"This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off."
Alien
A taught and sparse thriller that puts everyone on the edge of their seat without feeling too dated, 25+ years later.
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The Dark Knight
"Some men just want to watch the world burn."
Despite the real-world grounding, Ledger and Nolan make us fully believe in the Joker, and how creepy and terrifying he is in a world not ready for him — the best of the Dark Knight trilogy, and one of Nolan's better films.
Léon: The Professional
"The rifle is the first weapon you learn how to use, because it lets you keep your distance from the client. The closer you get to being a pro, the closer you can get to the client. The knife, for example, is the last thing you learn."
Awesome, a reluctant hitman teaches a 12 year old girl the trade.
Carrie
"You must renounce this power. You must give it up. You must never use it."
Gloriously 70's, it slowly eeks out information and story with bold directing choices; what starts out as a gut-wrenching high school drama evolves into a horrifying and must-see supernatural revenge-thriller.
Paranormal Activity
"I feel it. I feel it breathing on me."
A cult classic and a genuinely scary film, the pacing is excellent, just slow enough to really build dread without being boring; see the version with the original (police) ending if you can, it's infinitely creepier than the theatrical release's jump scare.