#9 - Onibaba (1964)
(dir. Kaneto Shindō)
Set during an unnamed war, a woman and her daughter (both also unnamed) survive by killing soldiers who get lost in the vast fields of deep grass that surround their home. They trade the men's armor and weapons for food and then throw their bodies into a deep hole hidden in the grass. The plot is pretty simple so I won't describe it further - you could summarize the whole thing in like two sentences - but what makes this great is the amazing atmosphere and haunting visuals.
This is absolutely gorgeous. The black and white cinematography is stunning, and the film makes incredible use of light and shadow. The wind that is constantly blowing through the grass creates a beautiful and haunting effect. It doesn't really dip its toes into horror until the final third of the film, but once it does it is very effective. The demon mask seen on the poster is pretty damn creepy, especially when it's moving in and out of the shadows.
This is widely considered a classic and shows up all the time on lists of the all-time greatest horror films, and it's easy to see why. The atmosphere is unparalleled and it uses a very simple plot to tell an effective story about loneliness and the horrors of war. Very highly recommended.
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