A debut movie is a big deal for a filmmaker. It gives the audience a hint as to what they should expect from future movies and projects, and the success also plays a role in their brand. Debut horror movies usually create an empire for a filmmaker because the genre is so expansive; you really can’t go wrong.
Filmmakers like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster pretty much exploded into the horror scene after their debut films were widely accepted, and now audiences expect big things from both of them. There are so many great debut horror films, but of course there are a handful that outshine the others. This list will shine a spotlight on the ten best debut horror films, and some might just surprise you.
10 Hellraiser (1987) - Clive Barker
Clive Barker is praised for his work with Hellraiser and for teaching himself the art of filmmaking by apparently reading books from his local library. Hey, the people of Hollywood are just like us! Barker is a bit different from the other entries on this list since he wrote the novella, The Hellbound Heart, that inspired Hellraiser.
9 Slumber Party Massacre (1982) - Amy Holden Jones
The Slumber Party Massacre became a cult classic and a feminist horror movie once the truth of the script was revealed. Screenwriter Rita Mae Brown wrote this slasher originally as a mockery of other slasher films that were taking the world by storm at the time. Sadly, the producers decided to spin the story, so it was an actual serious slasher film. Despite that, Amy Holden Jones did a great job with what she was given and made The Slumber Party Massacre into the classic it is today.
8 Fright Night (1985) - Tom Holland
Fright Night is a criminally underrated horror movie, and not only that, but an underrated vampire flick as well. Tom Holland (not that Tom Holland), directed this great and fun horror film that is often forgotten about when discussing treasures from the '80s. It has everything you could possibly want: a kid that no one believes, a corny TV show host, a vampire with an expansive sweater collection, and a fantasy element perfectly sprinkled in.
Holland’s next major project after Fright Night came three years later with the iconic Child’s Play.
7 Get Out (2018) - Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele, before starting to release some of the best modern horror films, made a name for himself in comedy. Key and Peele were widely known thanks to the show on Comedy Central, and fans of the comedian were eager to see his debut entry in the horror genre. Get Out has been regarded as one of the best psychological thriller/horror films because of the aim it takes at racism and white supremacy.
After watching it for the first time, you’ll find yourself going down a rabbit hole of theories connecting things in all three horror movies Peele has put out so far.
6 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - Tobe Hooper
It might surprise you to know that The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was the debut horror film that came from Tobe Hooper in 1974. The plot was so sure of itself and full of perfect tropes that it was brought into several horror movies to come. Leatherface was the perfect debut villain, wielding a chainsaw instead of a blade and a mask made out of skin instead of something you could easily buy.
Plus, the plot was so fresh when you looked at the kids as the villains instead of Leatherface’s family, which yes, is a stretch, but honestly, they shouldn’t have gone into that house!
5 The Blair Witch Project (1999) - Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
The Blair Witch Project was widely accepted by audiences after it was advertised as a documentary depicting a true story. Filmmakers and directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez decided to take a risk with this low-budget movie and gave the actors free rein when it came to their dialogue.
What came out of this project was a hands-down masterpiece and one of the best found footage movies of all time. The perfect amount of scares, witchcraft, and friends turning on each other was pure perfection. It’s noted that Sanchez and Myrick have done separate projects but haven’t done something together since The Blair Witch Project.
4 Hereditary (2018) - Ari Aster
Before Ari Aster’s Hereditary, he released a handful of very strange and disturbing short videos on YouTube. They’re genuinely very weird and fall into the "dead dove: don’t eat" category, so prepare yourself if you go looking for them. Hereditary, followed by Midsommar, was such a new take on generational witchcraft and possession that it was incredible. It was released in 2018 and featured a stellar cast, including Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, and Milly Shapiro.
3 The Wicker Man (1973) - Robin Hardy
The Wicker Man is said to have one of the best endings in a horror movie, leading up to Neil Howie’s death by being burned alive. Robin Hardy did what he had to do with The Wicker Man, depicting May Day and folklore in a way that was pretty intense for the early 1970s. May Day might seem familiar from Ari Aster’s Midsommar, which did a great job showing what Dani and Christian went through, but it’s rawer in The Wicker Man.
2 The Witch (2015) - Robert Eggers
A24 has a real knack for making horror movies stick with audiences years after their debut. The Witch, which comes from Robert Eggers, was a smash as it was regarded highly for the way witchcraft was depicted. The fact that it’s not only Eggers debut, but also Anya Taylor-Joy’s first film performance is amazing as well. Both have gone on to do successful things, such as Eggers directing The Lighthouse and Taylor-Joy starring in The Menu, among other things.
1 Night of the Living Dead (1968) - George A. Romero
Night of the Living Dead is known for popularizing the use of zombies in horror movies. Not only that, but using the racial tension in 1968 to create one of the realest endings in a horror film George A. Romero is a horror legend, to put it lightly, and his debut makes others on this list look slightly less important.
For your first horror movie to be regarded so highly and for so many future projects to reference your film—your gold status, Romero using the end of the film to kill a black man by police officers in the late 60s was a big slap in the face and perfectly done.