Slasher Films That Scare With Suggestion, Not Gore

Collider highlights ten slasher films that earn their credentials without leaning on explicit gore, arguing that implication and suspense can deliver lasting terror.

The piece says the best examples use small cinematic choices — "a shadow in the background, a pause on the phone, a camera angle that stays a beat too long, or an open-ended call with no voice on the other end" — to let the viewer’s imagination do the rest. The selection ranges from playful entries like Happy Death Day to meaner or quietly horrifying titles such as Prom Night, The Stepfather, April Fool’s Day, When a Stranger Calls, Alice, Sweet Alice, Black Christmas, Halloween, Psycho and Peeping Tom.

The list places Peeping Tom at number one, calling it uniquely violating without graphic imagery and noting its release date as May 16, 1960, runtime 101 minutes, and director Michael Powell. The article also says Psycho "still matters in 2026" for redefining psychological horror, and overall emphasizes timing, voice, space and absence over on-screen spectacle.

Key Topics

Culture, Peeping Tom, Psycho, Halloween, Happy Death Day, Michael Powell