It’s that time of year again where everyone seems to face their fears for one night, sit down on the couch, and watch some horror movies. With Halloween just days away at this point, it’s time to start to deciding which movies to actually watch – especially because there are so many. For some reason I’ve seen a good majority of most horror movies out there, so I figured this list might be helpful to plan your own Halloween movie spree. They’re not in any particular order, because I think these thirteen movies are all equally good in their own ways.
Psycho (1960)
The definition of a classic. Before all the gory and exaggerated slasher films of modern times existed, “Psycho” existed. Although this movie’s plot twists have become fairly leaked, I’ll bet there are still some people out there who’ve never even heard of this one. If that’s you, then you should definitely pick this film. Even though it’s older, that only makes it all the better. Plus, it’s still relevant even today, with shows like the popular “Bates Motel” out. Don’t let anyone spoil it for you before you get to see it for yourself!
Saw (2004)
I’ve always considered this movie more of a psychological thriller than a slasher or supernatural film. Its plotline is literally based upon a guy trying to make people pay for the bad they’ve done in their lives so that they can start appreciating the true value of life. Sounds good and pretty moral, right? It probably would be if this guy wasn’t entirely sadistic. Although I don’t recommend this one if you can’t do gore, it’s definitely different from most others. Unlike some other franchises, I actually like the later installments of this one. So hey, if you like the first one, there are six more for you to enjoy!
The Shining (1980)
“Heeeeere’s Johnny!” is honestly probably one of the most quoted lines in history. Okay, not actually true, but still. This movie brought scares into people’s personal lives – imagine your own father going crazy and trying to murder your family? It employed a whole bunch of weird stuff – ghosts, telepathy, insanity – all in one film and still worked. And, it was based off the novel by Stephen King, so you know it’s gonna be good.
The Conjuring (2013)
This is a recent film that I really, really enjoyed. Maybe it is a result of the fact that Ed and Lorraine Warren are actual, real-life people who hunt down the supernatural in real life, or maybe the fact that Annabelle is supposedly a real Raggedy Ann doll on display in Connecticut? Either way, I’ll let this “based on a true story” film speak for itself.
Halloween (1978)
How could you have a horror movie binge on Halloween night and not watch Michael Myers chase after Jamie Lee Curtis in the famous stairway scene? Actually though, this has always been one of my favorites. Something about the fact that the murderer is sent away for fifteen years and yet still comes back to murder more people is…interesting? I’m pretty sure this was also one of the first horror movies to introduce the idea of the killer wearing a mask and boy, has that stuck.
Scream (1996)
In my opinion, a horror film cannot do better than this one’s opening scene. What kind of killer asks you trivia questions before attempting to murder you? What kind of horror movie killer asks you trivia questions about other horror movies before attempting to murder you? This one. Also, the mere fact that there is absolutely nothing supernatural about this film other than the fact that the murderer wears a mask that looks like a ghost makes it downright creepy. Ghostface has certainly made appearances in recent Halloween costumes though; this film definitely keeps you on your seat and teaches you to expect the unexpected.
The Exorcist (1973)
Ah, the original demon possession film! Despite the fact that this is a widely used ploy for today’s horror films, it was very new to society back when this one came out. It was so different, in fact, that several people actually passed out while viewing it and had to be taken away from theaters in ambulances. My dad was the one who originally got me so interested in horror movies, and this was the first one he ever recommended to me: it’s a great introduction to the genre and has some pretty remarkable special effects for its time – Oh wait, that spider-walk wasn’t a special effect?
The Boy (2016)
I typically don’t like modern horror movies as much as older ones – most good ideas for scares have already been taken, so they just seem unoriginal and focused on jump-scares. When I first saw the previews for this one, I’ll admit I was weary. Hasn’t the haunted doll thing been done so many times before, and even fairly recently with “Annabelle?” I don’t want to say too much more in fear of spoiling anything, but this one’s different. Just trust me.
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A creepy guy trying to kill you within your dreams and not allowing you to wake up…could it get any worse than that? In this Wes Craven film, Freddy Krueger literally stalks the dream worlds of teenagers. But why does he need to have the razor hands? Why does he always wear that same black hat? This movie is the second highest grossing horror film franchise, so you could say it’s been pretty successful.
Insidious (2010)
This one, while not my favorite film, has definitely caught my attention as sequels have come out. It was surprisingly the first movie to ever employ the idea of “The Further” and actually successfully play it out. In most films, the audience often doesn’t get to see the world of the supernatural, just mainly the world of the humans suffering because of it. In this franchise, we get to see both.
Blair Witch Project (1999)
Mysterious is the best word to describe this film. The main hype when it first came out was the realization that it was filmed on a camera. This being the first movie to really go with the “found footage” technique, it definitely freaked people out. “Wait, is this real? Why does it seem so much more real than other horror movies we’ve seen? How do I react?” Although this style of horror movie is much more common even 17 years after the release of this one, it was still a smart filmmaking decision; it’s eerie because it never allows you to see the thing – whatever it may be – that’s haunting these kids.
The Ring (2002)
Here’s another one of my personal favorites. Instead of being gory and gruesome, it gets its effect from remaining intriguing; you want to know why the people in the movie keep dying and what creepy entity it is that’s causing this. It’s definitely more of a psychological film, acknowledging the ideas of both urban legends and curses in a surprisingly non-tacky way. Additionally, it addresses the increase in technology during the early 2000s. Hasn’t everyone seen the Samara-crawling-out-of-the-TV scene?
Friday the 13th (1980)
I cannot think of a single person who does not know who Jason Voorhees is. Even if they don’t know his name, the image of the guy wearing the hockey mask and chasing after you with a chainsaw is probably used in every haunted house across the country. Plus – a murderer who just keeps coming back to life no matter how many times you kill him? This one’s another one of those classics you just have to see at some point in your life.