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'Psycho' (1960) -

Alfred Hitchcock's shower-slashing horror classic had audiences fainting in their seats on its release, and still has the power to terrify viewers today.

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'Psycho' (1960) -

The film is Hitchcock at his finest: from the unflinching close-up shots of Anthony Perkins' remorseless face to the unforgettable soundtrack, it's the benchmark by which other horror movies are measured.

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'Black Sunday' (1960) -

From Italian shock-master Mario Bava comes this ultra-creepy gothic movie, which genuinely horrifies to this day. Not for the faint of heart, its vampiric, witchy goings-on against a stylized black and white background have become iconic horror movie moments.

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'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1956) -

Released amid a climate of "Red Scare" paranoia and packed with not-so-subtle political metaphors, 'Invasion of the Body' snatchers is genuinely scary in its own right.

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'Dead of Night' (1945) -

An anthology of creepy stories from British filmmakers culminates in a classic evil-ventriloquist-dummy moment in this stylish thriller from Ealing Studios. 

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'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (1945) -

Oscar Wilde might be better known for his wit, but his classic tale about the man with the portrait in the attic made for a truly terrifying film. The titular Dorian Gray remains a picture of youth while his portrait rots away in unflinching detail.

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'The Haunting' (1963) -

Things go bump in the night with horrifying effect in this psychological thriller, whose power lies in the things that remain unseen.

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'The Haunting' (1963) -

One of several adaptations of Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel 'The Haunting of Hill House,' it sees a group of people spending the night in a creepy English manor house. All is not well within those walls, as they soon discover.

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'The Uninvited' (1944) -

If you're after a creepy Halloween watch, look no further than this 1944 British movie about ghostly goings-on in a haunted house.

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'The Uninvited' (1944) -

The spirits are truly malevolent and bent on wreaking terror in a film that is packed with strong acting performances and atmospheric sound effects.

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'The 7th Victim' (1943) -

Suggestions of Satanism add to the chilling mood of this dark tale from prolific horror producer Val Lewton. It's also unusual for its time in that the women of the movie hold a terrifying power, while the men are largely helpless bystanders.

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'Eyes Without a Face' (1960) -

Indeed, 1960 was quite the year for enduringly terrifying horror movies, and this French import horrified and thrilled audiences in equal measure. 

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'Eyes Without a Face' (1960) -

The film centers around the disturbed—and disturbing—efforts of a plastic surgeon to create the 'perfect' face, and seems particularly powerful in today's appearance-obsessed society.

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'Murders in the Zoo' (1933) -

Animals go wild in a disturbing film that maintains its shock value nearly a century after it was made. The movie centers around the warped attempts of a zookeeper to harness the powers of the animals to murderous effect.

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'Freaks' (1932) -

Causing shockwaves on its release, 'Freaks' was banned in Britain until the 1950s. It's a horrifying tale of ghastly happenings among the 'freaks' of a circus sideshow, but the chilling message is that supposedly 'normal' people can be the true evil-doers.

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'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) -

Yes, it's a silent movie, but it's no less frightening for that. A classic example of post-WWI German expressionism, it features sleepwalkers and malevolent hypnotists stalking through a surreal, nightmarish landscape.

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'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) -

The movie remains a favorite among Film Studies students, and has had a lasting influence on horror movie directors, including Tim Burton.

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'The Night of the Hunter' (1955) -

Something of a buried classic among American horror movies, 'The Night of the Hunter' sees Robert Mitchum play a serial-killing reverend with truly chilling effect, as he wreaks moral 'revenge' on alluring women.

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'Nosferatu' (1922) -

Another stone cold classic horror movie, 'Nosferatu' is a prime example of German Expressionism's chilling ambience.

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'Nosferatu' (1922) -

An unauthorized reworking of the tale of Dracula, it's long-fingered protagonist has become one of the most enduring images in the horror movie genre.

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'Creature from the Black Lagoon' (1954) -

Something otherworldly stalks through the Amazon jungle, as a group of scientists attempt to work out just what they have unearthed. The monster, in stark black and white, is a genuinely scary sight.

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'Creature from the Black Lagoon' (1954) -

Often dismissed as a 'schlock horror' B-movie, 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' is well worth a watch even today.

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'Cat People' (1942) -

A B-movie filmed on a shoestring budget, 'Cat People' was an unexpected success with critics and audiences.

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'Cat People' (1942) -

Legendary horror producer Val Lewton made his name with the movie, which, aside from fearsome female felines, is notable for the jump-out-your-seat bus scene. 

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'Phantom of the Opera' (1925) -

Another classic silent horror movie, the original movie of the disfigured 'phantom' besotted with a lovely opera singer remains the best. Lon Chaney, a staple of early horror movies, famously applied his own horror makeup to great effect. 

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'House on Haunted Hill' (1959) -

Any horror movie starring Vincent Price is going to be worth a watch, and he puts in a stellar performance in this version of the Shirley Jackson novel. He plays a millionaire who lures an unsuspecting group into the spook-filled house. A perfect watch for Halloween.

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'Eraserhead' (1977) -

Modern-day horror master David Lynch honed his unnerving skills with this bafflingly-brilliant piece of cinema. Surreal and largely silent, it's a dark journey into an unraveling mind. Like much of Lynch's work, it raises more questions than it answers.

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'Frankenstein' (1931) -

Boris Karloff plays the man-made monster in this iconic adaptation of Mary Shelley's masterpiece.

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'Frankenstein' (1931) -

The frightening-yet-frightened monster created by Doctor Frankenstein became so well-known that it inspired countless Halloween masks and comic book images.

Sources: (Esquire) (Vulture)

See also: Horror movies that originally had much more sinister endings

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