[Editorial] The 9 Best New York City Horror Movies

Horror fans have seen an uptick of scary stories set in The Big Apple in recent years, including NYC, the latest installment of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story anthology, and the much-anticipated Scream VI. In celebration of Ghostface's journey to the city that never sleeps, Ghouls Magazine looks back at other iconic horror films that will put you in a New York state of mind. 

In the Cut (2003)

Jane Campion's 2003 psychological thriller In the Cut follows a teacher who becomes involved in the investigation of a series of brutal murders in the West Village. As she's drawn deeper into learning the unsettling details of the crimes, she also falls into an obsessive sexual relationship with the detective trying to find the killer. Throughout the film, she finds meaning (and mystery) in Poetry in Motion, a series of poems shared on New York City subway trains. Although the movie has a much more hopeful ending than the source material (Susanna Moore's 1995 novel of the same name), In the Cut still provides a chilling look at misogynistic violence. 

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Based on Ira Levin's novel, Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary's Baby might be the quintessential New York City horror movie. It highlights a terror that's part of city life, especially in crowded Manhattan: pushy loud-mouthed neighbors. After getting pregnant from a nonconsensual (and possibly Satanic) sexual encounter, housewife Rosemary finds herself at the mercy of the Castevets, an eccentric older couple living in their Upper West Side apartment building. As they push their doctor, their friends and their mysterious homemade tonics onto Rosemary, she begins experiencing terrifying side effects and starts to suspect the elderly duo has ulterior motives.

Black Swan (2010)

Darren Aronofsky's 2010 horror film Black Swan centers on a ballerina in the ultra competitive New York City Ballet company. Despite the beauty of Lincoln Center (many scenes are shot at Manhattan's renowned performing arts space), horrific scenes of violence take place in and around it. Similarly, the twisted juxtaposition of the beauty of ballet and the pain and trauma that go into it provides the dramatic tension in Black Swan, a film that combines the squirmiest body horror and psychological horror.  

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Wait Until Dark (1967)

In the classic Terence Young-directed 1967 film Wait Until Dark, a woman who is adjusting to life without vision (she was blinded in an accident) is harassed by a trio of crooks in her cozy apartment in lower Manhattan. The sheer terror of having to fight back against three intruders while also being unable to see makes this one of the tensest, scariest horror films from its era. But like a true New Yorker, she thinks on her feet and uses her blindness to turn the tables on her tormentors. 

Looking for Mister Goodbar (1974)

After the brutal murder of New York City schoolteacher Roseann Quinn in 1973, Judith Rossner lightly fictionalized her life and death in the novel Looking for Mister Goodbar. In 1974, Richard Brooks made a film based on the book. The film takes a keen look at the twisted double-standard that exists for women and men, even after the sexual revolution, which proved to be fatal for both Quinn and her fictional stand-ins. Even though viewers know how the true story ends, the staging and lighting of the murder scene will haunt anyone who watches the film.

Cloverfield (2008)

The found footage thriller Cloverfield (directed by Matt Reeves) asks the question, What would happen if a huge monster launched a deadly attack on New York City? The result is a shockingly bleak and upsetting film that follows a group of young people as they go from partying to running for their lives. The film checks off the most iconic spots in the city, including Coney Island, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. Released in 2008, part of the terror of Cloverfield is how it echoes the real-life destruction of the World Trade Center seven years earlier. 

Sisters (1972)

It's not often that we get a horror movie about Staten Island, New York City's most underrated borough. In 1972, Brian De Palma released Sisters, which was partially inspired by the true story of conjoined twins Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova. The film kicks off with a reporter witnessing a murder through her neighbor's window, reinforcing just how much connection New Yorkers can have with their neighbors. As the reporter begins investigating the slaying, she also learns just how deep the bond between twins can grow. 

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American Psycho (2000)

Mary Harron's 2000 horror film American Psycho (based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis) follows Patrick Bateman, a successful Manhattan investment banker who spends his nights torturing and killing anyone he can get his hands on. The story takes place during the 1980s and satirizes the yuppie greed that reared its ugly head during this decadent decade. The emphasis on appearance and obscene amounts of wealth is (almost) as horrifying as Patrick's sociopathic killing sprees.

Ms .45 (1981)

Abel Ferrara's 1981 rape revenge film revolves around Thana, a non-verbal seamstress working in Manhattan's Garment District. Ms .45 gives viewers a glimpse into how rough city life can be for women. Thana endures an endless stream of crude street harassment and sexual harassment at work, and after she is repeatedly sexually assaulted, she decides to fight back and protect herself. She undergoes a personal transformation as she travels the city, standing up to the sexism and abuse she faces, even taking on a gang at Central Park's Bethesda Fountain – and defending other women as well. 

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