10 Horror Scripts That Changed the Game

Some horror films scary. Some are smart. And a few? They change everything. Whether it's structure, style, or pure genre-defying brilliance, these screenplays left their bloody fingerprints on the industry.

Here are 10 horror scripts that rewrote the rules - and why every writer should study them.

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele blended social horror, satire, and suspense in a screenplay that was lean, layered, and entirely fresh. Lesson: Say something - then scare them with it.

Download the Get Out screenplay here.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

A micro-budget script that launched a subgenre. It used suggestion, improvisation, and mythology to turn found footage into fear. Lesson: Atmosphere is everything.

Scream (1996)

Kevin Williamson's script gave horror a self-aware voice without losing its teeth. Meta, sharp, and character-driven. Lesson: Know the rules so you can break them.

Download the Scream screenplay here.

The Babadook (2014)

This script made grief into a monster - literally. Sparse dialog, strong visuals, and deep metaphor. Lesson: Emotional truth is your scariest weapon.

Download The Babadook screenplay here.

The Witch (2015)

Precise period language, psychological terror, and tension without jump scares. Lesson: Authenticity and patience can be horrifying.

Download the The Witch screenplay here.

A Quiet Place (2018)

Minimal dialog, maximum dread. The screenplay relied on sound cues and family dynamics to create silence as fear. Lesson: Think visually. Think sonically.

Download the A Quiet Place screenplay here.

It Follows (2014)

A high-concept, low-exposition script that made its own rules and stuck to them. Lesson: Horror thrives on a simple, terrifying idea.

Download the It Follows screenplay here.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Polanski and Levin's script built slow dread with paranoia and domestic horror. Lesson: Let fear grow from the mundane.

Download the Rosemary's Baby screenplay here.

Hereditary (2018)

Ari Aster took family trauma and stretched it into full-blown supernatural tragedy. Lesson: Horror isn't about the twist - it's about the spiral.

Download the Hereditary screenplay here.

Alien (1979)

Yes, it's sci-fi - but it's also one of the most effective screenplays ever written. Isolation. Claustrophobia. A perfect final girl. Lesson: Genre mashups work when the horror is real.

Download the Alien screenplay here.

Final Thoughts

If you want to write horror, read horror; these scripts didn't just entertain - they changed what the genre could be. Let them influence you. Then write something they've never seen coming.

-Renee