Sydney Sweeney’s Favorite Horror Movies Are All Classics

Sydney Sweeney is one of the biggest stars in the world right now. While she had breakout roles on hit shows like Euphoria and The White Lotus, the last few months have seen her on the red carpet, talk shows, and a variety of other material promoting her many films that have come out within months of each other. Ending 2023 with Anyone but You, which carried over into the new year before promoting Madame Web in February, she is now promoting her latest film, Immaculate. In just four months, Sweeney appeared in three films that could likely be seen playing alongside one another in the same theater.

Immaculate is a horror movie that sees Sweeney playing a nun who finds herself suddenly pregnant in this psychological and gory horror film. Sweeney is not only the star of the movie but also a producer, and she is a self-proclaimed horror fan. This might be her first major horror film, but it seems unlikely it will be her last, and she could become the next new scream queen. In an interview with Fangoria, she revealed her seven favorite horror films because she had a hard time narrowing them down to one. The list includes critically acclaimed films, horror classes, and some new recent favorites. Here are Sydney Sweeney’s seven favorite horror films in order of release.

Immaculate

3.5/5

Release Date

March 22, 2024

Director

michael mohan

Cast

Sydney Sweeney , Simona Tabasco , Álvaro Morte , Benedetta Porcaroli , Dora Romano

Writers

Andrew Lobel

Studio

Black Bear, Fifty-Fifty Films, Lupin Film

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Rosemary’s Baby

Release Date

June 12, 1968

Runtime

136

Tagline

Pray for Rosemary’s Baby

Rosemary’s Baby was released in 1968 and starred Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gordan. It involved a young woman who becomes pregnant but slowly suspects that her neighbors, and even her husband, are part of a Satanic cult. It’s quickly revealed that they want to use her baby for a ritual, or worse, have done something to the baby already. The film was directed by Roman Polanski, and it is often regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time. In 2014, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and can be seen as a source of inspiration for many films, including Immaculate.

Why Sweeney Loves Rosemary’s Baby

It is clear that Sweeney was drawn to Immaculate because of the similarities between Rosemary’s Baby. Both films are religious horror movies with fears and paranoia rooted in pregnancy and an agency outside of one’s control having power over one’s body. She told Fangoria:

“Mia Farrow’s performance in
Rosemary’s Baby
is unforgettable. It provided a lot of inspiration for
Immaculate
, and you just have to have this on your list. Most of my genre favorites have incredible performances from the actors. And many actors, for whatever reason, don’t look at horror films as performance pieces, so it’s not always as deep or interesting when you don’t see these actors making very distinct and challenging choices.”

Stream Rosemary’s Baby on Paramount+.

Related: Immaculate Review: One Hell of a Blood-Soaked Sister Act

Halloween (1978)

Halloween (1978)

Release Date

October 27, 1978

Runtime

1hr 31min

Tagline

The Night he came home

Halloween is the movie that can be said to kick off the slasher movie era truly. While films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Black Christmas, and Jaws laid the path forward, Halloween took elements from those movies and distilled it down into a perfect formula. The film tells the story of Michael Myers, a killer who returns home on Halloween night after being locked up for killing his sister years ago and begins hunting down local babysitters, putting him in the crossfire of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).

Why Sweeney Loves Halloween

Halloween is a beloved film in the horror genre, and it kicked start a horror franchise that continues on to this day with the most recent film, Halloween Ends, opening in theaters in October 2022. Sweeney also likely takes a lot of inspiration from Jamie Lee Curtis, who transitioned from a scream queen into one of the most respected actors in the world, eventually winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Sweeney told Fangoria:

“This is such an OG. It put John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis on the map, and they’re now complete legends. I feel like John Carpenter truly created the slasher icon with Michael Myers and just went for it, and Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the first final girls. It’s such a smart movie.”

Stream Halloween on Crackle.

The Shining (1980)

The Shining

Release Date

May 23, 1980

Runtime

146

Tagline

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy…

The Shining is an adaptation of the novel by Stephen King, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelly DuVall. It was directed by Stanley Kubrick. Notably, King hated the film upon its release, and at the time, audience reaction was mixed. While now regarded as a horror classic and one of the best in the genre of all time, it was a box office flop and was even nominated at the first Razzies in 1981 for Worst Director and Worst Actress, though they did later rescinded the latter in 2022 due to Kubrick’s treatment of Duvall on set.

Why Sweeney Loves The Shining

One element that ties a lot of Sweeney’s favorite horror films together is the fact they feature many serious and acclaimed actors. The genre is often dismissed as having ‘bad actors’, but many of Hollywood’s biggest stars got their start in horror films. For The Shining, it is a bit different as Jack Nicholson was already an Academy Award winner at the time and, therefore, for a serious actor who decided to take part in a horror film instead of looking down on it. “I think it’s one of the best horror films ever made. Jack Nicholson’s character is another one that I think, ‘Ooh, as an actor that could be so fun.'” Sweeney told Fangoria. “The cinematography and the score are absolutely stunning and beautiful. All of it… Stanley’s a genius and amazing. And I love how elevated the whole entire film feels.” Rent or Purchase The Shining on Apple TV+, Prime Video, Google Play, or Vudu.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Another slasher franchise starter on the list, this time around it’s Freddy Krueger in Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. The movie was a breath of fresh air in the horror genre, providing a new killer with a unique gimmick that made him stand out of the pack. The franchise would move Freddy Krueger into a more jokey figure, but it is clear in the first movie he is a serious threat as he haunts the dreams of kids to seek revenge on the parents who killed him.

Why Sweeney Loves A Nightmare on Elm Street

“Freddy Krueger haunted my dreams for weeks and weeks after I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street,” Sweeney told Fangoria. So far, two actors have played Freddy Krueger. The most famous is, of course, Robert Englund, but Jackie Earl Haley did step into the role for the poorly received 2010 remake. While Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund has suggested Kevin Bacon take on the role in the future, Sweeney herself has a different idea, telling Fangoria:

Sweeney as Freddy Krueger would be different, but not a bad pick. Rent or Purchase A Nightmare on Elm Street on Apple TV+, Prime Video, Google Play, or Vudu.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Silence of the Lambs

Release Date

February 1, 1991

Runtime

118

Writers

Thomas Harris , Ted Tally

Tagline

To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman.

While Sweeney said the other films on the list were all tied, she did single The Silence of the Lambs as her personal favorite. There are plenty of reasons why this would be. The Silence of the Lambs is one of the most critically acclaimed horror films and, so far, the only one to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It also won Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Actor, meaning it is a horror film that the Academy Awards seemed to take seriously. In 2011, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Why Sweeney Loves The Silence of the Lambs

Sweeney clearly values horror films with strong performances by great actors, and seeing how both Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins won Academy Awards for their roles in The Silence of the Lamb, it makes sense why. She told Fangoria:

“Silence of the Lambs
is one of those movies that sticks with you forever. And it’s not just because of the suspense of it all, but also the characters and the performances – Anthony Hopkins is just incredible; Jodie Foster is incredible. I love the older horror films where you have a psychological thriller, but then you have
really
good actors in these films as well.”

Rent or Purchase Silence of the Lambs on Apple TV+, Prime Video, Google Play, or Vudu.

Hereditary (2018)

Hereditary

Release Date

June 7, 2018

Director

Ari Aster

Runtime

127

Writers

Ari Aster

Tagline

Every family tree hides a secret.

Jumping 27 years from The Silence of the Lamb to Hereditary, this 2018 horror film became a surprise hit. Starring Toni Collete and directed by Ari Aster, for a while, this was the highest-grossing film released by A24 until the release of Everything Everywhere All At Once. Toni Collete’s incredible performance is seen by many to be one of the biggest snubs in Oscar history, as there was a large fan campaign to get her nominated for Best Actress.

Why Sweeney Loves Hereditary

Hereditary, along with other A24 films like The Witch, changed horror movies in the 21st century. Immaculate is marketed to look more like Hereditary than a Blumhouse horror film.”I love when films can take reality and make that suspenseful,” Sweeney told Fangoria. She also has a desire to work with the film’s director, and given her recent star power, that seems like a possibility. “Ari Aster is a genius, and I really hope to work with him one day. I was absolutely terrified.” Stream Hereditary on Max.

Related: 20 Scariest Horror Movies to Come Out in the Last 5 Years

Us (2019)

Us

Release Date

March 22, 2019

Runtime

116 Minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Tagline

Watch yourself.

Another recent horror film is Jordan Peele’s 2019 Us. The movie features Lupita Nyong’o as Adelaide Wilson who goes with her family on a summer vacation only to be stalked and attacked by doppelgängers known as “The Tethered”. Following Get Out, Us had a big marketing push by Universal Studios with a strong hook of doppelgängers, leaving audiences dying to know the answer. It ended up grossing $256 million worldwide, against a $20 million budget.

Why Sweeney Loves Us

Sweeney signals out star Lupita Nyong’o, who, like Collette in Hereditary, was snubbed for Best Actress when many felt like she was just as worthy as many of the nominees. Sweeney told Fangoira:

Rent or Purchase Us on AppleTV+, Prime Video, Google Play, or Vudu.