Horror's Greatest

Creepy houses, murderous rednecks, final girls: horror films often rely on these tried-and-true storytelling devices, and audiences have come to expect them. What are the most common genre tropes and clichés? How do modern filmmakers subvert them?

Nearly a century after King Kong first ran amok, images of giant marauding monsters continue to enthrall us. Godzilla is hotter than ever, and filmmakers like Bong Joon-ho, J.J. Abrams, and Jordan Peele have all added their unique spins to the genre.

Veering between slow dread and shocking violence, the wild world of Japanese horror has something for everyone. From Ugetsu to Ring, Onibaba to Audition, Tetsuo to Battle Royale: the greatest J-Horror films are essential viewing for horror fans.

Horror comedies make us laugh at things we might recoil from in real life. They come in many flavors, including splatstick (Evil Dead II), high camp (M3GAN), subversive "family entertainment" (Gremlins) and stone-cold classics (Shaun of the Dead).