Horror

Horror Essentials: Asian Horror Movies

A folkloric tradition as rich in magic and the supernatural as that of Europe gives Asian filmmakers an expansive canvas from which to work when tackling the horror genre. It also helps to give their films a structure and depth of unsettling emotion that is all too often lacking from their Western counterparts. And in an intriguing reversal of the usual cultural exchanges, the breathless, primal terror that drives their best efforts has had a powerful influence on Hollywood scare films, which have begun to incorporate the silent, long-haired ghosts and inescapable curses so emblematic of Asian horror. See our Essential Asian Horror Movies, including:

• Ju-On (The Grudge)
• Jigoku
• Ringu

›Essential Asian Horror Movies

Horror Essentials: Psychological Horror Movies

What makes a horror movie horrifying? Well, first and foremost is the threat of physical danger. But a good psychological horror movie can scare you out of your wits because what your imagination might conjure up--and the thought of someone close to you being responsible--is often worse than whatever might actually happen. See our Essential Psychological Horror Movies, including:

• The Sixth Sense
• Seven
• The Silence of the Lambs

›Essential Psychological Horror Movies