It is often said that horror movies don't always get fair treatment from critics, but audiences can be just as dismissive of the genre. The list of the 250 top-rated movies of all time on IMDb has a collection of some iconic horror gems, like The Shining and Jaws, but there are also some big titles that are shockingly omitted from the list.
From classics of the genre to more modern hits, these horror films have received enormous acclaim and pop culture appreciation yet somehow have missed the cut for this prestigious list. Have a look at some of the list's missing horror films and see if any of your favorites were left off.
Frankenstein (1931)
The classic Universal monster movies are among the most influential horror films ever made. Studios are still looking for modern ways to bring back these iconic creatures. The most acclaimed of this collection is Frankenstein with Boris Karloff as the monster.
This black-and-white loose adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel is responsible for what many think of about the story of Frankenstein. However, the nearly century-old film apparently feels a bit dated for modern audiences.
28 Days Later (2002)
Though it gained a resurgence, by 2002, the zombie genre had largely fizzled out. 28 Days Later might not technically be about zombies, but it helped to show that this kind of horror movie can still be extremely effective.
Set in London, a man wakes up from a coma to find the city virtually deserted. He soon finds that large parts of the population have been injected with a disease that turns them into mindless, rageful killers. The sequences in the empty streets of London are unforgettable and the tension of this small story is palpable throughout.
Saw (2004)
Sometimes when a franchise sticks around too long and wears out its welcome people start to forget that it was good at one point. This seems to be the case with Saw as the original movie that kicked off this long-running series remains a shocking and effective low-budget horror.
The movie begins with two men chained up in a basement and being told by some unknown captor that they are going to play a game. Serial killer villain Jigsaw proceeds to put his victims through horrible tests to make them appreciate life. Saw is a gory and scary ride with a great ending.
Scream (1996)
Casual movie fans may not be aware, but Wes Craven's Scream changed the slasher genre forever. The clever setup seemed like a typical horror movie about teens being terrorized by a masked killer. But this movie was unique in that it played with the well-known tropes of the genre to make something new.
Scream delivers with the scares, but it is also really funny and smart in how it subverts the expectations of this kind of movie. It was so effective at reinventing the genre that modern audiences might think it is cliched when, in fact, it invented the cliches.
Evil Dead II (1987)
Though he made his theatrical film debut with the first Evil Dead movie, Sam Raimi really went for it with the sequel. Though it is basically a remake of the original, Raimi added his own unique sense of humor, stylish direction, and made the character of Ash a more entertaining hero.
It is a wild, funny, and gory ride that showcases a lot of the techniques that are apparent in Raimi's other works. Perhaps the strange tone of the movie doesn't work for everyone, which could explain why such a fun movie is left off the list.
Carrie (1976)
Stephen King is an icon of the horror genre with more than a few of his film adaptations ranking on IMDb's top-rated list. However, one of his most famous, Carrie, is somehow overlooked.
Directed by Brian De Palma, Carrie stars Sissy Spacek as the titular high school outcast who discovers she has special telekinetic abilities. The tense and dark story eventually leads to the infamous prom scene, which is one of the best-directed sequences in any horror movie.
Halloween (1978)
Though it is not the first slasher movie ever made, John Carpenter's Halloween popularized the genre more than any other movie. It also introduced one of the genre's most iconic killers with the masked and relentless figure of Michael Myers.
Carpenter expertly applies tension in the movie as Myers quietly stalks around the sleepy town of Haddonfield. Compared to modern horror movies, some may now see Halloween as too tame, but that is ignoring its brilliance.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Another horror icon was introduced to audiences in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Wes Craven's unforgettable story delivers the perfect premise of a killer named Freddy Krueger who hunts his victims in their dreams.
To make the idea of falling asleep scary is something few horror movies could lay claim to. Freddy Kreuger is such an effective embodiment of evil, with his memorable design and weapon, while also being a mixture of playfulness and threat. A Nightmare on Elm Street is yet another classic that seems to have been forgotten by some.
The Exorcist (1973)
It is hard to talk about the best horror movies ever made without someone immediately bringing up The Exorcist. It is one of the few in the genre to receive considerable attention from the Oscars and it remains one of the best-directed horror movies of all time.
The movie's impact has lessened surprisingly little over the years and it remains a masterpiece. It could be that not enough people have sought out the classic in recent years, but it is hard to believe such a brilliant movie could be overlooked.
Get Out (2017)
After making a name for himself as a gifted comedic actor, Jordan Peele shocked the world by delivering one of the most talked-about and powerful horror films of the decade. Get Out is the Oscar-winning and twisted horror tale about a Black man who goes to spend the weekend with his white girlfriend and her family.
It is amazing how much Peele is able to achieve in one movie. He addresses topical issues from race to politics in meaningful ways while also introducing an unsetting and complex conspiracy. There is even some great humor thrown in that makes this a brilliant directorial debut. How one of the most acclaimed films of the 21st century did not make IMDb's Top 250 list is a mystery.