Though this Carpenter classic is often cited as a remake of the 1951 ‘The Thing from Another World’, it’s truly a movie of its own caliber. The Thing twisted the premise of a horror movie beyond recognition. No longer is it a group protecting each other from an outside force. The Thing derives fear from doubt, the unknown, and infection. With a cast of memorable, often times humorous, characters to boot, The Thing is a must-see, gorey, intriguing movie that sticks with the viewer for hours after watching (the practical effects alone make it worth a watch). But, don’t watch the 2011 remake. Trust me, I’m protecting you.

Sadly, this entire list can’t be straight horror. Hocus Pocus is perfect for our more hesitant readers: it may have been scary as a kid, but it’s a classic that most anybody can tolerate. A good rule of thumb is that if the rating isn’t R, it can’t be that horrifying. This film features the Sanderson sisters, a trio of Salem witches, and a whimsical cat, who feed off of children for eternal life. Max, Dani, and Allison, our heroes, must take the Sandersons’ magical spell book in order to stop them from harming any more kids and living forever. This movie awakens a deep sense of Halloween nostalgia in anyone born before 2005, which is part of its greatness.

This quartet of haunting movies provides well-timed jump scares, nerve-wracking tension, and creepy imagery to stick with you through the night. All you really need to know before watching is that there are demons ghosts, creepy children, and an excellent usage of the edges of the frame to show spooky things lurking nearly off-screen! The Insidious ‘quadrilogy’, if you will, has something most modern horror movies lack: an intriguing, mysterious plot line, paired with (mostly) interesting characters. I’ll admit that sometimes a few of the movies blur the line between spooky and goofy, but they can’t be that bad if it got three sequels!

The black and white masterpiece is the true definition of a classic. George A. Romero directed the following three movies, as well (Dawn of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, and Land of the Dead), but they don’t hold a flame to the movie that started the zombie-craze. I don’t even think the undead are all that, but this movie sometimes makes me consider otherwise. This movie features a simplistic plot that was taken to another level by the cast and directors alike. Also, it featured Duane Jones as Ben, giving the lead to a black male who portrays a calm, smart, fighter of a character. And a fun fact; the movie is public domain, A.K.A. not copyrighted! Also, one last thing, if you have to watch a remake, watch Tom Savini’s. Not only does he make the best practical effects and gore (I’m lookin’ at you, Friday the 13th and Creepshow), he does the original justice.

Now, now. I know that these three series aren’t the same, but they’re all together for the sake of the list. And even if you don’t want to admit it, they have basically the same premise: creepy man with a creepy backstory creepily murdering babysitters/campers/kids who live on the same street. Oh, and they all have one or two or five movies in their respective series that we wish didn’t exist. Despite some repetitiveness and flat-out terrible scenes, each franchise has impacted the horror genre greatly. Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Jason Voorhees have become some of the most iconic horror darlings ever. Basically, if you haven’t seen each movie in each series (the good, the bad, and the ugly included!), you haven’t lived.

This found footage film made something from a whole lot of nothing. With a modest budget of around $60,000 (mind you, The Exorcist had a budget of $12 million), The Blair Witch Project spooked thousands in theatres in 1999, and raked in more than $248 million. An unbelievable amount of hard work was put into this movie: it took eight months to cut 19 hours of footage in the middle of nowhere down into 90 minutes, and it made a fantastic script from an outline the two directors wrote in college. This movie puts you in the perspective of three students going to film for their documentary about the mysterious and terrifying ‘Blair Witch’. After interviews and collecting footage of the small town, the protagonists get lost in the woods the witch supposedly wanders; which they soon start to believe after certain experiences. The Blair Witch Project feels incredibly raw and realistic, making for an uneasy viewing experience (which is just what we’re looking for)!