10 Movies To Ease Into The Horror Genre (From Least To Most Scary)

Picture this: two friends are sitting around, deciding what movie to watch as the days creep closer towards Halloween. One friend is a fan of horror while the other is not but is willing to try. As such, the horror friend takes a peek into their collection and looks for the right movies to induct their friend into the horror genre.

When diving into horror, no one wants to start off heavy with the scariest films ever made. Instead, they want to start small, starting with horror-comedies and classics before stepping into some terrifying films that will leave anyone screaming.

10 Frankenstein (1931)

There’s no better place to start than with the classics. Now, by today’s standards, a lot of older films aren’t as scary as they used to be. Instead, they can appear cheesy, and yet, at the same time, convey something more.

While the classic monster film Frankenstein isn’t the scariest film ever made, the lack of scares makes the monster film the perfect place to start, setting the creepy tone that other horror films give off and preparing the viewer for future scares while also showcasing Boris Karloff’s iconic monster that truly makes this one of the best monster movies ever made.

9 Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Now, while getting a sense of the unsettling tone that most horror movies give off, the viewer needs more than just a monster roaming the countryside. They need something to solidify the tone.

The George A. Romero classic, Night Of The Living Dead, has some of the same aspects of Frankenstein, mainly being more about the monsters than in-depth scares. However, seeing a horde of zombies tear into a house of unsuspecting survivors, not to mention the amazing makeup for its time, is an excellent stepping stone for new viewers.

8 Beetlejuice (1988)

After getting a sense of the tone and feel of horror, there’s something most viewers will need: a break. True, the movies of the olden days aren’t enough to send people scuttling beneath the sheets, but it never hurts to break up the monotony of purely horror films.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the scares go away. With Beetlejuice, the unique and great movie about the afterlife with the ghost with the most, the creepy aesthetic, aided by incredible effects, remains while Micheal Keaton’s hilarious performance and overall lighter tone can lessen the fear.

7 Coraline (2009)

Whenever audiences imagine animation, their minds go to their happy place, where princesses sing and animals talk. No one expects animation to be scary and yet, in a way, an animated horror film is a great way to lead into scarier films.

There’s no movie as unsettling as Coraline. While the animated feel lessens the terror, the scares are still abundant and the horrifying Other Mother and twisted Other World make the film another rung on the ladder of horror flicks that will change anyone’s mind about animated features, not to mention that it’s without a doubt one of the best stop motion movies of all time.

6 Psycho (1960)

It’s easy to imagine a monster committing horrific acts in a horror film. However, so many times, audiences watch horror movies as a way to escape reality, and as such, a horrific beast or otherworldly creature killing people can be easier to swallow than humans murdering humans.

Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece of suspense Psycho, without a doubt one of Hitchcock’s best films, is a twisted tale that grounds the horror genre in reality after spending hours with ghosts and creatures of the night. It can remind a casual or newcomer to horror that real evil lurks inside us all.

5 Poltergeist (1982)

Nothing quite screams horror like a haunted house and in order to fully induct oneself into the genre, they must experience a haunted house film and the best place to begin is with Poltergeist.

While some of the effects haven’t exactly aged well, the fear and terror that Poltergeist commands, from the creepy clown doll to the horrifying way that the house can manipulate reality, boosted by some fantastic performances from all ages of actors, Poltergeist is more than enough to draw audiences in with simple lines like “They’re here.”

4 Ready Or Not (2019)

Once again, after spending time with the things that go bump in the night, the viewer will need another break of sorts. Of course, this time, the movie shouldn’t be just a horror comedy with some cool effects. Instead, the film should be a bit more.

The surprise 2019 hit Ready Or Not, has plenty of great laughs, including an ending that no one saw coming and yet, the horror-comedy is full of R-rated goodies, from horrific imagry and brutal kills that prepare the viewer for the upcoming features, not to mention having an awesome female lead in a modern horror movie.

3 Alien (1979)

Every so often, there’s a movie that’s defined by a single moment or a certain character. Most of the time, this has to do with an epic fight scene or a beloved character but sometimes, it can pertain to a scary moment or horror character.

It goes without saying that if one plans on getting into horror, they need to watch Alien. Whether it be to see the Xenomorph, one of the scariest creatures in film history that comes from one of the worst planets in sci-fi history or to bear witness to the iconic chest-burster scene, the reasons are endless.

2 Halloween (1978)

Given the number of films released today, a lot of horror fans assume that horror is about jump scares or how gruesome a kill can be. While sometimes this can be the case, numerous horror fanatics have forgotten what horror is really about: Suspense.

Building the suspense, such as in the 1978 film that started the slasher genre, Halloween, is key to creating fear. Any newcomer should watch Halloween to get an understanding behind the true terror of suspense the wordless and terrifying Michael Myers and John Carpenter create.

1 The Thing (1982)

Following the viewer’s binge of classic horror films, slowing gaining an understanding and easing one’s self into the genre, it’s time to bring it all together with one film.

Another product by horror mastermind John Carpenter, The Thing takes everything from the previous films–tone, creatures, suspense, gore, amazing effects, even the dark side of humanity– and blends it all together in a paranoia filled story about a creature that could look like anyone that has stood the test of time and has one of the greatest film endings in horror history.

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