My 'Martin Scorsese Scariest Movies of All Time' List

When Martin Scorsese revealed his scariest movies of all time list in 2015, I'm sure there were a lot of people who cocked their heads to the side inquisitively and wondered 'really?' I wasn't one of them. Of the 11 on the list, I've seen all but four: 'Isle of the Dead, 'Uninvited', 'Dead of Night' and 'Night of the Demon' - all of them early 20th century British black and white films. It's strange because those films have all of my favorite elements. Some of those 11 films have made it onto my list.

It's important to point out here that Scorsese's list is of the 'scariest' - not the bloodiest. I don't consider the films on his list to be classified as typical horror films. Most of them are meant to be scary - through sight, sound (or the absence of such) and atmosphere. Most of them are actually forerunners of contemporary horror and thrillers. These are the films that are the blueprints for all of the formulaic horrors and thrillers that arrived in the late 1970s and that over-populated the film universe in the 1980s. As the trend tired itself out, the 1990s saw a resurgence of a more cerebral-style, back-to-basics horror/thriller - until once again, the genre did itself a disservice by cranking out way too many bland, run-of-the-mill copycats. Both of those eras still owe a great deal of gratitude to the films on Scorsese's list (and my list).

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1. Carrie (1976) - Beyond the pig's blood and the mother being crucified by Carrie, this film really captures scariness by having a troubled, innocent teen be both the victim and the perpetrator. Carrie's telekinetic powers are out of control and you really have no idea what she is going to do next. Brian DePalma creates a prom scene so fairytale-like at one moment and then a scene so horrific the next that you can't help but be scared by what is going to happen next. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie are note perfect.




2. The Exorcist (1973) - The absence of sound and of a structured soundtrack in this film is what sets this apart from other scary movies. The Tubular Bells theme is only heard once in the film. It is not used at critical moments. Instead, silence is used at the height of truly horrific moments (when Regan walks down the staircase crab-like). Perfect. William Friedkin really captures the 1970s and it's not pretty.







3. The Birds (1963) - Of all the Alfred Hitchcock films that could have made this list (Psycho for sure), I chose The Birds. Up until Tippi Hedren's character rowing that boat across the bay, The Birds is pretty benign. Then, with that first swoop of the crow, the mood changes and you never know what you're in for next. The scene at the house with the birds trying to get in is pretty terrifying.






4. Halloween (1978) - So simply done, yet so effective. This was the film that renewed the horror genre and for decades after, pretenders tried to emulate its winning formula with disastrous results. Try watching the film as if for the first time and the atmosphere will lull you in until it grabs you again. This is truly what good independent film making is all about - simple, good story, effective music. They all combine for the perfect scare.







5. The Innocents (1961) - I first read the story that The Innocents was based on many years ago. When I discovered that it had been made into a film, I was not disappointed with the results. 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James  became 'The Innocents'. Deborah Kerr does a great job as the governess of two apparently disturbed children. Cinematography and sound play keys roles in this unnerving film. The scares are simply and effectively done. *No, The Innocents has no connection to The Others that stars Nicole Kidman.




6. The Changeling (1980) - One of the slew of Canadian films from the heyday of favourable Canadian film financing of the 1970s and 1980s, that saw many US actors take leading roles in Canadian film, this under-achieving film is well worth the watch. A haunted house seems so cliche in every scary film, but here the backstory of the haunting is deeply disturbing and frightening. George C. Scott is great as the man haunted by his family's death. The scene of the seance provides some of the best cinematic thrills ever seen.




7. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - The touchstone for all zombie movies to come for decades, Night of the Living Dead is truly a terror feast. Much like Halloween, a limited budget results in real frights. The matter-of-fact atmosphere, lighting, limited sound and general uneasy subject matter result in real scares - not manufactured ones still seen in so many imitators so many decades later. As in many great films, a little goes a long way.





8. Rosemary's Baby (1968) - Ironically released the same year as Night of the Living Dead, this much more stylized film with the much larger budget is almost as scary. Again, the atmosphere suggested by the film consumes the viewer. There is a seething evil in the building and you are not quite sure what it is or where it is coming from. Mia Farrow's waifish quality really pours gas on the fire of the evil that lurks all around her. That it comes from the kindly old folks is what makes this film scary.






9. The Haunting (1963) - Another 1960s era scary film that is really the benchmark for the era in terms of thrills and chills. Though there were many (terrible) horror films later in the decade, this one towers over them all in terms of pure fright. It would not be for many decades later that a really good haunted house film would appear. That The Haunting has stood the test of time reflects on the achievement that Robert Wise put together. Nothing says scary more than the unexpected. Darkness, shadows and unearthly sounds are used to great effect.



10. The Bad Seed (1956) - This film was ahead of its time. This little girl is so psychologically disturbed that you are honestly scared for all of those around her. Patty McCormack as Rhoda (the bad seed) is stellar. This is a hidden gem of a film. In other films on this list, things are scary. Here, a person is scary. The fact that it is an apparently innocent little girl with pig tails is what truly makes this film stand out. One of the first (and the best) psychological thrillers.





11. The Other (1972) - Another scary film that emphasizes a person and not a thing being scary, The Other (like the Bad Seed) is another hidden gem of a scary movie. The fact that the terror in the film comes from a child makes it an even more disturbing film to watch. Two twin boys play twins in the film - one good and the other bad - or so we are led to believe. I've said too much already. Great little-seen film. *Again, this film has nothing to do with The Others, other than the missing 's' in the title.



12. PIN (1988) - Lost in the sea of the hundreds of horror films released in the 1980s, this genuinely creepy Canadian psychological thriller is a hidden gem. Unfairly labelled a horror film, PIN is much more than that. Beyond the main theme of a boy who is a paranoid schizophrenic, which is most often used as the basis of many horror/thriller films, the truly scary part of the film is seeing the anatomically correct medical dummy throughout the film. That 'PIN' has a voice only exacerbates the scare factor. This is used to great effect right to the end. Great story. Great performances. And a really creepy scare. Thoroughly recommended, this little 'cult classic'.