By: Richard Kroon, Director of Engineering, EIDR
Halloween, observed on October 31 each year, has its origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain (or “Summer’s End”), which marked the last day of the Celtic year and the traditional start of winter. On this night, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and dead blurred and ghosts would walk the earth while the living would wear costumes and burn bonfires through the night. When Pope Gregory III established November 1 as All Saints Day, the day before became All Hallows Eve and eventually Halloween. Customs vary over the years and around the world, but a common theme cuts through them all: being scared.
People do love being scared, at least in a safe and comfortable way, likely beginning with ghost stories told to eager audiences around a campfire. Many horror stories and folktales come down to us from the Ancient and Medieval words. The first modern horror novel was The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole while horror movies have been frightening audiences since Georges Méliès released Le Manoir du Diable (The Haunted Castle) in 1896.
In the dark and shrouded mists of 2016, we shared with you the gruesome tale of London’s Time Out magazine and their list of the 100 best horror films of all time as judged by their panel of ghoulish experts, including Alice Cooper and Stephen King – the former credited with creating “Shock Rock” and the latter with more than 200 film adaptations to his name, starting with Carrie (1976). This year, we turn our statistically-evil eye towards Rotten Tomatoes and their aggregated Tomatometer scores. (Fun fact, there’s currently a three-way tie for the worst horror film of 2018 between Blood Honey, Delirium, and Day of the Dead: Bloodline, each with a 0% Fresh ranking.) Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 100 best-reviewed horror movies of all time ranges from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) to Hereditary (2018) with entries from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Perhaps scariest of all is the fact that the top-ranked film has a lower Tomatometer score than number two on the list thanks to Booosian – sorry that should be BooOOoo-sian – I mean, Bayesian statistics, where the Rotten Tomatoes’ editors take into account the number of critical reviews received to come up with an adjusted top score of 113.376% Fresh. Now that’s frighteningly fresh.
Naturally, all of the movies on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time have a corresponding EIDR ID. Happy Halloween.
Rotten Tomatoes’ 100 Best-Reviewed Horror Films of All Time
Rank | Title | Year | %Fresh | Score | EIDR ID |
1 | Get Out | 1973 | 99% | 113.38% | 10.5240/E4DF-F953-7B36-D0AD-10C7-S |
2 | The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari | 1980 | 100% | 111.25% | 10.5240/E795-2B0D-965A-5552-A424-2 |
3 | A Quiet Place | 1974 | 95% | 110.65% | 10.5240/AEA1-3EF3-245B-CA6A-B9C0-0 |
4 | Psycho | 1979 | 97% | 109.22% | 10.5240/E172-9592-4D15-6E9A-A63A-Y |
5 | King Kong | 1960 | 98% | 108.55% | 10.5240/49FC-259A-46A7-DC36-B99B-X |
6 | Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror | 1982 | 97% | 108.54% | 10.5240/4DA4-0765-DD7B-69F7-925E-W |
7 | Repulsion | 1968 | 100% | 108.36% | 10.5240/E21A-3593-D6E8-FEAA-7F51-9 |
8 | The Bride of Frankenstein | 1978 | 100% | 107.96% | 10.5240/AD91-77F6-7587-BDFC-274C-J |
9 | Alien | 1978 | 97% | 107.35% | 10.5240/55AD-7242-833C-F4AA-9776-7 |
10 | The Night of the Hunter | 1975 | 98% | 106.72% | 10.5240/A392-FE00-1B91-B840-CA81-7 |
11 | The Babadook | 1976 | 98% | 106.60% | 10.5240/17B3-4D4F-9492-FE49-AC78-T |
12 | Rosemary’s Baby | 1968 | 99% | 106.61% | 10.5240/7C58-3BF4-62BD-BE12-5FB1-F |
13 | The Invisible Man | 1973 | 100% | 106.42% | 10.5240/2B08-EB1F-92B4-2E53-471C-0 |
14 | Frankenstein | 1961 | 100% | 106.22% | 10.5240/0D1B-689D-5865-AD1B-0F89-L |
15 | It Follows | 1976 | 97% | 105.87% | 10.5240/C302-8810-DFB7-3A48-761E-M |
16 | Jaws | 1981 | 97% | 105.86% | 10.5240/36E3-649C-57F2-A251-72B1-E |
17 | Vampyr – Der Traum des Allan Grey | 1987 | 100% | 104.98% | 10.5240/620D-7464-F030-12C1-75FD-U |
18 | Let the Right One In | 1986 | 98% | 104.49% | 10.5240/4587-ABC2-81FA-A636-3DCB-6 |
19 | Aliens | 2008 | 98% | 104.28% | 10.5240/52D5-69C2-9DCD-AF72-E8CD-S |
20 | Invasion of the Body Snatchers | 1984 | 98% | 104.18% | 10.5240/978D-EF0D-0439-27F3-FCC1-B |
21 | Freaks | 1999 | 94% | 103.57% | 10.5240/404F-32CD-FF47-2745-BAA0-O |
22 | Night of the Living Dead | 1963 | 97% | 103.61% | 10.5240/C326-4F83-CED1-F0EC-29DB-5 |
23 | Eyes Without a Face | 1922 | 98% | 103.31% | 10.5240/2F66-B68A-F669-8A1B-9104-M |
24 | The Witch | 1932 | 91% | 102.79% | 10.5240/0E6C-7B1E-871C-1BFA-0618-X |
25 | Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn | 1976 | 98% | 102.46% | 10.5240/78A9-FAAC-1C10-BDE7-84D2-U |
26 | Peeping Tom | 1982 | 96% | 102.21% | 10.5240/E883-622C-BEA0-06F6-02D5-G |
27 | Hereditary | 1999 | 89% | 104.25% | 10.5240/D980-255E-96C7-9F53-CBF8-4 |
28 | The Silence of the Lambs | 1981 | 95% | 101.79% | 10.5240/9A23-263F-7817-8874-7D54-V |
29 | The Birds | 1963 | 96% | 101.92% | 10.5240/2BB1-D8C5-942E-271C-BDEA-6 |
30 | Dead of Night | 1979 | 97% | 101.53% | 10.5240/FD70-B20C-14BB-28F3-269C-P |
31 | The Cabin In the Woods | 1982 | 91% | 100.60% | 10.5240/E7CF-E2F8-C21C-7D3D-A1D1-L |
32 | Don’t Look Now | 1942 | 96% | 101.38% | 10.5240/03B1-E89B-C646-12AC-66B1-E |
33 | The Wailing | 2008 | 99% | 101.24% | 10.5240/72B0-2FA2-9082-7DCF-4F32-9 |
34 | 10 Cloverfield Lane | 1935 | 90% | 101.02% | 10.5240/622B-2097-1E78-EC9C-DD6A-B |
35 | Under the Shadow | 1962 | 99% | 101.33% | 10.5240/32A4-F75B-D2DA-0EE4-6BFF-S |
36 | The Innocents | 1973 | 96% | 101.12% | 10.5240/C76B-3EE7-DCCF-BB67-DBF6-7 |
37 | The Fly | 1931 | 95% | 100.36% | 10.5240/7A26-03CB-9209-54C4-FC15-W |
38 | House of Wax | 1959 | 95% | 100.36% | 10.5240/12D1-BF5E-9825-BE0A-1D69-J |
39 | Cat People | 1979 | 93% | 100.07% | 10.5240/6C57-F611-FF52-24DA-2F4F-J |
40 | A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night | 1990 | 96% | 100.17% | 10.5240/5792-807C-7549-7A78-803A-P |
41 | Drag Me to Hell | 1981 | 92% | 99.98% | 10.5240/7EAD-1715-29CB-79F4-9DCA-L |
42 | The Wolf Man | 2001 | 94% | 99.66% | 10.5240/F2EB-85B0-B47F-C749-9C43-W |
43 | Carrie | 1967 | 93% | 99.58% | 10.5240/2A14-47AB-BC21-D34C-3FB9-W |
44 | Invasion of the Body Snatchers | 1976 | 94% | 99.58% | 10.5240/3A00-93A1-FFC1-9538-E4BF-F |
45 | The Evil Dead | 2001 | 95% | 99.46% | 10.5240/D1D7-E826-A860-7BCB-3BB4-C |
46 | The Loved Ones | 1990 | 98% | 99.18% | 10.5240/C66B-60A7-FABC-444B-76A3-L |
47 | It | 1945 | 85% | 99.23% | 10.5240/B893-9CE5-63F7-4AED-5EF4-X |
48 | Halloween | 1956 | 93% | 98.96% | 10.5240/F55B-E276-0102-C4C1-93B5-Y |
49 | Village of the Damned | 1998 | 92% | 94.91% | 10.5240/4359-4D90-C584-7BD3-9F76-8 |
50 | Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht | 1960 | 94% | 98.62% | 10.5240/A6F8-DD91-D127-6081-15F2-1 |
51 | Ringu | 2005 | 97% | 98.42% | 10.5240/FCFD-589B-82D7-2FC7-F9B9-A |
52 | House un Haunted Hill | 1971 | 96% | 98.29% | 10.5240/B002-8EA8-5C8B-14B4-2616-B |
53 | Green Room | 1975 | 90% | 98.30% | 10.5240/C04B-0621-7FDE-9BBC-FD15-H |
54 | Re-Animator | 1977 | 95% | 99.20% | 10.5240/B61A-0C97-0F0F-D48C-5102-1 |
55 | I Walked with a Zombie | 1965 | 92% | 97.90% | 10.5240/8BBD-0EC9-77BB-CE02-1DB0-0 |
56 | Train to Busan | 1999 | 96% | 98.88% | 10.5240/D13A-FD68-D516-B481-590E-H |
57 | A Nightmare on Elm Street | 1988 | 94% | 97.60% | 10.5240/B884-6DA7-BFD6-28F4-C749-Z |
58 | The Mummy | 1964 | 93% | 97.58% | 10.5240/1DE8-E6C4-D3F4-6222-5896-Z |
59 | Raw | 1932 | 91% | 97.74% | 10.5240/87B7-E889-BC7C-2F12-955D-8 |
60 | Shaun of the Dead | 2007 | 92% | 97.48% | 10.5240/C4F3-817E-619C-A61D-C43B-9 |
61 | Zombieland | 1955 | 90% | 97.47% | 10.5240/7CC0-348A-3918-1736-146D-Y |
62 | Dracula | 1955 | 91% | 97.22% | 10.5240/909B-DA9F-7D4D-C639-69CF-8 |
63 | Nina Forever | 2008 | 97% | 97.32% | 10.5240/1E3A-4586-ED89-F1A4-518D-A |
64 | It Comes at Night | 1981 | 88% | 97.30% | 10.5240/0145-DB0C-5D5D-3260-F8CD-F |
65 | Deep Red | 2001 | 96% | 97.91% | 10.5240/F7B9-A597-E3F8-E143-86B5-G |
66 | Suspiria | 2003 | 92% | 96.62% | 10.5240/3F75-F397-1C2F-49A1-D20C-A |
67 | Eraserhead | 1957 | 91% | 96.55% | 10.5240/3FC7-59D2-B863-8380-9BAB-W |
68 | The Fly | 2002 | 91% | 96.40% | 10.5240/C43A-3556-CB27-C99F-EEA8-R |
69 | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | 1920 | 93% | 96.24% | 10.5240/AE91-C07E-3049-64AA-42F7-4 |
70 | Dawn of the Dead | 1966 | 93% | 96.24% | 10.5240/2A83-1326-9730-0514-2432-F |
71 | Phantom of the Opera | 1932 | 91% | 96.03% | 10.5240/FF74-AAA6-DBD2-8E9B-AECF-A |
72 | L’uccello Dalle Piume di Cristallo | 1986 | 93% | 96.05% | 10.5240/A65D-5B62-AA84-09C4-5743-O |
73 | Don’t Breathe | 1974 | 88% | 95.78% | 10.5240/58CE-1DE4-34EE-826E-BD97-A |
74 | The Devil’s Backbone | 1960 | 92% | 95.50% | 10.5240/F9E7-A17C-5EB5-3DE5-D9C6-W |
75 | Theater of Blood | 1987 | 93% | 95.44% | 10.5240/D429-B438-F0CC-6033-338F-K |
76 | Horror of Dracula | 1985 | 88% | 92.69% | 10.5240/733F-3478-FC8A-007A-DC91-3 |
77 | The Wicker Man | 1979 | 90% | 94.89% | 10.5240/A0B7-940B-6DA2-D726-7420-E |
78 | Attack the Block | 2000 | 90% | 94.73% | 10.5240/75F8-5C10-8425-3102-8B31-T |
79 | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre | 1987 | 88% | 94.48% | 10.5240/5D0F-8CAC-581E-A744-86E0-I |
80 | Let Me In | 2005 | 87% | 93.40% | 10.5240/1B4F-8FCF-68A6-B2FA-AD30-T |
81 | The Blair Witch Project | 1999 | 87% | 94.00% | 10.5240/F4CB-CB59-EA32-084B-CA1A-A |
82 | The Exorcist | 1963 | 86% | 93.71% | 10.5240/2268-C7E9-E304-C67D-7F06-Z |
83 | The Conjuring | 1958 | 86% | 93.75% | 10.5240/645A-98C5-BB3F-0AD3-50D9-Z |
84 | The Dead Zone | 2007 | 90% | 93.52% | 10.5240/4692-8A58-5440-75CB-0A5D-D |
85 | The Fall of the House of Usher | 1978 | 90% | 93.36% | 10.5240/24EF-B60C-C440-7C09-535F-F |
86 | Misery | 1975 | 89% | 93.31% | 10.5240/01F3-783D-5F53-D0FA-A541-J |
87 | Fright Night | 2001 | 91% | 93.31% | 10.5240/9B62-A4CF-AFC1-FADA-0117-H |
88 | The Shining | 1927 | 86% | 93.17% | 10.5240/3D61-EB75-9F5F-C5A7-5D26-E |
89 | Martin | 1985 | 90% | 92.51% | 10.5240/44DB-FE8F-F843-1745-97AB-D |
90 | An American Werewolf in London | 1988 | 88% | 91.77% | 10.5240/74B9-E9B5-8219-663F-6F3D-9 |
91 | Demon | 1992 | 92% | 93.73% | 10.5240/BA46-EEFD-AA81-9659-D3A2-Y |
92 | Poltergeist | 1986 | 86% | 91.51% | 10.5240/085B-61ED-61F1-58E0-6C25-4 |
93 | The Invitation | 1985 | 88% | 90.97% | 10.5240/1A45-1191-BDE4-EE69-B661-S |
94 | The Descent | 1996 | 85% | 90.49% | 10.5240/6C14-8437-AFAF-7DDF-29F1-U |
95 | The Omen | 1989 | 86% | 90.44% | 10.5240/A7A7-E995-6893-C76B-8C97-I |
96 | Paranormal Activity | 2015 | 83% | 88.81% | 10.5240/2FB0-C153-8022-CA37-E778-6 |
97 | The Thing | 1976 | 83% | 88.62% | 10.5240/F71D-B8B7-B0DC-976A-5397-P |
98 | The House of the Devil | 1976 | 86% | 88.32% | 10.5240/CB7E-F77F-0F19-211A-05A2-Z |
99 | [Rec] | 2007 | 88% | 88.17% | 10.5240/ACED-BF41-9C80-F92D-B7B8-V |
100 | The Conjuring 2 | 2014 | 79% | 87.85% | 10.5240/6583-D856-7260-F6F4-9B34-R |