Eli Roth’s Favorite Horror Movies

Here are Eli Roth’s favorite horror movies. Eli Roth made his directorial debut with 2002’s gleefully gory Cabin Fever, and soon made a name for himself as an up-and-coming auteur in the genre. 2005’s Hostel – which was controversial for its use of torture and bloody carnage – and its sequel are his most famous works, but in the years since he’s branched out to other genres too. Roth directed Bruce Willis in 2018’s poorly-received Death Wish remake, and later helmed fantasy children’s movie The House With A Clock In Its Walls.

In addition to directing, Roth is an occasional actor too, with his most notable role being the Bear Jew in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. His love of the genre is no secret, as can be seen in his series Eli Roth’s History of Horror. From classic genre outings to more obscure efforts like Nightmare City, Roth is never short of an opinion on horror.

In 2015, the filmmaker revealed his favorite genre efforts to Larry King (via YouTube). Here are Eli Roth’s favorite horror movies.

The Exorcist (1973)

Eli Roth’s favorite horror movies align with the tastes of many film fans, but it’s somewhat telling they all came out within a decade of one another. The Exorcist tells the story of a young girl who becomes possessed by a demon, with her mother and two priests intent on banishing the twisted demonic force. William Friedkin’s Exorcist proved deeply shocking and upsetting upon release – which might be why it was also a huge success. The Exorcist – which is getting a legacy reboot – possesses (pun intended) a raw power that is still unsettling to this day and has inspired countless horror movies.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

On the surface, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre could be described as a standard slasher, with a masked killer offing a group of friends one by one with various tools. However, Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a singular assault on the senses, with an unrelenting feeling of dread and mania. Even with endless sequels/reboots in the same franchise, no other movie has quite recaptured the movie’s sense of madness.

The Shining (1980)

The Shining is another of Eli Roth’s favorite horror movies and is one of the best horror movies of all time. Adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name – though the author famously wasn’t a fan of the adaptation – Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining finds a family stranded in a snowed-in, haunted hotel. From the superb gliding camerawork to the unsettling score and Jack Nicholson’s manic turn, The Shining is very deserving of its classic status.

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Cannibal Holocaust is a deeply disturbing Italian horror movie that was also a forerunner of the found footage genre. The movie revolves around a professor who recovers footage shot by a missing documentary crew in the Amazon rainforest, which reveals their bleak fate. Cannibal Holocaust is an almost unbearably intense experience, from its still revolting killings of real animals to its various scenes of gore. It’s a groundbreaking, controversial work, and Roth would later pay homage to Cannibal Holocaust with his own controversial cannibal movie The Green Inferno.

The Evil Dead (1981)

The last of Eli Roth’s favorite horror movies is The Evil Dead, Sam Raimi’s tiny budget debut. The film overcame a lack of money with inventive camerawork and a savage tone, and The Evil Dead was the start of a beloved cult horror franchise. It’s also one of the original “cabin in the woods” style horror movies and would be an influence on Eli Roth’s own Cabin Fever.

About The Author

Padraig Cotter
(3485 Articles Published)

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It’s pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. Now that’s out of the way, a brief introduction. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he’d like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site.

A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games – he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. He has written words for Den of Geek, Collider, The Irish Times and Screen Rant over the years, and can discuss anything from the MCU – where Hawkeye is clearly the best character – to the most obscure cult b-movie gem, and his hot takes often require heat resistant gloves to handle.

He’s super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. He can be found as i_Padds on Twitter making bad puns.

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