7. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Back in 1974, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre came along and not only started a franchise, but originated key elements of an entire genre. Slasher movies were in their infancy at the time of its release, but The Texas Chain Saw Massacre elevated its ideas to an art form. It’s a film that’s as influential as it is unforgettable, and it remains one of the scariest horror movies ever made.
The film follows a group of friends on a road trip through Texas. After picking up and upsetting an eccentric hitchhiker, the group find themselves stuck in the middle of nowhere without fuel, and encounter an isolated homestead, where they’re accosted by a family of murderous cannibals. It may seem a relatively simple premise by today’s standards, but at the time it was truly groundbreaking.
Even after multiple decades, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre holds up incredibly well. It’s sickening in all the right ways, inspiring revulsion and fear in equal measure. Tobe Hooper’s movie is considered a classic for a reason: it’s truly horrifying.