The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films
INTRODUCTION to the 1,000 Greatest Horror Films
Current Version: May 2026 (11th edition)
Welcome to the 2026 (11th edition) of They Shoot Zombies, Don’t They?. This year’s update was not going to happen but iCM forum members 1SO and ChrisReynolds stepped in to help and so here we are!
Despite adding around 250 new lists, there are not many huge changes to the list. The changes I made to the weighting system last year seem to be working well in allowing a good number of new releases to enter the list with 13 films from 2025 becoming a part of the list.
There is also a Facebook page for this site in case anyone wishes to keep updated through Facebook. I now have a Google sheet with a master list, all previous editions and a more comprehensive list of sources. A full list of all films can also be found on iCheckMovies and Letterboxd.
There are 32 new additions to the 2026 edition of the list.
2026 Edition Stats:
Decades
1910s: 3
1920s: 18
1930s: 34
1940s: 29
1950s: 42
1960s: 76
1970s: 144
1980s: 187
1990s: 128
2000s: 124
2010s: 163
2020s: 52
Regions
USA/Canada: 631
Europe: 260
Asia: 62
Australia/New Zealand: 31
South America: 13
Africa: 1
Top 10 Highest New Entries
361. Sinners (2025)
364. Weapons (2025)
479. Bring Her Back (2025)
500. Den stygge stesøsteren (2025)
534. 28 Years Later (2025)
632. Dangerous Animals (2025)
633. The Long Walk (2025)
656. Companion (2025)
667. Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)
704. Predator 2 (1990)
Currently 4,379 lists have been compiled into the final result. Weighting each list based on its type and source and using a few formulas, I’ve managed to narrow down 9,763 films into possibly the most definitive guide to the best horror films. As with any consensus list, it’s never going to be perfect and it’s always going to be partly a popularity contest but hopefully this list will help to guide your horror diet and discover some new films. This list can also be found on iCheckMovies, IMDb and Letterboxd. This site also uses information taken directly from IMDb, including the use of original titles. Please note that this list and website is not affiliated with Bill Georgaris’ ‘They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They’, but that the title, website design and compiling methods were inspired by it.
If you want some extra viewing, check out the Hidden Horrors list. The 21st Century list can also be found on iCheckMovies. These lists will be updated on the website at a later time.
I’m always on the lookout for new lists, so if you find a list that you think could be useful, please share them!
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