My top 5:
- Alien
- The Shining
- The Thing
- Evil Dead 2
- Hereditary
The Shining is certainly a flavor of horror. I think part of the problem of trying to make a list where the only criteria is horror sweeps up such a broad array of movies. Like Hostel, From Beyond, Alien, and Silence of the Lambs are all equally in the same bucket, which doesn’t seem right.
There are a lot of way to sort the distinctions, but The Shining is deserving of a slot somewhere in the realm of supernatural horror. It relies on creepy atmosphere and a descent into isolation with audience along with the characters, more than blood splattering, or some kind existential question to shake the audience. It is, at its core, a haunted house movie.
Exactly, no other movie evokes that feeling of dread and doom quite like it. It does a lot with very little.
I’m also surprised you’re the first person to mention From Beyond, the ick factor of that movie is off the charts and I love the campy acting.
I have a hard time categorizing Stuart Gordon movies as horror (I suppose technically that’s where they end up). They have horror trappings, but everything is so theatrical that it doesn’t really scan as scary. It’s not a failing either but more like the intentional tone.
The closet modern analog would be maybe Slither? It’s incredibly gross and has concepts that would be horrific to experience, but I’m so removed as an audience member that it’s really just more fun being grossed out.
