Let this be the year—if you haven’t already done so—to finally work up the courage to see Tobe Hooper’s criminally underrated classic, a top-rank satire of American class warfare (survival of the hungriest), teenage misadventure in the backwoods and one of the darkest masterpieces of the ’70s. Though shrouded in a gruesome reputation generated by that title, Texas isn’t particularly gory. It is, however, the scariest movie ever made.
Halloween and horror movies go together like apples and razor blades. But despite popular wisdom, not all horror movies are Halloween appropriate. Let us explain. Yes, All Hallow’s Eve may be about confronting our deepest fears, but it’s also about finding the fun in being afraid. So while, say, Don’t Look Now may be a masterpiece of horror, there ain’t nothing fun about it. But zombies? Demonic possession? Devil children? Jack Nicholson going nuts in a snowed-in hotel? Oh yeah, baby. That’s Halloween.
This list celebrates that specific subset of horror that’s best watched in the shadow of a giant Home Depot skeleton with the scent of pumpkin spice wafting through the air. Admittedly, there’s a good deal of crossover with our list of the greatest horror movies overall. But you’ll also find some classic midnight movies, nasty slashers, freaky anthology films and at least one Final Destination flick – movies that, for whatever reason, just seem better in the month of October.
Recommended:
😱 The 100 best horror movies of all-time
🩸 The 15 scariest horror movies based on true stories
🔪 The 31 best serial killer movies
👹 The 50 best monster movies ever made
🧟 The best zombie movies of all-time