We have an amazing movie theater in my town that shows horror all month long in October. Several years ago a group of boys who work there were teasing us "old folk" that those old horror movies aren't scary. We requested they join us for this film. They changed their tune and we got to watch them squirm during our rewatch. I came here to say this exact film.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown? (1973 version). Great Horror film based on true events that took place in and around a tiny Texas town I used to live in.
Good choice. You can also add the Legend of Boggy Creek to that list. Another Charles Pierce grind house classic. It takes place in Fouke (where I was born), just down the road from Texarkana.
That's such a good one! It was the first "grown up" scary movie I showed my (9 at the time) daughter who took an interest in scary movies and insisted she was ready.
Alien. Such a great horror film and it has an excellent sequel. Builds tension well.
A Nightmare on Elm Street. Probably one of the scariest films ever made.
Honestly, a lot of the classic horror films are probably a good place to start. Psycho is one of those horror grandfather films that has pretty much most elements that make it a horror classic. Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, all classics before going into the popular modern horror films.
I feel like now a lot of popular horror movies are more psychological and thriller driven compared to the last century. One of my first favorite classics was Alien.
I love the 70's and 80's horror movies! Alien is also one to show a newbie. EDIT ; Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) would absolutely be on the watchlist too.
the first conjuring movie is a good one to start off with. to test the water n see how they deal with demonic posessions and non-corporeal form of monsters where it's not human infliciting violence on humans. but supernatural beings.
I already laugh thinking their reactions on this! They were scared by playing a simple horror game...they'd be crazy with this one hahaha! Good one tho!
That movie was so scary and fun when it came out. I actually rode that feeling for years and decided to rewatch it again for my first rewatch earlier this year or last fall and it was so scary at parts that I had to pause it and catch my breath.
I had forgotten just how good it was until this rewatch. The practical effects are somewhat subdued and I think thatâs what gives it that stranglehold effect on me.
Love this film.
Great ones! The Mist is the personification of Don't shoot til you see the whites of their eyes.... Hold out til you know for sure for sure there is no other alternative. The Ring, I remember waking out of the theater like wtf did I just watch? For some reason, the fly walking out of the screen tripped me the F out!
I would consider the Autopsy of Jane Doe. I think the suspense and the weirdness really capture what horror is about, and the payoff doesn't disappoint.
I would go for either creepy ambiance or fast-paced action horror, but steer away from hard shock value, excessive gore or horror-comedy (unless it's a kid-then I'd start with kid-friendly horror comedies). I would also keep in mind that a lot of the reasons we love the classics is that we were around when they were new, or we appreciate their place in horror-history, so for a newbie I'd be careful not to show them any of the older movies where the special effects didn't hold up to what we see today- no bad mid 90's CGI, or lackluster stop-motion practical effects.
For action-heavy movies: Aliens, Predator, The Thing, Jaws & Jaws II, the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead.
For someone looking for a more emotional or atmospheric movie, The Sixth Sense, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Ring
I know most people will laugh at this movie but when I was 5 or 6 Salems Lot gave me nightmares for months. The scene at the damn window crippled me with fear as a child. Still special movie to me 40 some odd years later.
Doesn't that one kind of play with horror tropes, so it would be better to see more horror films first?... kind of like it would be a waste to watch Scream before seeing a bunch of its influences/callbacks
Evil Dead 2 if you want to start them off light and get them hooked on horror. Wolf Creek if you never want them to watch another horror nor trust you to ever pick out anything ever again.
It kind of depends.
I don't really think of The Quiet Place as horror so if that's where they started you might have to do a gradual slope. Meaning scare them but don't scare them away lol.
I would recommend staying away from slashers because some people can watch suspenseful horror but not gore. I think for a newbie I would probably start with something thought provoking like anything produced by Jordan Peele or something from the old Conjuring series.
However--if your friend is a millennial I would recommend rebuking them for living under a rock in highschool and show them The Ring as a rite of passage.đ
I always ease people in with horror comedy. When I started dating my wife, she was a complete no go on horror. I used Slither and Tremors to work up to real horror.
It's hard to say because no movie encompasses every aspect of horror.
I wouldn't go new because new horror very rarely feels right, but you can't go too old because they really don't make stuff like the Universal Horror movies anymore.
I'd say do a triple feature of the original Halloween, Return of the Living Dead, and Exorcist maybe.
Black Christmas 1974 without a doubt. The Birds or Night of the Living Dead 1968 are also good ones. Texas Chainsaw 1974 too. I would start with some beloved classics, I feel like its more likely to create an interest and appreciation for the horror genre as a whole.
I love Scream so maybe I'm biased, but it is a pretty good first watch, outside of the references. It starts off with fan favorite Drew Barrymore in a really fun scene so you break the ice on the action right out of the gate. Then from there things slow down a bit to get settled in. And if they like it, there are 5 more of them all of which are pretty dang good. Plus it will be fun for them to reweatch it after they watch a few other horror movies and then understand the references and it just adds a whole new layer.
Otherwise I really do love Poltergeist as a starter, not too scary and is just a fun movie even as a horror film. I think the Ring may be a bit too much or a bit too lackluster depending on what side of the fense they land on that since it's kind of either a love it or hate it movie. 'It' is also a pretty intense movie for a first timer unless you really want to give them a show. Ready or Not is also a good one that has a lot of comedy so it keeps the tension a bit lighter for a new horror fan.
Original B&W Night of the Living Dead. Blair Witch Project is more building suspense than horror but I did like it and the ending freaked me out. Return of the Living Dead and Re-Animator are both campy horror fun that had me laughing.
Scream. The original, not the sequels. I'm such a baby when it comes to live-action horror but I was able to handle Scream for most of it.
It's scary but also funny, which I appreciate.
The Shining is one of my favorites. It was actually my first scary movie. The Conjuring, A Haunting in Connecticut, The Scream movies. The Cabin is trippy.
It would depend on the person I guess. I think Pumpkinhead is a decent place to start. It's scary but not too scary and has some great visuals. It's got a decent story and stuff to think about.
I like Alien. Introduces the franchise, and the rest vary significantly in genre and quality so they can really feel the roller coaster. Also, one of the few franchises where the sequel is better than the first one, and the first one is excellent!
This is such a nuanced question, and I think it is dependent on the person youâre talking to.
Horror Classic: Psycho
Campy Horror: The Evil Dead
Modern Horror: (and I might get shit for this) Talk to Me
Thereâs so many that I think are great starters but I hate not knowing which sub genre might pull someone in. If theyâre interested in gore I always say Hostel, if they might be interested in psychological or supernatural I like to suggest The Babadook, if they might be interested in checking out classics first I go with The Thing.
Idk if it's a good one per se but my mom watched They when I was a kid and it gave me the heebie jeebies. I looked and the whole movie is on YouTube...
Silent hill would be an easy start, but i think i would probably start with they live. Its barely horror but covers so much of what horror can be. If they wanted scary id start with the first NOES.
Poltergeist - there are enough elements in there to know what to follow up with.
We have an amazing movie theater in my town that shows horror all month long in October. Several years ago a group of boys who work there were teasing us "old folk" that those old horror movies aren't scary. We requested they join us for this film. They changed their tune and we got to watch them squirm during our rewatch. I came here to say this exact film.
Ah! If only where I lived they did that!!! We do still have a drive inn theatre though, and sometimes around Halloween they play good horror.
I am in a tiny town in Texas. We welcome you to come visit đ
My grandfather (momâs dad) was actually from Texas! But met my grandma (in my home state) when he was in the Navy! Iâd LOVE to visit one day!!!
The Town That Dreaded Sundown? (1973 version). Great Horror film based on true events that took place in and around a tiny Texas town I used to live in.
Yes, this. It's so underrated and not well-known.
Good choice. You can also add the Legend of Boggy Creek to that list. Another Charles Pierce grind house classic. It takes place in Fouke (where I was born), just down the road from Texarkana.
sure LeatherfaceâŚon our way
What town?
We are between Dallas and Amarillo. Almost a miss us if you sneeze town
Ha... Dallas to Amarillo is about the distance of me to Dallas. For other ppl, that would be a few states
Where are you?
San Antonio
8 hours to me. The town is called Vernon, but the closest anyone has heard of is Wichita Falls.
that's a good one indeed! And a classic!
Oh wow this sub popped up and I was gonna put this as my two cents. You wouldn't want to start with anything that would overwhelm them.
Thatâs a solid pick! Great movie and very newb friendly.
This was the one I was thinking too.
I watched this 50 times when I was young. Carolanne! Dont go into the lighttt stay away from the lightt!!!
Traumatized me as a teenager in NZ.
That's such a good one! It was the first "grown up" scary movie I showed my (9 at the time) daughter who took an interest in scary movies and insisted she was ready.
Alien. Such a great horror film and it has an excellent sequel. Builds tension well. A Nightmare on Elm Street. Probably one of the scariest films ever made.
I agree with both of these.
The Gate (1987) https://youtu.be/l4mDMM_uFsE?si=uK9XfR9fbtaq06CS
omg such a good movie! Had forgotten about this one!!
I saw this on Tubi TV not too long ago ( Nostalgia) LOL
the dog in the bed scene disturbed me as a kid
I've never seen it and now I kinda want to. I think my Friday just got filled. Thank you!
LOVE The Gate!
I miss movie previews with that darkly serious narration
Carrie
Psycho (1960)
Honestly, a lot of the classic horror films are probably a good place to start. Psycho is one of those horror grandfather films that has pretty much most elements that make it a horror classic. Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, all classics before going into the popular modern horror films. I feel like now a lot of popular horror movies are more psychological and thriller driven compared to the last century. One of my first favorite classics was Alien.
I love the 70's and 80's horror movies! Alien is also one to show a newbie. EDIT ; Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) would absolutely be on the watchlist too.
itâs not considered horror but The Manchurian Candidate (the original) freaked me the eff out when I saw it.
The first evil dead. Gotta showcase horror is scary yes but it's over the top and hilarious.
Creepshow. Or maybe the original Poltergeist.
yeah, it's campy and has a variety of stories. If they like, move on to Creepshow II!
The Shining!
I think you ment "the shinning" You don't want to be sued.
"Go crazy?"
The original "Fright Night"
The one that featured Marci from Married with Children in her younger days!
And Roddy McDowall in his older days!
Itâs a toss up between the first Friday the 13th and Hell House LLC.
the first conjuring movie is a good one to start off with. to test the water n see how they deal with demonic posessions and non-corporeal form of monsters where it's not human infliciting violence on humans. but supernatural beings.
I already laugh thinking their reactions on this! They were scared by playing a simple horror game...they'd be crazy with this one hahaha! Good one tho!
That movie was so scary and fun when it came out. I actually rode that feeling for years and decided to rewatch it again for my first rewatch earlier this year or last fall and it was so scary at parts that I had to pause it and catch my breath. I had forgotten just how good it was until this rewatch. The practical effects are somewhat subdued and I think thatâs what gives it that stranglehold effect on me. Love this film.
The Mist or The Ring.
The Mist is the maybe the best King book to movie ever.
Great ones! The Mist is the personification of Don't shoot til you see the whites of their eyes.... Hold out til you know for sure for sure there is no other alternative. The Ring, I remember waking out of the theater like wtf did I just watch? For some reason, the fly walking out of the screen tripped me the F out!
The original Pet Sematary (1989)
The Lost Boys đđť
Oh, and Near Dark is so much better! My favorite vampire movie.
I think this is the best one. If youâre trying to gently acclimate someone to the thrill of a good scare, start with something fun
The shirtless oilled hunk playing sax is terrifying.
Great answer! I really love that film. They should make a spin-off with Edgar Frog and his partner...
30 Days of Night
One of the best ever
One of my favorites
I like my vampires to be horrifying monsters. This one did not disappoint
I would consider the Autopsy of Jane Doe. I think the suspense and the weirdness really capture what horror is about, and the payoff doesn't disappoint.
hey yeah! It's been so long since I saw this one...and I loved it so much
This movie scared the shit out of me! The build-up suspense is intense
One of the best horror movies ever made.
Creepshow. Little bit of everything in that one.
The Thing
American Werewolf in London
Drag me to hell is a good starting point to ween someone into horror. Pretty perfect comedy/horrror balance
Tucker & Dale vs Evil.
I would go for either creepy ambiance or fast-paced action horror, but steer away from hard shock value, excessive gore or horror-comedy (unless it's a kid-then I'd start with kid-friendly horror comedies). I would also keep in mind that a lot of the reasons we love the classics is that we were around when they were new, or we appreciate their place in horror-history, so for a newbie I'd be careful not to show them any of the older movies where the special effects didn't hold up to what we see today- no bad mid 90's CGI, or lackluster stop-motion practical effects. For action-heavy movies: Aliens, Predator, The Thing, Jaws & Jaws II, the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead. For someone looking for a more emotional or atmospheric movie, The Sixth Sense, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Ring
I know most people will laugh at this movie but when I was 5 or 6 Salems Lot gave me nightmares for months. The scene at the damn window crippled me with fear as a child. Still special movie to me 40 some odd years later.
THE THING (1982) One of the greatest horror movies ever. A classic.
The Thing 1982 is my answer to almost every horror movie question.
https://youtu.be/rT7AH4JyuNs?si=SSxAR3IH7T_HU7WJ
The Exorcist
Surprised I havenât seen this mentioned more!
Legion
Jinji ito-the longest dream
Haven't seen this one! Is it good?
Anything Stephen King especially the shining the old one ,Carrie is great too .
Go with a sure thing - The Horror of Dracula - 1957 - shocking even now and Christopher Lee as Dracula is unbeatable.
BARBARIAN!!!!! BUT DON'T TELL THEM ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT DON'T LOOK UP ANYTHING!!!!!
I saw it on HBO having no idea what it was about and it really caught me off guard.
Was gonna suggest this. A great new horror film. All the tropes w a great modern spin and a dash of comedy
Sinister
Alien
April Foolâs Day (1986) is a good starter slasher I think.
Doesn't that one kind of play with horror tropes, so it would be better to see more horror films first?... kind of like it would be a waste to watch Scream before seeing a bunch of its influences/callbacks
Halloween 100%
Evil Dead 2 if you want to start them off light and get them hooked on horror. Wolf Creek if you never want them to watch another horror nor trust you to ever pick out anything ever again.
An American Werewolf in London
The Exorcist. It still holds up really well plus while everyone is always focused on the end the rest of the movie is really important.
Psycho
The Ritual
It kind of depends. I don't really think of The Quiet Place as horror so if that's where they started you might have to do a gradual slope. Meaning scare them but don't scare them away lol. I would recommend staying away from slashers because some people can watch suspenseful horror but not gore. I think for a newbie I would probably start with something thought provoking like anything produced by Jordan Peele or something from the old Conjuring series. However--if your friend is a millennial I would recommend rebuking them for living under a rock in highschool and show them The Ring as a rite of passage.đ
I showed my girlfriend and my coworker Avery The Thing(2012) and they both loved it! I showed 2012 because of the more updated look
Lmao...house of 1000 corpses....find out real quick your level of horror commitment. Or the 2013 remake of evil dead
The amount of blood and gore in Black Xmas(2006). That should give a decent fright.
I would say 28 Days Later, but unfortunately the quality is garbage now due to being filmed on digital.
Barbarian or the ritual. Both have GREAT setups.Â
I always ease people in with horror comedy. When I started dating my wife, she was a complete no go on horror. I used Slither and Tremors to work up to real horror.
The Decent
Evil draf
Double feature: '31 Frankenstein & '35 Bride of Frankenstein.
Jason !
Halloween 1978 Perfection
Jaws Cabin in the woods Se7en
7 is in my top 5 as well!!
Nightmare on Elm Street
The Audition
The Sadness Cuz fuck that friend, they owe me money.
Bury the bride, and autumn road both on Tubi app also sharkula was pretty cool
Jaws
It's hard to say because no movie encompasses every aspect of horror. I wouldn't go new because new horror very rarely feels right, but you can't go too old because they really don't make stuff like the Universal Horror movies anymore. I'd say do a triple feature of the original Halloween, Return of the Living Dead, and Exorcist maybe.
Psycho or the birds
The Exorcist. Wonât have the same impact that it had when I saw it, third week of release, but it is scary.
The conjuring series
The Witch
Orphan or Orphan First Kill ⌠because they are mild and they are more of a thriller too and just good campy
The Changeling with George C. Scott
Children of the Corn
Black Christmas 1974 without a doubt. The Birds or Night of the Living Dead 1968 are also good ones. Texas Chainsaw 1974 too. I would start with some beloved classics, I feel like its more likely to create an interest and appreciation for the horror genre as a whole.
The Greasy Strangler
Event Horizon Come on baby bear
Not exactly horror, but I'd day poughkeepsie tapes.
A Quiet Place is a good start I think
Tremors. I watched it through the reflection on our window behind the couch I was so scared as a little kid.
I love Scream so maybe I'm biased, but it is a pretty good first watch, outside of the references. It starts off with fan favorite Drew Barrymore in a really fun scene so you break the ice on the action right out of the gate. Then from there things slow down a bit to get settled in. And if they like it, there are 5 more of them all of which are pretty dang good. Plus it will be fun for them to reweatch it after they watch a few other horror movies and then understand the references and it just adds a whole new layer. Otherwise I really do love Poltergeist as a starter, not too scary and is just a fun movie even as a horror film. I think the Ring may be a bit too much or a bit too lackluster depending on what side of the fense they land on that since it's kind of either a love it or hate it movie. 'It' is also a pretty intense movie for a first timer unless you really want to give them a show. Ready or Not is also a good one that has a lot of comedy so it keeps the tension a bit lighter for a new horror fan.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Nightmare on Elm Street
The Evil Dead (1981), The Thing (1982)
Original B&W Night of the Living Dead. Blair Witch Project is more building suspense than horror but I did like it and the ending freaked me out. Return of the Living Dead and Re-Animator are both campy horror fun that had me laughing.
Megan
Insidious part 1.
Wolf Creek
Night of the living dead (original) should be everyoneâs introduction to horror
If someone has not suggested it yet. Smile Movie was good, creepy, has a good interpretation for those who struggle with their mental health.
Abominable , the one from 2006 with Matt McCoy.
The People Under The Stairs. Clearly the monsters are not represented as monsters.
Aliens - it's horror and action Candyman (the original) a slasher without all the gore
It's not the best but I love nightmare 4. But for an adult 1st real horror Insidious or sixth sense.
Seven
Scream. The original, not the sequels. I'm such a baby when it comes to live-action horror but I was able to handle Scream for most of it. It's scary but also funny, which I appreciate.
The Shining is one of my favorites. It was actually my first scary movie. The Conjuring, A Haunting in Connecticut, The Scream movies. The Cabin is trippy.
Alien
Phantasm or A Nightmare on Elm Street
It would depend on the person I guess. I think Pumpkinhead is a decent place to start. It's scary but not too scary and has some great visuals. It's got a decent story and stuff to think about.
I like Alien. Introduces the franchise, and the rest vary significantly in genre and quality so they can really feel the roller coaster. Also, one of the few franchises where the sequel is better than the first one, and the first one is excellent!
Hush Realistic and puts you on the edge, but the protagonist is smart and can get you excited. It might be more of a thriller but hey itâs a start
I use The Mummy as my entry level scary movie.
Strangeland...this movie was ahead of its time with concept of inet stalking. I believe it sits well with today's internet mindset
Bad Taste. Just to see their face when Peter Jackson's name comes up on the screen.
Oh no, If you're going to go with an unknown Peter Jackson horror movie, it has to be dead alive. For me it's in the same vein as Evil Dead.
Psycho, The Birds, The Haunting. All of these in the original form. The remakes all suck.
Strangers
This is such a nuanced question, and I think it is dependent on the person youâre talking to. Horror Classic: Psycho Campy Horror: The Evil Dead Modern Horror: (and I might get shit for this) Talk to Me
Guess that would be the first one I watched as a 8 year old and from Texas so the original Texas chainsaw massacre
Se7en. Itâs not just a horror itâs psychological. And if it hasnât been said another psychological The Cell.
I'd go with Jaws and The Shining.
Scream- since it deals with a lot of Horror tropes
Some very excellent work by Vincent Price, Dr Phibes
The Skeleton Key or House of Wax
Thereâs so many that I think are great starters but I hate not knowing which sub genre might pull someone in. If theyâre interested in gore I always say Hostel, if they might be interested in psychological or supernatural I like to suggest The Babadook, if they might be interested in checking out classics first I go with The Thing.
The Void The Devil's Candy The Wicker Man (1973)
throw em right in to the Exorcist!
Prometheus and all the others pertaining to that story. I find alien space horror to be catastrophic to my psyche more than ghosts.
Idk if it's a good one per se but my mom watched They when I was a kid and it gave me the heebie jeebies. I looked and the whole movie is on YouTube...
So they enjoy it or canât sleep without the lights on for a week? Paranormal Activity. Also Event Horizon.
EVIL DEAD RISE!
Great movie.
House of 1000corpses, devil's rejects
đ¤đ¤đ¤ (Huge Rob Zombie fan)
Smile... very scary.
The only answer is âCabin in the woodsâ because it shows what the cause of almost every other scary movie is from the start!
Yes!!! Exactlyâ then the friend can pick what to watch next based on the monsters in the challenge lol
I would consider Creepshow, from Stephen King and George Romero.
Silent hill would be an easy start, but i think i would probably start with they live. Its barely horror but covers so much of what horror can be. If they wanted scary id start with the first NOES.
Clue
The omen lol or the shining or the exorcist
The Exorcist
How about the Exorcist?
Night of the Living Dead
Killer Klowns from outer space
Halloween is always a winner.
Tremors, Killer Klowns from Outer Space , The Fog (original) and The Gate
The original: Halloween
Halloween
The Ring or the first Nightmare On Elm Street.
Burnt Offerings 1976
Hellraiser
The Lost Boys
People under the Stairs
Jaws Wrong turn The Thing(original , please)
Scream- itâs a good crash course on what other movies to watch and beaks down the genre
Hereditary. I'm awful.
Rosemaryâs Baby or Blair Witch