ROTTEN TOMATOES: RT's Top 20 Halloween Movie Countdown, Part 1

RT's Top 20 Halloween Movie Countdown, Part 1

by RT Staff | October 26, 2006

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Just what does Rotten Tomatoes deem the all-time scariest horror flick? Is it a gruesome slasher that results in heightened anxiety and sudden spine-tingling jolts and jumps? Or, is it a psychological thriller that plagues the subconscious for weeks to come?

Author: Christina Troup

We searched the site for the top 20 horror/suspense movies to reveal the numero uno cinematic scare just in time for a frightful Halloween film fest.**

Today's installment kicks off the countdown; check in every day 'til October 31 as we serve up the best reviewed frightening flicks for your Halloween viewing pleasure!

Oh, and be afraid. Be very afraid.

Top Horror/Suspense Films by Tomatometer, #20-16

20) Open Water (2004) 72%

It might as well be space because in the Caribbean Sea no one can hear you scream. Well, save for the circling sharks below. In the slow-paced psychological thriller "Open Water," married couple Susan and Daniel embark upon a deep sea adventure to rest, relax and reconnect. Unfortunately for the twosome, they are accidentally left behind by their diving team, smack dab in the middle of the deep blue. The pair struggle to survive amid tumultuous elements and inhospitable oceanic critters. Oh, and get this, it's based on a true story, so you may want to rethink that next seaside getaway.

Starring: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis
Directed by: Chris Kentis

19) Joy Ride (2001) 73%

Breaker, breaker 1-9. If there's a lesson to be learned from the horror meets the highway jaunt "Joy Ride," it's that one should never mess with a guy who goes by the name "Rusty Nail." Tetanus, people. Tetanus. Of course, on-screen bros Paul Walker and Steve Zahn didn't get the memo and end up messing with a mentally unstable truck driver via CB radio. Essentially, a mean-spirited joke goes awry and the two brothers, along with potential love interest Leelee Sobieski, find themselves in the path of a madman's quest for revenge.

Starring: Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski
Directed by: John Dahl

18) George A. Romero's Land of the Dead (2005) 74%

After a lengthy hiatus, horror master George A. Romero returned in 2005 with yet another unsettling tale of life among zombies in "Land of the Dead." This time around, the living dead and humans co-exist, but not without a structured caste system in place. Romero's societal commentary tackles the issue of the "haves" and "have-nots," where the wealthy live in luxury, safe behind walls of protection while the not-so fortunate are relegated to life in streets. Regardless, no amount of money can keep the ever-evolving lineage of zombies at bay for too long.

Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento
Directed by: George A. Romero

17) Signs (2002) 75%

Honestly, which is scarier: the little girl that asks for a glass of water or the bobble-headed aliens lurking about in M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs?" Beyond the suspense of who, or perhaps what, is behind the crop circles in the cornfield, "Signs" digs a little deeper and brings up issues of faith and religion. The tale of the Hess family and the series of peculiar events that have lately befallen them is a perfectly chilling romp for the whole family to enjoy.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

16) Audition (1999) 76%

The first half of "Audition" is slow-moving, like a glob of peanut butter lodged in the back of your throat. But by the latter half, chances are you'd prefer that things had kept at their leisurely pace. Not for the faint of heart, Takashi Miike's disturbing tale of courtship is a perfect example that it's never wise to mislead a woman. After all, it's all fun and games until someone severs a limb.

Directed by: Takashi Miike
Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina

Tune in tomorrow for the next five titles, in our four-day countdown to Halloween's #1 rated horror flick!

**These are our top-Tomatometer picks with at least 40 reviews counted, which is why some of the classics of spooky cinema aren't included.

Related Items

Movie:	Audition
	Joy Ride
	Signs
	Open Water
Celeb:	John Dahl
	George A. Romero
	Chris Kentis
	M. Night Shyamalan
	Takashi Miike

(1-20 of 47 posts) | Reply

Master King Sexington writes:
on Oct 26 2006 01:41 PM

Joy Ride sucked....

(Reply to this)

FireflyFan4evr writes:
on Oct 26 2006 01:51 PM

Joy Ride?!?!? AND Land of the Dead?!?!? WHY??? Two of the worst movies of the last 5 years.

(Reply to this)

jeremyf1977 writes:
on Oct 26 2006 02:52 PM

I can Understand about Open Water....But Land of the Dead Sucked Never saw Joy Ride....Night of the Living Dead Old School scared the shit out of me.

(Reply to this)

SuperScarface writes:
on Oct 26 2006 03:22 PM

Gawd I hate Open Water... *sigh*

(Reply to this)

Merlin235 writes:
on Oct 26 2006 03:22 PM

Joy Ride was a horrible movie. Scary? Only if you judge it on quality.

(Reply to this)

omelette writes:
on Oct 26 2006 03:28 PM

Um...the only one that deserves to be on here is Signs. I can think of about a million horror movies better than most of these!

(Reply to this)

Horstradamus writes:
on Oct 26 2006 03:33 PM

Don't blame RT for this list. Blame the critics. They're the ones who gave these movies good reviews. Incidentily, I didn't think signs was a horror movie. Not the least bit scary.

(Reply to this)

The Merm writes:
on Oct 26 2006 03:40 PM

[b]Land of the dead[/b]
If you think land of the dead sucked, i feel sorry for you.

(Reply to this)

aquarius4475 writes:
on Oct 26 2006 03:51 PM

At least these are some different movies than the regular "Scary Movie" lists you see. I honestly didn't expect to see any of these here, so it's kind of refreshing. And personally, I thought Joy Ride was pretty good.

(Reply to this)

PhreazerBurn writes:
on Oct 26 2006 03:53 PM

[b]Not great so far...[/b]
Joy Ride was mediocre, and Open Water was laughable.

Signs and Land of the Dead aren't scary, but at least they are good.

Audition gives me some hope for this list. That movie was both creepy and scary, and really gets under the skin.

(Reply to this)

kenny356 writes:
on Oct 26 2006 04:07 PM

[b]wow[/b]
i didn't think this list could lose credibility so quickly, but "Joyride" and "Land of the Dead" are awful. "Audition" fits in there though, it is one of the few movies that makes me very uncomfortable whenever I watch it.

(Reply to this)

cardow writes:
on Oct 26 2006 04:25 PM

wow, that was ... disappointing.

here's hoping the next installment is a little better

(Reply to this)

lucidslumber writes:
on Oct 26 2006 04:26 PM

[b]read the bottom of the post......[/b]
and you will understand why your favs arent on the list (yet.)

(Reply to this)

lucidslumber writes:
on Oct 26 2006 04:27 PM

[b]read the bottom of the post......[/b]
and you will understand why your favs arent on the list (yet.)

(Reply to this)

Simple Minded writes:
on Oct 26 2006 04:30 PM

Boo on Signs.

(Reply to this)

longhorn_22 writes:
on Oct 26 2006 05:13 PM

[b]Lame[/b]
You guys are a bunch of whiney little girls. Theres been 5 movies and you are all bitching already. This is a Halloween countdown. Not a scary movie or an award winning movie countdown.

(Reply to this)

Cobblergobbler457 writes:
on Oct 26 2006 05:38 PM

[b]WTF???[/b]
Dawn of the dead was 10 times better than Land of the Dead.

(Reply to this)

jarek writes:
on Oct 26 2006 06:20 PM

Although this isn't a list on preference so much as tomatometer rankings, and although I don't think they really belong here, I liked both Land of the Dead and Joy Ride. I actually think the worst movie on the list is Signs.

(Reply to this)

poedude99 writes:
on Oct 26 2006 06:54 PM

[b]land of the dead[/b]
first time i saw land of the dead i was not all that impressed; didn't seem like much was there... but it did move fast, i thought intitially.... this summer i watched it again and i was very impressed; it is cerainly an exercise in editing and I bet Romero had fun with it (i think he edited it)... Land of the Dead is more of an action movie, maybe... but it is exciting.... check out my free weird fiction... it's Halloween time!

www.lostharvest.com

(Reply to this)