It was 1997 when the little town of Woodsboro, California experienced the brutal murders of Scream. Now, 25 years later, Ghostface is back and has targeted another batch of teenagers to terrorize in Scream 5. Sequels don’t always get a ton of love, but this one has surprised a lot of people by establishing itself as a pretty good horror film to kick off 2022.

Indeed, Scream 5 has set a spooky tone for cinema early in the year. And because of that, we thought it would be a good time to look back on some of our favorite films to watch in the genre….

1. A Nightmare On Elm Street

In 1985, Wes Craven unleashed the classic slasher movie, A Nightmare On Elm Street. This film also made it onto our list of ideal Halloween season movies, since its iconic character Freddy Krueger is the de facto king of scary killers. Krueger became famous for preying on teenagers while they sleep, thus making falling asleep something that a some viewers over the years have legitimately come to fear. In this horror film, of course, all dreams inevitably turn into nightmares; as the song goes, “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you… nine, ten, never sleep again.”

2. Friday the 13th

Another 1980s classic, this is simply one of the best murder movies of all time. Friday the 13th is the day the ultimate killer, Jason Voorhees, comes out to stab, slash, and break anyone in his way. Superstitious locals in the film know the history and try to warn young counselors against setting up a summer camp in the woods. However, as you know if you’ve ever seen this one, the counselors don’t heed the advice. In the end they can run, they can hide, they can even try to fight back –– but Jason always wins.

3. The Exorcist

When talking about the best horror movies, The Exorcist always makes the list –– in part because the events in the film are loosely based on actual stories that remain difficult for anyone to fully explain. Of course, the film is also known for its shocking head-spinning scene –– ranked not long ago in a Gala Spins survey as one of the single scariest moments in horror history (which feels about right). It’s a legitimately iconic moment, and it enhances the legacy of this objectively horrifying film even more.

4. Candyman

One of the best horror films of the 1990s was undisputedly Candyman. This movie spooked viewers through the idea of a creepy urban legend coming to life. Victims put folklore to the test by saying a monstrous spirit’s name five times. Horror ensues, proving that belief in a myth doesn’t matter if the related monster materializes and starts to wreak havoc. Part of what makes this one so scary is that it almost makes you stop to wonder what horrifying tales out there might in fact be a little more than myth.

5. Paranormal Activity

This 2007 suspense film is about a young couple that sets up a security camera to document strange things occurring in their home. After being patient and meticulously reviewing the footage, they discover odd phenomena and weird things happening, like moving objects and the presence of supernatural beings. The film is widely credited as having brought the “found footage” sub-genre to the mainstream, and was so real at times that some viewers wondered if the movie was showing actual footage from the couple’s camera.

6. Psycho

This 1960s classic is still the gold standard of suspense thrillers. In Psycho, Norman Bates was a smart, sensitive, shy man, who secretly harbored mental disorders. This eventually transformed him into a serial killer. Fans raved about how chilling this movie was, but was it the scary house, the ear-piercing scream, or the extremely sharp knife that freaked people out most? The fact that there’s debate here is part of what makes it such a keeper in the horror genre. Plus, as a Roger Ebert focused on back in 1998, Psycho was an exhibition in excellent filmmaking the likes of which we don’t always see in this space.

7. The Blair Witch Project

This film was released in 1999 and is about three film students that took a hike in the Black Hills of Maryland back in 1994. The movie was their documentary footage about the Blair Witch, a legendary local murderer. They lost their way in the woods and their project took an unexpected turn resulting in one of the scariest stories ever put in a film.

Films that are thrilling, scary and exciting make for great entertainment. Whether it’s through a boogie man wearing a mask, myths coming to life, or the presence of a demonic being, these movies spook crowds –– and keep them coming back for more. With this list of horror films, you will be an expert at screaming at the top of your lungs by the time you check out Scream 5!