Stephen Kingreveals what he thinks is the scariest horror film ever made. King is the author responsible for some of the most iconic horror stories of all time, including the likes ofThe ShiningandIt. Many of King’s books have been adapted into successful films, with multiple new King adaptations arriving each year.Salem’s Lot(2024)is the most recent adaptation of King’s work to make it to the screen, but multiple titles are still on the horizon, includingThe Life of ChuckandThe Monkey.
In a recent essay forVariety, King shares his pick for the scariest horror film ever made. While he names several titles as contenders, and admits that the age at which one watches a film plays a major role in how scary it is,King reveals that he thinksNight of the Living Dead, directed by George A. Romero, is the “scariest horror movie” of all time. King calls the film a “low-budget masterpiece” and writes that, though its impact has lessened over the years, he still remembers “the helpless terror” he felt while watching it for the first time. Read King’s full essay below:
I thought deeply about this question, perhaps more deeply than the subject — my scariest horror movie — deserves… but then, I’ve seen a lot of horror movies, so maybe it’s a valid Q.
My conclusion is that the “scariest” varies according to the viewer’s age. As a kid of 16, the scariest movie was “The Haunting” (directed by Robert Wise). As an adult, it was “The Blair Witch Project,” with that building sense of doom and those truly horrible last 35 seconds. But overall, I’d have to say “Night of the Living Dead,” George A. Romero’s low-budget masterpiece.
I’ll never forget the smarmy older brother doing his bad Boris Karloff imitation — “They’re coming to get you, Barbara… there’s one now!” He’s pointing to the elderly wino stumbling among the gravestones, only the elderly wino turns out to be a reanimated corpse, and when Barbara locks herself in her car, she discovers that the smarmy brother — Johnny — has taken the keys. Meanwhile, the old man is trying to get at her, and the viewer understands he will not stop. It’s a moment of pure atavistic terror. Barbara puts the car in neutral (probably impossible without the key, but that’s movies for you) and rolls it down the hill, getting away… temporarily.
In the end, no one survives. This movie has lost its elemental power over the years — has become almost a Midnite Madness joke, like “Rocky Horror” — but I still remember the helpless terror I felt when I first saw it. And now that I think of it, there’s a real similarity to “Blair Witch,” both with minimal or no music, both cast with unknown actors who seem barely capable of summer stock in Paducahville, both with low-tech special effects. They work not in spite of those things, but because of them.
King’s Opinions Hold A Lot Of Weight
As the author of countless horror classics, King’s opinion obviously holds a lot of weight, and his thoughts about new movies and TV shows, both inside and outside the horror genre, continue to be of interest to many.King’s recommendation could actually end up encouraging more people to either revisitNight of the Living Deador watch it for the very first time. As one of the most iconic and important movies ever made, however, it’s likely already a title that many viewers will be familiar with.
10 Horror Movies That Were Clearly Inspired By Night Of The Living Dead
From The Evil Dead to The Crazies, some films honor Romero’s classic, expanding on its themes of survival, social commentary, and undead terror.
Night of the LivingDeadcurrently sports a 95% onRotten Tomatoes, with its story of a small group of survivors barricading themselves inside a farmhouse as zombies attempt to get inside captivating audiences at the time. Though Romero’s isn’t thefirst zombie movieever made,it remains one of the most important, and it’s largely responsible for popularizing this subgenre, which remains prominent today. Romero would revisit zombies in horror in subsequent titles, including the notableDawn of the Dead(1978), which Zack Snyder remade in 2004.
Night of the Living Deadalso got a remake in 1990, but the film was a disappointment critically and commercially.
Our Take On King Choosing Night Of The Living Dead
Is The Romero Film Still As Powerful Today?
King would have been about 21 whenNight of the Living Deadcame out, so it’s no wonder whyRomero’s zombie moviemade such an impression on him. For younger audiences today, however, it’s likely that the film wouldn’t have quite the same impact. Though it may have been chilling and shocking at the time,it would probably seem quite tame to a younger viewer who is well-versed in the horror movies of today.
Still, though,Night of the Living Deadis worth watching because of the impact it had on the horror genre. Plus, withKinghimself citing it as the scariest movie ever made for him, it could be interesting to try to see how the film impacted his own work.
Night of the Living Dead
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George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead did more than just invent the modern zombie, it revolutionized the horror genre. Following a small group of humans who hide in a secluded farmhouse when the dead begin to rise and crave human flesh, Night of the Living Dead examines the relationship between humanity and paranoia in times of crisis.
