The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin
probably the most infamous horror movie of all time the Exorcist is renowned not just for its own blasphemous content but a series of incidents that allegedly occurred during filming. When a letter girl is possessed by the devil a disenfranchised Priest is called into to save her. Strung together with one controversial scene after another this film is really not for the faint hearted. It is that controversy and haunting soundtrack that elevates The Exorcist to the next level and what keeps it relevant and horrifying even today. And I challenge anyone to name anything creepier then Linda Blair’s Spider-Walk on the ceiling.
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974) Tobe Hooper 
There aren’t a lot of horror movies as scary now as the day they were made, but the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is one of them. A film so unrelentingly grim that it took the BBFC 25 years to allow its release in the UK. With more cringe-worthy moments than an episode of X-factor this classic relies on suspense over shocks. One particular scene involving a meat-hook and a well-endowed young lady is agonizingly long and all-to effective. A teen exploitation flick shot like a documentary this is the Granddaddy of modern horror, and Granddaddy does it best.
The Ring (1998) Hideo Nakata
Not once does this chilling thriller resort to the clichéd blood ‘n guts routine of most horror films. In a reality where a video tape is literally scaring its viewers to death, a journalist races time to uncover a mystery and save her son. Opting for a faceless little girl instead of a machete-wielding psychopath is both spooky and genius. Sadako (the girl) is eerily omnipresent throughout every shot of the film. The scares are few but it’s the steadily growing tension leading up to them that provide the real chills. A masterful exercise in mounting dread, this film will leave you with the same expression as Sadako’s victims.
The Ring: One reason to stay clear of television
Rec (2007) Jaume Balagueró 
Spanish Reporter Angela is shadowing fire-fighters on a call to a rickety apartment building but gets more than she bargained for. Of all the films on this list this is the one which will you be watching from behind the sofa. Rec uses the same “shaky cam” technique as popularised by The Blair Witch Project, but doesn’t suck. If you weren’t claustrophobic before this rollercoaster ride of a film you will be afterwards. With a zombie dog, dimly lit rooms, a screaming old lady, the list of scary stuff in this masterpiece is endless. Just don’t watch it alone.
