Halloween is getting closer and we’re getting ready for our favorite Halloween pastime: watching horror movies! Here’s a list of our favorites, mixing classic horror with new horror perfect for scaring you.
And don’t worry, this article is safe for work and doesn’t contain any graphic imagery. You’re welcome!
Triangle
This is the kind of movie that completely messes with your mind. It’s sort of a slasher flick, sort of a mystery thriller, and sort of a WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON. Seriously though, I’m surprised no one talks about this movie, that’s why it’s first on the list. Give it a go, and be prepared to be like:
The Haunting
I know most people resist watching anything black and white these days, as most horror movies from the old days tend to become less scary as time passes. For example, Night of the Living Dead is a great horror film that scared people rigid back then, but nowadays, we’ve seen much worse. This is NOT the case with The Haunting. It’s an intense psychological thriller with some legit scares – and, by the way, it’s one of my favorite movies of all time. Not just horror movies, I mean ALL movies. Yeah.
A Tale of Two Sisters
There just had to be some horror from the distant land of the Orient here, but I didn’t want to go for super obvious picks like The Grudge or Ringu. So here’s something different – but how do you know it’s good? Well, just like any good Asian horror flick, it got an inferior American remake a few years later. Of course it did.
Jokes aside, this kind of creepy atmosphere could only come from the distant land of South Korea – the supernatural story takes weird turns as you unveil the mysteries from the point of view of two traumatized sisters. Turn off the lights, put on some headphones and get ready for a lot of stranger danger, creepy music, and oriental weirdness.
The Witch
Atmosphere is my favorite aspect of any horror movie. Sure, I like the scares, I like good acting and good writing, but a good atmosphere is always the biggest seller: that feeling of constant dread, that at any moment something bad is going to happen, and you don’t know where it’s coming from. They NAILED this atmosphere in The Witch, and even though it’s slim on actual scares, the ones they got are quite chilling – the soundtrack alone creeps me out enough. So… Good luck.
Shutter
I am not okay with this movie. First of all, oriental horror really gives me the creeps – something about the way they deal with the supernatural is very different from how American movies do it. Because of this difference, we never know exactly when the scares are coming.
A lot of these scares were later replicated in other movies and even video games, which proves how effective they are. That image up there? That’s the least horrifying one I could find, I swear. And since I couldn’t find any other scene that didn’t contain something horrifying and/or traumatizing, I guess you’ll have to imagine the rest...
By the way… This one ALSO got an American remake. Oh, Hollywood, you’re just the creative fountain of the world, aren’t you? :)
Don’t Breath
“Don’t Breath” indeed. It’s the one thing you’ll do for sure while watching this tasty Halloween treat. Fede Alvaréz is back after the awesome The Evil Dead remake, and despite not having the greatest script ever, it’s so tense from start to finish that you can’t help but--well--don’t breath. Be wary of uncomfortable silences, terrifying sound cues and the aforementioned respiratory problems.
The Thing
This movie is gross - in fact, so gross I can’t even show most of the classic images here. The lack of any CGI for the creatures gives them a very slimy real look that is still hard to stomach for some people. However, it’s also one of the most suspenseful horror sci-fi's ever made. You never know who the creature has taken, and just like the characters, you’re left second-guessing who to trust – there are no generic human villains here, just a group of desperate men against this one evil alien creature.
And it’s grosser than broccoli with mayonnaise, so I hope you have the stomach!
Martyrs
Just like another movie from this list (we’ll get there), Martyrs scared the bejesus out of me simply because I had no idea what to expect – and to make it worse, the movie pretty much changes direction every 20 minutes, which completely caught me off guard. But in conclusion, it started showing it meant business with a very graphical first scene, then it scared me to death with some supernatural stuff (which I was not ready for) and it scarred me for life with the dark imagery that shows up from the second half onwards. It’s incredibly dark, and it stuck with me for a few days after I saw it.
It Follows
Chances are, you heard about this one, but I couldn’t leave it out. Out of all the horror movies that came out in the last few years, It Follows was one of my favorites, especially because it introduced an original concept. The tension builds slowly, with the idea of a threat that is constantly getting closer by the SECOND. This makes the simple sight of someone walking in the background terrifying. A neat idea with great execution – not a masterpiece, but definitely worth checking out… Or, if you’re terrified of that monster called “the-idea-of-death-slowly-but-surely-getting-closer-to-you-every-single-day”, then maybe don’t check it out.
[REC]
Ladies and gentleman, the movie that scared me the most in all my life. Sure, now it’s not exactly new – at this point, there were three inferior sequels and a terrible American remake. But consider this: at the time, I had ZERO idea what this movie was about - when it started, I didn’t even know it was a horror movie. I didn’t know any of the actors, no story, no trailer, nothing. And for that, it caught me completely off guard when it went downhill, and OH MAN did it go downhill fast. I had no idea it was a horror movie, let alone one of the best I would ever see. [REC] is easily the best found-footage style horror I’ve seen – it totally beats The Blair Witch Project to the ground and it’s way more interesting (and eventful) than Paranormal Activity.
And that’s why, even though it completely had me buying new underwear, I love this movie.
Now all you need to do is get some popcorn, a nice blanket (optimal for eyes cover), turn off the lights, and remember, whatever happens…
Did we miss out on one of your favorite horror movies for this Halloween? Be sure to tell us! And don’t forget to like us on Facebook for more awesome articles every week!
