10 Classic Horror Movies That Are Still Disturbing Today

The horror genre is full of classics that left an incredible mark on cinema. Some of the greatest horror movies ever made have stood the test of time, and continue to have a lasting legacy in cinema. Many of these classics are timeless, regardless of age, and continue to frighten and terrify audiences.

Since its inception, the horror genre has produced some of the most spectacular and spine-tingling stories that will continue to endure throughout generations. From the early years, several incredible stories were so terrifying, so unimaginably scary, that they continue to horrify multiple generations. While many horror classics have dwindled in their scare factor throughout the decades, some are too scary no matter how old they get. Here are the ten best classic horror movies that are still disturbing today.

10 ‘Freaks’ (1932)

Directed by Tod Browning

Director Tod Browning, the man behind Dracula and The Devil-Doll, helmed Freaks, a 1932 cult classic that’s become one of the most iconic horror films of pre-code Hollywood. Wallace Ford, Olga Baclanova, and Harry Earles star in a fantastically creepy tale about a greedy trapeze artist (Baclanova) who gets more than she bargains for after double-crossing a likable band of side-show performers.

Freaks was one of the most controversial pictures of its time. It was a body horror masterpiece that many audiences in the early 20th century weren’t prepared for. Though a box office flop and heavily censored at the time, it slowly gained more appreciation over the years from fans who now recognize its eerie genius. Freaks is an effectively creepy, brilliantly acted, and unsettling black-and-white classic. It couldn’t fail to get under audiences’ skin.

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9 ‘Les Diabolique’ (1955)

Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot

Before Psycho shocked audiences with its thrilling tension and gripping suspense, Henri-Georges Clouzot was already breaking ground in the thriller/horror genre with 1955’s Les Diabolique. Starring Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot, and Paul Meurisse, it tells a nail-biting story about a murder plot between two women to kill one’s despicable, controlling husband.

Things are different from what they appear to be in Les Diabolique. Today, hailed with psychological brilliance, it’s a pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat thriller that continues to shock and disturb audiences with its mind-bending twists. There’s even a disclaimer at the end, telling the audience who’ve seen it not to spoil its most incredible moments. It’s a must-watch film for both fans of the horror and thriller genres, and it certainly still doesn’t disappoint.

8 ‘The Innocents’ (1961)

Directed by Jack Clayton

Based on the iconic novella by Henry James, “The Turn of the Screw,” The Innocents is an unsettling ’60s horror classic that’s become the most definitive adaptation of James’ powerful tale. Adapted to screen by the legendary Truman Capote and starring Deborah Kerr and Megs Jenkins, it tells the story of a governess who cares for two troubled orphans at an estate that she slowly suspects is home to terrifying supernatural forces.

The Innocents doesn’t rely on jump-scares or heavy music to effectively creep out the audience. It’s intense, suspenseful, and full of eerie, almost palpable silent moments. As far as creepy kid movies go, this is one of the best examples as it features two talented young performers, Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin, who dominate the scene with their chilling portrays as the two orphans. Viewers won’t rest for a second as long as these two are on screen, as they bring so much dread and unpredictability to their roles. Overall, it’s an incredible nail-biting chiller that makes the audience hold their breath from start to finish.

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7 ‘The Haunting’ (1963)

Directed by Robert Wise

The great Robert Wise knew that the best horror comes from fearing the unknown. The Haunting is his 1963 psychological/supernatural thriller masterpiece that’s become one of the most recognizable horror movies of the decade. Julie Harris gives a riveting leading performance as a troubled young woman, Eleanor Lance, who accompanies several paranormal investigators to prove the existence of ghosts in a supposedly haunted, enormous mansion.

The Haunting is one of the most definitive haunted house movies ever made. With a chilling tone, powerful suspense, and a few well-placed jump-scares, it tells a compelling story that never lets up on terror. It’ll keep viewers puzzling over its ambiguity and complex ideas. Is Eleanor experiencing something supernatural, or is it all an illusion? Is the house haunted, or is it something more explainable? All these questions have made the films so engaging over the years, and they continue to terrify audiences well into the modern age.

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6 ‘Peeping Tom’ (1960)

Directed by Michael Powell

Michael Powell‘s Peeping Tom is a benchmark classic in cinema history, greatly influencing the horror genre for decades. In one of the most unsettling portrays of a serial killer ever shown on screen, the late Karlheinz Böhm plays Mark Lewis, an unstable, fear-obsessed young photographer who documents his latest killing sprees.

Peeping Tom gets right under the viewer’s skin. Though its violence and sexual content are significantly tamed compared to modern horror films today, it’s still a monumentally creepy and unsettling picture that’s just as shocking today as it was back in 1960. It’s a perfect and unique slasher masterpiece that continues to be a massive influence on the genre and is praised by horror fans.

5 ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)

Directed by Roman Polanski

One of the most shocking and suspenseful paranormal horror movies ever made, Roman Polanski‘s Rosemary’s Baby is a decade-defining horror masterpiece that still leaves viewers on edge. Mia Farrow shines as Rosemary Woodhouse, a paranoid mother-to-be who slowly suspects her husband and new apartment tenants are secretly plotting to use her unborn child for satanic purposes.

Flawlessly acted, brilliantly shot, and incredibly intense, Rosemary’s Baby takes audiences on a terrifying mystery that certainly doesn’t disappoint with its shocking twist climax. It’s one of the most recognizable psychological horror classics ever, a powerfully suspenseful nail-biter that keeps audiences holding their breaths. It’s still horrifying today and leaves viewers with an unsettling feeling long after watching it.

4 ‘Eyes Without a Face’ (1960)

Directed by Georges Franju

Eyes Without a Face is a shocking, disgusting body horror classic directed by Georges Franju. Hailed as one of the most significant international horror movies ever made, it follows the unsettling tale of a desperate, obsessed French doctor (Pierre Brasseur) who takes his experiments to the extreme while trying to reconstruct his daughter’s (Edith Scob) face after her near-fatal car accident.

It doesn’t take long to feel uncomfortable watching Eyes Without a Face. It’s easily one cinema’s most disturbing horror movies, a stomach-churning masterpiece that continues to shock audiences with its graphic imagery. Despite being over sixty years old now, it still leaves viewers with a lingering sense of dread and terror and shows no signs of losing its potency.

3 ‘Carnival of Souls’ (1962)

Directed by Herk Harvey

Made on a minuscule budget and starring a relatively unknown cast, Herk Harvey‘s Carnival of Souls defied the odds to become one of the most beloved and influential B Horror classics of the 1960s. In a truly spectacular, Oscar-worthy performance, Candace Hilligoss shines as Mary Henry, a troubled young woman experiencing frequent supernatural encounters after surviving a horrible tragedy.

It’s one of the most surreal, dream-like horror movies imaginable. Carnival of Souls is like staring into someone’s horrible nightmare, complete with bizarre and fascinating imagery that gets more eye-catching with each passing moment. It continues to be a massive influence on the genre, even inspiring the works of David Lynch and George A. Romero. It’s a true cult classic of the horror genre that only gets creepier and more effective with age.

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2 ‘Psycho’ (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

It’s hard to talk about any great horror movies these days without mentioning Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Featuring a timeless story and some of the most compelling acting in horror history, it tells the iconic tale of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a desk secretary who, after stealing from her boss, runs off into the countryside and stumbles upon the Bate’s Motel, home to the mysterious Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his equally mysterious mother.

Today, Psycho is seen as one of the all-time greatest black-and-white horror movies ever created. It’s a flawless masterpiece that’s become a staple of the genre and a must-watch for every horror fan since its debut in 1960. It features career-defining performances from Perkins and Leigh, who’ve become horror legends. Its scares and legacy have only gotten stronger with age, and it’ll continue to be a massive influence on cinema, probably for decades to come.

1 ‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968)

Directed by George A. Romero

Finally, at number one, there was no topping George A. Romero’s trailblazing zombie horror masterpieceNight of the Living Dead. Starring the late and great Duane Jones, it follows his character Ben, a desperate survivor forced to become a leader of a group of people at an isolated farmhouse after the dead rise from their graves to attack the living.

Praised for its shocking gore and epic scares, Night of the Living truly deserves its place in the annals of horror history. It’s a massive game-changer that influenced pop culture and inspired many other great zombie films and TV shows. This timeless horror classic only gets better with age, and it can be watched time and time again throughout the years and still be as terrifying as when it first came out.

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