Guillermo del Toro Recommends These 10 Iconic Horror Movies
Guillermo del Toro is a master of cinema. And, while he rarely offers audiences full-tilt horror, most of his output is tinted with darkness and comes with clear genre influence. His latest masterpiece Nightmare Alley was one of his most violent to date, a grisly film noir full of shadows, blood, and tragedy. Thankfully the Academy Award-winning director is never shy about sharing his film recommendations, and recently the fine folks at IndieWire updated their list of 35 titles recommended by the iconic filmmaker. To get into it, we’ve dug up 10 iconic horror films del Toro has given his stamp of approval. Check out the full list below.
The first horror film coming in hot and current is David Cronenberg’s latest body horror excursion Crimes of the Future. This brand new release saw walk-outs at Cannes, while simultaneously receiving a lengthy standing ovation. Cronenberg is definitely polarizing, making him an always exciting genre filmmaker to keep tabs on. Crimes of the Future is nasty, heartfelt and full of interesting ideas. You don’t want to miss it.
A personal horror favorite making Guillermo del Toro’s lengthy list of recommendations is the 1975 New Hollywood epic Jaws. Stephen Spielberg invented the summer blockbuster with this aquatic slasher stand-out, and even close to fifty years later, its bite is still as sharp as ever. The opening scene is terrifying, and no one can tell me otherwise. This shark movie went on to spawn three sequels and induced swimming phobias for an entire generation.
The rest of del Toro’s genre recommendations lean into classic territory, with titles like Frankenstein, Nosferatu, and Vampyr. These are frightening examples of earlier horror cinema that all horror fans should take a moment to check out. Jack Clayton’s 1961 film The Innocents is an especially chilling rendition of the Henry James ghostly classic The Turn of the Screw. It was more recently adapted by Mike Flanagan for the second season of his Haunting series on Netflix.
Here are Guillermo del Toro’s 10 horror movie recommendations:
- Crimes of the Future
- The Uninvited
- The Exorcist
- Eyes Without A Face
- Frankenstein
- The Innocents
- Jaws
- Night of the Hunter
- Nosferatu
- Vampyr
Another title recommended by del Toro which always needs discussion is The Exorcist. This terrifying foray into religious fear was the first horror title to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. William Friedkin delivered us a movie so upsetting to so many, that it’s gone to be considered by some as the most terrifying movie ever made. I’m not sure if I feel that way, but you can’t argue with the people. That said, I’m certainly curious to check out the upcoming Blumhouse trilogy of new films once they’re unleashed.
Lastly, how many of Guillermo del Toro’s horror film recommendations have you seen? Let me know on Twitter via @joshkorngut. I’m always around to chat about all things, Guillermo del Toro!
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