Horror and Thrillers worth consuming
Inspired by awesome lists. For science fiction, see awesome-scifi. For awesome fantasy, see awesome-fantasy.
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🌟 means that it's a classic.
🔥 means that it has more than 100 000 ratings on Goodreads or more than 500 000 ratings on IMDb.
The [number] at the end is the Goodreads or IMDb rating of the work at the time of submission.
Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker [3.97] 🌟🔥
Categories: gothic horror vampire
No list of great horror works would be complete without Dracula. This is a stunning example of epistolary novels done right, gothic horror done right, and defined an entire genre unto itself. If you are only familiar with Dracula through film or general pop culture references, I can't recommend the source material enough. I knew the basic story beats well before I ever picked the book up, and it still managed to suck me in. If audiobooks are your thing, definintely dry out the Audible full cast recording. - @thejessleigh
When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries about his client and his castle. Soon afterwards, a number of disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked at Whitby; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman’s neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the imminent arrival of his ‘Master’. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count Dracula and a determined group of adversaries, Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing deeply into questions of human identity and sanity, and illuminating dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.
The Haunting of Hill House (1959) by Shirley Jackson [3.89] 🌟
Categories: gothic horror haunted house
A classic of the genre, The Haunting of Hill House is a must read for anyone looking to build their horror repitorie. Calling this deeply psychological and discordant novel a haunted house story simply does it a disservice. It helped establish so many tropes of the genre, yet feels timeless. I find something new every time I read it. - @thejessleigh
First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
House of Leaves (2000) by Mark Z. Danielewski [4.13]
I first read this book when I was far too young for it to have been appropriate and it did a lot to shape my aesthetic. This beautiful, weird meta-textual novel makes you work, but it sticks with you. This book will fill your dreams with endless hallways and broken promises. An absolute must read. - @thejessleigh
A blind old man, a young apprentice working in a tattoo shop, and a mad woman haunting an Ohio institute narrate this story of a family that encounters an endlessly shifting series of hallways in their new home, eventually coming face to face with the awful darkness lying at its heart.
Get Out (2017) by Jordan Peele [7.8]
Categories: horror
The first time I saw this movie I immediately wanted to turn around and see it again. I've never seen a movie where the quality of the performances changes so drastically between the first and second viewings. I won't spoil anything here, but I thought I knew what was going on the first time I watched this. I didn't. I'm not often so caught off guard, horrified, and sickened by a film at the same time. In my opinion, this is a modern masterpiece. - @thejessleigh
It's time for a young African American to meet with his white girlfriend's parents for a weekend in their secluded estate in the woods, but before long, the friendly and polite ambience will give way to a nightmare.
Rosemary's Baby (1968) by Roman Polanski [8.0] 🌟
Categories: drama horror psychological supernatural
Rosemary's Baby creates an atmosphere of doubt, unease, and wrongness from the first few frames that only grows as the movie progresses. It's suffocating and monstrous. Possibly one of the best scary movies of all time. - @thejessleigh
A young couple move into an apartment, only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and occurrences. When the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins to control her life.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) by Jonathan Demme [8.6] 🌟🔥
Categories: crime drama psychological thriller
Although the gender politics of Buffalo Bill are outdated and problematic, Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster's performances are timeless and elevated The Silence of the Lambs to an instant classic. The pacing is slow, deliberate, and methodical in a way that is often immitated but seldom perfected in thrillers. Foster's performance is so tight and so skilled that this movie is watching just for the work she does alone. - @thejessleigh
A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.
Hannibal (2013-2015) by Bryan Fuller [8.6]
Categories: crime drama psychological thriller
Hannibal is something of a tone poem. The character development and relationships at the core of the show are the stars here. The show manages to keep you engaged and terrified despite knowing from popular culture where Hannibal Lecter ends up. Plus, the food cinematography is amazing and disturbing. - @thejessleigh
Explores the early relationship between the renowned psychiatrist and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.
Through the Woods (2014) by Emily Carroll [3.92]
Categories: horror fairy tale
Emily Carroll does amazing things with color to create a sense of disquiet from the very beginning. I loved the way that she played with sound and movement in some of her panel-less pages. Her stories have a fairy tale quality to them, so each one feels both familiar and new at the same time. This is a beautiful collection full of eerie and unsettling stories. Great for anyone who misses what it feels like to the Grimm's fairy tales for the first time. - @thejessleigh
Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss. These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll. Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there.
Inspired by the excellent lists made by Richard Littauer and Sindre Sorhus. Thank you for keeping the internet awesome.
To the extent possible under law, Jess Unrein has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work. See the license for full legal text.
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