Best Horror Movie Franchises

From Ridley Scott, starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Rated R

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver. Set in the distant future, the film follows the crew of the commercial towing ship Nostromo as they investigate a strange transmission coming from a distant planet. They discover the transmission is coming from a derelict alien spacecraft, where they come across the deadly and aggressive Alien. As they attempt to return to Earth, they must battle the Alien and the tensions within the crew. The film was a commercial and critical success, and has since become a cult classic.

From James Cameron, starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser
Rated R

Aliens is a science-fiction horror film directed by James Cameron and released in 1986. The film is a sequel to the 1979 film Alien and stars Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, and Bill Paxton. It follows the story of Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of the first film, who is brought back to the planet where the alien species originated, to investigate the disappearance of a colony of human settlers. She is joined by a team of marines, and together they must battle against the aliens and survive the horrific environment. The film is a thrilling and intense ride, with memorable characters, intense action sequences, and plenty of scares. Aliens is a classic sci-fi horror film that is still thrilling audiences to this day.

From William Friedkin, starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb
Rated R

The Exorcist is a 1973 horror film directed by William Friedkin and adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty. The film tells the story of a 12-year-old girl, Regan MacNeil, who is possessed by a demonic entity and her mother’s desperate attempts to save her. Regan undergoes a number of bizarre and frightening physical and psychological changes and two Catholic priests, Father Karras and Father Merrin, are called in to try and perform an exorcism to save her soul. The film follows their efforts as they attempt to drive the demonic spirit from her body, and the many terrifying physical and psychological changes Regan endures due to the possession. The film is a landmark of horror cinema and has since become a classic, renowned for its intense scares, psychological horror and religious themes.

From John McTiernan, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall, Elpidia Carrillo
Rated R

Predator is a 1987 science fiction/action film directed by John McTiernan. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a team of special forces commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle to rescue hostages from guerrilla forces. In the midst of the mission, they find themselves being stalked by an extraterrestrial hunter, the Predator. As the team struggles to survive, they must put aside their differences and confront the alien hunter in a fight to the death. With each passing moment, the odds of survival become more and more unlikely. The film is noted for its intense action sequences and ground-breaking special effects.

From John Carpenter, starring Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Moran, Nancy Kyes
Rated R

Halloween is a 1978 American slasher film directed by John Carpenter and written by Carpenter and Debra Hill. The film stars Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut. The plot tells the story of Michael Myers, a serial killer who is considered to be "pure evil" and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, fifteen years after the events of his 1963 killing spree. On Halloween night, he stalks and kills a number of teenagers while being pursued by Dr. Sam Loomis, a psychiatrist trying to track him down. The film is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential horror films of all time, and is credited with the expansion of the slasher genre in the 1980s.

From James Wan, starring Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
Rated R

Saw is a 2004 horror film directed by James Wan. The film follows two men, Adam and Lawrence, who wake up in a dilapidated bathroom, chained to pipes. They're told by a mysterious figure, known as Jigsaw, that they must play a game to survive. If they fail, they will be killed. As they move through the game, the men must solve a series of gruesome puzzles and face a series of deadly traps. Meanwhile, the police investigate a series of unsolved murders, hoping to catch Jigsaw before he strikes again. The film follows Adam and Lawrence as they struggle to survive Jigsaw's game and the police as they attempt to solve the case. In the end, the truth of Jigsaw's identity and motives are revealed.

From Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich
Rated R

From Wes Craven, starring Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund, John Saxon
Rated R

From Tobe Hooper, starring JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight
Rated PG

From Gore Verbinski, starring Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox, David Dorfman
Rated PG-13

From Len Wiseman, starring Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen
Rated R

From Clive Barker, starring Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman
Rated R

From James Wong, starring Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke
Rated R

From Len Wiseman, starring Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Tony Curran
Rated R

From Scott Derrickson, starring Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Campbell Scott
Rated PG-13

From Paul W.S. Anderson, starring Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Ryan McCluskey, Oscar Pearce
Rated R

From John Dahl, starring Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, Jessica Bowman
Rated R

From Chuck Russell, starring Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Craig Wasson, Patricia Arquette
Rated R

From Darren Lynn Bousman, starring Donnie Wahlberg, Beverley Mitchell, Franky G, Emmanuelle Vaugier
Rated R

From Rick Rosenthal, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Jeffrey Kramer
Rated R

From Patrick Tatopoulos, starring Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Steven Mackintosh
Rated R

From William Peter Blatty, starring George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller
Rated R

From Sean S. Cunningham, starring Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan
Rated R

From Wes Craven, starring Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Jf Davis, Miko Hughes
Rated R

From David Fincher, starring Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Paul McGann
Rated R