Halloween (1978 John Carpenter)

I think it was Alex Cox who pointed out - on his cult film series Moviedrome - that Halloween has excellent use of long takes and widescreen, of darkness and empty spaces in which something may or may not be lurking:

Ever since then every single TV channel has presented the film in a cropped 16x9 shape making purchase of the DVD essential. Film holds up well as Jaime Lee Curtis has an eventful night's babysitting and Donald Pleasance looks bewildered.

Light and darkness well shot by Dean Cundey and Carpenter's own underscore (performed by the 'Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra') is memorable.