Although he’s best known for spearheading the Guardians of the Galaxy series, James Gunn started out in horror. He has written Terror Firmer, Day of the Dead, and The Belko Experiment, and the first movie he ever directed was Slither. So it’s no secret that Gunn has a love for the genre and likely sees almost every new horror movie that gets released.
The vocal director takes to Twitter every now and then to share his lists of favorite movies, and he did exactly that with his favorite horror movies. The list is epic, as it features 50 horror movies spanning decades, and there are a surprising number of movies from the 21st century. Between South Korean monster movies, adaptations of Stephen King novels, and parodies of zombie apocalypses, Gunn has an eclectic list of favorites.
The Host (2006) - 7.1
Bong Joon-Ho is all the talk at the moment, as the past decade has seen him direct the sleeper hit Snowpiercer and the box office phenomenon Parasite, which set the precedent for being the first non-English Best Picture winner. But before all of his mainstream success, he directed the 2006 horror movie, The Host.
The movie is unique in Joon-Ho filmography, as it’s a monster movie, but it still retains the social commentary and satire the director is known for, and it’s that very satire that Gunn has used in almost all of his movies.
The Mist (2007) - 7.1
Being more well-versed with Steven King than anybody, Frank Darabont, who had directed both The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, rounded out somewhat of a King-adaptation trilogy with The Mist. Unlike the previous two King novels he adapted, The Mist is a straight-up horror movie, as it sees customers holed up in a grocery store as the small town is seemingly being terrorized by monsters.
It’s no surprise that Gunn loves The Mist, as it’s a must for any horror fan. Though the movie is gripping from the very beginning, it’s the final few moments that leave fans shocked, devastated, and exhausted. And seeing as one of Gunn’s other favorite horror movies is Evil Dead 2, which has a similarly shocking final scene, it’d be a surprise if The Mist wasn’t on the director’s list.
The Descent (2005) - 7.2
Being the first of two British horror movies on Gunn’s list, The Descent is criminally overlooked, as many feel it’s one of the best horror movies of the 21st century. The movie follows a bunch of cave divers who struggle for survival as they try to defend themselves from strange humanoid creatures.
The movie is fantastically bloody, suspenseful, and terrifying, and there’s barely a single moment of downtime for viewers to take a breath. And on top of that, The Descent has an all-female cast eons before it became more prevalent in Hollywood.
A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003) - 7.2
Though it wasn’t all that successful in the U.S., A Tale of Two Sisters was the highest-grossing Korean horror film of all time. But being the cinephile that he is and seemingly watching absolutely every movie that has ever been released, Gunn not only saw it, but sings its praises too.
And despite not performing well, there is a U.S. adaptation titled The Uninvited, but it failed to capture the same suspense and terror of the original.
28 Days Later (2003) - 7.6
It would be like James Gunn to prefer the unconventional zombie movies over the more typical and 28 Days Later is the benchmark of these very movies. What makes 28 Days Later stand out from an ocean of other zombie movies is that the zombies in the Danny Boyle-directed movie can run.
It was the simplest change to the formula, but it made such a huge difference. In fact, while playing with the trope, the characters are not technically even zombies, as they’re affected by a virus instead of rising from the dead, so there’s so much originality to the movie.
Train To Busan (2016) - 7.6
Train to Busan is yet another South Korean horror on Gunn’s list, but unlike A Tale of Two Sisters and The Host, Busan is much more aligned with Gunn’s own movies. The film is just as much of an action movie as it is a horror, as the movie follows a man and his daughter as they battle hoards of zombies on a high-speed train.
It’s more contained than most zombie movies, as most of the film takes place on the train, including all of the action. And given how intricate the action is in all of Gunn’s movies, he is clearly influenced by the action in this film just as much as the horror.
Saw (2004) - 7.6
The Saw movie series might now be known more for having the reputation of torture porn, but the very first movie in the franchise was a perfect balance of traps and story. It isn't just a horror movie, but an incredible thriller that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats too.
And though each consecutive sequel that has been released in the series has strayed further and further from its roots, the newly released Spiral has returned to the thriller genre. It’s unknown as to whether Gunn has seen the ninth installment of the franchise yet, but if he has, he’s keeping hush about his feelings on it.
Zombieland (2009) - 7.6
It’s no surprise that Gunn is a fan of Zombieland, one of the funniest horror-comedies of the 21st century, as the acclaimed filmmaker’s directorial debut was Slither. The 2006 movie has an equal number of jump scares and absurd humor, and though Zombieland is more overtly funny, there are a lot of parallels between the two movies.
And although movies that smash genres together like horror and comedy don’t usually stand the test of time, most feel that Zombieland has aged like a fine wine. Between the never-ending search for Twinkies and one of the most ludicrous movie cameos of all time, the movie is a timeless classic.
Get Out (2017) - 7.7
Get Out is Jordan Peele’s unforgettable directorial debut, and it made waves for the way it terrified the audience by both its suspense and its commentary on racism in America. And given that there’s a large brush stroke of satire across the whole movie, it’s right up Gunn’s alley.
The film set a huge precedent for Blumhouse Pictures too, a movie studio that specializes in ultra-low-budget horror movies that make millions at the box office, as Get Out marked the first Oscar win for the studio.
Shaun Of The Dead (2004) - 7.9
Just like with Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead is another rare example of a comedy-horror movie becoming a classic. But even more so than the 2009 movie, Shaun of the Dead is a great comedy, and an even better zombie movie.
The Edgar Wright-directed smash hit is the gold standard of horror-comedy writing and it clearly influenced Gunn in so many ways, not just in comedy writing, as the stylish camera work and fantastical and colorful quality is something that Gunn has put to use in all of his movies. As Gunn continues to refine his style that’s completely unique to him, there are still obvious strands of his filmmaking DNA that harken back to Wright’s work on Shaun of the Dead.