The 10 Best Splatter Horror Movies Of All Time

Demons (1985) is a Dario Argento classic in which an ancient demonic curse is let loose on a movie theater, and the denizens are turned into cannibalistic demonic monsters. What follows is a film filled with pandemonium and chaos that's gross, unsettling, and above all else, violent.

Demons may not get as much attention as other films on this list, but it's still a standout for the practical effects alone. Some of the demons have become an iconic staple in the horror genre and are still thought about by die-hard fans. Now, Demons remains a cult classic among audiences.

Sam Raimi's first major movie, The Evil Dead (1981), is a story about five friends who discover a book of the dead in a cabin in the woods. When a recording reads from the book, demonic forces are unleashed and possess the characters one by one until only one survivor is left.

The Evil Dead delivers some amazing effects on a low budget, and the poorer the effects look, the better the horror is sold. The horror is top-notch and Raimi is at his best. The Evil Dead led to a massive franchise that is still getting new films to this day, with the recently released Evil Dead Burn (2026).

Like The Evil Dead, Braindead (1992) is a pseudo-zombie movie that relies entirely on blood and gore. A Peter Jackson film, it follows a sheltered man trying to build a relationship with a woman who likes him, while his mother, infected by a rare disease, turns into a monstrous zombie. What results is a house filled with rotting corpses trying to eat one another and one man fighting back.

Braindead is a truly disgusting film and a feat in practical effects that deserves more attention than it gets. From the great lawnmower massacre to the zombie baby that wreaks havoc, Braindead is a strange film that has to be seen to be believed among the splatter horror genre.

A splatter film and a slasher film, Terrifier (2018) is a film about a clown named Art who targets two girls on Halloween night to add to his murder spree as he terrorizes and tortures them in horrible ways. It's the first time that Art the Clown got his own film, and it would later spawn a franchise, but there's a grittiness to the original that feels unique to it.

Terrifier is a brutal and cruel film and has been the topic of controversy for how Art the Clown treats the women. But for fans of the genre and the franchise that has followed, many understand what's in the character's nature and how he's evolved over the years, making Terrifier a one-of-a-kind splatter picture.

Saw (2004) was a groundbreaking film upon release, as audiences were enthralled by the story of two men trapped in a leaky and dirty room with a dead body in the middle. Tasked with having to mutilate themselves to escape, they also have to face the many secrets that got them in that situation in the first place.

Saw is a gross movie that carries many elements of splatter horror even if it doesn't feature a massive massacre. But it's the darkness and brutality of the film that stayed with audiences and kickstarted a massive franchise where the traps got more complex, and the blood and gore only continued to grow.

Eli Roth is no stranger to grossing out the audience with his many films like The Green Inferno (2014). But Hostel (2005) was one of the earliest examples of that, as backpackers find themselves trapped in a situation where the wealthy pay to torture and kill innocent people. As a result, we are shown some brutal torture scenes and violent ways individuals try to escape their confinement.

Of all the splatter horror films out there that are easy to access, Hostel is one of the hardest ones to get through, and that's by design. The effects feel real, the torture is tangible, and you can't help but root for the survivors as they do their best to get out of their hell and back to safety.

Takashi Miike is famous for his hard-to-watch movies, but nothing takes the cake quite like Ichi the Killer (2001). A classic splatter film, the movie explores a yakuza enforcer looking for his boss while another, even more brutal killer, operates in the city. The movie is most famous for its relentless violence to the point that it's come under scrutiny for what it has shown.

Ichi the Killer isn't an easy watch, and it's not supposed to be. It's a trial by fire for anyone entering the splatter horror subgenre, but it's also one of the most important of the genre. Once you see the film, you'll understand why, as well as why Miike is a legend in his craft.

Martyrs (2008) is about a woman who is seeking revenge for the horrible torture she endured as a child. However, this leads her and her friend into the hands of a vicious cult trying to get closer to God by torturing people to the brink of death so they can see the other side.

This part of the film is where the splatter elements come into play, as the torture and murder shown in this film are merciless. They don't hold back on what can be shown, and more than that, the film doesn't want to. By the end, you're left slack-jawed at what you witnessed, making it hard to explain to anyone else as well.

For a film that shows little to no blood, it's impossible not to talk about the impact and genre-changing elements of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). The foundation for films like Halloween (1978), Tobe Hooper's films see a group of friends trapped by a cannibal family in rural Texas.

Leatherface is only a part of the horrors of the film, but for audiences, all we can think about is how sweaty the movie makes us feel, how grimy it is, and the implications of blood and gore that laid the foundation for what splatter horror would eventually become with movies like Ichi the Killer.

For most of The Substance’s (2024) runtime, it doesn't feel like a splatter horror film. Sure, there is body horror as an aging star takes a drug that turns her into a younger version of herself, but overall, the splatter is minimal. That said, there's a griminess to the film as the two entities fail to coexist, which results in a gory end.

The blood and gore of The Substance is nothing short of gut-wrenching when it reaches the finale, and the buckets of blood and gore that were used make the movie a shocking standout with an unforgettable end. The Substance represents the future of splatter horror, and it's looking gorier than ever.