It’s difficult to name just 10 groundbreaking horror films because so many of them have led the way for things to follow. There are plenty of films in the genre that trailblazed: Very early entries like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari set the tone for things to come. Early slashers like Black Christmas and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre certainly inspired legions of filmmakers. The first entries of powerhouse franchises could be considered groundbreakers as well by introducing new icons… Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Saw all paved the way for incredibly lucrative franchises. And some films opened the doors to new sub-genres like Alien for mainstream sci-fi/horror and Hostel for the unfortunately nicknamed “torture porn” sub-genre.
You could argue a spot for any of those films on the Top 10 Groundbreaking Films list, but this is what we came up with. Please feel free to comment below, or give us your own Top 10 Groundbreaking Horror Films.
When he couldn’t secure the rights to use the name Dracula, FW Murnau simply renamed everything from Bram Stoker’s book and created this historic film. He named the movie Nosferatu and then was brilliant enough to find Max Schreck to play Count Orlock (Dracula) in a role that would influence vampire films for decades. Nosferatu took the first step for the vampire sub-genre which would run from Bela Lugosi to Robert Pattinson. From Christopher Lee to Alexander Skarsgaard. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, even Eddie Murphy all portrayed vampires that can trace the inspiration for their performance back to Murnau, Schreck and Nosferatu. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to turn on a television and not be able to find some kind of program or film which doesn’t contain a vampire, and it all started right here.
Frankenstein (1931)
Directed by James Whale
Although Frankenstein certainly deserves a spot on this list, this film is also a representative selection as you could include so many of the classic movie monsters here. King Kong, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Phantom of the Opera and the Mummy were all iconic characters that led the way in horror. Frankenstein, however, stuck out as the most memorable of this remarkable group. Also adapted from a classic piece of literature, Frankenstein was, of course, based on Mary Shelley’s book. The film contained grave-robbing, torture of the monster and the murder of a child. Pretty heavy stuff for the early ’30s. It’s funny to think that so many of today’s cartoonish Halloween decorations were actually inspired by this beast constructed from the rotting pieces of other corpses. An iconic figure that may be the most recognized monster of all time, Frankenstein is a true original piece of artwork that is a rightfully part of the United States National Film Registry.
Freaks (1932)
Directed by Tod Browning
Any time you can grab a video of a guy with no arms and no legs rolling and lighting his own cigarette, it’s advisable that you do it. It almost sounds like a setup for a joke… What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs who smokes? Hack. (*rim shot*) In all seriousness, Browning’s film, which is also in the US Film Registry, was legendary for bypassing all the inconveniences of having to create circus freaks using F/X and just went out and hired actual circus performers. Kind of like the original reality TV. Having worked at a sideshow in his youth, Browning was familiar with the atmosphere and the composition of the performers and put that into his work. He obviously held the circus freaks in high regard as in his film he portrayed them as heroes and “normal” people as the antagonists. Freaks is unforgettable for its absolutely remarkable cast, the likes of which has never been assembled again. A truly unique film that opened doors and pushed the limits of what was “acceptable” to show on film. Gabba, gabba, hey!
Psycho (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Directed by a true master filmmaker and promoter, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was not only an amazing piece of filmmaking, but it was marketed brilliantly. Hitchcock kept everything about Psycho under tight wraps to be sure the film’s secret stayed a secret. Reviewers were not even allowed early screenings for fear the shocking ending would be leaked. And this was before file sharing and SOPA! The shower scene was like nothing audiences had seen before. (Also, viewers had never had the opportunity to see a toilet on the big screen either, but Psycho fixed that as well!) Often credited as the first slasher film and said to inspire later films to use more gore, Psycho (also on the US National Film Registry) was acted, directed and sold to the public in brilliant fashion. An inspiration for horror creators on the same level that Black Sabbath is an inspiration to metal bands, everything goes back to this.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Directed by George A. Romero
This landmark film did nothing less than define the modern zombie as we know it today. Even though the beasts in the film were referred to as ghouls, the shuffling, shambling undead invading that Pennsylvania farmhouse were the direct ancestors of all the zombies we have today. Think about the massive amounts of entertainment revolving around the modern zombie – television series, comics, web series, feature films and shorts – and that’s not even counting all the zombie-themed events we participate in socially, like zombie walks and zombie pub crawls. These all look back and trace their roots to the one and only Night of the Living Dead. This is another one that is enshrined in the US National Film Registry. It simply influenced a massive amount of entertainment. Thanks to Romero and his creative vision and determination, zombies went from slaves of voodoo witch doctors to the flesh-craving nightmares we know and love today.
The Last House on the Left (1972)
Directed by Wes Craven
This was a tough one. This spot was a complete toss-up between The Last House on the Left and I Spit on Your Grave. Both of these films featured incredibly intense violence and brutal rape scenes. I Spit on Your Grave seems to possess a bit more of a recognizable name amongst casual fans, but finally The Last House on the Left made the list because it was released five years earlier and was the film in which Wes Craven introduced himself to the horror universe. Although the tension is cut with a bit of humor, The Last House on the Left is an assault on the viewer. The sadistic torture of the victims brings a heaviness to the film that is only slightly alleviated when the family eventually gets revenge on the killers. Last House is another film that opened doors for violence and F/X at the cinema. They set the bar so high in cruelty that it would be very difficult to top, but they inspired many to try.
The Exorcist (1973)
Directed by William Friedkin
It seems like every exorcism film that comes to theaters earns big money. And why is that? Why did The Last Exorcism and The Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Devil Inside all earn millions at the box office? The answer is simple… The Exorcist. These other films made huge amounts of money for one reason: All the viewers were hoping for another film like William Friedkin’s masterpiece. We go to see exorcism movies because we know they can be really scary. We’ve seen it done before and keep hoping someone can do it again. Unfortunately, no one has ever even approached the power and unadulterated ability to cripple viewers with fright as The Exorcist. Even after nearly 40 years, many feel it’s the scariest film of all time. Will any film ever achieve the combination of sheer brilliant filmmaking with unbridled terror as The Exorcist did? It’s a lofty goal to strive for. It was the highest grossing film of all-time for one year… that is, until our next film swam into the picture.
Jaws (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
When Jaws was released in 1975, several things happened. The world was put on notice that Steven Spielberg might be a name to keep an eye on in the future as the film would go on to be the highest grossing movie of all time (and hold the title for two years until Star Wars wrestled it away). But how Jaws became such a huge earner is what’s important. Responding to positive early screenings, filmmakers launched an all-out blanket campaign for the film with a larger than initially planned number of theaters releasing Jaws, as well as a massive marketing campaign to go with it. Behind the strength of this, Jaws basically became the first film which could be considered a “summer blockbuster”, reshaping the way studios looked at distribution. And aside from that Jaws scared the shit out of people, and not just in the ocean; people were (hell, are) uneasy about swimming in pools after seeing the classic film. Jaws was a rare treat that took an innate fear, toyed with it and turned it into a nightmare. A look at any new release video shelf will undoubted offer the sight of plenty of films that followed in the steps of the “animal attack” sub-genre of horror, each of them certainly inspired in some way by the grandfather of them all, Jaws.
Halloween (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter
If Psycho could be considered the first slasher film, Halloween has to be thought of as the film that molded the sub-genre into what we know it as today. Where Normal Bates killed for a very specific reason, Michael Myers needed none. Yes, Black Christmas came earlier, but Halloween gave us a name and a character to haunt us. Carpenter used our fears of unknowingly being watched and wove them expertly into the film. And then he unleashed Michael Myers on the unsuspecting people of Haddonfield. As the film rolls on, we become terrified and enthralled by the character (as you should with any great villain). Carpenter helped set the rules of horror with this film and even showed future directors how to set up for a killer sequel. The films inspired by Halloween, one of the most successful indie films of all time, are countless. This film drew up the slasher blueprint which would be adapted and adjusted to fit so many movies which came afterward. Fans of the sub-genre know exactly where to look when talking of the original.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez
Fans of horror may be looking at this list and saying, “Okay, Nosferatu. Good one. Psycho. Yeah, I agree with that one… Wait. What! The Blair Witch Project?! How does that get on this list?” Here’s how: The Blair Witch Project was a groundbreaking film in a number of ways, the first being its first-person/found footage style. The technique was used in Cannibal Holocaust, but obviously Blair Witch was the film that inspired the current craze. The thought is, of course, that if you feel you’re watching actual footage of an event or incident, it’s that much more chilling than a produced movie. Whatever your personal opinion on that style may be, we can’t discount the fact that The Blair Witch Project had a huge hand in the popularity it now possesses. But even more important than the way The Blair Witch Project was shot was the way it was marketed. Virally. Blair Witch became a huge success because a lot of the audience wasn’t actually sure if they were watching a production or actual found footage because of what they had read on the Internet. Additionally “The Curse of the Blair Witch,” a companion piece to the film, aired on the Sci-Fi Channel on July 11, three weeks before the film was released, creating even more uncertainty amongst viewers as to whether what they were watching was production or actual found footage. The Blair Witch Project‘s filming style and marketing approach ushered in two huge changes to the horror genre, and cinema as a whole, indeed making it a truly groundbreaking work.
I’m sure you guys have some titles that I may have overlooked. Share them and drop some knowledge on us in the comments section!
And be sure to check out The Theatre Bizarre (review here), which John Anderson of Variety says is “devious, demented and occasionally delicious.” Exclusive engagements start Friday, January 27th, at midnight.