when Malayalam cinema was so starved of good horror filmmaking. With the story focused on mostly two characters, the film reminded us that great horror is not always about jump scares.