Withhorrormaking a comeback in the last decade, I’ve started to look back at some of the biggest releases of all-time and think about what it would have been like to see classic hit horror films for the first time. Horror has always had a place in cinema, since the first moving pictures began playing in theaters. However, it peaked in a big way throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s before the genre began to see a general dip in quality.
With a lack of fresh ideas,horror began to be more and more regurgitated,and parody films lost the original spark from the truly chilling horror movies that made the genre into something special. But now, in an era when IP is taking over the general cinema landscape, horror is beginning to be one of the only categories that is seeing a lot of innovation on a grand scale. Withhits from Blumhouse Productions, and top talent choosing to appear in horror movies, it feels exciting. But it also makes me long for a time when horror was just beginning to make its mark in Hollywood.
The Sixth Sense
Cast
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller about a young boy who can see and communicate with ghosts. Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who tries to help Cole, played by Haley Joel Osment, while grappling with his own personal demons. The movie features a twist ending that has become iconic in pop culture.
Everybody knows the twist ending ofThe Sixth Sense. And even those who haven’t seen the movie have likely heard the quote, or even repeated it themselves, when they say “I see dead people.“The fact is, this iconic movie elevated itself into culture to such a degree that it transformed into a touchstone of its era. But the thing is, when people saw the movie first, they had no idea what to expect.
This Movie Repeated The Sixth Sense’s Twist Ending Two Years Later And Nobody Saw It Coming
The Sixth Sense has one of the most famous twist endings of all time, but when it was repeated two years later, it still came as a shock
M. Night Shyamalan, a director who is known for his twist endings, was largely unknown.While Bruce Willis was already a star, he typically appeared in action movies, and the young co-star, Haley Joel Osment, was a promising young talent, but some of his biggest releases came shortly afterThe Sixth Sense. Seeing this movie for the first time, with no clue what to expect, has to be one of the most exciting moments in cinema history, but now it’s turned into a meme thanks to how popular it has become.
The Exorcist
The Exorcist is a supernatural horror film based on the novel released in 1971 and was directed by William Friedkin. When a young girl is passed by a powerful demon, two Catholic priests are brought to her home to attempt an exorcism to expunge the demon.
Now, the problem that exists for me with seeingThe Exorcistfor the first time is that the movie came out more than 20 years before I was born in 1973.I had no way to see it when it was new, and by the time I was old enough to watch it, I had already heard dozens of stories about the making of the movie, the controversies with religious bodies around its release and so on.
But thespectacle that isThe Exorcistis something to behold, and I wish I could have watched it without any previous knowledge.The movie remains one of the defining moments in horror cinema, defining religious horror, and showing what is possible with a tight budget, creativity and determination.
Scream
1996’s Scream follows a teenage girl who is targeted by a masked killer a year after her mother’s murder who uses horror movies as a deadly game against her and her friends.
In 1996, both Drew Barrymore and Wes Craven were established names in film.Craven was renowned for his incredible work withA Nightmare on Elm Street, and Barrymore was a child star who continued to appear in horror films along with some more mainstream films. And pairing the two for an incredible new series withScreamseemed genuinely thrilling.
The 2 Actors Who Almost Played Freddy Krueger Before Robert Englund
With A Nightmare on Elm Street celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024, Screen Rant is looking back at the actors who almost played Freddy Krueger.
To that end, the marketing pushed Barrymore as being the star of the movie, and a terrifying home intruder set to make an impression and become a new face of horror.But for anyone who saw the movie after its initial release, it’s common knowledge that Barrymore is killed off just minutes into the movie, and the film begins following a new set of characters. It would be incredible to experience this twist for the first time.
The Thing
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter’s 1982 film is a remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
Likewise,John Carpenter was an established name in horrorby the timeThe Thingcame out in 1982, and this film cemented his reputation for putting out multiple incredible horror franchises.However, it was a gamble whether this kind of bizarre monster from the unknown movie would work well beforeThe Thingwas released.
The film does spectacular things with practical effects in an era when CGI was still a dream that had only been used effectively inTronof that same year.But despite the restraints, Carpenter’s imagination and the work of the team behind the film created a true spectacle.And it would be incredible to revisit this film with no prior knowledge.
Halloween
Halloween is a horror film released in 1978 that centers on the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, as a masked serial killer terrorizes it. Over a decade after the brutal murder of Judith Myers by her brother, Michael, Michael escapes from the local Sanitarium to continue his silent killing spree- with teenage Laurie Strode being his new potential victim.
Going even further back in Carpenter’s own filmography, his work onHalloweenwas really a defining moment in his career, with the 1978 movie perfectly embodying the spirit of slasher horror.Michael Myers became the most haunting figure on the big screen, andHalloweenprovided the theatrical debut for Jamie Lee Curtis.
Today, the franchise has grown to extraordinary levels with plenty of sequels, remakes, and reimaginings, but there is only one John Carpenter’sHalloween.
What a moment in horror history to watch John Carpenter’s originalHalloweenfor the first time. Today, the franchise has grown to extraordinary levels with plenty of sequels, remakes, and reimaginings, but there is only one John Carpenter’sHalloween.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street, released in 1984, explores the terror faced by a group of teenagers haunted in their dreams by Fred Krueger, a vengeful spirit. As they confront a series of mysterious deaths, Nancy Thompson uncovers the truth about Krueger’s dark past and seeks to stop him.
Back to Wes Craven. Craven’s directorial debut wasThe Last House on the Left, followed by the sensationalThe Hills Have Eyes. Clearly, Craven’s imagination for horror was on another level. And with this level of promise from his first two entries, excitement must have been high for his 1984 film,A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Add to that the fact that this is the first ever movie that Johnny Depp ever appeared in, and it’s immensely frustrating that this movie preceded me by 10 years.A Nightmare on Elm Streetwasdifferent from Wes Craven’s other horror movies.As much as they became classics, this one introduced the world to a new face of evil, and one of the most popular horror villains ever created, Freddy Krueger. To see Freddy on the big screen for the first time must have been a real thrill.
28 Days Later
28 Days Later depicts a post-apocalyptic Britain devastated by a virulent outbreak. Directed by Danny Boyle, it follows a group of London survivors as they navigate the chaos caused by a rapidly spreading virus, transmitted by humans and animals, that transforms the infected into dangerous beings. Released in 2002.
Moving on to one of the few great classic horror films of the 2000s,28 Days Laterby director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland is an entirely different class of horror movie.Dystopian films are among my favorite genre, and seeing this modern-day zombie story with the terrifying virus that spreads and the fearful survivors struggling to make life work was remarkable decades after its release.
However, getting to watch it fresh in the cinema, with the unknown Cillian Murphy, would have been a completely different experience.
The film managed to do things that many other movies had never achieved prior,setting a post-apocalypse story in London, and actually capturing footage on the streets of London. It’s haunting. And I can’t help but feel like it would be even better to go in blind.
Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest filmmakers to ever live.Every genre that he decided to work in, he somehow managed to elevate the stories and turn them into masterpieces.Now, while I know Stephen King, the author whose work inspired this film, may not be a fan of the massive departure the film takes, Kubrick was an innovator who always made projects his own.
The Shiningdid not get a special pass from Kubrick, and rather than rely on adapting someone else’s story, Kubrick made the film his own.WithJack Nicholson starringopposite Shelley Duvall, this movie made its mark on horror, and no matter how much time passes, it remains a timeless classic. But once again, it would be magical to watch the film for the first time.
The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling, portrayed by Jodie Foster, as she seeks the help of imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, to solve a series of gruesome murders. Directed by Jonathan Demme, this 1991 psychological thriller delves into the dark world of criminal profiling and the complex relationship between a young investigator and a brilliant, but dangerous, psychopath.
Hannibal is obviously a huge figure in horror today.The character has inspired countless other adaptations, cannibal stories, and incredibly intelligent serial killer tales, butThe Silence of the Lambsstands out as one of the originals. With Jodie Foster as the detective, and Anthony Hopkins playing the part of Hannibal, the movie delivers a masterful exploration of this complex narrative.
Seeing the movie with no preconceptions, and getting to experience the genuinely haunting performance of Hopkins must have been incredible.
LikeThe Sixth Sense, the movie has made its way into pop culture with quotable lines that people repeat without even knowing the source.However, seeing the movie with no preconceptions, and getting to experience the genuinely haunting performance of Hopkins must have been incredible.
Psycho
In this now-iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, a secretary embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel. The place is run by a young man under the domination of his mother – and he soon turns out to be far more threatening than he appeared at first.
One of my absolute favorite movies of all time isPsycho. From the mind of theMaster of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock,Psychotook horror to new heights in 1960, with Anthony Perkins pulling off one of the greatest performances in the genre of all time. Once again, the big reveal is widely known and parodied at this point, with this movie serving as the inspiration for many other horror stories.
However, watching it for the first time, with no idea about what would be revealed, and getting to immerse myself in the performance of Hopkins would be a marvel. It remains one of the greatest horror films ever made, and while it’s one of my favorites, I would give up an awful lot just to see it for the first time with no prior knowledge.
