The 50 horror movies James Gunn wants everyone to see: “It does not mean the best”
With spooky season coming right around the corner, there is no better time to start planning your Halloween watches.
The latter part of the year is great for many reasons, but mostly for its tendency to bring people indoors and convene under the silver screen, with horror films often becoming a focal point of the season as we indulge in the darker atmosphere and extend this to our watching habits.
However, while many cinephiles have debated over which horror films are most terrifying, perhaps the wisdom of James Gunn can help conclude this argument, with the director chipping in with his personal favourites, saying, “It does not mean these are the BEST. They are simply the horror films I get the most out of personally”.
Unsurprisingly, there are many classic choices on the list, with the director adding the likes of Jaws, The Thing and The Host in his top five. However, there are also a few unconventional choices, citing arthouse horror films like Audition and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Takashi Miike is one of the most prolific directors from Japan, with a conflicting body of work that either appeals to kids or is so deeply disturbing that even the most jaded horror lover could barely stomach it. Audition is one of these films, with a twisted and violent nature that has somehow become the calling card of his entire filmography.
The 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, directed by Philip Kaufman, is one of the most original takes on the zombie outbreak sub-genre, following a mysterious entity that takes over San Francisco and creates lifeless replicas of all the people. With an inner commentary on the dangers of technology and censorship, it remains as one of the most relevant horrors to the most pressing dangers today.
House is another fantastic yet lesser-known horror that Gunn included on his list of personal favourites, a bonkers feat of filmmaking that follows a high school girl who brings her friends on a trip to her aunt’s house in the countryside. But after some time, they discover there is more to the house than meets the eye, and find themselves plunged into its inner madness. You’d struggle to find a more entertaining film, with each twist taking you to places that you could never predict.
As well as this, the director also listed the work of Michael Haneke and his 1997 film, Funny Games. Haneke terrorises the idea of the nuclear family through a series of games, torturing them for no apparent reason other than entertainment and mocking our addiction to violence. But there are also plenty of campy choices on the list, with the likes of Scream, Shaun of the Dead and Alien taking top spots.
When examining this list, we can see how these films have influenced Gunn’s own cinematic palette, often opting for campy and goofy spins on the genre that have birthed masterpieces like Scooby Doo: Monsters Unleashed and the recent remake of Superman, cementing him as one of the most unapologetic lovers of the genre.
James Gunn’s 50 favourite horror movies:
- Jaws – Spielberg, 1975
- Audition – Miike, 1999
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers – Kaufman, 1978
- The Host – Bong Joon-ho, 2006
- The Thing – Carpenter, 1982
- Green Room – Saulnier, 2016
- The Brood – Cronenberg, 1979
- Rosemary’s Baby – Polanski, 1968
- A Tale of Two Sisters – Kim Jee-woon, 2004
- The Birds – Hitchcock, 1963
- 28 Days Later – Boyle, 2003
- Train to Busan – Sang-ho Yeon, 2016
- House – Obayashi, 1977
- Saw – Wan, 2004
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers – Siegel, 1956
- Night of the Living Dead – Romero, 1968
- They Live – Carpenter, 1988
- Cloverfield – Reeves, 2008
- Cronos – Del Toro, 1993
- Piranha 3D – Aja, 2010
- Peeping Tom – Powell, 1960
- The Night of the Hunter – Laughton, 1955
- The Mist – Darabont, 2007
- Dead Alive – Jackson, 1992
- Shaun of the Dead – Wright, 2004
- Funny Games – Haneke, 1997
- Troll Hunter – Ovredal, 2011
- Evil Dead II – Raimi, 1987
- The Shining – Kubrick, 1980
- The Descent – Marshall, 2005
- Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages – Christensen, 1929
- The Sixth Sense – Shyamalan, 1999
- Aliens – Cameron, 1986
- Bride of Frankenstein – Whale, 1935
- Martin – Romero, 1977
- Near Dark – Bigelow, 1987
- Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein – Barton, 1948
- Suspiria – Argento, 1977
- Zombieland – Fleisher, 2009
- King Kong – Shoedsack, Cooper, 1933
- Get Out – Peele, 2017
- Scream – Craven, 1996
- Cemetery Man – Soavi, 1996
- Shivers – Cronenberg, 1975
- Carrie – DePalma, 1976
- Basket Case – Henenlotter, 1982
- The Blob – Russell, 1988
- Alien – Scott, 1979
- The Fly – Cronenberg, 1986
- The Faculty – Rodgriquez, 1998
