By Jodi Truglio

I once had a teacher that told me that if you turn off the sound of a horror movie it won’t seem as scary anymore, granted I was a child of the 80’s and she was referring to the film Nightmare on Elm street. When you look at some of the best noir horror and suspense films you will find that they heavily rely on the actors exaggerated facial expressions and sound effects to create suspense in order to draw the viewer into their world and keep them watching until the very last minute.

Below is our list of some of our favorite noir horror films.

Them! (1954)

Them! Was one of the first “nuclear monster” films of the 1950’s and was also considered the first “big bug” feature. It starred James Whitmore who found success years early with The Asphalt Jungle. By many accounts Them! was considered a success for Warner Bros. pictures.

The film starts with a little girl being found wondering the desert, in a state of shock all she can do is utter the words Them! The film does a good job keeping its audience on its set until it is finally reveled that Them! Is a giant ant which is a by-product of radiation that occurred during the atomic bomb testing era.

House On Haunted Hill (1959)

Considered one of the greatest haunted-house films all time. The House on Haunted Hill paved the way for its predecessors such as The Haunting (1963) which is based on the book The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson and 13 Ghosts (1960) which was remade in 2001 and starred The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel’s Tony Shalhoub.

House On Haunted Hill stars Vincent Price who plays an eccentric millionaire who throws a party for his wife and offers a group of carefully selected guests 10,000 dollars to anyone who can spend a night in the mansion known for its strange occurrences.

Psycho (1960)

Known as the most influential horror films of all time that has received critical and commercial success, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho paved the way to todays slasher films. It is also probably one of the most recognized films due to its use of sound effects and quick cutting editing that conveyed Norman Bate’s mania behavior.

The film was remade in1998 and starred Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates. Later, a contemporary prequel Bates Motel ran on the A&E Chanel between 2013-2017 and starred The Good Doctor’s Freddie Highmore as Bates.

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Despite being heavily criticized by critics during its time, the independent film became a cult classic paving the way to future gore films. Since its release Night Of The Living Dead led to 5 subsequent films between 1978 and 2009 and inspired several remakes.

The story follows seven people who seek refuge by barricading themselves in an old farmhouse in western Pennsylvania, in an attempt to save themselves from being eaten alive by the living dead who have an appetite for human flesh.

Ready to be spooked with some classics? Tell us which film you find the most frightening below!

---

Jodi Truglio is a native New Yorker who currently lives in Las Vegas. She holds a degree in Print Journalism. Jodi started her career as a music journalist, but quickly realized her words had the power to reach people and loves telling a good story, as result she focused her career on sustainable fashion/ethical sourcing. She has published articles in various magazines and websites. In her spare time, Jodi enjoys reading and watching old movies, exploring antique shops and posting articles on her website Global Looking Glass. Find her on Instagram @globallookingglass.