10 Best Gateway Horror Films

The horror genre is one of the largest sects of the film medium, and it features hundreds of films designed to disgust and terrify. While it does play host to a legion of boogeymen like Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface, many movie buffs seem to forget that horror encompasses everything from the creepy and crawly to full-on guts and gore galore.

That being said, for every Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there’s a simpler, less messy monster movie for those fans just looking to dip their toes in the genre. Every fan has to start somewhere, and whether they’re young, old, or just inexperienced, there are plenty of entry-level horror movies to get die-hard fans started.

10 Halloween (1979)

It may not be everyone’s first choice for an entry-level horror movie, but, as far as slashers go, Halloween is surprisingly tame compared to others in the genre. Keep in mind that, despite the series’s reputation, there is actually very little in terms of gore for the first film.

John Carpenter’s original relies a lot more on suspense and surprise than blood and spectacle to get its scares. It works because it’s simple; sometimes all a film needs to be scary is an escaped killer with a white mask and a very sharp knife.

9 Alien (1979)

Though a touch more gruesome and gross than other sci-fi horror offerings, Alien is a classic monster movie through and through. In some ways, it could be considered a slasher movie set in space, and that’s not an unfair comparison; a murderous being stalking a group of victims through a dark confined space sounds pretty familiar.

It’s gruesome and gross, there’s no disputing that, but watching Ripley outwit and survive a hungry alien lurking around every corner of the Nostromo provides just enough suspense without going overboard. Plus, the fake-out jumpscares take at least some of the edge off.

8 It (1990)

While the remake is arguably more accurate to the book, the ’90s version of Stephen King’s It is a softer blow. It’s a slower burn, but it’s still scary enough to keep many up at night. The original also has something the 2017 remake was sadly lacking, that being a phenomenal performance by Tim Curry.

Curry is what makes this TV movie memorable. At times, he’s absolutely terrifying. Other times, his overly-animated antics venture into cartoonish territory. Either way, he’s the best part of the movie.

7 Trick R’ Treat (2007)

This one may be a bit too much for some horror newcomers, but the Tales From The Crypt vibe from this anthology film is one of the reasons fans keep watching it every Halloween. It’s a bit more graphic, but in an over-the-top way.

It’s also worth noting that the victims of each story segment only get the ax because of their antagonizing actions. A wife trashes her husband’s Halloween decorations, a group of kids steal jack-o-lanterns and humiliate an outcast, and there’s a school principal that’s a literal serial killer. The rules are there for a reason, after all.

6 Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Killer Klowns From Outer Space is one of those movies that never takes itself seriously, but that’s okay. It’s a monster movie parody that flip-flops back and forth between silly and scary so much that it goes full circle with its ideas. It’s just scary enough to qualify as a legitimate horror movie, but it definitely has more laughs than screams.

Think about it, alien clowns who turn humans into cotton candy sound more like villains out of a Saturday morning cartoon than a gruesome horror flick. There’s definitely a lot of cartoon-flavored creepiness going on in this movie, but that only makes it all the more enjoyable.

5 Poltergeist (1982)

While the story was written in part by Steven Speilberg, Poltergeist’s director, Tobe Hooper, was the mind behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, giving the film some serious horror movie cred. Hooper’s take on the typical haunted house trope was one that the genre would never forget.

This film has a wide selection of scares that will definitely cause a few to jump, but none of the family actually winds up as one of the undead. Even so, that creepy clown doll is a nasty piece of work.

4 Coraline (2009)

Just because it’s animated doesn’t mean it’s not a horror movie. For kids looking to get into their first scary movie, there’s none better than Coraline. It’s a creepy creature feature that masquerades as a stop-motion fantasy film, and it gets dark quicker than most mature kids’ movies.

An evil child-eating entity who lives in the walls of an old house sounds more like a creation from Stephen King than the villain in a kids’ movie, but that’s exactly the kind of nightmare fuel this movie delivers. It’s loaded to the brim with disturbing imagery, but nobody dies, nobody gets mangled in any way, and it even ended up with a PG rating.

3 Sleepy Hollow (1999)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the most time-honored ghost stories in all of literature, and Tim Burton’s adaptation is exactly what a true horror version of the tale should be. It’s dark, gothic, and over-the-top in all the best ways, and its Headless Horseman is a horror icon in his own right.

It’s an R-rated horror film, but, compared to more contemporary entries, it’s closer to a hard PG-13 at most by today’s standards. It’s been compared to a modern Hammer Horror film thanks to its use of gothic themes, unrealistically red gore, and eccentric flair. If viewers can handle Dracula, then they can handle this.

2 Gremlins (1984)

There is perhaps no movie out there that perfectly blends horror and comedy quite so well as Gremlins. Just about any movie featuring miniature monsters and tiny terrors will serve as a great springboard into the horror genre, but this classic about little green goblin-like monsters terrorizing a small town has been a titan of the genre for decades.

Gizmo might be one of the most adorable creatures of the ’80s, but Stripe and his gang of goons come across as pretty scary as they rip, tear, and wreck everything in their wake. It’s the perfect monster movie for those who want just a small helping of horror but a whole lot of creature actions.

1 Beetlejuice (1988)

He’s the ghost with the most and one of the absolute funniest characters in the horror genre, and Beetlejuice is a comedic creep that’s one of the best examples of a gateway horror film. It has a body count, a huge collection of gruesome and goofy ghosts and ghouls galore, and visual gags and humor that are equal parts hilarious and horrifying. Simply put, Beetlejuice is a very balanced horror movie, though, according to Esquire, its status as a horror film is pretty contentious.

It gets dark and gruesome at times, but it also knows how to spring back into silly to even out the scares. Many of the scenes and visuals could be at home in a Chuck Jones cartoon, as well as a Vincent Price movie. At the end of the day, viewers can’t go wrong with Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

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