Who is the best slasher

Tucker and Dale, two hillbillies, accidentally become terrifying antagonists to a group of students staying in a cabin in the remote woods. Who are the masked killers? Why do they kill in such bloody fashion? And why did they go after this exact couple? At the time of its release, the original Wes Craven-directed film was a minor success, perhaps shadowed by the releases of Halloween and Dawn of the Dead a year later. The premise that several people who survived a nuclear blast have become disfigured cannibals in the aftermath is, in itself, a terrifying thought.

Lucky for Mandy Lane, the whole school—mainly, the male student body—is obsessed with her. Be prepared for some severed limbs, violence, and all-around seasonal fun in this indie flick about the horrors of signing away your life via liability waivers. Gone are the days of Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox being chased by Ghostface though all do make solid appearances in the reboot. Now, a whole new set of teens who now mythologize Ghostface as a murderous deity must face him in the flesh two decades later.

And this update fits perfectly in our present. A sequel, Halloween Kills, is on the way, and if its anywhere near as good as this first new installment, we. So the original Friday the 13th was kind of a Halloween rip off, but guess what? We simply do not care, because this movie created its own mythology centered on the haunting setting of Camp Crystal Lake, and a bunch of dumb, horny, teenagers who just do not know how to get out of their own way. Yes, we stan this franchise hard, if only because the sequel somehow managed to be as good if not, better than the already incredible original.

Once again, we find our protagonist Tree forced to live out the same day over and over. Boring, right? Bare with us. This time, the franchise tip-toes into sci-fi territory, placing Tree into multiple dimensions. What if the slasher never t ruly made its physical presence known? That's the eery premise behind the Final Destination franchise made up of five films, with a sixth on the way , where the true villain, Death, lurks behind every corner. The first is the best for so many reasons—the terrifying plane scene, the terrifying bathtub scene, the terrifying fire scene—you get the picture.

A truly remarkable start to a wonderfully crafted franchise that never feels old or stale. Carol Kane stars in this spine-tingling flick about the dangers of pre-caller ID communication. When a babysitter starts receiving calls from a stranger, asking if the children are safe, she assumes it's a practical joke. It becomes very clear that it is not a joke when she gets an urgent call from the police, who utter one of the most iconic lines in horror film history.

You should probably check behind your couch right about now. Iconic for so many reasons, and for the purposes of this list, likely having birthed the slasher subgenre itself.

An excellent entry into Hitchcock's films, and one that might forever burn onto your brain. Perhaps not as scary as the other films on this list, but its influence on horror films to date won't go unnoticed.

Forget holiday cheer—if you're a cynic, like us, perhaps it's time you take a dip into this terrifying tale of a sorority house slasher, wreaking havoc during the Christmas season. Be prepared for lots of jump-scares in this horror flick that would go on to influence the making of another seasonal classic: Halloween. Sure, it didn't quite have the flare or scares of Halloween , but it's become a cult classic over the years, exploring one masked killer's mission to hunt and murder a bunch of teenagers on the most important night of their adolescent lives.

The Deep Red , directed by a pre- Suspiria Dario Argento, has been called one of the most cutting-edge horror cinematic masterpieces to date.

There's really no adequate way to explain this film other than this: a pianist witnesses a brutal murder taking place, and the movie only spirals from there. Perhaps not all that distinct from Black Christmas , The House on Sorority Row tends to fall more in line with your traditional slasher flick: A group of sorority sisters inadvertently murder their house mother, and are then stalked and murdered by an ominous figure in the aftermath.

It's good horror fun, but whatever you do, avoid the very bad reboot. This flick about the horrors of an endless video call feel familiar? In any case, it's a damn good one, following a group of teens stalked by an avatar who plays the ultimate series of games that end in bloody murder. And for a follow-up, try Shudder's Host , a paranormal iteration that's just as excellent.

United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. How to Eat Like Chris Hemsworth. Halloween Fear Street Jason Freaky In the world of slasher horror movies, there are some figures that just loom larger than life. Their kill counts are high, their scares are violent, and they always leave their audiences wanting more. However, there is something that many filmmakers may not consider before making their horror movies: just how likable is their slasher villain?

Some, however, are definitely far more likable than others. Updated on July 25th, by Mark Birrell: The best slasher movie villains are some of the most memorable killers to ever grace the horror genre on film. From Freddy Krueger to Norman Bates, the subgenre has given fans so many unforgettable characters, even if they're not particularly likable personality-wise.

But which is the most lovable slasher villain of them all? They all have a lot going against them but a few have some sympathetic qualities and are even a little genuinely charismatic. Fredy Krueger is by far one of the most famous slasher movie killers and without a doubt one of the least likable, which is something made all the more fascinating by Freddy's rise to international fame as an icon of '80s cinema. The abhorrent nature of Krueger's crimes in life, which prompted the parents of his victims to murder him and send him to the supernatural dream world that allows him to kill from beyond the grave, make him irredeemable by even the most lenient fan's standards.

Nevertheless, he eventually came to be marketed to the public almost like an antihero, with him even getting a guest spot in his own rap single, no doubt a result of Freddy's unusual degree of talkativeness. Unlike other slasher icons, who are mostly silent, Krueger loves the sound of his own voice. Billy may be one of the most significant killers in the development of the horror genre, with Black Christmas serving as a source of inspiration for John Carpenter's Halloween and all that followed it, but he's not a likable or charismatic character at all.

Part of this is down to the fact that Billy is never really seen in the original movie, adding to its general sense of unease, and mostly just heard, predominantly through the obscene phone calls he places to the victims. Whatever Billy's precise hangups are, they seem deeply rooted in misogyny and what little the audience knows about him just makes him seem disturbingly childish.

So, naturally, he's more than a little vengeful himself and it's easy to see what his motivation for his rampaging is. However, one of the reasons that Cordell was put in prison in the first place was police brutality, which his behavior as a slasher villain seems to confirm quite emphatically. It is noticeably violent for its period, and some of the most infamous kills in this movie could give several modern films an unsettling run for their money. There is a lot to take away from Pieces.

Not all of is good, but none of it is forgettable. Watch if: You want to see a particularly violent slasher movie with oddball humor. This is quite possibly the best of the Friday the 13th series. It is definitely the best of the sequels.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter offers a very satisfying culmination of the series up to that point. Beyond featuring an excellent Jason Voorhees in Ted White, the movie establishes a genuinely tense situation, bringing together a family, a bunch of idiot kids, and our buddy Jason to Camp Crystal Lake.

The movie also features some of the least annoying teenagers in the entire franchise, with some characters even bordering on likeable. The best performance in The Final Chapter probably belongs to Corey Feldman, who shifted his likable on-screen persona into something with darker implications than almost anything in this series.

Watch if: You want to see the best of the Friday the 13th sequels, in addition to a slasher that stands surprisingly well on its own. A Nightmare on Elm Street endures because it is still one of the most inventive slashers ever. The first one? In his best movies , Craven could make you understand exactly what he was talking about. He could make you emphasize with things that are scary to almost all of us, in some form or fashion. Watch if: You want to see the first, arguably best appearance of one of the greatest movie villains of all time.

Avoid if: You have enough problems being scared of things that may live under your bed. Wes Craven returned to cowrite what eventually became one of the most celebrated horror sequels in recent memory. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 for some represents the best of all the various concepts and approaches to this universe , and to Robert Englund as the iconic Freddy Krueger more specifically.

It has creative visual effects on a shoe-string budget, a stellar combination of kids and adults to fight or inadvertently assist Freddy, and the touches of dark humor that would dominate later entries. Dream Warriors is arguably peak 80s horror combined with the peak of the Elm St series itself.

It returns old characters to the series, presents new ones we actually like, and starts to move Freddy out of the neighborhood, and into a larger world. Watch if: You want to see Freddy Krueger at arguably his very best. Avoid if: You live in constant fear of being suddenly exposed to Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Candyman is another slasher movie that proved you could do more than just kill as many people as humanly possible. Nothing wrong with that, and Candyman based on a short story by Clive Barker is certainly a brutal example of its type, with a towering performance from Tony Todd as the Candyman in question.

Yet the film, directed by Bernard Rose from his own screenplay, also leaves room for an unshakable element of social commentary and historical context. Taken as a whole, Candyman shakes your senses in a way few slashers can or ever will.

Watch if: You want to be creeped out for a long time afterwards. Avoid if: You live alone. Despite a tone that some have described as condescending, Scream is still one of the best efforts anyone has ever made to celebrate and gently tease the genre equally.

The movie distinguished itself and won audiences over in for dropping the standard slasher concept into a culture wholly cynical of horror movies in general, and slasher films in particular. Craven came back for the rest of the series, which offered a few more surprises, but nothing quite as satisfying as the first installment.

Watch if: You like it when movies celebrate and send up conventions Avoid if: Self-referential horror movies make you want to self-referential yourself right off a cliff. Behind the Mask goes for a similar self-referential style to what you get from Scream and its sequels. At the same time, Leslie also aspires to take things in an entirely new direction.

What helps make Behind the Mask a modern slasher classic is the fact that for several reasons, the film itself matches the ambitions of the madman. You also get some immensely enjoyable supporting performances and cameos from Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, and the late, great Zelda Rubinstein. Watch if: You want to see the concepts of Scream explored in a more surprising, less commercial kind of way.

Avoid if: It sounds like someone stole your actual weekend plans. It is one of the funniest, anchored by hilarious and genuinely moving performances by Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine as two likable rednecks who get mixed up with some college kids and mass murder. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is a standout horror comedy in an increasingly crowded field of such movies. It stands out by not only taking slasher movies seriously, but by knowing where to shift the comedic gears from one moment to the next.

Other moments, it becomes a gentle roast of horror movie tropes. At still other times, it is physical comedy heaven. Watch if: You love horror comedies with good characters and impressive twists. Nearing the end of this list is another horror in the comedy vein. Does that mean slasher movies can now only offer self-effacing humor and parodies of tropes? Of course not. It does suggest that moving forward, slashers will have to work harder to embrace a certain sense of humor, or to at least know when the proceedings are in danger of descending into mediocrity.

Obviously, movies like The Final Girls work so well because they celebrate and tease with a consistent back-and-forth between the two.

Only slasher fans could have made something like this, in which a recent orphan Taissa Farmiga attends the screening of a horror movie her recently-deceased mother had made some years earlier.

That gets the slasher plot started. The Final Girls has its own unique fun with the expectations and downfalls of the genre. At the same time, it also appreciates its best qualities: Cinematic brutality in gory, artful glory, combined with a pace that occasionally gives you the impression that things are about to spiral out of control.

Watch if: You want to see a wholly unique tribute to slasher movies. In fact, this story of a mysterious, gleefully sadistic killer clown kudos to David Howard Thornton for doing so much with something so straightforward is so simple, you may find it lacking.

Terrifier offers all three to the right kind of audience.