It’s not always the scares, the music, or the performances, or even the creatives working behind the camera. Sometimes, to make a compelling horror movie, you need a terrifying script. Horror history is littered with excellence, providing us cinemagoers with some of the most spine-chillingly intense masterpieces the genre has ever released. And, at the heart of their success is the perfectly written stories that elevated them to huge acclaim.
Since early cinema, there have been countless examples of writing being a notable standout of a scary movie. The following ten are arguably the most perfectly written horror movies ever, and truly can’t be ignored, nor brushed over, simply because the genre hasn’t always had the best track record when it came to flawless scripts. These tell some of the most iconic tales in pop culture and shaped the horror genre into the titan it is now, from recent Academy Award winners to black-and-white classics.
10
‘The Exorcist’ (1973)
They don’t call The Exorcist the scariest horror movie of all time without reason. Since 1973, this William Friedkin-directed chilling masterpiece has terrified generations with its brilliant story. Its plot has become embedded in the annals of horror history, being truly iconic and instantly hooking viewers in with its simple yet well-done execution. It follows two Catholic Priests as they risk their lives performing a dangerous exorcism to save a poor young girl’s soul from demonic possession.
Written by the late William Peter Blatty and based on his 1971 novel of the same name, The Exorcist is as perfectly written as it is utterly horrifying. Featuring a classic set-up, flawless pacing, and some of the most iconic dialogue in the genre’s history, it’s no surprise Blatty won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, a rarity for a film of this style. Its Oscar win is a testament to a powerful and intensely scary story that no horror fan shall ever forget.
9
‘Hereditary’ (2018)
From rising horror figure Ari Aster comes his 2018 film, Hereditary, the eerie, spine-chilling supernatural thriller that stuns the audience in terror. Featuring the most nail-biting tension, the creepiest silence, and the most unimaginable scares in recent horror, the story is about a family plagued by a supernatural curse and forced to endure tragedies after being targeted by a sinister cult.
Hereditary is arguably the scariest horror film in modern history, all thanks to Ari Aster’s vision and remarkable writing skills. The setup is intense and constantly keeps viewers right on the edge of their seats with anticipation. This monumental suspense enhances the fear and instills viewers with unforgettable dread. Aster knew the effective way to get under the audience’s skin, and as such, created a modern masterpiece that future horror films need to take notes on.
8
‘The Shining’ (1980)
The brilliant minds of two of the best storytellers of the twentieth century, Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick, delivered a thrilling psychological nightmare flick that continues to fascinate the horror community. The 1980 adaptation of King’s story The Shining is a masterclass in filmmaking and slow-building terror, featuring an iconic premise that boggles the mind. Jack Nicholson stars as a frustrated writer who drags his family to be caretakers at an isolated mountain hotel, only to be slowly driven to madness by the hotel’s supernatural inhabitants.
Though initially a critical disappointment and even disowned by King for some of its changes to his source material, this version of The Shining is still a well-structured and expertly paced chiller. Kubrick took the novel’s supernatural elements and reshaped them more into a psychological thriller, which made it all the more complex and thought-provoking. What the director achieved here remains an enduring horror classic that’s utterly timeless.
7
‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)
Roman Polanski‘s 1968 classic Rosemary’s Baby is the ultimate supernatural horror mystery film. This slow-creeping, highly tense, and eerily mysterious thriller has become ingrained in pop culture for its timeless story and shocking twists. Mia Farrow stars in a legendary performance as soon-to-be mother Rosemary Woodhouse, who, during an unusually difficult pregnancy, fears that her husband has conspired with the other tenants in her apartment to take her unborn child for nefarious means.
Polanski’s screenplay is incredibly noteworthy for its flawless pacing and for having a structure that greatly escalates with dread. There’s a constant and pestering sense of doom lingering throughout as Rosemary slowly pieces together the terrifying mystery of what’s happening around her. It, of course, culminated in one of the scariest twist finales in cinematic history. Overall, Rosemary’s Baby is perfectly executed and quite inspiring. It’s no wonder Polanski received a Best Screenplay nomination.
6
‘Let the Right One In’ (2008)
Let the Right One In is a 2008 Swedish vampire horror drama based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay for this film. An eerily beautiful and somewhat depressing take on the idea of bloodsuckers, it’s a unique genre bender that’s part bloody vampire thriller, part darkly romantic coming-of-age story. It follows a troubled, friendless young boy in Stockholm who has a tender relationship with a centuries-old child vampire who has just moved in next door to him.
With compelling dialogue, powerful story elements, and thought-provoking themes, Lindqvist’s writing for Let the Right One In is truly spectacular. It’s a shame he wasn’t nominated for Best Screenplay at the Oscars, as he put a great deal of care and detail into translating his written work onto the big screen. The film will leave any viewer feeling profoundly impacted by its emotional story, and although it wasn’t awarded for its brilliance, it’s still a masterful story that has already become timeless.
5
‘Scream’ (1996)
At a time in the late 1990s when slashers were at a low point, horror filmmaking icon Wes Craven swooped in to save it at the last minute with his groundbreaking slasher masterpiece Scream. Directed by Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, this highly influential ’90s hit ushered in a new age of meta horror, and its impact is still felt today. Starring Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, it sees a small town rocked by a series of murders committed by a killer in a Ghostface mask. As a young high schooler becomes the killer’s next target, she realizes the killer is following the rules of a cinematic slasher.
Williamson’s talents when crafting unique stories that blend different genres, coupled with his ability to write realistic, convincing teenage characters, ultimately made Scream into the legendary horror masterpiece we know and love. It’s incredibly quotable, featuring memorable lines, characters, and including a shocking opening sequence that continues to send shivers down audiences’ spines. With writing this perfect, it’s no wonder Scream continues to be praised as a landmark in horror history.
4
‘The Thing’ (1982)
The master of horror himself, John Carpenter, has given the genre some of its greatest hits, but arguably, his 1982 masterpiece The Thing is his crowning achievement. The Thing has everything fans of this genre want. It’s tense, claustrophobic, and dripping with unforgettable paranoia, featuring a memorable premise about a team of American researchers in Antarctica as they battle a shapeshifting alien creature that has infiltrated their base.
Making the audience fear the unknown is the greatest technique any horror filmmaker can use, and Carpenter and his talented screenwriter, Bill Lancaster, used it to its full potential when adapting John W. Campbell‘s 1938 novella Who Goes There? It’s a masterclass in dread, as the story wisely keeps the viewers on the edges of their seats, not knowing when or where the creature will strike. This ambiguity is its biggest strength and helped make The Thing one of the most rewatchable horror films ever made. It really does get better with every viewing.
3
‘Get Out’ (2017)
From comedian turned filmmaker Jordan Peele comes one of the most unique horror experiences of the 2010s, Get Out. This complex and one-of-a-kind psychological thriller is an unexpected masterpiece that remains a highlight of recent horror. Starring Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya, it’s about a Black photographer who accompanies his white girlfriend to what he expects will be an awkward first meeting with her family. But little does he know that something much more sinister is in store for him.
This tightly written story has an excellent set-up and a perfect escalation of terror that culminates in an exciting, shocking finale. Get Out offers a layered and thought-provoking story that’s terrifying at times but also laced with humorous moments of levity and dark comedy. It’s Peele’s remarkable writing skills and ability to think outside the box when creating original content that rightfully secured him an Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay, a testament to his craft and how well-written this film truly is.
2
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)
When it comes to praise, no other horror film surpasses Jonathan Demme‘s The Silence of the Lambs. Released in 1991 to tremendous critical and commercial acclaim, this iconic psychological crime thriller is an epic roller-coaster ride full of compelling writing and powerful performances. Jodie Foster and Sir Anthony Hopkins square off in an intense mental game of cat and mouse in two Oscar-winning performances as an FBI agent and a convicted murderer who try to track down another serial killer on the loose.
Based on the novel and revered book series by Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs has a story that’s unlike anything else and draws viewers in, scaring and fascinating them with what it entails. It’s perfectly structured and executed, making it simply flawless from start to finish. There’s not one scene that drags on for too long, nor one moment that feels unnecessary. Screenwriter Ted Tally does phenomenal work in adapting Harris’s chilling story onto the big screen, and for that, he received a much-deserved Academy Award and helped the film secure its Best Picture win.
1
‘Psycho’ (1960)
Making its way into the number one spot is Sir Alfred Hitchcock‘s Psycho, the most significant and influential horror movie in history. This icon of Hollywood filmmaking is, by all means, a perfect movie, featuring a tight and flawless story, and powerful direction and acting. Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh give career-defining performances in a legendary mystery about a thieving woman who has a deadly encounter at an isolated motel run by a shy, friendly young man and his overbearing mother.
Psycho is a groundbreaking achievement that all but rewrote the rules for the horror genre, all thanks to screenwriter Joseph Stefano‘s impeccable story, itself adapted from a novel by Robert Bloch. The suspense is palpable, the characters are well fleshed out and greatly complex, and there are moments, including the famous shower scene, that continue to be praised and helped shape pop culture. Overall, Psycho is the most perfectly written horror movie ever made.