A little late to the party. Man, Action/Adventure was too tough! As such, I will skip it (for now).
I'm not a huge fan of horror movies. I'll try to keep it to mostly "scary" movies. I struggle between movies I have seen that scared me vs. scary/thrilling movies that I would watch again.
HORROR (in no real order)
1. Jaws - Great music sets the tone right away. With horror, it's often about what you don't see. Despite how the effects are perceived today, I still love the shark and big scare payoff in the final scenes. One of the best soliloquies from Quint. To paraphrase, "I'm gonna to need a bigger list".
2. Alien - Jump scares, gradual building horror, good twist. Again, sometimes it's about what don't see/just quickly see.
3. The Thing - Possibly my favorite horror movie. Creepy music, suspense and "what the hell is going on?" from first frame. I love the classic practical effects, too. Who can you trust?
4. The Sixth Sense - This movie might be a bit spoofed and spoiled today, but I really enjoy it. Great performances too.
5. Silence of the Lambs - Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins at their finest. Hannibal Lecter is a great villain and Hopkins chews the scenery.
6. Fight Club - Maybe controversial if it's a thriller, but I think it fits despite not being "scary." A bizarre, but interesting movie with neat twist. It definitely gets more tense as it goes. Very well acted by Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter.
7. Well... Seven - Brad Pitt? Again? Twisted and tense. Kevin Spacey's serial killer villain is creepy.
8. The Howling, American Werewolf in London, Bad Moon - To me, werewolves are scary! I think the Howling is the scariest of these. I know American Werewolf gets comedy play now, and I get that, but it scared the heck out of me as a kid. Plus, that first practical effects transformation is amazing. Bad Moon isn't quite as good, but the werewolf attack at the beginning is brutal. I saw it in the theater and several people walked out.)
9. Bram Stoker's Dracula - Vampires can be scary, too. I guess this is really "big budget horror"; probably more about the popular actors than the movie. But I enjoy the theatrical performances from Oldman and Hopkins and the special effects.
10. The Shining - Heeere's an obvious one. I include it more for it's legacy since I've only seen it a few times. Still, that movie is messed up. Great performances.
Honorable mentions (they should have a spot on the above list)
11. Evil Dead 2 - A bonkers "horror" movie that I have to include. I love it for all of the goofiness, effects (both bad and good) and the over the top performance from Bruce Campbell... "Groovy!"
12. Gremlins - Another movie I just have to include. I haven't seen it in years and it probably wouldn't hold up, but I loved it as a kid. Cute, scary, funny, slightly gory/gross. A fun "horror" movie.
Out of respect for the genre, I have to finish on this number
13. Halloween/Friday the 13th II - Here are two more that fall into "I saw them and they scared me as a kid, but I probably wouldn't watch again." For all of that, they are classic 70s/80s horror that started there own horror trends. I like Halloween more.
Additional honorable mention: Event Horizon, Scream, No Country for Old Men, L.A. Confidential, The Usual Suspects, Lost Boys, Psycho, American Psycho, Poltergeist, 30s Dracula, 30s Frankenstein, 40s Wolfman, The Wolfman (Benicio del Toro), The Ring, The Blair Witch Project