If you’ve never seen it before, I honestly don’t blame you. Because unlike The Exorcist's up-and-down film series, The Omen and its own sequels and prequels), and Rosemary’s Baby (with Roman Polanski's name attached to it), The Sentinel doesn’t have the same notoriety or fanbase.

That said, if you're a fan of the subgenre, I actually feel like The Sentinel is a must-watch for a number of reasons (as well as a must-read, but I’ll get into that shortly). Here are just a few.

The Movie Is About An Apartment That's Also A Gateway To Hell

Behind every good movie, there’s usually a good book, and The Sentinel is no exception. Based on the 1974 novel of the same name, The Sentinel is such a fantastic story that I think it’s even better than the novel version of The Exorcist. And yes, I’m dead serious.

When it comes to the film adaptation though? Well…I wouldn't go so far to call it better than The Exorcist. That said, the plot of the film is similar to the book. It's just the execution that could have used some refining.

The story focuses on a model named Alison (Cristina Raines) who moves into a brownstone apartment where there’s only one other tenant, that being a blind priest named Father Halliran (John Carradine). Halliran stares out the window all day, almost as if he’s guarding something (hence the title). Once Alison’s moved in, she starts having bizarre dreams, and once other people start moving into the apartment, things get even weirder.

The story gets a lot more tangled than that (Which I’ll get into next), but the important thing to know is that the priest is guarding the world from the gates of hell, which are located right in the apartment itself. Pretty cool, right?

It's Just As Much A Mystery As It Is A Horror Movie

The cool thing about horror flicks is that they can also sometimes double as mystery movies, such as Se7en, and Get Out (both of which I would put on a list of the best horror movies of all time). Well, there’s also a number of mysteries behind The Sentinel, with those being: Who is Father Halliran, are there really tenants in the apartment, or is Alison just envisioning them, and what role does the Catholic Church have in this building?

In time, all is revealed, but the great thing about this story is how all of it is rolled out. We get to learn a great deal about the tenants, as well as Alison’s past, which isn’t entirely made clear early on in the film.

There’s also a tangled web that involves the police, the clergy, and an evil neighbor played by Burgess Meredith who I’ll get into soon since he deserves his own section. Anyway, a lot of the mystery turns this film into a psychological horror movie (Similar to Rosemary’s Baby), as we start to learn that many of the strange occurrences aren’t so random after all.

It all culminates in an intriguing story that probably wouldn’t be as good if there wasn’t also a mystery involved.

Rocky And Batman Great Burgess Meredith Plays A Bizarre Neighbor

When I mention Batman’s The Penguin, there are likely two images that pop in your head - That of Danny DeVito from Batman Returns, and that of Colin Farrell from the HBO series (to which I hope there’s a Season 2…even though I don’t think Colin Farrell desires that). But, do you know who first comes to my mind? Burgess Meredith, who played The Penguin in the ‘60s Batman series.

Meredith also, of course, played Mickey from the Rocky series, and real ones might know him from one of the best The Twilight Zone episodes, “Time Enough at Last,”...and, er, one of the weirdest The Twilight Zone episodes, “Mr. Dingle, the Strong”. Well, all of this is to say that Meredith had a really interesting career of both bizarre, and bold roles, and I’d say that his performance in The Sentinel is a mixture of both.

For one thing, Meredith plays a strange tenant named Charles Chazen, who in one scene, is actually hosting a birthday party for his cat. In this scene, he’s dancing and singing, but there’s an eerie quality to it. Well, it turns out that Meredith is a resident of Hell, and he wants Alison to join him.

It’s actually quite chilling. Meredith is exuberant for most of the film, but there’s a darkness to him that’s lurking at the bottom, making this one of Meredith’s most unique performances.

There Are Some Truly Spooky Visuals In This Film

Do you want to know the scariest scene in The Exorcist for me? It’s of course the spiderwalk scene down the stairs (which wasn’t even in the original theatrical release). How about The Omen? Well, obviously it’s the “It’s all for you!” scene, which I won’t even post here. For Rosemary’s Baby? Definitely the “Hail, Satan!” scene.

For The Sentinel? Well, there’s actually not one single moment that I find creepy, but rather, a series of spooky visuals that helped keep me on the edge throughout. For example, there are moments where Alison is hallucinating that her dead father is alive, and he tries to attack her, but the scene itself is shown in a way that is so off-putting and bizarre that it gives me the creeps.

There’s also Burgess Meredith’s unsettling performance, and the eerie priest who stares out the window, not looking at anything in particular (since he’s blind), but seeing evil all around him, as blindness is a trait of all of the sentinels, as we learn in the end.

There’s also the climax of the film, but that brings me to my last point, as it isn't really scary. In fact, it's really quite insulting, which I’ll get into now.

The Climax Is Quite Controversial, However, And Is Definitely The Worst Part Of The Movie

Not too long ago, I wrote about a horror movie from 1932 called Freaks, which featured actual sideshow attractions like a man with no limbs, and a series of little people. The story was controversial since it used real circus “freaks,” but at the story’s heart, it was about how these were actual human beings, and the real monsters were the people who tried to exploit them. It was actually pretty progressive in a way.

So, how is it that a movie that came out in 1977 could be so tone deaf? Because toward the end of the film, the gates of Hell open, and we’re greeted by some of its denizens. But, do you know what its director, Michael Winner, decided to do? He decided to use people with amputations and disabilities to represent demons from Hell.

And, like, eww. Just gross. I’m of course not saying that people with disabilities or amputations are gross. I’m saying that it’s gross that these people were used in an exploitative way, and it definitely pulls me out of the movie as a whole.

But, other than that, the movie is pretty good. It’s currently available to stream via Netflix subscription, so catch it now while you can if it sounds interesting to you.

The Boss Baby (2017)

A popular subcategory of the baby movie genre is the talking baby movie, and one of the most popular examples is the hit DreamWorks Animation movie, The Boss Baby. Based on a short children's book by Marla Frazee, the film stars Alec Baldwin as the voice of a metaphysical business CEO who is accidentally born on Earth and teams up with his 7-year-old brother (voiced by Miles Bakshi) to stop his company's rival: Puppy Co.

Raising Hope (2010-2014)

In its first season, creator Greg Garcia's Fox comedy, Raising Hope, poked fun at itself with a meta joke in which Garret Dillahunt's Burt points out that "TV shows about babies never last more than a year." Yet, this story of a young man (played by Lucas Neff) who discovers he is a father after a woman he had a one-night with ends up on death row defied the odds and lasted four years, thanks to its charming characters, sharp humor, and the audience's interest in seeing the title character grow up.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

To be fair, we never actually do see the eponymous infant from director Roman Polanski's horror movie classic, Rosemary's Baby, but that is likely for the best. In its shocking final moments, Mia Farrow's Rosemary discovers that the child she and her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes), have been trying to have is actually the spawn of Satan.

Muppet Babies (1984-1991)

For anyone who wondered what Jim Henson's iconic, felt creations might have looked like in their youth (and animated), Muppet Babies was the show for them. The beloved series followed the adventures of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and others while in the care of the unseen character, Nanny.

Baby's Day Out (1994)

There were some ridiculous things that kids dealt with in '90s movies, such as ransom schemes, which is what Bennington Austin "Bink" Cotwell IV (Adam and Jacob Joseph Worton) becomes a victim of in the John Hughes-penned Baby's Day Out. Of course, the nine-month-old manages to put his kidnappers (played by Joe Mantegna, Joe Pantoliano, and Brian Haley) through the ringer by evading their reach throughout Chicago, one hazardous encounter at a time.

Juno (2007)

Perhaps the Citizen Kane of teen pregnancy movies is the Oscar-winning Juno, from writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman. Elliot Page, in his breakthrough role pre-transition, plays the titular 16-year-old girl, who searches for a couple looking to adopt after a one-night stand with her friend, Paulie (Michael Cera), results in an unwanted child.

Three Men And A Baby (1987)

A movie you might not have known was a remake is director Leonard Nimoy's Three Men and a Baby, based on the 1985 French film, Three Men and a Cradle. It stars Tom Selleck, Steve Gutenberg, and Ted Danson as three bachelors sharing an apartment whose lives are thrown for a loop when they are forced to take in the infant daughter that Danson's character, Jack, did not know he had.

Father Of The Bride Part II (1995)

Father of the Bride from 1991 is a story about letting go of your children after they grow up, while Part II is a story about becoming a grandparent... and rediscovering parenthood. Steve Martin's George Banks narrates what he endures after discovering that both his wife, Nina (Diane Keaton), and daughter, Annie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), become pregnant around the same time.

Look Who's Talking (1989)

Bruce Willis gives one of his funniest performances as the inner voice of an infant named Mikey in director Amy Heckerling's hilarious box office hit, Look Who's Talking. Kirstie Alley stars as Mollie Jensen, whose affair with her married client, Albert (George Segal), results in the birth of Mikey, who finds a father figure in New York cabbie and flight instructor James (John Travolta).

Rugrats (1991-2004)

One of the longest-running and most beloved animated series to ever air on Nickelodeon was Rugrats, which gave audiences of all ages an inside-look at the highly-imaginative lives of a group of close-knit toddlers. Some of Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Angelica, and Susie's adventures even made it to the big screen in movies that also introduced us to Tommy's little brother, Dil, and Chuckie's adoptive sisters, Kimi.

Knocked Up (2007)

After telling a story about losing one's "innocence" in his breakthrough directorial feature, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, writer and director Judd Apatow followed it with a story about what such activity can lead to. The hilarious and heartfelt Knocked Up stars Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl as an unlikely couple who suddenly find themselves about to be parents after a one-night stand.

Good Luck Charlie (2010-2014)

The Duncan Family's youngest daughter may be the title character of Good Luck Charlie, but the central character is her older sister, Teddy (Bridgit Mendler). The Disney Channel original family sitcom follows her struggles to navigate her teen years as she passes what she learns onto her new sister by making videos for her to watch when she reaches her age.

Nine Months (1995)

In director Chris Columbus' Nine Months, Hugh Grant plays a successful child psychologist whose perfect life is uprooted by the unexpected announcement that his long-term girlfriend (played by Julianne Moore) is with child. The comedy traces his struggle to come to terms with this life-changing event and accept the responsibilities of fatherhood.

Baby Boom (1987)

Diane Keaton leads Baby Boom, which was penned by Nancy Meyers and directed by her co-writer Charles Shyers, as a workaholic Manhattan yuppie named J.C. Wiatt. Everything suddenly changes for her when she becomes the sole heir of Elizabeth (Kristina & Michelle Kennedy), who is the orphaned toddler of her cousin.

Raising Arizona (1987)

One of the funniest movies by Joel and Ethan Coen is Raising Arizona, which stars Nicolas Cage as a former convict and his wife, a former police officer played by Holly Hunter. When they discover they are unable to conceive, they decide to take desperate measures, kidnap the infant son of a well-known furniture magnate, and raise him as their own, leading to inevitable consequences.

Broker (2022)

Broker is a great Korean movie inspired by a real-life service offered in the country called a baby box, where women can anonymously and safely leave their unwanted children. The film follows two men (played by Song Kang-ho and Gang Dong-won) who steal a baby from the box intending to sell the child themselves, but the unexpected return of the mother (played by Lee Ji-eun) complicates their plans.

Honey, I Blew Up The Kid (1992)

What better way to follow Honey, I Shrunk the Kids than with a film that sees the opposite happen? In Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis) figures out how to expand the size of objects with his bizarre invention, but it ends up having a problematic effect on his two-year-old son, Adam (Daniel and Joshua Shalikar).

Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

A scene from director John Woo's Hard Boiled, in which Chow Yun-fat's hero rescues a newborn from mobsters, inspired writer and director Michael Davis to make Shoot 'Em Up. It stars Clive Owen as a former black-ops soldier who takes on the responsibility of protecting an infant from a ruthless criminal (played by Paul Giamatti).

Ghostbusters II (1989)

The sequel to the beloved horror-comedy movie, Ghostbusters, ups the ante on the horror with a plot that involves Oscar, the infant son of Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver). He is chosen to be a vessel for the spirit of the powerful 16th-century sorcerer, Vigo the Carpathian, to possess so he can escape the confines of an enchanted painting and be among the living again.

Storks (2016)

The well-received animated comedy Storks takes place in a world in which the myth suggesting the wading bird is responsible for delivering babies to parents is actually true, or at least it was. The film follows a company of storks who have shifted to package delivery, but are forced to revert back to their original duty when they mistakenly receive an order for a child.

Baby Geniuses (1999)

From A Christmas Story director Bob Clark, the family comedy Baby Geniuses is one of the first feature-length films to use CGI to mimic human speech in order to make it appear that the infant characters are speaking. The movie posits the idea that babies are smarter than traditional scientific findings would have you believe, possessing vast knowledge of the universe that adults cannot comprehend and even communicating in a special language only they can understand.

Baby Mama (2008)

Former Saturday Night Live cast members Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have made a dynamite comedy duo in several projects outside of Studio 8H, such as Baby Mama. From writer and director Michael McCullers, the comedy stars Fey as a successful, straitlaced business executive who hires an irresponsible and immature woman to be her surrogate mother.

Labyrinth (1986)

Labyrinth is a classic '80s movie from legendary director Jim Henson starring Jennifer Connelly as a teenage girl whose wish that her infant half-brother would be taken away by goblins actually comes true. In order to rescue him, she must enter the world of a fantasy book she read for her school, where she encounters Jareth, the king of the goblins, played by pop star David Bowie.

Baby Blues (2000-2002)

Baby Blues is a popular comic strip following the common struggles of raising a family, as seen through the eyes of Darryl and Wanda MacPherson, that has run in newspapers since 1995. Just five years after its debut, it was adapted into a short-lived animated series that aired on The WB and starred the voice talents of Mike O'Malley and Julia Sweeney.

Quints (2000)

The title of the classic Disney Channel Original Movie Quints is shorthand for quintuplets, which refers to a mass of five infant children being born at once. In the film, only child Jamie (Kimberly J. Brown) is overwhelmed by the amount of attention she receives from her parents until the arrival of her five new siblings changes her family dynamic forever.

We Baby Bears (2022)

The Cartoon Network original series, We Bare Bears, follows the adventures of three furry adoptive siblings named Grizzly, Panda, and Ice Bear. In 2022, a prequel spin-off debuted, depicting the brothers' shenanigans while they are still cubs searching for a new home in a magical box they use to teleport to different places.

Willow (1988)

Warwick Davis stars in the title role of producer George Lucas and director Ron Howard's Willow as an aspiring magician who becomes the guardian to an abandoned baby with royal blood. The fantasy epic is also one of the best Val Kilmer movies as it stars the actor as a disgraced swordsman whom Willow enlists to help protect the child from an evil queen.

Baby Looney Tunes (2002-2005)

If you thought that the Looney Tunes characters were uproarious in their prime, just wait until you see what sorts of hijinks they got up to while in diapers. Baby Looney Tunes is a series aimed at preschool-age children featuring the younger counterparts of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Lola Bunny, and plenty more while under the care of Granny.

It's Alive (1974)

Parenthood is no picnic, but Frank (John Ryan) and Lenore Davis' (Sharon Farrell) problems in It's Alive are a special case, having inexplicably given birth to a murderous mutant. Writer, director, and producer Larry Cohen's cult favorite creature feature would spawn two sequels, 1978's It Lives Again and 1987's It's Alive III: Island of the Alive, as well as a straight-to-video remake in 2009.

Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)

Bob Clark returns to helm a sequel to Baby Geniuses called Superbabies, which follows a group of infants who are not just smart, but specially gifted. They must then use their powers to stop the evil Bill Biscane (co-executive producer Jon Voight).

Baby Bob (2002-2003)

As reflected in the Los Angeles Business Journal, in the early 2000s, FreeInternet.com ran a successful ad campaign featuring a talking infant named Bob (voiced by comedian Ken Hudson Campbell). A couple of years later, the commercial mascot became the star of his own sitcom, Baby Bob, in which his parents (played by Adam Arkin and Joely Fisher) try to keep his gift of speech a secret.

T.O.T.S. (2019-2022)

T.O.T.S. is an acronym for "Tiny Ones Transport Service." The Disney Channel show follows a pair of delivery birds who care for a group of baby animals.

Dawn Haunts Renton (Trainspotting)

Director Danny Boyle's 1996 adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel Trainspotting follows a group of Scottish addicts trying to get clean, none of whom has a harder time with it than Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor). One signature scene sees him locked in his childhood bedroom by his parents and forced to wean off his habit cold turkey, during which he suffers an intense fever dream featuring hallucinations of his parents on a game show, his various friends, and the spirit of a deceased infant he once knew climbing on his ceiling.

Bruce Wayne's Alternate Life (Batman: The Animated Series)

One of the best episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, let alone one of the strangest, is "Perchance to Dream." As part of a scheme by Mad Hatter, Bruce Wayne finds himself living in a fantasy in which his parents were never murdered, he is engaged to Selina Kyle, and someone other than him is protecting the streets of Gotham as Batman.

Sarah's Apocalyptic Nightmare (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

One thing that makes the classic sci-fi movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day one of the all-time greatest sequels is the way it depicts Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her growth as a character following the traumatic events of the first film, especially through one wild fantasy sequence. In the dream, she witnesses her happier past self and other bystanders at a park where they suffer a nuclear blast that ends up burning off her skin, leaving her remaining skeleton clinging to a chain-link fence.

All Of Season 9 (Dallas)

Dallas delivered one of the craziest retcons in TV history when it was revealed that the death of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) and the entire ninth season of the hit primetime soap opera all happened in the head of his wife, Pamela (Victoria Principal). The retcon was prompted after Duffy, who had previously left the show, agreed to return for Season 10, which opens with Pamela waking up to find Bobby in the shower.

Happy's Happy Place (Happy Gilmore)

The classic golf movie, 1996's Happy Gilmore, stars Adam Sandler in the title role of a guy with a talent for tee time, but the rage of a hockey player, which his trainer, Chubbs (Carl Weathers), tries to help him control by envisioning his own "happy place." He imagines his girlfriend, Virginia (Julie Bowen), carrying drink pitchers, his grandmother (Frances Bay) finding the money she needs from a slot machine, and a little cowboy riding an old-fashioned bicycle, for some reason. However, a later attempt to escape into this fantasy world is interrupted by the invasion of his nemesis, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald).

The Solomons Suffer From Bizarre Dreams (3rd Rock From The Sun)

The two-part Season 2 finale of 3rd Rock from the Sun tried something unique by airing in 3D, but saving that format for some incredibly insane sequences. The surreal, avant garde scenes are dreams that Dick (John Lithgow) and the rest of his extra-terrestrial comrades are experiencing, but for the first time since taking human form, which leads them to assume they are ill.

Old Blue Saves The Day (A Christmas Story)

The classic holiday movie, 1983's A Christmas Story, follows young Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his devotion to making sure he finds an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle under the tree. He seems to believe that it will make his life better, based on a daydream in which he, dressed as a hero named Old Blue, uses the BB shooter to rescue his family from criminals.

The Opening Scene (8 1/2)

Federico Fellini's signature 1963 film opens with a bizarre dream in which the main character gets trapped in his smoke-filled car in full-stop, literal bumper-to-bumper traffic. After he finally escapes, it cuts to him flying through the clouds until he is pulled down by his ankle by a person on a beach, and descends into the water just as he awakens.

Gutterballs (The Big Lebowski)

There are two great dream sequences from Joel and Ethan Coen's hilarious, classic '90s movie, 1998's The Big Lebowski, the first of which sees The Dude (Jeff Bridges) flying over L.A. trying to reach his stolen rug after receiving a crack on the jaw. However, the more memorable scene sees him, after being sedated by Jackie Treehorn, imagining he is the star of a Busby Berkeley-inspired adult film about bowling.

The Entire Series (Newhart)

One of the most iconic, oft-parodied, and simply best TV series finales is that of Newhart, in which the actor and comedian wakes up in bed as Bob Hartley, his role from his first hit sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show. His co-star from said 1970s hit, Suzanne Pleshette, wakes up next to him as Hartley's wife, Emily, and he explains to her that his entire life as Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon was a dream.

Rosemary Drifts On A Mattress (Rosemary's Baby)

Some of the best horror movies include a dream sequence that sneaks up on you with its more nightmarish qualities, such as in 1968's Rosemary's Baby. The first half of Rosemary's (Mia Farrow) dream is somewhat peaceful, showing her lying on a mattress floating on a bed of water, but in the second half of the dream, she is attacked by a demon. To make matters worse, that occurrence might not be part of the dream at all.

Buffy's Slaying Is A Delusion? (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Sarah Michelle Gellar's title hero from Buffy the Vampire Slayer has likely wished that her life could be free of encounters with bloodsuckers, demons, and all kinds of things that go bump in the night, but she probably never wanted to experience it the way she does in Season 6's "Normal Again." Buffy becomes exposed to a demonic, hallucinogenic venom that causes her to become trapped in a fantasy in which she is a mental patient, and her life of fighting paranormal activity has been all in her head.

Nazi Werewolves (An American Werewolf In London)

Writer and director John Landis' An American Werewolf in London boasts one of the most incredible moments of body horror in cinematic history, but one could argue a crazier moment in the classic werewolf movie happens earlier. While recovering from his animal attack, David (David Naughton) dreams he is back in the States with his family when a group of gun-toting, lycanthropic SS soldiers invade.

Tony Becomes A Salesman (The Sopranos)

Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) experienced multiple, eye-opening dream sequences throughout HBO's run of The Sopranos, including one that took place during most of an entire episode. In Season 6's "Join the Club," a comatose Tony dreams of an alternate life away from the DiMeo Family in which he is an ordinary salesman named Kevin Finnerty.

The Clown Hospital (Pee-wee's Big Adventure)

A movie scene that scared many '80s kids occurs in Pee-wee's Big Adventure when the titular man-child (played by Paul Reubens) has a nightmare about his missing bike. The prized, two-wheel vehicle is picked up in scraps by a group of horrifying harlequins who use unconventional and concerning methods to put it back together again.

Adam's Repeated Death Row Sentence (The Twilight Zone)

All of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone feel like a dream (or a nightmare), but Season 2's "Shadow Play" actually takes place entirely in one. Dennis Weaver stars as a convicted criminal trying to convince the other characters that his condemnation is merely part of a recurring nightmare.

Sue Visits Carrie's Grave (Carrie)

Director Brian de Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie ends with one of the most iconic and influential jump scares, which actually inspired the ending of 1980's Friday the 13th. A grieving Sue Snell (Amy Irving) dreams that she is visiting the resting place of her titular telekinetic classmate (Sissy Spacek) where her bloodied arm emerges from the ground and grasps onto her. Sue does not wake up from the nightmare, but is unable to stop screaming in her sleep.

Cooper's First Visit To The Red Room (Twin Peaks)

Most of David Lynch's movies and TV projects feel like long dream sequences, but when depicting Special Agent Dale Cooper's (Kyle MacLachlan) nightmare about the Red Room in an early episode of Twin Peaks, the master of surrealism really goes for it, resulting in a dream sequence more authentic than most. The inexplicably aged-up Coop meets a dancing little person who tells him, in backwards speak, "That gum you like is going to come back in style." He then meets a blonde woman resembling Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee) and asks if she is the murdered teen, to which she responds, also in backwards speak, "I feel like I know her, but sometimes my arms bend back."

Lloyd And Mary's Romance (Dumb And Dumber)

In the 1994 Jim Carrey movie favorite, Dumb and Dumber, while traveling to Aspen, Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) fantasizes that his crush, Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly), will fall for him immediately after he returns her missing briefcase. The daydream continues to show highlights of their imaginary relationship, from a party where Lloyd entertains guests with uproarious tricks (like lighting his flatus on fire), to a romantic dinner where he engages in a cinematic-style kung fu fight.

Elliott '90s Sitcom Fantasy (Mr. Robot)

A top-rated Season 2 of Mr. Robot called "eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes" is depicted predominantly in the style of '90s sitcom and even features a cameo by ALF. However, it is later revealed that this laugh-track-filled fantasy is Elliott's (Rami Malek) dream, and that he has been asleep in a hospital after being violently beaten by Ray Heyworth's (Craig Robinson) goons.

Beauty School Dropout (Grease)

In the 1978 movie musical Grease, Frenchie (Didi Conn) is encouraged to put her cosmetology career on hold and go back to high school by an unexpected person, Frankie Avalon, with a dreamy number called "Beauty School Dropout.'

Kevin Becomes An Assassin (The Leftovers)

In Season 2 of The Leftovers, Kevin (Justin Theroux) is told by Virgil (Steven Williams) that the only way to cure his persistent visions of cult leader Patti Levin (Ann Dowd) is to take his own life. This sends him into a bewildering reality in which he is a contract killer assigned to kill Patti, who is a presidential candidate.

Ronnie Births A Maggot (The Fly)

At one point in the tragic romantic thriller that is David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly, Ronnie (Geena Davis) discovers she is pregnant with the child of Dr. Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), who has been transforming into a half-man, half-insect at this time. Her fear of what could be growing inside of her is personified in a nightmare in which, instead of a human baby, she gives birth to a giant larva.

Jeff Lives A G.I. Joe Fantasy (Community)

The best episodes of Community experiment with different genres, such as the time the series put the cast in the world of the '80s-era beloved animated series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The action-packed, cartoon setting of "G.I. Jeff" is revealed to be a fantasy Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) has created to cope with turning 40.

Henry Loses His Head (Eraserhead)

In Eraserhead, Henry (Jack Nantz) has a nightmare in which his head falls off his neck, where a new head resembling his mutant child pops out to replace it. Of course, this dream sequence is no more bizarre than anything else that happens in David Lynch's perplexing 1977 debut feature.

Rob Suspects There Is An Alien Invasion (The Dick Van Dyke Show)

In a classic episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show called “It May Look Like a Walnut,” Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) watches an alien invasion movie involving extraterrestrial walnuts and otherworldly visitors without thumbs. The next day, his life begins to resemble the film's plot, until he wakes up that night to discover it was all a dream.

Wayne Meets Jim Morrison (Wayne's World 2)

The plot of the hit 1993 SNL movie Wayne's World 2, in which Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) put on their own concert, is set in motion when Wayne dreams he is in a desert where he meets the spirit of The Doors frontman, Jim Morrison (Michael Nickles).

Frasier Is Visited By Sigmund Freud (Frasier)

In the Season 4 Frasier episode "The Impossible Dream," the eponymous therapist and radio host (played by Kelsey Grammer) has a suggestive dream about his effeminate colleague, Gil Chesterson (Edward Hibbert). He eventually determines the dream is no more than a task his subconscious gave himself to satisfy his currently unchallenging career, but the episode ends with an even more confusing nighttime encounter with his idol, Sigmund Freud, who joins him in his bed and implies a request for intimacy.

Ray Gets Cooked (The 'Burbs)

In 1989's The 'Burbs, family man Ray (Tom Hanks) initially refuses to believe that his neighbors could actually be the murderous cult that other locals suspect they are. However, he does reach a breaking point when he dreams that they tear through his house with a chainsaw and sacrifice him on a giant barbecue pit.

Cliff's Muppet-Filled Nightmare (The Cosby Show)

One of the weirdest episodes of The Cosby Show involves Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) dreaming that the Muppets have taken over his life.

Alex Gives Birth To His Doppelganger (Junior)

Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a man who becomes pregnant is a pretty intriguing concept on its own. However, things get especially bizarre in 1994's Junior when the actor's character dreams that he has given birth to the spitting image of himself.

D.J.'s SAT Disaster (Full House)

In a Season 6 episode of Full House, D.J. Tanner's (Candace Cameron Bure) stress over the upcoming SATs culminates in a nightmare in which Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White appears to inform her that she has failed the test and will go to Clown University.

“Walk This Way” Aerosmith (Young Frankenstein)

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein is the source of many iconic spoof movie moments, including when Igor (Marty Feldman) tells Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) to "walk this way," referring not to their direction but to his odd limp. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry told The Wall Street Journal in 2014 that the band saw the 1974 horror-comedy movie classic while on break from recording Toys in the Attic and were especially amused by the "walk this way" bit, which gave producer Jack Douglas a great title for a song.

“Married With Children” - Oasis (Married… With Children)

In addition to plenty of controversy during its 10-year run, Married... with Children also inspired none other than Noel Gallagher of Oasis to write a song of the same name (sans the ellipsis) that appeared on 1994's Definitely Maybe. Gallagher told Melody Maker (via Brit Pop Reunion) that he saw a lot of himself and his then-girlfriend, Louise Jones, in the classic TV sitcom's dysfunctional central couple, Al (Ed O'Neill) and Peg Bundy (Katey Segal), and channeled that into the song.

“Total of the Eclipse of the Heart” - Bonnie Tyler (Nosferatu)

The video for Bonnie Tyler's heart-aching ballad, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – the lead single from her 1983 album, Faster Than the Speed of Night – boasts a gothic vibe that calls to mind a great horror movie like Nosferatu, which is actually no coincidence. The Welsch singer told The Guardian that writer Jim Steinman first started writing the song when he was working on an unfinished musical adaptation of the original silent-era vampire movie from 1922.

“Laura Palmer” - Bastille (Twin Peaks)

Bastille frontman Dan Smith is a huge fan of David Lynch's movies (which he discussed in an interview with Audacy), as well as the late filmmaker's most successful small-screen venture, Twin Peaks. As he revealed to 3voor12, he named the eerie fifth single from the band's 2011 debut album, Bad Blood, after Sheryl Lee's character, Laura Palmer, whose murder sets the plot of the subversive crime thriller in motion.

“Heartlight” - Neil Diamond (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)

Neil Diamond was faced with a lawsuit for lyrics to "Heartlight" that MCA felt was too close to the narrative of the beloved sci-fi movie that inspired it, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The clues to the 1982 ballad's influences are not very subtle, with references to a young boy who makes a friend with a glowing chest, taking a “ride across the moon" with him, and becoming sad when that friend is forced to go away.

“Floyd The Barber” - Nirvana (The Andy Griffith Show)

A show as lighthearted and funny as The Andy Griffith Show seems like an unlikely choice as the inspiration for a Nirvana song. However, it makes a little more sense when you pay close attention to the lyrics of "Floyd the Barber," from 1989's Bleach, and realize Kurt Cobain has reimagined Howard McNear's eponymous role and other central characters from the 1960s sitcom as sadistic murderers.

"Me And Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin (La Strada)

The most famous rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee" comes from Janis Joplin's posthumously released 1971 album, Pearl, but the song was originally written by Kris Kristofferson. His inspiration, as he told Wide Open Country in 2022, came from Federico Fellini’s Oscar-winning 1954 drama, La Strada – particularly a moment when Zampanò (Anthony Quinn) rides around on his motorcycle while Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) plays the trombone.

“Any Friend Of Diane’s” - Weezer (Cheers)

"Any Friend of Diane's" is the name of an episode from the first season of the long-running NBC sitcom, Cheers, named after Shelley Long's character. According to an interview with The Independent, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo took the episode's title and based a song that pays tribute to the many women who have supported the band over the years around it.

“Space Oddity” - David Bowie (2001: A Space Odyssey)

The similarity between the title of the opening track from David Bowie's self-titled second album and 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey is certainly no coincidence as Stanley Kubrick’s iconic space movie was the inspiration, which he revealed to Performing Songwriter. Fun fact: the release of the song, which is the tragic tale of an astronautical mission gone wrong, was actually rushed out to coincide with the Apollo 11 landing in 1969, which is a very questionable publicity method, if you ask us.

“Dragula” - Rob Zombie (The Munsters)

An essential track for every Halloween playlist is Rob Zombie's 1998 single, "Dragula," which any fan of The Munsters knows is named after a car belonging to Al Lewis' Grandpa, who is really Count Dracula. The rock star-turned-filmmaker is a lifelong fan of the early 1960s sitcom about a creepy, creature-some family and even wrote and directed a feature adaptation of the series that was released in 2022.

“Yoda” - “Weird Al” Yankovic (The Empire Strikes Back)

"Weird Al" Yankovic has released many songs that are directly inspired by pop culture, including more than one based on the Star Wars movies. For instance, "Yoda," which appears on 1985's Dare to be Stupid, is a retelling of the events of 1980's The Empire Strikes Back – particularly Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) training under the eponymous, green "little runt" (played by Frank Oz) – set to the melody of The Kinks' "Lola."

“The Actor” - Jason Kimmel (How I Met Your Mother)

“The Actor” is the first single by musician Jason Kimmel and tells the story of a young man who goes to a bar and meets a woman named Sara, who admits the narrator reminds her of Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, but not in a good way. Still, he is flattered by the comparison as he is a fan of “the actor,” How I Met Your Mother cast member Josh Radnor, whom Sara does not know by name, although she is a fan of Barney actor Neil Patrick Harris.

“Bad Moon Rising” - Creedence Clearwater Revival (The Devil And Daniel Webster)

Just like many other songs with "moon" in the title, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" contributed to a memorable musical moment in the horror movie An American Werewolf in London but was actually inspired by the 1941 adaptation of another dark fantasy story, The Devil and Daniel Webster. John Fogerty explained to Rolling Stone in 1993 how the film’s depictions of “nasty weather” as a result of a deal with Satan gave him the idea for the lead single from 1969’s Green River.

“Bloom” - Radiohead (The Blue Planet)

Thom Yorke was watching BBC's 2001 nature docuseries, The Blue Planet, narrated by David Attenborough, when he got the idea for "Bloom," which is the opening track from Radiohead's 2011 album, The King of Limbs. The English rock band would later collaborate with Hans Zimmer to record an orchestral version of the song for the docuseries' follow-up, Blue Planet II, bringing this story full circle.

“Wind It Up” - Gwen Stefani (The Sound Of Music)

As she revealed to MTV in 2006, "Wind it Up" fulfilled Gwen Stefani's dream to incorporate her favorite movie, The Sound of Music, into a song. While the lead single from the No Doubt frontwoman's second solo album, The Sweet Escape, does not have much to do with the story of the 1965 music movie classic, it does sample "The Lonely Goatherd" to impressive effect and pays tribute to it in the video.

“Mach 5” - The Presidents Of The United States of America (Speed Racer)

There may not be a pop culture car more deserving of a musical tribute than the Mach 5 from the classic animated TV show, Speed Racer, yet it would not become a reality until 1996 when The Presidents of the United States of America put it on their second album, II. However, while the song's title may reference Speed's prized vehicle, frontman Chris Ballew revealed to Songfacts that the lyrics reflect the maniacal ways he would destroy his toy cars as a child.

“Night Moves” - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (American Graffiti)

In 1973, Bob Seger saw a film now considered one of the best movies of the 1970s called American Graffiti – writer and director George Lucas' coming-of-age dramedy following a group of teens cruising the streets of L.A. after hours in the early 1960s. The Silver Bullet Band leader told Mix that the film inspired him to tell stories from his own youth, which led to the creation of the title track from his ninth studio album, 1976's Night Moves.

“Fingers Crossed” - Billie Eilish (The Walking Dead)

In 2017, when she was still an up-and-comer, Billie Eilish told Junkee that the first song she ever recorded was called "Fingers Crossed," which was the product of a songwriting class assignment that required her to watch a movie or TV show and write lyrics related to it. The then-12-year-old chose The Walking Dead and came up with a song that, as she describes, "sounds more like a longing heartbreak song" but is really about the zombie apocalypse.

“Godzilla” - Blue Öyster Cult (Godzilla)

While Blue Öyster Cult was best known for earnest rock 'n roll hits about love and death like "Don't Fear the Reaper," they proved they had a sense of humor with their tribute to the King of the Monsters. The opening track from their 1977 album, Spectres, alludes to the plot of the original Japanese horror movie classic, Godzilla, quite accurately but also with a few tongue-in-cheek references to the eponymous creature's destructive tendencies at Tokyo's expense.

“Bedrock Anthem” - “Weird Al” Yankovic (The Flintstones)

Only a comedic musical genius like "Weird Al" Yankovic could make a medley of Red Hot Chili Peppers song parodies with lyrics based on Hanna-Barbera's prehistoric animated classic, The Flintstones, work so seamlessly.

“Chain Saw” - Ramones (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

In 1989, the Ramones released a song called "Pet Sematary," which was written specifically for Mary Lambert's adaptation of the Stephen King novel. Years earlier, another classic horror movie, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, inspired the punk giants' 1976 song, "Chain Saw," which calls out Tobe Hooper's nightmarish 1974 hit by name.

"The Twilight Zone” - Rush (The Twilight Zone)

Legendary drummer Neil Peart was a huge fan of Rod Serling’s seminal horror anthology TV show, The Twilight Zone, and actually wrote several Rush tracks inspired by various episodes. One song named directly after the show, which appears on Side B of 1976's 2112, references two classic episodes, “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" and "Stopover In a Quiet Town."

“The Union Forever” - The White Stripes (Citizen Kane)

Jack White was trying to learn a song that appears in 1941’s Citizen Kane called “It Can't Be Love.” Instead, he wound up writing an entirely original song for him and Meg White of The White Stripes about co-writer and director Orson Welles’ masterful debut feature called "The Union Forever." Included in the lyrics are references to the movie,

“Continental Farewell” - Hal Ketchum (Saturday Night Live)

Christopher Walken is one of those stars who has hosted SNL so many times that he has his own recurring characters, most notably "The Continental." The bumbling bachelor was popular enough to inspire a song by Hal Ketchum called "Continental Farewell," as the late singer-songwriter revealed to Songfacts.

“The Prisoner” - Iron Maiden (The Prisoner)

Much of Iron Maiden's music is known for its compelling narratives, such as in "The Prisoner." The third track off the metal band's hit 1982 album, The Number of the Beast, was inspired by an influential 1960s British sci-fi miniseries of the same name and even opens with audio clips from it.

"Motorpsycho Nitemare" - Bob Dylan (Psycho)

While largely better known for ballads sung in protest of sociopolitical oppression, it turns out Bob Dylan is a cinephile, too. His song "Motorpsycho Nitemare" from 1964's Another Side of Bob Dylan was inspired by the terrifying 1960 Alfred Hitchcock movie, Psycho, as evidenced by lyrics like, “She said, ‘Would you like to take a shower? / I’ll show you up to the door’ / I said, ‘Oh, no! no! / I've been through this before.’”

“House Of Glass” - Cage the Elephant (I Am A Killer)

The fifth studio album by Cage the Elephant, 2019's Social Cues, features an ominously titled track called "House of Glass," which is sung from the point of view of a soft-spoken murderer. According to Consequence of Sound, the song was envisioned while guitarist Brad Shultz and his brother, Matt, were watching the Netflix true crime docuseries, I Am a Killer, which interviews people on death row for homicide.

“Eyes Without A Face” - Billy Idol (Eyes Without A Face)

The 1983 Billy Idol song, "Eyes Without a Face" was inspired by the 1960 horror film of the same name about a surgeon obsessively trying to give his daughter a new face after she suffers a terrible accident. He even namedrops the original French title, Les yeux sans visage, in the lyrics

“Missing You” - Ingrid Michaelson (Stranger Things)

In 2019, Ingrid Michaelson released her eighth studio album, Stranger Songs, which consists entirely of tracks inspired by the hit Netflix original sci-fi TV show, Stranger Things. The lead single, "Missing You," specifically references the love triangle between Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), and Steve Harrington (Joe Keery).

“Why Didn't Rosemary?” - Deep Purple (Rosemary’s Baby)

According to Derek Lawrence, who produced Deep Purple's self-titled third album from 1969, the band went to see Rosemary's Baby and, soon after, wrote a song about it. "Why Didn't Rosemary?" asks questions about the Oscar-winning 1968 horror classic about a woman unwittingly carrying the spawn of Satan, such as, “Why didn’t Rosemary ever take the pill?”

“Man on the Edge” - Iron Maiden (Falling Down)

In an interview with Songfacts, Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley revealed that "Man on the Edge" from the band's 1995 album, The X Factor, is largely influenced by director Joel Schumacher's 1993 thriller, Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas as... well, a man on the edge.

“Gumby” - Aimee Mann (Hoarders)

"Gumby," from Aimee Mann's 2012 album, Charmer, actually has nothing to do with the eponymous claymation character. According to Joco Cruise, the singer-songwriter just thought it sounded like a great name for someone who would be profiled on the reality show Hoarders, which was the true inspiration for the song about a person refusing help that they clearly need.

"After All, Tomorrow Is Another Day" - Gone With The Wind

When it comes to classic movie quotes, 1937's Gone with the Wind is full of them, with the most memorable of the bunch said by Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) just as he leaves Scarlet O'Hara (Vivien Leigh). However, the undeniably iconic and even inspirational final line of the Best Picture Oscar winner is said by her as a form of self-encouragement that there may be some hope for her and her husband.

LAURIE: "It Was The Boogeyman"; LOOMIS: "As A Matter Of Fact, It Was" - Halloween

Throughout John Carpenter's 1978 slasher movie classic, Halloween, the boy Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) babysits, Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews), expresses great fear of the Boogeyman, whom she insists is no one to be afraid of until she comes face to face with Michael Myers. When Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance) stops the murderer from attacking the young woman, she declares he is the fabled monster and Loomis agrees.

"In Case I Don't See You, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, And Good Night!" - The Truman Show

The prophetic, paranoid 1998 dramedy, The Truman Show (also one of the best Jim Carrey movies), follows the eponymous everyman as he slowly begins to realize his life is fabricated for television. He gives his fans the perfect send-off with what he had unwittingly made into his official catchphrase before we hear a devoted viewer utter the film's actual final line, "Where's the TV guide?"

"I'll Be Right Here" - E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

More than just a great sci-fi movie, Steven Spielberg's 1982 blockbuster, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, is the story of a wonderful friendship that must come to an end when the titular otherworldly visitor boards a spaceship to his home planet. Right before he leaves, he lets young Elliott (Henry Thomas) know that, while they will be worlds apart, he will always remain in his memory.

“All Right, Mr. DeMille, I’m Ready For My Close-Up” - Sunset Boulevard

Every aspiring actor has brought out this oft-quoted line from Sunset Boulevard when living out their dreams of Hollywood stardom. Of course, those who have not seen the 1950 drama may not realize that Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond says this at the peak of her deluded madness and is not even speaking Cecil B. DeMille at the time.

"Well, Nobody's Perfect" - Some Like It Hot

Co-writer, producer, and director Billy Wilder was way ahead of his time when he came up with the gut-busting final stinger of his classic 1959 fish-out-of-water comedy, Some Like It Hot. Jerry (Jack Lemmon), posing in drag as "Daphne," reveals to his fiancé, Osgood (Joe E. Brown), that he is really a man, which the millionaire seems pretty open-minded to.

"Ernest Hemingway Once Wrote, 'The World Is A Fine Place And Worth Fighting For.' I Agree With The Second Part" - Se7en

If not for its final line, spoken by Morgan Freeman's Det. William Somerset in a voiceover, David Fincher's masterful 1995 crime thriller, Se7en, would be entirely devoid of any shred of optimism. Of course, the iconic Black detective's perspective on author Ernest Hemingway's philosophy is still relatively bleak.

"Forget It, Jake. It's Chinatown" - Chinatown

The 1974 film noir movie classic Chinatown ends with private investigator J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) forced to move on from the tragedy and injustice he witnessed while investigating a bizarre case in 1930s California, with some plodding encouragement from Lawrence Walsh (Joe Mantell).

"You Met Me At A Very Strange Time In My Life" - Fight Club

The wild ending of 1999's Fight Club sees Edward Norton's Narrator effectively remove his evil other half, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), via gunshot before being reunited with Marla (Helena Bonham Carter). He assures her that the bizarre circumstances they faced together were not typical for him as they watch the buildings surrounding them crumble to the ground.

"Louis, I Believe This Is The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship" - Casablanca

Quite a few of the most iconic quotes in cinematic history come from 1942's Casablanca, including the concluding line, said by Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) to Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) to signify an unlikely bond forming between them.

"And In The Dream I Knew That He Was Goin' On Ahead And He Was Fixin' To Make A Fire Somewhere Out There In All That Dark And All That Cold, And I Knew That Whenever I Got There He Would Be There. And Then I Woke Up" - No Country For Old Men

The ending of 2007's No Country for Old Men, in which the now-retired Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) describes a dream he had about his father to his wife, was polarizing upon release. Of course, it was only disappointing to those who did not initially realize Joel and Ethan Coen's modern Western movie classic is really about the aging lawman's struggle to find meaning in a world full of meaningless violence.

“Because He's The Hero Gotham Deserves, But Not The One It Needs Right Now. So, We'll Hunt him. Because He Can Take It. Because He's Not Our Hero. He's A Silent Guardian, A Watchful Protector. A Dark Knight” - The Dark Knight

It may be an old cliché to start the credits after a character speaks the film's title, but 2008's The Dark Knight makes great use of it with Commissioner James Gordon's (Gary Oldman) explanation to his son, Jimmy (Nathan Gamble), why Batman (Christian Bale) is taking the fall for the tragedies he tried to prevent.

"The Greatest Trick The Devil Ever Pulled Was Convincing The World He Didn't Exist. And Like That... He's Gone" - The Usual Suspects

The mindblowing ending of 1995's The Usual Suspects sees Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palmenteri) realize he had been fed a phony, completely improvised story by Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey), the real "Keyser Soze." This is followed by a shot of the clever criminal likening himself to Satan and his cunning nature.

"Life Moves Pretty Fast. You Don't Stop And Look Around Once In A While, You Could Miss It" - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

While Matthew Broderick's fourth-wall-breaking character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a mischievous troublemaker, he makes a great point about the importance of occasionally taking it easy in his final line in John Hughes' 1986 high school movie classic (not counting the post-credit scene, that is).

"I'm Finished" - There Will Be Blood

It is not until the final scene of Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar-winning 2007 masterpiece, There Will Be Blood, when blood does hit the screen after Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) murders his rival, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), with a bowling pin at his home, which seems to be the one thing he needed to make his life feel complete.

“Oh No, It Wasn’t The Airplanes. It Was Beauty Killed The Beast” - King Kong

The seminal 1933 monster movie, King Kong, ends with the eponymous ape falling to his death, which filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) remarks was truly caused by his affection for Fay Wray's Ann Darrow.

RAY: "You Wanna Have A Catch?"; JOHN: "I'd Like That" - Field Of Dreams

In one of Kevin Costner's best baseball movies, 1989's Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella (Costner) is reunited with the ghost of his dead father, John (Dwier Brown), with whom he gets to share a long overdue catch.

"The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" - The Maltese Falcon

The 1941 adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon ends with the discovery that the eponymous artifact is a fake. Yet, considering the trouble so many endured to get their hands on it, private investigator Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) acknowledges one way it does possess some value.

“Roads? Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads” - Back To The Future

Initially, there were no plans to make the 1985 time travel movie, Back to the Future, a trilogy, which means that Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) hint at what awaits them 30 years from then was merely a wildly imaginative joke before director Robert Zemeckis brought a "roadless" future to life in the follow-up.

"So Long, Partner" - Toy Story 3

Woody's (Tom Hanks) final goodbye to the grown-up Andy (John Morris) after he leaves him and his other child's playthings to Bonnie was not only a perfect way to end 2010's Toy Story 3, but also the franchise of beloved Pixar movies as a whole. Thus, some feel the otherwise entertaining fourth installment was needless, but we digress.

"Aren't You His Mother?" - Rosemary's Baby

Some great horror movies like to end with a jump scare, but Rosemary's Baby proved that all you need is a chilling final line, such as when Mia Farrow's titular character from the 1968 thriller accepts her role as the mother of the Antichrist in response to Roman Castevet's (Sidney Blackmer) reassuring question.

“I Do Wish We Could Chat Longer, But I’m Having An Old Friend For Dinner” - The Silence Of The Lambs

The escaped Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) ends 1991's The Silence of the Lambs by phoning Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) from the Bahamas and hinting that he has some gruesome plans for the recently arrived Dr. Frederick Chilton (Anthony Heald).

“The Truth Is, I Am Iron Man” - Iron Man

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was essentially born the moment Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) revealed his identity as an armored vigilante at the end of 2008's Iron Man. The now iconic line made an astonishing reprise 11 years later when Stark sacrificed his life to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Endgame.

GORDON: "I Never Said 'Thank You'"; BATMAN: "And You'll Never Have To" - Batman Begins

After a rooftop meeting with Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman), Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) nobly acknowledges and accepts that his crusade against injustice is a thankless job at the end of Christopher Nolan's first live-action Batman movie, 2005's Batman Begins.

"I Think I Can Go Now. I Just Needed To Do A Couple Things. I Needed To Help Someone. I Think I Did. I Needed To Tell You Something: You Were Never Second. Ever. I Love You. You Sleep Now. Everything Will Be Different In The Morning... Good Night, Sweetheart" - The Sixth Sense

Most would agree that the greatest M. Night Shyamalan movie twist remains that child psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is one of the dead people his patient, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), can see, which he realizes at the end of 1999's The Sixth Sense before saying goodbye to his wife Anna (Olivia Williams).

"If This Is Their Idea Of Christmas, I Gotta Be Here For New Year's" - Die Hard

In addition to being a classic action flick, 1988's Die Hard is also a holiday favorite, albeit an unconventional Christmas movie, which is reflected by limo driver Argyle's (De'voreaux White) enthusiastic reaction to the truly explosive event that took place at Nakatomi Plaza on the night before Christmas.

"Why Don't We Just Wait Here For A Little While, See What Happens?" - The Thing

After seemingly defeating the shapeshifting alien that terrorized their Antarctica research base, R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) essentially accepts his fate as he and Childs (Keith David) are the only survivors of the ordeal... or are they? There has been much debate over who is still human at the end of 1982's The Thing, which makes MacReady's quip such a haunting final line.

"I Just Never Want It To End" - MaXXXine

After the traumatic circumstances that Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) endures in both X and her '80s-set self-titled sequel, MaXXXine, seeing her finally achieve her dream to be a Hollywood actor and tearfully wishing that it lasts is an unusually heartwarming moment in Ti West's A24 horror movie.

"It Was Perfect" - Black Swan

Natalie Portman won a rare Oscar for a horror movie performance as Nina Sayers in Darren Aronofsky's 2011 thriller, Black Swan, which ends with the dangerously ambitious ballerina performing the final dance with a bleeding abdomen, which she believes was her magnum opus.

“Now, Where Was I?” - Memento

The ending of Christopher Nolan's 2000 breakthrough thriller, Memento, is really the beginning when Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) learns that the search for his wife's killer has been long over but allows his short-term memory condition to keep him on the case.

"Oh, God" - Avengers: Infinity War

Never had a Marvel movie ended as hopelessly as 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, in which Thanos (Josh Brolin) successfully uses the Infinity Gauntlet to eradicate half of all living beings, leaving the surviving Avengers to helplessly reflect on their defeat, including Steve "Captain America" Rogers (Chris Evans), who utters the final line with heartbreaking desperation.

"I Told Ya" - Accepted

In the underrated college comedy, 2006's Accepted, Jeremy Howard's character, "Freaky Student," aspires to learn how to blow things up with his mind. At the very end, he proves this is possible by demonstrating his ability on the Harmon University dean's car in a hilarious "I told you so" moment.

I was one of those people who went in completely blind to Apartment 7A, and I immediately had to stream Rosemary's Baby right afterwards. I'll explain why for those interested in seeing it the same way and what's in store for those who go in having seen the original movie. As such, I will avoid spoilers to keep those oblivious in the dark, though readers who have seen the 1968 movie should understand what I'm hinting at as they read.

Apartment 7A Hides Its Biggest Twist Much Better Than Rosemary's Baby

No shade to Rosemary's Baby, but movies in the 1960s weren't exactly known for their subtlety. Had I seen the original movie first, it wouldn't have taken me long at all to sniff out what the big reveal was. In fact, I was silently passing judgment on the Woodhouse family for ever moving into that apartment complex in the first place given all the stories that their landlord told them before they moved out.

I think Julia Garner's Terry Gionoffrio's inclusion in the story feels more organic, and the circumstances surrounding her situation set the stage well to completely fool the viewer about what Apartment 7A is about. The movie is definitely written to not presume the viewer has seen Rosemary's Baby, and is set to blindside them as the movie goes on.

The good news for everyone here is that the twist isn't held until the end of the movie. Apartment 7A makes a point to get it out in the open near the midpoint, which gives lots of room for the movie to explore it and show some really interesting stuff. After watching Rosemary's Baby, I can genuinely say there's nothing that's going to bore that crowd watching the prequel, and they'll be thrilled to see the original story expanded and improve on the original movie.

Julia Garner Brings A Small Side Character To Life In A Big Way

Many critics praising Apartment 7A are highlighting Dianne Wiest's performance as Minnie Castevet, and rightfully so. That said, don't let that praise make you think that three-time Emmy winner Julia Garner phoned it in with her performance. Terry Gionoffrio plays a pivotal, but ultimately small role in the original movie, and there are only a few mentions of her throughout Rosemary's Baby.

The team behind Apartment 7A took what little was revealed about Terry in the original movie and ran with it in an impressive way. Once I watched Rosemary's Baby, I was surprised at how well the little details about the character fit into the movie's story. At the same time, I don't think this latest movie would get told back in 1968, and it certainly is framed with a more modern audience in mind.

Julia Garner shines in this role as much as she has in her previous ones, and I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if she received some awards consideration for the role. While horror does tend to get snubbed during awards season these days, Rosemary's Baby did score one Oscar when Ruth Gordon won Best Supporting Actress. Whether or not this movie features something worthy of an Oscar, we'll just have to wait and see when the nominations go out.

Watching Rosemary's Baby After Really Gives You A Great Appreciation Of Both

I'll be candid in saying there were scenes in Apartment 7A that I did not understand fully until I saw Rosemary's Baby. I say this more in regards to visuals and certain camera shots than the actual story, which was unaffected by my viewing. I feel like others who go in blind may feel the same, but then once you watch the original, you'll better understand that it was an intentional homage.

There are other smaller moments that happen that I realized afterward were made in direct reference to the original movie for those who had seen it. Shots of the apartment building and specific objects that pop up all make sense if you watch the original afterward.

To go back to what critics have said about the iconic and prolific Dianne Wiest, it is very cool to see how she further elevates the character of Minnie, but in a way that doesn't feel too off base with the original portrayal. Put simply, there's just more for the character in Apartment 7A, and we see some great moments that make her a more chilling figure than in Rosemary's Baby.

The same can be said about many of the characters from the original movie, as I think Terry being a single woman without someone else in her apartment to talk to lends her to interacting with these other characters more than the married couple. I also think for people who have seen the original, it's probably intentional we get more scenes with specific characters so that they have something else to appreciate about the movie.

The only downside is that if you've seen Rosemary's Baby, you know where this prequel is headed. The twist and ending won't hit as hard for the people who have seen the original because they're going in just waiting for the shoe to drop with Terry. As someone who went in blind, I was more or less wondering what the hell was going on right up until it all made sense. I can say now that I've seen both, and I'll probably never be brave enough to visit the real Dakota Building it's set in.

Both Apartment 7A and Rosemary's Baby are available to stream on Paramount+. The spooky season is upon us, and people are already streaming all the scary stuff on Netflix and other platforms. Stick with CinemaBlend for more streaming reccomendations as we inch closer to Halloween and other major holidays.

Hook & Ladder Company 8 - Ghostbusters

The coolest thing about Hook & Ladder Company 8, located on North Moore Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City is that the firehouse, which is still an active station, has incorporated the Ghostbuster's logo into its crest. The building is not run down at all, as seen in the movie, and at almost any time of day, you'll see fans of the movie taking selfies. 

Quick Stop Groceries - Clerks

Kevin Smith famously made Clerks on a minuscule budget. One way he cut costs was to film overnight in his actual place of employment, the Quick Stop Groceries convenience store in Leonardo, NJ. The store is still in business, all these years later and you can be sure they play up the fact that the movie was filmed there. 

King's Cross Station - The Harry Potter Series

King's Cross Station is one of a few train stations in London, and while it's always been a well-known station, its fame leaped to another level with the Harry Potter series. You see, it's there, on platform 9 3/4, that Harry and the rest of the Hogwarts students catch their train to school. Of course, there isn't really a platform 9 3/4, but there is a photo op for fans at the real station now.  

West 167th Street Stairs - Joker

In the Highbridge neighborhood of The Bronx is an unassuming staircase connecting Shakespeare Ave. and Anderson Ave. There are similar stairs in New York City, but none are as famous as the West 167th Street Stairs, where Joaquin Phoenix famously danced as the titular character in Joker. 

Haystack Rock - The Goonies

The Haystack Rock formation off the coast of Cannon Beach in Oregon has been a famous geological spot for decades. For movie fans, it's immediately recognizable from The Goonies as the beach where the kids emerge after finding One-Eyed Willie's pirate ship. It's been used in other movies as well, like Twilight and Point Break. 

Top Notch Burgers - Dazed & Confused

Dazed & Confused does such an incredible job putting the audience right in the middle of the '70s, it's become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time. One major reason it just oozes 1970s teen car culture is the Top Notch Burgers that the characters cruise through. It's a real restaurant in Austin, Texas, where the movie was set and filmed. 

Fox Plaza - Die Hard

2121 Avenue of the Stars, which is most well known by its former name, Fox Plaza, is most famous for being the building where Hans Gruber and his band of merry men commit their robbery in Die Hard. The building, in Los Angeles, was brand new when it was used for the movie in 1988. Eagle-eyed viewers might also recognize it as one of the collapsing buildings at the end of Fight Club. 

South Seas Apartment Complex - The Karate Kid

The South Seas Apartment Complex in The Karate Kid is a pretty typical apartment building in the LA area. It is a real place, with that name, just like in the movie. It's located in Reseda, but it's actually pretty nice, nothing like it looks in the classic '80s movie.

The Philadelphia Museum Of Art - Rocky

There are a lot of really famous sites to see in Philadelphia. Constitution Hall, The Liberty Bell, Pat's and Geno's cheesesteak stands, and, of course, the steps that lead up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They were made most famous by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky when the titular character runs up them and celebrates at the top as "Gonna Fly Now" plays triumphantly. 

Georgetown Stairs - The Exorcist

The Exorcist is one of the scariest movies ever made and one of the eeriest things about it are the steep steps just outside the MacNeil household. They are used a few times in the movie, and it's good when they appear. The real stairs are located in the same neighborhood of Washington DC, Georgetown, where the movie is set, at Prospect St and 36th St NW. 

Seaside, FL - The Truman Show

The fictional town where The Truman Show takes place is both fictional for the movie, and fictional in the movie, as it's really just a soundstage where the TV show is filmed, unbeknownst to Truman (Jim Carrey). It was filmed in a real town, however. Seaside, FL looks pretty much exactly as it does in the movie and the house where Truman lives in the movie is where Congressman Matt Gaetz grew up. How's that for an odd coincidence? 

Katz's Deli - When Harry Met Sally

Katz's Deli, on Houston St. in Manhattan, has long been one of the most famous delis in New York City, but it reached new heights of fame after the legendary scene in When Harry Met Sally after Sally (Meg Ryan) does her famous performance of her faking it in bed. 

Chippewa Square Bus Stop - Forrest Gump

The Baby Boomer fever-dream hit movie Forrest Gump takes place over decades, but it's all told by Forrest (Tom Hanks) from one location, a bench at the Chippewa Square bus stop in Savannah, Georgia. It's where the character sits chatting with different people as he tells them his life story, which for some reason is like a box of chocolates. 

Fox Theatre, St. Louis - Escape From New York

If you ever wondered what city could stand in for a dystopian New York City that has been turned into an island prison, it was late '70s St. Louis, MO. The movie was filmed all over the city, including the Fox Theater, located on Grand Ave. The theater at the time was in disrepair and in desperate need of a renovation. Thankfully it got one and today is in much better shape than it was in the movie. 

Timberline Lodge - The Shining

It may be one of the most famous locations on this list - Timberline Lodge, which is the hotel that stands in for The Overlook Hotel in The Shining. The lodge, Mt. Hood, WA, is still open today and draws not only skiers and outdoor enthusiasts, but fans of the horror classic. 

Hôtel Sidi Driss - Star Wars

The Hôtel Sidi Driss in Matmata, Tunisia is one of the most unique hotels in the world, and so it's fitting it would serve as a home on a planet way out of this world. Movie audiences will immediately recognize it as the home of Luke Skywalker and his aunt and uncle at the beginning of the first Star Wars movie. If you're a fan, and you're in the neighborhood, the hotel is still open and taking reservations. 

7B Horseshoe Bar- The Godfather Part II

It goes by many different names. 7B and Horseshoe Bar are the two most people call it. It's still open, right at the corner of 7th Street and Ave. B in Manhattan. It's been there for years and has been used in a few film productions, but none more famous than in The Godfather Part II. It's where the botched assassination of Frank Pentangeli took place. 

Ohio State Reformatory - The Shawshank Redemption

One of the best movies of the '90s has to be The Shawshank Redemption. While the film is set in Maine, the home state of the book's author Stephen King, it was filmed in the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. It had closed as a prison just a few years before they filmed it, so that certainly helps bring some authenticity to the movie. 

Bosse Field - A League Of Their Own

With some of the best moments in a baseball movie ever, A League Of Their Own has endured for years. So has the minor league baseball field where it was filmed, Bosse Field in Evansville, IN. Though it's a minor league park, it's still the third oldest baseball stadium in the country, behind Wrigley Field and Fenway Park and it retains all the charm it has in the movie. 

Mountain Lake Lodge - Dirty Dancing

In the 1960s, when Dirty Dancing was set, inclusive vacation spots like the Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia dotted the American countryside. Most have long closed, but the Mountain Lake Lodge has survived and you can still visit and stay there, just like Baby and her family did in the movie. The actual cabin where the Housemans stayed is even available for rent. 

1 Wall Street Court - John Wick

Most of New York City - Manhattan at least - is a grid. But there are a few spots where the grid breaks down and creates odd-shaped blocks, leading to oddly shaped buildings. 1 Wall Street Court is one of those buildings, which makes it the perfect exterior for the mysterious Continental Hotel in the John Wick series where hitmen and criminals can enjoy a drink and a good night's sleep without one eye open looking for enemies. 

The Best Little Chapel - The Hangover

Las Vegas is famous for a lot of reasons, including all the tiny wedding chapels all over town. One famous chapel isn't actually a chapel, though. There are a lot of famous locations in The Hangover, most notably Caesar's Palace (Caesar didn't actually live there). One place you'll have a hard time finding unless you know where to look is The Best Wedding Chapel, as it's really just a youth hostel on Las Vegas Blvd. that was dressed up to look like a wedding chapel. Still, you can see the parking lot and all the hilarious signs behind the location as you quote all your favorite lines from The Hangover.

Matamata, New Zealand - Lord Of The Rings

This is a unique entry on this list as it's now famous for what the Lord of the Rings series did for the town. It's where The Shire was built and much of the set remains today as a tourist attraction for the millions of fans of the movies. It really does feel like you're stepping into the movies. 

Christmas Story House - A Christmas Story

"Ah, there it is. My house, and good old Cleveland Street," is how A Christmas Story begins. The house is almost a character all itself, with the sketchy furnace and the leg lamp, etc... The real house is in the City of Cleveland, but it's at 3159 W 11th St, not on Cleveland St. It's also worth noting that while most of it was filmed in Cleveland, it's set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana.

The Dakota Building - Rosemary's Baby

The Dakota, at 72nd and Central Park West in New York, is one of the most famous apartment buildings in the world, and one reason for that is that it's the setting for the terrifying Roman Polanski film, Rosemary's Baby. It's the perfect building to set the film, with his is dark neo-gothic architecture and large, lavish apartments. The Dakota is also infamous for being where John Lennon was shot and killed in 1980, while he lived there. 

Forks, WA - Twilight

For fans of the Twilight series, the town of Forks, Washington is the homeland. Both the books and the movies are set in a small town in a remote part of the state west of Seattle. It's now a tourist hot spot, though most of the movie was filmed in locations other than Forks. 

El Coyote - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

El Coyote is a legendary Mexican restaurant in LA that dates back to the 1930s. It's also where Sharon Tate and her friends ate their final meal on August 9th, 1969 before they were murdered by the Manson Family. For his movie Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino filmed the scene of the friends eating not only in the same restaurant but in the very same booth where they sat all those decades ago. 

Lighthouse Café - La La Land

The Lighthouse Café is a great jazz spot that sits in Hermosa Beach, California near LA. It was the location for one of the most famous scenes that movie critics often call a "love letter to Los Angeles," La La Land. 

Drayton House - Saltburn

The English countryside is filled with amazing, ornate homes that are often used for filming, sometimes they are the location for TV shows, like Downton Abbey, and other times it's for movies like Saltburn. For the latter, the makers of the film used the stately Drayton House in Lowick, Northamptonshire.

Kualoa Ranch - Jurassic Park

Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It makes sense it would be the setting for quite a few TV shows and movies, including Lost,  Magnum P.I., Pearl Harbor, and maybe the most famous movie filmed there, 1993's Jurassic Park. 

The Tasty - Good Will Hunting

Sadly, this is a location you can no longer visit, as it closed a few years ago. For decades, however, The Tasty Diner in Harvard Square was a late-night favorite for drunk college students from all over Boston. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck made sure it found its way into their movie about Boston, Good Will Hunting. 

Görlitz Department Store - Grand Budapest Hotel

The exterior of the titular Grand Budapest Hotel might have been a model, but the interior and lobby were actually a beautiful - and vacant - department store in Görlitz, Germany. Sadly, while the building is still standing, it is still unused. 

Kane Hodder (Freddy Krueger In A Nightmare On Elm Street)

As Kane Hodder revealed during ShudderFest’s Horror Royalty panel in 2020 (via Yahoo), before he played Jason Voorhees, Wes Craven considered him to play Freddy Krueger before Robert Englund joined the A Nightmare on Elm Street cast. However, at the end of the ninth Friday the 13th movie, that's actually Hodder's arm wearing Krueger’s claw pulling Jason's mask underground, meaning the actor got to play both roles after all.

Drew Barrymore (Sydney Prescott In Scream)

Seeing an A-lister like Drew Barrymore die in the opening scene of Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher revival was one of horror cinema’s greatest surprises since Janet Leigh’s death in Psycho, just as the actor predicted. Barrymore revealed on Hot Ones that she was offered Sydney Prescott, the lead role of the original Scream cast, but requested to play Casey Becker instead, knowing it would shock the audience.

Christopher Lee (Dr. Loomis In Halloween)

An undisputed Scream King for playing Dracula and starring in other classics like The Wicker Man, Christopher Lee's influence could have cast a wider net with a role in Halloween. According to The Digital Fix, he later said he regretted the chance to star in John Carpenter's seminal 1978 slasher as Dr. Sam Loomis, which was ultimately given to Donald Pleasence.

Bela Lugosi (The Creature In Frankenstein)

Following his success in the title role of 1931’s Dracula, Bela Lugosi was given the chance to play another legendary Universal Monster in that year’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. According to The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela Lugosi by Arthur Lennig (via SlashFilm), the actor believed such a grotesque, inarticulate creature was “beneath him,” giving Boris Karloff the chance to embody Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s creation.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Patrick Bateman In American Psycho)

Christian Bale once told GQ that every role he has played was first offered to Leonardo DiCaprio and one accurate example is Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, as Vice’s oral history recalls. Legend has it Gloria Steinem (Bale’s stepmother, coincidentally) convinced DiCaprio that playing the sadistic investment banker would hurt his post-Titanic reputation, but he later told The Morning Call that he passed because felt the script “didn’t mean anything in the end.”

Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Predator In Predator)

The late, 7’2” Kevin Peter Hall played the titular extra-terrestrial hunter in 1987’s Predator and its first sequel, but the original actor chosen for the role was actually the 5’6” Jean-Claude Van Damme. As detailed in oral history by THR, the future Belgian action movie star quit because he did not want to be hidden in the costume, which resembled a large insect at the time.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Regan MacNeil In The Exorcist)

Playing Laurie Strode in Halloween made Jamie Lee Curtis one of the first and all-time greatest Scream Queens, but her years as horror royalty apparently could have started earlier. The Oscar winner told EW that a producer for The Exorcist asked her mother, Psycho’s Janet Leigh if the then-13-year-old could audition to play the possessed Regan MacNeil. Leigh refused on her daughter’s behalf and the role ultimately went to Linda Blair.

Will Poulter (Pennywise In 2017's It)

Bill Skarsgård made one of modern cinema’s scariest horror villains out of his portrayal of Pennywise in the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s It. However, as director Andy Muschietti told Deadline that year, he had, at one point, spoken to Will Poulter about the possibility of succeeding Tim Curry as the clownish, shape-shifting entity until the future Midsommar star became “slowly disengaged” from the dark role.  

Jack Nicholson (Father Damien Karras In The Exorcist)

Before playing Jack Torrance in The Shining made him horror royalty, Jack Nicholson read for the role of Father Damien Karras in 1973’s The Exorcist before it went to Jason Miller. At the 2013 Dallas International Film Festival, director William Friedkin said the Oscar winner came up to him and Ellen Burstyn at a restaurant asking to be considered, to which the filmmaker responded, “Jack, if I show you in a priest collar, the whole audience is gonna go up.”

Bette Midler (Annie Wilkes In Misery)

Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning performance as Annie Wilkes is a key reason why Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery is such a classic. However, the role of the nurse with a morbid obsession over her captive guest, author Paul Sheldon (James Caan), was previously offered to Bette Midler, who told Variety that the character’s violent, unfunny, and irredeemable qualities turned her away from it.

Jeff Bridges (Matt Hooper In Jaws)

When speaking to Vanity Fair about the making of Jaws, Steven Spielberg shared that Richard Dreyfuss was not his first choice to play shark expert Matt Hooper. One of his initial candidates was Jeff Bridges, whose closest contributions to the horror genre have included 1976’s King Kong, Terry Gilliam’s Tideland, and R.I.P.D.

Emma Stone (Margot In The Menu) 

In director Mark Mylod’s 2022 horror-comedy, The Menu, Anya Taylor-Joy plays Margot, one of several guests at an exclusive dinner run by an unhinged chef played by Ralph Fiennes. According to The Film Stage, Taylor-Joy actually stepped in as a replacement for Oscar winner Emma Stone, who was cast in the role was Alexander Payne was attached to direct.

Slim Pickens (Dick Hallorann In The Shining) 

You could argue that the heart and soul (and a few endearing qualities) of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of The Shining is Scatman Crothers’ performance as Dick Hallorann. According to Screen Rant, the musician was not actually the first choice to play the Overlook Hotel’s head chef, which was offered to Slim Pickens, who previously worked with Kubrick on Dr. Strangelove and said he would only take the role if his scenes could be done in fewer than 100 takes.

Alice Cooper (Pennywise in Stephen King's It) 

Before Bill Skarsgård, the definitive image of Pennywise was that of Tim Curry, who was actually just one of several actors considered to play the embodiment of fear in the miniseries adaptation of It from 1990. Perhaps the most fascinating name tossed around, according to THR, was rock star Alice Cooper, who has dabbled in horror on the big screen (such as when he played Freddy Krueger’s father in Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare) and in his music.

Haley Lu Richardson (Dani Ardor In Midsommar)

After appearing in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, Haley Lu Richardson passed on the opportunity to lead another disturbing movie called Midsommar, which turned out to be one of the best A24 horror movies in the eyes of many. She told Backstage in 2023 that she did not have to courage to watch it yet, but has nothing but praise for Florence Pugh, who ultimately did play Dani Ador in Ari Aster’s sinister sophomore effort from 2019.

Al Pacino (Hannibal Lecter In The Silence Of The Lambs)

While Brian Cox first played Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter, Anthony Hopkins’ became the most recognizable iteration with his Oscar-winning performance in The Silence of the Lambs. However, Jodie Foster revealed to Deadline that there were a few American actors considered to play the cannibalistic criminal psychologist in the Best Picture Oscar winner, including Al Pacino.

Michael Cera (Cole Sear In The Sixth Sense)

When talking to Esquire, Michael Cera recalled auditioning to play Cole Sear in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense without realizing the character was a medium. Upon seeing the thriller, when watching the scene he read for, he noticed how Haley Joel Osment played it very sorrowfully instead of the upbeat and optimistic vibe the future Arrested Development star was going for.

Tilda Swinton (Pennywise In 2017's It)

Her chameleonic talents — best seen in her unrecognizable turn in 2018’s Suspiria remake — have us convinced that Tilda Swinton could have played Pennywise. Indeed, the Academy Award winner’s name was brought up as a possible choice for the fear-devouring clown in 2017’s It, as Andy Muschietti confirmed to Vanity Fair after a journalist jokingly mentioned her.

Sharon Tate (Rosemary Woodhouse In Rosemary's Baby) 

The title role of 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby — a woman who grows suspicious of her new neighbors after becoming pregnant — skyrocketed Mia Farrow into movie stardom. Before Farrow was cast, according to Vanity Fair, writer and director Roman Polanski’s own wife, Sharon Tate, fought hard to play the role herself.

Helen Mirren (Ellen Ripley In Alien)

In an interview with Vulture, Helen Mirren recalls reading the script for Alien and not being able to tell if Ripley, or any of the characters, were male or female. The future Academy Award winner would audition for Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi classic, but the role of Ripley ended up going to Sigourney Weaver.

Chris Evans (Dan Torrance In Doctor Sleep)

Despite making a cameo in Doctor Sleep, The Shining’s original Danny Torrance, Danny Lloyd, is a former child star who no longer acts, which is why Ewan McGregor assumed the role for Mike Flanagan’s 2019 sequel. The filmmaker confirmed on his personal Tumblr account that, before the Emmy-winner was cast, one of the actors he met with was the MCU’s Steve Rogers, Chris Evans.

Shelley Winters (Pamela Voorhees In Friday The 13th)

While the Friday the 13th movies’ centerpiece slasher is Jason Voorhees, the main antagonist of the 1980 original was his vengeful mother, Pamela, played by Betsy Palmer. David Grove, author of On Location in Blairstown: The Making of Friday the 13th, told EW that one of the actors previously discussed to play the iconic female horror movie villain was Shelley Winters, best known for her Oscar-winning performances in The Diary of Anne Frank and A Patch of Blue, and her nominated role in disaster epic, The Poseidon Adventure.

Tobey Maguire (Alex Browning In Final Destination)

On director Jeffrey Reddick’s wish list for the Final Destination cast, he wanted the lead to be Tobey Maguire, who was cast in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man just two years later. However, as the filmmaker shared with Den of Geek, New Line Cinema was not convinced by the choice, which led Devon Sawa to ultimately take the part of Alex Browning.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Clarice Starling In The Silence Of The Lambs) 

Jodie Foster won her second Oscar for playing intrepid FBI trainee Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, but the part was previously offered to Michell Pfeiffer. The actor told The New Yorker that the “evil” in the film made her nervous, but she does regret turning down the opportunity to reunite with her Married to the Mob director, Jonathan Demme.

Freddie Prinze Jr. (Billy Loomis In Scream)

In an interview with Dread Central, Freddie Prinze Jr. revealed that he and Skeet Ulrich were the final two candidates to play Billy Loomis in 1996’s Scream before the vengeful murderer role ultimately went to the latter. At least Prinze Jr. got to work with writer Kevin Williamson on another teen slasher favorite, I Know What You Did Last Summer, the following year.

John Lithgow (Seth Brundle In The Fly)

Jeff Goldblum gave one of his best performances as half-man, half-insect Seth Brundle in David Cronenberg’s 1988 remake of The Fly. Before he was cast, however, the role was offered to Goldblum’s The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension co-star John Lithgow who told In Magazine (via IndieWire) that he “didn’t want to play something so grotesque.”

Johnny Depp (The Invisible Man In The Invisible Man) 

In 2016, The Wrap reported that Johnny Depp was up to star in the title role of a modern reimagining of The Invisible Man. That was until the immediate failure of the Dark Universe convinced Universal to go in a different direction with its monstrous properties, allowing Leigh Whannell to introduce his own modern interpretation of H.G. Wells’ classic thriller.

Drew Barrymore (Carol Anne Freeling In Poltergeist) 

Drew Barrymore broke through at age 7 with her role in E.T. the Extra-terrestrial, but she actually met Steven Spielberg when auditioning for another film. She recalled to Ellen Degeneres how she was considered for, but ultimately not given the role of Carol Anne (which did go to Heather O’Rourke) in 1982’s haunted house classic, Poltergeist.

Lee Marvin (Quint In Jaws)

Steven Spielberg’s first choice to play Quint in Jaws was actually Lee Marvin, but the Oscar winner (for 1965’s Cat Ballou) was not interested, as the filmmaker recalled to Vanity Fair. Thus, the role of the intrepid shark hunter was given to Oscar nominee Robert Shaw.

Anne Lockhart (Laurie Strode In Halloween)

It is impossible to imagine other than Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode — the one Haddonfield babysitter who survives Michael Myers’ killing streak in the original Halloween. However, according to Biography, one of co-writer and director John Carpenter’s first choices was Anne Lockhart of Battlestar Galactica fame before she passed on the role.

Jodie Foster (Margaret White In 2013's Carrie)

As Vulture reported in 2012, Jodie Foster was approached to star alongside Chloe Grace Moretz in a remake of Carrie as the titular telekinetic’s overbearing mother, Margaret White. The part ultimately went to Julianne Moore, who, coincidentally, was Foster's replacement to play Clarice Starling in 2000's Hannibal.

Kirsten Dunst (Clear Rivers In Final Destination)

As Final Destination director Jeffrey Reddick shared with Den of Geek, he had a wish list for the unique 2000 horror flick’s cast that included Kirsten Dunst as Clear Rivers. Instead, that role would end up going to Ali Larter, who came back for Final Destination 2.

We would honestly love to peek into an alternate universe in which one of these actors got the iconic horror movie role they were up for, just to see how creepy it might have turned out.

Warning: Spoilers ahead, of course.

No Country for Old Men

Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a reluctant hero in No Country for Old Men. He stumbles onto a briefcase full of cash from a deal gone bad by the Mexican Cartel and finds himself on the run from them and the assassin Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Despite his resourcefulness, which leads audiences to believe he'll come out ok, his mother's mistake leads to Moss getting killed and losing the money while his wife (Kelly Macdonald) is (probably) murdered by Chigurh.

Se7en

Kevin Spacey's John Doe in Se7en is one of the most evil villains in cinema history and a big reason why is that in the end, he gets everything he wants. He completes all seven of the deadly sins when Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) kills Doe and becomes the seventh sin, rage. So while Doe ends up dead, he still wins. 

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Throughout the Star Wars saga, good and evil have traded blows with both sides coming out on top at different times. The first example (or second, depending on what order you watch the Star Wars movies in) is the legendary end of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke, handless, dangles from a tower as Darth Vader tells him about his lineage after Han Solo is carted away, frozen in carbonite. It's bleak. 

Silence Of The Lambs

The ending of Silence of the Lambs is a mixed bag. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) gets Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), but another villain, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) gets away and hunts his nemesis down on an unnamed tropical island. Some may call Lecter an anti-hero here, but he's pure bad guy in reality.

Rocky

One of the reasons Rocky is such a timeless movie is because, in the end, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) actually loses the fight. It makes the movie real and gritty. Its true brilliance is that the end it still triumphant, even though Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) wins the fight. 

Avengers: Infinity War

It was the snap heard 'round the universe after Thanos collected all the Infinity Stones and in a millisecond wiped out half of the population everywhere. Marvel is not where audiences ever expect to see a movie end with the villain winning, but Avengers: Infinity War changed everything and it's brilliant. 

Chinatown

One of the reasons Chinatown has one of the greatest scripts ever written is because of the twist ending no one sees coming. Jake (Jack Nicholson) has just worked out all the ins and outs of the scam he's been trying to uncover for the whole movie when he's caught by Cross (John Huston) and forced to help Cross complete his plan. Cross gets away and Jack can only watch it happen. 

Kingpin

The stakes are quite a bit lower in Kingpin than in some of the other movies on this list, but that doesn't change the fact that the villain, in this case bowler Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray) defeats Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) in the final match of the movie. Munson just can't catch a break. 

The Usual Suspects

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist and the greatest trick The Usual Suspects pulls is having Keyser Soze (Kevin Spacey) escape right out from under the noses of the authorities. Hailed as one of the great twists in cinema, while all the clues are right there for audiences to see, the mysterious Soze completes his plan and gets away. 

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is one of the greatest anti-heroes in literary and cinema history, but that doesn't mean he gets to win. No, in the end, it's one of cinema's greatest villains, Nurse Rachet (Louise Fletcher), and the system that wins leaving McMurphy lobotomized. 

Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby is one of the scariest movies ever made and just when you think Rosemary (Mia Farrow) might figure out what is going on with the weirdos in her apartment building, the coven wins, and Rosemary births Satan's child. What's worse is that Rosemary gives in and decides to raise the child. 

Primal Fear

The shocking twist ending to Primal Fear was a controversial one, but it's so satisfying when you think about it. Yeah, the good guy, attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere), and everyone else, is fooled by Aaron/Roy (Edward Norton) and a murderous villain basically gets away with killing multiple people, but it works so, so well. 

Saltburn

One of 2023's most talked-about films, Saltburn leaves audiences guessing until the end with what is really going on. Oliver Quick's (Barry Keoghan) is a bit of a mystery until he reveals that he is pretty evil. He manipulates an entire family so he can get what he wants, which is apparently to dance...um...freely, through the Saltburn estate. 

Skyfall

No one ever expects James Bond to lose, and he rarely does. Sometimes, however, the villain does at least partially win. Skyfall is a great example. Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) is one of the best Bond villains of all time, and in the end, while he doesn't live, Silva does take out M (Judi Dench) and in a way, breaks Bond on his way out. 

The Wicker Man

Whether it's the classic original from 1973 or the ill-advised "comedic" 2006 remake of The Wicker Man, the results are the same. The police officer investigating the cult of pagans doesn't get his man in the end, in fact, they get him. 

Fallen

While Fallen isn't going to top any list of great Denzel Washington movies, it is an example of the bad guy winning in the end. It's a weird story, involving demon possession and other occult-ness, and in the end, while Washington's character thinks he's got the upper hand by poisoning himself and shooting his possessed partner, played by John Goodman, it turns out he doesn't and the demon walks away after possessing a cat. Seriously. 

12 Monkeys

12 Monkeys is as confusing as it is visually stunning and because the plot can be so confusing it's hard to say if the bad guy wins definitively. It's even hard to say who the baddies are definitively. What is clear is that despite Bruce Willis' character trying to do what's best for himself and his future, fate, the scientists in the future, or whomever, steps in to take him out. So the good guy doesn't win, which is close enough. 

Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith

There's no surprise that Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is on this list. It's an interesting addition because most fans knew exactly where this part of the Star Wars saga was headed. Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) wins by drawing Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) to the Dark Side and creating Darth Vader. Bummer. 

The Bad New Bears

The Bad New Bears is a classic sports comedy that follows a tried and true formula. A group of misfits come together after struggling and make it to the championship game. Unfortunately for the Bears, they lose in the championship to their rivals, the Yankees. The bad guy is most definitely the terrible coach of the Yankees, who even slaps his son before the game ends, yet he's rewarded by winning. Bad news for the Bears. 

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines

In the Terminator series, fans waited a long time to see Judgment Day, when Skynet became aware. That finally happens at the end of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. John Connor (Nick Stahl) and Kate Brewster (Claire Danes) seek to shut down Skynet before it becomes sentient, but find their destination is the wrong place to do that. Skynet becomes aware, launching the nukes that would kick off the war with the machines. 

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange turns a lot of tropes on their heads. For starters, audiences end up rooting for Alex (Malcolm McDowell) despite being a horrid, homicidal maniac. When he's sent to the hospital to be reformed, the brainwashing works and Alex is "cured" of his ultra-violent tendencies, and yet, we're all left disappointed somehow and the bad guys become those saving the maniac. Or did they...

Taxi Driver

Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) in Taxi Driver is a bad guy. There's no way around it. He might have been driven to madness, but that doesn't mean he's good. Still, he never pays for any of his horrible crimes and in the end, is still driving his cab. It's a win for the anti-hero that shouldn't even be considered that. 

Swimming with Sharks

When Guy's (Frank Whaley) dream job turns into a nightmare at the hands of one of the worst bosses in movie history, Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey) in Swimming With Sharks he comes up with a plan to end Buddy's reign of terror. Instead, Buddy turns it around on Guy and Guy becomes everything he tried to avoid. Chalk another one up for the bad guy. 

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley is a grade-A sociopath and when presented with an opportunity to weasel his way into a lifestyle he craves, he resorts to everything up to murder to do so. He kills friends, lovers, and other innocent people to get what he wants, without even a hint of remorse most of the time. He also gets away with it all, getting everything he wants with no consequences. 

Cool Hand Luke

"Cool Hand" Luke Jackson is another anti-hero we all love. He's incorrigible and untamable in the best way. That is until he meets The Captain in a prison in Florida who goes out of his way to break Luke in Cool Hand Luke. The Captain is so brutal on Luke, that the movie ends with Luke's death. The Captain wins and seemingly will continue his brutal ways in the future. 

Network

Network doesn't have one bad guy that wins, it has a bad system that wins. Corporations and capitalism are the bad guys, not state actors or terrorists. "There is only IBM and ITT and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon," according to Arthur Jensen (Ned Beatty). Howard Beale (Peter Finch) tries to take them down, but he's just yelling madly out a window. Almost 50 years after Network came out and the corporations are still winning. 

Basic Instinct

Catherine Tramell is a great villain in Basic Instinct. The role is played so well by Sharon Stone that by the end, audiences aren't sure if she's good or bad, if she's a murderer or not. It's less ambiguous when we see the ice pick in the final scene. Still, she wins, she gets away with murder, or multiple murders and lives on, ready to commit at least one more, maybe. 

Sicario

Sicario's morality is all over the place. Audiences are left asking more questions about it than answers to be found in the movie. Is the CIA evil? Are the U.S. policies in the War on Drugs? Is the Mexican Cartel? What about Benicio Del Toro's character? We just don't know. What we do know is that no one wins, especially not the good guy.  

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

In George Lazenby's only appearance as James Bond, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, James Bond saves the world but loses his wife, which definitely qualifies as the bad guy winning. After Bond stymies Blofeld's (Telly Savalas) plans and rescues his love interest, Tracy (Diana Rigg), Blofeld returns the favor when he and his henchwoman gun down Tracy in a drive-by shooting as the couple are leaving their wedding. It's safe to say the moment changed 007 forever. 

Arlington Road

In Arlington Road Michael (Jeff Bridges) suspects his neighbors, played by Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack, as being terrorists, and he pursues them in a cat-and-mouse game that ultimately leads to Michael discovering he was right, but the terrorists are one step ahead of him and Michael dies in an explosion at FBI headquarters and is framed as the perpetrator of the blast. Meanwhile, his neighbors, who are responsible, get away scot-free. 

Gone Girl

Just who is the bad guy in Gone Girl? Is it Nick (Ben Affleck) for the way he treats his wife, or is it his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike) for the way she frames him? It's hard to answer, but by the end, Amy has trapped Nick in their toxic relationship, so in one way or another, the bad guy wins. 

The Dark Knight Rises

The Joker in The Dark Night Rises is quite possibly the best villain in any comic book movie ever. Heath Ledger's performance is worthy of all the praise it gets. And while he doesn't get everything he wants, to destroy the soul of Gotham, he does manage to destroy Batman's (Christian Bale) psyche and that is enough to say the bad guy won. 

It's nice to not always have the bad guy lose, even if we don't like it in the moment. But as the Rolling Stones said, sometimes you need to have a little "sympathy for the devil." 

The fear of the unknown is a very powerful tool in the business of fright, as many classic horror movies have proven. In fact, sometimes a movie’s scariest moment relies on sound to fill in the blanks or is cut out entirely, leaving it up to the audience to taunt themselves with images of what could have taken place. This also applies to many great sci-fi films, crime thrillers, and even a beloved animated Disney movie, as you can see from our collection of cinema’s scariest unseen moments below.  

Arnold's Death (Jurassic Park)

In Steven Spielberg’s 1993 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, chief engineer John Raymond “Ray” Arnold (Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson) heads to the maintenance shed alone to bring the place back to its proper order. When Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) goes to check on him, she is relieved when Arnold’s hand touches her shoulder, until she finds only his arm remains attached and the rest was likely devoured by the velociraptor that started chasing her a moment earlier.

The Children Attack Kreeg (Trick 'R Treat)

The best of the many twists and turns throughout Trick ‘r Treat, might be that Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox) was the bus driver who sent a group of developmentally challenged children to a watery grave. At the very end of writer and director Michael Dougherty’s 2007 love letter to Halloween, those same undead children appear at the curmudgeon’s doorstep to exact their revenge, which we only see play out in quick flashes of comic book-style animation.

The Creature Kidnaps Tricia (Absentia)

One of the most underrated and terrifying Mike Flanagan movies is his low-budget, 2011 dark fairy tale, Absentia. Its own most horrifying moment is when the story’s villain reveals itself to Tricia (Courtney Bell) in a blink-and-you-miss-it jump scare. This is the last we see of her, without ever knowing what this strange creature did to her or seeing the otherworldly place it may be keeping her, like it did with her long-missing husband.

Daniel Kills Eli (There Will Be Blood)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood — one of the best movies of the 2000s — concludes with a payoff to its title’s promise when now-wealthy oil baron Daniel Plainview (Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis) is paid a visit by his former enemy, fanatical preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano). We see the bloody aftermath of Daniel striking Eli in the head with a bowling pin, but the moment itself can only be heard, which is unsettling enough.

The Empire Tortures Han (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back)

One of the most disturbing moments in all of the Star Wars movies occurs in The Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is rigged to a device that does not appear to be very comfortable — its malfunctioning parts emitting sparks notwithstanding. We cut to a close up of the man who sold out his friend to the Empire, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), forced to hear the consequences of his actions via Han’s bloodcurdling scream of pain.

The Entity Kills Annie (It Follows) 

In one of the most striking horror movie openings in recent memory, young Annie (Bailey Spry) frantically tries to outrun an unseen enemy that forces her to drive to a beach where she awaits her impending demise. It then cuts to a shot of her lifeless body that very clearly implies the unspeakable brutality of her death, firmly establishing what makes the shapeshifting demon from this 2014’s It Follows one of the scariest modern horror movie villains.

The Entity Repeatedly Kills Kevin (Skinamarink)

Keeping certain elements literally in the dark is already what makes 2022’s Skinamarink a game-changer for indie horror. However, we are especially thankful the camera was not fixated on the moment the omnipotent being uses its time-warping ability to subject four-year-old Kevin (Lucas Paul) to multiple horrifying deaths. The looping footage of blood staining the carpet and a caption of the boy saying, “Mommy” — suggesting this otherworldly invader assumed his mother’s appearance — is heart-wrenching enough.

Fay And Everett Get Abducted (The Vast Of Night)

It is not until the very end of The Vast of Night when our protagonists, Fay (Sierra McCormick) and Everett (Jake Horowitz), receive the irrefutable evidence of extra-terrestrial visitors they had been searching for when a flying saucer appears overhead. Cutting from footage of townsfolk exiting the high school to a shot of Everett’s tape recorder sitting where the 1950s teens were standing is far creepier than showing them beaming up would have been and further solidifies co-writer and director Andrew Patterson’s 2020 alien invasion movie as one of the most unique of its kind.

Heather's Fate (The Blair Witch Project)

The shocking final shot of one of the most definitive found footage thrillers is filmed from Heather Donahue’s point of view, leaving the cause of her death a mystery. The many theories regarding what actually takes place during the ending of 1999’s The Blair Witch Project continue to keep fans guessing and keeps the film at a high stature of horror iconography.

The Hyenas Kill Scar (The Lion King)

Because 1994’s The Lion King is an animated Disney movie, it would be unwise to actually show its villain, Scar (Jeremy Irons), suffering an, otherwise, deservedly brutal demise. However, we do get a brief glimpse of it when the surrounding flames cast shadows of the hyenas’ attack on their former boss onto a wall of rock behind him.

Into The Mist (The Mist)

The 2007 adaptation of The Mist is chock full of visually devastating moments, but Frank Darabont very effectively uses the unknown to his advantage in a scene when some of Food House’s customers try to see how far they can make it out while one is tethered by rope. For a moment, the rope starts to lose slack fast and David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and others struggle to pull their volunteer back in, only to find his lower half still attached. We can only imagine what the creatures did to the rest of the group.

Lecter Defaces Sgt. Pembry (The Silence Of The Lambs)

It is scenes like Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s (Anthony Hopkins) ingenious prison escape that make it clear why the Academy made a Best Picture Oscar winner out of this 1991 horror movie. We later discover that the cannibalistic psychopath managed to walk out unseen by wearing Sgt. Pembry’s face — a procedure that director Jonathan Demme chooses to keep offscreen.

Liz's Fate (Wolf Creek)

Even a merciless slasher like 2005’s Wolf Creek occasionally manages to be tasteful in what it chooses to show you, such as what torturous circumstances Mick Taylor (John Jarrett) most likely subjects Liz Hunter (Cassandra Magrath) to. In her final scene from the Australian modern classic, the sadistic Outback hunter of humans renders Liz to a “head on a stick” by severing her spinal cord, and that’s the last we see of her.

The Lust Death (Seven)

In David Fincher’s highly influential 1995 detective drama, Seven (or Se7en), we never see John Doe in the act of committing his biblically-inspired murders and never need to, since the crime scenes are disturbing enough. We do, however, hear the first-hand testimony of a traumatized man (Leland Orser) used as a pawn in a murder inspired by lust, which is already a tough listen. Thus, placing Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt) in front of the victim instead of showing her was probably the right call.

The Motel Shootout (No Country For Old Men)

Because this 2007 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, No Country for Old Men, already indulged itself in one intense shootout, there was no reason for another. So, instead, we discover Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) was killed by unknown assailants when Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) finds him at a motel after the fact in a devastating reveal from one of the Coen Brothers’ best movies.

Mr. Blonde Slices Off Marvin's Ear (Reservoir Dogs)

Quentin Tarantino movies are often criticized their extreme violence, despite the filmmaker actually being quite tasteful about what he chooses to show you. For example, during the infamous torture scene from 1992’s Reservoir Dogs — which even Wes Craven was too squeamish for — he deliberately shifts the camera away before Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) cuts Officer Marvin Nash’s (Kirk Waltz) ear off.

Nauls' Fate (The Thing)

Mystery is what makes 1982’s The Thing — John Carpenter’s faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell Jr.’s novella, “Who Goes There?” — a masterclass in paranoid storytelling. Yet, there are some things we would have liked to have seen, such as what happened to Nauls (T.K. Carter) near the end — a moment that was actually scripted and storyboarded, according to the Outpost 31 blog, but never shot.

Ottway Fights The Alpha Wolf (The Grey)

Most people who saw The Grey in 2011 probably went in expecting some “Liam Neeson vs. the Wolves” action, which does happen… but not until after it cuts to black, followed by a post-credits glimpse at the aftermath. According to The Moveable Fest, director Joe Carnahan did shoot the “man vs. creature” fight in question, but decided to leave it out, feeling it would undermine the Alaskan survival thriller’s themes of fate and acceptance.

Paul Becomes Possessed (Hell House LLC)

What makes 2015’s overlooked found footage thriller Hell House LLC a stirring take on haunted house movies is writer and director Stephen Cognetti’s smooth balance of dread-inducing pacing and an unnerving aura of mystery. A scene that brilliantly utilizes both is when Paul (Gore Adams) awakes to find a ghostly woman in his bedroom, who pounces on him immediately before the scene cuts. From then on, the formerly droll character is never the same again, suggesting his uninvited guest could be living inside him.

Sam Turns Emma Into A Halloween Decoration (Trick 'R Treat)

The opening segment of Trick ‘r Treat actually takes place at the chronological end of the cult favorite anthology horror movie, in which we get a taste of how seriously Sam (Quinn Lord) takes the rules of Halloween. When Emma (Leslie Bibb) begins to take down her decorations too early, the mischievous trick-or-treater decides to do some redecorating of his own. His work is revealed when Henry (Tahmoh Penikett) walks out and pulls a sheet off a ghostly display to discover his wife’s head on the stalk with a lollipop contorting her mouth into a disturbed grin.

The Shark's Attack On Chrissie Watkins (Jaws)

Jaws remains the crown jewel of shark movies because the fearsome aquatic predator is kept hidden for most of the film, which was actually due to frequent flaws with the mechanical beast. However, had things gone exactly as Steven Spielberg originally intended, the opening scene — in which Chrissie Watkins (Susan Blacklinie) is pulled to a watery grave by the unseen man-eater — might not have been so unforgettably horrifying.

Tooth Fairy Bites Lounds' Lips Off (Manhunter)

Brian Cox gave a fantastic, pre-Anthony Hopkins performance as Hannibal Lecter in Michael Mann’s Manhunter, but he may not be as scary in this 1986 adaptation of Red Dragon as Tom Noonan’s serial killer known as the “Tooth Fairy.” He demonstrates to tabloid journalist Freddy Lounds (Stephen Lang) how he got his name by putting a dirty pair of dentures in his mouth, leaning in for a kiss, and — after the camera cuts away — gnawing his lips off.

Werdegast Skins Poelzig Alive (The Black Cat)

Legendary horror movie icons Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi share the screen in 1934’s The Black Cat — not as Frankenstein’s Monster and Dracula, but as rivals in a deadly game of wits. The conflict comes to a head that is sickening by even today’s standards when Lugosi’s Dr. Vitus Werdegast slices the face off of Karloff’s Hjalmar Poelzig, but at least it’s only implied in the shadows.

"What Have You Done To His Eyes?" (Rosemary's Baby)

A whole genre of horror movies about motherhood exist now, but 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby remains the most renowned of the bunch, particularly for its subtlety. For instance, we never actually see the devil-spawn Mia Farrow’s title character gives birth to, but we know from her vocal concerns over his eyes that he does not appear to be human.

"What's In The Box?!" (Seven)

The ending of Seven boasts one of the most iconically shocking finales of all time with the reveal that a box John Doe (Kevin Spacey) has delivered to a remote desert location contains the head of Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) — the wife of Mills (Brad Pitt). Yet, contrary to popular belief — as a Yahoo! retrospective recalls — the inside of the box is never shown, but the implication is so devastating and so strong, it’s a hard image to shake, even if it only exists in the viewer’s mind.

The Westchester Incident (Logan)

One of the best X-Men movies takes place in a future in which the X-Men no longer exist, as the result of a mentally fragile Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) losing control of his telekinetic abilities. According to ComingSoon.net, director James Mangold had planned to open 2017's Logan with a depiction of what is dubbed the "Westchester Incident" before opting to keep things focused on Hugh Jackman’s title role. This is, arguably, what keeps the tragic event a legendary topic of the superhero movie genre.

The Xenormorph Kills Lambert (Alien)

The Alien movies are known for their viscerally brutal deaths, but the death of Joan Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) is not one of them, taking place mostly offscreen. However, according to Strange Shapes, multiple ideas for how the Nostromo navigator could meet her end were thrown around — including becoming a cocoon for another Xenomorph or accidentally getting in the way of Parker’s (Yaphet Kotto) flamethrower — ultimately meaning that whatever you want to come up with could be the truth.

The Engineer Base Massacre (Prometheus)

We still have many unanswered questions about Prometheus such as exactly how the Engineers became nearly extinct. There is evidence of what occurred on on LV-223 — such as their fossilized remains spread across their base and a recording of them being pursued by an unknown enemy — but it does not add to a clear description of events, leaving this mystery regarding Ridley Scott’s 2012 Alien prequel up in the air. 

O'Neill Assaults Whitehead In The Tent (A Field In England)

Director Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England from 2013 is a wonder to behold for its surreal visual set against a 17th Century backdrop, but perhaps its most unsettling scene is shielded from us by the flaps of a tent. Whitehead’s (Reece Shearsmith) agonizing screams provide the only clue of what sadistic alchemist, O’Neill (Michael Smiley), is doing to his prisoner from inside, but it becomes even more hauntingly mysterious when Whitehead emerges from the tent flashing a bright grin.

The S.S. Venture Massacre (The Lost World: Jurassic Park)

Even director Steven Spielberg is not a big fan of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, but the 1997 sequel to his beloved blockbuster does have a few chilling moments. For instance, when a ship carrying the abandoned park’s T-Rex and its child crashes into a San Diego harbor with no human survivors on board, it puts some pretty gnarly pictures in your head.

"This Was No Boat Accident" (Jaws)

Some of the best examples of how Jaws maintains a brilliant aura of mystery do not even have a shark present, such as when Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) examines the remains of what is assumed to be a boating accident. We never see what is in the pan when he removes the sheet, but his shaken demeanor is all we need to know that it’s not pretty.

"What Is That?!!" (The Blair Witch Project)

The Blair Witch Project is one of the most essential examples of “the less you know, the better horror” and there are key reasons why throughout. One such iconic scene sees Heather (Heather Donahue) and Mike (Michael C. Williams) frantically fleeing their camp from an unseen attacker — a moment the actors were not prepared for — during which Heather repeatedly yelps about something she spots in the distance. Whatever she saw is left for us to imagine.

The fact that we have so many offscreen moments to reference here should be enough proof that we are most afraid of what we can’t see.

Well, what if I told you that all four of those titles have a Rotten Tomatoes score above 90%? In fact there are plenty more great horror movies of a vast variety of styles and tones that have all earned the right to be held to the same standard by the rules of the critical review aggregator by falling within the same range of percentage. Let’s go over just 30 of our favorite examples, shall we?

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) - 96%

You have likely never seen a vampire movie (or horror film in general) quite like A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, which 96% of critics appreciated for its strikingly unique execution. Shot in black and white and sneakily incorporating traditional horror elements amid its quiet, grounded tone, Iranian filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour's feature-length debut follows the developing relationship between a troubled young man (Arash Marandi) and a mysterious woman (Sheila Vand).

Alien (1979) - 98%

Audiences could (and have) debated forever over whether or not the first installment of the enduring franchise of Alien movies — and debut of Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley — is more sci-fi or horror. However, at least most critics (98% of 132 on RT) agree that, no matter how you look at it, Ridley Scott’s highly influential, atmospheric thriller — in which an interplanetary commercial freighter crew is stalked by a vicious, gorgeously designed beast — is undeniably terrifying and certainly one of the best horror movies of the 70s.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) - 95%

Writer and director Wes Craven's tale of a teenager (Heather Langenkamp) stalked by dream-hopping, razor-clawed, horribly disfigured boogeyman, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) kicked off one of the most beloved horror movie franchises of all time. However, the original A Nightmare on Elm Street remains the best reviewed of the series and the only one even close to the 90% range.

A Quiet Place (2018) - 96%

Fans of NBC’s The Office and film critics would never be able to look at Jim Halpert actor John Krasinski the same way ever again after he helmed and starred in the instant horror classic, A Quiet Place. With an impressive 96% positive reviews out 387 on RT, critics apparently had a lot to say about this highly inventive, thoroughly gripping drama about family is forced to live in silence after Earth becomes overrun with an otherworldly race of malevolent creatures that detect sound to hunt their prey.

The Babadook (2014) - 98%

At 98% on RT, critics regard Australian writer and director Jennifer Kent as a modern horror masterpiece — not just for its suffocatingly bleak tone and terrifying scares, but out of appreciation for what it is really about. The titular creature from The Babadook — one of modern horror’s greatest villains — is a symbolic representation of widowed single mother Amelia's (Essie Davis) own grief and the increasingly volatile tendencies that come from it, but is still effortlessly scary at face value.

The Birds (1963) - 94%

For proof that Alfred Hitchcock's mastery of suspense has stood the test of time, look no further than the 94% RT score for The Birds, which is made up almost entirely of reviews from after the year 2000. The majority agree that this story of a coastal town falling prey to various breeds of the unlikely, winged, titular enemy is a devastating, hair-raising creature feature.

Frankenstein (1931) - 94%

While it differs greatly from the story told in Mary Shelley’s revolutionary novel, it is easy to understand why director James Whale’s Frankenstein would become
the definitive representation of this cautionary tale about defying nature. The 94% of positive reviews on RT are especially impressed by Boris Karloff's performance as, arguably, the crown jewel among the interconnected universe of classic Universal monsters and Colin Clive as his titular creator. 

Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) - 98%

James Whale would return to the world of Mary Shelley’s classic with a new, wholly original chapter that, based on its 98% RT score, is preferred over its iconic predecessor. Bride of Frankenstein is also the perfect date night movie for horror fans, featuring a brilliantly unhinged Elsa Lanchester as the title character, who is forcibly created by Henry Frankenstein as a romantic companion to Karloff’s Monster.

The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1919) - 96%

Director Robert Weine’s surreal, silent masterpiece, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, is considered to be the first true horror film and its seminal effect pom the genre shows in the critical reception alone. At 96% on RT, it appears that reviewers were spooked and dazzled by this quintessential example of the mesmerizing power of German expressionism, in which Cesare (Conrad Veidt) is forced to commit murders by his hypnotist servant (Werner Krauss).

Freaks (1932) - 95%

Tod Browning’s unsettling revenge tale starring real circus performers proved controversial at the time for its graphic depiction of some truly unspeakable acts. However, Freaks has since earned a reputation as one of the most acclaimed thrillers of all time, earning a positive reception from 95% of the 56 reviews on RT.

Get Out (2017) - 98%

Jordan Peele went from being one of comedy’s biggest stars to one’s of horror’s most respected auteurs after releasing this instant classic of Black horror that offers a grim, enduringly thought-provoking take on modern racism. The Academy Award-winning Get Out famously sat at 100% until professional troll Armond White's negative analysis for the National Review brought it down to its still impressive current score of 98% out of 404 reviews.

Halloween (1978) - 96%

The movie that solidified Jamie Lee Curtis as the ultimate Scream Queen, made the world fear the unstoppable Michael Myers, and is, arguably, the greatest film by John Carpenter is still the best-reviewed definitive slasher movie on Rotten Tomatoes with a 96% critic rating and 89% audience score. Thus, it makes sense that the masterfully suspenseful Halloween is credited as the film that would lay the groundwork for the enduring subgenre, let alone its all-time finest entry.

His House (2020) - 100%

A rare example of a horror film (or film from any genre) to receive a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is the Netflix original horror movie, His House. Not only is this story of a couple of Sudanese refugees (Sope Disiru, Wunmi Mosaku) struggling to make a new life for themselves in England a viscerally terrifying haunted house thriller, screenwriter and director Remi Weekes’ incorporates some bold social commentary that is even more unsettling than its supernatural elements.

Host (2020) - 99%

Perhaps the vastly relatable theme at the time of feeling trapped in your own home had something to do with the astonishing critical success of Host, which was developed, filmed, and also released exclusively on Shudder in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Out of the 97 reviews for director Rob Savage’s brilliant “video call horror” hit on RT, there is only one negative review to be found.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956) - 98%

Jack Finney's paranoid short story about people being insidiously replaced by virtually perfect, extra-terrestrial duplicates has inspired multiple direct adaptations over the last several decades. However, the first film of the bunch — director Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers — remains the best reviewed so far, with 98% of critics captivated by its clever social commentary.

It Follows (2015) - 95%

Writer and director David Robert Mitchell cleverly reinforced one of the horror genre’s most infamous cliches by making sex both a death sentence and a saving grace for Maika Monroe's Jay in It Follows. Even the few out of the 270 critics on RT who (somehow) did not find its titular, shape-shifting entity particularly frightening could not deny that the film’s dream-like atmosphere, heart-pumping score, and '80s  aesthetic makes for an unforgettable experience.

Jaws (1975) - 97%

Many of Steven Spielberg's best movies fall within the 90% range on Rotten Tomatoes, with the top three being E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at 99%,  Schindler's List at 98%, and this highly influential creature feature at 97%. The fascinating thing about the success of Jaws — which topped the list of all-time highest grossing films (for a while), bred the modern definition of the summer blockbuster, and made the nation afraid of the water — is that its extremely effective aura of mystery was not by design, but out of necessity, since the film suffered countless technical issues regarding the main antagonist: a Great White Shark.

King Kong (1933) - 96%

The 96% Rotten Tomatoes score for one of the most influential monster movies of all time is further proof that (in most cases) you just can't beat the original. The titular creature from King Kong has since appeared in countless films — as recently as 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong — but none (including even Peter Jackson's marvelous remake) have been as big a hit with critics as the spectacular adventure that started it all in 1933.

La Llorona (2020) - 96% 

It appears that at least some user reviews confused this Shudder exclusive with a similarly titled spin-off of The Conjuring (that was only rated 28% on RT), which would explain its 62% audience score. However, most critics who actually saw director Jayro Busttamante Golden Globe-nominated La Llorona regard it as a haunting film that uniquely fuses elements of the traditional Spanish legend that inspired it with true events of political unrest in Guatemala. 

Let The Right One In (2008) - 98%

Rarely has vampirism been told in such a disturbingly grounded and heartbreakingly relatable way than in John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel, Let the Right One In, which tells the story of a tormented young boy (Kåre Hedebrant) who befriends a mysterious girl with an unusual and dangerous secret. Matt Reeves would also come out with an impressive interpretation for English-speaking moviegoers with 2010’s Let Me In, but Tomas Alfredson’s Swedish coming-of-age drama has a 10% hold over it on RT.

Night Of The Living Dead (1968) - 96%

There are few greater examples of great zombie fiction than George A. Romero’s long-running franchise of Dead movies, but the one that started it all remains the best in the eyes of critics. Night of the Living Dead was a revolutionary moment in horror for introducing our modern definition of the zombie and casting a Black actor (Duane Jones) as the lead hero, which leant strongly to its underlying societal commentary that, according to Den of Geek, its late writer and director claims was never intentional.

Nosferatu (1922) - 97%

Universal's original, Bela Lugosi-led Dracula from 1931 also falls within Rotten Tomatoes horror movie top tier at 94%, but is not rated as high as cinema's true first adaptation adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic. At 97% on RT the critical consensus deems German filmmaker F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu as — not only one of the all-time creepiest vampire films (with special credit due to Max Schreck’s Count Orlok — but one of the silent era's finest masterpieces.

Psycho (1960) - 96%

While not the highest rated horror film on Rotten Tomatoes, highest ranked horror film on the site (rated 96% out of 111 reviews and a close audience score compiled from more than 100,000 user ratings) is Psycho. From the brilliant performances by Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh to the iconic shower scene, it is easy to see why this brilliant psychological thriller solidified Alfred Hithcock’s title as “The Master of Suspense."

Rosemary's Baby (1968) - 96%

Perhaps the three rotten reviews that brought Rosemary's Baby down to a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes came from critics who cannot relate to the perils of parenthood. The rest recognized director Roman Polanski's paranoia-fueled, foreboding nightmare starring Mia Farrow in the title role as a master class in slow-building, unrelenting dread.

Ringu (1998) - 98%

More mainstream, stateside audiences are familiar with The Ring — Gore Verbinski’s 2002 thriller about a curse videotape with a 71% rating — but the one that started it all is more beloved at 98% on RT. Hideo Nakata’s Ringu is one of the greatest Japanese horror movies of all time for its boldly disturbing imagery that is sure to haunt you for days... maybe a week.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) - 95%

Say what you want about critics: most of them, at least, have the ability to recognize high-quality horror when they see it, as seen in the 95% RT rating (and matching audience score) for director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of Thomas Harris’ unsettling crime novel, The Silence of the Lambs. Not only is this masterful cat-and-mouse game the genre’s only Best Picture Oscar winner so far, but statuettes were also given to Demme, Anthony Hopkins’ definitive portrayal of cannibalistic criminal psychologist, Hannibal Lecter, and Jodie Foster as ace FBI trainee, Clarice Starling.

Train To Busan (2016) - 94%

At a time when it seemed like the subgenre pioneered by George A. Romero was so oversaturated that it was close to running out of steam, co-writer and director Sang-ho Yeon came up with a brilliantly simple idea to bring it back from the dead: zombies on a train. At 94% on RT, critics would agree that Train to Busan is not just one of the best horror films to come out of South Korea, but also one of the most realistic zombie movies in recent memory, let alone one of the most heart-wrenchingly gripping.

Under The Shadow (2016) - 99%

As they struggle to cope with the perils of war right outside, a woman (Narges Rashidi) and her daughter (Avin Mashandi) find there is also plenty to fear inside their home in Under the Shadow. Writer and director Babak Anvari’s Persian-language period drama achieved a stellar 99% RT score out of 93 critical reviews that praised its horrific ghost story wrapped in a bleak, realistic depiction of 1980s Tehram.

Vampyr (1932) - 98%

Dracula was not the only creature of the night to dominate the cinema and win over critics in the 1930s. A 98% critics score and 82% audience score on RT proves that Vampyr -- Carl Theodore Dreyer’s adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic horror story a young girl who begins to show signs of succumbing to vampirism -- is a mesmerizing, surreal, and chilling tale that should not be missed.

The Wailing (2016) - 99%

Critics deemed writer and director Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing as an instant classic of Asian horror cinema when it came out — not just because of its disturbing content, but because of its unique fusion of multiple styles and tones. At a whopping 99% on RT, the story of a police officer (Kwak Do-won) investigating a mysterious illness is one-part crime drama, one-part dark comedy, and two-parts unsettling fairy tale, all wrapped up in poignant commentary on mob paranoia.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the 30 classic thrillers above should keep you both freaked out and fascinated for as long as your horror-loving heart desires.

In fact, there are quite a few horror movies that received nominations in the acting category which, among them. The following is a look back on six actors who took home the coveted golden statuette for acting in a genre known for rewarding its audience with creepiness and carnage — starting with one of the earliest winners in the ceremony’s history.

Fredric March, Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1931)

Horror fans may like to give the Academy a lot of trouble for acknowledging the genre only every so often, but they actually have been paying attention to it longer than some many realize. In fact, the fifth recipient of the Best Actor Oscar (an honor he ended up sharing with The Champ’s Wallace Beery in a tie) was Fredric March for 1931’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Rouben Mamoulian’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s seminal, terrifying novella. 

The radical scientist’s transformation into a brutish criminal after taking an experimental potion he developed to unlock man’s repressed inner desires is not just achieved so effectively onscreen here by a beastly makeup job. March (who later took home a second statuette for the 1948 Best Picture Oscar winner, The Best Years of Our Lives) demonstrates an uncanny ability to inhabit each role so distinctly, if you did not know better, you might be easily convinced it was two different actors.

Ruth Gordon, Rosemary's Baby (1968)

It would take nearly another four decades before the Academy recognized greatness in acting from a horror movie again. Furthermore, out of the two nominations that the disturbing motherhood parable, Rosemary’s Baby, received in 1969 — the other being for director Roman Polanski’s screenplay, adapted by Ira Levin’s novel — the sole winner was Ruth Gordon for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

The veteran performer brings much of the same charming, comedic energy that later earned her praise for the classic romantic-comedy Harold and Maude to the role of Minnie Castevet, the eccentric building neighbor of Mia Farrow’s title character and her actor husband, Guy (John Cassavetes). What makes her performance such a memorably chilling element of the unnerving classic is how well she maintains that unassuming charm even after her involvement in a satanic cult is revealed.

Kathy Bates, Misery (1990)

On the flip side to Ruth Gordon’s method in Rosemary’s Baby, it is Kathy Bates’ ability to change her demeanor from calm to unhinged on the turn of a dime that makes her performance in Misery such a masterclass in leaving the audience breathless. It apparently left the Academy breathless too, based on its decision to honor her with the Best Actress Oscar that year.

Bates is an undeniable tour de force as one of the horror genre’s definitive female villains, Annie Wilkes — who demonstrates toxic fandom at its worst when she takes in her badly injured favorite author, Paul Sheldon (James Caan), and demands that he write his next novel to her liking or face grave consequences. Outside of Rob Reiner’s taut direction and William Goldman’s suspenseful screenplay, it is she who truly makes Misery one of the finest Stephen King adaptations of all time.

Anthony Hopkins, The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

One of the scariest villains in horror cinema is the Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who was first introduced in Thomas Harris’ novel, Red Dragon. However, it was his portrayal by two-time Academy Award-winner Sir Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs — one of the few horror films to be nominated for Best Picture and the genre’s sole winner of the category so far — that immortalized him as an esteemed figure of pop culture.

Hopkins is not actually the first actor to portray the cannibalistic criminal psychologist (the first being Succession’s Brian Cox in Michael Mann’s 1986 thriller, Manhunter) nor the last (Gaspard Ulliel played his younger self in Hannibal Rising and Mads Mikkelsen played the title role of the TV show, Hannibal), he is the first person you picture when you think of the character, and his Best Actor Oscar-winning performance makes it easy to see why. His permeating stare, ironic sense of sophistication and charisma amid his chilling disposition, and that iconic, improvised “hiss” adds up to nothing short of perfection.

Jodie Foster, The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

Enlisting the unlikely help of Dr. Lecter in order to catch a killer nicknamed “Buffalo Bill” is FBI trainee Clarice Starling — the role that earned Jodie Foster her second Academy Award, following her win for 1988’s The Accused. The multi-talented artist’s ability to hold her own opposite Hopkins in his prime is only one aspect as to why her performance in director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs is so deserving of the honor.

Starling is a very complex, very sharp character who has been haunted for years by a traumatic event from her childhood that, while leaving her vulnerable at times, effectively serves as fuel for her courageous crusade for justice. Foster portrays those elements of the character in a wonderful blend, resulting in a thoroughly mesmerizing and heroic, career-defining performance.

Natalie Portman, Black Swan (2010)

The most recent time that an actor was rewarded for their work in a horror movie was for a film that some might not categorize as “horror.” However, even those people cannot deny that Black Swan and Natalie Portman’s Best Actress Oscar-winning performance in it is the stuff of nightmares.

Portman — just one year before joining the MCU as Thor’s love interest, Dr. Jane Foster — stars in one of director Darren Aronofky’s best movies as a ballerina whose dedication to the lead role of “Swan Lake” takes a dangerous turn when she begins to suffer from disturbing visions. Like the film, the Star Wars actor is devastating, heart-wrenching, and hypnotically surreal as Nina.

I am happy to say that there are some more recent horror films that featured strong performances and earned an Oscar nomination, such as Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out from 2017. However, moments like these are still few and far between. Hopefully, there will come a day when well-made thrillers receive the recognition they deserve on a more frequent basis.

From classics like Poltergeist to modern gems like Smile 2, there are plenty of reasons why Paramount+ is one of the best streaming services, especially for horror fans.

Poltergeist (1982)

The Director: Tobe Hooper

The Cast: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight

What It’s About: A family discovers their house is the epicenter for all sorts of paranormal activity. Though things start out innocent enough, the mood quickly turns and the family is forced to reach out to experts to make sense of the madness and bring it to an end.

What To Expect: If you’re trying to start your horror journey, Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist is a great place to start. This classic horror flick has so many iconic scenes, even more lore, and an eeriness that has to be experienced at least once.

• Stream Poltergeist on Paramount+

Paranormal Activity (2007)

The Director: Oren Peli

The Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat

What It’s About: A couple sets up a series of cameras around their home to capture proof of what they believe to be a supernatural presence. But that’s just the beginning…

What To Expect: Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity, one of the best found-footage horror movies ever made, is an utterly terrifying and unforgettable experience that’ll leave you so far on the edge of your seat that you’re likely to hit the floor with some of those big jump-scares.

• Stream Paranormal Activity on Paramount+

Sound Of Violence (2021)

The Director: Alex Noyer

The Cast: Jasmin Savoy Brown, Lili Simmons, James Jagger

What It’s About: Years after witnessing the brutal murder of her parents and losing her hearing, a woman regains her abilities and sets out to get revenge against those who took everything from her.

What To Expect: Sound of Violence combines elements of slasher films and revenge thrillers to create a unique and bloody experience.

• Stream Sound of Violence on Paramount+

What Lies Beneath (2000)

The Director: Robert Zemeckis

The Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Harrison Ford, Diana Scarwid

What It’s About: After seeing what appears to be a ghost in her home, a woman follows a trail of mystery and intrigue as she begins to discover some seriously dark secrets from the past.

What To Expect: Shot between the split production of Cast Away, Robert Zemeckis’ What Lies Beneath is a massively successful supernatural thriller about what happens when the skeletons in your closet come looking for revenge.

• Stream What Lies Beneath on Paramount+

You’re Killing Me (2023)

The Director: Beth Hanna, Jerren Lauder

The Cast: McKaley Miller, Anne Heche, Dermot Mulroney

What It’s About: After reaching out to a wealthy and well-connected classmate to have his dad write a letter of recommendation for an elite college, a high school student is invited to a massive party where she finds herself in an increasingly intense and troubling situation.

What To Expect: Uber-wealthy and downright creepy families, all sorts of twists, and a star-making performance from McKaley Miller make You’re Killing Me a fun, exciting, and extremely intense horror-thriller that’ll leave you guessing at every turn.

• Stream You’re Killing Me on Paramount+

Smile (2022)

The Director: Parker Finn

The Cast: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey

What It’s About: A psychiatrist witnesses a patient commit suicide and begins to experience terrifying happenings after a curse is passed on to her.

What To Expect: Thanks in part to the movie’s story, the incredible Smile cast, and some terrifying guerilla marketing, the horror flick ended up becoming a massive hit at the box office before finding its streaming home on Paramount+ a little more than a month after its initial release.

• Stream Smile on Paramount+

Smile 2 (2024)

The Director: Parker Finn

The Cast: Naomi Scott, Kyle Gallner, Ray Nicholson

What It’s About: Pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) becomes the next victim of the Smile Entity and attempts to make sense of the phenomenon while also fighting for her life.

What To Expect: Fans of Parker Finn’s Smile will feel right at home, as this sequel to the 2022 surprise hit has the same signature charm, intensity, and tremendously creepy smiles we’ve come to know and love.

• Stream Smile 2 on Paramount+

Pet Sematary (1989)

The Director: Mary Lambrert

The Cast: Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Mike Hughes

What It’s About: Upon moving to a small town in Maine, a doctor learns of a cemetery that brings the dead back to life. When tragedy falls upon his family, the grieving father attempts to bring back a lost child.

What To Expect: One of the best Stephen King adaptations, Pet Sematary has a lot going for it. A great premise, some delightfully off-putting practical effects, and one of the most iconic performances by a child actor in a horror movie all make this a legendary flick.

• Stream Pet Sematary on Paramount+

Apartment 7A (2024)

The Director: Natalie Erika James

The Cast: Julia Garner, Kevin McNally, Diane Wiest

What It’s About: A young dancer rents an apartment from a devilish couple and becomes the center of a demonic conspiracy that sets up one of the most unforgettable horror films of all time.

What To Expect: Regardless if you are a fan of the horror classic or are planning to watch the new movie before finally checking out Rosemary’s Baby, you’ll find something to enjoy here.

• Stream Apartment 7A on Paramount+

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

The Director: Roman Polanski

The Cast: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon

What It’s About: An expectant mother falls down a rabbit hole of nightmarish paranoia and pure, unrelenting dread as she begins to suspect that her neighbors want to use her child as part of a satanic cult

What To Expect: This slow-burn horror film has an unnerving and terrifying pace that adds even more tension to the story and Rosemary’s descent into madness.

• Stream Rosemary’s Baby on Paramount+

The Quiet Place Movies (2018 - 2024)

The Director: John Krasinski, Michael Sarnoski

The Cast: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Lupita Nyong’o

What They’re About: After an alien invasion, the last remnants of humanity are forced to take shelter and live a life of near-silence to avoid being preyed upon by vicious (and blind) monsters.

What To Expect: From the first two films following the Abbott Family in the years after the initial invasion to the prequel showing the early hours of the event, the franchise doesn’t hold back when it comes to absolutely horrifying scenes or emotional moments.

• Stream A Quiet Place on Paramount+
• Stream A Quiet Place Part II on Paramount+
• Stream A Quiet Place: Day One on Paramount+

The Gift (2015)

The Director: Joel Edgerton

The Cast: Joel Edgerton, Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall

What It’s About: A mysterious stranger shows up at a couple’s front door and claims to be an old friend from high school, but as the night carries on they begin to learn more about his past and true intentions.

What To Expect: Seriously, this is one of the best psychological thrillers of the past decade and will leave you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.

• Stream The Gift on Paramount+

Talk To Me (2023)

The Director: Danny and Michael Phillipou

The Cast: Sophie Wilde, Zoe Terakes, Miranda Otto

What It’s About: A group of teens use an embalmed hand as a party game only to discover the consequences of their actions in the worst way possible.

What To Expect: One of the best horror movies of 2023, this fresh, inventive, and terrifying as-all-hell cinematic experience is just as fun as it is scary, which is a lot.

• Stream Talk to Me on Paramount+

World War Z (2013)

The Director: Marc Forster

The Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz

What It’s About: A former United Nations investigator travels around the world in hopes of finding a solution for a zombie apocalypse that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction.

What To Expect: Though World War Z is vastly different from Max Brooks’ novel of the same name, this 2013 horror-action spectacle is a wild, exhilarating, and harrowing ride. Its balance of massive set pieces and slowed-down horror is a winning combination.

• Stream World War Z on Paramount+

The Scream Movies (2022 - 2023) 

The Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett

The Cast: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox

What They’re About: Two sisters with ties to the original Ghost Face murders are hunted by a masked killer, first in California, and then later on after moving to New York City.

What To Expect: With new protagonists, as well as some familiar legacy characters, the two most recent Scream movies breathed new life into the legendary slasher franchise while also paying homage to what came before.

• Stream Scream (2022) on Paramount+.
• Stream Scream VI on Paramount+.

With Paramount+’s collection of thrilling, chilling, and downright terrifying horror movies changing all the time, make sure to come back and see what other frights await you in the coming months.

That is just one of many great examples of slow-burn horror movies you can find now on streaming, digital rental, or on physical media if you are into that sort of thing. If so, enter if you dare…

The Witch (2015)

A family moves to a secured area near the woods after they're banished from their church, where their faith in religion and one another are put to the test as they begin to fall prey to an elusive evil in 1630 New England. 

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: You are never quite sure who to put your own faith into or what is truly causing Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her family to fall apart in The Witch - writer and director Robert Eggers’ feature-length debut - from the gruesome beginning to the shocking final reveal of the third act, in this arresting, uniquely symbolic folk tale.

Stream The Witch on Showtime.
Rent/buy The Witch digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Witch on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Lighthouse (2019)

In the 1890s, a man (Robert Pattinson) recently hired to work at a lighthouse on a remote island becomes stranded with his experienced mentor (Willem Dafoe), who suggests the younger man’s mistake could be the cause of their predicament.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: You are never quite sure what the hell is ever really going on between Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe’s odd couple in The Lighthouse - yet another unique experiment in old school storytelling of a far more ambitious and ambiguous sort from writer and director Robert Eggers - but their impending fate is clear from the get-go, and to watch them slowly succumb to their reluctant isolation is a truly maddening experience.

Stream The Lighthouse on Amazon Prime.
Rent/buy The Lighthouse digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Lighthouse on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Hereditary (2018)

In the wake of a loved one’s death, a miniature artist (Toni Collette) and her family begin to experience a series of increasingly tragic and bizarre occurrences that threaten to tear them apart. 

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: What seemingly begins as a melodrama of exceptional bleakness becomes an unmercifully intense mind trip of paralyzing fright in Hereditary - the striking debut from writer and director Ari Aster, which could have been marketed with the typically frivolous, William Castle-style tagline and would have been telling the truth.

Stream Hereditary on Showtime.
Rent/buy Hereditary digitally on Amazon.
Buy Hereditary on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Midsommar (2019)

In the wake of a loved one’s death, a young woman (Florence Pugh) travels to Sweden for a seemingly idyllic cultural festival in Sweden hoping to mend the current disconnect in her relationship with her boyfriend (Jack Reynor), only for them to grow further apart amid the strange practices the event honors.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: For his sophomore effort, writer and director Ari Aster takes a lighter approach to his disturbing, subversive twist on melodramatic tone with Midsommar - and by “lighter” I mean aesthetically, because there is certainly nothing light about what our main characters suffer through one-by-one in the otherwise serene, brightly colored setting.

Stream Midsommar on Amazon Prime.
Rent/buy Midsommar digitally on Amazon.
Buy Midsommar on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Wicker Man (1973)

While searching for a young girl reported missing, a devoutly Christian police sergeant (Edward Woodward) clashes with the citizens of a village on a remote Scottish island and their Pagan philosophies.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: Ari Aster clearly took inspiration for Midsommar from director Robin Hardy’s original adaptation of David Winner’s novel, Ritual, called The Wicker Man, which starts off as a seemingly simple mystery thriller elevated by religious commentary, until it explodes into one of cinema’s most terrifying interpretations of occultism with its famous twist ending.

Stream The Wicker Man on Amazon Prime.
Rent/buy The Wicker Man digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Wicker Man on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

A woman (Mia Farrow) and her husband (John Cassavettes) move into an adorned apartment building where their hopes to have a child finally come true, only to be hindered by strange neighbors who invite themselves into their lives and become too close for comfort.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: You could argue, however, that the all-time most iconic and horrifying depiction of occultist practices comes in the final moments of Rosemary’s Baby, which also initially acts as a more grounded meditation on commons fears first-time parents experience before that uncertainty grows into raw, indisputable terror when all is revealed.

Stream Rosemary’s Baby on Starz.
Rent/buy Rosemary’s Baby digitally on Amazon.
Buy Rosemary’s Baby on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Wailing (2016)

In the wake of several local deaths connected to a mysterious illness, a police officer’s (Kwak Do-won) investigations lead him to suspect that these tragedies could be the work of a demon.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: Switching gears back to another horror/crime thriller hybrid, the acclaimed South Korean horror film, The Wailing, from writer and director Na Hong-jin also incorporates strong and heartbreaking themes of parenthood, as well as paranoia-fueled mob mentality, into a disturbing fable that will keep you guessing until the ending.

Stream The Wailing on Shudder.
Stream The Wailing on Amazon Prime.
Stream The Wailing on Tubi.
Stream The Wailing on Vudu.
Stream The Wailing on Crackle.

Rent/buy The Wailing digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Wailing on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The House Of The Devil (2010)

Desperate for money, a college student (Jocelin Donahue) takes an offer to babysit for an older couple, only to question if she made the right decision when the job turns out to be a stranger task than she assumed, and signs show that she is not alone. 

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: Switching gears back to ominous cult thrillers, it is easy to see how Rosemary’s Baby likely inspired the 1980s-set The House of the Devil, which made an indie horror hero out of writer and director Ti West for keeping you in the dark about what's at stake for most of its runtime, allowing the suspense to build like a pressure cooker before serving up one thoroughly unsettling feast.

Stream The House Of The Devil on Shudder.
Stream The House Of The Devil on Tubi.
Stream The House Of The Devil on Peacock.
Stream The House Of The Devil on Vudu.

Rent/buy The House Of The Devil digitally on Amazon.
Buy The House Of The Devil on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Invitation (2016)

Already fearing the worst when he accepts an invitation to a dinner party from his ex-wife (Tammy Blanchard) and her new lover (Michel Huisman), a man (Logan Marshall-Green) causes a stir when he cannot help but suspect that there is a more sinister purpose to this gathering.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: Director Karyn Kusama constructs a brilliant hire-wire act with The Invitation, which depicts grief in such an alarmingly real way that, while you remain empathetic toward Logan Marshall-Green’s protagonist, you cannot help but wonder if he is the one worth trusting as the suspense grows deeper. 

Stream The Invitation on Tubi.
Rent/buy The Invitation digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Invitation on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Saint Maud (2020)

A Welsh former nurse (Morfydd Clark) becomes convinced that she must act as a spiritual savior to the terminally ill dancer she cares for (Jennifer Ehle) in order to achieve her own desperate need for redemption.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: Speaking of not knowing who to trust, writer and director Rose Glass does a phenomenal job at playing with your expectations and never being entirely clear if our heroine is experiencing a descent into madness or an ascent into enlightenment before Saint Maud - one of the best horror movies released in 2020 - shows its hand with with startling results in literally its last few frames.

Stream Saint Maud on Hulu.
Buy Saint Maud on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

A trio of young, aspiring documentarians find themselves hopelessly lost in a wooded area outside Burkittville, Maryland, where increasingly discomforting circumstances lead them to wonder if the strange urban legend they are investigating is true.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: Other than incorporating a documentary-style narrative structure before found footage thrillers became a trend, what made The Blair Witch Project so astonishingly unique for its time was its a remarkable achievement in keeping the audience in complete, unrelenting fear without ever showing you who (or what) is taunting our protagonists.

Rent/buy The Blair Witch Project digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Blair Witch Project on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

It Comes At Night (2017)

A family of three (Joel Edgerton, Carmen Ejogo, and Kelvin Harrison Jr.) rigidly follow their own set of rules in order to keep themselves safe and stable in the midst of a deadly pandemic, until they decide to make an exception that seems to work out in their favor… at first.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: Writer and director Trey Edward Shults also proved that he was master of minimalist mayhem with his sophomore feature, It Comes at Night, by making the psychological and behavioral results of tragedy more important that the tangible threat that led to the post-apocalyptic setting in this devastating tale.

Stream It Comes At Night on Netflix.
Rent/buy It Comes At Night digitally on Amazon.
Buy It Comes At Night on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Haunting (1963)

An insecure loner (Julie Harris), a provocative clairvoyant (Claire Bloom), and a young skeptic (Russ Tamblyn) accept a therapist’s (Richard Johnson) invitation to stay inside a luxurious New England mansion to see if they can prove whether or not it does have spirits.

Why it’s a great slow-burn horror movie: To adapt Shirley Jackson’s iconic novel (which would later inspire Mike Flanagan’s acclaimed Netflix miniseries The Haunting of Hill House), writer Nelson Gidding and director Robert Wise took a more psychological approach to the horror of The Haunting, telling the story in a way that suggests the spirits could be in the characters’ heads all along.

Rent/buy The Haunting digitally on Amazon. 
Buy The Haunting on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

I hope you were satisfied by our choices in this list of slow-burn horror and, if so, that getting through the list wasn't too much of a slow-burn for you.

But it really can’t be stated enough just how monumental an achievement it is to be attached to such major sci-fi movies, two of which (Avatar and Avengers: Endgame) being the highest grossing movies of all time. It’s little wonder that Zoe Saldana has said that she’s quite proud to be “living in space”. And the fans couldn’t be happier, either. So, here are Zoe Saldana’s best performances, ranked. Engage!

10. Drumline (Laila)

Head dancer at the fictional Atlanta A&T University, Zoe Saldana stole both my and Nick Cannon’s hearts when she starred in 2002’s Drumline, which I consider to be one of the quintessential black movies of the 2000s. Though she plays a love interest in the film, her performance stands out because she has a life and story arc of her own. You see, Laila loves dancing, but she doesn’t want to tell her parents since she thinks they won’t approve.

But Zoe Saldana plays the role both confidently and shyly at the same time, showing a vulnerability that makes her performance stand out in a movie that is essentially just story beats strung together to get to the next rousing band performance.

9. Rosemary's Baby (Rosemary Woodhouse)

Mega fans of Roman Polanski’s classic, Rosemary’s Baby, might have been a little disappointed by the NBC miniseries. But this was a totally different beast, and Zoe Saldana is not Mia Farrow. And I mean that in the best possible way, since this Rosemary Woodhouse has some (Hell) fire in her belly. Taking place in Paris rather than New York, this Rosemary feels more sophisticated than the one Mia Farrow portrayed. But she’s also the kind of woman who will fight back and is not just a woman with the seed of Satan living inside of her.

What I like about this version is that Zoe Saldana’s Rosemary is much more of an equal to her husband and doesn’t just feel like a victim. I’m also told that this version is much closer to the novel, and if that’s so, then I prefer this version of Rosemary. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s played by Zoe Saldana, who’s always wonderful.

8. I Kill Giants (Mrs. Moile)

As if starring in one comic book movie wasn’t enough, Zoe Saldana has to go and be in another one in the sneakily great, I Kill Giants, which is about a girl who, er, kills giants. But not really, since the movie is actually a metaphor for grief and growing up. Zoe Saldana plays a school psychologist, and though her role isn’t huge, it’s essential to the plot in helping this young student come to grips with her fantasy world.

Honestly, this movie is held up by its performances. Madison Wolfe and Imogen Poots are the stars of the show, but for a movie about giants, I find it interesting how Zoe Saldana’s character has so much power in the face of this coming of age story. She shows both empathy and kindness in a narrative that needs it. It’s also funny to think that if this were any other kind of comic book movie, Saldana would likely be slaying the giants rather than helping a troubled student mentally deal with them.

7. Colombiana (Cataleya Restrepo)

Colombiana is not a great movie. In fact, it’s kind of terrible. Plus, Zoe Saldana is not even Colombian. Her father was of Dominican and Haitian descent, and her mother is Puerto Rican and Lebanese. But boy does she kick ass in this movie. And unfortunately, we don’t have many ass-kicking female-driven action movies, so we have to take what we can get. Thankfully, Zoe Saldana can kick quite the ass.

Coming from the Luc Besson school of action movies, Colombiana has a lot of gunplay and kicks to the face, which Zoe Saldana delivers with gusto. But she also handles the emotional aspects of this character well since this is a woman who is swearing vengeance against the people who murdered her family. So even though it’s a pretty one-dimensional role, Zoe Saldana somehow manages to fill in the contours of this character to give a three-dimensional performance. Because that’s just how Zoe Saldana rolls.

6. Death At A Funeral (Elaine Barnes)

You ever see the original British Death at a Funeral? It’s pretty good. But like the American version of The Office being superior to the British one (yes, I went there), I feel like the American version of Death at a Funeral is superior to the British one. And while most people would probably disagree with me, I like the broader comedy of the American remake. I also prefer Zoe Saldana to Daisy Donovan. But I mean, come on now. How could I not? It’s Zoe Saldana.

Playing the cousin of Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence’s characters, and also the fiancé to James Marsden’s character, Zoe Saldana acts out worried and frantic in such a committed way that you can’t help but laugh. Especially at the famous “Valium” scene. And like I said with Rosemary’s Baby, I like that Zoe Saldana always brings the fire. Because nobody can play concerned, but also angry, better than Zoe Saldana. It’s a shame that she doesn’t do more comedies. She’s good at them.

5. The Book Of Life (Maria Posada)

You know when you’ve made it in Hollywood? When they’ve got you voicing a cartoon. Well, the enjoyable The Book of Life is Zoe Saldana’s cartoon, and she’s playing a (what else?) independent woman who knows her way with a sword and can also do kung-fu. Did you honestly expect anything less from Zoe Saldana?

The role could have ended up bad, since her character is essentially the love interest in an unwanted love triangle. But Zoe Saldana adds warmth and tenderness to the voice, but also an oomph that lets the audience know that this is a strong and powerful woman. She can make her own choices and live her own life, which is honestly the kind of woman I want my own daughter to look up to.

4. Infinitely Polar Bear (Maggie Staurt)

There’s no denying that Infinitely Polar Bear, which is about a family struggling with a father and husband diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is the Mark Ruffalo show. But Zoe Saldana, who plays his wife and the mother of their two children, is the anchor who holds it all together. In her character, you have the true center and emotional core of this movie—the woman just struggling to get by.

Infinitely Polar Bear is a touching, but frustrating film since Zoe Saldana’s character is working so hard just to keep her family together. But you never get the sense that she hates Mark Ruffalo’s character. There’s just so much devotion to this role, that it’s proof that Zoe Saldana doesn’t just have to play roles in outer space to be badass. She can be a badass right down here on Earth.

3. Star Trek (Uhura)

I know this might be sacrilege to some, but I actually prefer Zoe Saldana’s Uhura to Nichelle Nichols’. I know, I know. Nothing is better than the original, and Nichelle Nichols broke boundaries when she starred as the character in the original. But I just love how Zoe Saldana doesn’t take crap from anybody, not Captain Kirk, and especially not Spock, who she’s dating in this timeline.

Zoe Saldana shows that she can handle her own, and I love that her character is just as essential to the crew as everybody else’s, just as Nichelle Nichols was in the original. It’s really apples to oranges, but I just prefer Zoe Saldana’s personality more, even if it means I’m boldly going where no fan (or very few) have ever gone before.

2. Avatar (Neytiri)

The Na’vi, which are the fictional aliens in the hit movie Avatar, are 10 feet tall and blue. Zoe Saldana is 5’7 and definitely not blue, but you know what? Zoe Saldana’s performance as Neytiri is so good, that I forget she’s even in the movie when I rewatch Avatar every year or so. I always have to be reminded when I read the end credits since I get so lost in her role as she tries to protect Pandora.

And here’s the thing. The Pandorans are very alien. The way they move, the way they speak, and even the way they fight. But Zoe Saldana really sells the hell out of this performance, which is part of the reason why Pandora actually feels like a living, breathing world. And even though I don’t think there’s any way in hell Avatar 2 could beat Avengers: Endgame at the box office, I can say with quite certainty that I am looking forward to seeing Zoe Saldana back in this famous role.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (Gamora)

And here it is, Zoe Saldana’s best performance. It’s kind of weird that Gamora would even stand out in a movie with a talking raccoon and a sentient tree, but she does. Because Gamora is bad, man. I mean, really, really bad. She’s a stone cold killer! But she’s also incredibly caring, just like most of the characters on this list.

But the true beauty of this character is Zoe Saldana’s commitment to the role. Even more so than with Avatar, Gamora just feels so ingrained in her universe. When Marvel was introducing the cosmic side of Marvel with Guardians of the Galaxy, I really didn’t think it would work since it’s just so out there. But Zoe Saldana’s Gamora somehow grounds it and helps to make it all somehow relatable. And for that reason, I think Gamora is Zoe Saldana’s greatest performance ever.

We’re very lucky to have Zoe Saldana in our movies and TV shows. But what’s your favorite role of hers? Voice your opinion in the poll or the comments section down below.

This poll is no longer available.

With so much leaving at the end of each month it can sometimes be difficult or next to impossible to see what movies added to your queue months ago will soon disappear in the blink of an eye. Fear not, as I have put together a list of great movies that will soon cease to exist, at least in the labyrinthine user interface of Netflix. All of these titles, with the exception of National Treasure, will be leaving Netflix as of April 30. National Treasure's expiration date on Netflix is April 29.

Goodfellas (1990)

Martin Scorsese's 1990 organized crime masterpiece Goodfellas still stands up, 30 years after it was first released. This crime epic follows mobster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) as he goes from made man to federal witness after turning against his former partners in crime. Hurry up before you have to settle for the "edited for television" version, and nobody wants that.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Probably one of the best Stephen King adaptations, The Shawshank Redemption is just as beloved now as it was when it was first released more than 25 years ago. From the casting of Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne to the narration by Morgan Freeman's character Red Redding to the direction of Frank Darabont, there are plenty of reasons to dive back into Shawshank State Penitentiary.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

National Treasure (2004)

National Treasure is one of those movies with a plot that sounds like it could either be an Indiana Jones movie or a made up movie on an episode of The Simpsons. Add Nicolas Cage halfway between being sane and Vampire's Kiss, and this movie about a historian attempting to steal the Declaration of Independence gets even better. If you want to find out how this one ends, make sure to be quick as time is running out.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

A Cinderella Story (2004)

Who knows when we'll finally get to see the continuation of Lizzie McGuire on Disney+, but for everyone who wants to see star Hilary Duff in peak form, check out the 2004 modern day fairy tale A Cinderella Story on Netflix before the clock strikes midnight. Just make sure you have your flip phone handy to properly get in the mood for this absurdly fun reimagining.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)

Although it doesn't live up to the original A Nightmare On Elm Street, the 2010 remake packs quite a punch thanks to Jackie Earle Haley's new take on the classic dream killer Freddy Krueger. Also, if you want to watch a movie with Rooney Mara where she doesn't spend 10 minutes eating a pie on the kitchen floor, this remake will hold you over.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982)

It's easy to lose count of all the different versions of Ridley Scott's 1982 techno-noir thriller Blade Runner, but The Final Cut is about as close to the director's vision as it gets thanks to the removal of Harrison Ford's tired and uninterested narration and other elements that hold the original back. But just like tears in rain, this sci-fi classic will soon be gone.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

The Craft (1996)

The coven of witches in The Craft might be teenagers, but they're anything but the friendly witches that became popular in the mid-90s. When Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney) starts at a new Catholic school, she forms a bond with a group witches who are beyond sinister. This ultra-90s thriller is everything you would want and more from a horror movie of the era.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

The Academy Award-winning 1989 drama Driving Miss Daisy follows the unlikely friendship that forms between Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy) and her chauffeur Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman) after the independent widow gets in a wreck and is no longer able to drive. This sentimental and funny movie will bring a smile to your face, but not for long.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

Friday The 13th (2009)

Another horror reimagining that didn't really get a fair shake, the 2009 version of Friday The 13th features a lot of the scares, deaths, and teenage romance as the original series. More of a reboot than a traditional remake, the 2009 edition does an okay job of combining elements of previous films in the series while also treading new ground.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

Good Burger (1997)

Did you know there's a Nickelodeon movie featuring screen legend Abe Vigoda, Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, and funk superstar George Clinton? Well, act now before it's too late to catch Good Burger, the 1997 film adaptation of Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson's iconic All That skit that puts the two teenagers up against the evil Mondo Burger restaurant.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

The Hangover (2009)

Ten years before Todd Phillips broke all kinds of records with 2019's Joker, the writer-director had another box office hit with the 2009 comedy The Hangover. With a cast that includes Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Mike Tyson of all people, this movie absolutely killed people of a certain age. Why not relive your college memories and watch The Hangover before they both fade away again.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

The Police Academy Franchise (1984-1994)

See where it all began for Steve Guttenberg, Michael Winslow, Kim Cattrall, and the rest of the Police Academy cast by watching the original 1984 slapstick cop comedy that spawned a franchise totaling in seven movies. And why stop at the first movie? All seven of the Police Academy films are available to stream on Netflix, at least for the time being.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Rosemary Woodhouse becomes frantic as she explores the idea that an evil cult wants to abduct her unborn child for a series of rituals in Roman Polanski's psychological thriller Rosemary's Baby. This classic horror movie remains just as popular as it was upon its release in 1968, so why not sit down with the family and watch it before it's gone from Netflix.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.

Rounders (1998)

When two friends get in more than a little over their head in an underground high-stakes poker game, they must quickly come up with a large sum of cash before things get even worse for the pair. Starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton as two longtime friends, Rounders shows just how far gambling addicts will go. But just like the characters in the movie, you don't have long to see how things shape up.

Watch it on Netflix while you still can here.