When Wes Craven’s horror masterpiece Scream rolled into theaters in 1996, it exploded into a major pop-cultural phenomenon the likes of which the genre had never seen before. Set in the small town of Woodsboro, California, a series of gruesome murders committed by a serial killer in a Ghostface mask sparks a serious hunt to find and unmask the madman before he strikes again. It was a familiar premise, but elevated by one fresh, new, and groundbreaking idea. Coming out during a troubling time for horror, a time when franchise fatigue was at an all-time high, staleness set in, and tired sequels were dragging slashers and this genre as a whole close to irrelevancy, along came this brilliant, self-aware meta commentary on the whole horror formula. Scream was dark and intense, but sharply written and hilarious, featuring characters that were well aware of being in a horror movie, a landmark storytelling idea at the time that changed the genre’s history and further influenced the horror movies we have coming out today. Even now, it can make viewers laugh, scared, wildly excited, but no matter what, they’ll always come back to it.
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Undoubtedly, Scream is one of the most entertaining horror movies of all time, a classic that no one ever forgets the first time, and it makes them constantly come back for multiple watches. Hardly any slasher film or regular horror film, for that matter, can top its stupendous ability to entertain. Though not many come close, there are several that arguably are just as, if not more, exciting than Scream. The three below are epic masterpieces that have invigorated the horror genre with their wow factors. They’re utterly iconic, timeless even, but always keep the audience’s attention from start to finish.
3
‘Aliens’ (1986)
Image via 20th Century Studios
Kicking things into high motion, this first entry belongs to Aliens, the kick-ass, high-octane action-horror masterpiece from the legendary James Cameron. Widely considered one of the most thrilling, endlessly enjoyable horror flicks and one of the greatest sequels ever made, this 1986 juggernaut exploded hugely on the big screen, giving audiences everything they wanted and more from a continuation to Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien. Here, there’s a bit of everything one can absolutely love, from its pulse-pounding shootouts, tightly paced story, jaw-dropping effects, and riveting performances. It follows the sole survivor of the Nostromo, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), as she’s awakened from hypersleep nearly six decades after her fearful encounter with the dreaded xenomorph. Once the colony on the same planet she encountered the alien goes dark, she accompanies a team of hardened space marines to go investigate what happened, only to relive her nightmare once again.
No doubt Aliens is a much-beloved action-horror spectacle. It’s not as scary as the first one, but boy, does it make up for its lack of dread with nonstop excitement. There are more aliens here, as its title suggests, along with a more significant film budget and a bigger cast. It’s a blast just to see Sigourney Weaver return to his legendary hero role as Ellen Ripley, who here breaks new ground as a badass, capable action hero, paving the way for more female representation in the genre. Honestly, there’s a lot to unpack and enjoy about this roller-coaster ride of a film. It knows how to keep you invested, and just keeps up the momentum, making it truly entertaining, perhaps more so than ever when watching Scream.
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‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)
Clarice Starling staring at Hannibal Lecter as his reflection looms in the glass in The Silence of the LambsImage via Orion Pictures
Next is the most nail-biting, suspenseful horror experience you’ll ever experience in cinema. The late Jonathan Demme changed the face of horror in 1991 with The Silence of the Lambs, a mystery-crime thriller based on the iconic book series by author Thomas Harris. Within its 118-minute run-time is nothing short of spectacular, as it’s a powerfully written, expertly paced chiller full of some of the most skin-crawling, nightmarish scenes ever brought to celluloid. Starring Jodie Foster and Sir Anthony Hopkins, who both received Best Acting Oscars for their efforts, this story places viewers into a mystery, following FBI Agent Clarice Starling on a daring mission to probe the mind of notorious convicted cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, to help trace the pathology of the illusive ‘Buffalo Bill’ serial killer (Ted Levine) before he kills a high profile U.S. Senator’s daughter. It’s a race against the clock as we follow Clarice keep her wits and decode Lecter’s cryptic help to find the kidnapped victim and stop Bill before it’s too late.
From Anthony Hopkins’ legendary portrayal as the intelligent and sophisticated yet deceptively brutal and manipulative Dr. Lecter to Ted Levin’s unpredictable and twisted performance as the deranged Buffalo Bill killer, The Silence of the Lambs is a film rich with some of the most spine-chilling movie moments ever shown. You can feel the weight of the suspense in some scenes, especially in the finale, as Clarice confronts Bill in his dark house of horrors. It’s a film dripping with tension and dread, perfectly keeping the audience glued to the screen until the very end. It’s a perfect mystery with an excellent payoff and leaves an unforgettable feeling after. You’ll never be the same after The Silence of the Lambs. It truly is that gripping and memorable, to the point where it can be watched over and over again and still give people goosebumps. A lot like Scream, both are wildly enthralling horror thrillers that defined the genre. But what sets this one apart, and even elevates it more than Craven’s film, is that The Silence of the Lambs holds a prestigious distinction as being the only horror film to date to win Best Picture. It’s honestly kind of hard to top that in terms of acclaim.
1
‘Jaws’ (1975)
We’ve talked about aliens and serial killers being more thrilling than what happens in Scream. Now it is time to introduce sharks, and why one particular shark flick trumps Scream in every way to be widely considered the most entertaining horror of all time. I’m, of course, talking about Jaws, the mega-summer-hit blockbuster monster masterpiece from the legend of movie wonder, Steven Spielberg. This is definitely the most fun you’ll have in the movie theater. It’s an epic mix of action, horror, and adventure, telling a tale about a peaceful summer community, Amity Island, that’s racked by terror when swimmers are soon devoured near the beach. When a rogue great white shark is to blame, the town’s newly installed sheriff, a marine biologist from the mainland, and a salty WWII veteran shark-hunting expert set off to kill this fearsome beast before it strikes again.
Jaws changed the horror landscape for the better thanks to its thrilling story. It was a gargantuan success critically and financially, becoming one of the highest-grossing horror movies of all time up to that point, and effectively birthed the modern summer blockbuster season, paving the way for the likes of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and so many more thrilling cinematic spectacles. Everything, from the iconic characters, John Williams’ epic, Oscar-winning theme song, and even tense suspense and jumpscares, has turned Jaws into a bona fide legend of the horror genre. Today, it still reigns supreme as one of the most cherished and beloved classics, one that fans just keep coming back to for more rewatches. You’ll always find something new to love about this timelessly exciting tale.
Collider Exclusive · Horror Survival Quiz
Which Horror Villain Do You Have the Best Chance of Surviving?
Jason Voorhees · Michael Myers · Freddy Krueger · Pennywise · Chucky
Five killers. Five completely different ways to die — if you’re not smart enough, fast enough, or self-aware enough to avoid it. Only one of them is the villain your particular set of instincts gives you a fighting chance against. Eight questions will figure out which one.
🏕️Jason
🔪Michael
💤Freddy
🎈Pennywise
🪆Chucky
TEST YOUR SURVIVAL →
01
Something feels wrong. You can’t explain it — you just know. What do you do?
First instincts are the difference between the survivor and the first act casualty.
ALeave immediately. I don’t need to understand a threat to respect it.
BStay quiet and observe. If I can see it, I can understand it. If I can understand it, I can avoid it.
CStay awake. Whatever this is, I am not going to sleep until I feel safe again.
DConfront it directly. Fear grows in the dark — I’d rather know what I’m dealing with.
ECheck everything, trust nothing. The threat might be closer than I think — and smaller.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
Where are you most likely to find yourself when things go wrong?
Setting is everything in horror. Where you are determines which rules apply.
ASomewhere remote — a cabin, a campsite, off the grid and away from people.
BA quiet suburban neighbourhood where nothing ever happens. Except tonight.
CIn my own head — the most dangerous place of all, depending on what’s already in there.
DWherever children are — because something about this place attracts the worst things.
ESomewhere ordinary — a house, a toy store, a place where the last thing you’d expect is a threat.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
What is your most reliable survival asset?
Every survivor has a quality the villain didn’t account for. What’s yours?
APhysical fitness — I can run, I can swim, I can outlast something that relies on brute persistence.
BSpatial awareness — I always know the exits, the hiding spots, the fastest route out.
CPsychological resilience — I’ve faced my worst fears before. They don’t have the same power over me.
DEmotional steadiness — I don’t panic. Panic is what gets you caught.
EScepticism — I don’t underestimate threats because of how they look. Size is irrelevant.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
What kind of fear is hardest for you to fight through?
Knowing your weakness is the first step to not dying because of it.
AThe unstoppable — something that will not stop, cannot be reasoned with, and is always getting closer.
BThe invisible — a threat I can feel but can’t locate, watching from somewhere I can’t see.
CThe psychological — something that uses my own mind and memories against me.
DThe unknowable — something ancient, shapeless, that feeds on the fear itself.
EThe mundane — a threat so ordinary-looking that no one will believe me until it’s too late.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
You’re with a group when things start going wrong. What’s your role?
Horror movies are brutally clear about who survives group situations and who doesn’t.
AThe one who says “we need to leave” first — and means it, even when no one listens.
BThe one who stays quiet, watches the others, and figures out the pattern before anyone else does.
CThe one who holds the group together when panic sets in — because someone has to.
DThe one who asks the questions nobody wants to ask — because ignoring them gets people killed.
EThe one who takes the threat seriously when everyone else is laughing it off.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What’s the horror movie mistake you’re most likely to make?
Honest self-assessment is a survival skill. Denial is not.
AGoing back for someone — I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t leave them behind.
BAssuming I’m safe once I’ve found a hiding spot. That’s when it finds me.
CFalling asleep when I absolutely cannot afford to. Exhaustion is its own enemy.
DLetting my curiosity override my instincts — I always need to understand what I’m dealing with.
EDismissing the threat because of how it looks. That’s exactly what it wants.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
What’s your best weapon against something that can’t be stopped by conventional means?
Every horror villain has a weakness. The survivors are always the ones who find it.
AThe environment itself — I use the terrain, the water, the geography against it.
BPatience — I wait, I watch, and I strike at the one moment it doesn’t expect.
CLucidity — if I can stay in control of my own mind, it loses its primary weapon.
DCourage — facing it directly, refusing to run, taking away the fear it feeds on.
EImprovisation — I use whatever’s at hand, however unconventional. Creativity over brute force.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
It’s the final scene. You’re the last one standing. How did you make it?
The final survivor always has a reason. What’s yours?
AI kept moving. I never stopped, never hid for too long, never let it corner me.
BI figured out the pattern before anyone else did — and I used it against the thing following it.
CI stayed awake, stayed lucid, and refused to give it the one thing it needed most.
DI stopped being afraid of it. And the moment I did, everything changed.
EI took it seriously from the start — and I never once made the mistake of underestimating it.
REVEAL MY VILLAIN →
Your Survival Odds Have Been Calculated
Your Best Chance Is Against…
Your instincts, your strengths, and your particular way of thinking under pressure point to one villain you actually have a fighting chance against. Everyone else — good luck.
Camp Crystal Lake · Friday the 13th
Jason Voorhees
Jason is relentless, but he is also predictable — and that is the gap you would exploit.
He moves in straight lines toward his target. He doesn’t strategise, doesn’t adapt, doesn’t outsmart. He simply pursues.
Your ability to keep moving, use the environment, and resist the panic that freezes most victims gives you a genuine edge.
The Crystal Lake survivors were always the ones who stopped running in circles and started thinking about terrain, water, and distance.
You think like that. Which means Jason, for all his indestructibility, would face someone who simply refused to be where he expected.
Haddonfield, Illinois · Halloween
Michael Myers
Michael watches before he moves. He is patient, methodical, and almost impossible to detect — until it’s too late for anyone who isn’t paying close enough attention.
But you are paying attention. You notice the shape in the window, the car parked slightly wrong, the silence where there should be sound.
Michael’s power lies in the invisibility of ordinary suburbia — the fact that nothing ever looks wrong until it already is.
Your spatial awareness and instinct to map every room, every exit, and every shadow before you need them is precisely the quality Laurie Strode had.
You are not a victim waiting to happen. You are someone who already suspects something is wrong — and acts on it.
Elm Street · A Nightmare on Elm Street
Freddy Krueger
Freddy wins by getting inside your head — using your own fears, your own memories, your own subconscious as weapons against you. That strategy requires a target who can be destabilised.
You are harder to destabilise than most. You’ve faced uncomfortable truths about yourself and you haven’t looked away.
The survivors on Elm Street were always the ones who understood what was happening and chose to face it rather than flee from it.
Freddy’s greatest weakness is that his power evaporates in the presence of someone who refuses to give him the fear he feeds on.
Your psychological resilience — the ability to stay grounded when reality itself becomes unreliable — is exactly the quality that keeps you alive here.
Derry, Maine · It
Pennywise
Pennywise is ancient, shapeshifting, and feeds on terror — but it has one critical vulnerability: it cannot function against someone who genuinely stops being afraid of it.
The Losers Club didn’t survive because they were braver than everyone else. They survived because they faced their fears together, and faced them honestly.
You ask the questions others avoid. You look directly at what frightens you rather than turning away.
That directness — the refusal to let fear fester in the dark — is Pennywise’s worst nightmare.
It chose the wrong target when it chose you. You are exactly the kind of person whose fear tastes like nothing at all.
Chicago · Child’s Play
Chucky
Chucky’s greatest advantage is that nobody takes him seriously until it’s already too late. He exploits the gap between how something looks and what it actually is.
You don’t have that gap. You take threats seriously regardless of how they present — and you never make the mistake of underestimating something because of its size or appearance.
Chucky relies on surprise, on the delay between recognition and response. You close that delay faster than almost anyone.
Your instinct to treat every unfamiliar thing with appropriate scepticism — rather than dismissing it because it seems absurd — is the exact quality that keeps you breathing.
Against Chucky, not laughing is already winning. You are very good at not laughing.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
Release Date
June 20, 1975
Runtime
124 minutes
