There are some horror films that can scare audiences for generations. They can stand the test of time and even amaze people to this very day. That’s why, even now, horror lovers can’t seem to get enough ofWilliam Friedkin’sThe Exorcist. An intense nightmare flick with some of the most iconic imagery in all of cinema, this 1973 classic is undisputedlyone of the most compelling and terrifying horror moviesof all time.
There’s no discussion of the greatest horror films ever without bringing upThe Exorcist. Besides all the incredible scares, it’s perfectly directed, powerfully acted, and full of palpable suspense. Truly, it’s hard to top this masterpiece sometimes. This is why, for the purposes of this article, we’ll be looking atten other iconic and beloved horror movies that can stack up alongsideThe Exorcist. Some of these are almost or just as good as Friedkin’s masterpiece, and some are even arguably superior. So, sit back, turn off the lights, and prepare to be scared because these horror greats really deserve your attention.
10’Rosemary’s Baby' (1968)
Directed by Roman Polanski
Starting with a banger isRoman Polanski’s 1968 psychological horror filmRosemary’s Baby. A masterclass in using suspense and subtle horror to effectively freak out the audience, it’s become a beloved classic that’s often brought up alongsideThe Exorcistasa prime example of brilliant horror storytelling.
The film starsMia Farrowin a career-defining performance as a first-time mother who slowly comes to believe her husband and new apartment tenants intend to use her unborn child for sinister purposes. As mentioned before, it scares viewers with its subtle build-up and mounting tension. It all culminates inone of the most shocking endings in horror history, which continues to have a massive influence on filmmaking. It’sbrilliant, iconic, and just as good as Friedkin’s film, which came out five years later.
Rosemary’s Baby
9’The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920)
Directed by Robert Wiene
Hailed as a brilliant,iconic piece of German Expressionist cinema,Robert Wiene’sThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligariis a true classic of horror movies that continues to have a positive influence despite being released over 100 years ago. The story sees a German village descend into chaos and paranoia as mysterious murders occur, leading one villager (Friedrich Feher) to suspect they’re being committed by a crazed hypnotist (Werner Krauss) and his brainwashed somnambulist (Conrad Veidt).
Though they are two vastly different films with unique and instantly distinct styles,The Cabinet of Dr. Caligariranks highly among horror buffs for itsdisturbing imagery, psychological themes, and overall impacton the genre, much likeThe Exorcist. It’s a classic that many other amazing horror movies we know today have gained their inspiration from. Truly, it’s worth being placed alongsideThe Exorcist, and it’ll never be forgotten.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
8’What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' (1962)
Directed by Robert Aldrich
One of themost flawlessly performed horror movieswasRobert Aldrich’s 1962 thrillerWhat Ever Happened to Baby Jane?This compellingly told blend of heartbreaking drama and eerie psychological horror sees two acting legends, Academy Award winnersBetty DavisandJoan Crawford, as fading celebrity sisters forced to live in isolation in a crumbling mansion. Soon, they find their unbearable living situation turned for the worse when one of the sisters suffers a murderous breakdown.
It’s tense, dramatic, and rich with so much atmospherethat allThe Exorcistfans can enjoy. Much like Freidkin’s classic,What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?terrifies audiences with suspense and uses its cramped house setting to leave them with an uneasy feeling of dread. It may not be as scary or shocking, but it’s creepy enough to get under the viewers' skin and leave a lasting impression.
7’Diabolique' (1955)
Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
A mind-blowing French thriller with so many twists and turns,Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1955 classicDiaboliqueis a compelling shocker in which nothing is what it seems. In a suspenseful story thatwould later inspireSir Alfred Hitchcock’sPsycho, it follows a woman and her husband’s mistress who murder him, an abusive school headmaster. However, things take a darker turn when the husband’s corpse mysteriously vanishes.
BothDiaboliqueandThe Exorcistare edge-of-your-seat horror masterpieces that terrify viewers with gripping suspense and lingering dread. Though different genre-wise, they’renowadays massive influences on the horror genreand are often brought up ascompelling examples when discussing classic horror movies.
Diabolique
6’Jaws' (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Often taking the top spot as one of themost suspenseful horror movies ever made,Steven Spielberg’s game-changing monster thrillerJawsis an intense nail-biter that can scare to death even the most hardcoreThe Exorcistfans out of their seats. With alegendary score, iconic imagery, and a talented cast, it seesRoy Scheider,Robert Shaw, andRichard Dreyfussteaming up as a trio of shark hunters who go on a dangerous quest to kill a monstrous great white shark off the coast of Amity Island.
Jawsis arguably just as scary asThe Exorcist, perhaps only slightly less. They’re also bothmasterclasses in suspense and paranoia.Jaws' terror comes from not knowing when the shark will strike, whileThe Exorcistramps up the scares as the demonically controlled little girl Reagan (Linda Blair) advances with possession. Even after more than fifty years, both films are still incredibly terrifying and just as memorable. Truly,Jawsdeserves its place alongside this classic.
5’The Shining' (1980)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
When speaking of acclaimed horrors likeThe Exorcist,The Shiningoften has that one beat, as it’s just as well-received and arguably even more. Directed by the legendary lateStanley Kubrick, this praised supernatural chiller, based on aStephen Kingnovel, has scared audiences for decades. It followsJack Nicholson, playingone of the scariest fathers in horror history, as a struggling writer who slowly becomes unhinged and seeks to kill his family after being influenced by evil spirits while staying as a caretaker at an isolated mountain hotel.
Both are competently directed, flawlessly acted and feature award-worthy cinematography. It’s often hard to see which is the better-shot film, asThe ExorcistandThe Shiningoften stack up with each other and are seen asinstantly recognizable examples of perfect horror filmmaking.The Shiningis, of course, worthy of competing withThe Exorcistand deserving of its tremendous acclaim today, even though it was initially mixed upon release.
The Shining
4’Psycho' (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Powerfully suspenseful and oftenconsidered a timeless masterpiece, Alfred Hitchcock’s magnum opus,Psycho, deserves every bit of mention as an all-time great horror movie. With memorable lines and a chilling lead performance, the story follows what happened to a thieving desk secretary (Janet Leigh) when she ran off with her boss’s money and checked into an isolated hotel run by the mysterious Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).
When it comes to pop-cultural impact, of course, bothPsychoandThe Exorcistcompete for which one is the most memorable. They’re two ofthe most legendary horror films in cinema, being constantly quoted and having some of their best scenes constantly referenced in other films and TV shows. Time will tell which one will come out as the winner of being the most influential of the two, but as it stands, they’ll likely remain equals, constantly vying for the crown of best of the best.
3’Alien' (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott
In the same decade whenThe Exorcistwas scaring audiences with its supernatural thrills, SirRidley Scottwas scaring them in a whole new way in 1979 with his sci-fi horror masterpieceAlien. Seen today as one of the mostvisually epic and eerily claustrophobic filmsin the horror genre, it follows commercial astronauts aboard the towing vessel Nostromo, who answer a mysterious distress call in a derelict ship wreck and encounter the universe’s deadliest alien organism.
This nightmarish slasher in space was something the horror genre had never seen up to that point.It’s relentlessly intenseand shocking and features an iconic villain, the xenomorph, which became one of the best in movie history.Alienhas just as much acclaim asThe Exorcist. The two are timeless classics, highly unlikely to ever be forgotten anytime soon.
2’The Thing' (1982)
Directed by John Carpenter
Now,The Exorcistis king of supernatural terror, butJohn Carpenter’sThe Thingtakes the crown when it comes to the best sci-fi terror.A definite must-watch for horror fans, this chilling 1982 remake of a popular ’50s classic has become a highly beloved masterpiece in the years since it initially flopped. StarringKurt Russell, it sees Americans at an isolated Antarctic outpost who struggle to trust each other and figure out who is human when an alien shapeshifter infiltrates their group.
The Thingis one of themost tense and pulse-pounding horror thrillers of all time, and every minute is suspenseful and leaves a lingering sense in the audience that something terrible will happen at any moment. Its scares are legendary and haven’t been forgotten by horror fans. As a result, it’s often argued by the horror community to be the ultimate horror movie, sometimes more thanThe Exorcist.
1’The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Finally, the lateJonathan Demme’sThe Silence of the Lambsis ahorror masterpiece of monumental acclaim, surpassing that ofThe Exorcist. Winner of the Big Five Academy Awards, including the crowning achievement of Best Picture, this crime thriller is significant to horror and cinema as a whole. It follows a young FBI trainee as she enters an intense mind game with an incarcerated, brilliant serial killer to learn the pathology of another murderer before he strikes again.
Hailed for having flawless writing, award-winning direction, andsome of the best acting in horror history,The Silence of the Lambsdeserves a place alongsideThe Exorcistasone of the greatest in the esteemed genre. It’s kept a strong following over the years and doesn’t show any signs of slowing.The Silence of the Lambsis a perfect film thatThe Exorcistfans would have a blast seeing and debating which one is better.
The Silence of the Lambs
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