Sunday Special: The 10 Best Horror Movie Franchises

110 snips

Oct 26, 2025

Join horror experts Jason Zinoman, a New York Times critic and author known for his insights on modern horror, and Erik Piepenburg, the Times' horror columnist, as they dive into the cinematic world of fright. They dissect the evolution of iconic franchises like "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "The Exorcist," explore contemporary hits like "Candyman" and "The Conjuring," and debate the cultural significance of classics such as "Halloween" and "Jaws." Plus, they engage in a fun trivia challenge, testing their horror film knowledge!

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INSIGHT

Hannibal Straddles Thriller And Horror

The Hannibal films straddle crime, thriller, and horror, making some panelists reluctant to include them as pure horror.
Jason recommended watching both Brian Cox's and Anthony Hopkins' prison scenes as masterclasses rather than straight horror.

INSIGHT

Hellraiser's Design Polarizes Listeners

Hellraiser's visual aesthetic and fetishized design divide listeners; some find it theatrical and campy rather than terrifying.
Erik Piepenburg said the production design feels like 'party city' and isn't his personal taste.

INSIGHT

Chucky's Franchise Extends Beyond Film

Child's Play has cultural reach beyond films through the doll iconography and queer-readings that influence modern horror.
Erik argued Chucky's role in queering horror and its broad presence in costumes and popular culture justify inclusion.

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The only thing Gilbert Cruz loves more than celebrating Halloween is watching scary movies. And between the classic horror franchises that span decades and the prestige original films of the current moment, he has seen hundreds of them.

On today’s episode, Gilbert puts his knowledge to use in conversation with his fellow horror aficionados Jason Zinoman and Erik Piepenburg. They comb through a century of spooks, frights and screams to crown the Top 10 franchises in cinema history.

Horror franchises discussed on this episode:

“A Nightmare on Elm Street”
“A Quiet Place”
“Alien”
“The Amityville Horror”
“Candyman”
“Child’s Play”
“The Conjuring”
“The Exorcist”
“The Evil Dead”
“Final Destination”
“Friday the 13th”
“Halloween”
The Hannibal Lecter films
“Hellraiser”
“The Hills Have Eyes”
“Insidious”
“Jaws”
“Night of the Living Dead”
“The Omen”
“Paranormal Activity”
“Phantasm”
“Poltergeist”
“Psycho”
“The Purge”
“The Ring”
“Saw”
“Scream”
“Terrifier”
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
The Universal monster films
“V/H/S”

On Today’s Episode:

Jason Zinoman is a critic at large for The Times and the author of “Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror.”

Erik Piepenburg covers culture for The Times, and writes a monthly column about horror movies.

Additional Reading:

25 Jump Scares That Still Make Us Jump

Five Horror Movies to Stream Now

‘Good Boy’ Review: Sit. Stay. Scream.

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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