Horror's Greatest

Creepy houses, murderous rednecks, final girls: horror films often rely on these tried-and-true storytelling devices, and audiences have come to expect them. What are the most common genre tropes and clichés? How do modern filmmakers subvert them?

Nearly a century after King Kong first ran amok, images of giant marauding monsters continue to enthrall us. Godzilla is hotter than ever, and filmmakers like Bong Joon-ho, J.J. Abrams, and Jordan Peele have all added their unique spins to the genre.

Veering between slow dread and shocking violence, the wild world of Japanese horror has something for everyone. From Ugetsu to Ring, Onibaba to Audition, Tetsuo to Battle Royale: the greatest J-Horror films are essential viewing for horror fans.

Horror comedies make us laugh at things we might recoil from in real life. They come in many flavors, including splatstick (Evil Dead II), high camp (M3GAN), subversive "family entertainment" (Gremlins) and stone-cold classics (Shaun of the Dead).

Stephen King's stories attract the world's greatest filmmakers, and have been the basis of over a dozen horror classics - and at least as many failures. What elements need to come together to successfully adapt King on the page to King on the screen?

A great animal attack movie pushes all of our human-against-nature buttons. From demented sharks to unhinged chimps, this episode sorts out the leaders of the cinematic pack. We also shame the worst horror pets (and give treats to the best).