The Top 10 Best Horror Anthologies

5. Three… Extremes

At the beginning of the new millennium, there was a revitalization of the horror genre thanks to Asian directors making legitimately scary movies. Films like Ringu, Ju-On: The Grudge, and Audition invested more in the sense of dread and tension than in blood and gimmicks. There have been a lot of horror anthologies out of Asia over the years, but one of my personal favorites is Three… Extremes, because it features some of the greatest horror directors from Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan (Park Chan-wook, Fruit Chan, and Takashi Miike). There’s a sort of macabre beauty to the stories told in this anthology that’s reminiscent of classic literary horror from the likes of Edgar Allen Poe. Three… Extremes is the kind of movie that will make your skin crawl in the best possible way. It’s a bit tamer than a lot of the more extreme flicks out of the East, but those unfamiliar with New Asian Horror will find this to be a wonderful introduction.

4. Ghost Stories

I got a chance to see the next entry on this list of horror anthologies while it was still making the rounds at film festivals back in 2018. I should say that I love seeing horror films at festivals since they’re always technically and artistically well executed while still being just enough outside the norm to remain intriguing.  If you get a chance to check out any local film festivals you should look into the midnight movie offerings they (hopefully) have. Unlike a lot of horror anthologies, Ghost Stories invests heavily in the overarching story of a famous debunker of paranormal incidents as he takes on three new cases. Each of the incidents is recounted by a witness to the events, and the debunker is hardly impressed by any of them. That is until he starts to realize that something isn’t quite right with the three tales. I don’t want to spoil the end, since I think it’s the best part of the movie. Instead, all I will say is that you’ll never see it coming, which is always a pleasant surprise in any horror film.

3. Creepshow 

Up next we have an absolute classic among horror anthologies, Creepshow. Once again, Stephen King pens a series of short stories that are this time directed by horror legend, George A. Romero. This is easily the director’s best film outside the Living Dead franchise and it presents a series of tales that are creepy, kooky, and all together, well, ooky. I’ll admit that the tales aren’t the scariest when it comes to the horror anthologies on this list, but it offers everything that fans love most about 80s horror including plenty of practical effects, exaggerated performances, and over the top horror elements. Creepshow is simply an all-around good time even for casual fans of the genre, making it perhaps the most family-friendly film on this list. Of course, I wouldn’t show it to any kids before they reach middle school, but after that, I’m sure they’ll appreciate the unique bonding experience that only horror can offer. 

2. Tales from the Crypt 

Before Tales from the Crypt was a series of HBO original films (Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood), it was a wonderful horror television show. Before even that, it was one of the best horror anthologies ever made… And before that, it was a comic, which is where the inspiration for the five tales of terror featured in the film. Tale from the Crypt takes place in a literal crypt where five friends unwittingly stumble upon the infamous Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson) who tells them each a horror-filled prophecy of their demise. What makes this film so good is that it pulled the best stories directly from the comics and with how many issues there were, the creators had a chance to dig in and focus on the cream of the crop. The ones chosen are all masterfully crafted parables that will send shivers down your spine. It might seem a little dated now, but it’s important to recognize the impact Tales from the Crypt had on the horror genre. 

1. Trick ‘r Treat 

When it comes to horror anthologies, there’s one that I watch every October without fail. Trick ‘r Treat is a modern holiday classic that features all the best elements of horror spread across a number of spine chilling tales. This flick has everything from ghosts to masked killers to zombies (as I said, all the best elements of horror). The one feature that they all have in common is a masked trick or treater named Sam who appears whenever a character breaks a rule of Halloween in order to dish out punishment upon these spoilsports. Director/ Writer Michael Dougherty manages to hit the perfect balance of campy, scary, and funny creating an anthology that is just as enjoyable the fifth time as the first. The fact that it’s a perfect party movie (a film that’s best watched with friends accompanied by beers and unhealthy snacks) has caused Trick ‘r Treat to grow into a modern cult classic. If you only have time to watch one of these horror anthologies this Halloween, you definitely need to make it Trick ‘r Treat.     

Honorable Mention: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark 

It’s questionable whether the film adaptation of the iconic children’s horror anthology is an actual anthology or not. After all, it perfectly ties all the stories it pulled from the books into a larger plot centered on a group of kids that discover a tome that writes horror-filled tales that come true. On the one hand, it does feature several unique nightmarish scenarios that happen to each of the characters in it, but Guillermo del Toro also stated the following as to why the film wasn’t technically made into an anthology: 

“When we started talking about this about five years ago, I had to think about it … Anthology films are always as bad as the worst story in them — they’re never as good as the best story…” 

Guillermo del Toro

Either way, I’m giving this great movie an honorable mention.

There you have it, 10 of the best horror anthologies ever made. As I said, I had to comb through a lot of films to find these, but if I missed any especially great ones, let me know in the comments below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new horror anthologies are released. So, be sure to check back from time to time in order to see how the rankings might change.