With over 38,000 horror titles on IMDb, it can be difficult to choose which horror movies to watch. However, IMDb has made it easier by compiling the highest-rated horror films by user rating. These movies all have at least 25,000 user votes on the platform, making them among some of the most popular horror films ever made, according to IMDb users. From great psychological thrillers to slasher classics, here are the top seventeen highest-rated horror movies by users on IMDb.
Updated on September 23rd, 2023, by Angela Campbell: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new Westerns.
17 Evil Dead Rise (2023)
IMDb Rating: 6.6
One of the most recent films to grace the list, Lee Cronin’s 2023 psychological horror hit, Evil Dead Rise, is the fifth installment of Sam Raimi’s beloved horror franchise that centers on the strained relationship between sisters Beth and Ellie (Lily Sullivan & Alyssa Sutherland) as they fight to protect their family from demonic creatures after they discover a nefarious book containing unfathomable evil. The estranged duo must put aside their issues and battle against flesh-possessing demons while confronting terrifying nightmares if they have any hopes of surviving the horror.
Evil Dead Rise was a knockout with both critics and longtime fans of the series, nabbing an 8.1 IMDb rating as well as a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score. Deadline Hollywood declared in their review that the film “feels like a real return to form. It’s funny, absurd, gory, bleak, and will keep viewers on edge–just how the fans like it.”
16 Talk to Me (2022)
IMDb Rating: 7.2
The newest entry on this list, Talk to Me is an Australian horror film that became a box office hit in 2023, thanks to its original premise, practical effects, and terrifying sound design. A group of teens discovers they can communicate with the dead using an embalmed hand, but one of them breaks the rules, allowing a malevolent force to torment them.
This creepy movie currently has a 7.2 rating on IMBd’s list of top horror movies and holds a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, the movie already has both a prequel and a sequel in the works.
15 I Am Legend (2007)
IMDb Rating: 7.2
Let’s all agree on one thing — I Am Legend contains one of the most heart-wrenching and traumatizing scenes in cinema if you love animals. Whether that’s the reason it ranks high on IMDb’s horror movies list is unclear, but regardless, this Will Smith-led post-apocalyptic thriller is set to get a sequel nearly 20 years after its initial release.
Following a virus outbreak that turned most survivors into cannibalistic mutants, Smith played a loner trying to find a cure for the disease while he also searched for other survivors. I Am Legend blends genres, including science fiction and action, but IMDb users give it high marks for its horror elements. It holds a 7.2 rating from almost 800,000 votes on the site.
14 The Conjuring (2013)
IMDb Rating: 7.5
The Conjuring universe has spawned several top-rated horror films, and it’s all thanks to the 2013 movie that kick-started the franchise. Starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, this terrifying horror film from director James Wan drew inspiration from the supposed real-life haunting of a family terrorized by an unknown presence in their farmhouse.
Using old-school scares and visceral storytelling, Wan managed to create an entertaining and creepy movie in the vein of classics such as The Amityville Horror. IMDb users have also deemed The Conjuring to be one of the best horror movies on the site, ranking it within the top 15 horror movies. With even more entries in the franchise planned it’ll be interesting to see if any future franchise entries can top the original.
13 Get Out (2017)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
A modern entry for this list, the critically acclaimed horror hit Get Out proved that social issues can be terrifying when presented under the guise of entertainment. When a Black man accompanies his white girlfriend to meet her family, he discovers a conspiracy in which middle-class white liberals transplant people’s brains into others’ bodies. While some consider this movie to be more thought-provoking than scary, many critics felt its layered themes of racism created an unsettling atmosphere.
Get Out wasn’t only a box office success in 2017, but remains one of the best-rated horror movies of the last decade. It earned four Academy Award nominations and has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with numerous reviews calling it funny, scary, and thought-provoking. With an IMDb rating of 7.8 from approximately 655,000 users, this one proves that original horror can still have a deep impact on viewers.
12 The Blue Elephant (2014)
IMDb Rating: 8.0
One of the newer horror films on the list, The Blue Elephant was first released in 2014 and hit audiences with its unique approach to the horror genre. It is an Egyptian film that follows a psychiatrist who is trying to transition back to work after a personal tragedy. Dealing with his own inner demons, finding out one of his friends is a patient in the criminal mental institution where he works sets off a series of events that viewers need to watch to get the full experience of The Blue Elephant.
Also holding an 8.0 user rating on IMDb, this movie is a visually stunning adaptation of the 2012 novel of the same name. It’s a perfect balance of suspense and intrigue and an excellent addition to the highest-rated horror movies.
11 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
IMDb Rating: 8.0
This 1962 classic starring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis tells the story of two aging sisters who live together. “Baby” Jane Hudson (Davis) is a former child star slowly spiraling into madness while her sister Blanche (Crawford) is confined to a wheelchair after an accident. The two are terrorized by each other in a gripping rivalry that touches on themes of jealousy, loneliness, and mental illness.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane holds an 8.0 rating on IMDb and was nominated for numerous awards, crossing over from the horror genre and into the mainstream thanks to the film’s major stars. Overall, the film has become one of the most iconic psychological thrillers in film history.
10 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
IMDb Rating: 8.0
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Widely regarded as the first true horror film in history, the 1920 German silent horror picture The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari tells the chilling tale of the titular unhinged hypnotist (Werner Krauss) who manipulates the somnambulist Cesare (Conrad Veidt) to carry out a series of gruesome murders. The groundbreaking movie helped pave the way for German cinema and also served as a stepping stone for arthouse films, and was noteworthy for its dramatic and gothic aesthetic and revolutionary and chaotic cinematography.
The highly influential picture currently has an 8.0 IMDb rating and during its worldwide release, women in the audience reportedly screamed and even fainted when Cesare made his spine-tingling reveal. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is considered a classic picture and one of the most lauded and famous German pictures of the silent era.
9 Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Another psychological horror film on the list is the 1968 Roman Polanski classic Rosemary’s Baby. The movie follows a young pregnant woman, Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), who moves into a New York City apartment building with her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes). It’s clear that the other occupants of the building are not exactly normal, but that’s just the beginning of the horror Rosemary will face.
With an 8.0 user rating and several awards, this thriller is an excellent example of how danger can lurk in the most unexpected places. If you’re looking for a subtle, suspenseful horror movie with an unnerving and escalating atmosphere, this is the one to watch.
8 Les Diaboliques (1955)
IMDb Rating: 8.1
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Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Les Diaboliques, also referred to as Diabolique, is a 1955 French horror film that has influenced thrillers in countless ways. The film follows two women, Christina Delasalle (Véra Clouzot) and Nicole Horner (Simone Signoret), who conspire to murder their mutual lover, Michel Delasalle (Paul Meurisse).
They try to plan the perfect crime, but they find that things are not as easy as they had planned when Michel’s body disappears. This classic thriller has an 8.1 user rating on IMDb and is one that viewers need to watch until the end. If you’re looking for a suspenseful, dramatic horror movie with unexpected twists, this is a must-watch.
7 The Exorcist (1973)
IMDb Rating: 8.1
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The Exorcist is one of the most well-known and highly-regarded horror films of all time. The 1973 classic follows a young girl, Regan (Linda Blair), who becomes possessed by the devil after playing with an Ouija board. Her mother (Ellen Burstyn) and two priests, Father Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), are determined to save Regan from the evil forces that have taken over her body.
The Exorcist has an 8.1 user rating on IMDb and won two Academy Awards, as well as four Golden Globes. It has been praised for its iconic ’70s soundtrack, acting, and special effects, helping to make it one of the most iconic horror films ever made.
6 Tumbbad (2018)
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Another recent horror movie, Tumbbad is an Indian horror-fantasy film released in 2018. It follows Vinayak (Sohum Shah), a man who is obsessed with discovering the source of wealth said to be hidden in an ancestral home. He ends up traveling to the home with his son, Pandurang, and together they become entangled in a web of deceit, greed, and danger as they try to uncover the mythological secrets of the property.
The cinematography and atmosphere of Tumbbad make it truly unique. It has an 8.2 user rating on IMDb, holding 17 awards and over 22 nominations. It’s a fantastic movie for anyone who loves international horror and fantasy.
5 The Thing (1982)
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Horror icon John Carpenter directed the 1982 classic The Thing, a loose remake that follows a group of scientists in Antarctica who discover an alien life form that can take the shape and form of its victims. The alien is able to spread rapidly, and the group must figure out how to fight it before it’s too late. The tension and suspense in this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the grotesque special effects are nothing short of amazing for the 80s.
The Thing has an 8.2 user rating and has incredible performances from Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, and Keith David. It’s a great example of how horror remakes can be done right, and is considered to be a masterpiece by fans of science fiction and horror.
4 The Shining (1980)
IMDb Rating: 8.4
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The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1980, is a horror movie that follows Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and his family as they move into an isolated hotel in the Colorado Rockies. Jack is responsible for the Overlook Hotel as the winter caretaker, but his sanity begins to slip away the longer he is there. On the surface, The Shining looks like a standard thriller, but the deeper themes of evil and family tragedy (not to mention the many conspiracy theories about the film) make it a classic.
The Shining has an 8.4 user rating on IMDb and has earned awards and nominations from both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. It’s another horror movie that is guaranteed to linger in the back of your mind long after you’ve finished watching it and one that has stuck in the cultural lexicon for nearly half a century.
3 Psycho (1960)
IMDb Rating: 8.5
One of Alfred Hitchcock’s most iconic films, Psycho is a 1960 classic that follows Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) as she steals money and flees town, eventually ending up at the Bates Motel. She is greeted by the creepy owner of the motel (Anthony Perkins), who is hiding a dark secret. It doesn’t take long for things to take a dark turn for both Marion and her sister (Vera Miles), who also finds herself in danger.
Psycho is a thrilling horror movie that can still hold up today, thanks to how revolutionary and ahead of its time the filmmaking was. It has an 8.5 user rating on IMDb and also won the Best Motion Picture award at the 1961 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. It is full of suspense and great performances, making it clear why it’s often referred to as the blueprint for modern horror.
2 Alien (1979)
IMDb Rating: 8.5
Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, Alien, lands close to the top of IMDb’s list of horror movies by user rating with an 8.5. It follows the crew of a spaceship who are sent to explore an unknown planet, only to be attacked by a terrifying alien creature. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is one of the few survivors and must battle against a creature that is relentless in its pursuit.
Alien has since become a classic sci-fi horror movie, and it’s no surprise as to why. The combination of suspense and special effects creates a fantastic environment, and the performances of Weaver and her fellow crew members keep you invested throughout. Ripley has become an iconic female character, making this a movie that any fan of horror and feminism alike should watch at least once.
1 The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
IMDb Rating: 8.6
Revered as one of the greatest and most influential cinematic releases of all time, Jonathan Demme’s 1991 psychological horror masterpiece The Silence of the Lambs famously follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she is forced to seek the expertise of the deranged, cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in order to catch a murderer terrorizing the country.
The acclaimed picture became one of just three films in history to win the five major categories at the Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Actress for Hopkins and Foster, respectively; 1934’s It Happened One Night and 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are the other two that achieved the feat. With an IMDb rating of 8.6 from nearly 1.5 million users, the horror hit is without a doubt one of the most respected and decorated films of its genre.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
