Horror is a genre that's definitely intended for a specific audience, but that doesn't mean everyone needs to left out. While it's true that there are dozens and dozens of movies that rely heavily on jump scares, shock, and gallons upon gallons of fake blood, there are those that are a little more user-friendly than the average horror flick.
For every Saw, there's a Rocky Horror Picture Show with more fun than frights. Whether easily startled or just looking to dip a toe into the genre, there are plenty of mild horror flicks that all fans can enjoy.
10 Poltergeist (1982)
Brought to life by horror legend Tobe Hooper, Poltergeist has been almost everyone's introduction to pure, purposefully scary horror flicks. Unsettling might be a better word used to describe this take on the haunted house genre.
Nobody's brutally murdered and mutilated, but some of the manifestations that inhabit the house can certainly give someone nightmares. That clown doll would creep anybody out.
9 Halloween (1978)
If Poltergeist was the introduction to horror in general, John Carpenter's masterpiece should be considered Slasher-Flicks 101. While it does have brief nudity, the scares from this 1978 classic come more from suspense than any of the kills.
There's almost no blood, the plot is simple but effective, and Michael Myers himself isn't even fully seen till the second half of the movie. Presence, music, and environment can be powerful tools.
8 Carrie (1976)
Despite it's being one of the icons of 80s horror, many consider Brian De Palma's Carrie more of a science fiction film.
After Carrie White is brutally tormented by her high school classmates, watching her wreak her vengeance after a disgusting prank is more cathartic than it is terrifying. The student body might have been axed off in excruciating fashion, but they kinda had it coming.
7 Night of the Living Dead (1968)
"They're coming to get you, Barbara!" If The Walking Dead gets too gritty or gruesome, why not check out the original zombie outbreak?
The zombies presented in George Romero's immortal classic aren't exactly as scary as their modern cousins are, there's a more traditional monster-movie feel in this flick that more contemporary entries in the genre have been lacking. Sometimes, traditional is just the way the go.
6 Psycho (1961)
Where would the horror genre be without this iconic feature from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock? It might not look too terrifying today, but at one point it had viewers everywhere scared of their own showers.
Despite his soft-spoken and gentle manner, Anthony Perkins created one of the most influential horror villains ever presented with his portrayal of Norman Bates. It's not his fault though, we all go a little mad sometimes.
5 Aliens (1986)
While the first film in this iconic sci-fi series should definitely be avoided by scaredy-cats, the sequel directed by James Cameron might have more appeal to some easily startled viewers. The film is less shock and scares and more action and adventure, guaranteed to win over the lightweights.
After all, who doesn't like a good monster movie with evil aliens, a rag-tag group of heroes, and lots of guns?
4 Jaws (1975)
The film might have mellowed with age, but when it first hit screens back in 1975, it had beachgoers terrified to go into the water. Stephen Spielberg created the concept of the summer blockbuster with his scary and action-packed adaptation of Peter Benchley's novel of the same name.
Though the animatronic was impressive for the time, it only took a set of fins and two music notes to give the shark a place in horror movie history.
3 Frankenstien (1931)
Universal's monsters have always been pillars of the horror genre, and while they might not be as scary today as they were back in the 1930s, they've still won a permanent place in the hearts of horror hounds and cinema buffs everywhere.
Frankenstein was one of the most revolutionary movie monsters ever put to film. With incredible makeup effects and an unforgettable portrayal by Boris Karloff, this served as one of the first and the most iconic version of Mary Shelley's misunderstood creature.
2 Dracula (1931)
Where Frankenstein was a cautionary tale of science gone too far, Dracula was a pure and simple tale of good and evil. Where Karloff's Frankenstein might not be for everybody, Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula is without a doubt one of the most entertaining monsters on the list.
With Gothic castles, insane asylums, vampires, and black magic, the film has been homaged and parodied since it first premiered, leaving a legacy of tributes, imitators, and spin-offs in its wake.
1 Gremlins (1984)
There's no better way to get someone into the horror genre than with a horror-comedy. Logically, enough laughs will take the scare out of any fright fest. Some might choose The Lost Boys, Fright Night, or even Freddy Vs. Jason, but the number one spot has to go to the original, Gremlins.
The Joe Dante masterpiece as all the trimmings and trappings of a traditional horror film, but has enough laughs to counter the screams. After all, who can't resist Gizmo's cuteness?
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