You may be familiar with the infamous “You’re not a true fan, unless…” claim. And in certain cases, something like that can indeed cause feelings of inadequacy or even incompetence - depending on what you’re after. But fear not! It’s utter nonsense.
Though I haven’t personally encountered anyone rejecting and pushing others away from the horror fandom on the basis of not being familiar enough with it, I would bet that they exist. Maybe it’s not as common as it’s been with music and gaming, but gatekeepers will gatekeep anywhere. Also, it’s not like enjoying horror is something to brag about, so it would take greater levels of messed up to get snobby over it.
However, if you do wonder about what you’ve missed that hardcore horror fans, connoisseurs, and experts haven’t, here’s a list containing some of the most notable and unforgettable horror films. Now you can, if not sit through them all, at least say that you’ve heard of them.
Many of them have sequels, trilogies, and more. Or have been referenced and even parodied countless times over the years. Others simply stood out in one way or another.
60s
• Psycho (1960)
• Village of The Damned (1960)
• Night of The Living Dead (1968)
70s
• The Exorcist (1973)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
• Carrie (1976)
• Halloween (1978)
• Alien (1979)
80s
• The Shining (1980)
• Friday the 13th (1980)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• Hellraiser (1987)
• Child’s Play (1988)
90s
• Interview With The Vampire (1994)
• Scream (1996)
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• The Blair Witch Project (1999)
2000s
• American Psycho (2000)
• Final Destination (2000)
• The Ring (2002)
• Saw (2004)
• Paranormal Activity (2007)
2010s
• The Cabin In The Woods (2011)
• The Conjuring (2013)
• Train to Busan (2016)
• It (2017)
• A Quiet Place (2018)
2020s
… (We’ll see how it goes.)
BONUS!
• Scary Movie (2000)
• Scary Movie 2 (2001)
• Scary Movie 3 (2003)
• Scary Movie 4 (2006)
• Scary Movie V (2013)
(If you get the references and parodies in them, you’re definitely good to go.)
“I’ve seen all of these and more.” Weird flex, but okay. (Me, too.)
As for series, books, documentaries, games, and such… Not everyone has time or affinity for those mediums, so you may pass regardless as a true horror fan.
Are there any other films you would add?