Horror is one of the most surprisingly varied genres of cinema. Trashy slasher films, dense science fiction paradoxes, pitch-black comedies, psychological thrillers, and much more colorful subgenres keep horror cinema interesting and unpredictable.
There are plenty of reasons to dislike horror movies. Whether it's a weaker constitution, a bad experience in childhood, or a simple inability to find one worth watching, horror can be a tough genre to get into. Some viewers stumble onto the wrong bucket of blood and find themselves turned off for good. Others just know that they don't find white-knuckle terror fun. Whatever keeps viewers away from the scary section of their favorite streaming service, there is almost certainly something that subverts those expectations.
The Thing
John Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi classic is seen to this day as one of the best horror films ever made. Viewers who find themselves uninterested in horror for fear of bad films need to look no further than this iconic thriller. With all the gruesome violence of any given slasher and a substantially more impressive creative vision, this is horror at its best possible execution. The film centers on a group of researchers stationed in Antarctica who are faced with an alien being capable of taking on their forms. Trust breaks down and tension ramps up as no one is safe from the hostile shape-shifter. With masterful suspense, top-notch performances, stellar visual presentation, and decades of influence on horror cinema, if viewers find themselves bouncing off The Thing, the genre might not be for them.
Vampire's Kiss
From the best the genre has to offer to something else entirely. This film doesn't transcend horror through masterful filmmaking or unstoppable modern impact, it's just too funny to be scary. Screenwriter Joseph Minion, of After Hours fame, envisioned a brutal autopsy of a relationship that was in the process of falling apart during production. He turned his pain into an incisive portrait of Manhattan in the 80s, along with a grim dramatization of a toxic partnership, wrapped up in themes of isolation, loneliness, and domination.
No one remembers those aspects of the film, however, because fan-favorite Nicolas Cage was cast in the lead role. Cage portrays a self-centered hedonist who takes home a beautiful woman and wakes up convinced he's been transformed into a vampire. Though no physical transformation takes place, he does don a set of fake fangs and takes to hunting down women on the streets. There's some real pathos in this bizarre cult hit, but there are also some of the most unhinged Nic Cage antics ever put to screen.
Nightcrawler
Dan Gilroy's award-winning directorial debut is a powerful character study that trends from psychological thriller to a form of social horror. Those put off by buckets of blood or unkillable slasher villains will find something much more intelligent here. Jake Gyllenhaal turns in a career-defining performance as freelance stringer Lou Bloom, who makes his living selling footage of violent occurrences in LA to the local TV news. Lou is a brilliantly realized character, a sociopath beyond the span of morality who redefines the word ruthless. As he descends from petty criminal to dangerous mastermind, the world around him happily helps him climb the social ladder. This film can be a tough watch, but the incisive commentary on modern media is too good to ignore. Clever writing, excellent cinematography, stellar acting, and a painfully accurate point to make ensure that this film is a masterclass in grounded real horror.
Shaun of the Dead
Perhaps the best-executed spoof of all time, though this film is a carefully crafted deconstruction of zombie horror tropes, it also contains one of the strongest films in the genre. Those who can't handle a bit of blood and gore won't find their tastes met here. As the red entry in Edgar Wright's seminal Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, Shaun gets a bit nastier than the average comedy. But, as expected from Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost, the film is hysterical from start to finish.
Fans of zombie action movies will find the gags cutting and spot-on, fans of British humor will find some of the strongest jokes in the genre, and fans of the occasional scare won't be left disappointed. Shaun of the Dead is one of the best horror comedies ever made, so much so that fans of either genre can enjoy it.
Get Out
If there's a film that lives as an exception to most people who claim to hate horror, it's Jordan Peele's masterful directorial debut. Most people who contend that they can't stand the genre carve out a special exception for this brilliantly executed psychological experience. This film has been absolutely buried in praise since the moment it came out, there's no way anyone alive today hasn't heard how good it is. This satirical social commentary in the skin of a horror film is a must-see for everyone, even if the genre threatens to scare them off.