What's your favourite scary movie?
Spooky Season is officially upon us and, if you’re anything like me, that means bingeing a bunch of horror favourites, new and old. Since Fri 23 October 2026 is National Horror Film Day, and to mark the season in general, we thought it was the perfect time to hear from staff about their all-time favourite horror films. Be warned, there may be some spoilers ahead!
Written by staff across Leeds Heritage Theatres
1950s – 1980s
Les Diaboliques (1955)
Jaws (1975)
Suspiria (1977)
Les Diaboliques (1955)
Axel, Head of Flys
“Incredibly atmospheric film. A boarding school director, his fragile wife and his mistress all living together during school holidays in an old empty school. A brilliant psychological thriller which left an indelible mark on me as a young French kid watching it on school holidays. No monsters, no gore, just brilliant heavy atmosphere and acting. This is a French classic which I keep going back to. Definitely worth a watch.”
Jaws (1975)
Kirsty, Executive Assistant
“I actually watched this yesterday! It is one of my all-time favourite films. I read the book in the early 80s before I was allowed to watch the film and couldn’t wait to watch it. My mum and dad bought it on VHS and I had a party for my 14th birthday where me and my friends had a sleepover and watched it but, during the opening scene where the young girl gets dragged under, one of my friends had a screaming fit and we had to turn it off!
It is absolutely timeless. Set in the idyllic Martha’s Vineyard, the backdrop is beautiful and the kind of place you would really want to live – I was so envious of Chief Brody’s little beach hut. The three main people, Brody (Roy Scheider) Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and Quint (Robert Shaw) are totally different characters who come together on a small boat (“We’re gonna need a bigger boat!”) to hunt down this shark. I just love the interplay between them – and apparently it was pretty similar during shooting, with Dreyfuss and Shaw really not getting on. It is a wonderful film, full of suspense and terror, but also lots of heart, and you really care about the people in it. The Mayor is also a great villain who sees the error of his ways when it’s too late. The monologue from Quint about SS Indianapolis sinking is actually true and adds a chilling dimension to the story and the way you view Quint’s character.
The music is also masterful and plays a huge part in creating terror and tension. It doesn’t date and I love it more every time I watch it – don’t bother with any of the others, though. Jaws 2 is passable, but nowhere near the first one.”
Suspiria (1977)
Tony, Marketing Manager
“Exploring world cinema shows how differently horror functions across cultures, but little compares to the sensory assault of Italian genre-filmmaking. Dario Argento has long been a fave for me, and 1977’s Suspiria remains the highlight of his filmography – a fever dream that abandons conventional narrative logic in favour of building dread.
Visually, the film is incredible, and to craft its nightmare palette, Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli used obsolete Technicolor stock and an archaic dye-transfer process, squeezing out unnaturally saturated reds, blues, and yellows that bleed off the screen. It looks amazing! Equally vital is Goblin’s iconic score. Layering frantic percussion, synthesizers, and overheard incantations, the soundtrack generates suffocating dread in spades. Suspiria remains a masterclass in mood and audiovisual alchemy – it’s a hypnotic terror that has stood the test of time.”
Alien (1979)
Salem's Lot (1979)
The Shining (1980)
Alien (1979)
Ben, Website and Communications Officer
“Arguably the defining work in Ridley Scott’s strong career, as well as one of the most iconic, genre-spanning franchises of all time.
Trapped aboard a ship (where you can neither escape, nor scream!) as a monstrous entity stalks you amongst the shadows is one of the all-time great horror hooks. Once you’re in, the atmosphere is masterfully eerie and invites you into the dark depths of the Nostromo. A good horror film lives and dies (no pun intended) by the quality of its characters – and Alien’s ensemble is incredibly life-like, grounded and relatable. Sympathetic and totally tangible, but still capable of big screen heroism.
It brings together a wonderful cast, a great premise, and expertly crafted vibe, one that is sure to stick with you – and tempt you in for more! If only there was a sequel…”
Salem’s Lot (1979)
Nathan, Maintenance Technician
“Vampires, haunted house, mysterious stranger, child zombies, rabid dogs, stakes to the heart, lots of fog, a test of Faith, good versus evil!
Directed by Tobe ‘Chain Saw Massacre’ Hooper, starring David ‘Starsky and Hutch’ Soul and written by Stephen ‘King of Horror’ King. It is 3 hours and 3 minutes long so is often split into two parts, but worth bingeing in one sitting. Enjoy.”
The Shining (1980)
Ashley, Learning and Engagement Officer
“Obvious choices are obvious for a reason. As a huge Stephen King fan and horror enthusiast, this story ticks all the right boxes for me.
Although the novel and the TV show differ in many ways, and with King allegedly hating Kubrick’s rendition of this tale, I think the mixture of music, atmosphere and camera angles cook up the perfect concoction of conditions required to make this horror film one of the best ever made.
To get in the mood for spooky season, I recommend sitting in one of our bars alone, imagine you’re attending a show in the art deco era and listening to Al Bowlly’s Midnight, The Stars and You. After a while, you may realise that ‘you’ve always been here’…”
1990s – 2000s
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Scream (1996)
Ring [リング] (1998)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Vee, Sales and Ticketing Assistant
“One of the best vampire films ever made – a lurid, sensational tale of vampiric passions.
I’m a Dracula obsessive and this is my absolute favourite Dracula film. Francis Ford Coppola takes many liberties with the source material, but his deviations create a melodramatic, alluring spin on the familiar story. The visual effects of the film – done by Roman Coppola, who was new to the whole thing – are scintillating, with writhing shadows and double exposures over red skies. The costumes by Eiko Ishioko are unforgettable, from armour that looks like red flayed flesh to the craziest wedding ensemble ever put on screen.
Said wedding ensemble makes its appearance in the iconic vampire-hunting scene where the boys (Keanu Reeves, Anthony Hopkins) team up to slay vampire Lucy (Sadie Frost). The image of Lucy writhing and screaming in her massive white ruff and gown has honestly never left my mind, and it never will – everything I do in my art is trying to recapture this thrill. It’s all an absolute triumph of sensuous gothic excess.”
Scream (1996)
Aaron, Social Media and Content Officer
“Though Scream may seem an obvious choice, some clichés exist for a reason. That’s sort of the point of this meta-slasher – skewering the genre at the height of oversaturation that saw countless straight-to-VHS B-movies, Scream set out to identify the clichés and rules, dial them up, and unmask them.
References run through every beat – from the early-out death of the star, a la Psycho, to the familiar jumper of the janitor. But beyond being an act of worship to the horror greats, Scream created a new rulebook out of slices of the old ones. Myers, Krueger, Vorhees – all of these mascots are distinct from Ghostface in a way that defined the success of the series. Ghostface is not a master of the dream realm, or a super-human psychopath. Ghostface, importantly, is anyone. Ghostface is your friends, your neighbours, your parents. Craven definitely didn’t invent the slasher whodunit, and instead drew from giallo flicks like The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963). But that’s what makes Scream so rich – it’s packed to the brim with knowledge and insight into the workings of the genre and, through its meta-narrative about cinema and its camp predisposition, it pushes those tropes further than ever before.
There’s excellent practical effects, iconic performances, lines so quotable you could probably list them without having seen the film, and a killer reveal so good that I truly believe it is yet to be matched in any whodunit slasher.”
Ring [リング] (1998)
Robert, Housekeeping Supervisor
“This is creepy and more psychologically disturbing than the American remake by far. Apparently if you grew up in Japanese culture then this film is even more intense, as it draws on the darker myths and stories of the country it originates from. Based on the 1991 novel by Koji Zuzuki, a little girl’s spirit lives on haunting the video tape anyone is unfortunate enough to play on their own. She has been murdered and is looking for something to answer her confusion being trapped in the half-world, and appearing for answers to anyone unfortunate enough to press play.”
Ginger Snaps (2000)
The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)
The Others (2001)
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Ellie, Duty Manager
“Two social outcast sisters, Ginger and Brigitte, have their close relationship tested when Ginger gets her first period, is immediately bitten by a ravenous creature, and starts acting a little differently. A slightly trashy, endlessly quotable, very nostalgic watch about raging hormones and the horrors of being a teenage girl. Would recommend watching with friends when feeling particularly hormonal for the full experience.”
The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)
Sylvia, Young Audience Officer
“A whimsical and joyful hybrid of horror, musical and comedy, through farce and surrealism, this spectacle is a constant visual onslaught of surprises, which has to be seen to be believed, but who doesn’t love singing zombies.”
The Others (2001)
Matt, Head of Development
“Well Kirsty stole my first pick…
But where to start with The Others – it has the ultimate ingredients list for a top tier horror classic – haunted house, ghosts, chilling soundtrack, creepy children, and endless tension. I’m not a huge fan of slasher films, so this sits much more in my comfort zone (in that there’s zero gore), and yet I still find this one of the single most scary horrors I think I’ve endured!
I think the fact the director wrote the soundtrack for the film is a really interesting flex… it feels like its responsible for a lot of the ‘uncomfortability’ factor. Final comment is that Nicole Kidman proves that there is no challenge she can’t rise to (and smash). She should have leaned into the horror genre more.”
2010s – Present
Under the Skin (2013)
Train To Busan (2016)
Host (2020)
Under the Skin (2013)
Matthew, Projectionist
“The horror genre at it’s best does two things really well – it explores the relationship between sex and death, and it holds a mirror up to society. Under the Skin does both with deftness, presenting an inversion of sexual predation and, in dynamic tension, a meditation on empathy. Director Jonathan Glazer starts things off by gambling on a hidden camera gimmick that could have gone horribly wrong or even fallen flat if everything went well. However the wide-eyed candour of male extras being unknowing participants adds an extra layer of discomfort to this spicy social commentary that entices with a peek at a nude Scarlett Johansson, then drowns us for our thirst! The film then delivers an overthrow of the tyranny of attraction, a perfectly timed invective for the arrival of the Instagram generation, before climaxing in a bleak set piece on the relationship between sexual violence and dehumanisation. It shows us something we are all liminally aware of from a different angle, and in making the familiar strange, challenges us to think differently about who we are, what we really seek and how we see others. The unsettling score and flawless special effects only complement an experience that had me asking real questions long after the credits roll, my personal yardstick for what makes a film worth watching.”
Train to Busan (2016)
Stephen, Engagement Manager
“For me a good horror movie needs a grounded emotional story, compelling characters, and leaves you feeling as uncomfortable as it does scared. The first hour of Train to Busan is a masterclass in setting up characters we care about and then making their world collapse in the most blood-thirsty way possible.
The pace is frenetic, the action is constantly exciting, and even if a second act goes through the motions before the finale, it’s a thrilling from start to finish.”
Host (2020)
Henry, Marketing Coordinator
“When I first moved to Leeds a couple of years ago, I experienced a modern-day horror story firsthand: due to circumstances that I still don’t understand, I was left without WiFi for around three months. During this time, my best friend visited from London. We’re both reactive, dramatic scaredy cats, and it’s become tradition to frighten ourselves with at least one horror film per visit. With nothing but terrestrial telly to hold our attention, we chanced our arms on this 57-minute found-footage film that follows six friends trying to stay connected during the COVID-19 lockdown. It’s filmed entirely over Zoom, with the actors managing their own lighting, cameras and practical effects in their own homes and then it gets fake scary and then it gets real scary.
I don’t think it’s my favourite horror film, but I really like how DIY it all feels, and the fact that I stumbled on it by chance with my favouritest friend in the whole wide world – taking it in turns to hide behind each other – made it feel really special.”
Sinners (2025)
Weapons (2025)
Sinners (2025)
Martha, Digital Marketing Coordinator
“As a big music fan, the idea that musical talent could be the source of such chaos really appealed to me. Ghostly gospel and stirring blues play a huge role in Sinners – not just my favourite horror of last year, but my favourite horror film ever.”
Weapons (2025)
Megan, Sales and Ticketing Assistant
“This was the first horror film I watched as an adult that left me unable to sleep.
I loved the narrative build-up as seen through the perspective of different people. At first, the film almost feels like a small town detective mystery, but the horror slowly starts to build…
Gladys was the most visually iconic and terrifying villain I have experienced in a long, long time. I loved the fact that there was very little backstory to Gladys’ character which left you filling in the gaps yourself, something I find much more effective in a horror film that being given all the answers. The acting throughout the film was phenomenal and Cary Christopher is a standout child actor who lent the film its gripping emotional hook and kept my eyes glued to the screen even when I wanted to look away.
Without giving too much away, this is a film that will stay with you for better or for worse…”
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