The leaves are changing colors, the weather’s growing colder and that indescribable smell of fall is finally in the air. With Halloween right around the corner, there’s no better time to throw on a spooky movie with a group of friends. As a horror movie fanatic, I have countless films I could recommend to you, but I’ll limit myself to my favorites for the sake of the format.
Also, I should give a quick disclaimer that this isn’t an endorsement of the content in each film. Everybody has different lines of what’s too much for them, so I recommend you do some research before throwing any of these on to see if they seem right for you.
At the top of the list is my favorite movie of all time, “Scream” (1996). It’s a blast to watch from start to finish, perfectly balancing out its exciting scares with its charming cast and endlessly quotable lines. It also features a captivating mystery element, making you wonder who the killer is and constantly playing with your expectations. This is one of my top picks to throw on with a group of friends. However, I’ll warn you that it’s not particularly scary, so if that’s what you’re looking for in a horror movie, you might want to move on to the next pick.
“The Conjuring” (2013) and its sequel, “The Conjuring 2” (2016), are significantly more unsettling. These films masterfully wield tension like a weapon against the audience, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I showed this to a group of friends a few years ago and one of them literally jumped and fell over the back of the couch at one of the scares. One thing that I especially appreciate about this series is its emphasis on the real-life implications of good vs. evil, with its protagonists being Catholics who fight against the demonic with the power of Christ.
Next up are Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” (2017) and “Us” (2019). These are two very different films, with the former being a slow-building psychological thriller that descends into madness by the end, and the latter being a more typical slasher film. However, what sets these films apart is the social commentary they’re making and the clear intentionality from Peele baked into every aspect of the filmmaking process to accentuate its themes. Both feature unbelievable performances from their casts, as well as amazing soundtracks, featuring “Redbone” by Childish Gambino and “I Got 5 On It” by Luniz, which will be stuck in your head for weeks after watching.
Compared to what the previous movies could do with a budget of $15-20 million, “The Babadook” (2014) is a masterclass in low-budget filmmaking. Despite an occasional bad effect here and there, “The Babadook” is an unnerving take on dealing with bouts of grief and depression, with some genuinely moving emotional moments. This one definitely tugs on the heartstrings more than the previous films, with the dynamic between the mother and son being simultaneously heartbreaking and beautiful. It also features one of my favorite uses of surrealism in horror, when the Babadook appears to the mom in the TV shows she’s watching while she drifts in and out of sleep, providing a disorienting and unsettling feeling for the viewer.
I’ve never been very impressed by found-footage style horror movies, with most of them coming across as a gimmick more than anything substantial. However, that’s not the case at all with “Creep” (2015), which tells the story of a videographer who’s hired by a strange man to shoot a documentary of him for his unborn child before he passes away from cancer. I’m sure you can guess how that turns out. This one delves into some strange territory, but it’s also one that I can’t stop going back to. It’s expertly executed, with genius acting from Mark Duplass and starring the director of the film, Patrick Brice.
Lastly, I recommend “Late Night With the Devil” (2023). As the title suggests, this is a cautionary tale about the consequences of messing around with powers you don’t understand for personal gain. It’s a gripping tale of a late-night talk show host who brings on a demon-possessed girl as his guest for the entertainment of the live studio audience and the folks watching at home. I had to watch this one again afterward, as so much information is revealed throughout about what’s actually going on behind the scenes. It features some wild psychedelic imagery and raises a lot of warranted concern relating to the effects of media and what people are willing to do for fame and wealth.
If none of those got you excited, a few other recommendations I’d suggest are “Light’s Out” (2016), which features a quick runtime filled to the brim with thrilling jump scares, “Friday the 13th” (1980) and “A Nightmare On Elm Street” (1984), which aren’t scary by today’s standards, but are still a lot of fun and can help give you an appreciation for where the genre came from.“10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016) isn’t your typical horror movie, but perfectly toes the line between gritty abduction film and over-the-top sci-fi thriller.
I hope one of these recommendations piques your interest enough to give them a try. If so, let me know what you think. If not, I’d love to know which horror movies are your go-to’s. Enjoy the scares and have some laughs along the way. Happy Halloween everybody.
Must-watch horror movies this Halloween
The leaves are changing colors, the weather’s growing colder and that indescribable smell of fall is finally in the air. With Halloween right around the corner, there’s no better time to throw on a spooky movie with a group of friends. As a horror movie fanatic, I have countless films I could recommend to you, but I’ll limit myself to my favorites for the sake of the format.
Also, I should give a quick disclaimer that this isn’t an endorsement of the content in each film. Everybody has different lines of what’s too much for them, so I recommend you do some research before throwing any of these on to see if they seem right for you.
At the top of the list is my favorite movie of all time, “Scream” (1996). It’s a blast to watch from start to finish, perfectly balancing out its exciting scares with its charming cast and endlessly quotable lines. It also features a captivating mystery element, making you wonder who the killer is and constantly playing with your expectations. This is one of my top picks to throw on with a group of friends. However, I’ll warn you that it’s not particularly scary, so if that’s what you’re looking for in a horror movie, you might want to move on to the next pick.
“The Conjuring” (2013) and its sequel, “The Conjuring 2” (2016), are significantly more unsettling. These films masterfully wield tension like a weapon against the audience, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I showed this to a group of friends a few years ago and one of them literally jumped and fell over the back of the couch at one of the scares. One thing that I especially appreciate about this series is its emphasis on the real-life implications of good vs. evil, with its protagonists being Catholics who fight against the demonic with the power of Christ.
Next up are Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” (2017) and “Us” (2019). These are two very different films, with the former being a slow-building psychological thriller that descends into madness by the end, and the latter being a more typical slasher film. However, what sets these films apart is the social commentary they’re making and the clear intentionality from Peele baked into every aspect of the filmmaking process to accentuate its themes. Both feature unbelievable performances from their casts, as well as amazing soundtracks, featuring “Redbone” by Childish Gambino and “I Got 5 On It” by Luniz, which will be stuck in your head for weeks after watching.
Compared to what the previous movies could do with a budget of $15-20 million, “The Babadook” (2014) is a masterclass in low-budget filmmaking. Despite an occasional bad effect here and there, “The Babadook” is an unnerving take on dealing with bouts of grief and depression, with some genuinely moving emotional moments. This one definitely tugs on the heartstrings more than the previous films, with the dynamic between the mother and son being simultaneously heartbreaking and beautiful. It also features one of my favorite uses of surrealism in horror, when the Babadook appears to the mom in the TV shows she’s watching while she drifts in and out of sleep, providing a disorienting and unsettling feeling for the viewer.
I’ve never been very impressed by found-footage style horror movies, with most of them coming across as a gimmick more than anything substantial. However, that’s not the case at all with “Creep” (2015), which tells the story of a videographer who’s hired by a strange man to shoot a documentary of him for his unborn child before he passes away from cancer. I’m sure you can guess how that turns out. This one delves into some strange territory, but it’s also one that I can’t stop going back to. It’s expertly executed, with genius acting from Mark Duplass and starring the director of the film, Patrick Brice.
Lastly, I recommend “Late Night With the Devil” (2023). As the title suggests, this is a cautionary tale about the consequences of messing around with powers you don’t understand for personal gain. It’s a gripping tale of a late-night talk show host who brings on a demon-possessed girl as his guest for the entertainment of the live studio audience and the folks watching at home. I had to watch this one again afterward, as so much information is revealed throughout about what’s actually going on behind the scenes. It features some wild psychedelic imagery and raises a lot of warranted concern relating to the effects of media and what people are willing to do for fame and wealth.
If none of those got you excited, a few other recommendations I’d suggest are “Light’s Out” (2016), which features a quick runtime filled to the brim with thrilling jump scares, “Friday the 13th” (1980) and “A Nightmare On Elm Street” (1984), which aren’t scary by today’s standards, but are still a lot of fun and can help give you an appreciation for where the genre came from.“10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016) isn’t your typical horror movie, but perfectly toes the line between gritty abduction film and over-the-top sci-fi thriller.
I hope one of these recommendations piques your interest enough to give them a try. If so, let me know what you think. If not, I’d love to know which horror movies are your go-to’s. Enjoy the scares and have some laughs along the way. Happy Halloween everybody.