What we know about Scary Movie 6 s that it is officially hitting the 2026 movie release calendar on June 5, 2026, and the long-running parody franchise is gearing up to take aim at a whole generation of upcoming horror movies. And based on what Marlon Wayans is saying, one of the genre’s biggest modern filmmakers might already be part of that conversation. According to the longtime funny man, Jordan Peele reached out about the upcoming parody flick, and it's for the exact reason I'd hoped.

Wayans recently revealed in a TikTok video that Jordan Peele actually reached out to him about potentially spoofing his movies in the upcoming sequel. And honestly, that is amazing. The franchise star explained that he hears from alot of directors and the reason why is hilarious. Wayans explained:

The Scary Movie franchise is returning after more than a decade away, and this time it’s diving straight into the modern horror boom. Based on the first trailer, the long-awaited sequel is taking shots at everything from newer hits to long-running tropes, with nothing off-limits. That includes so-called “elevated horror,” a space Peele has helped define over the past several years.

What makes this even better is how Wayans describes the approach behind the humor. In that same TikTok, he explained that the goal isn’t to tear down the films being parodied, but to have fun with them in a way audiences and creators can both enjoy. The comedian and actor continued:

That idea has always been part of what made the best of the Scary Movie films work. They were chaotic and over-the-top, but they also came from a place of familiarity. The jokes land because the audience knows the source material. And clearly, filmmakers know it too.

Now, the fact that directors are actually suggesting their own movies for parody says a lot. It shows how the franchise has evolved, but also how open filmmakers are to being the butt of the joke. And honestly, that’s kind of a badge of honor. Getting parodied by South Park or Saturday Night Live is already a cultural milestone, and now, with Scary Movie back, that list just got even better.

At this point, nothing’s officially confirmed about which films will make it into Scary Movie 6, beyond what’s already been teased (and sadly, left out) in the trailer. But Jordan Peele might already be getting his wish. The footage includes a clear Get Out reference, with Wayans’ character Shorty being pulled into the sunken place. So yeah, it looks like Peele is officially getting the parody treatment.

Scary Movie 6 lands in theaters on June 5, 2026. While you wait, you can revisit the first two in the franchise, which feature the Wayans family, streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription.

The horror genre has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last ten years. From psychological nightmares to nerve-shredding thrillers, each year has delivered something unique—movies that push the boundaries of fear, storytelling, and even artistic expression. And trust me—I’ve been paying attention.

With at least 168 horror movies under my belt in the past decade, I’ve carefully selected the absolute best horror movies from each year. While we’re always looking for upcoming horror movies to keep us on edge, this list celebrates the genre’s finest from 2014 to 2024. These aren’t just your standard scary flicks—they’re the ones that linger long after the credits roll, burrow into your mind, and, most importantly, raise the bar for what horror can be.

So grab your collectible popcorn bucket, (have you seen AMC’s The Monkey bucket?), keep the lights on, and take a deep dive into the most unforgettable horror films of the last ten years.

2014 – It Follows

David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows isn’t just one of the best horror films of 2014—it’s one of the most inventive of the decade. Taking a seemingly simple premise (a supernatural curse that relentlessly pursues its victims) and turning it into a nerve-wracking experience, the film plays with suspense in a way few modern horror movies do. The synth-heavy score, the unsettling cinematography, and the eerie sense of paranoia make It Follows feel like an '80s fever dream filtered through pure nightmare fuel.

While I typically appreciate when good scary movies remain one-off horror films without unnecessary sequels, I can’t deny how excited I am that Neon has greenlit a sequel called They Follow. Returning to this unsettling world with David Robert Mitchell at the helm feels like the perfect way to continue one of horror’s most original nightmares and to comment on one of the most controversial endings in recent memory.

2015 – The Witch

Few horror films have had the lasting cultural impact of Robert Eggers’ debut feature, The Witch. Dubbed “A New England Folktale,” this slow-burn psychological horror is drenched in atmosphere, authenticity, and religious dread. Anya Taylor-Joy’s breakout role, and perhaps one of her best performances, combined with meticulous period-accurate dialogue and stunning cinematography, makes this one of the most unsettling horror experiences of the 21st century.

And let’s be honest—Black Phillip deserves his own award as one of the Scariest Modern Horror Villains.

2016 – Don’t Breathe

If you thought home invasion movies had run their course, Don’t Breathe proved otherwise. This claustrophobic thriller, directed by Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead 2013), flips the script by making the would-be burglars the hunted. The terrifying performance of Stephen Lang as the blind but deadly homeowner makes every moment unbearably tense, and Don’t Breathe is one of the best horror movies of 2016. With barely a wasted frame, Don’t Breathe keeps you on edge, proving that sometimes silence is far scarier than loud jump scares.

2017 – Get Out

Jordan Peele’s Get Out isn’t just one of the best horror films of 2017—it’s one of the most culturally significant horror films of all time. Unsurprisingly, it’s one of the few horror movies nominated for Best Picture, a testament to its impact on cinema and social discourse.

Blending psychological horror with sharp social commentary, Peele masterfully weaves a terrifying story about race, privilege, and identity, all wrapped inside an eerie, Stepford Wives-esque nightmare. From Daniel Kaluuya’s gripping performance to the haunting imagery of the “Sunken Place,” Get Out delivers tension that lingers long after the credits roll. It’s a quintessential Black-led film that redefined the genre, proving that horror can be as thought-provoking as it is terrifying. If you haven’t seen it yet, now’s the time to change that.

2018 – Annihilation

Some might argue that Annihilation belongs in the best sci-fi movie category, rather than horror, but if you’ve seen that bear scene, you know exactly why it belongs on this list. Alex Garland churns out one of his best movies with this cerebral and haunting book-to-screen adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer’s novel. It is a hypnotic fever dream filled with body horror, psychological dread, and existential terror. In one of her most iconic roles, Natalie Portman leads a phenomenal cast through The Shimmer, a visually stunning and deeply unsettling zone where biology mutates in terrifying ways.

2019 – Midsommar

Ari Aster’s Midsommar is the horror equivalent of watching a slow-motion car crash—you know something terrible is coming, but you can’t look away. Set almost entirely in broad daylight, the film weaponizes its bright, idyllic setting to mask its true horror.

Florence Pugh delivers a powerhouse performance as Dani, a woman dragged into a Swedish cult’s sinister rituals by her boyfriend–one of the worst romantic partners in all cinema. The result? It's one of the most disturbing and easily one of A24’s best movies.

2020 – The Invisible Man

Blumhouse and Leigh Whannell took Universal’s classic monster movie concept and turned it into one of the most unsettling thrillers in recent memory. The Invisible Man (available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription) updates H.G. Wells’ classic with a modern, terrifying twist—a romantic relationship that ends in a really dark place: domestic abuse and gaslighting. Elisabeth Moss carries the film with a gripping, vulnerable performance, making the horror feel all too real. The tension is relentless, and the way Whannell plays with empty space will have you questioning every shadow in the room.

2021 – The Black Phone

Horror and coming-of-age storytelling blend seamlessly in The Black Phone, directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister). Based on Joe Hill’s work, a short story, the film follows a kidnapped boy communicating with the ghosts of his captor’s past victims through an old rotary phone. Ethan Hawke is chilling as the masked villain known as “The Grabber,” creating a nightmarish presence without over-explaining his backstory. It’s atmospheric, unsettling, and packs an emotional punch.

2022 – Something in the Dirt

If you’re unfamiliar with indie horror power duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (The Endless, Resolution), Something in the Dirt, a horror flick that flew under the radar, is an excellent introduction to their unique brand of cosmic horror. This low-budget, mind-bending film follows two Los Angeles neighbors who stumble upon strange supernatural occurrences in their apartment complex. What starts as a documentary project spirals into paranoia, obsession, and existential dread. It’s a slow burn, but it's a must-watch for those who love thought-provoking horror.

2023 – Evil Dead Rise

The Evil Dead franchise has always been synonymous with relentless, blood-soaked carnage, and Evil Dead Rise keeps that tradition alive. Lee Cronin takes the series in a fresh new direction, moving the setting from a remote cabin to a high-rise apartment—without sacrificing an ounce of the horror. The film delivers gore, possession, and some of the most brutal moments in the franchise’s history. If you love your horror chaotic, Evil Dead Rise delivers in buckets—of blood.

2024 – The First Omen

Prequels rarely manage to capture the essence of the original, but The First Omen proves to be the exception. Set before the events of the 1976 classic The Omen, this film dives into the eerie origins of the Antichrist with a slow-burning dread that builds to a horrifying crescendo. This overlooked gem was easily the best horror movie of 2024 and had some of the most shocking moments I still can’t get out of my head. Blending religious horror with unsettling psychological terror, The First Omen has already made a strong case for being one of the best horror films of the decade—and you can check it out in the comfort of your own home with a Hulu subscription.

A Decade of Horror Excellence

The last ten years have been incredible for us fear freaks, who are always looking for the next great scary movie. From slow-burning psychological terror to blood-soaked slashers and mind-bending cosmic horror, the genre has evolved in ways that continue to push storytelling, visual artistry, and emotional depth to new heights.

Most recently, The Substance, a brutally unsettling body horror film starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, has taken the industry by storm. It has won numerous awards this season and received several 2025 Oscar nominations, and it’s a prime example of how horror is recognized on a larger cinematic stage.

Whether you love your horror cerebral, brutal, or just plain fun, there’s something on this list for everyone. And with another decade of horror ahead of us, one thing’s for sure—the genre is only getting better.

For every heartfelt, sweeping, inspirational storybook romance story, you can find plenty of violent and traumatizing nightmare couplings, too. In both fiction and reality alike, too many innocent victims wanting nothing more than to receive a person's love and support end up suffering a life of abuse and neglect from the person they, unfortunately, chose to spend it with. The following are some of the most essential examples of movie and TV characters you should never get into a relationship with.

Caledon Hockley (Titanic)

Some might call Rose (Kate Winslet) a bad girlfriend, let alone the worst character from the movie Titanic for some of her own childish behaviors and, especially, her affair with Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio). However, nothing she does in James Cameron's Best Picture Oscar winner justifies the way her arrogant, elitist, industrialist fiancé, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), treats her, ranging from his possessive dominance to his nearly murderous reaction to Rose's relationship with Jack.

Sarah Marshall (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)

In the uproarious, 2008 romantic-comedy movie favorite, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Peter Bretter (writer Jason Segel) fails to realize how little support his eponymous girlfriend (played by Kristen Bell) shows him until after she dumps him for rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), whom we discover she was cheating with. The cop TV show actor may even be a worse ex-girlfriend from how she enviously sabotages Peter's newfound happiness with Rachel (Mila Kunis) by making a move on him when they accidentally book a vacation on the same Hawaiian island.

Ross Gellar (Friends)

For every reason a Friends fan may have had to root for Ross Gellar (David Schwimmer) and Rachel Green's (Jennifer Aniston) on-and-off romance, there are even more reasons why Ross is just the worst. He reveals himself to be extremely possessive when Rachel meets a handsome coworker at Bloomingdale's, refuses to take responsibility for cheating on her ("We were on a break" is still no excuse), and even continues to obsess over her while in relationships with other women.

Rose Armitage (Get Out)

In 2017, Get Out introduced one of modern cinema's scariest female horror movie villains in the form of Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), whose relationship with Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) was a ruse to coerce him into falling prey to her family's racist procedure that would cause him to lose control of his body to a white host. He was only one of several Black people she pulled this horrific con on, as we discover in Jordan Peele's terrifying, Oscar-winning directorial debut.

Billy Loomis (Scream)

While easily one of the most iconic examples of the classic slasher movie trope of the killer boyfriend, Skeet Ulrich's Billy Loomis is an undeserving partner even before the big reveal in 1996's Scream. He constantly pressures Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) into having relations, flirts with other women behind her back, and even belittles her for not fully recovering from her mother's murder only a year afterward.

Melissa (The Hangover)

Rachael Harris' character in 2009's The Hangover belittles and manipulates Stu (Ed Harris) to the point that he becomes helplessly defensive of her controlling nature and, even worse, her adultery. Luckily, after meeting and marrying an exotic dancer named Jade (Heather Graham) in a stupor during Doug's disastrous Las Vegas bachelor party, he gains the courage to stand up to Melissa and call her out as a "bad person all the way through to [her] core."

Michael Kelso (That '70s Show)

To be fair, Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis) is certainly not without her shortcomings, showing extreme evidence of vanity and narcissism especially in the earlier seasons of That '70s Show. However, she ultimately deserved better than her on-and-off boyfriend, Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher, who went on to marry Kunis in real life), who shares those same toxic traits in addition to being a helplessly absent-minded serial womanizer.

Judith Fessbeggler (Saving Silverman)

Dr. Judith Fessbeggler (Amanda Peet) is a psychiatrist in great need of psychotherapy, as evidenced by the way she treats Darren (Jason Biggs), the title character of the 2001 comedy, Saving Silverman. She ruthlessly controls everything in his life, from his wardrobe to the music he listens to, even forcing him to receive cosmetic surgery on his behind, which prompts his lifelong friends, Wayne (Steve Zahn) and J.D. (Jack Black), to stop their impending nuptials.

Martin Burney (Sleeping With The Enemy)

In director Joseph Ruben's 1991 adaptation of Nancy Price's novel, Sleeping with the Enemy, a constant pattern of abuse from her husband, Martin (Patrick Bergin), leads Laura Burney (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts) to fake her death and escape the marriage. Unfortunately, after donning a new identity and settling down in Iowa, where she strikes up a romance with a local named Ben (Kevin Anderson), she discovers that Martin has managed to track her down, not willing to let her go.

Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)

Early on in Gone Girl, director David Fincher's 2014 adaptation of Gillian Flynn's bestselling mystery, it seems obvious to suspect the adulterous and emotionally distant Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) of foul play when his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), suddenly goes missing. The truth is, however, that the woman left on her own accord and strategically planted evidence to incriminate her husband, which is in no way a healthy method for dealing with marital woes.

Jack Torrance (The Shining)

In Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining, Jack (Jack Nicholson) and Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) do not seem to have a particularly perfect marriage before they become caretakers at the Overlook Hotel. Things grow infinitely worse when the malevolent spirits of the Colorado resort drive Jack to become a vicious, deranged monster.

Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

Some Gilmore Girls fans believe that the show was ruined by the "will they, won't they" dynamic between Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia), and not just because it killed her relationship with Dean (Jared Padalecki). The ill-fated romance was merely the first of many selfish mistakes that Rory would make against her significant others that would ultimately cause some fans of the dramedy to completely turn on the character.

Christian (Midsommar)

Ari Aster told Birth.Movies.Death that he wanted to make his sophomore feature, 2019's Midsommar, a break-up movie based on a previous relationship of his, which makes a lot of sense when you consider the volatility of the relationship at the center of the folk horror story. You almost cannot help but feel happy for Dani (Florence Pugh) as she watches the selfish, emotionally stunted, and gaslighting Christian (Jack Reynor) burn to death before her very eyes at the end of the shocking A24 horror movie classic.

Ginger McKenna (Casino)

Sharon Stone's character from the 1995 Martin Scorsese movie, Casino, has just about all the most essential criteria for an unfavorable wife, from her hustling schemes, her greedy motivations, and her adulterous habits. Of course, in addition to being a bad spouse, Ginger is an even worse mother, having tied her daughter to a bed so she could have a night out clubbing on her own.

David McCall (Fear)

While there are quite a few romance movies that try to discredit the fatherly character's disapproval of his daughter's suitor, 1996's Fear is the movie that would teach audiences dad might know what he is talking about. Steven Walker (William Peterson) is the first to suspect that something is off about his daughter, Nicole's (Reese Witherspoon), new boyfriend, David (Mark Wahlberg) and, boy, do his instincts prove correct when he leaves a bloody trail that culminates in a terrifying attack on Nicole's family all for the sake of having her to himself.

Jan Levinson (The Office)

One of the best episodes of NBC's The Office, "Dinner Party," offers an inside look at the torrid relationship between Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin), who invite their Dunder Mifflin coworkers into their condo for a memorable night. The couple's heated dispute over Michael's multiple vasectomies, Jan's obsession with her assistant (an aspiring musician), and more discords ultimately get the cops involved.

Nate Cooper (The Devil Wears Prada)

A good partner supports their significant other's professional career – a concept lost on Nate Cooper (Adrian Grenier) from 2006's The Devil Wears Prada. Grenier would even agree, in a 2021 oral history by Entertainment Weekly, that his character was a "fragile, wounded boy" who was not as grown-up as Andy (Anne Hathaway) and, thus, selfishly criticized her career decisions. Not to mention, reacting to her getting hired at a fashion magazine by asking if it was a phone interview is unforgivably rude.

Asami Yamazaki (Audition)

The premise of Takashi Miike's acclaimed Japanese horror movie, 1999's Audition – in which a widower holds a fake movie casting session to find a new wife – seems to paint Ryo Ishibashi's character as the villain. However, one might agree that his actions, which did come from a place of sincerity, are not worthy of the sadistic, demented punishment that his new lover, Asami (Eihi Shiina), performs on him.

Josh (Companion)

Including Jack Quaid's character from the 2025 sci-fi movie, Companion, might be a bit of a stretch, considering Iris (Sophie Thatcher) is not really Josh's girlfriend but a highly advanced machine he purchased – er, rented. Discovering this helps her realize that the man she thought she loved is a pathetic, selfish, controlling, and violent loser, making this friendly robot the hero of the story.

Lisa (The Room)

In 2003's The Room, Lisa (Juliette Danielle) decides, completely out of the blue, that she no longer loves her "future husband," Johnny (writer, producer, and director Tommy Wiseau), and engages in an affair with his best friend, Mark (Greg Sestero), which ultimately drives Johnny to take his own life. Regardless of the cult favorite's reputation for its thoroughly nonsensical storyline, if there is one earnest analysis we can make about this awesomely cheesy movie, it is that Lisa was wrong to tear Johnny apart like that.

Nate Jacobs (Euphoria)

One of the strongest aspects of HBO's acclaimed coming-of-age drama, Euphoria, is the grounded ways it depicts certain archetypes that are commonly found in the modern high school environment. For instance, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) – the former boyfriend of Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) and Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) – is, practically, the teenage poster child for toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia.

Lila West (Dexter)

Sometimes it is crazy to think that one of the worst major villains on Dexter was, at one time, a love interest of Michael C. Hall's titular homicidal vigilante. When his relationship with Rita hits a rough patch in Season 2, Dexter indulges in a relationship with his rehab sponsor, Lila West (Jaime Murray), who proves to be a worse sociopath than he is.

Alex Le Domas (Ready Or Not)

In 2019's Ready or Not, instant classic horror movie final girl Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers she is the target of her in-laws' deadly game of Hide-and-Seek, which her husband, Alex Le Domas (Mark O'Brien), initially tries to help her escape. However, when she rejects him as a result of the trauma his murderous, Satanic family caused (and which he failed to properly warn her about before tying the knot), he betrays her and submits to the ritual to sacrifice her which, thankfully, gloriously backfires on them.

Stacey (American History X)

Derek Vinyard's (Edward Fulong) relationship with his girlfriend, Stacey (Fairuza Balk), in 1998's American History X, seemed to be at its best before his three-year stint in prison when they both were on the same page about white supremacy. After he returns and tries to convince her to leave the neo-Nazi movement with him, she thinks he is nuts to abandon that kind of life, which is an automatic dealbreaker. Good on him.

Jeffrey Fecalman (Family Guy)

In a rare dramatic moment from Family Guy, the animated series addressed the topic of domestic abuse by introducing Quagmire's (creator Seth MacFarlane) sister, Brenda (Kaitlin Olson), and her vile, deadbeat boyfriend, Jeff (Ralph Garman). After suffering to see her submit to Jeff's verbally and physically cruel treatment, Quagmire conspires with Peter (MacFarlane) and Joe (Patrick Warburton) to actually murder him.

Mrs. Griffith (Easy A)

Not only does high school guidance counselor Mrs. Griffith (Friends cast member Lisa Kudrow) cheat on her dear husband and coworker (played by Thomas Haden Church) but she does so with a student. This makes her one of the least likable characters in 2010's Easy A by a landslide.

Jason "J.D." Dean (Heathers)

In 1988's darkly comic high school movie favorite, Heathers, Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) falls for J.D. (Christian Slater). Of course, their relationship is ruined when she discovers he is a homicidal sociopath.

Meredith Blake (The Parent Trap)

In the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, Elaine Hendrix plays the elitist, materialistic, and, ultimately, evil potential stepmother to Lindsay Lohan's dual roles as estranged twin sisters, Annie and Hallie, who torture her with a series of increasingly brutal pranks. This drives Meredith to force Nick (Dennis Quaid) to choose between her or the siblings and, much to his credit, he promptly ends the relationship by choosing his daughters.

Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl)

There is a case to be made that Ed Westwick's Chuck Bass was one of the more charming characters in the Gossip Girl cast. Of course, this was a façade to downplay his unbelievably toxic and misogynistic behavior, especially at the expense of his girlfriend-turned-wife, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester).

Jenny “G-Girl” Johnson (My Super Ex-Girlfriend)

In almost any other case, finding out that your significant other is a superhero would be pretty cool. However, in the case of Matt Saunders (Luke Wilson) from director Ivan Reitman's My Super Ex-Girlfriend, it's a nightmare because Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman), who fights crime as G-Girl, is a needy, jealous, manipulative woman who uses her powers as revenge on Matt after he dumps her.

Adrian Griffin (The Invisible Man)

Writer and director Leigh Whannell brilliantly reimagined H.G. Wells' seminal story, The Invisible Man, into something of a sci-fi version of Sleeping with the Enemy with his 2020 hit. It follows Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) who, after escaping her marriage to abusive optics engineer Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), becomes convinced that he has found a way to continue stalking her and controlling her every move without being seen.

Lori (Total Recall)

Imagine finding out everything you thought you knew about your life was a lie, including your marriage. That is what happens to Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in the 1992 sci-fi thriller, Total Recall, who eventually shoots and kills the secret agent he thought was his wife, Lori (Sharon Stone), before quipping, "Consider that a divorce."

Whenever I rewatch a movie, such as one of my favorites, Big Trouble in Little China, it’s usually to pick out new things that I didn’t catch on my first viewing.

Usually, a movie will either get better or worse upon repeat viewings. But, upon rewatching Get Out, it was an entirely different experience for me. Because even though I know it's labeled as a horror movie (In fact, it’s one of the only horror movies nominated for Best Picture–with The Substance being the most recent), I didn’t find it scary the first time I watched it. I actually found it funny.

Now, though, I definitely think it’s scary. I know the movie didn’t change, so it must be me who changed. So, here are just a few reasons why Get Out hit way harder for me the second time around than the first time I watched it.

I Now Think Of The Intro As One Of The Most Effective In A Horror Movie Ever

I don’t know how I watched this film the first time and wasn’t immediately put on edge, since the beginning of this movie, where a Black person is abducted, is seriously one of the most effective (and horrifying) intros to any movie ever.

It’s not like I think a car playing some old-timey music is going to stop, and then somebody is going to get out and kidnap me. But, as I mentioned in my article on how the movie, Moonwalker, scarred me as a child, I really do have a deeply rooted fear of being taken, and this film, upon my second viewing, really tapped into that.

I think it’s mostly because of how it’s all staged. A Black man is minding his own business in what is likely a white neighborhood, and then a car slowly pulls up to him. The Black guy turns around and says, “Not today,” only to turn back around to find that the car door is open. In seconds, he’s then knocked out, and dragged limply back to the car, which then drives off.

While I like all of Jordan Peele’s movies (the dude simply does not miss), I don’t think he’s ever made a better intro than the one for Get Out.

Again, I have zero fear that a white person is going to kidnap me (not anymore, anyway), and for some white people, I’m sure the situation may feel reversed and they think a Black person might harm them. But, that’s what Get Out is all about–that sense of otherness. This intro really shook me to my core the second time around.

The "I Would Have Voted For Obama For A Third Term If I Could" Line Really Resonated This Time Around

When I first heard this in the movie, I, of course, laughed, because it’s funny. Bradley Whitford’s character tells Daniel Kaluuya’s character this as a way to reassure him that he’s not racist.

I really didn’t think much of this the first time that I watched, but in the almost ten years since it debuted, I’ve heard a version of this line, unironically, several times in various conversations.

For example, I’ve heard it multiple times online. I don’t know why I bother, but I’ll sometimes get into arguments with casually racist people (those who don't seem to realize they're being racist) on social media. After going back and forth with people politely (I’d rather educate than argue), I’ll usually get tired of the conversation and just call it what it is–racism. Not intentional racism, mind you, but racism all the same.

However, when I call them out on it, they’ll almost always say that they can’t be racist since they voted for Obama. Well, I hate to tell you this, but if you think Obama isn’t like most Black people, then I’m sorry, you sound super racist, no matter what you might think.

The Film Also Made Me Think About My White Girlfriends In The Past, And Their Respective Families

I’m in an interracial marriage, and have interracial children. In fact, before I was married, I was in a few interracial relationships, with my first girlfriend being white.

I didn’t really think much of this in my first viewing, since the idea of Black man dating a white woman isn’t all that uncommon. (Hell, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner is one of the most quintessential Black movies of all time, and that came out in 1967!)

However, being in my 40s now often makes me more reflective of my youth, and I thought about my two relationships with white girls growing up.

As mentioned, my first girlfriend was white, there was virtually no weirdness between us, and her parents never made me feel uncomfortable. In fact, I really do think their support made me have a lifelong comfort-level around white people, so I really thank them for that.

That said, my second white girlfriend?…Well, it was a bit different. She didn’t make me feel weird, but I could tell she didn’t want her parents to know we were dating. She would make me drop her off a block from her house, and even once told me that her dad wouldn’t be happy if he saw us together. So, this movie reminded me of both my positive experience, but also my not-so-positive experience. You can’t win them all.

The Sunken Place Makes A Lot More Sense To Me Now

I always thought the Sunken Place was interesting when I first saw the movie, but I didn’t really consider what it actually meant. I mean, Kaluuya’s character “sinking” into the floor is one of the most powerful images in the entire movie, and I initially just thought it represented a form of modern day slavery, given what happens later in the story.

But, upon rewatching it, I realized it had a far deeper meaning. I didn’t quite grasp it on my own, but I definitely went online to see what Jordan Peele had to say, and in short, the Sunken Place is a metaphor for the “marginalization” of Black voices.

And, wow. It all makes sense now. Even though Kaluuya’s character screams for help, nobody hears him.

I once wrote an article on movies that explore race and social justice, and I put Get Out on there. However, now, I realize that this movie speaks even more to the Black experience than I even imagined. In fact, this whole Voices section was really created to give a voice to the marginalized and minorities of any stripe (racial, sexual, age-based, disabled, you name it).

Now that I know The Sunken Place represents the voiceless, it makes this movie even more impactful. Whoa.

Now That I Know The Proposed Original Ending, I Can't Stop Thinking About How Different The Movie Would Have Been

Lastly, one might say the movie has a “happy” ending. Kaluuya’s character, Chris, gets away from the family, and his girlfriend, who was in on his capture, gets shot, allowing him to escape.

Police lights flash, but it’s really Chris’s friend, Rod (Lil Rey Howery) picking him up.

That said, the original Get Out ending was definitely not happy. Instead of being picked up, he’s actually arrested despite everything he escaped, and then thrown into jail. So, essentially, there was no escape for Chris. No matter what he did, he couldn’t “get out” or away from systemic racism.

I think I actually prefer this ending. It’s not that the theatrical conclusion isn’t good, as it is. It provides a sense of much needed catharsis. That said, the original ending is a lot more daring, and it completely changes the movie.

In reality, Chris probably would be arrested. But, I think Peele ultimately made the right decision, since this movie is supposed to be more of a spotlight than a hammer (i.e., Peele wanted to highlight something, rather than force an idea upon the viewer).

Even so, I now wonder if the movie would be as beloved as it is today with that dire ending. What do you think?

Movies about trips gone wrong are as old as Hollywood. Some of the funniest, scariest, or most stressful films come from this sub-genre and we are here to celebrate those movies with this list. Whether it's a classic comedy like City Slickers or an action/horror movie like Deliverance, these are our favorite movies about vacations that ended up a total nightmare.

National Lampoon's Vacation

You can't have this list without the all-time classic road trip disaster that is National Lampoon's Vacation. Everyone has been on a family road trip; it's a rite of passage in the United States. Thankfully, most don't go as bad as this Griswold's Chicago-to-California trip to WallyWorld. It's such a classic that it launched a mini-franchise.

Deliverance

There is no movie ever made about a camping trip that goes as bad as Deliverance. The Burt Reynolds-led classic from 1972 has become a cliche for a nightmare of a canoe trip (or really any trip into "the hills." All the guys wanted to do was canoe a river one last time before it was dammed up. The locals had a different idea entirely.

The Great Outdoors

Chet Ripley (John Candy) just wanted to have a classic summer vacation in the woods with his family. Unfortunately, like so many dads before him and after him, the trip went a completely different direction once his obnoxious brother-in-law, played by Dan Aykroyd showed up uninvited with his family. At least Aykroyd has some classic John Hughes quotes in the movie.

The Hangover

It's not usual for a bachelor party in Vegas to go a little sideways, but we sure hope none have gone quite as disastrous as Doug's party in Vegas the night before he got married. What started as a quick shot on the roof of Caesar's Palace in The Hangover, ended with Doug missing, a stolen police car, a surprise wedding, and more. At least almost all of Alan's quotes in The Hangover (by actor Zach Galifianakis) are hilarious.

The Beach

Imagine finding paradise in Thailand while trying to find yourself as a young college-age kid, and then imagine that dream spot becoming a total nightmare. That's what happens in The Beach. Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his friends manage to find the mysterious, beautiful beach, and everything is idyllic—until the community (and its leader) go to extreme lengths to keep the beach a secret.

Home Alone

Home Alone isn't about the vacation itself, it's about the kid left behind as the rest of his family heads to Paris. Things go pretty well for Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) at home as he triumphantly defeats the Wet Bandits, but for the family on vacation, especially Kevin's mom (Catherine O'Hara), it is pretty much a nightmare as she (and they) try to get home to him.

The Cabin In The Woods

There is nothing better as a college kid than finding an out-of-the-way place, like a cabin in the woods, to spend some time partying with your best buds. That is, unless, you're one of the kids in The Cabin In The Woods where everything about your trip is being messed with by some crazy scientists trying to conduct a psychotic "experiment" with cabin... and the kids.

Anyone But You

Imagine finding yourself at a destination wedding with a one-night stand who you detest after things went sour quickly. For Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell), it's a Shakespeare play come to life. They secretly still really like each other, but neither can let the other know and the idyllic vacation/wedding is anything but. At least at first.

City Slickers

Dude ranches were all the range in the 1990s and the Billy Crystal classic City Slickers is a big reason why they were so popular. It's strange that people had any interest in spending their vacation time at one, given how horrible the trip goes in the movie.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Murder mystery parties are a nightmare even when they go perfectly, or at least they are for some people. Other people seem to like them. Even those people wouldn't love them much if they went the way the party goes in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Old friends turn enemies in this disaster of a trip that is manipulated by their mysterious, rich friend.

Bad Trip

Eric André and Lil Rel Howery star in Bad Trip and the name pretty much says it all. It's a classic road trip-gone-bad movie as the two stars try to make it from Florida to New York. It's an underrated comedy that had a bunch of problems upon its release and as a result, not enough people have seen it.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

To be clear, pretty much everything that goes wrong in the horror flick I Know What You Did Last Summer is the fault of the selfish college kids on the vacations. We're meant to like them, of course, but it's hard to like any of them after everything they do.

Get Out

Meeting your significant other's parents is always a little stressful. For Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) in Get Out, it starts out actually pretty well. His white girlfriend's parents are perfectly fine, it seems with their daughter dating a Black man, something he was worried about. Of course, things turn into a nightmare when he finds out what is really going on and why her parents are so "cool" about things.

Weekend At Bernie's

Is Weekend at Bernie's really a vacation movie? Well, kind of, right? After Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman) expose company fraud to their company's owner, Bernie, the boss invites them out to his place in the Hamptons for the weekend. Well, we all know what happens next and while Bernie never intended for it to be a vacation for our heroes, things go from bad to worse when Bernie dies.

Summer Rental

John Candy found his way into quite a few vacation disaster movies. Summer Rental might not be the best-remembered one, but boy is it a disaster. What was supposed to be a nice 5-week vacation in Florida meant to reduce stress turns into the most stressful beach vacation you can ever imagine as literally everything goes wrong.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

There is no worse nightmare than trying to escape to paradise for a while to forget your ex-girlfriend only to find out she's at the same resort with her new, extremely obnoxious boyfriend. That's exactly what happens to Peter (Jason Segel) as he tries to leave his heartache behind in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. At least he meets Rachel (Mila Kunis) who is way cooler than Sarah (Kristin Bell).

The Sure Thing

The Sure Thing has some of John Cusack's most iconic quotes. Of course, that's because he's trying to make the most of a cross-country road trip that turns into a total disaster. Everything goes wrong as he tries to deal with a travel partner who he hates and who hates him. It's also a wonder rom-com as they end up falling in love after bonding over how bad the trip is.

Jurassic Park

Not everyone on the trip to Jurassic Park in Jurassic Park are there for a vacation, but the two kids, Lex and Tim, are there for one. Boy oh boy does it going bad for them! All they thought they were doing is seeing their grandfathers amazing new bio-park. Instead, they are almost eaten again and again!

National Lampoon's European Vacation

The Griswolds returned for their second vacation in National Lampoon's European Vacation. Unfortunately for Clark (Chevy Chase) and his family, things go as bad as they did when they drove to WallyWorld. They aren't in the car as much, but when they are, it's maybe worse when they drive by Big Ben and Parliament for hours.

Couples Retreat

Most couples look forward to a weekend away together. Other couples use time away as a chance to rekindle their relationship and get things back on a good track. The latter is what is happening in Couple's Retreat, but with "vacations" like that, who needs the stresses of home to ruin marriages?

Gotcha!

It was supposed to be a dream summer trip for a college kid exploring Europe in too-often forgotten Gotcha! starring Anthony Edwards. It turns into a Cold War nightmare when Jonathan (Edwards) meets an exotic woman named Sasha (Linda Fiorentino), who turns out to be a spy.

One Crazy Summer

As summer jobs and vacations go, things could be a lot worse than what happens to Hoop (John Cusack) in One Crazy Summer. He finds love with Cassandra (Demi Moore) and makes some life-long friends. But it all comes with some serious challenges along the way that Hoop and his friends must overcome.

A Very Brady Sequel

Taken straight from the classic show, A Very Brady Sequel sees the whole family traveling to Hawaii to rescue Carol from an unscrupulous con man who has kidnapped her. That might not sound like a vacation, but the family still manages to make the most of their time on the islands, but even that goes wrong.

What About Bob?

Psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) takes his family on their annual vacation to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. It's going as planned until a borderline psychopath patient of Leo's named Bob Wiley (Bill Murray) shows up and does his best to ruin Leo's life and vacation.

Brokedown Palace

You know those announcements at the airport that tell you not to accept things from strangers to take on the plane with you? It seems like common sense, but Darlene (Kate Beckinsale) and Alice (Claire Danes) don't heed that warning and unknowingly smuggle drugs into Thailand and their dream vacation turns into a prison nightmare quickly.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

When you think about movies about bad vacations, superhero stories may not stand out, but Tom Holland/MCU Spider-Man movies break that. Spider-Man: Far From Home starts as an amazing school trip to Venice, but is interrupted in a violent fashion when the Water Elemental attacks the city. It's not what you expect from a school trip, that's for sure. It's far from the final twist in the movie though.

Us

Director Jordan Peele followed up one vacation nightmare movie (Get Out) with another one, Us. Us is an equally disturbing vacation movie, based on a more traditional beach vacation. What makes it worse is that Addy (Lupita Nyong'o) saw it coming. She knew what was up.

Vegas Vacation

Once again the Griswolds, led by Clark, set out to have a good, fun, family vacation, this time in Sin City. Vegas Vacation, like the two previous (actual) vacations in the series, turns into a total disaster for almost everyone except Cousin Eddy. Clark loses all his money gambling, the kids get into all kinds of trouble, and Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) almost gets seduced by Wayne Newton.

EuroTrip

Things start badly for Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) when he gets dumped in the most brutal fashion after graduating high school. They get worse when he is cut off from his German pen pal. To save things, he decides to head to Europe to meet her in person. The trip, of course, is a total disaster, at least until the very end, when it gets much better. It takes a lot to get there, though.

Thelma And Louise

People forget that Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) were just planning a weekend getaway up to the mountains to escape life for a bit. Instead, their quick jaunt turns into a run from the law after Louise shoots a man assaulting Thelma after a night in a bar. It's an amazing adventure, but it doesn't end the way you want your vacations to end, that's for sure.

Midsommar

Dani (Florence Pugh) has had a rough year after the death of her sister and an increasingly hostile boyfriend. She decides to take up a friend's offer to travel to a midsummer festival that only happens once every 90 years in rural Sweden. Instead of a festival celebrating rebirth and life, it turns out the commune where it is being held is nothing short of a hedonistic nightmare.

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York

In the first Home Alone, the vacationing family are the ones having the real disastrous trip. In the second installment, the trip starts off as a nightmare for Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) but once again really affects his family much worse than it does for him, even though he's the one that has to meet a certain future politician in the movie. Things always seem to work out for Kevin.

The best uses of music in movies and TV shows have typically changed the way we perceive the songs in question forever, especially if the normally jovial tune is heard during or relates to a particularly intense or disturbing scene. Because of the way the following titles used some of the happiest radio hits of all time, we can never hear them again without our hearts skipping a beat.

Zodiac ("Hurdy Gurdy Man" - Donovan)

The opening scene of Zodiac depicts a horrifying crime by the eponymous killer, accompanied by an otherwise relaxing folk ballad from 1968 called "Hurdy Gurdy Man." Coincidentally, Ione Skye, the daughter of the song's writer and performer, Donovan, makes an uncredited appearance in David Fincher's great true crime movie from 2007 as Zodiac Killer witness Kathleen Johns.

Black Mirror ("Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand" - Irma Thomas)

In one of the best episodes of Black Mirror (Season 1's "Fifteen Million Merits), Abi (Jessica Brown Findlay) auditions for Hot Shot by singing "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand." Following this memorable scene from the sci-fi anthology series, the 1964 Irma Thomas hit would be featured in some capacity in every season since, offering plenty more reasons to feel unsettled by the feel-good romance tune.

The Silence Of The Lambs (“Goodbye Horses” - Q Lazzarus)

According to the original writer of "Goodbye Horses," William Garvey, the 1988 one-hit-wonder performed by Q Lazzarus is about “the ability to lift one’s perception above [their] physical limitations." In that case, its inclusion in the terrifying Best Picture Oscar winner, The Silence of the Lambs, as serial killer Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb (Ted Levine) embraces his femininity through dance is a perfect match.

Halloween ("(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult)

To be fair, the lyrics to Blue Öyster Cult’s signature 1976 hit “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” are not the happiest, referencing a romance destined to end similar to that of Romeo and Juliet. However, the world might have been less receptive to its creepier themes if not for its inclusion in one of the best horror movies of all time, 1978's Halloween, as Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes) are unwittingly being tiled Haddonfield’s own “reaper,” Michael Myers.

Watchmen ("The Times They Are A-Changin'" - Bob Dylan)

There is a dark thematic tone to most of Bob Dylan's earlier work, especially his 1962 breakthrough hit, "The Times They Are A-Changin'." The folk ballad's message of a society experiencing a revolution comes through effectively while playing over the opening titles of 2009's Watchmen, which traces the ups and downs of superheroes' contributions to history in the world Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel.

American Psycho (“Hip To Be Square” - Huey Lewis And The News)

Pop culture's most famous Huey Lewis and the News fan would have to be Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), who provides an impassioned analysis of 1986's "Hip to Be Square," and the Fore! album in general, as he prepares to murder his colleague, Paul Allen (Jared Leto) in his apartment. Lewis himself would pay tribute to the memorable moment from American Psycho in a Funny or Die bit in which he exuberantly analyzes the 2000 psychological thriller as he prepares to murder “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Insidious ("Tiptoe Through The Tulips" - Tiny Tim)

For years, the only creepy aspect of Tiny Tim's version of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" was that the high-pitched vocalist was actually a lanky, 6'1" man. These days, since its prominent use in the first Insidious movie from 2011, audiences cannot help but picture the demonic "Man with Fire on His Face" when the romantic ukulele ballad plays.

American Horror Story ("Tonight You Belong To Me" - Patience & Prudence)

The best-known version of writers Billy Rose and Lee David's "Tonight You Belong to Me" is by young sisterly duo Patience & Prudence, which became even more famous in 2011, thanks to American Horror Story. The playful 1956 tune about making the most of your time with a loved one appeared in four episodes of the horror anthology TV show's premiere season from 2011, taking place in a haunted house with an extensive history of murders.

Beetlejuice ("Banana Boat (Day-O)” - Harry Belafonte)

In 1988's Beetlejuice, the ghostly Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis) attempt to scare off the Deetzes (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) by possessing them and their party guests into dancing and lip-synching to Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat (Day-O).” While the scene did not necessarily make the 1956 Calypso hit creepy, it would be forever entwined with the classic horror-comedy movie – a fact that Belafonte told Pitchfork he enjoyed.

Reservoir Dogs ("Stuck In The Middle With You" - Stealers Wheel)

The first of many iconic musical moments in Quentin Tarantino's movies occurs in 1992's Reservoir Dogs, when Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) puts on K-Billy's Super Sounds of the '70s (which starts playing "Stuck In The Middle With You") and proceeds to torture Officer Marvin Nash (Kirk Baltz). We doubt there is a single person who can listen to Stealers Wheel's upbeat, 1973 rock single without imagining the criminal slicing the cop's ear off, even though that moment is thankfully kept off camera.

A Clockwork Orange (“Singin' In The Rain”)

If there is one cinematic use of 1929's "Singin' in the Rain" as, if not more, iconic as Gene Kelly's performance in the eponymous 1952 musical, it would be the rendition heard in A Clockwork Orange. As Alex DeLarge, Malcolm McDowell belts out the song about happiness that even weather cannot deter during one of the most unspeakably brutal moments from the 1971 Stanley Kubrick movie.

Stranger Things ("Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" - Kate Bush)

There have been many memorable musical moments from Stranger Things but none as impactful as its uses of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" in Season 4, which made Kate Bush's definitive track more popular than ever. The English art pop queen’s 1985 ballad first helps rescue Max (Sadie Sink) from Vecna's trance before a remixed reprise accompanies the disparate gang's multi-faceted defeat of the villain in the action-packed finale.

10 Cloverfield Lane ("I Think We're Alone Now" - Tommy James & The Shondells)

While it experienced a new life in the 1980s with Tiffany's cover, the original version of "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tommy James & The Shondells was reintroduced to modern audiences via 10 Cloverfield Lane. The cute pop tune about a couple enjoying their time on their own took on a whole new meaning when it appeared in the 2016 thriller, which takes place in an underground bunker inhabited by survivors of an unknown disaster.

Supernatural ("Carry On, Wayward Son" - Kansas)

"Carry On, Wayward Son" by Kansas would become the de facto theme for Supernatural after it was used in the season finale following the first one. In fact, the series finale of the hit series, following the adventures of paranormal hunters Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki), was named "Carry On," after the 1976 rock epic.

Get Out (“Run Rabbit Run” - Flanagan And Allen)

Originally released in the late 1930s and a hit during World War II, "Run Rabbit Run" became iconic to modern horror movie audiences as the first song featured in Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning 2017 thriller Get Out. The song is heard coming from the car that sneaks up on Andre Hayworth (LaKeith Stanfield), who tries to walk in the opposite direction before getting abducted.

Halloween II (“Mr. Sandman” - Chordettes)

The second installment of the Halloween franchise from 1981 opens in an unexpected manner. Instead of John Carpenter's unmistakable score, we hear the Chordettes' endearing doo-wop hit, "Mr. Sandman," which might have had a more endurable reputation as a retroactively creepy song if not for its use in the time travel movie classic, Back to the Future, four years later.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 ("Woo Hoo" - The 5.6.7.8's)

Before blood hits the screen at the House of Blue Leaves in 2003's Kill Bill Vol. 1, things are peaceful at the Japanese eatery. One major reason why is because the guests are treated to the head-knocking rock 'n roll song, "Woo Hoo," by The 5.6.7.8's, whom Quentin Tarantino discovered while shopping in Japan and wound up casting in the violent revenge movie.

Jeepers Creepers ("Jeepers Creepers" - Paul Whiteman and His Swing Wing)

The lyric "Jeepers creepers, where'd you get those eyes?" takes on a more frighteningly literal meaning in Jeepers Creepers. The eponymous love song by Paul Whiteman and His Swing Wing plays during the final moment of the 2001 horror flick as the grotesque, villainous "Creeper" (Jonathan Breck) shows off his new "peepers," which he stole from Darry (Justin Long).

Shaun Of The Dead ("Don't Stop Me Now" - Queen)

Like most Edgar Wright films, there are many moments from Shaun of the Dead in which music plays a large role but the best takes place at the Winchester. Nearly every move Shaun (Simon Pegg) and the gang make when battling the bar's undead owner is in near-perfect sync with Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," which randomly starts playing from the jukebox as they are desperate to stay undetected from the horde outside.

The Shining ("Midnight, The Stars And You" - Ray Noble And His Orchestra)

The final moment of Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining slowly zooms into a photo taken at the Overlook in 1921 with a man resembling Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) shown front and center. The chilling shot is accompanied by 1934's "Midnight, the Stars and You" –performed by Ray Noble and his Orchestra with vocals by Al Bowlly – which is most notable today for its inclusion in the 1980 horror classic.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe ("Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)" - The McGuire Sisters)

In The Autopsy of Jane Doe, the titular corpse (actually a witch capable of nearly anything but moving a muscle) likes to taunt the father-son coroners examining her by playing the McGuire Sisters' version of "Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)" on the radio. The otherwise "shiny" tune makes a devasting reprise near the end when Austin (Emile Hirsch) believes he is being rescued by Sheriff Burke (Michael McElhatton) who repeatedly tells him to "open up" the stuck cellar doors until he hears him belt the song's chorus, indicating his nightmare is not yet over.

The Strangers ("My First Lover" - Gillian Welch)

Sometimes turning a happy song into nightmare fuel takes a little manipulation, such as how Gillian Welch's "My First Lover" appears in The Strangers. At one point in the 2008 home invasion thriller, a record scratch causes the romantic folk ballad to repeatedly loop on the lyric, "Quicksilver girl," which is enough to create relentless tension.

Us ("Les Fleurs" - Minnie Riperton)

Sung from the perspective of a flower, Minnie Riperton's 1969 hit "Les Fleurs" is a beautiful song about spiritual renewal. However, when it begins playing as the twist from the ending of Us is revealed and reaches its invigorating crescendo during the apocalyptic final shot, it creates a chilling juxtaposition for Jordan Peele's sophomore hit.

A Quiet Place Part II ("Beyond The Sea" - Bobby Darin)

In A Quiet Place Part II, Emmett (Cillian Murphy) tells Regan (Millicent Simmonds) that he has heard a radio station playing Bobby Darin's scintillating swing hit "Beyond the Sea" on repeat. She correctly deciphers this as a code sent from an island safe haven, which she and Emmett eventually find and, unwittingly, lead a sound-hunting alien to.

Candyman ("The Candy Man" - Sammy Davis Jr.)

Some might argue that 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has its creepy moments, but Aubrey Woods' performance of "The Candy Man" is not one of them. However, by playing Sammy Davis Jr.'s rendition of the song and slowly fading it out with the sound of buzzing bees during the production logos serves as a perfect way to set the tone for the 2021 Candyman requel.

Annabelle: Creation ("You Are My Sunshine" - Charles McDonald)

The end of Annabelle: Creation from 2017 leaves off where the rising action of its 2014 predecessor begins, revealing how Malthus entered the creepy doll. Playing over the closing credits is Charle McDonald's rendition of "You Are My Sunshine," making it the ironic defacto theme of the Conjuring Universe movie.

The House Of The Devil ("One Thing Leads To Another" - The Fixx)

Ti West's 2009 breakthrough feature, The House of the Devil, is a slow-burn horror film that waits to reveal its visceral frights with masterful pacing. During that time, he finds ways to catch you off guard with moments of levity, such as when Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) tries to distract herself from her creepy "babysitting" gig by dancing around her clients' house to The Fixx's "One Thing Lead to Another" on her tape player.

Dawn Of The Dead ("The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash)

Upon deeper examination, Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" is a song about Jesus Christ's return to Earth on Judgment Day. Its foreboding apocalyptic message is greatly emphasized by its inclusion over the opening credits of Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.

The Handmaid's Tale ("Cloudbusting" - Kate Bush)

Despite boasting one of Kate Bush's most cheerful melodies, "Cloudbusting" is actually one of her darkest hits, inspired by the true story of a boy whose father was taken away from him when he was abruptly arrested. However, that tale is far lighter than the story of The Handmaid's Tale, which uses the song in a scene from Season 3 in which evidence of a character's brutal murder is removed.

You're Next ("Looking For Magic" - Dwight Twilley Band)

Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett are known for using comedy in their horror movies, including their otherwise brutal 2013 home invasion thriller, You're Next. Much of the humor comes from the ironic use of the Dwight Tilley Band's "Looking for Magic" in two scenes, due to one victim of the masked assassins putting the 1977 pop tune on repeat accidentally before his death.

Final Destination ("Rocky Mountain High" - John Denver)

The uplifting music of John Denver has been used for ironically dark purposes in several movies and the most iconic example comes from the first installment of the Final Destination movies. Any time "Rocky Mountain High" is heard in the 2000 teen thriller is a signal that Death is near.

Nope ("Fingertips" - Stevie Wonder)

To be fair, Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips" never actually appears in Jordan Peele's third feature, 2022's Nope. However, a remixed version of it provides an ominous aura for the alien invasion movie's trailer.

Few directors make a great movie on their very first try, as Jordan Peele did with his groundbreaking 2017 horror movie Get Out. The flick captivated audiences with its unsettling exploration of racism in America, cementing its place as one of the best movies of the 2010s and arguably, of all time. One of the film’s most powerful moments comes at its climax, which features a fateful moment for protagonist Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) that ends in a somewhat optimistic way. Yet the film initially had a much darker conclusion and, recently, one of the film’s stars, Allison Williams, reflected on it.

Allison Williams spoke with Comicbook.com amid the festivities at 2024 New York Comic Con. She discussed how the movie, one of only six horror movies ever to be nominated for Best Picture, initially concluded and why the team pivoted toward the more hopeful resolution audiences saw on screen. The M3GAN star recalled:

At the end of the film's theatrical cut, Chris is seemingly rescued by his cop friend, Rod (Lil Rel Howery), just as it seems the police arrive, sparking a moment of collective dread before the ultimate reveal. Jordan Peele’s initial vision for the ending had Chris arrested by the police despite having fought his way out of the Armitage family's sinister plot. This conclusion was meant to reflect the harsh realities of race in America, offering a more sobering statement on systemic injustice.

Allison Williams explained how the decision to change the ending came about after audience test screenings. In her own words:

The final version of Get Out retains the tension of Chris’ encounter with the police but offers a reprieve as Rod appears instead of law enforcement. Addressing the racial anxieties that drive the film, this alteration allows audiences to leave the theater with a sense of triumph rather than the gut punch of Chris’ unjust imprisonment. Thankfully, this original ending was better left on the cutting room floor.

Jordan Peele has spoken about how the political climate influenced his decision to scrap the OG ending at the time. With real-life stories of racial violence flooding the news, Peele recognized that audiences were already feeling the weight of these grim realities. So, instead of doubling down on the darkness, he provided viewers with a moment of hope.

In my eyes, this decision ultimately helped the film solidify its place as a cultural milestone, perfectly balancing horror with sharp social commentary and delivering a finale that struck a deep chord with audiences. Those final few minutes are very unforgettable, and chances are that due to Mr. Peele's shrewd creative choice, we'll never stop talking about them.

You can stream Get Out now with a Peacock subscription. Meanwhile, Allison Williams -- who wasn't just was in New York City to discuss her past work -- has an upcoming horror movie on the docket. She's set to star in the highly anticipated M3GAN 2.0, a sequel that promises to be one of the major horror releases on the 2025 movie schedule.

Cinema history has incredible debut films by legendary and iconic filmmakers, including Sam Mendes’ American Beauty, George Miller’s Mad Max, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, and George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. However, Black directors aren't mentioned among these names often, though Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, Mario Van Peebles’s New Jack City and Malcolm D. Lee’s The Best Man are a few classic Black filmmaker debuts.

So, here are eight fantastic debut films by Black directors who knocked it out of the park.

Kasi Lemmons - Eve's Bayou (1997)

Eve's Bayou is a genre-bending horror classic that became a critical and commercial success, placing high on multiple greatest films lists, including one of the best Black horror movies. It and Lemmons became festival favorites while scoring recognition from the National Board of Review, the Independent Spirit Awards and more.

Hollywood rarely gives Black female filmmakers many chances to direct and knock it out of the park. However, actress-turned-director Kasi Lemmons proved the naysayers wrong with the 1997 horror film. The Southern Gothic drama became one of the most successful independent films.

The movie drew from Lemmons’ childhood trips to Louisiana while incorporating her complicated upbringing. These aspects formed an intricate and intriguing story about Eve Batiste and her wealthy family’s life of trauma, tragedy, and lies in 1960s Louisiana. Lemmons offered a new dimension to the horror genre by integrating family drama and Black spirituality and mysticism.

Before her directorial debut, the Caveman’s Valentine director had done one short film. That and Lemmons' acting career were an excellent training ground as the feature showcased snappy direction and genre-bending writing. Her Hollywood and theatre days worked in her favor as Debbi Morgan, Samuel L. Jackson, and Lynn Whitfield played significant roles, and she got outstanding performances from Meagan Good, Jurnee Smollett, Diahann Carroll and Ethel Ayler.

Jordan Peele - Get Out (2017)

Some directors can hop from genre to genre without much error, and Jordan Peele’s debut let us know he's able to do the same. Going from outlandish comedies to psychological horror proved the right move, as he released one of the best films from the 21st century, 2017’s Get Out.

Peele wrote and produced film and TV comedies before directing the Oscar-winning film. The first-time filmmaker used his personal experiences and the 1975 movie, Stepford Wives, to craft a screenplay filled with racial and social commentary. He saw the parallels between comedy and horror by telling the story of a young Black man meeting his white partner’s family while uncovering astonishing and nefarious secrets.

Peele’s directorial debut used his prior work to inform the psychological horror’s sharp, satirical writing and brilliant layered direction. This approach led to an excellent first film by a great director. Outstanding performances from Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, and more only solidified his brilliance.

The modern-day masterpiece became a critical and commercial success despite its small budget. It spawned a pop culture phenomenon and was an awards-season darling. Both Peele and the film scored award recognition from Critics’ Choice, National Board of Review, Independent Spirit, NAACP Image, DGA, and WGA awards. The Us filmmaker became the first Black director to score Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director, and Original Screenplay (winning the latter).

Julie Dash - Daughters of the Dust (1992)

Some directorial debuts leave impressions on generations, like the 1992 experimental movie Daughters of the Dust. With it, Julie Dash became the first Black woman to direct a theatrical release.

Before directing the classic film, Dash wrote and directed several seminal short films, including Illusions. The filmmaker drew from her father’s Gullah background and the Great Migration to develop and pen the script over several years. She has interwoven three generations of women’s stories during American upheaval in the period drama.

Telling a unique story allowed Dash to use a non-linear narrative and the Gullah dialect for beautiful direction and lush visuals. The film’s experimental nature translated to transformative performances from the union and non-union stars, including Cora Lee Day, Kaycee Moore, Alva Rogers, and Cheryl Lynn Bruce.

The movie was a critical success while getting a limited theatrical release. In the years since, it's influenced other works, most notably Beyonce’s seminal visual album Lemonade. The film garnered Dash praise at Sundance before entering the National Film Registry in 2004.

Jeymes Samuel - The Harder They Fall (2021)

Making the jump from one medium to another can be daunting for any filmmaker, but Jeymes Samuel’s The Harder They Fall proves it can be easy. The revisionist film revived the all-Black western, a first since the mid-1990s.

Before his feature debut, Samuel directed several notable short films and music videos. His years behind the camera came through in Samuels' script with co-writer Boaz Yoakin. The script translated to Samuel transporting notable Black Western figures into a storyline filled with revenge, gunslinging, and Wild West adventures.

Samuel’s artistic background mixed old-school Western tropes with contemporary direction and styling. This approach led to brilliant direction filled with visual Easter eggs and one of the best Black movie soundtracks. His entertainment connections worked well for him in nabbing the film’s all-star cast, including Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo, Edi Gathegi, RJ Cyler, and Danielle Deadwyler.

The drama was a critical success while getting a limited theatrical release. However, it went straight to streaming and became a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film and Samuels garnered recognition from BAFTA, NBR, NAACP Image, Critics’ Choice, and Satellite awards.

John Singleton - Boyz N the Hood (1991)

Hollywood doesn’t often give young black filmmakers the chance to shine. However, that wasn’t the case for celebrated auteur John Singleton, who made a good movie on his first try. He came out the gate swinging and elevated the hood film genre with one of the best 1990s movies, Boyz N the Hood.

Unlike other directorial debuts, Singleton was fresh out of USC Film School, where he wrote the screenplay. His Hollywood introduction drew from his South Central Los Angeles upbringing and the coming-of-age film Stand By Me. These aspects informed the crime drama, showing teen Tre Styles’ life growing up surrounded by gang culture.

Singleton’s film degree came through in his cutting-edge filmmaking, mixing sentimental stories with action-packed violence, intimacy, and honest depictions. The first-time director had Hollywood inroads after working as a TV intern with Ice Cube and Laurence Fishburne. He navigated directing seasoned and upcoming performers like Tyra Ferrell, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr, Morris Chestnut, Regina King, and Nia Long.

Singleton’s approach worked, as the coming-of-age drama became a critical and commercial success. He secured recognition from the National Board of Review, NAACP Image Awards, and WGA. He even scored Academy Award nominations, including being the first Black person and youngest director in the Best Director race. The film cemented its importance after being inducted into the National Film Registry.

Gordon Parks - The Learning Tree (1969)

Black directors filming major studio movies wouldn’t be possible without late premier multihyphenate Gordon Parks. He became the first Black director to helm a studio production with 1969’s The Learning Tree.

Parks was already a celebrated photojournalist before branching off into different mediums. He eventually penned his semi-autobiographical novel, which became the basis for his screenplay. The multifaceted creative stayed true to the book by portraying Newt Winger’s journey into young Black manhood in 1920s Kansas.

Park’s celebrated photography career translated into the film’s beautiful, lush visuals with attentive direction. His direction and traditional structure allowed Parks to get a career breakthrough performance from Kyle Johnson with notable performances from Estelle Evans, Felix Nelson, Mira Waters, and Alex Clarke.

Park’s debut laid the foundation for future Black directors, becoming a hit with critics and audiences. The film cemented its significance in exploring race and social justice by being selected for the National Film Registry.

Ryan Coogler - Fruitvale Station (2013)

Young Black directors often must toil away in Hollywood for years before their big break. However, this wasn’t the case for filmmaking wunderkind Ryan Coogler. He made his feature debut with the 2013 biopic, Fruitvale Station.

Much like John Singleton, Coogler was a USC Film School student when the tragic story of Oscar Grant caught his attention. His interest in Grant’s story and connection to the slain man’s family allowed him to develop and craft the screenplay as a Sundance Screenwriters Lab participant. All the work paid off, as Coogler made a great movie that follows the ex-con on his final New Year’s Eve before his tragic 2009 murder.

Coogler’s studies came through, as he mixed amateur footage with professional film to tell Grant’s story. His edgy direction and linear storytelling allowed the Bay Area to be a character. He even got breakthrough performances out of Michael B. Jordan (in one of his best movies) and Melonie Diaz, with outstanding supporting roles from Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand, and Chad Michael Murray.

His first film was a critical success that became a sleeper hit. The movie and the Black Panther director became Sundance and Cannes favorites before getting recognition from organizations, including NBR, Independent Spirit, and Satellite. The biopic’s message resonated with audiences, earning a Humanitas Prize.

F. Gary Gray - Friday (1995)

Hopping from music videos to feature films became routine in the 1990s, with F. Gary Gray leading the charge. Gray got a chance to make his directorial debut with one of the best 1990s comedies, Friday.

As mentioned before, Gray filmed music videos for top rap stars like Ice Cube. This connection secured Gray the job. His direction and Ice Cube’s writing illustrated the daily life of Craig Jones on a Friday after getting fired, inspired by Cube and co-writer DJ Pooh’s real-life experiences.

Gray’s music video background paid off, as he incorporated techniques like fast-cutting, strange angles, and coloration. His smooth and cutting-edge style was different at the time, influencing future directors. His direction brought out the best in the cast, including Cube, John Witherspoon, Fazion Love, Paula Jai Parker, and AJ Johnson. He also got a breakout performance from Chris Tucker.

His debut feature received positive notice and became a sleeper hit. The film cornered the market on the culture of the times – a cult following, pop culture ubiquity, and internet presence – especially as a film featuring a rapper.

These outstanding directorial debuts left an impression on generations of moviegoers. Hopefully, these Black debut films and others will get more recognition outside their cult followings. Things have changed since these films arrived as more Black directors garner immediate notice for their filmmaking achievements.

There are incredible Black directorial debuts on the 2024 movie schedule. Kobi Libii’s The American Society of Magical Negroes made an interesting debut earlier this year. Zoe Kravitz got behind the camera for the acclaimed Blink Twice. Just in time for awards season, Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness is garnering acclaim and Oscar buzz from Sundance before its theatrical release on October 8. Hopefully, more outstanding debuts will be coming to theaters or streaming in 2025 and beyond.

The 2010s were a transformative decade for movies as directors like Damien Chazelle, Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele hit the mainstream, and many actors exploded into stardom or gave career-defining performances in movies like theirs. Now, it’s time to celebrate some of the best films of this decade and the performers who starred in them. 

Emma Stone – La La Land 

This ode to Old Hollywood and modern romance from Damien Chazelle is widely beloved in part because of Emma Stone's performance. If you go back to reviews for La La Land, you’ll see Stone and Ryan Gosling praised for their work as they played Mia and Sebastian, two aspiring artists who fall in love with each other. Notably, Emma Stone won her first Oscar for the film because of the wonderful performance she gave as the up-and-coming actress. 

Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids

When it comes to Bridesmaids and all its hilarious lines and gags, we all need to say a collective thank you to Kristen Wiig. Not only did the Saturday Night Live alum lead the stellar ensemble cast of this 2011 flick, but she also wrote the movie with Annie Mumolo, and they got an Oscar nomination for it. 

Mahershala Ali – Moonlight

Moonlight, which famously won Best Picture in 2017, is a coming-of-age film that follows Chiron through three stages of his life, focusing on him exploring his sexuality and identity. In it, Mahershala Ali plays Juan, a man who has a pivotal role in Chiron’s early life. Famously, Ali won his first Oscar for his moving performance in this film. 

Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out

Get Out is considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it marked the directorial debut of Jordan Peele. While this film about the deeply dark turn a trip takes after a white woman brings her Black boyfriend home to meet her family is career-defining for its director – as he’s gone on to become quite the name in the genre – it also marked a major breakout for Daniel Kaluuya who played the film’s lead, Chris. 

Amy Adams – Arrival 

Arrival is unquestionably one of Amy Adams’ best movies, and to this day, folks are still livid that she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for it. She plays Louise, a linguist assigned to decipher and translate an alien language. However, as Arrival’s ending makes abundantly clear, there’s way more to it than that, and one of the major reasons this movie works is because of Adams’ masterful, emotional and nuanced performance. 

J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

In Whiplash, one of J.K. Simmons’ best films, he plays a brilliant and brutal jazz conductor and instructor named Terence Fletcher. During the film, Miles Teller plays a young drummer named Andrew who is determined to become great, and his intense relationship with Terence and the notion of being the best is what makes Damien Chazelle’s film magnificent. On top of its overall acclaim, Simmons also won an Oscar for his performance.

Hugh Jackman – Logan 

Logan was Hugh Jackman’s last ride as the Wolverine, and it was basically perfect. While he’s returned to the role since in Deadpool and Wolverine, Logan still serves as a wonderful conclusion to the iconic X-Man’s story. It was also a game-changing Marvel film, as it brought a level of grit and intrigue that we hadn’t really seen in a movie from this universe before. 

Ben Affleck – Argo 

Much like Good Will Hunting, Argo marked a major milestone in Ben Affleck’s career. It was one of the films that solidified him as a top-tier director, and on top of that, he also starred in the film about a CIA agent disguised as a producer who goes into Tehran on a mission to save a group of Americans. Oh, also, the film went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars too. 

Jesse Eisenberg — The Social Network

The Social Network cast is stacked, however, it wouldn’t be what it is without Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg at its center. His nuanced performance which is somehow both collected and chaotic compliments Aaron Sorkin’s fast-talking script perfectly, and he expertly helped build up tension in the film that director David Fincher is known for. All around, that made for a perfect, heart-pounding drama about the rise of Facebook.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf Of Wall Street  

While Leonardo DiCaprio has a long list of career-defining performances, and he and Martin Scorsese have made many great movies together, you can’t deny that his portrayal of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street tops that list. 

Brie Larson – Room

The film Room, which is about a mother and her son escaping captivity, is masterfully led by Brie Larson, who plays Ma. Both she and Jacob Tremblay, who played her son Jack, were praised for their performances, and in 2016, the actress won an Oscar for her work. 

Daniel Craig – Knives Out

Now, I know that Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond was still happening in the 2010s. However, an equally important and brilliant role he took on was as detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s first whodunnit Knives Out. Now, after leading the cast of Knives Out, Craig has gone on to reprise his role as the Southern detective on multiple occasions, because he loves it and so do we. 

Ryan Gosling – Drive

If you look over Ryan Gosling’s best movies, on one side you’ll find his brilliant comedic films – like Barbie and The Nice Guys – and on the other side, you’ll find his stoic and dramatic performance, like the one he gives in Drive. Put simply, Drive wouldn’t work without the actor’s lead performance, because the entire film hinges on him and his abilities. 

Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool

After years of working to get it made and some well-timed leaked footage, finally, in 2016, Deadpool came out and we got to see Ryan Reynolds in his element as the Merc with a Mouth. 

Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea 

In a film about a man returning home to reckon with his past and grief after losing his brother, Casey Affleck gives an emotional and commanding performance. Not only did he win an Oscar for his work in this drama, but it’s also one of the big defining roles of his career. 

Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier 

Chris Evans began and ended his tenure as Steve Rogers in the 2010s. While all his outings as the star-spangled man with a plan were excellent, nothing tops his performance as Cap in the political thriller that is the Russo brothers’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is easily one of the best Marvel movies ever made. 

Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Under Wes Anderson’s precise direction, Ralph Fiennes occupied the pastel world of the Grand Budapest Hotel with grace and style. His fast-talking M. Gustave went on quite the adventure in this film, and he won over the hearts of audiences with his quick wit, smooth charm and impeccable work ethic. 

Natalie Portman – Black Swan 

Throwing it back to the beginning of the decade, Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan showed us Natalie Portman’s talents in a new light. While she had been on the scene and in big movies for years, this film marked a major milestone in her career as her performance as a tortured ballerina got her an Academy Award. 

Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buys Club

Obviously, for a couple of decades before this, Matthew McConaughey was known and beloved for fun movies like Dazed and Confused and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. However, in 2013, Dallas Buyers Club marked a notable shift in his career. Not only did he win an Oscar for this dramatic turn as a man who finds out he has AIDS, but he also went on to star in acclaimed projects like Interstellar and True Detective one year later, cementing himself as a magnificent dramatic actor with serious range. 

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Yes, Jennifer Lawrence leading The Hunger Games cast is one of the biggest triumphs of her career. However, amid all of that, she starred in the beloved dramedy Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper, and that’s the film for which she won her Oscar. This magnificent film about two people learning to live and thrive through grief and mental illness, is a thoughtful and funny film that Lawrence steals with her amazing performance. 

Brad Pitt – Moneyball 

Moneyball is the story about the general manager of the Oakland A’s using his business savvy and what little money his team had to assemble a rag-tag team of MLB players. Brad Pitt plays said manager, Billy Beane, and I mean it when I say the movie really wouldn’t work without him. He’s at the center of it, and he carries it to victory just like his character did with the A’s.  

Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther 

We sadly lost Chadwick Boseman way too early, however, his legacy will live on forever. This is in part because of his performance as the King of Wakanda, T’Challa. Black Panther was a historic moment in modern movie history, and his incredible take on the titular hero is a big reason why. 

Margot Robbie – I, Tonya 

Before I, Tonya, Margot Robbie was beloved for her supporting and ensemble roles in films like The Wolf of Wall Street and Suicide Squad. However, one of the movies that helped solidify her as both a leading lady and super producer was I, Tonya. She played Tonya Harding and produced the film under the banner of her company LuckyChap – which went on to make films like Barbie and Promising Young Woman. 

Florence Pugh – Midsommar

Florence Pugh exploded onto the scene with the haunting Ari Aster film Midsommar. The movie is now considered one of the best horror movies of all time, and a big reason why is Pugh’s performance. 

Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird

Talk about a dynamic duo. Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan are a match made in heaven, and that was solidified into fact when the actress played the titular Lady Bird in the director’s breakout film. Not only did fans fall in love with Ronan’s performance as the defiant teenage gal, but she also received wide acclaim and an Oscar nomination for it. Plus, it was the beginning of a glorious partnership between her and Greta Gerwig as they then went on to make Little Women together. 

Timothée Chalamet – Call Me By Your Name

These days, when people think of Timothée Chalamet, they likely think of him as Paul Atreides, the leader of the Dune cast. However, before that (and in a different decade) the film that sprung him into the mainstream was Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. The deeply romantic and tender coming-of-age drama was led beautifully by Chalamet, and since then he’s taken on more roles that have helped cement him as one of the top-leading men of his generation. 

Anna Kendrick – Pitch Perfect

If you were a kid in 2012 (like I was), odds are you learned the “Cups” song. The movie about college acapella was a phenomenon in the early 2010s, and it served as a big breakout leading role for Anna Kendrick. Not only was she funny as Becca, but everyone also became aware that she had the singing voice of an angel.  

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years A Slave

Lupita Nyong’o’s first feature film was 12 Years A Slave. Her performance in the movie by Steve McQueen won her an Oscar in 2012 and solidified her as a top-tier dramatic performer. Since then, she’s gone on to star in massive blockbusters like Black Panther and A Quiet Place: Day One. 

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

There have been many amazing takes on the Joker, and Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck was a totally new one. In Joker, we see the villain’s origin story, and it’s a film that’s unlike any other DC project. The haunting performance ultimately won the actor an Oscar, and he reprised the part again in Joker: Folie à Deux.

Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road

The movie is named after Mad Max, and he’s great, don’t get me wrong, but Furiosa steals the show. Charlize Theron’s performance as the driver in Mad Max: Fury Road is fierce and jaw-dropping, and she’s one of many reasons why George Miller’s movie is considered one of the best action films. 

Michael Cera – Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

You can’t have Scott Pilgrim vs. The World without a perfect Scott Pilgrim and that’s who Michael Cera is. He perfectly played the awkward yet heroic protagonist in Edgar Wright’s beloved film, and to this day, it's considered some of his best work.

Matt Damon – The Martian

This Ridley Scott movie is literally about one man who is stuck on Mars. Yes, there are other people in the film trying to save him. However, overall, The Martian is Matt Damon’s movie. He plays the stranded astronaut and scientist, and the heart, charisma, intelligence and even humor he brings to the space drama is unforgettable. 

All around, the 2010s were full of films that are on their way to becoming all-time classics, and it’s in part thanks to the brilliant actors who starred in them. 

It's every young filmmakers dream to get a small loan from a family member, max out a credit card or two, and produce a masterpiece that resonates with audiences and makes a ton of money. It's not easy to do, to say the least, but somehow the makers of the movies on this list pulled it off. Well, maybe on as little money as some stretched credit, but on pretty tight budgets. Our of movies with a small budget that made a big impact. 

Clerks

According to Box Office Mojo, Clerks made a little over $3 million in theaters. While that might seem like much, consider how little it cost Kevin Smith to make. $27,000. That's it. The lore is that first-time writer/director/star Smith maxed out his credit cards and enlisted his friends as actors to make the movie. Of course, it looks like it doesn't have much of a budget, but it's so funny and well done it doesn't matter, the movie is a bonafide cult classic still.  

The Blair Witch Project

There is no better example of a small budget having a huge impact than 1999's The Blair Witch Project. The movie was made for just $60K, but when the word spread virally around the country in the early days of the internet, it started packing theaters. When all was said and done, it made just $1.5 million, more than 25 times its budget. Just incredible. 

American Graffiti

Four years before he redefined what science fiction could be with Star Wars, George Lucas made a movie much closer to reality, at least how he saw reality in his formative years. American Graffiti didn't have the smallest budget on this list, it was around $770,000, but it still had an outsized impact. The movie made $115 million in total. 

28 Days Later

Director Danny Boyle has had some big-budget movies in his career, but he's proven again and again that he doesn't need a monster budget to make a great film. 28 Days Later is one of his most beloved movies and it was made for just £8 million. It took in over ten times that in box office receipts and has spawned multiple sequels. 

Mad Max

When you think about how huge the Mad Max franchise has become, it's important to remember how small it started. The original Mad Max starring Mel Gibson was made for about $250K in 1979. It made almost $9, but it spawned a franchise that has raked in cash over the decades since. 

El Mariachi

The lore of El Mariachi runs deep. According to most reports, director Robert Rodriguez originally made the film for under $7,000. While this may be technically true, another couple hundred thousand eventually went into post-production when Columbia Pictures bought the film. Still, it was made on a shoestring budget either way. 

Get Out

Until Get Out was released in 2017, director Jordan Peele was mostly known for his comedic work. The horror movie he made wasn't comedy, but it was box office gold. It did have a budget of around $4.5 million, but when you consider it made over 50 times its budget at the box office, that number looks pretty darn small. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Every once in a while, a movie comes out of nowhere and becomes a massive hit. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a classic example. The rom-com wasn't perfect, but it was made for just $5 million in total, and it ended up grossing well over $350 and spawned two successful sequels. 

The Conjuring

2012's The Conjuring had a more robust budget than some of the movies on this list, at $20 million, but since it made well over 10 times that budget in theaters, it's safe to call it a sound investment. It also led to a franchise that has released a slew of modestly budgeted films that have made big money. 

Napoleon Dynamite

One movie that no list like this would be complete without is Napoleon Dynamite. The 2004 surprise hit was made on a meager budget of just $400K, but audiences adored it and it raked in over $100 million at the box office and is still beloved decades later. 

Pi

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky burst onto the scene with a tiny movie he made with a budget of just $34K, but Pi ended up bringing in over $3 million in theaters. It's a wild movie and looks very much like the small-budget movie it is, but it's exciting and fast-paced. In it, you can see the blueprint for Aronofsky's later movies like Requiem for a Dream.

Swingers

Swingers was soooo money. Literally. Not only did the 1996 film launch the careers of Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, and Ron Livingston, as well as director Doug Liman, it made $4.5 million in theaters and oodles more on home media. All that on a budget of just $200K.

Paranormal Activity

The horror genre has always made the most of its budgets. Some of the most successful films, in terms of ROI, have been horror flicks. Paranormal Activity is a great example of this. The 2007 release was made for just $17,000 but took in nearly $200 million upon its release! It also led to multiple sequels.

Godzilla Minus One

It seems all the best Godzilla movies are made on tight budgets. Godzilla Minus One is no exception. While its budget was in the $10+ million range, it's still astonishing what director Takashi Yamazaki was able to get out of that. It looks like its budget could be ten times that number, which is about how much money the movie made. 

Rocky

In 1976, Sylvester Stallone introduced the character of Rocky Balboa to the world. The original movie, Rocky, had a budget of around $2 million and it crushed at the box office to the tune of $117 million. Of course, it spawned one of the most successful franchises of all time with a total box office gross in the neighborhood of $2 billion. 

Nomadland

The 2021 Oscar winner for Best Picture was the indie film Nomadland. The stirring movie was made for just $5 million but on the strength of its reviews and its award haul, the movie brought in nearly $40 million. Not a bad ROI for a movie about people living in vans. 

Hoodwinked!

2005's animated indie flick Hoodwinked! was made for right around $8 million according to director Cory Edwards. It took in over $150 million at the box office. It was the first time an animated indie had ever done those kinds of numbers and none have done it since, either.

The Usual Suspects

1995's The Usual Suspects had a bit of a slow burn at the box office. It started modestly, making just $645K when it first opened. As word of mouth spread about the mystery thriller, more and more people started seeing it. In total, it made $23 million on a $6 million budget, but it also was very successful on home media and is considered a stone-cold classic with an incredible plot twist at the end. 

Sling Blade

Written, directed, and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade was made for just around $1 million. Thornton was nominated for two Oscars, one for Best Actor and one for Screenplay, winning for the latter. The movie's box office haul of about $36 million looks modest compared to big blockbusters, but with that kind of ROI, you can't say it wasn't a massive success. 

Black Swan

Director Darren Aronofsky is a master of getting more for less. One great example is 2010's Black Swan. On the surface, a movie about the ballet might seem like a risky bet, but that bet paid off big time when the movie brought in over $300 million against a $13 million budget. It also garnered five Oscar nominations with Natalie Portman winning for Best Actress. 

Memento

In 2023, director Christopher Nolan released the phenomenally successful Oppenheimer. It made nearly a billion dollars on a $100 million budget. A couple of decades early, Nolan showed just what he could do with a tight budget as well. His first film, 2000's Momento, was made for under $10 million and made about $50 million in theaters. 

Garden State

Director and writer Zach Braff's very personal 2004 movie Garden State was an indie darling when it was released. Made for a budget under $3 million, it brought in $35.8 in theater receipts. While some people make fun of it, it was a seriously buzzy film when it was released and still has huge fans today. 

Halloween

John Carpenter's Halloween is one of the most influential horror movies of all time. While the franchise has made hundreds of millions over the years, it all started with that one film in 1978. Made on a shoestring budget of just over $300K, it grossed $47 upon its release and the rest is horror history. 

Searching

2018's Searching by first-time filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty was a surprise hit. Made for just $880,000, the thriller raked in over $75 million at the box office. Chaganty has made two more movies on modest budgets, 2020's Run which had mixed results financially, and 2023's Missing, which, while not as successful in terms of ROI as Searching, still made an impressive $48 million on a $7 million budget. 

The Whale

Nobody saw The Whale coming in 2022, but once again director Darren Aronofsky hit a home run with a modest budget. The movie took home a slew of awards including a Best Actor Oscar for Brendan Fraiser, leading to the "Brenaissance" for the veteran actor. Made for just $3 million, it made $57 million in theaters.

Insidious

When it comes to small-budget horror, Blumhouse Productions really knows what it is doing. One of the best examples is Insidious. The 2010 movie was made for about $1.5 million, and it took home a massive $100 million at the box office. It also launched a franchise that racked up more than $700 million in total. Just insane numbers. 

Pulp Fiction

You might be surprised to see such an iconic film as Pulp Fiction on this list, but remember, it was Quentin Tarantino's second film. Miramax financed the film with about an $8 million budget, far less than some of his future movies. Of course, it's gone on to be a cultural touchstone and one of the most beloved movies of all time. When it was released, it brought in over $200 million at the box office. 

Once

It's common to see horror movies and comedies have huge ROIs on small budgets, but it's very uncommon to see off-beat musicals do it. 2007's Once is a massive exception. The movie, directed by John Carney, with original music by its stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, was made for $150K. Not only did it make $23 million in theaters, it led to a successful Broadway musical that won eight Tony Awards. 

Trainspotting

1996's Trainspotting wasn't director Danny Boyle's first movie, but it was the one that made him a star. The brutal movie about addicts in Scotland became a huge hit, making £48 million against a £7 million budget. It also helped launch the careers of Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, and Kelly Macdonald. Not bad for an indie. 

Open Water

For anyone with hydrophobia, Open Water is an impossible movie to watch. Even viewers who don't suffer that affliction might after seeing it. The horror thriller, released in 2003, was a surprise hit at the box office, making $55 million. All that for a movie with a budget well under one million bucks. Talk about swimming with sharks, wow. 

Lost in Translation

Sofia Coppola's 2003 hit Lost in Translation was the movie that officially brought her out from behind her father's shadow. Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson brought their immense talent to the small-budget flick ($4 million) and helped Coppola make a masterpiece that made over $100 million in theaters. 

Saw

The Saw horror franchise is an unstoppable monster. With a collective box office haul of over $500 million, it's crazy to think it all started with the original movie with a budget of right around $1 million. All this from a series that many people simply won't watch at all because of the goriness. Amazing. 

Alright, let’s have a chat. Say that you’re on a date, hanging out with friends, or maybe you’re just on your own, and the desire to watch a horror movie arises. You’re scared at first because you’ve never watched a horror movie; you don’t know how you’ll react to them. Are they all as terrifying as Midsommar and Hereditary seem to be?

Rest assured, readers, we have the solution to that. Today, I’ll review several great picks for horror movies for beginners, whether you want something with a little less horror or maybe a little more. Let’s get into it. 

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist is a classic horror movie from the 1980s that Steven Spielberg co-wrote. The film follows a family who has to find a way to save their daughter when vengeful spirits kidnap her in their own home. Out of most horror movies, this one is very light on the jumpscares and mainly builds fright through suspense – mixed in with some pretty okay-ish CGI. 

Halloween (1978)

You can’t get more of a classic horror movie villain than Michael Myers. Halloween was released back in 1978 and told the story of a young woman acting as a babysitter the night of Halloween and how she has to survive the wrath of Michael Myers, an escaped killer from a mental facility. Halloween isn’t gorey but has excellent music, suspense, and an unforgettable villain. Out of all the Halloween movies, this one is still the best. 

The Fog (1980)

The Fog is a horror movie directed by John Carpenter that makes you question what you see in the fog. It focuses on a group of strangers who all have to survive this strange fog that takes over their town, which seems to contain evil forces. The movie isn’t scary, but it is a nice entrance into a more suspenseful horror. 

The Sixth Sense (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s best movies often involve some horror, and The Sixth Sense follows that. The film mainly focuses on a child psychologist with a patient who can see dead people, but of course, the classic Shyamalan twist makes this movie all the better. It’s not scary, per se – just exciting. 

Psycho (1960)

I mean, yes. I have to put Psycho on here. Directed by Hollywood legend Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is based on the novel of the same name and follows the story of an investigator looking into the strange life of Norman Bates at the Bates Motel and how one interaction with a young woman and her disappearance changes everything. It’s black and white with no gore, but it's a great horror movie to start on. Trust me. 

Friday The 13th (1980)

The Friday the 13th movies were essentially some of the films that began the subgenre of slasher within horror, but the first movie isn’t even that bad. It focuses on a group of teenage counselors trying to survive a serial killer at their summer camp after a tragedy occurred years prior. While there are some messier scenes, it’s not that bad and has some great music. 

Beetlejuice (1988)

With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releasing, it’s the perfect time to watch the first film. Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, a “bio-exorcist” contacted by two ghosts to get humans to leave their home – but he has tricks up his sleeves. Look, Beetlejuice, truthfully, is probably the best entrance into horror. This movie is way more funny than scary, but it has enough creepy moments to dip your toes in horror. 

The Black Phone (2022)

Starring Ethan Hawke, The Black Phone is an excellent horror film that follows the story of a teenager who is abducted by a child murderer and can use a rotary dial phone to speak to past victims to find a way out. This film has a few gorier moments, but they’re pretty tame. And truthfully, the plot alone is so creative you’ll be sucked in. 

Happy Death Day (2017)

There are plenty of fantastic horror comedies, and Happy Death Day is one of them. The film follows a young woman who, when she is killed, is forced to relive the day over and over again to find the murderer. Yes, this is a horror version of Groundhog Day, and it’s the best. 

Gremlins (1984)

Gremlins is a comedy horror film that everyone has seen at least once. The film follows the story of a man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai. At first, it seems fine, but once they get fed past midnight, they turn into monsters that wreak havoc. The movie isn’t scary, but it has some good makeup and will make you chuckle at the monsters. 

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is a classic comedy zombie movie directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg. The film follows a salesman who must survive the zombie apocalypse with his friends when the entirety of London falls. The zombies can sometimes be creepy, but trust me when I say you’ll be laughing a heck of a lot more than screaming. 

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead essentially created the zombie genre as a whole. This classic horror film from the 1960s, directed by George A. Romero, follows a group of survivors in Pennsylvania who must try to survive when they are all attacked by corpses that have come back to life. The movie features the slowest zombies ever, but they’re still pretty creepy – and powerfully told. 

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s movies are always hits; Get Out was his first big one. The movie follows a young Black man who travels to his Caucasian girlfriend’s house for the first time to meet her family, only to discover that they hold much darker secrets than ever before. There’s barely any gore in here—all the horror is in the storytelling and how evil humans can be. 

The Ring (2002)

Have you ever heard the phrase “Seven days?” Because it comes from here. Directed by Gore Verbinski and based on the Japanese horror film and novel of the same name, this movie follows the story of a journalist who discovers that when she watches a cursed tape, she will die in seven days—and now she must find a way to survive. Yes, the girl can be a little creepy, but truthfully, the movie isn’t that bad.

Insidious (2010)

When it comes to horror movies about demons, Insidious is pretty much the best you can get because it’s not “poop your pants” scary, but it’s effective in the way it scares. Directed by James Wan, the film follows a married couple who must find a way to save their son when he enters into a coma, and his body becomes host to several vengeful spirits and demons. There are a few jumpscares, but it’s nothing an average person can’t handle. 

Scream (1996)

This film isn’t scary, and I stand by it. Scream is the first in the Scream franchise, and it follows Sidney Prescott as she tries to avoid getting killed by Ghostface, a serial killer in her town. This movie is just a trope city, and there are undoubtedly bloody moments, but not enough to truly scare you. If anything, it’s a love letter to horror movies from decades before. 

Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland was one of the first zombie movies I ever watched, and I think it’s a great horror comedy for first-time viewers. It mainly follows four survivors as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse, but it’s the comedy that keeps you coming back for more. It’s so funny, and some of the ways the zombies are killed are hilarious. It’s one of Emma Stone’s best films. 

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

Starring David Naughton, An American Werewolf in London tells the story of two American backpackers who are attacked by a werewolf. One of them gets bitten, turning him into a werewolf when the moon rises. The scariest thing about this film is the realistic werewolf transformation, but other than that, it’s a great horror movie to start on. 

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

While the found-footage horror genre has only gotten bigger, I often credit The Blair Witch Project as the first to really set it off. The film focuses on a group of film students who are trying to make a documentary about a local legend, only to vanish. Their footage is found a year later—hence the name, “found footage.” The movie has a few scary movies but builds its scares on suspense. 

Jaws (1975)

Will you be scared of sharks a little after this? Sure, but Jaws is iconic for a reason. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a marine biologist and a shark hunter working together to take down a man-eating great white shark. Yes, the score is as iconic as you think it is.

Alien (1979)

To me, the original sci-fi horror movie was always Alien. The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the space crew as they have to survive aliens that make their way into their vessel. Truthfully, I don’t see the aliens as too creepy—the only thing that’s truly scary is the alien popping out of someone’s chest, but it’s not that bad. 

The Shining (1980)

One of the best Stephen King adaptations is The Shining. Based on the novel of the same name, The Shining follows a family in which a writer takes on the position of off-season caretaker in a hotel, only for him to lose his mind while he’s there. The movie itself is built on suspense and doesn’t really have that many gory or scary moments—it’s just a greatly shot film.

Old (2021)

Old is an M. Night Shyamalan movie that follows a group of vacationers who realize that they are aging inexplicably quicker on a beach, to the point where they grow closer and closer to death with each passing hour. I enjoy this film a decent amount and think it’s excellent for first-time horror viewers, mainly because there’s barely any gore, and it’s an exciting concept. 

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)

For all my PG-13 peeps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a great first-time horror movie. Based on novels of the same name, the film follows how horror stories written in an ancient book come to life, and it’s up to three teenagers to figure out how. The movie is creepy, eerie, and so much more – but it doesn’t quite cross the line of unwatchable. I love it. 

Carrie (1976)

Carrie is hands-down one of the best horror films to start watching. The film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, follows a young woman who is bullied at school. She later finds out that she has telekinetic powers—ones she uses to exact revenge when she’s pushed too far. The film isn’t gory but expertly acted and brilliantly told. 

The Cabin In The Woods (2013)

This sci-fi comedy is everything. The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of close friends who go away to a remote cabin for a weekend. There, they all fall victim to different kinds of killers—only to find out that these killers aren’t who they thought they were. The twist is excellent; you have to watch it. It’s not scary at all. 

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is a great horror movie to start on. The film follows a family who are trying to live in a world where man-eating but blind monsters have taken out much of humanity. They have incredible hearing, and you're dead if you make a sound. The monsters can be a little creepy, but there’s so much more that makes this movie so good. 

Goosebumps (2015)

Goosebumps is an excellent PG-13 pick on here. Based on the R.L. Stine books of the same name, the film follows a group of kids and a fictionalized Stine as they struggle to capture all the monsters in the Goosebumps books when they come to live and terrorize their town. It stars Jack Black and is silly, goofy, and just a little scary – perfect for first-timers. 

The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds follows the sudden invasion and attack of birds that look to kill in California and how it came to be. Yes, I know the premise sounds goofy, but it’s a well-shot film and a classic for a reason. 

Child’s Play (1988)

Child’s Play may sound like it’s for children, but it’s not. The film follows a widowed mother who gifts a doll to her son, unaware that a serial killer’s spirit possesses it and is looking to kill again. Look, this movie is goofy as heck. It is. It’s about a doll killing people – you’re not going to have nightmares after. Just make sure the kids don’t see it. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Everyone needs a horror musical sometimes. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, is based on the musical of the same name and follows an engaged couple who take refuge in a castle when their car breaks down, only to see that it’s occupied by several interesting and enigmatic people. That’s all I’ll say. Now, let’s do the Time Warp!

Mama (2013)

Starring Jessica Chastain, Mama tells the story of two girls who are brought home by their uncle after their parents die and are haunted by a strange entity. The spirit follows them to their new house. The film certainly focuses more on the love a mother can bring than anything else, but it’s perfect for first-time horror fans. 

With all these options, now I feel like watching some of the best horror movies ever – I think it’s time for a horror movie marathon. 

While it may seem like some of the greatest directors of all time have just always existed, all of them started somewhere. You can't have Jaws with Duel and you can't have The Godfather without Dementia 13. Some directors, like Quentin Tarantino and Jordan Peele, knock it out of the park on their first try, but even some of the best have more humble beginnings. Here are the first movies for 32 great directors. 

Martin Scorsese - Who's That Knocking at My Door

The great Martin Scorsese's first movie has a wild story. It took him two years in all to complete it, as it started as a short in film school. It stars Harvey Keitel (his first movie role), and takes place in New York City, as you'd expect from Scorsese. Where it got weird was that after its debut at a film festival, it was purchased by a company that insisted they add some racier scenes, so the director did, and it's obvious the scenes were shot later as Keitel looks noticeably older. 

Steven Spielberg - Duel

Even the great Steven Spielberg had to start somewhere. That somewhere was famously with Duel a made-for-tv movie the director shot after doing some episodic television. It's a movie that holds up remarkably well, as a testament to Spielberg's ability to craft a great story. 

Ava DuVernay - I Will Follow

As a pioneering Black female director, Ava DuVernay has inspired many people and brought a unique perspective to Hollywood. Her first movie, I Will Follow is certainly no exception. The deeply moving, personal film confronting relationships, family, and death is a strong debut film. 

Christopher Nolan - Following

Produced on a minuscule budget (reportedly just $6000), Following still has the hallmarks of a Christopher Nolan film, notable for the non-linear storytelling that has become his signature in the decades since this one was made in 1998. Nolan's movies have bigger budgets today, but they still feel as independent as his first. 

Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs

What can be written about Reservoir Dogs that has already been said? It's not rare for a great director to make a good movie on his try, but this good? That's rare. Res Dogs pops off the screen as much today as when it was released over 30 years ago and that is remarkable. 

David Fincher - Alien 3

Director David Fincher really hated working on Alien 3. He's never been too shy to talk about what went wrong, either. Thankfully, he recovered from his bad experience and has since released a bunch of great movies, like The Game, Fight Club, and Gone Girl.

Tony Scott - The Hunger

Susan Sarandon, Catherine Deneuve, and David Bowie star in Tony Scott's directorial debut, a horror movie called The Hunger. We're not going to pretend like it's Scott's best work, but it's a decent start to what would be come a sensational career before his death in 2012.

Kathryn Bigelow - The Loveless

Kathryn Bigelow is a female director, but her movies, like Point Break and The Hurt Locker often explore masculinity in it's most extreme. Her first movie is no exception. The Loveless, starring Willem Dafoe as the leader of a motorcycle gang who terrorize a small town. It's a decent first effort, but her later movies are still much better. 

John Hughes - Sixteen Candles

We can talk for days about the problematic nature of Sixteen Candles. It's one of the more problematic movies from the '80s, but setting them aside, it's still a first-rate debut film for director John Hughes. It probably helped that Hughes was already established as one of Hollywood's funniest writers when he added directing to his resume. 

Francis Ford Coppola - Dementia 13

it's interesting to note how many directors cut their teeth with horror films. For Francis Ford Coppola, it was the Roger Corman produced Dementia 13. It fits right into Corman's amazing catalog of B-movies, and viewers can even get glimpses of the great heights that Coppola would eventually rise to. Coppola is proud of it as well, re-editing it and re-releasing a director's cut in 2017. 

Oliver Stone - Seizure

Another horror film debut from a Hollywood icon is Seizure by director Oliver Stone, i 1974. Stone worked primarily as a writer early in his career and didn't direct his next film until 1981 and it wouldn't be until five years later that his work garnered serious attention with 1986's Salvador and Platoon, the latter of which won Best Picture and Stone took home Best Director for at the Oscars.

Jane Campion - Two Friends

Jane Campion picks her projects carefully. Over almost 40 years, she's only directed nine films and only three in the 21st Century. Her first, 1986's Two Friends was a made-for-TV flick on Australian TV. It still found its way into some film festivals and was even screened at Cannes in 1986. 

Spike Lee - She's Gotta Have It

Spike Lee exploded onto the scene immediately after graduating from NYU film school. His first movie, She's Gotta Have It, is a fantastic debut that showed real maturity for a young filmmaker. Lee has always known exactly how he wants to tell a story, even from the very beginning. Though She's Gotta Have It doesn't hold up as well of as some of his other early movies, especially Do The Right Thing, it's still a great testament to his immense abilities as a filmmaker.

Penny Marshall - Jumpin' Jack Flash

By the time Penny Marshall directed her first movie, Jumpin' Jack Flash in 1986, she was already well-established in the business. Not only did she come from a Hollywood family, but she was one of TV's biggest stars in the '70s of Laverne & Shirley. As for Jumpin' Jack Flash, not only did the comedy establish Marshall as a director, but it also marked the first starring role in a comedy for Whoopi Goldberg, whose performance is wonderful. 

Paul Thomas Anderson - Hard Eight

Paul Thomas Anderson is another director who came out of the box with a clear vision of how he wanted his films to look and feel. Hard Eight, his first movie, from 1996 very much looks and feels like PT Anderson's later works like Magnolia and There Will Be Blood. It even stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Baker Hall, who were regulars in his later films as well. 

Jordan Peele - Get Out

While a lot of directors have gotten their start with horror movies, only Jordan Peele has completely redefined the genre. His mind-bending debut, Get Out is one of the best movies of the last decade and even though it relies on a twist at the end, it's very re-watchable. Peele, who started famously in comedy, seems like he's just getting started.

Stanley Kubrick - Fear and Desire

Anti-war movies are the norm today, but in 1952, when Stanley Kubrick directed his first movie, Fear and Desire, they were extremely rare. This was an era of World War II vets and patriotism. Still, Kubrick was an iconoclast even then, and not afraid to speak his mind in the best way he knew how on film. 

Chloé Zhao - Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Director Chloé Zhao has made a huge impact in just a short time. She won Best Director at the Oscars (only the second woman to ever do so) for just her third movie, Nomadland (which also won Best Picture) and her ability to tell deeply personal stories about America and Americans is something special. Her movie, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, fits right into this mold, telling a coming-of-age story about a Native American girl. 

Alfred Hitchcock - The Pleasure Garden

There is no bigger name in film history than Alfred Hitchcock. His astonishing career stretched out over 50 years, starting all the way back before movies even had sound. Hitchcock's first official film was The Pleasure Garden, released in 1925. Like many films throughout his career, this one didn't sit right with the more "moral" crowds and was condemned by many Americans. Luckily it didn't affect him in the slightest and he still went on to make some of the best movies ever made. 

The Coen Brother - Blood Simple

There are few filmmakers as beloved as the Coen Brothers. Over the last four decades, they put out hit after hit, they've won awards, and they've ingrained themselves into the psyche of film lovers everywhere. It all started for them with the noir crime film Blood Simple in 1984, starring Frances McDormand, who has been a regular collaborator with Ethan and Joel Coen and is married to Joel. 

Wes Anderson - Bottle Rocket

Wes Anderson has a unique style that is all his own. There is no one else that makes movies quite like he does. Still, his first movie, Bottle Rocket, is more straightforward than the rest of his catalog. It's still a great movie and stars actors that have continued to work with him, decades later. 

John Singleton - Boyz n the Hood

The late John Singleton is another on this list who came out the box with his guns blazing figuratively and literally with Boyz in the Hood. The film was a hard hitting look at life in South Central LA in the 1990s and it was a masterpiece. 

Amy Heckerling - Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Amy Heckerling was a trailblazing female director in the 1980s and is responsible for some of the most beloved and quotable movies of the era. She's probably best known for Clueless, but her first movie, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, is legendary as well. 

George Lucas - THX 1138

Star Wars will always be George Lucas' masterpiece. The seeds of the legendary space opera were planted in his first movie, the sci fi thriller THX 1138, which he developed from the student film while he was studying at USC. 

Mel Brooks – The Producers

By the time Mel Brooks wrote and directed his first movie, The Producers, in 1967, he'd already been in show business for a couple of decades. First as a writer for Sid Caesar then on other TV shows in the '50s and '60s. The EGOT winner has had an incredible career since, with many beloved comedies. 

Ridley Scott - The Duellists

Ridley Scott, like his brother Tony, got his start by directing commercials in the 1960s. Commercial direction is a great proving ground for filmmakers and by 1977 Scott was ready for the big leagues. His first movie, The Duelists was set in the Napoleonic Wars (something he would revisit almost 50 years later with Napoleon), was a critical success and set Scott up for the rest of his impressive career. 

Sofia Coppola - The Virgin Suicides

Of course, Sofia Coppola is Hollywood royalty, but her success is not due to nepotism, it's because she's a darn great director. If she had only made her first movie, The Virgin Suicides, that might have been enough to prove the naysayers wrong, but she's continued to put out excellent movies in the years since. 

Ryan Coogler - Fruitvale Station

It definitely feels like Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is still getting started. With the success of Creed and his two entries in the MCU, Coogler is killing it at a relatively young age. His first movie, 2013's Fruitville Station, made when he was just 26, also marked his first collaboration with Michael B. Jordan and they've made a formidable pair thus far. 

Tim Burton - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

One of the most interesting and eccentric minds in Hollywood has to be Tim Burton. That was evident right away in his career, as his first movie, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, is as quirky and offbeat as anything ever made, and it's why people love it so much. Burton has continued to bring that unique thinking to all his movies since. 

Patty Jenkins – Monster

Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins has taken a patient road to success. Her first movie was... well... a monster. Monster, starring a transformed Charlize Theron as the real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in an astounding performance. Jenkins worked mostly in TV after that until she directed the excellent Wonder Woman in 2017. 

James Cameron - Piranha II: The Spawning

He may be the most financially successful director of all-time, with three of the top five most successful movies at the box, but James Cameron had pretty humble beginnings. Like many directors, he started with a horror movie, Piranha II: The Spawning. It's pretty much as you would expect, a somewhat silly, slasher-type movie (the slasher is a school of fish), but there are some things that telegraph what was to come, like the underwater shots. 

Darren Aronofsky – Pi

Darren Aronofsky's first movie, Pi, was made on a minuscule budget and while you can tell, the movie is still brilliant. It's a psychological thriller that manages to make math... exciting. Steeped in mental illness and numerology, it's a fascinating movie and a fantastic start to The Whale director's career. 

For those who know me and for those who don't, I'm a huge lover of horror movies. From the best horror movies out there to comedy horror films to anything in between, I will gladly sit down to watch them. But let's be honest – there are plenty of horror films in the past that all of us have seen and thought, "Wow, I am never going to forget this scene because it will haunt me for life." That's what this is all about. Let's get into it. 

The Ending (The Mist)

Yeah, I don't need to explain why The Mist's ending was traumatizing. If you've seen it, you know. If you haven't, consider yourselves lucky. Let's say many people die, and it's not a fun experience.

Michael Hiding In The Closet (Halloween)

There's nothing quite like a classic horror movie villain, and Michael Myers is about as classic as you can get. The film itself is all about Myers on a killing quest, which leads him to Laurie Strode. He chases her throughout her house, and just when we think he's dead, he rises from the floor in one motion, clearly not. This scene remains chilling to this day. 

Andre Realizing Where He Is (Get Out)

Jordan Peele's movies surprisingly have many scenes that really stick with you. One I have to mention is in Get Out when Andre realizes where he is and tries to warn Chris to leave Rose's family's house. He screams and yells at him when the flash goes off on a camera, and his yelling at Chris will always live in my head. 

Regan's Seizure (The Exorcist)

If we're being honest, there are plenty of moments in The Exorcist that I could put on this list. But the one I have to name is when Regan has a seizure due to the demon in her body flailing her up and down. Whether it's the chilling nature of the shot or the fact that the actress suffered severe injuries because of it, it sat with me for a long time. 

Pennywise Gets Georgie (IT)

The IT films are some of the best Stephen King adaptations, but that opening death in IT let me know exactly what I was getting myself into. We all knew Georgie had to die in IT, but in the first film, we are shown how graphic it will be when Pennywise lures him into the sewer and ends him quite violently. 

The First Time We See The Demon (Insidious)

There are plenty of moments in the Insidious films that we could discuss, but I have to point out the red demon—you and I both know which one I'm talking about—that randomly appears behind Josh's head. It's such an effective jumpscare, but my god, does it haunt you. 

The Entirety Of The Human Centipede (2009)

Yeah, I won't even get into this. Just don't watch the movie—or movies—if you don't want to be scarred for life. Ew. 

Justine Biting Her Own Arm (Raw)

Many people forget about Raw in many ways, and I'm not sure why. It was a great film that explored an excellent horror topic and was told brilliantly; somehow, we never got a sequel. Plenty of scenes stand out, but the one I'll never forget is when Justine, instead of biting the flesh of her lover, bites her arm. Yeah, it's pretty gross – but it's a great shot. 

Mike Facing The Wall (The Blair Witch Project)

While The Blair Witch Project might be getting rebooted, there's nothing quite as haunting as the original, where film students are capturing footage in the woods, and they get lost – while their footage is found. In the last shot, Mike is facing the wall, doing nothing, as evil forces surround them. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking of it. 

The First Ceremony (Midsommar)

Ari Aster's films always have moments that make you want to squirm, but the one I have to point out from Midsommar is the first ceremony they do during the festival. The two eldest of the group jump off a cliff, and their lives end rather quickly, but the slow-motion and graphic way they pass sits with you. 

The Scream Of The Innocent (Nope)

Of Peele's three directed features, Nope is arguably the least scary. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have haunting moments, including this one. When Jean Jacket finds its way over Jupiter's Claim, it kills everyone there, sucking them up into its mouth. It's horrifying when you hear the screams of everyone there. 

The Logs (Final Destination 2)

Yeah, the log scene in Final Destination 2 scarred an entire generation from riding behind any truck that has anything that could potentially fall out of it – especially logs. We all know what happens. I'm not going to relive that while writing this, no siree. 

David's First Wolf Transformation (An American Werewolf In London)

There are plenty of great werewolf movies, but An American Werewolf in London is hands down one of the best. The movie isn't scary, but you want to know what it is? When David becomes a werewolf for the first time – that shakes you to your core. His werewolf transformation is genuinely out of this world. 

Seok-woo Realizes He's Bit (Train To Busan)

Train to Busan is one of the best zombie movies out there, and the scene that haunts me the most is definitely Seok-woo realizing he was bitten. It happens so quickly, but through it all, he finds a way to keep his daughter safe despite dying. It's sad as heck and will make you sob. 

Every Torture Scene (Hostel)

I watched Hostel and regretted it immensely, but you know what? You have to live through the pain with me. The film is all about tourists taking shelter in a hostel only to be kidnapped and tortured, and every torture scene in this film made me squirm and still haunts me to this day. 

Freddy Gets Glen (A Nightmare On Elm Street)

Out of Freddy Kreuger's most gruesome kills, this one stands out amongst the rest. Glen, played by Johnny Depp, accidentally falls asleep, but Freddy gets him good – and turns him into a geyser. It's disgusting and still sits with me to this day. 

Chest Popper (Alien)

I mean, obviously. If we're talking about some of the best sci-fi horror movies, Alien is undoubtedly up there. While there aren't that many terrifying moments, the Alien coming out of a person's chest will certainly sit with you for years. 

Casey's Death (Scream)

I see the Scream movie as almost a love letter to former horror movies, but there's no denying some haunting moments. Casey's death in the first Scream film is probably the most prominent because the young woman was innocent and strung up a tree with her insides hanging out. Not the best way to go. 

Katie Lunges Towards The Camera (Paranormal Activity)

There are plenty of great found-footage horror movies out there that I could point to as haunting, but the last scene of Paranormal Activity possibly made everyone in the world jump out of their seats. It concludes with Katie, fully possessed, lunging at the camera before everything cuts to black, and yes, it still makes me jump to this day. 

Redrum (The Shining)

The Shining is great for so many reasons, but one of the best moments is when Danny writes "Redrum" on a door while saying it in a raspy voice, over and over and over again, obviously with "Redrum" spelling "Murder" backward. It's a great foreshadowing of the horrors to come, but also a fantastic haunting moment. 

Red Looking At Jason (Us)

Us is a great Jordan Peele horror movie about doppelgangers, and the ending scene of Us is one of the best for many reasons. Red somehow survives until the end, revealing that she was always a doppelganger who fights to keep her place in the world, trapping the real her below. Jason realizes that at the very end, the last look she gives her son is chilling to the bone. 

The Aftermath Of Charlie's Death (Hereditary)

Hereditary is one of those Ari Aster movies that makes you squirm in your seat, and while I won't get into details of what exactly happens to Charlie, I will say that the aftermath of what we see is enough to make you barf. Flies, dead skin, and much more on the side of the road – and let's not forget the scream of her mother. 

The Lawnmower Scene (Sinister)

The lawnmower scene in Sinister is less than a minute long in a film full of haunting moments, but man, it isn't fun. It shows someone with a camera holding a lawnmower that ends a girl lying on the ground without getting into too much detail. I could have gone my whole life without seeing that. 

The Truth About Norman Bates' Mother (Psycho)

You can't get more well-known horror than Psycho. Obviously, by the end of the film, we all find out the truth about Bates' mother and how he killed her, but it's that chilling smile, the iconic one, that still haunts our nightmares every time. You can't get creepier than that. 

Gage's Death (Pet Sematary)

In many ways, Pet Sematary is the scariest film on this list because it sometimes feels like something a normal person would do out of desperation to bring their loved ones back. The following events in the film happen because of Gage's death, but nothing beats the screams of his family when they realize it. 

Pearl's Final Bow (Pearl)

Both X and Pearl are great films within the same universe, but that last shot of Pearl—otherwise known as the Pearl ending—is haunting. In it, she welcomes her husband home after literally killing so many people and just smiles at the camera for a good couple of minutes. Oof, it just sits with you. 

The Blood Eagle (Midsommar)

Midsommar has so many moments that could be on this list, but The Blood Eagle has to be one to point out. Without going into too much detail so I don't scar whoever is reading this, a tourist at the festival, who had been brought in, is taken out due to an ancient torture ritual called the Blood Eagle. I won't talk about what it is – look it up if you dare, and then get haunted all over again. 

The Spider-Head (The Thing)

The Thing is terrifying in many ways because literally anyone could be the imposter alien. But out of all the haunting moments, the spider-head stands out. Yeah, I'm getting nauseous just writing about it. Ew. 

The Final Transformation (The Fly)

Jeff Goldblum's best movies include The Fly for a good reason: his acting is awesome. However, that last transformation—where his character, fully ingrained with the fly's DNA, fully transforms—yeah, that part is gross and still haunts me to this day. The flesh and the effects—ugh, I'm about to vomit. Be right back. 

Kayako Goes Under The Sheets (The Grudge)

I have to point out this scene from The Grudge. Kayako pops out from underneath a bed and kills someone, dragging them under the covers. It's terrifying, and to this day, I'm still freaked out by it. 

Gabriel Comes Out Of Madison's Skull (Malignant)

Malignant is one of the best movies to watch on Max, and it still freaks me out. The twist comes at the very end when it's revealed Madison had a former twin who ingrained himself in her skull, and then he suddenly emerges from her skull at the very end. It's disgusting and will haunt you for the rest of your life. 

Riley's Possession (Talk To Me)

Talk to Me was one of the scariest films in years and deserved all the praise it got, and of course, I have to point out Riley's possession. It's so violent and quick and sad that you can hardly remember to feel scared once you're traumatized out of your mind. Let's not even get into how he injures himself so badly. 

These are all some incredibly haunting scenes, but maybe I'll go watch some of the best romantic comedies now to feel happier about something. Goodness gracious, I need a palette cleanser. 

Sometimes, it can be fun to take a deeper look at the movies you love and see if you can find any details that may or may not be hiding in plain sight. You must be careful, though, because this sort of speculation could forever change how you perceive the most beloved characters from cinema in bizarre, funny, or even unsettling ways. 

Now, we are not saying we are fully convinced by any of the following wild movie character fan theories we found online, but we also can’t deny they are fun to read. Therefore, the only cautionary warning we feel is truly necessary to give you before you read on is to be wary of spoilers.

Han Solo Is Force Sensitive (Star Wars Movies)

Could Han Solo’s unparalleled piloting skills, precise blaster aim, and survival during his Carbonite slumber in the Star Wars movies be the result of him actually being one with the very Force he once doubted was real? Reddit user sumojoe actually posited this idea about Harrison Ford’s scruffy nerfherder years before it could be further backed up by the reveal in Star Wars: The Force Awakens that he and Leia (Carrie Fisher) had a Force-sensitive son (Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren).

Jack Is A Time Traveler (Titanic)

Before 1997’s Titanic, James Cameron’s biggest hits were time travel movies — namely The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day — but could his Best Picture Oscar-winning historical fiction blockbuster also be part of the same genre? Redditor MarkHarris1989 believes that historical inaccuracies to his backstory and his “anachronistic attitude and haircut” suggest Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) could actually be a man out of time who may have even been sent back from the future to save Rose (Kate Winslet).

The Toys Are Possessed By A Delusional Entity (Toy Story)

It is still a mystery why Woody, Buzz, and the others come alive when humans are not around in Toy Story movies, but a theory by Inevitable_Cut_4670 (which has since been removed from the r/FanTheories subreddit) attempts to provide an explanation that casts a dark shadow over the Pixar classic. The user imagines that Andy’s toys became possessed by an otherworldly spirit that split itself between the different characters before developing a different personality for each and, ultimately, forgetting what it was initially.

Wonka's Tour Was A Planned Sacrifice (Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory)

What happens to the four other children invited into the eponymous facility from 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has been subject to much eye-opening speculation, but what if the truth is even more horrifying? One now-deleted FanTheories subreddit post suggests that the Roald Dahl adaptation exists in the same universe as the horror-comedy favorite, The Cabin in the Woods, and the youngsters’ strange fates were all part of a sacrificial ritual the famous chocolatier (Gene Wilder) orchestrated to appease the Gods.

Tom Hardy's Max Is The Road Warrior's Feral Child (Mad Max: Fury Road)

For the fourth Mad Max movie, Tom Hardy succeeded to the role of the post-apocalyptic drifter from Mel Gibson, but the folks at Nerdist are not so sure that is the case. They theorize that the male protagonist of 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road is actually “The Feral Child” (originally played by Emil Minty in the second installment, 1981’s The Road Warrior) as a grown-up who has adopted the hero’s persona. This would explain why a lot of Hardy’s dialogue consists of grunts.

Ferris And Cameron Are The Same Person (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

Have you ever considered the possibility that John Hughes’ 1986 high school movie classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, is actually a precursor to David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, Fight Club? A popular fan theory (via CBR) that echoes the twist from the 1999 cult favorite suggests Matthew Broderick’s mischievous title character is just an alternate persona the neurotic Cameron Fry (Alan Ruck) subconsciously developed to carry out his wildest fantasies.

Sandy Is Dead The Whole Time (Grease)

One of the more bizarre “they were dead the whole time” theory and one of the most bizarre examples comes from the unlikeliest of places: 1978’s Grease. A post on Imgur suggests that Danny Zuko (John Travolta) never actually saved Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) from drowning and the upbeat musical numbers we see are a symptom of her brain losing oxygen. To top it off, the famous flying car at the end is supposedly carrying her into the afterlife.

Kincade Is Sean Connery's Bond (Skyfall)

Similar to the famous theory that all James Bond actors are each portraying a different man using the same code name, a post in the James Bond subreddit questions if Kincade from 2012’s Skyfall is really Sean Connery’s iteration of 007. The theory is actually backed up by the fact that, according to The Huffington Post, Sam Mendes considered casting Connery in the role before it went to Albert Finney.

Chris' Horror Is All In Rod's Head (Get Out)

It was once suggested on Reddit that the horrifying things Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) endures at the Armitage Estate in 2017’s Get Out are actually an elaborate fantasy imagined by his best friend, Rod (Lil Rel Howery). In a video for Vanity Fair, writer and director Jordan Peele addressed and debunked this theory, but did praise its creativity.

Owen Grady Is The Kid Grant Freaks Out With His Raptor Speech (Jurassic Park)

Even before 2015’s Jurassic World came out, Redditor faceur318 had a feeling that the kid whom Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) tells to “have a little respect for raptors” in the 1993 original, Jurassic Park, would grow up to become Owen Grady. The actor who plays the raptor trainer, Chris Pratt, told Huffington Post that he does not believe it himself, but director Colin Trevorrow wouldn’t deny it.

Donkey Used To Be Human (Shrek)

One of the most convincing movie theories we have ever heard suggests Donkey (Eddie Murphy) from Shrek was once human until he visited Pleasure Island and was turned into his namesake animal — a fate many children also suffered in the classic fairytale, Pinocchio. A video by The Film Theorists provides astonishing evidence of this traumatizing idea, which tyoung000 also posted to the FanTheories subreddit with an added detail that Donkey is really Pinocchio’s talkative friend, Lampwick.

Possessing Karras Was Always Pazuzu's Intention (The Exorcist)

Redditor mysticaldensity believes that in 1973’s The Exorcist, Father Damien Karras’ (Jason Miller) bid to save Regan MacNeill (Linda Blair) by having Pazuzu possess him instead (before taking his own life) was part of the demon’s plan all along. According to the theory’s pretty solid evidence, the entity saw Karras — who had been wrestling with his faith following his mother’s death — as a perfect target with which to infiltrate the church, but would still need the priest’s permission to inhabit him, which is why it used an innocent 12-year-old as a vessel to taunt him with.

Patrick Bateman Is Really Bruce Wayne (American Psycho, The Dark Knight Trilogy)

If you ever found similarities between Christian Bale’s performances as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and Bruce Wayne in the Dark Knight Trilogy, Redditor DragonfruitDisable believes that is not by coincidence and, in fact, the two are one in the same. The theory states Alfred Pennyworth put the famous young orphan through school under a different alias, which he continued to go when he started to have elaborate, homicidal fantasies. This bout of insanity would lead him down a path of self-discovery, which brings us to the start of Bateman Beg… or Batman Begins, we mean.

Django Actually Killed Sandy's Son (Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight)

It is no secret that most of Quentin Tarantino’s movies exist in the same universe, which QuantumBandit404 likely used as inspiration for a Reddit theory that states that, in The Hateful Eight, Marquis Warren’s (Samuel L. Jackson) lied about killing the son of Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), who was really a bounty for Django Freeman. It’s an intriguing concept, especially considering Warren’s deceptive skills, but what makes it more interesting is, according to DP/30 Podcast (via ScreenCrush), Tarantino originally wrote the role as an older version of Jamie Foxx’s titular bounty hunter from Django Unchained.

Nemo Is Imaginary (Finding Nemo)

Finding Nemo is already one of the saddest Pixar movies, but an op-ed by Søren Hough on Movie Fail makes it even more tragic if you believe what his theory suggests. He believes that Marlin (Albert Brooks) was the only true survivor of the 2003 family film’s tragic opening sequence and invented his son, Nemo (Alexander Gould), as an imaginary coping mechanism for his grief.

T-800 Was Preprogrammed Not To Kill (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, John Connor (Edward Furlong) urges his mechanical protector (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to not commit murder, but did he ever really have to? Based on the fact that the T-800 never kills anyone in the opening scene (despite causing bloodshed rather quickly in the first film), Redditor Potential_Gap3957 speculates that Connor’s adult self already programmed him with this command before sending him to 1995, but also asked him to stage a killing in front of young John as a way to build up his leadership skills.

Michael Myers Is A Vampire (Halloween)

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers attempted to explain the iconic horror movie villain’s supposed immortality as part of a curse given to him at birth by a deadly cult, but there is another theory that we think is far more amusing. According to ScreenRant, Michael is really a vampire — not the typical bloodsucking kind, but one that feeds on murderous acts — and his psychiatrist from the reboot trilogy, Dr. Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), is his familiar, which might explain why he wanted to be like the slasher.

Pearl Is Maxine's Grandmother (X, Pearl)

Is it possible that the resemblance between young Maxine and the elderly Pearl (both played by Mia Goth in Ti West’s X) is more than just an example of the acclaimed A24 horror movie’s nuanced commentary on aging? On Reddit, Thabrianking speculates that Maxine’s televangelist father is Pearl’s son, who turned to religion after witnessing his mother’s homicidal tendencies, which were a main plot point in the prequel, Pearl.

Ned Ryerson Is The Devil (Groundhog Day)

There has never been a definitive explanation for how Phil (Bill Murray) relives February 2nd over and over in 1993’s Groundhog Day, but a Redditor named SuperConductiveRabbi believes it is the work of Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky), who may even be the Devil himself. Evidence: the time loop begins after Phil insultingly refuses to buy insurance from Ned and stops when he gives in to the offer (symbolism for selling one’s soul) and finally treats him with respect.

Jar Jar Binks Was In Cahoots With The Sith (The Star Wars Movies)

While very few people would call Jar Jar Binks their favorite Star Wars character, some have warned that the seemingly harmless, motormouth Gungan was not to be underestimated. Before The Force Awakens was released, Lumpawarroo predicted that he would play a major role in the film, which would also reveal that he was not only a Sith Lord the entire time, but the true identity of Supreme Leader Snoke. The Sequel Trilogy may have debunked that last detail, but is still fun to imagine the rest being true.

Walter Never Served In Vietnam (The Big Lebowski)

In 1998’s The Big Lebowski, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) finds any opportunity he can to bring up his tour of Vietnam, which is not typical behavior of a military veteran, as pointed out on a FanTheories subreddit post that suggests the avid bowler was never even in the service. Goodman himself once admitted in an interview with Today, for the 20th anniversary of the classic Coen Brother comedy, that he agrees with this theory.

Juror #8 Is A Reformed Criminal Who Coerced The Others Into Changing The Verdict (12 Angry Men)

Sidney Lumet’s 1957 courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men, is hailed as a powerful story of justice prevailing over a broken system, thanks to Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) pointing out flaws in the others’ initial “guilty” verdict, but is that truly the case? According to a theory by Redditor Agile-Confusion-626, Juror #8 actually did believe the poor, young defendant was guilty of murdering his father, but as someone who once fell prey to the criminal lifestyle in his own youth, wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself outside of prison. Thus, he conned the other jurors into changing their minds.

Dom And The Crew Are Super Soldiers (Fast And Furious Movies)

With how implausibly over-the-top the Fast and the Furious movies came to be over time, the best explanation is that Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew were made into super soldiers at some point. According to YeppImNaked on Reddit, not only is that exactly what happened, but the team actually exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and they were dosed with the same serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America by their true employers, S.H.I.E.L.D.

Ripley Is Genetically Suitable To Host A Queen Xenomorph (Alien Movies)

It seems that no matter what she does, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) cannot escape running into some horrifying situation involving the vicious creature from the Alien movies known as the Xenomorph, and that might actually be by design. As a theory by Redditor clutzyninja suggests, not just any human can be impregnated with a Queen Xenomorph and Ripley can, which is why she is considered a special asset to Weyland-Yutani.

Kevin's Dad Is In The Mob (Home Alone)

In Home Alone, the Wet Bandits consider the McCallister household to be the “Silver Tuna” of the Chicago suburb they target during the holidays, which begs the question, how exactly was Kevin’s (Macaulay Culkin) father, Peter (John Heard), able to afford such a lovely, expensive home with five children and a non-working wife (Catherine O’Hara)? Redditor cubanesis believes he may have mob connections, which would explain why he so quickly comes to the defense with Harry (Joe Pesci), disguised as a cop, asking to speak with him at the beginning.

The Predator Is In Exile (Predator)

On Reddit, Mister_E69 points out that, in 1987’s Predator, the titular extraterrestrial hunter’s technology is severely outdated to that of the Predator we see in 2022’s Prey, which takes place centuries earlier. For that reason, it could be possible that the creature from the original film has been exiled from his planet and forced to use a less reliable cloaking feature, blades of a stunted length, and glitch infrared vision. 

Cobb's Real Totem Is His Wedding Ring (Inception)

The ending of Inception has puzzled fans for years, but the answer to whether or not Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is awake at the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s trippy masterpiece may lie in what one Redditor belies is his real totem: his wedding ring. We never see the thought-extractor wearing it when he is awake and, since it is not on his finger in the final scene, perhaps we can conclude that the long-awaited reunion with his children is real.

Tree Is Stuck In Purgatory (Happy Death Day)

The concept of time-loops being a form of purgatory serves as the basis for BingeWatcher_Fanatic’s theory that, in Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) is actually dead and continuously reliving Monday the 18th as a way to repent for her sins. Even though this contradicts pretty much the entire plot of the sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, it offers an intriguing, deeper meaning to the fun slasher flick.

Jenny Is The Girl From The Tommy Tutone Song (Forrest Gump)

Apparently, Tom Hanks’ titular protagonist is not the only one from Forrest Gump who made an impression on American culture, if we are to believe paulvs88’s theory. The Reddit user speculates that Tommy Tutone’s 1981 one-hit-wonder “867-5309/Jenny” is, indeed, about Robin Wright’s character of the same name.

Ron Used Magic So Hermione Would Fall For Him (Harry Potter Movies)

Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Grainger (Emma Watson) initially seemed like a pretty unlikely match, which makes their romance in the Harry Potter movies so endearing. However, it is not so heartwarming if you believe EmperorDeathBunny’s theory on Reddit suggesting that he used the Imperius Curse — which is basically a manipulation spell — to enchant into falling in love with him.

Luca Is Atlantean (Luca)

The 2021 Pixar film, Luca, stars Jacob Tremblay as the voice of the titular sea monster who gets a taste of life on the surface with another creature of his kind (voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer) by disguising themselves as humans. As a fun way to expand on the lore, Redditor Drecon1984 posited a theory that the sea monsters are actually descendants from the lost city of Atlantis.

Wendy Imagined The Horror At The Overlook (The Shining)

There is an insane amount of conspiracy theories inspired by The Shining, but regarding the ones that actually focus on characters from the 1980 Stephen King adaptation, we like one we found on MovieWeb. It suggests that, instead of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), it is really his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), who is losing her mind while staying at The Overlook, where none of the bizarre and tragic things that take place are real, but exist her in imagination.

Movie fans have some wild imaginations, don’t they?

A good plot twist can send shivers down your spine and give you a nice hit of dopamine as it changes everything you thought about a movie or TV show. Here is our list of some of favorite mind-blowing plot twists that shook us to our core. 

WARNING: MAJOR Spoilers ahead!! 

Vader Is Luke’s Dad - Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Darth Vader telling Luke that he is Luke’s father is maybe the #1 most mind-blowing plot twist in film history. It seems quaint to many of us now because it’s always been a part of our lives, but think back to what it was like when you first saw the revelation. It was crazy, no one saw it coming. The Empire Strikes Back had a few surprises, including the bad guy winning in the end, but this moment tops them all. 

The First Flashforward - Lost

The final two episodes of Season 3 of Lost were intense, and when they got to the end, audiences were treated to one of the most “what the!” moments in TV history when they realized what they thought was one of Jack’s flashbacks was actually a flashforward when he tells Kate they “have to go back” to the island. It changed the show forever and it's hands down the best episode of Lost.

It Was Earth All Along - Planet Of The Apes

The original Planet of the Apes from 1968 started with Charlton Heston’s character, George Taylor awakening from hibernation after a long space journey when he and his fellow astronauts crashed into an unknown planet. Apes of different kinds rule the planet and humans are treated more or less like animals. The shock comes in the last show when Taylor discovers he traveled through time, not space, and awoke on Earth many years in the future. 

Off With The Main Character’s Head - Game of Thrones

For fans of Game of Thrones, the penultimate episode of Season 1 proved anything in the show was possible and it would be smart not to get too attached to any one character. In the episode, the hero of the story, Ned Stark (Sean Bean) is executed and nothing would be the same for the rest of the show’s epic run. 

The Greatest Trick The Devil Ever Pulled - The Usual Suspects

It’s true that some viewers latched on to the idea that Verbal Kint (Keven Spacey) is an unreliable narrator, but very few anticipated the twist at the end revealing Verbal to be the mysterious Keyser Soze. Just when everyone puts it together, poof…he’s gone. Brilliant. 

He’s Been Dead This Whole TIme - The Sixth Sense

Director M. Night Shyamalan has made an entire career out of twists and turns and last-minute revelations. It’s a formula that goes way back in his filmography, most notably with the film that established him as a big-time director, The Sixth Sense. The twist, of course, is learning Bruce Willis’ character, Malcolm Crowe, is one of the dead people who Cole (Haley Joel Osment) sees. 

The Unexpected Mole - 24

Nina (Sarah Clarke) was a fan favorite in the first season of 24. She helped Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) get out of a lot of tight spots as his eyes and ears at CSU’s headquarters. A fan favorite, that is, until it turns out she’s been a mole along. It only gets worse when she kills Teri Bauer, Jack’s wife. Nina goes from a hero to a villain in a matter of minutes. 

She’s Safe! - Gone Girl

Gone Girl smartly hides its first twist, that Amy (Rosamund Pike) was not kidnapped or killed, but set the whole thing up herself. That’s not the only turn the movie takes though. Later, Amy also framed Desi (Neil Patrick Harris) for her kidnapping, clearing Nick of suspicion. The twists don’t end there, either. As Nick prepared to expose Amy’s crime, she told him she was pregnant with their first child. Nick changes his mind, keeping Amy’s secret, and staying in their marriage. It’s dark, but it’s a heck of a ride. 

Surprise, They Are Triplets - This Is Us

The pilot episode of This Is Us sets up its twist brilliantly with an interstitial explaining how many people are born on the same day, right before meeting Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) when Rebecca goes into labor with triplets on Jack’s birthday in 1980. In the present day, audiences meet Randall (Sterling K. Brown), Kate (Chrissy Metz), and Kevin (Justin Hartley), but it’s not until the final scene of the episode that it all comes together that Rebecca lost one of the triplets, but she and Jack adopted Randall the same day after he was abandoned at a fire station. 

Rosebud - Citizen Kane

One of the most famous twists in cinema history is also one of the earliest. In 1941, Citizen Kane tricked audiences into wondering for the entire movie what Charles Foster Kane’s (Orson Welles) final word, “Rosebud,” meant. At the end of the movie, they learn it was a beloved sled from his innocent youth, things he had lost a long time ago. 

Bernard Is A Host - Westworld

Jeffery Wright’s performance as Bernard in Westworld was one of the brightest spots on an uneven show. Audiences loved him and when it turned out he was a “host”, it was mindblowing for many. As is the nature of shows like Westworld plenty of people “called it” in online discussions, and there were clues to Bernard’s true nature, but for the rest of us, it was a real “wow” moment. 

Who Exactly Is Norman Bates? - Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho created a template for modern horror movies that directors are still following today, to great success. One of the most influential moments in the movie is the reveal at the end just who is Norman Bates’ (Anthony Perkins) mother. Before the end, we just see glimpses of her in windows, and comments by Norman. It’s not until the final scenes that we learn she’s been dead for years and Norman has been dressing like her, or even becoming her? 

Agatha All Along - WandaVision

Another TV show that drops plenty of hints for the big twist is Marvel’s WandaVision. As audiences were left wondering who was behind all the weird things happening in Westview. It turns out, it was Wanda’s neighbor Agnes – or Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) all along. It’s one of the most fun reveals on this list as well. 

The Wizard Is A Conman - ​​The Wizard Of Oz

When Dorothy (Judy Garland) finds herself transported to Oz in The Wizard Of Oz, the only way home, as she understands it, is to visit the Wizard, who can help. Along the way, she meets some friends who all need something from the power Wizard. Of course, when they arrive in the Emerald City, they learn the truth, the Wizard is just a conman. What a nightmare! 

The Bad Place - The Good Place

The reveal at the end of Season 1 of The Good Place is just a lot of fun. It’s not so much of a “holy cow” moment as it is an “I love it! moment. Instead of being in the “good” place, aka Heaven, it turns out Eleanor (Kristen Bell) is in the other place, the “bad” place. 

The Big Reveal - The Crying Game

The Crying Game is an emotional movie that takes place during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, but it’s the reveal that Dil (Jaye Davidson) is transgender. Davidson, who retired after only acting in two movies, won all kinds of awards for the role that shocked audiences everywhere, but in retrospect, opened up a new, better, more honest understanding of transgender people. 

Sharon Lives - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

It’s pure Quentin Tarantino to reveal a twist that not only changes the movie, but history itself. He did in Inglourious Basterds with the death of Hitler and he does it again, perhaps to better effect, in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Instead of Charlie Manson and his crazy followers killing Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), Dalton, and Booth unwittingly save her by distracting the family. 

Waking Up In A Different Show - Newhart

Newhart in the ‘80s was Bob Newhart’s second sitcom that hit big, after The Bob Newhart Show in the ‘70s. Although neither show was connected at all, with Newhart playing completely different characters, in a different place, they both came together in the final episode when Bob Newhart awakens in bed, on his old show, revealing the second show was all just a dream of his first character. People talked about it for weeks. 

John Doe’s Plan Is Revealed - Se7en

Se7en is a movie that sticks with you long after the credits roll. Kevin Spacey’s performance as the serial killer John Doe is perfect, and it all comes together in the end when he finally reveals his grand plan. Audiences never expected David’s (Brad Pitt) wife, Tracy (Gwenyth Paltrow) to be as involved as she was and what a tragedy it is, setting in motion the end of Doe’s plan, to make David “wrath” and himself as “envy.”

The Whole Family Is In On It - Get Out

Jordan Peele got everyone talking about his directorial debut Get Out when it was revealed to the audience that not only were Rose’s (Allison Williams) parents performing twisted experiments on African-Americans, but Rose herself was involved, tricking her boyfriend Chis (Daniel Kaluuya) into going home with her to be a victim. Always question things when they seem off.

Helly’s Outie Is An Insider - Severance

One of the most talked about shows of 2022 was Apple TV+’s Severance. Questions abound throughout the first season, but what makes the twist so good is that it’s a huge reveal, that viewers didn’t even know they needed to know. Helly’s (Britt Lower) “outie” is in fact part of the family that is responsible for the twisted company’s project in the basement. 

The Narrator Is Tyler Durden - Fight Club

David Fincher is a master of late reveals and his movie Fight Club, based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk, is no exception. Though the movie was a box office disappointment it’s since become a quintessential cult film. It’s a mindblowing moment when you put together that Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is just an alter-ego of The Narrator (Edward Norton).

Dan Is Blogger - Gossip Girl

For six seasons, fans wondered who was behind the Gossip Girl blog in Gossip Girl. Finally, after years of speculation, it’s revealed that Dan (Penn Badgley) is actually the voice behind the screen, despite being voiced by Kristen Bell throughout the show. Of course, other characters filled the role of the Gossip Girl, but Dan was the man, it turned out. 

Leland Palmer Killed Laura - Twin Peaks

The central mystery of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks is the murder of Laura Palmer. For one and a half seasons, it’s all the fans talked about it. When it was finally revealed in Season 2 that it was Laura’s father, Leland who did the deed. David Lynch wasn't happy with Season 2, but audiences loved it. 

It’s All In The Title - The Game

The Game is not one of David Fincher’s most talked about movies, but it should be. It has a fantastic, mindblowing reveal at the end when Nicholas (Michael Douglas) learns that all the craziness that he’s been through is all part of an elaborate game set up by his brother (Sean Penn). The rush for the characters and fans of the movies is intense when we learn the truth together. 

It’s People - Soylent Green

Soylent Green is a movie that is almost exclusively known for its plot twist. In a dystopian future, people subsist on a food called Soylent Green. It’s a mysterious food that in the end, is revealed to be human. Soylent Green is people! It’s become part of pop culture, but it’s a movie few people have actually watched. 

Parasite

The South Korean drama Parasite took the world by storm upon its release and a big reason why is the fantastic twist. On its surface (literally) the movie is a comment on the class struggle in South Korea, but below, it's a wild story about a poor family literally living in the basement of a wealthy family's house. The reveal is truly mindblowing and what sets it apart from other films dealing with the struggle. 

Earth Isn’t All That - Battlestar Galactica

For the first three seasons of Battlestar Galactica, the last remaining humans searched for their home Earth while battling the Cylons along the way. In the final episode of the penultimate season, they finally arrive home, ending their journey. When a group from the Galactica travel down, however, they find the planet in ruins, and uninhabitable due to nuclear radiation from a war centuries earlier. It’s a devastating moment, but in the end, they do find a home. 

The Deed Was Done - Memento

Director Christopher Nolan’s Momento has a lot of twists and turns, given the nature of the film, as Leonard (Guy Pearce) searches for his wife’s killer and the structure of the film's forward and backward timeline. When Leonard finally puts the pieces together, he finds that he got vengeance a year early and had been manipulated by Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) to do dirty work for him. Teddy becomes Leonard’s next target. 

Irene Is Moriarty - Elementary

In Elementary, Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) has an ongoing battle with Jane Moriarty (Natalie Dormer) and often feels the pain of his lost love with Irene Adler. The twist is that Irene and Jane are, in fact, the same person. The relationship between them is very complicated and continues through the run of the show to present problems for Sherlock. 

Modern Times - The Village

M. Night Shyamalan's The Village has one of the better twists in the director’s filmography. The movie is set in 19th-century America, or so we think. The elders of the titular village do everything they can to keep the people in the village because only they know that it’s actually the 21st Century.

Jason’s Mom - Friday The 13th

In one of the all-time great plot twists in horror movie history, Jason Vorhees, the killer of summer campers is not actually Jason, but his mother. She is bent on murdering the campers to avenge her son’s death years earlier. 

There was a time when seeing iconic horror movie villains such as Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees slashing up young, defenseless civilians was the genre’s main draw. However, these days, audiences have come to better appreciate the Scream Queens and Scream Kings who know how to hold their own against the likes of masked killers, vicious extraterrestrials, mischievous demons, and more. With that in mind, let’s take a minute to shine the spotlight on the clever and courageous heroes from the best horror movies of all time and point out what makes them worth rooting for.

Ash Williams (The Evil Dead Movies) 

The Ash we meet in 1981's The Evil Dead is completely in over his head, struggling desperately to defend himself against his possessed friends in whatever way he can find. However, by the end of 1987's Evil Dead II, when he replaces his severed hand with a working chainsaw, Bruce Campbell's most iconic role becomes one of the horror genre's grooviest heroes… even if he is prone to a few flubs and mishaps here and there.

Laurie Strode (Halloween) 

Out of all of the babysitters working in Haddonfield on All Hallow’s Eve, Laurie Strode is the only one who manages to survive the escaped Michael Myers' killing streak in 1978's Halloween. The young woman’s courage and avoidance of distracting vices in John Carpenter's quintessential slasher made the character the ultimate “final girl” and Jamie Lee Curtis the quintessential Scream Queen.

Ben (Night Of The Living Dead) 

Duane Jones made history as the first Black actor to play the lead hero in a horror movie with his role in 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Ben is the one character in George A. Romero's groundbreaking thriller who manages to keep a level head when struggling to survive against hungry reanimated corpses.

Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare On Elm Street) 

Played by Heather Langenkamp, Nancy Thompson certainly takes a little while to figure out how to defeat the subconscious-haunting Freddy Kreuger (Robert Englund) in writer and director Wes Craven’s supernatural slasher classic. Near the end of A Nightmare on Elm Street, when she realizes that bringing him into reality is the key, she turns the tables on him with a series of elaborate traps that predate Home Alone.

Ellen Ripley (Alien) 

Sigourney Weaver’s career-defining role of Ellen Ripley became the sole survivor of  1979’s Alien and, as a result, one of the most inspirational female heroes in horror movie history. Her previous experience contending with the Xenomorph provided her with the resilience and wherewithal to ensure there would be more survivors in 1986’s Aliens, making her one of the greatest female action heroes of all time.

Sidney Prescott (Scream) 

When you have been targeted by masked killers as many times as Sidney Prescott, you tend to pick up on a few helpful tips and tricks for survival. Even before the original Ghostface first struck in 1996's Scream, the tragic murder of her mother a year prior prompted Neve Campbell's character to be prepared for such things.

R.J. MacReady (The Thing) 

Easily one of Kurt Russell's best roles is R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter's The Thing. The pilot brings a well-conceived, no-nonsense approach to weeding out who among his fellow researchers is a shape-shifting alien in disguise while stranded at their outpost in the Arctic.

Elise Rainier (Insidious)

When your house (or, maybe, your child) is haunted, the first person you should call is someone with a direct line to the afterlife, such as Lin Shaye's Elise Rainier from the Insidious movies. The medium comes to the Lambert Family's aid after young, unwitting astral traveler Dalton (Ty Simpkins) flies too far into "The Further" — a spiritual realm she named herself.

Chris Washington (Get Out)

Jordan Peele made a point to have a protagonist capable of making intelligent decisions for his Oscar-winning directorial debut, Get Out. He achieved that goal beautifully with Daniel Kaluuya's Chris Washington, with his adept suspicions of unusual circumstances and ingenious plan to escape the Armitage Family’s clutches.

Grace (Ready Or Not) 

Samara Weaving's newlywed in Radio Silence's breakthrough hit, Ready or Not, proves to be an ideal Hide-and-Seek player when her in-laws forced her to play it to the death as part of a matrimonial ritual. While she does get spotted a few times, it is in those moments when Grace also proves to be quite the fighter.

Dutch (Predator) 

Even the biggest fans of the Predator movies seem to forget that, when it comes to defeating the cunning, titular extraterrestrial, being the toughest, strongest, and best marksman is nowhere near as important as being the smartest. Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from the 1987 original) realizes this after becoming the last of his crew and taking him on with old-school hunting tactics.

Sienna Shaw (Terrifier 2) 

Played by Lauren LaVera, the hero of Damien Leone's sequel to his shockingly brutal, old-school slasher throwback, Terrifier, is not just a final girl by circumstance. As foretold in artwork crafted by her late father, it is Sienna Shaw's destiny to cross paths with and defeat the sadistic Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton).

Clarice Starling (The Silence Of The Lambs) 

Jodie Foster won her second Academy Award for her performance in Jonathan Demme's adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel, The Silence of the Lambs. Her role as Clarice Starling — an FBI trainee seeking help from a manipulative, cannibalistic psychiatrist (played by Anthony Hopkins) — is one of the most intelligent and inspirational heroes in cinematic history, regardless of whether or not you want to call the Best Picture Oscar winner "horror."

Casey Cooke (Split, Glass) 

In M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, it eventually becomes known that Casey Cooke's calm demeanor and resourcefulness when she and her friends are kidnapped by a DID patient (James McAvoy) are the result of years of abuse from her uncle. Her trauma also allows Anya Taylor-Joy's character to have a unique connection with her captors' core identity, Kevin Wendell Crumb, that helps bring him back to earth in the 2019 sequel, Glass.

Randy Meeks (Scream)

The only original Scream cast member as resourceful as Sidney (if not more) is Randy Meeks, whose obsession with horror movie tropes allows him to, successfully, figure out at least one of Ghostface's true identities. Even though Jamie Kennedy's movie buff does not survive 1997’s Scream 2, his prime suspect in that sequel also turns out to be halfway correct.

Chief Martin Brody (Jaws)

Roy Scheider's Brody is the one member of Jaws' heroic trio with the least amount of experience with sharks. Yet, he makes up for it with the courage and skill needed to rid the waters of that man-eating beast.

Erin Harson (You're Next) 

When masked assassins turn an already bitter family reunion into a bloody nightmare in You're Next, the first one to take charge (and take out these adversaries) is Sharni Vinson's Erin, who is dating one of the family members. It is later revealed that she was trained for situations like this when she was a child, having grown up on her father's survivalist compound.

Peter Washington (Dawn of the Dead)

In the midst of the apocalypse, there is no one better to have in your crew than a member of SWAT, like Peter Washington. Ken Foree's role in George A. Romero’s 1978 zombie movie classic, Dawn of the Dead, is not only a master at slaying zombies, but a devoted survivalist and clever strategist.

Mindy Meeks-Martin (Scream, Scream VI) 

Like uncle, like niece. You would not be able to tell that Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) never got to meet the slain Randy based on how remarkably similar she is to him, particularly in her wide range of horror movie knowledge that proves to be very beneficial for the Scream franchise's new generation of targets.

Dr. Sam Loomis (Halloween) 

In Halloween, Laurie Strode manages to defend herself against Michael Myers, but is unable to expect when, where, and how he might strike — unlike the killer's psychiatrist. Donald Pleasence's Dr. Loomis is not necessarily one step ahead of his former patient, but is not too many steps behind him either, and there might have been fewer casualties in Haddonfield if more people actually accepted his advisement.

Marty (The Cabin In The Woods) 

Fran Kranz's character in the 2012 horror-comedy movie favorite The Cabin in the Woods, Marty, is chosen to represent the "Fool" archetype by The Organization, but they largely misjudged him. He is the first among his vacationing friends to pick up on the strange circumstances surrounding them and call them out on poor decisions often made in less self-aware horror movies.

Maddie Young (Hush) 

In Mike Flanagan's Hush, when a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) discovers his target, Maddie Young (Kate Siegel), is deaf, he takes advantage of that fact to intimidate, manipulate, and trap her in her secluded home. What he does not expect is that, as an author, she possesses a sharp analytical mind that keeps her one step ahead of her adversary.

Naru (Prey) 

In Dan Trachtenberg's 2022 Predator prequel, Prey, Amber Midthunder's aspiring Comanche warrior, Naru, proves her worth as a hunter by besting the greatest hunter in the universe. Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch from the original classic, she manages to take out the hulking extra-terrestrial with her wits.

The Janitor (Willy's Wonderland) 

Similarities between 2020's Willy’s Wonderland and the popular Five Nights at Freddy’s series are allegedly coincidental, but there are some audiences who believe that said recent underrated horror movie is a better cinematic counterpart than Blumhouse’s official feature adaptation. The reason is that Nicolas Cage's silent, unnamed drifter manages to absolutely lay waste to a rundown family entertainment center's evil-possessed animatronics with his bare hands, all while cleaning the place up to an immaculate degree and scoring big in pinball.

Tess Marshall (Barbarian) 

In 2022’s Barbarian, Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell) wastes no time scoping out the strange man she finds staying in her vacation rental home (played by Bill Skarsgård) — asking for his ID, avoiding a drink he prepares for her, etc. — which is only the first sign of her wisdom. The most definitive sign is when she finds a creepy hidden room in the basement and, instead of taking a look inside, her first instinct is one big, "Nope."

Scarlett Marlowe (As Above, So Below) 

Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks) proves her worth as a Final Girl hall-of-famer in one pivotal scene from the 2014 found footage favorite, As Above, So Below. She single-handedly runs all the way back through the, literally, devilish caverns she and her comrades have traveled through to find a mystical artifact that will save a man's life.

The Abbott Family (A Quiet Place) 

A post-apocalyptic world overrun with aliens that hunt by sound is the ingenious concept behind 2018’s A Quiet Place from director John Krasinski, who also stars alongside his real-life wife, Emily Blunt, as a family struggling to stay undetected. For the most, the Abbotts manage this pretty well with tricks like creating paths of sand for quieter walks, building a soundproof bunker for their newborn, and speaking exclusively in American Sign Language.

Lionel Cosgrove (Dead Alive) 

While initially known for his clumsiness, Lionel (Timothy Balme) proves to be a real hero in Peter Jackson's comedic classic, Dead Alive, by making mincemeat about out of a zombie horde with a makeshift lawnmower. What an ingenious idea!

Sang-hwa (Train To Busan)

It is no wonder Don Lee went on to star in Marvel's Eternals cast after playing Sang-hwa in Train to Busan. Fewer characters might have survived the onboard outbreak in the South Korean zombie movie favorite if not for his remarkable skills as a strategist and a bare-knuckle brawler.

Cecelia Kass (The Invisible Man) 

Writer and director Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man is an ingenious modernization of H.G. Wells’ novel for multiple reasons — including its narrative from the perspective of the victim, and a very bright and cautious one at that. Elisabeth Moss' Cecelia Kass is one of the few horror movie characters who leaves absolutely no stone unturned in a fierce battle of wits against her adversary — in this case, her manipulative former husband, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), whom she suspects has figured out a way to stalk her without being seen.

Blade (Blade) 

What makes Blade — originally played by Wesley Snipes in his own trilogy — the ultimate vampire hunter? He technically is one himself. The Marvel Comics hero is known as a Daywalker, having been born with vampire blood and similar abilities that allow him to think just like his prey.

Tommy Jarvis (Friday The 13th Movies) 

Few of Jason Voorhees' targets have been about to successfully outsmart the hockey-masked killer like Tommy Jarvis. In his debut appearance in 1984's Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, the young man (played then by Corey Feldman) shaves his head to appear like a young Jason, disorienting the killer and giving him a clear shot to defeat him.

Tired of watching horror movies and getting frustrated over the characters’ ill-advised decisions? You shouldn’t have that problem with these characters.

Some filmmakers require time to find their voice. They have to make a few simply "ok" features before having the skills required to make their masterpiece. But that's not the case with the directors featured on this list. These folks quickly figured out what they could do with a camera, and they produced magic with their first feature.

It's a terribly hard thing to do, but here are 32 directors who made great films on their very first try.

Orson Welles – Citizen Kane

A lot of incredible films are highlighted on this list, but Citizen Kane is special given that in addition to being Orson Welles’ first feature, it’s considered by many to be the greatest movie all time. The hunt for the meaning behind a publishing titan’s last word is endlessly compelling and a fascinating examination of the soul corruption that comes with a rise to power.

Quentin Tarantino – Reservoir Dogs

Before making modern and instant classics like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the legend of Quentin Tarantino began with the phenomenal Reservoir Dogs. The sharp dialogue, the non-linear storytelling, the tense violence and the needle-drop centric soundtrack all instantly confirmed that Tarantino was a talent to watch.

Jordan Peele – Get Out

It came as a shock when comedian Jordan Peele announced that he was shifting to a new phase of his career, as he wanted to pursue his true passion: directing horror movies. It was hard to know what to make of the decision at the time, but Peele has since established himself as one of the industry’s greatest genre filmmakers, and it all started with the stunning Get Out. It’s scary, layered, and the big third act twist never loses its impact.

Spike Jonze – Being John Malkovich

Spike Jonze wasn’t exactly inexperienced when he took the helm of Being John Malkovich as his first feature, as he had established himself as a genius talent in the world of music videos, but that doesn’t take anything away from his accomplishments. It’s a wild, strange, and perfect execution of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s genius and cerebral script, and both the design and cinematography make it unforgettable.

Sidney Lumet – 12 Angry Men

It requires incredible skill to direct a film that almost entirely takes place in a single room and juggles 12 different characters with different perspectives… but there’s a reason why Sidney Lumet is considered one of history’s greatest filmmakers. The basic description of 12 Angry Men doesn’t sound particularly cinematic, but it grips you from the start, and keeps you fascinated throughout – particularly thanks to one of Henry Fonda’s greatest performances.

Joel & Ethan Coen – Blood Simple

Joel and Ethan Coen are masters of crime fiction, and they proved that instantly in the start of their careers as feature filmmakers. Blood Simple is a tense neo-noir that comes with all of the trimmings of the genre – from the chiaroscuro lighting to a brilliant femme fatale turn from Frances McDormand – and M. Emmett Walsh is a force as the relentless Loren Visser.

Rob Reiner – This Is Spinal Tap

Few filmmakers have had runs like what Rob Reiner accomplished in the 1980s/1990s, sequentially making Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men, but his genius as a director was first established with 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap: a hilarious rock n’ roll mockumentary widely considered to be one of the greatest comedies of all time.

Sam Raimi – The Evil Dead

In the late 1970s/early 1980s, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell were college students determined to make their first ever feature, and traveled from Michigan to a dilapidated cabin in Tennessee to make The Evil Dead. The production of the film was an absolute nightmare, but the juice was very much worth the squeeze, as the movie exists as a testament to brilliant imagination, and it is an important classic in the history of the horror genre.

Frank Darabont – The Shawshank Redemption

After writing a brilliant adaptation of Stephen King’s novella “Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption,” Frank Darabont actually took a major pay cut so that Castle Rock Entertainment would allow him to make The Shawshank Redemption his directorial debut. This turned out to be a legendary move that has cemented Darabont in cinematic history, as the movie is one of the most beloved of all time and an antidote to cynicism.

John Singleton - Boyz n The Hood

With his directorial debut, John Singleton captured the perspective of an underrepresented audience on the big screen – crafting a Stand By Me-esque coming-of-age story about life in south central Los Angeles. In one of his earliest roles, Cuba Gooding Jr. demonstrates incredible talent alongside Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut, but it’s Laurence Fishburne’s Furious Styles for which the film will always be remembered.

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Emerald Fennell made quite an impression in 2020 with the debut of Promising Young Woman – a primal scream of a movie that captures the horrors that women experience in our modern world and comes together as a darkly comedic revenge thriller. Carey Mulligan’s performance is wicked, and it sports a finale that leaves the audience breathless and mind-blown.

Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal is unquestionably one of the greatest actors of his generation, and Nightcrawler sees him let off the leash to showcase his phenomenal cinematic presence. Dan Gilroy was an experienced screenwriter prior to making his directorial debut, and one can understand why he wanted to make this movie himself: it’s a vicious, Taxi Driver-esque look at crime scene videography and a stunning and cutting commentary on “if it bleeds, it leads” culture in local journalism.

George A. Romero – Night Of The Living Dead

There aren’t exactly a lot of filmmakers who successfully launched an entire new subgenre with their first feature, but that’s exactly what George A. Romero did with Night Of The Living Dead. The zombie film was a shocking standout upon its original release – featuring a Black actor as its lead and a series of nightmarish scenes of horror – and its genius is no less apparent today.

Rian Johnson – Brick

Long before wowing us with his ensemble-driven Benoit Blanc mysteries Knives Out and Glass Onion, Rian Johnson stunned cinephiles as a first-time director with Brick. It’s a stylized neo-noir that stands out with its high school backdrop and young characters, and it dazzles with unyielding tension, unique dialogue, and a terrific third act reveal.

Tom Hanks – That Thing You Do!

Admit it: even just seeing the title of That Thing You Do! has immediately gotten the eponymous song stuck in your head. But on top of that track being two minutes and 50 seconds of peppy greatness, the film is a fantastic tale about a one hit wonder that pops thanks to Tom Hanks’ excellent direction and a delightful ensemble cast.

David Lynch – Eraserhead

It didn’t take long for David Lynch to tell cinephiles what he is all about. The auteur filmmaker established his nightmarish, cerebral sensibilities from the get-go with Eraserhead – which is a confident work from the first time director and paved the road for further masterpieces like Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks.

Amy Heckerling – Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Amy Heckerling would easily be in the Coming-Of-Age Movie Hall Of Fame if Clueless were the only film on her filmography, but it was 13 years earlier that she made one of the genre’s all-time greatest titles as her directorial debut: Fast Times At Ridgemont High. There is so much to love about this film, from the radical Jeff Spicoli, to the drama of the relationship between Stacy and Mark, to the sounds of The Cars’ “Living In Stereo.”

Destin Daniel Cretton – Short Term 12

It’s a remarkable thing when a film, a series of images mixed with sound rapidly displayed to show movement, can touch your soul, but that’s something that Destin Daniel Cretton’s powerful directorial debut does – centering on the staff of a residential treatment facility. In retrospect, the ensemble cast in this one is beyond outstanding (including Brie Larson, Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield, and Stephanie Beatriz), and their talents are on full display.

Patty Jenkins – Monster

Patty Jenkins’ directorial debut, Monster, is far from a fun cinematic experience, and one actually feels compelled to take a shower after watching it, but it’s a riveting work. Charlize Theron delivers what is arguably the best performance of her career and earned her Academy Award.

Josh & Benny Safdie - Good Time

Cinephiles were thrilled to discover the cinematic heart attack that is Josh and Benny Safdie’s Uncut Gems in 2019, but anyone who watched the brothers’ directorial debut was at the very least mentally prepared for the experience. Starring Robert Pattinson, Good Time is a deeply stressful crime film that comes packed with touches of Of Mice And Men, and it leaves a deep impression on whoever watches it.

Darren Aronofsky – Pi

Darren Aronofsky has a gift for making movies that makes you want to curl up in a ball and cry (see: Requiem For A Dream, Black Swan, mother!), and it’s a mode he hasn’t diverted from since making his feature debut with Pi. It’s a stylistic story of obsession and has one of the most upsetting endings of all time.

John Huston - The Maltese Falcon

There are some films that are held up as the true classics of classic film noir, and right alongside Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Bill Wilder’s Double Indemnity and Carol Reed’s The Third Man is John Huston’s phenomenal The Maltese Falcon. Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade is an icon of detective fiction, and the twists and turns of the mystery feel as fresh today as ever.

Ari Aster - Hereditary

Ari Aster has quickly become one of the most exciting modern filmmakers making original horror, and that’s in part because audiences are still experiencing nightmares from his directorial debut. A look at both generational trauma and grief, Hereditary is a movie so scary that it would make you feel cold if you were in the middle of the desert, and has more than a few images that end up tattooed on the back of your eyelids as you try to go to sleep at night.

Michael Mann - Thief

Nobody makes crime movies like Michael Mann, and it all started with Thief. It’s a thrilling and captivating look at a talented Chicago criminal who is looking for his way into legitimacy and finds himself fighting forces that try and drag him back into his shady business. The movie features one of James Caan’s best performances, and the talented ensemble includes Jim Belishi, Dennis Farina and Willie Nelson.

Francois Truffaut - The 400 Blows

Valued as an important part of cinema history and the French New Wave, Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows is a powerful coming-of-age story starring Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel, a troubled youth who ends up quitting school and turning to thievery, only to be apprehended and thrown in a juvenile detention center. Truffaut is recognized for having created some of the most beautiful films to ever be produced in France, and it all started here.

Jean Luc Goddard - Breathless

Another evocative title that emerged from the French New Wave, Jean Luc Goddard’s Breathless is a visually stunning work of crime and love, with tremendous cinematic innovation, attitude that bleeds off the screen, and an outstanding performance from star Jean-Paul Belmondo in his breakout role.

Barry Jenkins – Medicine For Melancholy

Barry Jenkins first earned widespread acclaim in 2016 for his film Moonlight (which deservingly won Best Picture at the Academy Awards), but not to be slept on is the debut feature he made eight years earlier: Medicine For Melancholy. Starring Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins and set over the course of a single day, it’s a beautiful and emotional romantic drama.

Steven Soderbergh - Sex, Lies, And Videotape

Steven Soderbergh is now recognized as one of the most talented, eclectic filmmakers in cinema, but it all started with Sex, Lies And Videotape – a fascinating romantic drama with brilliant meta levels examining intimacy via camera.

George Miller – Mad Max

Many genre classics have been covered in this list, and now it’s time to dive into one of the greatest action/adventure films of all time. With Mad Max, George Miller takes us to an unnerving not-to-distant future full of violence and chaos, and his unique skills as a filmmaker capturing all that wildness all in camera is what makes this a forever-thrilling experience.

Damien Chazelle – Whiplash

One can read and learn that there is intense competition in performance arts schools, but it’s another thing to live it – and that’s what audiences get to do in Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash. Miles Teller is brilliant as the determined and talented Andrew Neiman, but it’s the Oscar-winning work of J.K. Simmons that makes this outstanding directorial debut exceptional.

Mel Brooks – The Producers

Every legendary cinematic run has to start somewhere, and for Mel Brooks, it was with the brilliance of The Producers. Long before he was shocking with the world with Blazing Saddles and History Of The World Part I, the brilliant comedian unleashed his tale of a Broadway scheme and the insanity of “Springtime For Hitler.”

Jim Abrahams, David Zucker And Jerry Zucker – Airplane!

In the 1980s/1990s, nobody made spoof movies like Jim Abrahams, David Zucker And Jerry Zucker, and they quickly established their special comedic voice with their directorial debut: Airplane! The insane pacing of the jokes and the sheer ridiculousness of everything make this a movie that threatens to choke you with laughter, and there are so, so many quotable lines – many thanks to the deadpan brilliance of Leslie Nielsen.

This list obviously has the potential to grow forever, and it'll be exciting to see who the next big breakout movie directors are. 

There have been some totally wild movie endings over the years, and others that many remember more than their respective movies, so much so that they’ve entered the zeitgeist even for those who’ve never watched them before. However, some of those iconic Academy Award-winning films almost had alternate endings that differed drastically from what we saw, that were either originally a part of the movie or written or shot as a back-up plan if the director and cast didn’t stick the landing.

Here are 32 movies that almost ended in a completely different manner…

Titanic (1997)

We’re all familiar with the Titanic ending: Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) dies, Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) survives and lives a long and fulfilling life. And while that aspect didn’t change in the film’s alternate ending, the scene where the present-day Rose (Gloria Stuart) drops the Heart of the Ocean into the Atlantic played out differently. Instead of being on her own and never revealing she had the diamond all along, Rose is caught by Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton), who gets to touch the necklace before the elderly woman drops the stone below.

Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic, Alien, ends with Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) defeating the Xenomorph once and for all before going into cryo-sleep. However, the filmmaker revealed in an interview with EW that his original vision saw the movie ending on a much more somber note with the heroine having her head ripped off by the alien creature.

Seven (1995)

Is there a movie ending more memorable than the Seven finale with its painful “What’s in the box?” scream from Brad Pitt’s David Mills? Well, David Fincher’s 1995 thriller could have gone in multiple directions, according to the Telegraph (via SlashFilm). In fact, there were seven alternate endings, including one where William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) kills John Doe (Kevin Spacey), one where Mills shoots Somerset to prevent him from killing Doe, and one including a dead dog in the box.

Get Out (2017)

The Get Out ending leaves things on a relatively high note with Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) being rescued by his best friend, Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery), but there’s an alternate scene that is more devastating than anything in the final film. In the Get Out alternate ending, it isn’t Rod who shows up but instead a police officer who arrests Chris for the murder of Rose Armitage (Allison Williams).

28 Days Later (2002)

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later is one of the most transformative zombie movies of the 21st century and one of the best 2000s movies. The movie’s main ending wraps up with a suggestion that Jim (Cillian Murphy), Selena (Naomie Harris), and Hannah (Megan Burns) will be saved after escaping the fortified mansion. However, the 28 Days Later alternate endings are far more grim and over-the-top, with one wrapping up with an ambiguous car crash, another where Jim dies, and another with a wild blood transfusion sequence.

Fatal Attraction (1987)

The 1987 erotic thriller, Fatal Attraction, ends with Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) being shot and killed by Beth Rogerson Gallagher (Anne Archer), Dan’s wife. However, according to Vanity Fair, the alternate -- well, original -- ending saw Alex die after slashing her own throat, which didn’t work with test audiences.

I Am Legend (2007)

The I Am Legend alternate ending is one that provides a lot more context for the overall story than the version we saw in theaters. In this version, Will Smith’s Robert Neville discovers that the Alpha Male Hemocyte was trying to save his mate the whole time and that the creatures see the human as their boogeyman. This completely changes the way you look at the “monsters” while also keeping the humans alive. 

Clue (1985)

John Landis’ legendary murder mystery comedy, Clue, has not one, not two, but three different endings before the credits roll. And unlike a lot of movies where the alternate conclusions aren’t seen until put on DVD years later, moviegoers get to see the “Miss Scarlet” ending, the “Mrs. Peacock” ending, and the “real” ending in one viewing.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, one of the best action movies of all time, ends with T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sacrificing himself to save Sarah (Linda Hamilton) and John Connor (Edward Furlong) who then drive down an open highway. The alternate ending ends on a different note with an older Sarah Connor talking about John becoming a Senator instead of a soldier in the war between man and machine.

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) 

We all know how National Lampoon’s Vacation ends: Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) buys a BB gun and forces his way into Walley World after driving 2,400 miles across the country. The original version of the movie, however, never saw the family enter the park. Instead, they confronted Roy Walley (Eddie Bracken) at his home, as detailed in an EW oral history of the massive change. 

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Though George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead doesn’t end on the happiest of notes – Peter (Ken Foree) and Fancine (Gaylen Ross) escape in a helicopter with limited fuel and a zombie-infested landscape – it’s far more uplifting than what the late horror master originally had in store. According to ScreenRant, the original version in the script saw both of the survivors kill themselves before they could be eaten by zombies.

First Blood (1982)

First Blood ends with Johnny Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) tearfully lamenting his Vietnam War experience and the treatment he received upon returning home before being taken into federal custody. However, according to EW, the movie was going to originally end with the hero taking his own life.

Little Shop Of Horrors (1986) 

Frank Oz’s Little Shop of Horrors ends with Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) and Audrey (Ellen Greene) getting married after destroying Audrey II, but the musical comedy’s original, and far more depressing ending, was a different story. In this version, the man-eating plant eats its owner and begins to take over the world, toppling (and eating) everything in its path.

Clerks (1994)

Nearly 30 years after the release of Clerks, Kevin Smith took to Twitter to share a scene from the original script that would have had his directorial debut end on a different note. In this alternate ending, Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) is shot and killed instead of taking the next day off.

Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner has long been known for its various different cuts, each of which has a slightly different ending. The theatrical cut ends with Deckard (Harrison Ford) and Rachel (Sean Young) driving away from Los Angeles with a voice-over track, the director’s cut ends much earlier in the story and gets rid of the narration. This latter version was enhanced in the “Final Cut” years later, according to SlashFilm.

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

The 2004 psychological thriller, The Butterfly Effect ends with Evan (Ashton Kutcher) going back in time to make a bad impression on Kayleigh (Amy Smart) so they won’t be together later in life. However, the director’s cut features an ending that sees the protagonist go back and prevent himself from being born to save everyone from the fallout of his actions.

Army of Darkness (1993)

Army of Darkness ends with Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) being sent back to the present where he recounts his story to a coworker before killing a Deadite and saving the day. Sam Raimi’s original ending instead sees Ash oversleeping and waking up in a post-apocalyptic world instead of his own.. 

Pretty Woman (1990)

Pretty Woman, one of the best romantic comedies of all time, ends with Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) and Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) living happily ever after. However, as noted by Vanity Fair, the original ending in the script was much darker, and ended with the female character essentially having a stack of cash thrown at her while the male lead drove away.

The Descent (2005)

Neil Marshall’s 2005 British horror movie has two endings, one that was shown around the world during its initial release and another for American audiences in 2006. In the original ending, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) seemingly escapes the cave only for her departure being revealed as a hallucination before she is devoured by crawlers. The alternate ending shown in the states doesn’t include the revelation that her escape was a fantasy, as pointed out by Vulture.

Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995) 

Did you know there’s an alternate ending for Die Hard with a Vengeance, one where Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons) evades capture and doesn’t die in a helicopter crash? Well, that’s the case. In the alternate version, which was filmed, John McClane (Bruce Willis) is blamed for everything before losing his job, pension, and marriage. However, McClane eventually gets revenge on the man who took everything from him, just much later in a bar in Hungary.

Election (1999) 

Alexander Payne’s Election ends with Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) leaving Nebraska for New York City and becoming a tour guide at the American Museum of Natural History while Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) starts a new life in Washington, D.C.. However, an alternate version covered by The Atlantic, wraps up with Jim and Tracy meeting again at a Nebraska car dealership where they settle their differences.

Pineapple Express (2008)

Pineapple Express has a hilarious ending where Dale Denton (Seth Rogen), Saul Silver (James Franco), and Red (Danny McBride) sit in a diner discussing everything that went down hours earlier. But there is an alternate ending to David Gordon Green’s 2008 action comedy that is much more violent than what we saw in theaters. 

Dr. Strangelove (1964) 

Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy, Dr. Strangelove ends with one of the most iconic shots in film history, but it almost ended in a far sillier and less destructive way. According to SlashFilm, the movie was originally set to end with a pie fight. Yes, a pie fight. Though campy, the raucous affair was to serve as a metaphor for the unnecessary violence of war. 

Sweet Home Alabama (2002) 

Sweet Home Alabama ends with Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) and Jake (Josh Lucas) meeting on the beach during a rainstorm before returning to the Carmichael estate to finally have their first dance. However, when speaking with Insider, director Andy Tennant revealed there was a different ending in which everyone is made to believe Melanie was struck by lightning on the beach. This had to be reworked after test audiences thought the character died on her wedding night.

Paranormal Activity (2009)

Paranormal Activity, one of the best found footage horror films, ends with Katie (Katie Featherston) killing her husband, Michah (Micah Sloat) before going missing. However, there are two alternate endings that didn’t make the theatrical cut. Per EW, the first ended like the theatrical release except for the fact that Katie is shot and killed by police. The second ends with Katie taking her own life after killing her husband.

Thelma & Louise (1991) 

Thelma & Louise ends with the titular heroines (played by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon) driving their car off a cliff instead of surrendering to authorities. There’s an alternate ending where the aftermath of the wreck is shown with a lot of focus put on Hal Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) and other law enforcement officers.

Boiler Room (2000) 

The theatrical version of Boiler Room ends with the J.T. Marlin firm being swarmed by FBI agents, but an alternate version ends much differently. Instead of the feds coming in and arresting everyone, it is implied that Harry Reynard (Taylor Nichols), who lost everything because of the company’s scheme, shows up and shoots everyone. Well, except for Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), who escapes in time. 

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was supposed to have a much different ending one in which Elliott (Henry Thomas) was still in contact with his alien friend, based on what Robert MacNaughton, who played the older Taylor brother, revealed to Yahoo! Movies. The scene was scripted, but luckily Steven Spielberg went with the more emotional sendoff. 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ends with the titular heroes (played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford) going out in a blaze of glory before the credits roll. And while the picture stops just before the shooting begins (only the audio can be heard), there’s an alternate cut where the scene is shown in full, according to SlashFilm.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a strange case as its two post-credit sequences weren’t shown in all screenings during its 2009 release, per IGN. Both scenes – Logan (Hugh Jackman) drinking in a bar and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) shushing the audience – ended up on the home release, but audiences didn’t really know which one they were going to get back in the day.

Eternals (2021) 

The Eternals ending did a lot to set up the future for the titular group of Marvel heroes, but Chloé Zhao originally had a much bleaker conclusion for her first MCU film. When speaking with Empire, the Oscar winner revealed that she initially planned on the surviving members of the team ending up on the ship where their memories were zapped before being sent to a new planet.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 almost ended in an entirely different way, one that would have seen the return of Peter Parker’s (Andrew Garfield) dad (played by Campbell Scott). The scene, which was filmed, was  not used in the theatrical cut.

Should these alternate endings have been used, or did the filmmakers and producers make the right decision in giving audiences what we ended up seeing on the big screen? It’s a mixed bag, but these movies would have been drastically different if they made the final cut.

These movie romances are the ones that have gone very wrong. The anti-best romantic comedies, if you will. These are disastrous relationships that get very dark, and very twisted by the end. It’s everything you never want in a relationship.  

Amy And Nick - Gone Girl

Amy (Rosamund Pike) and Nick (Ben Affleck) appear to have had an idyllic marriage until their lives were uprooted and they ended up in rural Missouri in Gone Girl. Amy, who is seriously pissed off about Nick’s affair, decides she’s not only going to send him on a wild goose chase of a scavenger hunt to reveal she knows, but she’s going to fake her own death and pin it on him. Vicious. 

Alex And Dan - Fatal Attraction

It’s impossible to defend Dan (Michael Douglas) completely here, after all, he chose to have the one-night stand with Alex (Glenn Close) in Fatal Attraction. Everything that happens after that though? Yeah, that’s 100% on Alex. What started as a passionate night between two successful people ends with her doing horrible things. Everyone points to the bunny scene, but let’s remember she slits her wrists to get him to stay the first time. The toxic relationship was even rebooted as a TV show. 

Nicole And David - Fear 

Once described as “Fatal Attraction for teens” by Brian Grazer, Fear, starring Mark Wahlberg as the just ever so slightly obsessive David, and Reese Witherspoon as the shy, sheltered Nicole, is just about as disturbing. What starts as first love soon gets very, very dark when David goes completely psycho on Nicole, including one of the most memorable confrontations on film when he appears outside her door and she watches through the peephole.

Alabama And Clarence - True Romance

In True Romance, Alabama (Patricia Arquette) is a sex worker hired by Clarence’s boss to seduce him for his birthday. Instead, she falls for Clarence (Christian Slater). In an attempt to free her from her pimp, he ends up killing a bunch of people and leaving with a suitcase full of drugs. It’s a classic story: girl meets boy, boy murders drug dealer, boy and girl get chased to California and end up almost dead at the hands of the mafia. 

Veronica And J.D. - Heathers

Imagine going from the cool click in high school to a serial killer. That’s exactly what happens to very Gen-X movie character, Veronica (Wynona Rider) in Heathers after J.D. (Christian Slater) transfers to her school and they fall in love. Veronica was never comfortable in the “Heathers” click, but it goes to the extreme when she and J.D. start killing off the popular kids. After he decides everyone needs to die, Veronica finally stops the damage, though it’s too late for some. 

Edward And Connie - Unfaithful

Unfaithful is a tough movie to watch at times. It's the rare example on this list where everyone is good, and everyone is bad. Connie (Diane Lane) finds herself seduced by a stranger and hides the affair from her husband, Edward (Richard Gere). She's distracted enough by her lover that Edward gets suspicious, and after a private detective finds out the truth, he confronts the lover and kills him in a fit of rage. 

Tessa And David - Unforgettable

In another rarity on this list, Unforgettable actually has a happy, healthy couple: David (Geoff Stults) and Julia (Rosario Dawson). The unhappy one in the relationship is David's ex Tessa, played by Katherine Heigl. She sets out to ruin Julia's life when she finds out David is going to marry her. It's truly a rampage for the ages, as she even tricks Julia's abusive ex-boyfriend back into Julia's life and things only get worse from there.

Oliver And Barbara Rose - The War Of The Roses

The War of the Roses has to be one of the darkest of dark comedies. It's kind of Kramer v. Kramer meets a disturbing Home Alone. Oliver (Michael Douglas) and Barbara Rose (Kathleen Turner) are two very rich people going through a very nasty divorce. The level of comedic violence is through the roof. There is no one (and no dog) safe when these two are battling it out. It's funny, sure, but wow is it dark. Woof. 

Claire And Noah - The Boy Next Door

It's twisted enough when a teacher sleeps with a student. It gets even more messed up when that student becomes a stalker intent on ruining the teacher's life and her family. The Boy Next Door has nothing about it that isn't completely screwed up. Claire (Jennifer Lopez) barely tries to put up a fight when Noah (Ryan Guzman) seduces her, even though she's a teacher at his school. She learns pretty quickly just how out of hand things can get when Noah gets as obsessive as Fatal Attraction's Alex. 

Mickey And Mallory Knox - Natural Born Killers

There are few more messed up couples in movie history than Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) in Natural Born Killers. Their killing spree captivates a shocked public and leads them on the kind of adventure that only the most psychotic would ever want to go on. It was always bound to end up this way, with Mallory’s horrifying upbringing and Mickey’s lifetime of crime; it only took the two meeting to set off the murder spree. They're a couple and it's a movie we still can't stop talking about all these years later 

Chris And Rose - Get Out

In the instant classic Get Out, Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) thinks he’s found the love of his life in Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). While he may be nervous to meet her parents, because he’s Black and she’s white, he is calmed by her welcoming and friendly mom and dad. It’s not until a little later, after noticing some very off things about the couple’s domestic help, that he senses something is wrong and by then, it’s too late. Rose’s family is nothing like he first thought and he barely makes it out alive. 

Romeo And Juliet - Romeo + Juliet

Romeo Montague (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Juliet Capulet (Claire Danes) in Baz Lehrman’s film version of the classic Shakespeare tragedy, Romeo + Juliet, are lovestruck teenagers who cannot live without each other. Sadly, it’s a forbidden love, as their families are the Hatfields and McCoys of 16th-century Italy. That doesn’t stop the two lovebirds, but by the end, as the world knows, it all ends in the most tragic way possible. 

Tony And Maria - West Side Story

The West Side Story...story... has been told countless times on high school stages across the country, and of course on Broadway, but it's the two movies (the first in 1961 with Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood as Tony and Maria and the 2021 version with Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in the roles) that have become beloved classics. Based on Romeo and Juliet, it tells the story of forbidden love between two people in rival gangs in New York in the 1950s, and like the Shakespeare play, it ends in tragedy, with Maria witnessing the Tony's murder. 

Carly And Zeke - Sliver

Carly (Sharon Stone) is excited to move into her new apartment, and is more excited when she meets a neighbor, Zeke (William Baldwin). They begin a steamy romance, but that causes another neighbor, Jack (Tom Berenger), to get insanely jealous. Jack stalks Carly and tries to convince her that Zeke is a bad person, but Jack has been murdering other tenants of the building. Finally, Zeke reveals he's got cameras in every apartment, and Carly confronts Jack, shooting him in self-defense after he tries to attack. She ends it with Zeke, who it turns out is pretty damn creepy himself, watching the tenants in his secret monitor room. 

Cecilia And Adrian - The Invisible Man 

In the latest, great take on The Invisible Man, the marriage between Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) and Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is already really bad, but it gets much worse. Adrian is controlling and abusive, so Cecilia drugs him and gets away. Adrian, she's led to believe, dies by suicide and leaves her millions. That's only the beginning, as it turns out he can make himself invisible and the the physical and psychological torture increases to nightmarish levels. 

Laura And Martin - Sleeping With The Enemy

It's not that hard to deduce what is going on in a movie called Sleeping with the Enemy, but that only begins to describe how awful Martin (Patrick Bergin) is to his wife, Laura (Julia Roberts). The level of violence is, frankly, shocking. He abuses her in every way possible until she is finally able to fake her own death and escape to Iowa. Martin finds her eventually, and the confrontation at the end is epic, with Laura getting the revenge she desperately tried to avoid by disappearing. 

Nick And Catherine - Basic Instinct

Sharon Stone, who plays Catherine in Basic Instinct, made a name for herself playing sexy sirens in steamy romance films, but this one put her on the map in that regard. Catherine is an accused murderer being investigated by Nick (Michael Douglas). She's diabolical in her deceit, or at least the viewer is led to believe so, until we learn that the truth is something completely different, with a twist at the end...or was it?

Joel And Clementine - Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a pretty weird movie, which fits the pretty weird nature of the relationship between Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet). In a new type of procedure, both separately have their negative memories of their relationship erased after they break up. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) they keep the good ones. In the end, they try to make a go of it one more time, but you can't help but wonder if it's going to end well or not, as it's never resolved. 

Lee And Gray - Secretary

Years before 50 Shades Of Grey became a cultural phenomenon, there was Secretary,  starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee, a submissive in work and eventually sex, to Gray, played by James Spader. He is ashamed of his behavior, but can't stop, and she doesn't want it to. It's a disturbing movie for some, but really, we don't want to kink shame anyone and in the end, maybe this is how they are supposed to be. 

Slim And Mitchell - Enough

The violent abusive husband Mitchell (Billy Campbell), is like the Terminator in his relentless pursuit of his wife and victim, Slim (Jennifer Lopez). He seems to find her wherever she is and continues to abuse and torment her. Finally, Slim has had enough and hatches a plan to end the pursuit forever. 

Dean And Cindy - Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine is just tragic all around. Barbie star Ryan Gosling plays Dean, a down-on-his-luck slacker and heavy drinker who somehow gets Cindy (Michelle Williams) to date him, despite being way out of his league. The movie goes back and forth between the beginning and end of their relationship, and it's a powerful way to show that not everything has a storybook ending. Sometimes, things can go very, very wrong, even in relationships that start off higher than the moon. 

Everyone has gone through difficult breakups, and had hard relationships. Hopefully, very few have anything even remotely close to the ones on this list. Still, it's good to reminder how good some of us have it even when things aren't going exactly as we want. 

The term “elevated horror” — used to refer to thrillers of a “higher quality” than what the genre is typically known for — has a bad reputation among the genre’s biggest fans. Reason being: it seems to imply that classic slasher movies such as Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street do not deserve to be put in the same camp as more recent acclaimed horror films like The Babadook or It Follows.

Well, what if I told you that all four of those titles have a Rotten Tomatoes score above 90%? In fact there are plenty more great horror movies of a vast variety of styles and tones that have all earned the right to be held to the same standard by the rules of the critical review aggregator by falling within the same range of percentage. Let’s go over just 30 of our favorite examples, shall we?

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) - 96%

You have likely never seen a vampire movie (or horror film in general) quite like A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, which 96% of critics appreciated for its strikingly unique execution. Shot in black and white and sneakily incorporating traditional horror elements amid its quiet, grounded tone, Iranian filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour's feature-length debut follows the developing relationship between a troubled young man (Arash Marandi) and a mysterious woman (Sheila Vand).

Alien (1979) - 98%

Audiences could (and have) debated forever over whether or not the first installment of the enduring franchise of Alien movies — and debut of Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley — is more sci-fi or horror. However, at least most critics (98% of 132 on RT) agree that, no matter how you look at it, Ridley Scott’s highly influential, atmospheric thriller — in which an interplanetary commercial freighter crew is stalked by a vicious, gorgeously designed beast — is undeniably terrifying and certainly one of the best horror movies of the 70s.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) - 95%

Writer and director Wes Craven's tale of a teenager (Heather Langenkamp) stalked by dream-hopping, razor-clawed, horribly disfigured boogeyman, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) kicked off one of the most beloved horror movie franchises of all time. However, the original A Nightmare on Elm Street remains the best reviewed of the series and the only one even close to the 90% range.

A Quiet Place (2018) - 96%

Fans of NBC’s The Office and film critics would never be able to look at Jim Halpert actor John Krasinski the same way ever again after he helmed and starred in the instant horror classic, A Quiet Place. With an impressive 96% positive reviews out 387 on RT, critics apparently had a lot to say about this highly inventive, thoroughly gripping drama about family is forced to live in silence after Earth becomes overrun with an otherworldly race of malevolent creatures that detect sound to hunt their prey.

The Babadook (2014) - 98%

At 98% on RT, critics regard Australian writer and director Jennifer Kent as a modern horror masterpiece — not just for its suffocatingly bleak tone and terrifying scares, but out of appreciation for what it is really about. The titular creature from The Babadook — one of modern horror’s greatest villains — is a symbolic representation of widowed single mother Amelia's (Essie Davis) own grief and the increasingly volatile tendencies that come from it, but is still effortlessly scary at face value.

The Birds (1963) - 94%

For proof that Alfred Hitchcock's mastery of suspense has stood the test of time, look no further than the 94% RT score for The Birds, which is made up almost entirely of reviews from after the year 2000. The majority agree that this story of a coastal town falling prey to various breeds of the unlikely, winged, titular enemy is a devastating, hair-raising creature feature.

Frankenstein (1931) - 94%

While it differs greatly from the story told in Mary Shelley’s revolutionary novel, it is easy to understand why director James Whale’s Frankenstein would become
the definitive representation of this cautionary tale about defying nature. The 94% of positive reviews on RT are especially impressed by Boris Karloff's performance as, arguably, the crown jewel among the interconnected universe of classic Universal monsters and Colin Clive as his titular creator. 

Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) - 98%

James Whale would return to the world of Mary Shelley’s classic with a new, wholly original chapter that, based on its 98% RT score, is preferred over its iconic predecessor. Bride of Frankenstein is also the perfect date night movie for horror fans, featuring a brilliantly unhinged Elsa Lanchester as the title character, who is forcibly created by Henry Frankenstein as a romantic companion to Karloff’s Monster.

The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1919) - 96%

Director Robert Weine’s surreal, silent masterpiece, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, is considered to be the first true horror film and its seminal effect pom the genre shows in the critical reception alone. At 96% on RT, it appears that reviewers were spooked and dazzled by this quintessential example of the mesmerizing power of German expressionism, in which Cesare (Conrad Veidt) is forced to commit murders by his hypnotist servant (Werner Krauss).

Freaks (1932) - 95%

Tod Browning’s unsettling revenge tale starring real circus performers proved controversial at the time for its graphic depiction of some truly unspeakable acts. However, Freaks has since earned a reputation as one of the most acclaimed thrillers of all time, earning a positive reception from 95% of the 56 reviews on RT.

Get Out (2017) - 98%

Jordan Peele went from being one of comedy’s biggest stars to one’s of horror’s most respected auteurs after releasing this instant classic of Black horror that offers a grim, enduringly thought-provoking take on modern racism. The Academy Award-winning Get Out famously sat at 100% until professional troll Armond White's negative analysis for the National Review brought it down to its still impressive current score of 98% out of 404 reviews.

Halloween (1978) - 96%

The movie that solidified Jamie Lee Curtis as the ultimate Scream Queen, made the world fear the unstoppable Michael Myers, and is, arguably, the greatest film by John Carpenter is still the best-reviewed definitive slasher movie on Rotten Tomatoes with a 96% critic rating and 89% audience score. Thus, it makes sense that the masterfully suspenseful Halloween is credited as the film that would lay the groundwork for the enduring subgenre, let alone its all-time finest entry.

His House (2020) - 100%

A rare example of a horror film (or film from any genre) to receive a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is the Netflix original horror movie, His House. Not only is this story of a couple of Sudanese refugees (Sope Disiru, Wunmi Mosaku) struggling to make a new life for themselves in England a viscerally terrifying haunted house thriller, screenwriter and director Remi Weekes’ incorporates some bold social commentary that is even more unsettling than its supernatural elements.

Host (2020) - 99%

Perhaps the vastly relatable theme at the time of feeling trapped in your own home had something to do with the astonishing critical success of Host, which was developed, filmed, and also released exclusively on Shudder in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Out of the 97 reviews for director Rob Savage’s brilliant “video call horror” hit on RT, there is only one negative review to be found.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956) - 98%

Jack Finney's paranoid short story about people being insidiously replaced by virtually perfect, extra-terrestrial duplicates has inspired multiple direct adaptations over the last several decades. However, the first film of the bunch — director Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers — remains the best reviewed so far, with 98% of critics captivated by its clever social commentary.

It Follows (2015) - 95%

Writer and director David Robert Mitchell cleverly reinforced one of the horror genre’s most infamous cliches by making sex both a death sentence and a saving grace for Maika Monroe's Jay in It Follows. Even the few out of the 270 critics on RT who (somehow) did not find its titular, shape-shifting entity particularly frightening could not deny that the film’s dream-like atmosphere, heart-pumping score, and '80s  aesthetic makes for an unforgettable experience.

Jaws (1975) - 97%

Many of Steven Spielberg's best movies fall within the 90% range on Rotten Tomatoes, with the top three being E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at 99%,  Schindler's List at 98%, and this highly influential creature feature at 97%. The fascinating thing about the success of Jaws — which topped the list of all-time highest grossing films (for a while), bred the modern definition of the summer blockbuster, and made the nation afraid of the water — is that its extremely effective aura of mystery was not by design, but out of necessity, since the film suffered countless technical issues regarding the main antagonist: a Great White Shark.

King Kong (1933) - 96%

The 96% Rotten Tomatoes score for one of the most influential monster movies of all time is further proof that (in most cases) you just can't beat the original. The titular creature from King Kong has since appeared in countless films — as recently as 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong — but none (including even Peter Jackson's marvelous remake) have been as big a hit with critics as the spectacular adventure that started it all in 1933.

La Llorona (2020) - 96% 

It appears that at least some user reviews confused this Shudder exclusive with a similarly titled spin-off of The Conjuring (that was only rated 28% on RT), which would explain its 62% audience score. However, most critics who actually saw director Jayro Busttamante Golden Globe-nominated La Llorona regard it as a haunting film that uniquely fuses elements of the traditional Spanish legend that inspired it with true events of political unrest in Guatemala. 

Let The Right One In (2008) - 98%

Rarely has vampirism been told in such a disturbingly grounded and heartbreakingly relatable way than in John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel, Let the Right One In, which tells the story of a tormented young boy (Kåre Hedebrant) who befriends a mysterious girl with an unusual and dangerous secret. Matt Reeves would also come out with an impressive interpretation for English-speaking moviegoers with 2010’s Let Me In, but Tomas Alfredson’s Swedish coming-of-age drama has a 10% hold over it on RT.

Night Of The Living Dead (1968) - 96%

There are few greater examples of great zombie fiction than George A. Romero’s long-running franchise of Dead movies, but the one that started it all remains the best in the eyes of critics. Night of the Living Dead was a revolutionary moment in horror for introducing our modern definition of the zombie and casting a Black actor (Duane Jones) as the lead hero, which leant strongly to its underlying societal commentary that, according to Den of Geek, its late writer and director claims was never intentional.

Nosferatu (1922) - 97%

Universal's original, Bela Lugosi-led Dracula from 1931 also falls within Rotten Tomatoes horror movie top tier at 94%, but is not rated as high as cinema's true first adaptation adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic. At 97% on RT the critical consensus deems German filmmaker F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu as — not only one of the all-time creepiest vampire films (with special credit due to Max Schreck’s Count Orlok — but one of the silent era's finest masterpieces.

Psycho (1960) - 96%

While not the highest rated horror film on Rotten Tomatoes, highest ranked horror film on the site (rated 96% out of 111 reviews and a close audience score compiled from more than 100,000 user ratings) is Psycho. From the brilliant performances by Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh to the iconic shower scene, it is easy to see why this brilliant psychological thriller solidified Alfred Hithcock’s title as “The Master of Suspense."

Rosemary's Baby (1968) - 96%

Perhaps the three rotten reviews that brought Rosemary's Baby down to a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes came from critics who cannot relate to the perils of parenthood. The rest recognized director Roman Polanski's paranoia-fueled, foreboding nightmare starring Mia Farrow in the title role as a master class in slow-building, unrelenting dread.

Ringu (1998) - 98%

More mainstream, stateside audiences are familiar with The Ring — Gore Verbinski’s 2002 thriller about a curse videotape with a 71% rating — but the one that started it all is more beloved at 98% on RT. Hideo Nakata’s Ringu is one of the greatest Japanese horror movies of all time for its boldly disturbing imagery that is sure to haunt you for days... maybe a week.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) - 95%

Say what you want about critics: most of them, at least, have the ability to recognize high-quality horror when they see it, as seen in the 95% RT rating (and matching audience score) for director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of Thomas Harris’ unsettling crime novel, The Silence of the Lambs. Not only is this masterful cat-and-mouse game the genre’s only Best Picture Oscar winner so far, but statuettes were also given to Demme, Anthony Hopkins’ definitive portrayal of cannibalistic criminal psychologist, Hannibal Lecter, and Jodie Foster as ace FBI trainee, Clarice Starling.

Train To Busan (2016) - 94%

At a time when it seemed like the subgenre pioneered by George A. Romero was so oversaturated that it was close to running out of steam, co-writer and director Sang-ho Yeon came up with a brilliantly simple idea to bring it back from the dead: zombies on a train. At 94% on RT, critics would agree that Train to Busan is not just one of the best horror films to come out of South Korea, but also one of the most realistic zombie movies in recent memory, let alone one of the most heart-wrenchingly gripping.

Under The Shadow (2016) - 99%

As they struggle to cope with the perils of war right outside, a woman (Narges Rashidi) and her daughter (Avin Mashandi) find there is also plenty to fear inside their home in Under the Shadow. Writer and director Babak Anvari’s Persian-language period drama achieved a stellar 99% RT score out of 93 critical reviews that praised its horrific ghost story wrapped in a bleak, realistic depiction of 1980s Tehram.

Vampyr (1932) - 98%

Dracula was not the only creature of the night to dominate the cinema and win over critics in the 1930s. A 98% critics score and 82% audience score on RT proves that Vampyr -- Carl Theodore Dreyer’s adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic horror story a young girl who begins to show signs of succumbing to vampirism -- is a mesmerizing, surreal, and chilling tale that should not be missed.

The Wailing (2016) - 99%

Critics deemed writer and director Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing as an instant classic of Asian horror cinema when it came out — not just because of its disturbing content, but because of its unique fusion of multiple styles and tones. At a whopping 99% on RT, the story of a police officer (Kwak Do-won) investigating a mysterious illness is one-part crime drama, one-part dark comedy, and two-parts unsettling fairy tale, all wrapped up in poignant commentary on mob paranoia.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the 30 classic thrillers above should keep you both freaked out and fascinated for as long as your horror-loving heart desires.

Considering that Jordan Peele has only directed three feature films, it’s incredible that he has reached such a wild level of success; he can simply announce that a new movie is on the way and a lot of people will take notice. Not only that, but Jordan Peele movies on Netflix and other platforms are apparently seen as valuable enough that they can take on the biggest franchise in the world right now. Because Peele’s next film will be released on Christmas Day 2024, five days after Avatar 3.

The release date of Jordan Peele’s new film is the only thing we know for sure about it at this point. THR confirms the Christmas day release date. We don’t even know with certainty that Peele’s fourth directorial effort will be a horror movie, but considering that’s what the other three have been, it certainly seems likely.

Jordan Peele wowed audiences with Get Out in 2017, a movie that would not become a box office juggernaut but the rare horror movie that received awards recognition. It ultimately won Peele the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. That was followed by Us in 2019, which was an even bigger box office hit, and then Nope in 2022. Nope didn’t do quite as well at the box office as the other two, but considering the level of success of the first films, it only underperformed by comparison. 

Universal Pictures previously had the Christmas Day release staked out with part one of the Wicked adaptation, but last week it was announced that Wicked was getting moved up and would be released the day before Thanksgiving instead. At the time, it seemed that the movie was getting out of the way of Avatar 3. Considering just how long Avatar: The Way of Water owned the box office last December, there’s every reason to believe Avatar 3 will do the same, and any movie being released after it, especially only a few days later, could suffer at the box office because of it.

But it seems the real reason Wicked was moved was to make way for Jordan Peele’s new movie. And there’s certainly reason to believe that a movie from Peele would have a stronger chance than other films against Avatar 3. It will almost certainly be the definition of counter-programming. The potential movie audience that is not excited by the massive budget CGI spectacle franchise of Avatar 3 might be exactly the audience looking for something like what we now think of as a Jordan Peele movie, a character-driven horror movie with a unique premise and provocative themes. 

With the release date for Jordan Peele’s fourth film nearly two years away it will likely be some time before we hear many details about it. As we do, however, we may learn more about why Universal is so sure the movie will be a success going up against Avatar. In the meantime, here are some upcoming horror movies to look forward to. 

It’s the trope that never dies – or rather, the trope that a lot of people still believe exists in modern day horror movies: Why does the Black character always have to die first?  

You know how a number of horror movies have that whole “final girl” thing going for them? Well, that’s a positive trope these days. The inverse of that would be how Black characters are always the first to go.   

I have good news, though. This trope that has almost become a running gag at this point – so much so, that the tagline for the upcoming horror movie, The Blackening is “We can’t all die first” -- actually isn’t as frequent as it once was. And, I have proof! Here’s a history of Black characters surviving in horror movies. There are of course more than I've listed below, but these are some of the most notable survivors. 

Oh, and a big shout out to the book, The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman, and Mark H. Harris for exploring this very topic.    

Oh, and some major spoilers up ahead. Duh.  

1980s (The Thing, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors, Etc) 

I wanted to start with the 1970s, but things were looking pretty grim. For example, Rosalind Cash “survives” at the end of 1971’s The Omega Man (which is the best of the I Am Legend adaptations), but she’s become one of the mutants, so I don’t know if I’d consider that a W. Same with blaxploitation films like 1972’s Blacula, where the title character kills himself, and 1973’s Blackenstein, where the monster is torn apart. 

No, we’d have to turn to the ‘80s to really start getting Black characters who truly survive to the end. In 1982’s The Thing, Keith David makes it to the end as Chief Mechanic Childs, but he might also be The Thing. People are still debating it today. Mario Van Peebles survives at the end of 1987's Jaws: The Revenge. And, even though he was actually eaten in the original cut, he was allowed to survive in later cuts, so phew, that was a close one.  

Ken Sagoes plays a character named Roland Kinkaid who fights (and survives!) in 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors, only to die the very next year in 1988’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (Aw, shucks). And John “Beau” Billingslea, who plays Moss Woodley in the 1988 remake of The Blob, lives to store the frozen Blob in an icehouse, so all in all, not a terrible year for black characters surviving.  

1990s (Anaconda, Deep Blue Sea, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Etc) 

Now, here’s the thing. The 1990s were a big decade for horror, but also a big decade for popular musicians at the time getting into acting. But, I’ll get to that in a moment. First, I want to start off with Danny Glover who managed to survive a freaking Predator attack in one of the better movies in the Predator movie franchise, Predator 2 back in 1990. 

Next, I want to talk about Wes Craven’s 1991 movie, The People Under the Stairs, which we included on our list of the best Black horror movies. In the film, Brandon Adams plays a character named Poindexter “Fool” Williams, who manages to survive getting eaten by cannibals, which is no small feat.      

Ice “Is snakes out there dis big!?" Cube outlived Jon Voight in 1997’s Anaconda. In fact, this is what he had to say on Twitter about why he took on the role in the first place:  

So, it seems like the Black dude surviving was on Cube's mind when he took the role. The singer, Brandy, made it all the way to the end of 1998’s I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, even if her boyfriend in the film, played by Mekhi Phifer (Who, never forget, was name-dropped in “Lose Yourself”) wasn’t so lucky. And, LL Cool J, whose hat was like a shark’s fin, lived to the end of 1999’s Deep Blue Sea, even though Samuel L. Jackson met a grisly demise. Plus, in the same year, Taye Diggs survived the remake of House on Haunted Hill.   

Honestly, the '90s were the turning point for Black characters surviving in horror movies, and I think it’s because it was the decade where we really started getting Black stars, some of them popular musicians, starring in these films. Because come on now. You’re not going to kill off Ice Cube, are you?  

2000s (Halloween: Resurrection, Gothika, Blade II, Etc)  

We got another remake following House on Haunted Hill with 2001’s Thirteen (I’m sorry, Thir13en) Ghosts. Rapper Rah Digga and Monk, er, Tony Shalhoub made it all the way to the end, setting the ghosts free. 

In 2002, another rapper, Busta Rhymes, actually took on Michael Myers in a burning building and zapped him in the balls with an electric wire (Now that’s how you do it!) in Halloween: Resurrection. In the same year, Wesley Snipes returned as the ass-kicking daywalker in one of the best Marvel movies outside of the MCU, Blade II.

And, relatively fresh off of her Oscar win for Monster’s Ball, Halle Berry starred in (and lived through!) the 2003 psychological horror thriller, Gothika… and Catwoman one year later, which is a horror movie (of a sort, given how bad it is) of its own.   

2010s (Get Out, Attack The Block, Ma, Etc) 

The 2010s were a big decade for Black people surviving in horror movies, and the first major one would be John Boyega surviving aliens in 2011’s Attack the Block. But, horror hit new heights when Jordan Peele arrived, as the dude has never made a bad movie. 

Peele exploded on the scene with 2017’s Get Out, which is one of only 6 horror movies to ever be nominated for Best Picture. In the film, its star, Daniel Kaluuya (thankfully) makes it to the end.  

Gugu Mbatha-Raw survived 2018’s somewhat lackluster, The Cloverfield Paradox (Maybe. The monster was still on Earth).   

And, I’m going to give Octavia Spencer an honorary award for at least making it to the end of her 2019 horror movie, Ma, as she’s at least alive BY the end (even though she’s in a burning house), and Peele struck again (in the best sort of way!) with his doppelganger horror thriller, Us, where Lupita Nyong’o made it out as the tethered who lived. All in all, another great decade of Black characters surviving.   

2020s (Barbarian, The Invitation, Nope) 

And finally, we have our current decade. We really are only just getting started, but we do have some notable survivors to mention. In 2022’s Barbarian, Georgina Campbell had some close calls in tight spaces with a character known only as “The Mother.” In the same year, Jamie Foxx, who’s no Blade, still made for a pretty efficient vampire hunter in Day Shift. 

Also in 2022, we got another vampire flick in The Invitation. And, while not the star of the film -- that would be Game of Thrones’ Nathalie Emmanuel -- Courtney Taylor, who played her best friend in the film, does make it to the end of the movie, and she’s looking for some payback for her friend. Lastly, we can’t forget Keke Palmer (And Daniel Kaluuya – Again!) surviving in Jordan Peele’s, Nope.

And, those are just a few of the Black characters who have survived horror movies over the decades. Thankfully, we’re getting away from that tired and, quite frankly racist, trope of killing off “expendable” Black characters, as they’re now getting much better roles. So, yeah. The Black character DOESN’T always die. Not anymore anyway. 

Jordan Peele has directed three movies, and they're all amazing. 

You could argue that Us isn't as good as Get Out, or that Nope isn't as scary as Us, but the fact is, for a man who got his start in TV, and only recently got into making movies, Peele has been on a hot streak. 

In fact, I would argue that the available Jordan Peele movies on Netflix and other platforms are not just great in general, but also important for Black cinema as a whole, and here's why.  

Jordan Peele's Audience Is Not Just Black People. It's Everybody  

Not since we were getting consistent “Spike Lee joints" back in the ‘80s and ‘90s have I seen audiences of all different shades flock to see a Black director's work. But, people are showing up for Jordan Peele’s movies. When our very own Sarah El-Mahmoud wrote about how Nope was even more satisfyingly scary than she expected, it made sense, because people don't see Peele's movies because they're "Black stories.” They see them because they're good stories…that just so happen to also be Black stories.   

When he revealed that he still gets hate about Get Out, that made sense, too, because it feels like EVERYBODY'S seen that movie. Even though he believes that some people hate the film because of the “agency” that it brought him and other people (and, of course, I think he’s right), I also think that there’s a whole other group that doesn’t like that movie, and I know this because I’ve talked to said people. 

They’re the ones who have a distaste for Get Out because they don’t like all the praise that it’s gotten. They think it’s supremely overrated, and, for that matter, that all of his movies are overrated. But, the only reason that such a group even exists is because SO many people (of all races) have watched Peele’s movies. And, when a large swath of people watch something that they hear is supposedly "so great," then there will always be detractors who are angry that everybody else loves something that they don't.  

Hell, that's how I felt about Avatar: The Way of Water, as I wasn't impressed by it. Like, at all. It kind of bothered me that the movie was so successful, when there are so many other better movies out there that people aren’t watching, and that's how I think many must feel about Get Out, Us, and Nope.  

This is how you know that they’re successful, though, because if a large segment of viewers hate a movie, then that just means that a large segment of people have watched it, which is a good thing for Black cinema, as it means that even though a lot of people might hate it, it also means that a lot of people must love it. And not just Black people.   

His Movies Are Consistently Profitable, Opening Up Opportunities For Other Black Stories  

Do you know how much Get Out cost to make? $4.5 million dollars. Do you know how much it made at the box office? $255.4 million, which is just staggering. Us, which received a much larger budget of $20 million, made $256.1 million, while Nope, which had Peele’s highest budget of $68 million, made $171.4 million.  

While Nope may have made the least back out of his three films, it was still highly profitable, which can only be seen as good for other Black filmmakers, mostly because it proves that movies with Black leading characters can be profitable at the box office, and that they don’t even need to be attached to a Marvel movie like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to do it.  

In fact, just look at other Monkeypaw Productions (Peele's production company) like Blackkklansman, which garnered Spike Lee an Oscar nomination and win, and the horror movie, Candyman, which reportedly cost $25 million to make, and made a handsome $77.4 million in return. A movie attached to his name, even if he didn’t direct it, can be profitable, sure, but it can also bring other Black movies to the big screen, with resounding success. So, in other words, Jordan Peele = big bucks, which is good for everybody, yes, but especially for Black creators.    

He Always Casts Black Actors In Prominent Roles 

Peele, who directed Daniel Kaluuya in his debut movie, Get Out, brought him back for Nope, which I think is wonderful. But, what I think is even more wonderful is that he's cast Black actors in leading roles in all three of his movies. 

Here are the leading roles he’s cast in his movies thus far: Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Keke Palmer. And, that’s just the leads. He’s also cast LaKieth Stanfield, Lil Rel Howery, Betty Gabriel, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Keith David in supporting roles. 

Even better – and what separates Peele’s movies from some other Black films – is that he’ll have diverse casts all around, with actors like Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Elizabeth Moss, Catherine Keener, Allison Williams, and one of my favorite comedians, Tim Heidecker, just to name a few. In this way, his films could bring in many different audiences, and he does so with aplomb. 

His Movies Are Challenging And Thus, Demand Discussion About Race 

Besides Get Out, which is specifically about race, one could argue that Us is all about identity, both existential, but also racial, and that by the end of Nope, the UFO movie could have multiple meanings, with my interpretation being that Black people will never be trusted at face value, so they have to go through extreme measures to document everything, which could draw parallels to Black Americans needing to film police brutality.    

Or, maybe Nope has nothing to do with that at all, and perhaps Us is just a spooky movie about doppelgangers. The fact is, after the tour de force that was Get Out, and what it had to say about race, I’m pretty sure that all of Peele’s future movies will have people (many of whom will likely not be Black) discussing what possible racial undertones could be present in his films. And, if his movies get people talking about race, then that could only be good for other Black filmmakers, who could use racial cues that help elevate their stories, just like the recent Candyman remake did.  

When He's Not Nominated For An Oscar, It's Often Considered A Snub, Which Invites Criticism Of The Industry  

Last but not least, after Peele won for Best Original Screenplay at the 2018 Oscars for Get Out, he’s pretty much expected to either be nominated himself, have one of his movies nominated, or have one of the actors in his films nominated. And, when none of the above happens, it’s considered a huge snub at the Oscars.   

And, do you know what? This is good for Black filmmakers, too, as it puts a spotlight on other Black films in any given year. For example, it’s hard to mention how Nope wasn’t nominated for anything, and not couple that with how The Woman King wasn’t nominated, either. Remember #OscarsSoWhite back in 2015? Well, whenever Peele doesn’t get nominated for anything, it kind of brings back memories of that, and how other Black filmmakers and actors are also frequently ignored. 

Now, I’m not saying that Peele should just get nominated to fit some kind of quota. I am NOT implying that the Academy needs more affirmative action (I mean, maybe they do, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make). What I am saying is just look at the title of this article. Peele has never made a bad movie, and that’s being modest, as I think that he's only made GREAT movies, and he should be nominated for every one of them.

Those are my feelings on how Jordan Peele’s success is helping all Black people in film. But, what do you think? For more news on all his movies, make sure to swing by here often. 

When Universal and Blumhouses’ wild trailer for M3GAN dropped online, it immediately became a meme. It was pretty apparent we were in for a flick that would either be scary and a lot of fun or one of those “so bad it’s good” horror movies more suited for midnight screenings than for being critically well-received. There didn’t seem to be much room for any other possibility. Well, the film’s critical scores are finally hitting the interwebs, and it appears reviewers are embracing the movie, which tells the story of a killer AI doll better than one could have imagined. And, for a short time, its tomato score was even rivaling one of Universal/Blumhouse’s other collaborations, the award-winning Jordan Peele movie Get Out. 

For better or worse, Rotten Tomatoes has become an essential source for determining how a movie’s being received by critics and fans alike. Aggregating reviews from across the web, users can either look at their favorite reviewer’s opinion or the Tomato Meter to see the aggregated view on a film. M3GAN debuted with an aggregated critical score of 98%, matching Get Out. As more reviews have come in, the flick has dropped slightly to 95%, but that is still an impressive score given that there are already over one hundred reviews counted.

Does a high critical score mean that M3GAN is one of the few perfect movies lacking any flaws? Absolutely not. However, it is telling that the movie is being appreciated by critics. Many have pointed out that the horror flick is “unapologetically silly” and is a rare instance of a horror comedy effectively working on both levels. It’s still to be seen if audiences will turn out for the movie and have a similar opinion to critics. But if the audience response is even remotely as positive as the critics, I would bet the already rumored sequel is probably a forgone conclusion. It appears we may very well have a horror villain on par with the likes of Chucky and Annabelle, and she’s probably here to stay. 

The Rotten Tomatoes score is one of many commonalities between Get Out and M3GAN. Both movies also star the supremely talented Allison Williams. While Williams had a villainous hill turn in Jordan Peele’s horror directorial debut. In M3GAN, the actress plays a roboticist at a toy company that uses artificial intelligence to develop a life-like doll to bond with and protect her niece.

Only time will tell whether M3GAN will end up being one of the best horror movies of all time. Still, Jason Blum–whose production company Blumhouse teamed with James Wan for the horror flick–promised a motion picture with plenty of scares and black comedy. If the critical consensus is to be believed, that is precisely what the filmmakers have delivered.

M3GAN slashed her way into cinemas today, January 6th. Check your local listings to plan your trip to the theater. For all your other movie-going plans, check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases.  

It certainly surprised a lot of people when the first directorial effort from Jordan Peele, a man known almost exclusively for comedy, produced one of the best thrillers of the last several years. The movie wasn’t only a box office success, it was an awards season darling, garnering multiple Oscar nominations and even one win. It was something nobody saw coming, except apparently Get Out co-star Allison Williams.

Speaking with EW, Allison Williams reveals that only after reading the script, she told her publicist that she thought Get Out would become an Oscar-nominated film. Even she realizes that was a pretty bold thing to say, calling herself delusional, before the movie had even begun filming, but it’s perhaps fitting, considering the one Oscar that Get Out did win was for screenwriting. Williams explained… 

It sounds like even Allison Williams was a bit surprised that her own prediction came true, and to be fair, while Get Out wasn’t one of those movies that gets nominated for a dozen different awards, it was nominated for four of the biggest, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture. It lost two of those to another genre film, Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water. In another year Get Out might have been a big winner.

In addition to Jordan Peele being a first time director, the other “strike” against Get Out was that it fit into the thriller/horror genre, which doesn’t often get the recognition it deserves when it comes to awards season. But in the end the movie really was that good and there was just no way it could be overlooked.

Allison Williams has built a solid career for herself within the horror genre. After her turn in Get Out she has appeared in James Wan’s Malignant and she also appears in this weekend’s M3GAN. While there has clearly been something in each of these scripts that appealed to her, she saw something extra special in Get Out. 

There are people whose entire job is to find scripts that are going to be successful, either as box office hits, award winners, or more preferably, both. Perhaps Allison Williams should hire herself out as a script reader. I know a few movie studios that would love to have somebody with her talent on board. 

Though it’s his first, many fans agree that Get Out is the best of Jordan Peele’s movies. At the same time, Peele’s career as a director is still young, and it's conceivable he will have better films around the corner. But it’s hard to deny that the man delivered a force of a first movie. The Oscar-winning mystery thriller is not only chock full of social commentary, but it’s also full of nail-bitingly tense moments, making it quite possibly one of the best horror movies of the last ten years. The movie might have been critically well-received, but as it turns out, not everyone loved it or what the film had to say. As a matter of fact, the director says he still gets hate about his directorial debut, and he explains why. 

Peele recently appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to promote his most recent directorial effort, this year’s Nope, and the upcoming horror podcast Quiet Part Loud, produced by his production company Monkey Paw. The show’s host asked the director if he felt pressure to continuously create the best horror films since Get Out was so well-received and loved by moviegoers. The line of questioning prompted Peele to reveal that some people hate his first movie, and he thinks he knows why; they don’t like the agency his first success gave him. He said: 

Noah dug into this line of thinking a bit deeper. The host asked Peele if he believes what “pisses people off” is the truths about society he exposes in the types of stories he tells, such as his tendency to “weave” themes of race and gender within the fabric of a horror film. The actor-turned-director seemed to agree with the talk show host, joking about Get Out being a documentary before stating that his films try to depict the nature of the real world. Peele also explained Nope, which divided some critics, came from wanting to speak about the danger of spectacle. He continued: 

What makes Jordan Peele so exciting as a director and potentially so divisive is the same thing: his willingness to take big swings while pointing at the uglier sides of human nature. Whether you hate his movies or think they’re the best films ever made, it’s impossible to argue that they aren’t saying something interesting about the human condition. But why take my word for it? Nope hits streaming on November 18th. All you need to make up your own mind is a Peacock subscription. 

The narrative podcast Quiet Part Loud is the next horror project coming from Peele’s production company, Monkey Paw. The Podcast stars Tracy Letts (The Big Short), Arian Moayed (Succession), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), and Taran Killam (Killing Gunther). The story will focus on a conservative talk show host who has been de-platformed after spreading xenophobic messages to his listeners post-9/11. Peele, who is executive producing, has been quoted as saying, “they’re aiming to make the scariest podcast ever.” 

Podcast and Jordan Peele fans can find out when The Quiet Part Loud drops on Spotify on November 15th. Until then, horror fans might be interested in our list of upcoming horror movies. 

When it comes to modern moviemakers, one who's talked about a lot is Jordan Peele. While there have been some amazing directors who are legendary for so many reasons, such as Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese, Jordan Peele is slowly working his way up there as one of the best directors in Hollywood right now.

However, Peele has done plenty more than just directing. From acting to writing to producing, it seems Jordan Peele has done it all. With several films and TV shows under his belt, both old and new, I dedicated this list to him to talk about where you can stream some of the best Jordan Peele movies and TV shows, from his sketch show, Key and Peele, to his horror flicks, like Get Out.

Mad TV (2003 – 2008)

If you wanted to see the beginnings of Jordan Peel’s sketch comedy career, look no further than Mad TV. This late-night sketch comedy series, which ran for several seasons until 2016, was based on the humor of Mad Magazine, featuring fake commercials, mock movie trailers, impersonations and so much more.

From 2003-2008, Jordan Peele was a part of the cast of Mad TV, where we got to see the origins of his comedic skills, despite leaving the show on bad terms. Mad TV always competed against Saturday Night Live, but the cast and audience were more diverse than the older series. Plus, Jordan Peele in Mad TV is a sight to behold, and it’s always fun to think of how far he’s come. 

Rent/Buy Mad TV on Amazon.

Key and Peele (2012 – 2015)

I can’t have a Jordan Peele list without mentioning this great show. Key and Peele was a sketch comedy series that was created by Jordan Peele and actor Keegan-Michael Key. For years, they created some hysterical sketches and became household names for their comedy.

Key and Peele is iconic for a reason. Their sketches are absolutely hilarious and Key and Peele’s chemistry worked so well. It’s no wonder the show was so successful during its run. I hope one day Keegan-Michael Key appears in one of Peele’s new horror films – I’d love to see these two collaborate again.

Stream Key and Peele on Hulu.
Rent Key and Peele on Amazon.

Toy Story 4 (2019)

You just have to love those Pixar films, and Toy Story 4 is a great addition to them. In Toy Story 4, we see the continuation of Andy’s beloved toys, now in Bonnie’s possession, as they're taken on a crazy road trip that results in them meeting old faces, exploring new places, and more.

Jordan Peele plays Bunny in this film, a stuffed bunny at a carnival, and guess what? Keegan-Michael Key reunites with him to play Ducky, a stuffed duckling, at the carnival as well. Not only are their characters hilarious, but you get that same funny energy from the two of them that only Key and Peele could bring. All of the Toy Story films are great, but I especially love the fourth. And now with Toy Story 5 confirmed, we just might see these two again.

Stream Toy Story 4 on Disney+.
Rent Toy Story 4 on Amazon.

Get Out (2017) (Director, Writer, Producer)

The first feature film that Jordan Peele ever directed was Get Out, and boy did he deliver. Get Out follows the story of Chris and Rose, a young couple who go to meet her parents for the first time. But, when Chris arrives at her family’s cabin, strange things start to happen that make him want to get out.

The film was nominated for several awards for a reason, including a win for Peele at the Academy Awards for Best Screenwriting. The story is full of interesting plot twists, amazing acting, and some really cool deeper subjects that you don’t always get in a scary film. Get Out is a great horror flick with so many cool behind-the-scenes facts, and deserves all the praise that it’s gotten, and Peele, who directed, wrote, and produced the film, did a fantastic job. If you haven’t seen Get Out, do yourself a favor and watch it now. It’s honestly one of the best Blumhouse horror films, and something that everyone needs to see.

Stream Get Out on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy Get Out on Amazon.

Us (2019) (Director, Writer, Producer)

The second film that Jordan Peele has directed thus far is Us, starring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke. In Us, the Wilson family decides to go away for a nice vacation at a family cabin. Soon, their break away is interrupted when doppelganger versions of themselves appear and try to murder them.

Peele hit it out of the park again with Us, creating an amazingly brilliant horror film with a great story and amazing themes. Lupita Nyong’o was spectacular as Adelaide Wilson, starring as two different versions of herself, and the rest of the Us cast rocked it as well. It’s certainly one of the best free movies to watch right now.

Stream Us on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Us on Amazon.

BlacKkKlansman (2018) (Producer)

Jordan Peele didn’t direct or write this film, but he did produce BlacKkKlansman. In this Spike Lee-directed film, we follow the true story of the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs police department, who sets out to infiltrate and expose the local Ku Klux Klan chapter.

The cast of BlackKkKlansman is to die for, with actors like Adam Driver, John David Washington, and more leading the charge with their amazing talents. The story itself is very interesting, with plenty of twists and turns, so much so you sometimes forget this is based on a true story.

Rent/Buy BlacKkKlansman on Amazon.

Keanu (2016) (Writer and Producer)

Keanu is a brilliant example of what happens when Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key come together to write and produce. In Keanu, we follow the tale of two cousins who infiltrate a street gang in order to retrieve their stolen kitten, Keanu.

It’s as silly as you would expect it to be. Buddy action films are always fun, but when it’s these two, I feel like the fun levels go up extremely. You get to see them work together again and show off their great comedic timing, while also enjoying a hysterical film. Plus, you get to see a little kitten throughout Keanu. It’s a win-win situation.

Rent/Buy Keanu on Amazon.

Candyman (2021) (Writer And Producer) 

2021’s Candyman was a great addition to Jordan Peele’s resume. A sequel to the 1992 film of the same name, this movie instead follows a painter who wishes to find out the secrets of the legendary “Candyman,” but in doing so, he ends up finding way more than he ever asked for and it costs him more than he ever thought it would. 

Personally, I actually really liked this sequel way more than the original, and I have a feeling it's because Jordan Peele both wrote the story and produced the film. You can tell how much love was put into it in an effort to make a truly satisfying sequel, and the story is just fantastic. Also, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is truly astounding in the lead role. I could watch him in horror movies over and over again. 

Stream Candyman on FreeVee (via Amazon).
Rent Candyman on Amazon.

Nope (2022) (Director, Writer, Producer)

Nope (2022) (Director, Writer, Producer)

Nope debuted in 2022 to stellar reviews from critics. In this film, a brother and sister start to notice strange happenings in their small town, and decide to take it upon themselves to figure out what’s going on – with the help of some friends. 

With a stellar Nope cast featuring Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yeun and more, Nope was a fantastic addition to Peele’s horror resume. Could we possibly get a Nope sequel? Only time will tell. 

Stream Nope on Peacock.
Buy/Rent Nope on Amazon.

Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul (2022) (Executive Producer)

Peele didn’t direct or write this film, but he did bring his producing skills to the comedy, Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul. In the movie, starring Regina Hall and This Is Us cast member Sterling K. Brown, we follow a pastor and his wife as they try to rebuild their church following a scandal that rocks their world. 

The film itself is full of funny moments and you just can’t help but admire the chemistry between Hall and Brown. But from the moment you watch the film, you can tell that Peele had some influence, as the comedy style is very much like his. 

Stream Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul on Starz.
Rent/Buy Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul on Amazon.

Wendell & Wild (2022) (Writer, Producer) 

We have the latest stop motion film to grace our television screens, Wendell & Wild. Directed by Henry Selick but co-written with Peele, this film tells the story of two demon brothers who are trying to get to the Land of the Living. And, in order to do so, they enlist the help of a thirteen-year-old-girl. 

I’ll give you two reasons to watch this film. First, it’s coming from the same man who directed Coraline, one of the best stop motion films ever. Secondly, it’s co-written by Peele, as mentioned before, but the biggest reason is that Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are co-starring in it! It’s the return of Key & Peele! It really is one of the best stop-motion films in a long time, and one of the best animated films of 2022, as well as the brilliant Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.

Stream Wendell & Wild on Netflix.

Monkey Man (2024) (Producer) (Coming Soon)

While Peele is still working on his fourth film as director, he has stepped into the producer's chair once again to produce Monkey Man, directed by Dev Patel. The new film follows a young man working at an underground fight club who decides to get revenge on a group of leaders – the same people who caused his mother’s death. 

Monkey Man so far has received tons of praise, with Dev Patel receiving a standing ovation at 2024’s SXSW, so it’s clear Peele’s magic has struck true again with his involvement in this movie as producer. Peele even spoke highly of the director at SXSW, saying that Patel put his “soul, energy, mind” and body into making the film:

“No one has put their soul, energy, mind, body into a film than this man. And he has done it for us to enjoy this film.”

It’s coming to theaters soon as part of the 2024 movie schedule, so be sure to check it out once it releases on April 5, 2024. 

These last few years have been crazy for Peele, so I'm eager to see what he is going to do next. His next film is confirmed with no set release date, but Peele has opened up about it and says that it could be his “favorite movie if done right.” 

We’ll be keeping an eye out for any news on his next big film. You can bet that as he releases more stuff, I am going to recommend you watch it all. He just doesn’t miss. 

When Nope hits theaters this weekend it will be the third feature film directed by Jordan Peele. While all three movies are classified as horror, and deal with broad societal themes, nothing else connects the plots of the three movies together as each is an original concept from Peele dealing with very different characters, in very different places, and very different types of horror. The movies are all so original that the idea of seeing Jordan Peele make a sequel seems antithetical to his style, but the director isn’t writing off the possibility of making a follow-up to his first feature, Get Out.

Get Out was Jordan Peele’s directorial debut and it took audiences and critics by storm, eventually earning Peele an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. While the sort of success that Peele saw here often has studios thinking sequel immediately, the director went on to make the bone-chilling doppelganger movie Us, and then he got to work on Nope, a movie which implies an alien invasion, but as this is a Jordan Peele movie, we can’t take that a face value.

There’s been little indication that Jordan Peele has been considering a sequel to any of his movies, but in a recent interview with the Associated Press, Peele does say that he gets asked about a potential sequel to Get Out often, and he does think there is potential for such a movie in that world, so while he doesn’t say he plans to make a follow up, he’s not counting one out entirely. According to Peele… 

It certainly doesn’t sound like Jordan Peele is actively working on a Get Out sequel, but if he believes there is a lot left to talk about with the premise, then one can assume he at least has some ideas about where a sequel might go, even if he’s never put those ideas down on paper. This isn’t the first time Peele has said he’s willing to make a Get Out sequel, and clearly his feelings have not changed.

Jordan Peele says later in the interview that he’s having trouble seeing what sort of work he would be doing if he wasn’t making movies like those he has made, which certainly indicates that his trend of socially aware horror films won’t end with Nope. The only questions are going to be where he wants to go next, and whether Daniel Kaluuya will be involved. He may have another new idea he wants to tackle, but if not, perhaps he will consider making a sequel.

From a plot perspective there is certainly the possibility for more from the story of Get Out. The fate of Allison Williams’ Rose is left unknown so there may be at least one member of the Armitage family out there. But beyond that, the family that captures Danial Kaluuya’s Chris certainly isn’t the only threat, as they’ve been doing their work for a very long time. There are more people out there that have been victims. 

In fact, both Get Out and Us end with very interesting questions about just what happens next. There’s a good chance we’ll see something similar from Nope, and perhaps after audiences see the new film, that will be the movie that fans will be asking about when it comes to potential sequels. 

In the past five years, Jordan Peele has quickly become one of the most exciting and beloved horror voices working today. After his 2017 directorial debut, Get Out, became an acclaimed cultural phenomenon, he continues to be known as a visionary filmmaker with 2019’s Us, and later this month, Nope. Before we check out Peele’s third horror movie, let’s look back at what he has said about his unique and inspiring approach to filmmaking. 

While Peele broke out as a comedian known for his sketch show with Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele, as soon as Get Out came around, horror fans and everyone was taking time to pay attention to his film. From there, Get Out became one of the few horror movies to be recognized by the Oscars, and Peele became the first Black writer to win Best Original Screenplay in Oscar history. 

With Peele's career thus far, he's positioning himself as a powerful name amongst Hollywood’s new generation of filmmakers, and an important voice in the demand for more Black representation off screen. Here are some memorable things Jordan Peele has said about making his groundbreaking horror movies ahead of Nope. 

He Thinks Storytelling Is One Of The Few Avenues For Empathy 

Jordan Peele’s journey into horror filmmaking began out of “fun” at a time when he wanted to write a screenplay in his favorite genre, without the objective of necessarily getting it made. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter amidst Get Out’s road to the Oscars, the writer/director shared that the social commentary came during the writing process. Peele said that he believes the power of “empathy” is a major tool at the hands of being a storyteller. In his words: 

During the interview, Peele shared that he was nervous that Get Out would become a divisive film that might lose white audiences because of the villainous white characters or lose black audiences because of its focus on their trauma. But he realized that the audience was on the side of Daniel Kaluuya’s protagonist, Chris, rather than that of one race or the other, so he was able to discuss racism in a way both sides could interact with, even enjoying the often uncomfortable conversations. 

Jordan Peele Wrote Get Out After Feeling A ‘Void’ In the Conversation About Racism

Peele also shared that he started coming up with the concept for Get Out not long after President Obama was elected – a time where he felt like America was claiming to be “past racism” with the country finally electing a Black president. This inspired Peele to pen a wake up call on the subject. When speaking to this element of making Get Out, Peele noted: 

While on CBS This Morning, Jordan Peele went on to share how specific scenes in the movie were based on situations he had been in as a Black man, and were relatable to many other minorities. While some of these experiences might be small things on the surface, he wanted to show how those awkward situations are “connected to the deep horror of racism.” 

Get Out Was Initially Rejected Due To Rude Feedback By Other Studios 

In the years since Get Out, we have seen a wave of horror movies focused on difficult social commentaries that Jordan Peele helped popularize for the modern era. But at the time the filmmaker was trying to get the movie made, he faced a lot of pushback. While speaking with Fast Company about the behind the scenes of the movie getting off the ground, Peele said: 

The movie was ultimately picked up by Universal and Blumhouse, who saw the movie as a “risk,” but it was made for just $4 million and ended up making $255 million worldwide, along with its wide acclaim. 

The Desire For Repeat Viewings Of Jordan Peele Movies Are By Design

The director also is a unique director in a sense of how meticulously he crafts his dialogue and symbols for audiences to perhaps not catch the first time and notice on a second, third, or fifth viewing. While talking about Get Out with FOX 5 Washington DC and the ReelBlend podcast’s Kevin McCarthy, Jordan Peele said: 

When it came to Us, a lot came out about its ‘easter eggs’, including in a MarvelousTV interview with Jordan Peele, where he said “the most rewarding part” for him about making movies is seeing people engage in conversation about his films, and look out for those easter eggs. 

Us Was Written Out Of Jordan Peele’s Childhood Fear Of Doppelgangers 

Horror movies have always been ample ground for filmmakers to explore the different fears we all have and thus far Jordan Peele has done a great job at making movies about unique, yet relatable fears. For 2019’s Us, here was how he got the idea: 

Peele spilled the inspiration for Us while he was a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers while promoting the film. His process goes to show how beneficial it can be for the filmmaker to tap into what scares him most.  

Jordan Peele Gets A 'Mischievous Pleasure’ Out Of Scaring Audiences 

Additionally, Jordan Peele just really loves scaring audiences. Like, he seriously gets joy out of catching people off guard and creating fear in a moviegoing experience. In his words: 

During an interview with SBS: The Feed in 2019, Jordan Peele admitted that being a horror filmmaker is actually more satisfying to him than being a comedian, because "wielding fear" is much more difficult to achieve. 

Nope Is Jordan Peele’s Most Ambitious Horror Film Yet

Finally, as we await Nope and get ready for more exciting conversation to come up around the film, Jordan Peele has revealed that the upcoming horror movie is the first of the genre to be shot with IMAX cameras, making it perfect for a theatrical experience. While talking about the making of Nope in an IMAX featurette, Peele added: 

Nope sounds like it's Jordan Peele’s biggest movie yet, especially as far as scope. The movie hits theaters this July 22. 

Blumhouse Productions quite literally knocks it out of the park. To me, when it comes to some of the best horror movies out there, Blumhouse consistently delivers. From some of the most recent horror films back to those from the early '00s, this company has been behind a lot of them.

I’m talking about Speak No Evil, The Black Phone, Get Out - so many great ones that have truly changed the genre from the ground up. If you’re like me and you’re looking for the best Blumhouse horror movies to watch right now, here are some of my picks.

Paranormal Activity (2009)

This iconic found footage horror film follows a young couple who are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home, all captured through found footage and security cameras.

Paranormal Activity is an iconic horror movie for its use of found footage, and I think it made found footage movies more popular than ever before. It created a horror series that has truly become so successful - even if some of the later entries aren’t as good as the first. Be sure to check out all the movies in order.

Stream Paranormal Activity on Max.
Rent/Buy Paranormal Activity on Amazon.

The Purge (2013)

In a newly reformed America, The Purge tells the story of the one night in the country where all crime is allowed, including murder. A family that is trying to survive the night ends up helping a stranger - and, in turn, brings a whole new hell to their lives.

I remember when I saw the first The Purge, I didn’t think it was that scary, but after re-watching it several times, what really makes this film so good is that it relies on the horror aspects of human nature, and what a person can do when they have no limits. Plus, Ethan Hawke’s performance is stellar - a horror movie master. It’s honestly one of Hawke’s best movies.

Rent/Buy The Purge on Amazon.

Split (2017)

M. Night Shyamalan is a master of his craft, and while he did have a bit of a career dip, he’s come back with some awesome films as of late, including Split. This horror film, starring James McAvoy in one of his best movies, follows a man who has several different personalities, and the girls that are captured by him and their struggle for survival.

Split is genuinely a great time, featuring awesome performances from both McAvoy and the fabulous Anya Taylor-Joy in one of her best films. Shyamalan really gave his all making this film and I’ll never get over his classic twists and turns.

Stream Split on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Split on Amazon.

Happy Death Day (2017)

Happy Death Day, a hilarious horror-comedy, follows a young woman who has to relive the same day she was killed over and over again. With each death, she tries to piece together clues about who kills her so that she can stop her endless cycle of death.

This movie is so funny, and it didn’t need to be, but I’m so happy it is. Not only are the scares good and the gore great as well, there’s just something about this movie that makes me snort every time. I love the line delivery from Jessica Rothe, too. Truly, such a great actress for the lead role.

Stream Happy Death Day on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Happy Death Day on Amazon.

Sinister (2012)

Sinister, starring Ethan Hawke, tells the story of a writer and his family who move into a home that is haunted by a supernatural presence, but he later discovers that it was the spot where murders took place decades ago.

Let me tell you, Sinister was one of the first horror films I watched, and oh, what a film to start out on. This movie will shake you to your core and make you look at every dark corner of your house because it is fantastically directed and I can’t get enough of it.

Stream Sinister on Max.
Rent/Buy Sinister on Amazon.

Five Nights At Freddy’s (2023)

Based on the video game of the same name, Five Nights at Freddy’s follows a security guard who discovers that the animatronics at a pizza parlor he is working at come to life at night, but there’s more to these possessed creatures than meets the eye.

As someone who grew up watching (and playing) the Five Nights at Freddy’s games, I will openly say that I think this film delivered and more. I think the movie was really made for the fans of the franchise, with plenty of easter eggs and moments that really only true FNAF lovers will understand. Also, it brought Josh Hutcherson back into the spotlight, so I can’t complain too much. There’s even a sequel in development, so you might as well watch the first.

Stream Five Nights at Freddy’s on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy Five Nights at Freddy’s on Amazon.

Insidious (2011)

Insidious began another great horror franchise. In this iconic horror film, a mother and father are trying to seek help when their son falls into a coma, and later learn it’s because of a strange demon in their home. Now, they must prevent evil spirits from trapping their son in a different world.

Insidious, at least the first one, is so well done. While the later sequels lost some of their horror aspects, there’s just something about the first that just does it for me. The scars, the story, the acting; everything is just *chef’s kiss.* You can even check out our ranking of all the Insidious movies.

Stream Insidious on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Insidious on Amazon.

Unseen (2023)

You might not have heard of this movie, but I assure you it’s a great one, at least to me. Unseen is a horror film from Yoko Okumura and follows the story of a gas station clerk who receives a call from someone who is trying to survive her ex. Now, the gas station clerk has to work to somehow aid the woman and keep her alive from afar.

I just think this premise is so neat. It’s such an interesting way to frame a story, and it makes me wonder how many other creative ways exist out there in order to tell a horror tale. Both Midori Francis and Jolene Purdy offer amazing performances, and give it their all.

Stream Unseen on Amazon Prime
Rent/Buy Unseen on Amazon.

Nanny (2022)

I’m putting this one back on the list because it still continues to impress me years later. Nanny is the psychological horror film that will mess you up in the best way, and follows an immigrant who takes the job of a nanny to an Upper East Side child, only for her life to turn upside down when strange things begin to occur.

Nanny is great, and that’s all I really want to say without spoiling too much. The story itself can be, at times, confusing, but personally, it just makes you want to rewatch the film to catch things you missed before, only furthering the detail of the plot. It’s such a great psychological horror movie.

Stream Nanny on Amazon Prime.

Cam (2018)

Ever wonder how a webcam could control your life? That’s what Cam aims to answer, as it follows a young woman who performs erotic acts on a webcam, but one day, she finds that her identity has been stolen because an exact clone of herself has replaced her on camera.

I put Cam on here because like Paranormal Activity, I feel like it really does something different with the horror genre by exploring something that not a lot of horror movies have done - how technology can be scary as hell. Something else I really love about it is the psychological aspect. It really messes with your mind.

Stream Cam on Netflix.

The Invisible Man (2020)

Starring Elisabeth Moss, The Invisible Man is based on the novel of the same name and follows the story of a young woman who believes she is being stalked by her manipulative and abusive ex-boyfriend, who has somehow turned himself invisible, while also taking out those close to her.

I remember watching The Invisible Man when it was released on streaming in my college apartment, and I enjoyed the heck out of it. Not only does Elisabeth Moss give a compelling performance, but the idea itself is unsettling enough where you’ll be thinking someone is somehow watching you, even though it’s impossible. It’s truly one of a kind.

Stream The Invisible Man on FreeVee (via Amazon).

Get Out (2017)

You knew this would be on here. In Get Out, a young Black man travels with his white girlfriend to her family’s home, and while at first everything seems to be normal, he slowly starts to discover that this place is not what he thought it was - and now, he needs to get out.

This is a movie where I don’t even want to say much, because it’ll spoil the twists if you haven’t seen it. Just know that Get Out won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (which Jordan Peele had a relatable reaction to), which was written by first-time director (at the time), Jordan Peele. It’s one of the decade’s best horror films, with a fantastic leading performance from Daniel Kaluuya.

Stream Get Out on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Get Out on Amazon.

Us (2019)

Another Jordan Peele feature on this list, and one of Peele’s best movies, Us follows a family that gets away for a weekend to their family’s summer cabin, but while they’re there, doppelgangers that look exactly like them start to wreak havoc on their lives.

Again, Jordan Peele is becoming a master of twists, and the last thing I want to do is spoil this for you. Just know that the Us cast is phenomenal and the story will have you gripping your seats from start to end. Go watch it now.

Stream Us on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Us on Amazon.

Halloween (2018)

Hear me out. Halloween, which is a sequel to the iconic 1978 horror film of the same name, follows Laurie Strode, now an older woman preparing herself and her family for the return of Michael Myers. He ends up breaking free due to a bus crashing during his transfer - and he is coming right home to her.

I love this franchise. It was one of the first films I ever watched, and I have seen all the Halloween sequels and ranked them, and this one is, hands down, the best sequel. Jamie Lee Curtis is freaking amazing in the lead role, and Michael is somehow even scarier.

Stream Halloween on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Halloween on Amazon.

Freaky (2020)

Freaky is basically Freaky Friday, but with murder. When a serial killer and a teenage girl end up switching bodies, it’s up to the teenager - now stuck in the body of a murderer - to get her body back and stop the actual killer from taking more lives - while in her body.

Freaky is so funny. The first time I heard the concept I couldn't believe it was an actual thing, but upon watching, I really enjoyed it. Vince Vaughn honestly gives a great performance, and Kathryn Newton is fantastic, as well. I loved both of them.

Stream Freaky on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Freaky on Amazon.

The Black Phone (2022)

I freaking loved The Black Phone when I saw it in theaters in 2022. When a series of kids are nabbed by someone called “The Grabber,” his latest victim must find a way out, with the help of a mysterious black phone in his cage.

Another Ethan Hawke performance that is stellar, but what makes this movie so good, to be honest, is that it’s more suspenseful than scary. I genuinely loved every second of this, from beginning to end, and The Black Phone ending is just perfect.

Stream The Black Phone on Starz.
Rent/Buy The Black Phone on Amazon.

M3GAN (2023)

We have to bring up M3GAN. If you were into horror at the beginning of 2023, you knew about this dang dancing doll. The horror movie tells the story of an A.I. Doll that is used to be a companion to a girl who recently lost her parents, but soon, the doll becomes obsessed with its child – and will take out anyone that dares step in her way.

M3GAN was the campy story that everyone loved and needed. While I wasn’t the hugest fan of it before and didn’t quite get the movie, I’ve given it some time to marinate inside my brain and I have to admit, it’s one of the best horror movies of this year, if not for the hilariously bloody moments it inspired. There’s even a M3GAN 2.0 sequel in development, so you might as well check it out now.

Stream M3GAN on Starz.
Rent/Buy M3GAN on Amazon.

Speak No Evil (2024)

I have to talk about Speak No Evil. Starring James McAvoy and based on the 2022 Danish film of the same name, this 2024 horror movie is one of the best of the year. It follows the story of an American family who stay at the farmhouse of a British family, but as time goes on, they start to realize that their hosts are not as kind as they seem and begin to fear for their lives.

I just have to say that James McAvoy doesn’t miss when it comes to horror. He gave his all in Split, and he certainly gives his all in Speak No Evil, and by the time you finish watching it, you’ll be enjoying it (and his acting) just as much as I did.

Rent/Buy Speak No Evil on Amazon.

Which one of these are you going to watch next? I think it’s time for a horror movie marathon.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for A LOT of recent horror movies. So, unless you are confident that you have seen everything you need to see or you do not mind knowing secret plot details beforehand, beware…

We are living in a great time to be a scary movie fan, with many of horror's latest releases being some of the strongest and scariest we have ever seen, as far as I am concerned. Of course, with most upcoming horror movies, there also comes a slew of new villains to haunt our nightmares.

I have been very impressed by the characters we have met in the creepy thrillers released in just the last couple of decades or so – including both the protagonists and antagonists. In fact, I would say many of them are on par with classic horror villains like Michael Myers or Pamela Voorhees. The following are our picks for some of the scariest modern horror movie villains from some of the best horror movies in recent memory.

Art The Clown (Terrifier)

The creepy clown movies subgenre’s flagship character may still be a different villain whom we will get to later but, as far as I am concerned, that harlequin does not hold a candle to Art from Terrifier and its even more widely celebrated 2022 sequel. Originally portrayed by Mike Gianelli in the underrated anthology horror movie All Hallow’s Eve in 2013, the role was succeeded four years later by David Howard Thornton, who is already unsettling enough with his menacing grin before unleashing the clown’s shockingly gruesome methods of carnage. By the time creator Damien Leone brings Art back in Terrifier 3, the relentlessly brutal killer will be remembered as one of cinema’s most memorable slashers. 

Jigsaw (Saw)

What makes these modern horror movie villains so terrifying is not necessarily the murders they commit. In fact, Jigsaw – otherwise known as John Kramer (Tobin Bell) – never actually kills anybody directly, but is guilty of putting people through potentially lethal challenges that he hopes will give them a new appreciation for life… if they survive. This remarkably unique character motivation is what makes the Saw movies one of the most intriguing horror franchises and Jigsaw (and his apprentices) one of the genre’s most fascinating characters, good or bad.

Red (Us)

The motivations of the central antagonist in writer and director Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort are also very intriguing, especially when you discover her true identity. Lupita Nyong’o gives an Oscar-worthy performance in 2019’s Us as both Adelaide (a woman on vacation with her family) and Red, who leads an underground doppelgänger revolt against the surface-dwellers they are tethered to. The twist at the end of Us, revealing the real Red traded places with the real Adelaide decades earlier, brings an unexpected sense of empathy to the role and greatly enhances the film’s clever commentary on economic class dynamics.  

Lipstick-Face Demon (Insidious)

One of the scariest horror movie moments in recent memory is associated with a character who, at first glance, resembles a certain Star Wars villain, but has since become a distinctive icon in his own right. In addition to composing the score for writer Leigh Whannell and director James Wan’s modern haunted house movie favorite, Joseph Bishara appears in the Insidious cast as the Lipstick-Face Demon, in reference to the cosmetic he crudely applies to counteract his pure-black complexion. The vicious creature is the de facto leader of several entities haunting the body of young Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins) after his spectral form unwittingly travels too far into the Further – a premise only outweighed in nightmare-fuel quality by its main antagonist’s scowl. 

Bughuul (Sinister)

In one of the best Ethan Hawke movies (and the one that made a Scream King out of the Oscar nominee), he plays a true crime writer whose investigation into a family’s shocking murder brings him face-to-barely-counting-as-a-face with a truly sinister entity. Known as Bughuul, or “Mr. Boogie” (played by Nick King), this Pagan deity preys on children, enchanting them into becoming his murderous minions through a chain curse passed on through Super 8 footage of his previous crimes. This refreshingly creative way of bringing a concept inspired by ancient mythology into a modern setting is why Scott Derrickson’s Sinister is one of Blumhouse’s best thrillers and the unsettling image of Bughuul still haunts our subconscious.

Jean Jacket (Nope)

We all suspected that Jordan Peele’s take on the alien invasion movie genre would offer something new to the table, but might not have foreseen just how unusual the invader in Nope would be. Siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) at first believe they are being taunted by a flying saucer full of extraterrestrials until they discover the flying saucer is the alien – dubbed “Jean Jacket” by OJ. One of the most horrifying cinematic moments of 2022 reveals what happens if the hungry creature catches you staring at it in full, immersive detail.

Ghostface (Scream)

In 1996, writer Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven flipped the slasher genre on its head with the cleverly meta, but still undeniably thrilling Scream by introducing a killer who was partially motivated by horror movies themselves. The story added fuel to fire by revealing there were actually two Ghostface killers – namely Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis and Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher – and that the villain could be resurrected with a new face (or pair of faces) behind the now-famous mask in future sequels. Part of the fun of looking forward to the subsequent Scream movies has been wondering who will be wreaking havoc on Westview (or elsewhere) next.

The Entity (It Follows)

Another terrifying villain devoid of any specific identity is the “it” from David Robert Mitchell’s 2015 masterpiece, It Follows – starring modern day horror Scream Queen Maika Monroe as a college student who must outrun a deadly, unstoppable, shapeshifting demon only she can see, as part of a curse passed onto her through sexual intercourse. It is a clever twist on a common horror trope by reinventing sex as both what makes you a target and the one thing that can save your life. The mystery behind this unique unnamed entity will soon be expanded upon in an upcoming sequel I am both angry and excited about called They Follow. 

Pennywise (It) 

Another iconic horror character that can appear as whatever it wants, all the better to scare you, is the “it” that the title of Stephen King’s 1986 novel It refers to. Of course, this otherworldly, shapeshifting creature usually has no trouble preying on the fears of his victims – typically children – by appearing as its default creation: a bulbous-headed, yellow-eyed clown. As established, Pennywise was first invented in the mid-1980s and was also previously played by Tim Curry in a memorable two-part TV movie from 1990, but Bill Skarsgård’s devilish portrayal in Andy Muschieti’s two-part theatrical adaptation from 2017 and 2019 is on a whole different level of frightening.

The Babadook (The Babadook)

A character who also feeds off of fears and insecurities is the menacing, nightmarish titular antagonist of The Babadook, which is not just some ghost or demon that roams the earth in search of a victim. In fact, it could actually be argued that, even in the world of writer and director Jennifer Kent’s 2014 Australian import, it does not really exist. It is truly a symbol of the grief that Essie Davis’ single mother, Amelia, suffers after losing her husband – something that, like how The Babadook is described in the pop-up book it comes from, she is unable to get rid of but, in the end, must learn how to live with.

Samara Morgan (The Ring)

Before we had monsters like The Babadook manifesting from pop-up books, we had Samara Morgan popping out of the freaking television screen in The Ring. This is the way that the vengeful spirit of said murdered child – played by Daveigh Chase of Donnie Darko and Lilo & Stitch fame – appears to her victims before claiming their souls within seven days of watching a cursed VHS tape. Her unforgettable appearance at the end of Gore Verbinski’s 2001 update of Hiroshi Takahashi’s Japanese horror classic, Ringu, is what makes it one of the few English-language updates of an Asian horror favorite that is worth rewinding.

Esther (Orphan)

I would say, “Let’s go from one creepy kid to another,” as a way to introduce our next villain, but that would not actually be accurate, given what we learn about Esther at the end of Orphan. In the 2009 cult favorite, Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard’s characters take in a surprisingly intelligent 9-year-old girl (played brilliantly by Isabelle Fuhrman) who turns out to be a 33-year-old woman with proportional dwarfism and a long history of making life for her adoptive families a living hell. The plausibility behind the otherwise shockingly bizarre concept is what makes Esther an especially disturbing character and, more specifically, one of the best female horror movie villains in my eyes.

Adrian Griffin (The Invisible Man)

The plausibility behind the special suit that Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) creates to make him virtually undetectable is what makes him such a haunting villain, and writer/director Leigh Whannell’s reinterpretation of The Invisible Man from 2020 so refreshingly fascinating. Not to mention, the way he psychologically tortures his estranged wife (Elisabeth Moss) and makes her appear delusional to loved ones and authorities offers some real thought-provoking social commentary about gaslighting. This is yet another character on our list who originates from literature, and was first introduced in H.G. Wells’ 1897 novel, but unquestionably deserves a spot for the reasons above.

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

Another essential example of social commentary in horror is Patrick Bateman – the central character of American Psycho, who embodies a kind of masculinity so toxic, it is deadly. His intense need to appear as the ultimate charming, attractive, wealthy alpha male is part of what drives him to commit such heinous acts as chasing a sex worker with a chainsaw or feeding a stray cat into an ATM – or, at least, that is what the film initially has you believe. Aside from the ambiguous ending of Mary Harron’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ controversial novel, it is Christian Bale’s stunning performance as the incurably deranged, Huey Lewis-loving, 1980s Manhattan yuppie that is really to die for.

Steve (Fresh)

You know, a great example of the kind of person Patrick Bateman might aspire to be is Steve, who is portrayed in Fresh in such a charismatic fashion by Sebastian Stan that, like Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Noa, you cannot help but like him. That is, however, until about half an hour into director Mimi Cave’s feature-length debut when he reveals that he is a cannibal and also makes a living selling the meat of his female victims to people with similar appetites. Writer Lauryn Kahn’s inspiration for the character came from her own fascination (and fear) of the uber-wealthy, which – on top of the film’s distressingly spot-on depiction of modern dating – makes it feel almost a little too real for comfort, yet irresistibly delicious.

The Armitage Family (Get Out)

I really hope what goes on in Get Out has no semblance in reality – let alone that it does symbolize real-world prejudices. In writer and director Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning debut, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) learns his suspicion about visiting the childhood home of his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), were right, because her father, Dean (Bradley Cooper), mother Missy (Catherine Keener), and brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones) offer a service to implant elderly white brains into the bodies of unwilling, young Black people. I would actually vote for the remorseless Rose as the real MVP in creep factor, as the ending twist reveals that she has lured Chris into her family’s trap is one of the film’s most unforgettably chilling moments.

Black Phillip (The Witch)

There is also a pretty epic twist at the end of writer and director Robert Eggers’ masterpiece in slow-burn horror, The Witch, which depicts the strange and violent destruction of a family of seven in 1630s New England. You never really know if it is actually some mystical evil hiding in the woods or their own paranoid delusions tearing them apart, until you discover that it was all orchestrated by the Devil himself, posing as the family goat, Black Phillip. I will never forget the moment he reveals his true form to Thomasin (played by my personal favorite modern horror movie actress, Anya Taylor-Joy) and officially lures her into the world of black magic by asking, in an unnerving whisper, “Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?”

Gabriel (Malignant)

For my money, one of the coolest, creepiest, and craziest horror movie twists in years occurs near the ending of Malignant – co-writer and director James Wan’s homage to campy Giallo slashers from the 1980s. After struggling to understand her connection to a vicious, grotesque killer named Gabriel, whose murders she could see in her dreams, Madison (Annabelle Wallis) finally discovers that he is literally connected to her and is her long-dormant parasitic twin who takes control of her body to punish the doctors who tried to remove him. Madison does manage to assume full control of Gabriel and says she will be ready if he tries to break free of the mental prison she has locked him in, which is why a sequel is in order, I think.

Rose The Hat (Doctor Sleep)

One of my favorite horror movie sequels as of late is Doctor Sleep – a brilliant adaptation of Stephen King’s follow-up to The Shining from modern horror auteur Mike Flanagan – which stars Ewan McGregor as a grown-up Danny Torrance. The telepath must protect a young girl with stronger abilities than himself named Abra (Kyliegh Curran) from a cruel group of immortal psychokinetics called The True Knot, who feed off of other gifted individuals and are led by the power-hungry Rose the Hat. I think that Rebecca Ferguson deserved awards attention for her performance as the central antagonist, especially for maintaining such a cold and conniving demeanor during the film’s most disturbing scene, featuring Jacob Tremblay.

You know how they say that a horror movie is only as good as its villain? Well, I usually don’t like to buy into the rule so heavily, but these freaky modern baddies may have convinced me otherwise.

Nope is shaping up to be the horror event of Summer 2022. The trailer alone showed Jordan Peele’s horror pedigree taking a funny and mysterious tone as a group of residents witness an unexplained event. One reason moviegoers are excited about the upcoming release is Keke Palmer. And she's just as excited about the movie as viewers. The actress revealed her appreciation for Peele’s films and opened up about how the horror film differs from Ge Out.

The multihyphenate let out her inner fangirl while being interviewed by Entertainment Weekly. Like most talent involved in a Peele movie, the actress kept the details about her character Jill Haywood concealed. She did tease her role will be an amalgamation of “many cool character archetypes.” All viewers know is that Jill is a rancher. She was excited to play a lead role where race isn’t a factor. Eventually, the conversation turned to her appreciation for Peele’s films, including her current work.

Much like the actress-singer said, having Black leads doesn’t mean the movie has to focus strictly on race while still offering commentary on issues aligned with the Black experience. Each film allows the talent and storytelling to guide audiences along to the eventual twist. The Oscar-winning director can deal with sensitive issues without being heavy-handed or glazing over them.

She did divulge that the upcoming release, much like earlier Jordan Peele efforts, is “a commentary on something grander.” Just like her role in the horror film, the Hustlers actress was mum about the film’s plot. While not much has been said about the film, viewers already know Palmer headlines an all-star cast, including Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya and Oscar nominee Steven Yeun. The film has been described as a “pop nightmare” and “expansive horror epic” as it reimagines the summer movie. All the secrecy surrounding the film was front and center as the Oscar-winning director unveiled some footage at CinemaCon. So, it’s bound to be as impressive as his first two outings.

Viewers will get to see the actress in full effect when Nope drops in theaters on July 22. While Peele fans wait for the horror film to arrive in theaters, there are a plethora of Keke Palmer movies and TV shows you can watch in the meantime. Besides the Jordan Peele release, the Emmy winner has a few projects dropping in 2022, including the Pixar prequel Lightyear.

If you’re into movies like I am, then you’ve undoubtedly seen a ton of excellent films by great directors like Quentin Tarantino, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, etc. Not only do I love to watch films from all over the world, I also love to watch a director’s entire oeuvre, which is how I’ve seen all 6 George Lucas movies, and every Peter Jackson movie. Here’s what I’ve learned by watching the entire filmography of so many directors: Some of them make a truly great movie on their very first try. 

Now, that’s not to say that they didn’t experiment with smaller projects before their first feature length film, as even Paul Thomas Anderson cut his teeth on the short film Cigarettes and Coffee before he directed Hard Eight. But, when it comes to a first feature length film, some directors just somehow nail it, which often guides the trajectory of their entire careers. So, here are 16 such directors who undoubtedly got it right on their very first feature length film.  

Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs (1992) 

Here’s what’s interesting about Reservoir Dogs. If Tarantino’s first movie was Pulp Fiction, and Reservoir Dogs was actually his last movie, it might feel smaller in scale, sure, but I also think it would still feel like a fitting swansong to an incredible career. That’s how amazing Reservoir Dogs is. It’s so good, I could see him making it today. 

But, it was his first film, and it totally made him explode onto the scene back in the early ‘90s. He would, of course, go on to make Pulp Fiction (his best movie), Inglorious Basterds, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and many others, but Tarantino’s mark was already made with Reservoir Dogs, and it’s still legendary today.     

Robert Rodriguez - El Mariachi (1992) 

The first (and I would argue best) in Rodriguez’s Mexico Trilogy, which also contains Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, is said to have only cost $7,000 U.S. dollars to make. It’s about a guitar player who manages to get targeted because of mistaken identity, and he has to take up arms if he wants to live. 

Robert Rodriguez has had an interesting career, jumping back and forth between mature, R-rated films like Sin City and Machete, and kid-friendly stuff like Spy Kids and the hit We Can Be Heroes. That said, it was El Mariachi and its unassuming badassness that got him onto the scene, and it’s still awesome to this day. He’s still awesome to this day, no question.  

Kevin Smith - Clerks (1994) 

There's a reason why Kevin Smith keeps coming back to Clerks, what with the upcoming Clerks 3, and that's because his first movie might just be his very best film ever. The story of a clerk named Dante who shouldn't even be at work today, seems like it has nothing to say and yet everything to say at the same time. Plus, it's all in glorious black and white. 

Kevin Smith's known for movies like Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Red State, and those movies are great and all, but I think most would agree that Smith found his voice with his very first film, and he's mostly kept that voice for the entirety of his career. I'm not complaining.   

Patty Jenkins - Monster (2003) 

Nowadays, Patty Jenkins is most known for bringing Wonder Woman to the big screen, and her future resides in Star Wars with her upcoming movie, Rogue Squadron. But, arguably more interesting is Patty Jenkins' first movie, Monster, which is about the real life serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, played by Charlize Theron, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance.  

How good was this movie? Well, Roger Ebert called Monster the best film of 2002, and he proclaimed that Charlize Theron's performance was one of the greatest that he’d ever seen. Not bad for a director's debut picture.  

Jordan Peele - Get Out (2017) 

Before Get Out, Jordan Peele was probably most known as the other half of Key & Peele. But, after Get Out, I’m pretty sure everybody knew who he was as a single entity, as the talented director/writer/actor exploded onto the scene with the movie that many consider the true Best Picture of 2017.  

Now, every new movie he makes is an event. Us was a creepy doppelganger film, and his next project, Nope, is shrouded in mystery, but still highly anticipated. All that white hot anticipation is all due to Get Out, which single-handedly turned this comedian into one of the most important voices in horror today.    

Steven Spielberg - Duel (1971) 

Steven Spielberg was only 24 when he directed his first feature length film, Duel, and the rest is history. Duel has a simple premise - a guy (Dennis Weaver) is terrorized by an unseen truck driver for 80 minutes, and that’s it.  

But, Spielberg, who has made some of the best movies of all time, just nailed it with Duel. The whole film is taut and unsettling, and it’s little wonder why many people pegged Spielberg as a wunderkind all the way back in the early ‘70s. He certainly was!   

Orson Welles - Citizen Kane (1941) 

The year is 2022, and some people are still saying that Orson Welles got robbed when Citizen Kane lost Best Picture to How Green Was My Valley back at the 1942 Oscars. This actually makes sense, because some critics call Citizen Kane the greatest movie of all time. Not bad for a young man's very first feature film. 

In fact, even though Welles directed other great films like The Magnificent Ambersons, and Touch of Evil, he will forever be known as the man who directed quite possibly the greatest film of all time. On his very first try, no less. Unbelievable.  

Sidney Lumet - 12 Angry Men (1957) 

Even though Sidney Lumet directed a little over 40 films, and serious classics including Network, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Verdict, it might be his first movie, the Academy Award-nominated 12 Angry Men, that might be his most accessible and enjoyable work in his filmography. 

Adapted from a teleplay of the same name, 12 Angry Men is spectacular for many reasons, one being the acting, but two being the pacing, which never lets up. In fact, quick pacing and stellar acting is emblematic of a lot of Lumet's movies, and he had it down pat with his very first film. Lumet was a legend.  

Sophia Coppola - The Virgin Suicides (1999) 

Based on the novel of the same name, The Virgin Suicides is about five sisters (one played by Kirsten Dunst) who are closely monitored after the youngest sister attempts suicide. It’s a drama, to be certain, but there is also an undercurrent of dark humor that kind of creates an almost unsettling quality to an already pretty dark story. 

This “unsettling quality” would show up in Coppola’s later films, like Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and especially, The Beguiled. Still, if I were to jumble up all of those movies and throw The Virgin Suicides into the mix, then most people likely wouldn’t be able to tell which is her debut picture, since they’re all the marks of a professional.  

Ridley Scott - The Duelists (1977) 

Ridley Scott is probably most known for movies like Alien, Blade Runner, and the Best Picture-winning Gladiator, but his debut, The Duelists, starring Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine as warring soldiers who duel each other for decades, was already the mark of master director. 

It’s so good that one of his most recent films, The Last Duel, kind of feels similar in tone and direction. The budget is much higher for The Last Duel, but the acting, pacing, and direction in The Duelists is just as good as it is in the recent film, which is astounding to say the very least.  

Alejandro González Iñárritu - Amores Perros (2000)

The first part of the “Trilogy of Death” (with 21 Grams and Babel), Amores Perros, which roughly translates to "love’s a bitch," slammed into audiences like a car crash with this interesting narrative that connects three separate people to an automobile accident. 

Alejandro González Iñárritu would later go on to direct one of my favorite movies ever in Birdman, but a lot of the electric filmmaking that made that movie so great, was even evident in Amores Perros, which shocks and breaks your heart, sometimes in the very same scene. 

Sam Raimi - The Evil Dead (1981) 

Sam Raimi's come a long way since his debut picture, The Evil Dead. He's helming Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and he came to commercial recognition with his Spider-Man trilogy.   

But, to many, he'll always be "The Evil Dead guy," and for good reason. The first Evil Dead is a seminal entry in ‘80s horror that innovated a lot of unique techniques, such as the camera chasing the characters. Sure, his later Evil Dead movies might be more popular, but that first movie announced a fresh new director, and he'd be here to stay.   

Spike Jonze - Being John Malkovich (1999) 

If you love meta movies, then you’re undoubtedly familiar with the work of Spike Jonze. His second film, Adaptation., was perhaps even more meta than his first, and he managed to make the children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, into a semi-meditative movie featuring James Gandolfini.   

Being John Malkovich garnered him a Best Director Oscar nomination. The film has such a unique strangeness to it that you might attribute it to Charlie Kaufman’s cerebral writing, but, you can see that Spike Jonze’s brain is definitely on a similar wavelength with his other films not written by Kaufman. Being John Malkovich is one of the reasons why some people call 1999 one of the best years in cinema, and this was Spike Jonze’s debut picture. Outstanding!    

Ryan Coogler - Fruitvale Station (2013)  

Before Black Panther, before Creed, there was Fruitvale Station, a film so infuriating that it had this writer seething in his seat when he first saw it. Chronicling the events that led up to the real life death of Oscar Grant, Fruitvale Station seems like the work of an artist who had spent years in the director’s seat, not a directorial debut.  

Coogler's next picture is the hotly anticipated sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but you could see the talent in his first picture, which he made at the tender age of 25. Damn.  

Ari Aster - Hereditary (2018) 

I think it says a lot that Ari Aster only has two feature films to his name, but he's already established himself as one of the leading voices in modern day horror. This was all due to Hereditary, which is still the scariest movie I've ever seen. 

He would later go on to make Midsommar, and one could argue that Midsommar is the better Ari Aster film. Whichever you prefer, I don't think anybody will argue the greatness of Hereditary. Making one of the scariest movies of all time as your very first feature film is no laughing matter. In fact, it’s quite terrifying to be this good.    

Rob Reiner - This Is Spinal Tap (1984) 

Rob Reiner has proven that he can be successful in any genre. He mastered fantasy with The Princess Bride, tackled horror with Misery, and dabbled in romantic comedies with When Harry Met Sally.

But, my favorite, and a lot of people's favorite movie of his, is his debut, the infinitely quotable mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap. The film is probably the funniest rock movie ever made, and it's done in such a way that Spinal Tap seems like a legit band. It's actually kind of sad that they aren't a real band, though, because some of their songs really kick ass.   

What other prominent directors do you think made a great movie on their first try? For news on today's great directors, make sure to swing by here often!   

When I think of actors who make great villains, Catherine Keener is far from the first person to cross my mind. That may be exactly what made her performance as the villain of Netflix’s fun, time travel adventure, The Adam Project, so unexpected and memorable.

Yet, while looking up some of the best Catherine Keener movies for this particular list, I came to realize that the two-time Academy Award nominee has actually been mastering the art of playing bad for years now, as you will be able to see by streaming the titles below. Let’s start, however, with a role that is not quite so sinister, from one of the earlier years of her career.

Johnny Suede (Amazon Rental)

An aspiring musician (Academy Award winner Brad Pitt) struggles to maintain the style and personality of the rock ’n roll legends he idolizes.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: In what is described in the promotional material as a “smooth comedy” from acclaimed writer and director Tom DiCillo, things start shakin’ up for Brad Pitt’s title character from Johnny Suede after he begins a romance with Catherine Keener’s Yvonne, who challenges him to begin seeing himself for who he really is.

Rent/Buy Johnny Suede on Amazon.

Being John Malkovich (Peacock)

After taking a job as a file clerk, a puppeteer (John Cusack) finds a portal hidden in his office building that allows him to inhabit the mind of actor John Malkovich (Malkovich as himself).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Johnny Suede’s Brad Pitt makes a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in 1999’s Being John Malkovich alongside Catherine Keener, who received her first Oscar nomination for playing the scheming, manipulative Maxine Lund in this extremely inventive, surreal, satirical fantasy from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze.

Stream Being John Malkovich on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Being John Malkovich on Amazon.

Death To Smoochy (Amazon Rental)

A disgraced, fired children’s TV star (Academy Award winner Robin Williams) plots revenge against his replacement (Academy Award nominee Edward Norton), who is already growing disillusioned by his job dressing as a purple dinosaur as it is.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Three years after Being John Malkovich, Catherine Keener played a TV producer in another dark, bizarre and unique, but highly misunderstood and unjustly underrated, satire called Death to Smoochy, which fellow star Danny DeVito also directed.

Rent/Buy Death To Smoochy on Amazon.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (HBO Max)

A middle-aged tech store employee (Academy Award nominee Steve Carell) is urged by his friends to make some changes to his life after they discover that he has never had sex.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Catherine Keener gives one of the sweetest and funniest performances of her career as a woman who falls for Carell’s titular character in 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virigin - the theatrical, feature-length directorial debut of Judd Apatow, which remains one of his most beloved smash hits to this day.

Stream The 40-Year-Old Virgin on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The 40-Year-Old Virgin on Amazon.

Into The Wild (Netflix)

Wishing to get away from his privileged life and start anew, a recent college graduate (Emile Hirsch) abandons all of his belongings and sets out on a cross-country trip hitchhiking to Alaska, encountering a unique variety of interesting characters along the way.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: In 2007, Catherine Keener gave yet another sweet, but not very funny, performance as a fellow nomad who proves to be an especially inspirational figure to Hirsch’s Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild - director Sean Penn’s mesmerizing dramatization of author Jon Krakauer’s cautionary non-fiction tragedy.

Stream Into The Wild on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Into The Wild on Amazon.

Capote (HBO Max)

Acclaimed writer Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman in a well-deserved Oscar-winning performance) becomes dangerously and emotionally attached to an inmate (Clifton Collins Jr.) on death row for the murder of a Kansas family while researching the crime for his latest book.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: In 2006, Catherine Keener earned her second Academy Award nomination for playing Harper Lee, who would one day publish To Kill A Mockingbird, in Capote - an intriguing inside look at the real life story behind the shocking non-fiction crime novel, In Cold Blood.

Stream Capote on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Capote on Amazon.

An American Crime (Tubi, IMDb TV, Peacock)

A single mother (Catherine Keener), with the help of her subservient six children and other neighborhood youngsters, subjects a teenage girl (Elliot Page) to horrific and senseless abuse after her parents put her and her younger sister in their care while they are away.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Catherine Keener’s villainous role in The Adam Project looks like Mary Poppins when compared to her Emmy nominated portrayal of Gertrude Baniszewski in An American Crime - a Showtime original, feature-length dramatization of the unspeakable circumstances surrounding Sylvia Likens’ death in 1960s Indiana.

Stream An American Crime on Tubi.
Stream An American Crime on IMDb TV.
Stream An American Crime on Peacock.

Get Out (Amazon Rental)

A Black photographer (future Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya) cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong while visiting the parents of his white girlfriend (Alison Williams), unaware how horrifyingly correct his instincts would turn out to be.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: While this thriller is not a true story, but very true to real life in many upsetting aspects, Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning debut as a writer and director, Get Out, features a brilliantly subtle, yet equally disturbing, performance by Catherine Keener that draws some amusing parallels to the plot of Being John Malkovich.

Rent/Buy Get Out on Amazon.

Incredibles 2 (Disney+)

After they are forced to come out of hiding to save the day, a family of superheroes (including Holly Hunter as Elastigirl) are given a much-desired second chance to “relive the glory days” and hopefully reinforce public opinion about vigilanteism.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Without giving too much away, Catherine Keener’s naturally endearing quality, once again, proves to be an effective misdirect for her character in 2018’s Incredibles 2 - the long-awaited, action-packed sequel to one of the best Pixar movies from returning writer and director, Brad Bird.

Stream Incredibles 2 on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Incredibles 2 on Amazon.

The Croods Movies (Peacock Premium, Hulu)

After their home is destroyed, a family of cave people search for a new place to live and later discover a whole new way of living when they cross paths with a more “evolved” family.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Another notable voice acting performance from Catherine Keener is as the motherly Ugga Crood from 2013’s fun prehistoric animated hit, The Croods, whom she would reprise alongside the all-star cast of The Croods: A New Age in 2020.

Stream The Croods on Peacock Premium.
Rent/Buy The Croods on Amazon.

Stream The Croods: A New Age on Hulu.
Rent/Buy The Croods: A New Age on Amazon.

Where The Wild Things Are (Netflix)

Disillusioned by the common pressures of boyhood, the angsty and overly imaginative Max (Max Records) runs away from home and finds himself in a strange land where unusual beasts reside.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: In 2009, Catherine Keener reunited with Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze for a visually stunning and surprisingly dark adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s seminal children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, in the role of Max’s mother.

Stream Where The Wild Things Are on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Where The Wild Things Are on Amazon.

Enough Said (HBO Max)

A divorced massage therapist (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) discovers that her new client (Catherine Keener) is the ex-wife of her new beau (James Gandolfini), which she keeps secret as she allows her new friend to vent about the previous relationship.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Years after she made a funny appearance on Seinfeld, Catherine Keener gives one of her most endearing performances in 2013’s Enough Said - a clever romantic comedy from Oscar-nominated writer and director Nicole Holofcener.

Stream Enough Said on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Enough Said on Amazon.

The Adam Project (Netflix)

A troubled 12-year-old (Walker Scobell) crosses paths with a pilot who also happens to be his future self (Ryan Reynolds) and joins him on an adventure to ensure a better tomorrow by preventing the invention of time travel.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: When you are done binging the other great Catherine Keener titles above and have a better understanding of how well she has played a villain in the past, revisit her race across time against Reynolds and Scobell in The Adam Project - Netflix’s, overall, critically well-liked tribute to Amblin-produced sci-fi classics, from director Shawn Levy.

Stream The Adam Project on Netflix.

This is just the tip of iceberg of what to look out for if you are a Catherine Keener fan, but they most definitely round out the majority of the actress’ greatest hits.

The true heroes of many of the best horror movies of all time are women, such as Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode in Halloween or Heather Langenkamp as Nancy in the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies. However, not all of the greatest Scream Queens are the ones you want to root for.

While many of the most famous and scariest horror movie villains are male (or even indistinguishable by gender if we are talking about demons), there are just as many amazing female horror movie villains who have left us paralyzed in fear or running from the screen screaming bloody murder. The following are ten of the most essential examples, starting with the “mother” of the slasher genre.

Pamela Voorhees (Friday The 13th)

The hockey-masked face of the Friday the 13th movies may be Jason Voorhees, but the magically resurrected drowning victim was not the one slicing up teenagers at Camp Crystal Lake in the original 1980 classic. That would be his mother, Pamela, who seeks vengeance on the young, negligent counselors who were not keeping a close watch on her boy. She is played by veteran actress Betsy Palmer - who, surprisingly, gives a convincingly manic performance for a role she apparently accepted in order to finance her new car. 

Margaret White (Carrie)

At least Pamela Voorhees clearly loved her child, unlike Margaret White - played to Academy Award nominated perfection by Piper Laurie in the classic 1976 Stephen King adaptation, Carrie. The domineering, abusive religious fanatic believes even natural bodily processes are sinful, which is why her titular daughter (Sissy Spacek in another Oscar nominated performance) had to learn the hard way about menstrual cycles, for which she is punished by being locked in her prayer closet. If only Margaret had tried to help Carrie during her time of need instead of denouncing her telepathic powers as witchcraft, she might not have suffered such a bitter end.

Queen Mother (Aliens)

Perhaps the most vengeful mother in all of horror is the woman responsible for the onslaught of terrifying creatures overrunning LV-426 in Aliens. At the climax of James Cameron’s epic, action-packed sequel, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) risks life and limb when facing off against the Queen Mother, whose eggs she destroyed earlier with her flamethrower, in order to protect her surrogate daughter, Newt (Carrie Henn). At the end of the day, this sci-fi classic is really all about what women go through to protect their young.

Red (Us)

Also very protective of her young is Red, the creepier of the two characters played by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o in Us - writer and director Jordan Peele’s chilling 2019 thriller. It follows a vacationing family taunted by their oppressed doppelgängers as part of a revolt led by Red - the only one of them with the ability to speak, if not with a hauntingly raspy voice. Red becomes one of the few horror movie villains on this list that earns your sympathies, especially after the shocking twist at the end.

Rose Armitage (Get Out)

The main antagonist Jordan Peele’s stunning, Oscar-nominated 2017 debut is someone I have absolutely no sympathy for, however. At the moment of the big twist from Get Out, photographer Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is devastated to learn that his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), and her family are part of a conspiracy to implant the brains of white people into the more youthful bodies of unwilling Black people and he is just the latest victim of her trap. The immediate switch from her loving façade to her remorseless, sociopathic personality after her true colors are revealed makes her especially disturbing.

Samara Morgan (The Ring)

One of the most disturbing horror movie moments ever comes from director Gore Verbinski’s 2001 English-language update of Hiroshi Takahashi’s Japanese horror classic, Ringu. I am referring to when Samara Morgan (Daveigh Chase) - the star of a cursed video tape that promises death to anyone who watches after seven days - emerges from the freaking television to claim the life of Naomi Watts’ onscreen ex-boyfriend, Martin Henderson. The heart-stopping, climactic scene made The Ring an acclaimed hit and Samara the quintessential example of creepy kids in horror movies (to put it lightly).

Esther (Orphan)

I would call Esther a prime example of creepy kids in horror movies if not for what we learn about her true identity at the end of 2009’s Orphan. Scream Queen Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard play a couple that adopt whom they believe is a charmingly precocious 9-year-old (the brilliant Isabelle Fuhrmann) until they become plagued by increasingly horrifying events that are evidently linked to this girl. Well, as it turns out, she is not a girl at all, but a 33-year-old woman who uses her proportional dwarfism to infiltrate unassuming families and makes their lives a living hell!

Jennifer Check (Jennifer’s Body)

Also in 2009, we saw the release of one of the most unjustly underrated horror-comedy movies of its generation and one of the best Megan Fox movies, at that. The Transformers star gives, arguably, her finest performance as the title role of Jennifer’s Body - a Diablo Cody-penned, Karyn Kusama-helmed teen satire about a popular cheerleader made into a powerful succubus by a satanic ritual gone south. The otherwise beautiful, but also unapologetically catty, Jennifer Check gives “man-eater” a whole new meaning when she must feed off of her male classmates in order to stay alive.

Rose The Hat (Doctor Sleep)

Someone who can relate to Jennifer Check is Rose the Hat, the lead antagonist of Doctor Sleep - writer and director Mike Flanagan’s masterful adaptation of Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining. She and the rest of the psychokinetic members of The True Knot achieve immortality by literally ingesting the life out of other gifted individuals like them, including children, as seen in the 2019 film’s most harrowing sequence featuring Jacob Tremblay. Rebecca Ferguson gives an unforgettably chilling performance as this unforgivably cruel, power-hungry, telepathic maniac.

Annie Wilkes (Misery)

Perhaps the best-known female villain from a Stephen King adaptation would be Annie Wilkes in director Rob Reiner’s Misery. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for playing this nurse who takes in her favorite novelist (James Caan) after a car accident leaves him immobilized and refuses to let him leave until he rewrites his latest, unpublished book to her liking. This intensely overdramatic, delusional, “cock-a-doody” villain is one the first great metaphorical representations of toxic fandom, but could still easily be the scariest of them all so many years later.

I originally considered including Regan MacNeil from The Exorcist, until I realized that this 12-year-old girl played by Linda Blair is as much a victim of the demon Pazuzu as anyone else in William Friedkin’s terrifying possession thriller. However, the women above are in control of their actions, which, arguably, makes them scarier, but, inarguably, some of horror’s greatest standout antagonists for using more than a creepy mask and a deadly weapon to strike fear into the hearts of several generations of horror fans. 

I like to celebrate Black History Month by acknowledging some of the most important and cherished contributions to pop culture by artists of color, such as Black horror movies. In fact, as someone who believes the best horror movies come with a message, I think many of the most essential of the like have come from Black filmmakers and actors.

The subgenre has a long and fascinating history, from Duane Jones’ groundbreaking casting as the hero of Night of the Living Dead, to Jordan Peele’s transition from acclaimed comedian to horror auteur with Get Out, and beyond. The following are some of the best thrillers created by Black artists, led by a Black actor, or featuring a predominantly Black cast.

Nope (2022)

Director: Jordan Peele

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun

What it's about: After discovering that a UFO is responsible for their missing horses, two siblings (played by Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) try to capture evidence of the spacecraft.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: With his third directorial feature, Nope, Jordan Peele crafts one of the most unique and thought-provoking alien invasion movie plots in years and introduces one of the most frightening modern horror movie villains with a being referred to as Jean Jacket.

How to watch Nope

• Rent or buy Nope on Amazon
• Buy Nope on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster (2023)

Director: Bomani J. Story

Starring: Laya DeLeon Hayes, Edem Atzu-Swanzy

What it's about: A gifted teenager named Vicaria discovers a way to reanimate the dead, using the body of her recently murdered older brother.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: Also available with a Shudder subscription, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, is a captivating modern retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, elevated by powerful themes of the damaging effects of senseless violence.

How to watch The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster

• Stream The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster on AMC+
• Stream The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster on Hulu
• Rent or buy The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster on Amazon
• Buy The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster on Blu-ray on Amazon

Bones (2001)

Director: Ernest R. Dickerson

Starring: Snoop Dogg, Pam Grier

What it's about: Jimmy Bones returns from the dead 22 years after his murder to punish his killer and help his neighborhood.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: Bones is a fun ghost story that is highly regarded today as a cult classic, especially for its impressive practical effects.

How to watch Bones

• Stream Bones on Tubi
• Rent or buy Bones on Amazon
• Buy Bones on Blu-ray on Amazon

Def By Temptation (1990)

Director: James Bond III

Starring: James Bond III, Kadeem Hardison, Bill Nunn, Cynthia Bond, Samuel L. Jackson

What it's about: Three men team up to defeat a woman with dangerously alluring abilities.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: Def by Temptation is one of the most underrated horror movies produced by Troma, which specializes in fun B-movies.

How to watch Def by Temptaion

• Stream Def by Temptation on Amazon Prime
• Stream Def by Temptation on Tubi
• Stream Def by Temptation on Peacock
• Stream Def by Temptation on AMC+
• Buy Def by Temptation on Blu-ray Amazon

Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)

Director: Ernest Dickerson

Starring: William Sadler, Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett Smith

What it's about: A group of humans get caught up in a long duel between an immortal and an evil harbinger of chaos.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: While the main conflict is between Sadler and Zane’s characters, Jada Pinkett Smith’s Jeryline is the real hero of Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, which is the first feature-length spin-off from the classic horror anthology TV show.

How to watch Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight

• Rent or buy Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight on Amazon
• Buy Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Blackening (2023)

Director: Tim Story

Starring: Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Dewayne Perkins

What it's about: A Juneteenth reunion for a group of old friends is interrupted by the realization that there is a killer amongst them.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: This crowdpleaser is not just a hilarious send-up of tropes in Black horror movies but of Black culture in general, with some wonderful performances from the Blackening cast tie it all together.

How to watch The Blackening

• Stream The Blackening on Starz
• Rent or buy The Blackening on Amazon
• Buy The Blackening on Blu-ray on Amazon

Get Out (2017)

Director: Jordan Peele

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams

What it's about: A young, Black photographer learns that he was right to be anxious to meet his white girlfriend’s family, and in more horrifying ways than he could have imagined.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: Comedy star Jordan Peele proved he also had a real knack for creeping us out while waking us up to modern-day racial tension with his stunning directorial debut, and one of the best Blumhouse horror movies yet, Get Out, which earned him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

How to watch Get Out

• Rent or buy Get Out on Amazon
• Buy Get Out on Blu-ray on Amazon

Us (2019)

Director: Jordan Peele

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke

What it's about: A family's Santa Cruz vacation is interrupted by the violent appearance of another family that looks just like them.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: In his arguably scarier follow-up to Get Out, Jordan Peele takes on economic class disparity and the chilling concept of becoming your own worst enemy in Us, which deserved multiple Oscar nominations, including for Nyong’o’s arresting performance in dual roles.

How to watch Us

• Rent or buy Us on Amazon
• Buy Us on Blu-ray on Amazon

Tales From The Hood (1995)

Director: Rusty Cundieff

Starring: Clarence Williams III, David Alan Grier

What it's about: An eccentric mortician entertains three guests seeking a drug deal with four chilling stories about his most infamous clientele.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: One of the most definitive and poignant examples of Black horror and one of the best anthology horror movies ever made is Tales from the Hood.

How to watch Tales from the Hood

• Stream Tales from the Hood on Starz
• Rent or buy Tales from the Hood on Amazon
• Buy Tales from the Hood on Blu-ray on Amazon

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Director: George A. Romero

Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea

What it's about: A group of Pennsylvanians take refuge inside an old farmhouse to protect themselves from shuffling, flesh-eating corpses that have suddenly risen from their graves.

Why it is one of the best Black horror movies: One of the very first horror movies to subtly comment on racial prejudice was Night of the Living Dead, which made history for introducing the modern zombie into the mainstream and featuring first Black actor to lead a horror movie.

How to watch Night of the Living Dead

• Stream Night of the Living Dead on Amazon Prime for free
• Stream Night of the Living Dead on Max
• Stream Night of the Living Dead on Tubi
• Buy Night Of The Living Dead on Blu-ray on Amazon