IMDb has simplified things, though, by ranking the best horror movies according to user reviews. Based on IMDb user votes, these movies are among the most popular horror films ever filmed, with at least 20,000 votes on the platform. 

These are the top 5 horror films according to IMDb user ratings, ranging from fantastic psychological thrillers to beloved slasher films.

1. The Exorcist:
One of the most popular and widely regarded horror movies ever made is The Exorcist. The iconic film from 1973 centers on a young girl named Regan (Linda Blair), who, after using a Ouija board, is taken over by the devil.

The Exorcist received two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and an IMDb user rating of 8.1. Its legendary '70s score, performances, and special effects have all received accolades, making it one of the most recognizable horror movies ever produced.

2. Alien:
With an 8.5 user rating, Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece Alien ranks quite near the top of IMDb's list of horror films. It centers on a spaceship crew that is dispatched to investigate an undiscovered planet, only to be ambushed by a monstrous extraterrestrial.

3. The Thing
Icon of horror In this loose remake of the 1982 blockbuster The Thing, John Carpenter plays the director of a group of scientists who uncover an alien life form in Antarctica that can take on the form and characteristics of its victims. The crew has to come up with a plan to combat the alien before it spreads too quickly.

Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, and Keith David give amazing performances in the film The Thing, which has an 8.2 user rating. Science fiction and horror aficionados regard it as a masterpiece and it's a superb illustration of how horror remakes may be done well.

4. Rosemary's Baby
The 1968 Roman Polanski masterpiece Rosemary's Baby is another psychological horror movie on the list. The film centers on Mia Farrow's character, Rosemary Woodhouse, a young, pregnant lady who moves into an apartment building in New York City with her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes). Though it's obvious that the other residents of the building aren't exactly normal, Rosemary is about to experience far more terror.

This thriller, which has received multiple honors and an 8.0 user rating, is a great illustration of how danger may appear in the most unlikely locations.

5. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?:
This iconic 1962 film starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford relates the tale of two elderly sisters who share a home. After an accident, "Baby" Jane Hudson (Davis), a former child star, is gradually losing her mind, while her sister Blanche (Crawford) is confined to a wheelchair.

The film's huge stars helped What Ever Happened to Baby Jane go from the horror genre into the mainstream; it has an 8.0 rating on IMDb and was nominated for multiple awards.