The best John Carpenter movies
The top 3 according to 172 votes from people: The Thing (1982) · Escape from New York (1981) · Big Trouble in Little China (1986). (Updated Nov 23, 2025.)
From Halloween to The Thing: the Master of Horror's films ranked (Paste, JustWatch, Rotten Tomatoes).
Top 12
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1
The Thing (1982)
A masterpiece by any measure, effects included.
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2
Escape from New York (1981)
Snake Plissken rescues the President.
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3
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
99 minutes of pure joy.
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4
Halloween (1978)
His most iconic film and one of the scariest slashers ever.
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5
Christine (1983)
A possessed Plymouth Fury, from Stephen King.
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6
They Live (1988)
Sunglasses that reveal the hidden messages.
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7
Prince of Darkness (1987)
Scientists, a church basement and pure evil.
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8
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
A besieged police station.
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9
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
An investigator and a horror writer's dangerous books.
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10
Starman (1984)
Jeff Bridges as a gentle alien; an Oscar nomination.
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11
The Fog (1980)
A ghostly fog over a coastal town.
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12
Dark Star (1974)
His low-budget sci-fi debut.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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