The Best Horror Movie Of The Year For The Last 40 Years

It’s unfortunate that the Oscars don’t have a category for horror movies because the genre has so many loyal and passionate fans. Since a horror category isn’t a thing, and probably never will be, I went back for the last 40 years and made a Best Picture Category with my choice for the winner. Feel free to argue your case for other nomination below.

2013

The Lords of Salem

You’re Next

The Conjuring

V/H/S 2

Evil Dead

2012

Cabin in the Woods

Lovely Molly

Sleep Tight

Silent House

Sinister

2011

The Woman

Grave Encounters

Detention

Paranormal Activity 3

Tucker & Dale vs Evil

2010

Let Me In

Insidious

Splice

The Crazies

The Last Exorcism

2009

Drag Me To Hell

House of the Devil

Trick r Treat

The Loved Ones

Triangle

2008

Seventh Moon

Martyrs

Eden Lake

The Strangers

Let the Right One In

2007

Dead Silence

Halloween

Inside

Paranormal Activity

The Mist

2006

Behind the Mask

Cold Prey

Hatchet

Slither

Them (ils)

2005

The Descent

The Devil’s Rejects

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Wolf Creek

Hostel

2004

Saw

Dawn of the Dead

The Grudge

Shutter

Shaun of the Dead

2003

Freddy vs. Jason

High Tension

A Tale of Two Sisters

Open Water

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

2002

Cabin Fever

28 Days Later

The Mothman Prophecies

The Ring

Resident Evil

2001

The Others

Session 9

Pulse

Ichi the Killer

Jeepers Creepers

2000

Final Destination

What Lies Beneath

Ginger Snaps

Shadow of the Vampire

Scream 3

1999

Stir of Echoes

The Blair Witch Project

The Sixth Sense

Audition

Ravenous

1998

Ring

The Faculty

Deep Rising

Strangeland

Halloween H20

1997

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Nightwatch

Event Horizon

The Ugly

Cube

1996

From Dusk till Dawn

Thinner

Scream

The Frighteners

The Craft

1995

The Prophecy

Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh

Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (Director’s Cut)

Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight

The Mangler

1994

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare

In the Mouth of Madness

Brainscan

Cemetary Man

The Kingdom

1993

Leprechaun

Body Bags

Needful Things

Man’s Best Friend

The Dark Half

1992

The Lawnmower Man

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Candyman

Dead Alive

Army of Darkness

1991

Body Parts

The People Under the Stairs

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

Sometimes They Come Back

Child’s Play 3

1990

It

Child’s Play 2

Jacob’s Ladder

Arachnophobia

Tales from the Darkside: The Movie

1989

Pumpkinhead

Pet Sematary

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Puppet Master

Shocker

1988

The Blob

The Serpent and the Rainbow

Monkey Shines

Child’s Play

They Live

1987

Hellraiser

Evil Dead 2

Creepshow 2

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Near Dark

1986

Night of the Creeps

The Fly

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2

The Hitcher

Maximum Overdrive

1985

Re-Animator

Fright Night

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

The Return of the Living Dead

Day of the Dead

1984

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Children of the Corn

Firestarter

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

1983

Christine

Cujo

Videodrome

Twilight Zone: The Movie

Sleepaway Camp

1982

Basket Case

Halloween 3: The Season of the Witch

Poltergeist 

Creepshow

Friday the 13th Part 3

1981

The Evil Dead

Halloween 2

The Howling

My Bloody Valentine

An American Werewolf in London

1980

Friday the 13th

The Fog

Cannibal Holocaust

The Shining

The Changeling

1979

The Amityville Horror

The Brood

When A Stranger Calls

Phantasm

The Visitor

1978

The Shout

Dawn of the Dead

Halloween

I Spit On Your Grave

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

1977

The Hills Have Eyes

The Sentinel

Audrey Rose

Suspiria

Exorcist II: The Heretic

1976

Alice Sweet Alice

The Omen

Carrie

The Town That Dreaded Sundown

The Tenant

1975

Shivers

Deep Red

Night of the Seagulls

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Lips of Blood

1974

Black Christmas

Frightmare

Deranged

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

It’s Alive

If you like horror, check out these terrifying short stories in “The Last Stair Into Darkness” from Thought Catalog Books here.