10 best horror movies of the 1970s, ranked

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The 1970s was a play of awesome invention for cinema, arsenic it brought groundbreaking features for illustration The Godfather, Taxi Driver (one of Martin Scorsese’s champion movies), and Star Wars to theaters. Such achievements are particularly existent for horror, arsenic much films experimented pinch taboo subjects specified arsenic sex, religion, and murder.

Also, by introducing unsocial concepts and visuals to horror, nan genre gave america a big of successful pictures that challenged what group thought could and should beryllium done connected film. With Halloween soon approaching, movie lovers should return nan clip to revisit these 10 exemplary scary films of nan 1970s.

10. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Leatherface moving pinch his chainsaw successful "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974).

When a group of young group sojourn an aged location successful Texas, they find themselves connected nan paper erstwhile a family of grave-robbing cannibals hunts them down. While head Tobe Hooper’s movie stirred up rather a batch of contention for its convulsive content, nan magnitude of gore successful it is near to a minimum.

Nevertheless, this useful to nan film’s benefit, arsenic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains a nightmarish battle connected nan senses that will make audiences deliberation doubly astir having nutrient for dinner.

9. Suspiria (1977)

A female lies dormant connected nan crushed successful "Suspiria" (1977).

Directed by Dario Argento, this giallo scary classical follows a young ballet student who travels to Germany to be an esteemed creation academy, which she later learns is tally by a coven of slayer witches.

Sure, nan sound dubbing successful this movie isn’t that great, but nan original Suspiria is simply a mesmerizing and frightening portion of cinema owed to its colorful visuals, shocking scares, and chilling people by Goblin.

8. Dawn of nan Dead (1978)

Zombies onslaught successful an elevator successful "Dawn of nan Dead" (1978).

When nan world becomes overrun by zombies, a group of survivors return shelter successful an abandoned shopping promenade arsenic nine crumbles outside.

In galore ways, this sequel improves upon George A. Romero’s first zombie movie pinch a greater scope and much action, arsenic good arsenic a scathing satirical commentary connected issues of racism, constabulary brutality, and modern consumerism. Thus, this movie’s expertise to scare and effect audiences has not died down successful nan decades since its release.

7. Halloween (1978)

Laurie Strode is waiting pinch a weapon for Michael Myers successful "Halloween" (1978).

After being committed to a psychiatric infirmary arsenic a achild for murdering his sister, 21-year-old Michael Myers escapes from captivity and returns to his hometown to terrorize its citizens connected Halloween night. John Carpenter’s movie whitethorn beryllium lacking successful position of acting and characteristic improvement (excluding Donald Pleasance arsenic Dr. Loomis).

But pinch its tense atmosphere, bone-chilling music, and silent killer, Halloween became nan definitive slasher movie that group nan template for nan galore films that succeeded it. Plus, it’s still nan best movie successful nan Halloween franchise.

6. Invasion of nan Body Snatchers (1978)

Matthew and Elizabeth successful "Invasion of nan Body Snatchers" (1978).

When a title of alien “pod people” starts replacing everyone successful San Francisco, a wellness inspector and his colleagues conflict to debar having their lives taken complete by these invaders.

Eerie, suspenseful, and featuring beardown animal effects, this reboot proves itself to beryllium nary c copy, arsenic it very overmuch replaced its predecessor successful nan eyes of audiences. And pinch its shocking twist ending, Invasion of nan Body Snatchers is guaranteed to support viewers awake each night.

5. Nosferatu nan Vampyre (1979)

Lucy and Dracula and successful "Nosferatu nan Vampyre."

Brought to life by head Werner Herzog, this unsocial mentation of Dracula adapts some Bram Stoker’s classical caller and F.W. Murnau’s silent movie Nosferatu.

While it whitethorn not beryllium that scary, it is still a chilling, poignant, and beautiful reboot that explores nan acheronian and lonely psyche that is Count Dracula (who’s played to creepy perfection by nan infamous Klaus Kinski).

4. Carrie (1976)

Sissy Spacek successful "Carrie" (1976).

In nan first of galore movie adaptations inspired by writer Stephen King, Brian De Palma’s Carrie follows nan titular teenager, who she uses her newfound telekinetic powers to nonstop vengeance connected those who person bullied and tormented her.

Specific aspects of this movie whitethorn now beryllium considered dated, but it is still a clever and horrifying depiction of a young woman’s coming-of-age successful nan look of supernatural occurrences and never-ending abuse.

3. Alien (1979)

When a squad of “space truckers” observe a wrecked starship filled pinch alien eggs, 1 of them hatches and impregnates a unit personnel pinch a deadly animal that hunts them each down connected their ship. It’s a simple, but inventive premise that succeeded successful defying everyone’s expectations upon release.

With terrors popping retired successful nan astir astonishing places, Alien takes audiences’ fearfulness of nan chartless to astronomical heights arsenic nan unit of nan Nostromo faces specified an unfathomable nightmare.

2. Jaws (1975)

Roy Scheider successful a segment from "Jaws."

Cinema fable Steven Spielberg made rather a scatter pinch his first blockbuster, which remains 1 of his champion movies ever. When a slayer shark stakes a declare successful nan waters of Amity Island, a constabulary chief, a marine biologist, and a seasoned shark huntsman group sail connected nan precocious seas to get free of it.

Though Jaws suffered galore problems during accumulation that could person sunk nan full project, nan filmmakers went supra and beyond their limitations to create a horrifying and well-crafted suspense thriller rivaling nan likes of Alfred Hitchcock.

1. The Exorcist (1973)

A possessed Regan smiles successful 1973's "The Exorcist."

When a young woman gets possessed by a demon, her mother calls upon 2 priests to execute an exorcism connected her aft doctors and psychiatrists neglect to thief her.

Infamous for its shocking contented and nan effects it had connected audiences, The Exorcist was very overmuch for illustration a belief awakening for horror, arsenic it made group return nan genre earnestly (as shown by its 10 Oscar nominations). The world wasn’t prepared for nan precocious William Friedkin’s movie erstwhile it came out, and 50 years later, group are still terrified by it.