The Daily: Sunday Special – The 10 Best Horror Movie Franchises

Date: October 26, 2025
Host: Gilbert Cruz (B)
Guests:

• Eric Peppenberg (C) – New York Times horror columnist
• Jason Zinoman (D) – Critic at large and author of Shock Value

Episode Overview

Theme:
This special episode dives into one big, delightfully spooky question: What are the 10 best horror movie franchises of all time? Host Gilbert Cruz gathers two top horror experts—Eric Peppenberg and Jason Zinoman—to debate, discuss, and ultimately craft (with occasional disagreement) the definitive list. Their conversation covers the evolution of the genre, what makes a “franchise,” and which long-running film series belong in horror’s pantheon.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of Horror in 2025

[02:12–06:42]

• Eric’s View: Horror is thriving. “I think we are in a sort of prolonged golden age of horror right now. The period that sort of started with Get Out, I think is continuing.”
• Jason’s Counter: A “respectable” era—horror is now prestigious, with more expensive, event-style productions replacing the era of cheap, guerilla horror (e.g., Paranormal Activity).
• Indie horror is still vibrant, with “15 to 20 brand new movies that are streaming to choose from” every month, plus big studio successes.

2. What Makes a Horror Franchise?

[06:42–09:41]

• Definition: A film series with recurring elements (villains, heroes, or locations).
• Jason questions strict definitions, advocating for a broader understanding: “About breaking rules, Gilbert. And that’s what I'm here for.”

3. Franchise-by-Franchise Breakdown

The hosts go through a chronological list, saying “Yes,” “No,” or “Bubble” to each potential entry. Highlights:

Early Foundations

• Universal Monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolf Man)

  • All agree: foundational franchise.
  • “You have...this world before we ever thought about interconnected universes...” – Gilbert [08:45]

• Psycho

  • Iconic first film, but divided on the sequels’ merits. Quoted:
    • “Among horror nerds, Psycho II has developed a reevaluate, you know—famous Quentin Tarantino prefers it to Psycho.” – Jason [10:45]

1970s Classics

• Night of the Living Dead (Romero’s Zombie Saga)
  • Immediate yes.
• The Exorcist
  • Mixed, but on the bubble for now.
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre
  • Moves forward, though later its franchise status is scrutinized.
• Jaws
  • Iconic original but dismissed as not truly a franchise.
• The Omen, The Hills Have Eyes, Amityville Horror
  • Debated, largely for cultural footprint or franchise consistency.

1980s Slasher and Beyond

• Halloween, Friday the 13th, Evil Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play
  • Consensus: all move forward.
  • “Freddy Krueger’s the only one with personality.” – Gilbert [37:45]
• Phantasm
  • Underrated; Jason goes to bat for it: “Stone cold classic. Most underrated horror film of the 70s.” [17:52]
• Hellraiser, Poltergeist, Candyman
  • Generally do not progress due to lack of strong franchise identity or drop-off after the originals.

1990s and 2000s Franchises

• Scream
  • Surprisingly cut. “To a certain kind of horror person, Scream gets on our nerves...” – Jason [26:55]
• Final Destination, Saw
  • Both praised for their relentless and inventive formulas.
• Paranormal Activity
  • Praised for revitalizing found-footage horror.

Modern Multiverses

• The Conjuring
  • Seen as the definitive modern horror universe.
• Insidious, VHS, Purge, Terrifier
  • Discussed, some making initial lists but later struck.

Building the Top 10 List

[35:33–51:51]

• Each guest champions one franchise to keep and nominates another to cut, leading to passionate debate, strategic negotiation, and some surprising ejections.
• Saw is saved when Jason argues: “The Saw movies did that [more of the same] more effectively than anything past the 80s classic slasher foods.” [41:18]
• Alien is cut: “Alien is more science fiction...maybe top 10 science fiction franchise.” – Eric [41:49]
• Universal Monsters and Texas Chainsaw Massacre—eventually dropped, despite deep affection.

Final List (in no order):

1. Night of the Living Dead
2. Halloween
3. Friday the 13th
4. Evil Dead
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street
6. Child’s Play
7. Final Destination
8. Saw
9. Paranormal Activity
10. The Conjuring

Memorable Quotes:

• “For me, part of the appeal of horror is to be disreputable. And if something is trying to be too classy, I just don't find that enjoyable.” – Eric [23:44]
• “You can't have a list of franchises being taken seriously and not have Friday 13th.” – Jason [36:09]
• “I think for sure, Nightmare on Elm street… is influential in a lot of ways that I’m not sure if people fully appreciate.” – Eric [21:40]
• “Freddy Krueger’s the only one with personality. He is the only one that has a little verb, a little pop.” – Gilbert [37:45]

Highlighted Franchise Arguments and Notable Moments

The Personality Test

• Why A Nightmare on Elm Street stands out:
  “The only...slasher [with] a little verb, a little pop. And that's important...He becomes a comedic character. I think that comedy and horror coexist very easily.” – Gilbert [37:45–39:14]

Humor in Horror

• On Scream’s exclusion:
  “If its calling card is it added this humor and it’s not that funny, then what is it?” – Jason [27:34] “I don't find them funny. I find the wink wink stuff too much.” – Eric [27:35]

The Evolution Test

• On Halloween III: Season of the Witch:
  “I think Season of the Witch is a tremendously underrated movie...But the lesson that the industry took from the failure of Season of the Witch is we’re never gonna let them do this again.” – Jason [49:11]

Thematic Breadth

• Evil Dead praised for reinvention (“no movie...captured...Looney Tunes better”) and lasting influence, including a musical and TV show. [44:09–45:05]

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:12] How is horror doing in 2025?
• [06:42] Defining “franchise” and first picks
• [09:58 – 32:00] Rapid-fire yes/no through the major franchises
• [35:33 – 51:51] Building, negotiating, and finalizing the top 10
• [54:16 – 59:39] Horror movie trivia game: “A Nightmare on Film Street”; “The Kills have Eyes”; “Child’s Play” (creepy kid quotes)
• [60:29 – 60:40] Favorite franchise:
  • Jason: Evil Dead
  • Eric: Child’s Play
  • Gilbert: Nightmare on Elm Street

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the breadth of Child’s Play:
  “It does touch on some queer aspects which I personally like...queer horror would be missing something.” – Eric [24:47]
• On Paranormal Activity as a “top 10”:
  “I also love that it came out of nowhere to become this really big hit and has spawned subsequent films and now a stage show...” – Eric [42:25]
• On longevity vs. quality:
  “If we’re honest, the reason that most of these horror franchises have sequel after sequel is to give people more of the same.” – Jason [41:10]
• On horror’s current reputation:
  “We’re in an era of prestige, Oscar bait, horror...this is not in the disreputable era, right?” – Jason [02:55]
• On Universal Monsters as the proto-franchise:
  “You have essentially direct sequels to some of these movies. It feels like this is the beginning.” – Gilbert [09:16]

The Final Top 10 Horror Franchises (as selected by the panel)

1. Night of the Living Dead
2. Halloween
3. Friday the 13th
4. Evil Dead
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street
6. Child’s Play
7. Final Destination
8. Saw
9. Paranormal Activity
10. The Conjuring

“They are our list—we know people will get mad, and that’s what horror is about.” [51:49]

For those who missed it

• This episode delivers a brisk crash course in horror movie history, lots of deep nerd references, and a convivial but passionate debate about what makes a franchise matter.
• The hosts intertwine film analysis, pop culture impact, and affection for both classic and trashy entries, while throwing in plenty of signature New York Times dry wit.

For full franchise lists and the beloved “bubble” entries, check the episode show notes.