Letterboxd is a valuable social media app/site for discovering new movies and seeing what users think is worth looking for. It works in a similar way to the more popular IMDb, although it feels more personal and a bit more social overall. After spending time on both, it also becomes apparent that the tastes of Letterboxd users are generally different from those of IMDb users.
The selection of top-rated horror films found by Letterboxd users to be particularly eclectic, with a range of excellent horror films both new and old, as well as a fair share of non-English language films. For any horror fan, the following films - some well-known and some obscure - are must-sees and are ranked lower according to the average rating on Letterboxd.
10 ‘Kwaidan’ (1964)
Letterbox Rating: 4.1/5
Few horror movies are three hours long, but Quidan it just so happens that this is a completely unique example of the genre. It’s an anthology film with a lot of scope and a lot of ambition, considering it tells four different stories over the course of its epic run, each about 40 to 50 minutes long.
So those who find the idea of a three-hour horror movie scarier than any of the horrors it contains can rest easy considering this movie can be watched fairly easily in four different screenings. Deservedly considered one of the greatest Japanese horror films of all time, it brings several folk tales to the screen with creative visuals and a bold sense of style.
9 “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)
Letterbox Rating: 4.2/5
There have been plenty of horror films made about the horrors of fatherhood, but few can claim to be as iconic as Rosemary’s baby. This classic 1960s film follows Rosemary and her husband Guy as they move into a new apartment building and encounter strange neighbors who are especially interested in Rosemary’s pregnancy.
It deliberately leaves its protagonist and audiences in the dark for most of the film, though this slow-burn approach eventually works wonders, ensuring that the film’s final act packs a big punch. It’s one of those rare timeless horror films that feels expertly crafted in almost every way, and has deservedly survived to this day as a classic of the genre.
8 ‘Black Swan’ (2010)
Letterbox Rating: 4.2/5
As much a psychological thriller as a horror movie, Black Swan explores - with unrelenting intensity - the dangers of an obsessive devotion to one’s craft. It follows a ballerina who strives for excellence while at the same time showing extraordinary commitment to her role in her ballet company’s staging. Swan Lake.
Darren Aronofsky a filmmaker who specializes in making (often terrifying) psychological films that reach deep into restless or even tortured minds, and Black Swan certainly one of his most controversial. Natalie Portman the title role equally contributes to making the film as effective as this role, which deservedly won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
7 ‘Demons’ (1971)
Letterbox Rating: 4.2/5
Of all the horror movies on Letterboxd that have an average rating of 4.0/5 or higher, the Japanese movie Demons easily is one of the most obscure. It’s a gripping and actually nightmarish film that combines elements of horror with samurai drama, with a storyline that centers on a lone samurai (or ronin) seeking revenge after a geisha stole his money.
It’s a particularly dark and violent horror film, so it’s safe to assume that revenge doesn’t come easy, and the ensuing violence ends up taking a toll on the entire cast. Demons may be slow, complex and terrible to watch, but it’s undeniably visceral and hard to shake after watching, making it a masterfully shot horror movie.
6 ‘Cremator’ (1969)
Letterbox Rating: 4.2/5
A horror movie that is probably too idiosyncratic (and weird) to ever be remade. Cremator is another horror classic loved on Letterboxd but little known outside of it. It combines horror with some very dark comedy about a Czechoslovak man named Mr. Kopfkingl who provides for his family by working in a crematorium.
As the film progresses, things become more unsettling and more horror-focused. Cremator eventually revealing itself as a dark satirical piece showing how certain ideologies can influence people and then corrupt them. Some images in Cremator can be terrifying, sure, but even more terrifying is the unsettling idea that people who seem ordinary can harbor really dark thoughts, and that these thoughts can eventually manifest into violent acts.
5 ‘Come Out’ (2017)
Letterbox Rating: 4.2/5
A masterfully written horror/thriller film with excellent social commentary. Get out is still considered one of the best horror films of the 21st century. It’s about a young black man who meets the parents of his white girlfriend, only to discover that what starts out as a slightly unpleasant experience ends up being truly terrifying (not to mention potentially deadly).
It was an unexpected success upon release considering it was written and directed by Jordan Peeland until 2017, he was best known for his comedies. Get out immediately made him one of the most exciting directors working in the horror genre, and since then he has made two more ambitious and exciting films with Us(2019) and nope(2022).
4 ‘Shine’ (1980)
Letterbox Rating: 4.3/5
What happens when one of the most famous directors of all time tries his hand at making a horror film, despite not being known for making horror films, and succeeds? At best you will get something like Shinewhich came out in an incredible year for cinema and yet managed to become one of the highlights of the year.
It tells what might seem like a hackneyed story: a family stays in an abandoned (and possibly haunted) hotel after their father takes a job as caretaker during the off-season, only for everyone in the family to get hurt. isolation and ghostly powers. Masterfully blending psychological and supernatural horror, Shine succeeds in becoming one of the greatest exponents of the horror genre of all time, and is generally loved by everyone whose name is not Stephen King.
3 “Alien” (1979)
Letterbox Rating: 4.3/5
Its simple name matches its simple premise, but in no way can strangercan be called “just” another outright horror movie. It takes a straight story about isolation and survival against a terrifying force in space and goes all out with it, creating a tense and effectively unnerving mix of sci-fi and horror.
Since 1979 stranger became a franchise, and although it has an excellent (and action-packed) sequel with the 1986 film aliensother films related to the first stranger turned out to be more controversial. However, few will - or can - argue that the first film isn’t a classic horror movie, and there’s a good reason why it’s considered one of the genre’s defining titles.
2 ‘Psycho’ (1960)
Letterbox Rating: 4.3/5
It is not a controversial statement to say that Alfred Hitchcock revolutionized the horror genre in 1960 with the release of Psycho. There have been plenty of noteworthy horror films released prior to this, and some even survived to this date. However, few come close to having that kind of influence. Psycho able to provide viewers who don’t know what they’re in for.
Sure, plot twists are pretty well known these days, but they’re still easy to appreciate. Psycho for his brazenness and how he tries to keep the audience on their toes as much as possible. It’s also entertaining and stylish, and while it has stiff competition, it’s easy to see why it’s considered one of Hitchcock’s best films.
1 “Something” (1982)
Letterbox Rating: 4.3/5
Thing Being the highest rated horror movie on Letterboxd in the 2020s might be surprising to viewers in 1982 if time travel was invented and inexplicably used to tell them such a fact 40 years ago (explain what Letterboxd is, of course, would also be a problem). It was unfortunately not well received upon release, but has since gained a regular audience and is now considered an important work of horror and science fiction.
It’s a paranoia-filled film about a were-alien targeting a group of isolated explorers in Antarctica, and what happens when they begin to realize they can’t trust anyone anymore. It’s masterfully crafted, genuinely tense, and has some practical effects that still look incredible, ensuring it deserves to be the best horror movie on Letterboxd.
Source: Collider
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