Camiele’s 100 Favorite Frightening Films of All Time: 20-6

15. The Cell

Of all the films on the list, this is without a doubt the most beautiful. Almost every single scene is something so gorgeous, it’s enough to stop the heart. Tarsem Singh is a visual genius, and everything about this from the stylized nightmare sequences to the baptism scene is rife with metaphor and beauty. That being said, how visually striking it is does nothing to curb how disturbing it is. After all, being able to go inside someone’s nightmares about the abuse he suffered and the way he acted out the effects of it is enough to make one go insane. Inviting that same nightmare into your own head, however, should render one mentally paralyzed. When I first saw The Cell in theaters, I was awe-stricken I couldn’t look away from the screen, even though there were plenty of scenes in which I wanted to do just that. (Also, nice shout-out to my #88 film!)

14. Aliens

This is one of those rare times in film history when the sequel is so much better than the original film. While not as atmospheric as its predecessor, Aliens took the the fear of Alien and ramped it up a few dozen notches. Firstly, the sheer amount of monsters in this film was enough to keep the viewer on edge. Doubling the Face Huggers and giving them more motion and intelligence than in their first appearance was enough to make my skin crawl. Giving all these creatures a real purpose, however, added so much more to fear this time around. The fact these things were actually harvesting their human captives…! You got a hint of that in the premise of the first Alien movie, but to see it acted out with such clarity and detail sent chills all through me.

13. Inner Senses (異度空間)

By far and away my favorite horror film from Hong Kong. As if the weight of the plot wasn’t enough, the pathos surrounding the film, this being Leslie Cheung’s last credited, made this one equal parts frightening and emotional for me. I tried my best to ignore anything that didn’t directly concern the film, but it was hard especially in the final sequence. This is was certainly one of the more well done ghost-cum-revenge horrors from the country, skimping on the flash of special effects and zeroing in on the very real tragedies of the characters. There was so much feeling and so much pain in this story, the way it touched me as I watched was almost as scary as what played out on the screen. A brilliant piece of cinema, poignant with an added realism that allowed viewers to almost feel every single touch, scratch, emotion the characters felt.

12. The Devil’s Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo)

Guillermo del Toro is without doubt one of my favorite directors. His style, his approach to storytelling. What’s even more impressive is his ability to add real depth, dimension, and heart to each and every one of his films. His horror really is a master class in how to give even the most horrible creatures an emotional core that resonates with whomever’s watching the film. The Devil’s Backbone is another of his movies that takes place during a war, and it makes sense. There may be nothing more horrific than the effects and ravages of war, the aftermath and the ruin throughout. And quite frankly, anything having to do with orphanages will always be scary. It’s basically a carehouse/prison for children either forgotten, unwanted, or otherwise too much of a burden for their parents. The pain inherent in being abandoned for whatever reason is thick within the walls of this orphanage. This is a ghost story that’s as chilling as it is heartbreaking, and it certainly left me speechless.

11. When a Stranger Calls (1979)

I don’t think I can emphasize my fear of huge houses any more than I already have. But, what the hell, I’ll give it a shot. When a Stranger Calls not only brought all my fears to life on screen, it was another just like Candyman that hit a little too close to home. The urban legend that served as source material for this film was one we told in circles at Halloween parties all throughout elementary and high school. The idea that someone is calling you from inside your own home (or the home of the people whose children you’re watching) is enough to warn me off ever taking charge of a home bigger than the rooms I can see. Too many places to hide, too few places to run. No thanks.