The Most Popular Scary Movie the Year You Were Born
70 years of iconic frights to keep you at the edge of your seat.
From supernatural scenes to films based on horrifying real life events, the particular types of thrills audiences seek from a horror movie may have changed over the years — but some of these films from 50+ years ago are just as terrifying as they were on the day that they come out. It may not quite be Halloween yet, but it's never a bad time to queue up one of these spooky flicks.
With mental thrillers like Rosemary's Baby and Silence of the Lambs, and gory slasher films like Saw and Nightmare on Elm Street, we've rounded up all of the most terrifying films that define the horror genre. Take a walk down memory lane by reliving some of the most influential scary movies — unless you have a little one nearby, then we would recommend watching a milder scary movie for kids instead. Don't forget to check out our guide to the best horror movies on Netflix too!
1950
The Flying Saucer
C.I.A. agent Mike Trent (Mikel Conrad) uncovers more than he was expecting when he is sent to Alaska to investigate several U.FO sightings.
1951
The Thing from Another World
A crew of scientists uncover a dangerous extraterrestrial creature buried deep the Arctic ice.
1952
Ghost Ship
A young couple fears that the spirit of a previous owner might haunt their newly purchased yacht.
1953
House of Wax
A vengeful madman murders the visitors of his museum and coats them in wax to repopulate his previously destroyed collection.
1954
Creature From the Black Lagoon
A group of scientists attempt to capture a beast living in the depths of the Amazonian jungle.
1955
Tarantula!
A giant spider escapes from a scientific research laboratory, attacking the people of a remote Arizona town.
1956
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Alien pods invade earth — replacing the bodies of the living.
1957
I Was a Teenage Werewolf
A hypnotherapist uses a teenage boy as a test subject for a new serum that turns him into a werewolf.
1958
1959
House on Haunted Hill
A millionaire (Vincent Price) invites a group of people to stay the night in a haunted house — promising a cash prize to whoever makes it the entire time.
1960
Psycho
A young woman on the run makes an unfortunate stop at a remote motel run by a lunatic killer.
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1961
The Innocents
A governess watching over two children in an English countryside estate grows to believe that an evil spirit haunts the grounds.
1962
Carnival of Souls
A young woman, recently struck by tragedy, becomes increasingly attracted to a bizarre, abandoned carnival.
1963
The Birds
From director Alfred Hitchcock — havoc ensues when a swarm of violent birds attack a small California town.
1964
Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
The arrival of a lost relative sends an aging Southern belle (Bette Davis) into madness.
1965
Repulsion
A recluse woman sinks into madness while suffering from haunting visions of violence.
1966
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
The newly resurrected Prince of Darkness (Christopher Lee) preys on the flesh of those who enter the walls of his gothic fortress.
1967
Wait Until Dark
A trio of thugs invade the home of a young blind woman (Audrey Hepburn). The role earned Hepburn an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
1968
Rosemary's Baby
The psychological supernatural film tells the story of a young expecting mother's descent into madness, provoked by an evil cult set on taking her baby.
1969
The Haunted House of Horror
A group of friends gets more than they bargain for when they decide to spend the night in a remote English mansion.
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