No one can mention horror movies without giving credit to Wes Craven, a man whose name matches perfectly as a director of horror films. His death in 2015 shocked and saddened many horror fans calling it a “devastating blow to the horror industry” upon news of his death. He loved to scare people and Craven gave movie-goers a lot of nightmares with the films that he made. So, in honor of Wes Craven, let’s remember the five best Wes Craven movies made and that we love to this day.
Best Wes Craven Movies – The People Under the Stairs
While horror movies are meant to scare, Craven had a way to change things up a bit and this movie stands as a very unique one. Breaking into a house is easy, but discovering what’s inside the house can be something that no one can expect. People are living under the stairs in this spooky house run by two insane lunatics who refer to each other as mother and father even though they are siblings. It’s creepy, depraved and funny all at the same time. Whether you like horror films or not, you’ve seen nothing quite like The People Under the Stairs.
Best Wes Craven Movies – The Serpent and the Rainbow
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name, this movie tells the true story of an ethnobotanist who travels to Haiti to investigate the apparent sighting of Clairius Narcisse, who died, was buried and brought back to life sort of like a real-life zombie. Although the movie is largely fictionalized, Craven ventures into voodoo, black magic and the fear of death in this gripping tale that showcases a great performance by Bill Pullman. It may not be as scary as other horror films, but The Serpent and the Rainbow is a worthy entry in Wes Craven’s filmography.
Best Wes Craven Movies – Last House on the Left
Controversial for its time in relation to its on-screen violence, The Last House on the Left was one of the most unique horror films of the 1970s. After two women are violently attacked by a gang, the gang take shelter in a house who unbeknownst to them is owned by the parents of one of the women they attacked. The violence is brutal, shocking and not for the faint of heart, but once the reality is realized in the characters, the tables are turned and everything becomes intense. The Directorial debut of Craven makes smart use of its script by writing smart characters and was quite intellectual, even more so that the dreadful experience of other similar film I Spit on your Grave.
Scream
Ah yes! A horror movie where the characters are well aware of what not to do in horror films. Scream has a typical premise of a killer on the loose, but its witty script and memorable characters makes it rise above the countless other slasher movies. An iconic killer outfit, the phone’s always ringing and someone keeps asking, “What’s your favorite scary movie? Scream is bloody good fun from start to finish and even though Scream 2 is my favorite, no one can deny the impact of the first film that introduced us to Ghostface and the voice of Roger Jackson!
A Nightmare on Elm Street
You knew this was coming! Dreams are all about an alternate reality but what happens when those dreams become reality. Freddy Krueger takes full advantage of this and exploits it with deadly results. Robert England shines as the iconic madman with the glove of knives that has haunted our dreams for the past thirty years. Of course, we can’t forget about Wes Craven’s New Nightmare as well! We all remember that song, don’t we? Better lock your doors, stay awake for as long as you can because Freddy is coming for you!
Thanks for the nightmares Wes Craven. You may be gone but we’ll never forget all that you gave the horror industry. You won’t be forgotten.