Yes, you guessed it right! It’s a scary movie, and not just scary but the scariest old movies. Movies, especially the horror genre, don’t only need ‘roll- camera- action’ and some unique expressions from the actors. Expressions alone will not horrify the audience.
Good horror movies startle the viewers, though they elicit adverse emotional reactions among the viewers. These movies generally deal with the viewer’s fears and terror of the unknown. Horror movies have made audiences skip their heartbeats throughout the different eras, even though they are supernatural and unreal.
Top 5 Scariest Old Movies
Here in this list, I specify the top 5 scariest old movies of all time-
1. The Exorcist (1973)
William Friedkin directed this movie, and its producer was William Peter Blatty. It was an adaptation of the producer’s novel ‘The Exorcist.’ Other horror movies of its time seemed close but no cigar to The Exorcist. This movie is not all about scary setups, long dark corridors, and sudden door openings. It’s a unique movie that has the imagery to scare the audience.
The work in Iraq stands out among all its work. How can one forget Regan McNeil walking down on all fours? Linda R. Hager performed the famous spider-walk scene, which was epic and mind-blowing. They introduced the concept at that time, but they did not implement it due to graphic issues. It returned as soon as they sorted out graphic imagery.
Dare to watch this movie!! From every angle, it is the best movie to hit the big screen to date, which is supported by the fact that a $12 million movie made a whopping $440 million. It is one of the most classic and scariest old movies
2. Nosferatu (1922)
As the name itself suggests, this movie was a symphony of horror. This silent horror movie was not an authorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The names and details had to be changed later because this movie’s team could not get the rights. F.W. Murnau directed it, and its producers were Enrico Dieckmann and Albin Grau. It is one of the scariest old movies
Come hell or high water, I can always easily say that this movie is the best silent movie of all time. This movie is full of scenes that you will watch with your eyes shut. Max Schreck didn’t focus on the theatrical effects but played Dracula’s role to perfection. He didn’t play a human Dracula role; instead, he made it look like a deadly animal.
The rotating head, which became famous and familiar in The Exorcist, is expected to have its root in this movie. This movie can be called the combo of body horror and zombie horror.
3. Halloween (1978)
Produced by Debra Hill and directed by John Carpenter, this movie is the best movie among all horror movies which are not adapted from any novel. Made with a meager budget of $300,000, it became a box office hit by amassing the $70 million mark.
This slasher movie stood on the base of a terrifying atmosphere created in its scenes by the well-placed direction of John Carpenter. A maniac stalking and killing a young woman seems to be this movie’s exciting plot, which builds around the air’s suspense. The movie’s box office credits are the superb direction and classic camera work. Still, many miss that moody music, which was equally responsible for Halloween’s major success. It is one of the scariest old movies.
4. Night of the living dead (1968)
In this movie, a group of disparate individuals seeks shelter in an abandoned farmhouse where they meet a group of corpses coming out of their graveyard in search of fresh human flesh to endeavor. The director George A. Romero drew inspiration from horror and science fiction called “I am Legend,” written by Richard Matheson. Karl Hardman and Russell Streiner produced it.
This movie is undoubtedly the best zombie horror movie of all time. It was made with a tiny budget of $114,000 but made $30 million in its journey to the theatre. Suppose this is not enough to testify to its status as the best zombie horror movie.
In that case, I have another significant proof to support my views, i.e., “The Library of the Congress” selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry as it was respectfully considered historically, culturally, and aesthetically significant. Watch the movie on a lonely night if you can!! It is one of the scariest old movies.
5. Poltergeist (1982)
This 1982 California-based movie was directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Frank Marshall and Steven Speilberg, it is one of the scariest old movies. As the name suggests, this movie was a typical ghost movie moving around the noisy ghosts that invade the house of a middle-class family.
This tightly scripted movie can consistently scare its audience throughout its total 114 minutes. This movie was a blockbuster considering that it invested just $10.7 million but got a return of $121.7 million. Critics and audience equally appreciated it, and it went on to get nominated in three categories of Academy Awards.
I hope you enjoyed this list of the scariest old movies, and I hope it gave you the chills. If you haven’t watched them already, go check them out.
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