15 Best Horror Anthology Movies, Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes
Horror anthology films have existed since the era of silent movies, offering a collection of at least three short horror films, each with a unique premise and a different cast. While some horror movies run out of steam as they stretch their story to 90 minutes, anthology shorts have the benefit of wrapping things up in a taut 20–30 minutes. The concept owes much to short story books. Stephen King, in particular, has published many short story collections that have been adapted into horror anthology movies. He even provided the screenplay for the horror anthology Creepshow.
The key to making a great anthology is achieving a consistent level of quality across all the entries, as many anthologies prove to be uneven as some stories outshine others. The best anthology horror movies do not have this problem, as they deliver thrills and chills throughout every part. With the best anthology TV series like Black Mirror getting plenty of attention, anthologies have found a new home on streaming services and more horror films are being produced in the genre than ever before.
15
‘Cat’s Eye’ (1985)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
Cat’s Eye is a gripping anthology film directed by Lewis Teague and penned by the master of horror, King. The movie interlaces three macabre tales with a stray cat as the connecting thread. In “Quitters, Inc.” James Woods plays Morrison, a smoker desperate to quit. But the program he joins, run by the creepy Dr. Donatti (Alan King), is even worse than cigarettes! Meanwhile, “The Ledge” features a high-stakes game where Kenneth McMillan‘s Cressner puts Robert Hays‘ Norris in a life-or-death situation by making him navigate a dangerous ledge on a skyscraper.
The final story, “General,” stars a young Drew Barrymore as Amanda, a girl menaced by a malevolent troll. While the special effects in this horror film, created by Jeff Jarvis, are understated, they pack a punch. This focus on subtlety allows primal fears like pain, heights, and suffocation to take center stage. The suspenseful storytelling, further made enjoyable by the cleverly intertwined cat’s journey, makes it a must-see for horror fans.
14
‘ABCs of Death 2’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
Based on the concept that each entry must relate to a letter of the alphabet, ABCs of Death 2 features 26 short horror films directed by 26 different filmmakers. There is no wraparound story, so audiences can expect to experience tonal whiplash as the films leap between grotesque, laugh-out-loud funny, and disturbing.
As well as featuring famous horror names such as Larry Fessenden, Jen and Sylvia Soska, and Vincenzo Natali, the horror anthology also invited amateur filmmakers to submit their films for the letter M with the winner appearing in the film. While some shorts are weaker than others, the overall package makes for a more consistent and enjoyable watch when compared to its predecessor.
13
‘Southbound’ (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Produced by Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting fame, Southbound is an underrated horror anthology that tells five tales all centered around the same stretch of highway in the US. There is a prevailing theory that the characters are stuck in purgatory, as they face scenarios that include evil spirits, shady old people, and masked intruders.
Having the stories directly lead into each other, rather than having a wraparound segment, allows the film to avoid the massive tonal shifts that some anthologies suffer from. Southbound features segments by filmmakers who have become some of the brightest names in horror going forward, such as Radio Silence (the two latest Scream movies) and David Bruckner (the recent Hellraiser reboot).
12
‘Scare Package’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Both a loving tribute to anthology horror movies and horror in general, Scare Package revolves around Chad, a horror fan who operates his own struggling video store. Using this setting as the wraparound segment, the stories are presented as tales told by Chad to the customers and tapes that are on display.
Created by Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns, Scare Package was seen as an opportunity to collaborate with a group of independent filmmakers who had yet to break out in the scene and pay homage to the genre they love while subverting some of its most popular tropes. It is a love letter to horror with its practical effects and familiar monsters that evoke 80s nostalgia. It also masterfully blends humor and horror, offering a refreshing twist on anthology films.
11
‘Trick ‘r Treat’ (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
One of the best Halloween-themed movies, Trick ‘r Treat suffered numerous delays and a late move to straight-to-DVD for its original release. The film finally received its first-ever theatrical run last October, owing to its enduring popularity over the years.
Unique in that the whole film is directed by one person (Michael Dougherty), Trick ‘r Treat follows four interwoven stories that all occur in the same town on Halloween night.
Starring Anna Paquin and Brian Cox, the segments feature the likes of werewolves, serial killers, and the murderous ghosts of dead children. The film’s mascot, Sam, a little trick-or-treater wearing orange pajamas and a sack over his head, continues to be a popular horror icon.
10
‘A Christmas Horror Story’ (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Taking the anthology horror format and moving it to Christmas Eve, A Christmas Horror Story is a surprising success. Framed around a radio DJ (William Shatner) telling spooky stories on the air, all four segments focus on the supernatural. The highlight is the last story, which focuses on Santa Claus fighting zombies at the North Pole.
Not boasting any big-name directors or actors aside from Shatner, A Christmas Horror Story gets by on its concept alone and the execution makes for an enjoyable watch. Shatner’s “Dangerous Dan” is the charismatic voice that binds the film with his chilling narration that adds a layer of charm and suspense to each story. While the limited budget is noticeable at times, its commitment to the ridiculous stories it tells makes for one of the better Christmas-set horror movies in recent years.
9
‘Three… Extremes’ (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
A collaboration between three of East Asia’s most famous directors, Three… Extremes features the work of Fruit Chan from Hong Kong, South Korea’s acclaimed auteur Park Chan-wook (Oldboy), and Japanese gonzo master Takashi Miike. The segments tell disturbing stories that involve repulsive dumplings that grant the gift of youth, a sadistic extra that holds a director and his family hostage, and a novelist plagued by nightmares of her past as a circus performer.
It all makes for one of the best horror anthologies that is an essential watch for fans of body horror. Each segment offers a unique exploration of human depravity and the monstrous potential within. The directors bravely confront taboos with unrelenting savagery, leaving viewers unsettled.
8
‘Ghost Stories’ (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
An anthology from England, Ghost Stories follows Philip Goodman, a television presenter who runs a show dedicated to debunking supernatural events. The film follows him as meets with three different people, each with their own story to share with the skeptic. Martin Freeman stars as one of the storytellers, and it is a treat to see the popular actor delve into darker territory.
Since the movie follows one character as he investigates the different tales, Ghost Stories is able to keep a consistent tone throughout its runtime while building to a well-developed finale. While it can be unnerving at times, the screenplay offers some humor to culminate in an enjoyable watch. The actors, particularly Freeman and Andy Nyman, deliver performances so convincing they make the film seem real. This believable setting makes the supernatural elements all the more terrifying, leaving a lasting sense of unease.
7
‘Black Sabbath’ (1963)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Featuring three tales directed by the master of Italian horror, Maria Bava, Black Sabbath is an entertaining throwback to horror in the early 60s. The stories include a call-girl who is terrorized by a series of disturbing phone calls, a family of vampire hunters, and a nurse who grapples with the idea of stealing from the dead.
The anthology explores different facets of fear, from the supernatural wrath of vengeful spirits to the unsettling depths of psychological horror. Black Sabbath‘s influence stretches beyond the horror genre, as the legendary heavy metal band fronted by Ozzy Osbourne took their name from the film. Black Sabbath was also a major influence on Pulp Fiction, with its short story structure causing Quentin Tarantino to try and replicate it within the crime genre. The iconic presence of Boris Karloff further cements its status as a classic.
6
‘Tales from the Crypt’ (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Based on a series of comic books, Tales from the Crypt remains one of the most popular horror anthologies. The original film follows tourists who encounter the infamous Crypt Keeper while on a tour through some catacombs. The Crypt Keeper shows each one their eventual death, resulting in the five stories that follow.
The film’s popularity led to its revival as a television series on HBO that ran for seven seasons in the 1990s. It retained the element of the Crypt Keeper, who served as the narrator and introduced each episode’s short stories of the macabre. This series proved to be even more popular than the film and features guest appearances from A-listers including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Whoopi Goldberg, and Brad Pitt.
5
‘V/H/S/94’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
The longest-running series of horror anthology films, V/H/S/94 is the fourth entry in the franchise that began in 2012. Transporting the series to 1994, five directors tell stories that feature terrorist organizations, mad scientists, supernatural occurrences at a wake, and a rat-like creature that lurks in a city’s storm drains.
This movie is like a collection of scary stories filmed on old videotapes, which adds to the scariness. There’s also a wraparound that ties everything together throughout the movie, so viewers don’t fully get lost. Purchased by Shudder and screened as an original film, the horror-focused streamer claims the movie had the highest viewership numbers on the service at launch. A fifth entry, V/H/S/99, followed in 2022.
4
‘The House That Dripped Blood’ (1971)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Framed around the story of a police inspector investigating disappearances that occurred at a seemingly haunted house, The House That Dripped Blood tells each of these cases as a short story. It proves for an inventive wraparound story as each deadly tale adds to the house’s mystery. This horror movie has four scary tales, including “Method for Murder,” which is about a writer whose pretend killer comes to life, and “Waxworks,” which sees a man haunted by a creepy wax figure of his lost love.
While it initially received mixed reviews, The House That Dripped Blood has been re-evaluated in recent years to be seen as a classic within the horror anthology genre. It also features the likes of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, who would later be involved in mega franchises Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings respectively.
3
‘Trilogy of Terror’ (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Putting the fear of dolls in people 13 years before Child’s Play, Trilogy of Terror stars Karen Black as different characters in three separate stories, which feature a dark relationship between a teacher and her student, twisted twin sisters, and the aforementioned killer doll as it attacks a woman alone in her home.
While the first two segments are mostly forgettable, the third titled ‘Amelia’ proved infamous enough that it helped the made-for-television film achieve cult classic status. The evil Zuni doll featured remains one of the most terrifying dolls in horror, and the film began Black’s long association with the horror genre, including the 1976 film Burnt Offerings and Alfred Hitchcock‘s Family Plot.
2
‘Dead of Night’ (1945)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
One of the earliest instances of a horror anthology, Dead of Night follows a group of strangers who have all been invited to the home of a man they have never met. As a way to pass the time, they each tell stories that feature strange events, with the most famous involving a ventriloquist’s dummy that comes to life.
Horror movies were banned in Britain during the 1940s due to World War II, but Dead of Night managed to slip through the cracks due to its status as a horror-comedy. Its structure of a wraparound story featuring several smaller tales would go on to greatly influence the anthology format going forward, including Tales of the Crypt and long-running The Twilight Zone.
1
‘The Mortuary Collection’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
When drifter Sam (Caitlin Custer) arrives at a small town named Raven’s End, she applies to work at the local mortuary. There she meets the mortician Montgomery Dark (Clancy Brown), who regales Sam with tales of those who have died in Raven’s End, each presented as its own short story.
A recent horror hit, The Mortuary Collection works due to the strength of its stories, maintaining a consistent level of quality that many anthologies lack. The terrifying horror movie is praised for its sets and costumes, dark jokes, and creepy stories. Brown is always great, and his role as Dark is reliably entertaining as he appears in-between each segment as the charming and creepy undertaker, making this a must-watch for horror fans.
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