A 5-minute read
Happy spooky season, lovelies! We’re deep into the fall season with leaves changing, temps cooling (pending where you live of course), and pumpkin patches and apple orchards buzzing. I can’t think of a better way to kick off this month than by sharing some of my all-time favorite scary movies.
So Yea, I Was an Odd Child
I grew up as an only child and had a tv (with cable) in my room since as early as I can remember. At that time, there weren’t parental controls like there are today.
Needless to say, I watched whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I don’t quite recall what the first horror movie I watched was, but I vividly recall sitting alone, in the dark, watching classics like Pet Cemetery, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Last House on the Left, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, Halloween, The Shining, and the list goes on!
Now, my parents never watched these types of movies, so I have no clue what initially attracted me to them. Perhaps it was my curious mind, a fascination with morbid topics (I did want to profile serial killers so there’s that), or what, but I was and still am, hooked!
Needless to say, I took Halloween very seriously. Whether it was meticulous costume planning or throwing epic parties (truly legendary), it’s a holiday I thoroughly enjoy (though Christmas is my fave). I recall one infamous party that had so much detail, I had to take off work just to make sure everything from the playlist (plug: I curate a monthly Spotify playlist), to the themed shot stations, drinking games, photobooth, and more.
Now, let’s get to the list!
Hereditary
Admittedly, I questioned this one until I got about 30 minutes in and WOW! Heredity is a 2018 American horror tragedy film written and directed by Ari Aster starring Toni Collette. It’s about a family haunted by a mysterious and violent presence after the tragic death of their grandmother.
It’s a story about grief and the power it can have in addition to the thriller factor. It’s not a gory movie or one that evokes fear from startling moments. Rather, it’s a slow burn that once it hooks you, will keep the hairs on the back of your neck raised.
Midsommar
Midsommar is a 2019 Swedish-American folk horror film written and directed by Ari Aster starring Florence Pugh as the main character, Dani. It follows a group of college students who travel to Sweden for a festival that occurs once every 90 years, only to find themselves in the clutches of a pagan cult.
I wasn’t quite sure of where this movie was going until about midway in and well, let’s just say that scene – which you’ll know it once you see it – changes the course of the film and immediately captured my interest. I won’t go any further…just watch it. Bonus, for those who love style and design, the main character, Dani, wears an incredible gown in the last scenes of the movie.
The Green Inferno
Cannibals. The Amazon rainforest. Naïve, privileged college students. That right there sets the tone. The Green Inferno is a 2013 American cannibal horror film directed by the incredible horror master, Eli Roth. This film was inspired by and is an homage to Italian cannibal films of the late 1970s and early ’80s “cannibal boom”. It’s gory and worth the watch!
The Strangers
It takes a lot to genuinely scare me. I regularly watch horror movies and thrillers by myself in the dark; I have since I was a child. For me to say a movie genuinely freaked me out – to the point of having to pause it, turn on the lights, and look away a few times – that says a lot.
The Strangers is a 2008 American psychological horror film written and directed by Bryan Bertino, starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. It’s about a young couple who stay at a remote cabin in the woods (I mean, come on) who are haunted by their relationship issues and hunted by three uber scary masked criminals that never speak but are always watching…and waiting.
While it is inspired by real-life events from multiple cases, it’s not the suspense that scared me. It’s the quiet. The feeling of being watched. Of constantly wanting to look over your shoulder. It makes you feel helpless and trapped. Movies like this scare me the most because they can (and probably have) happen in real life.
Gerald’s Game
Imagine taking a vacation with your significant other and thinking you’re going to have a fun night, if you will, only to find yourself handcuffed to a bed and your significant other suddenly dying. No phone in reach, no key and no neighbor within miles. What would you do?
Gerald’s Game is a 2017 American psychological horror thriller directed and edited by Mike Flanagan, and screenplay written by Flanagan with Jeff Howard. The movie is based off Stephen King’s 1992 novel (of the same title), starring Carla Gugino (the amazing actress in the Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House, which has as new season coming this month, eek!) and Bruce Greenwood.
Martyrs
I happened upon this movie one Friday night and I was left speechless. Martyrs is a 2008 French horror film written and directed by Pascal Laugier. This film was highly controversial at release and is associated with the movement, the New French Extremity.
It’s about two young women, Lucie and Anna, who meet at an orphanage. They form a bond over their shared, but separate, extremely traumatic incidents. There is absolutely nothing satisfying about this movie; I don’t know what’s more disturbing – the beginning, the plot that takes a drastic turn, or the ending. It’s not a jump out of your seat, gory thriller by any means. It’s highly graphic, ridiculously disturbing, and honestly just messed up. If you can stomach it, it’s worth the watch as there’s really nothing else like it.
Contracted
*Trigger warning: This film depicts a graphic sexual assault scene of which the plot is based. As a sexual assault survivor myself, I had some difficulty with this scene.
There is not a single comfortable moment in this movie. This is a genre of movie I wasn’t familiar with and frankly, still unsure of how I feel about it. Nonetheless, this movie is…well, unique.
Contracted is a 2013 American body horror film written and directed by Eric England. It’s the story of a young woman who contracts a mysterious sexually transmitted infection (STI) after being raped. The film follows the rapid (and frankly stomach-turning) progression of this mysterious STI and let’s just say, I cringed. A lot. Like a ridiculous amount of times. I’ll leave the rest to you to discover.
Raw
This movie starts innocent enough and then takes you on a wild, cringeworthy ride. I’m truly ok to never watch this movie again, even though it’s worth seeing one time. You just may lose your appetite for a bit afterwards and possibly never look at your vegetarian friends the same.
Raw is a 2016 French horror film (I would define it as a body horror film) written and directed by Julia Ducournau. It follows a young, first-year medical student who is vegetarian. That last bit may seem like an innocuous detail, but it becomes very important once you realize what’s actually happening.
It’s graphic and there are a few scenes that will never exit my brain. Scenes that can’t be unseen…ever. The ending is a nice little gem though.
Haute Tension (High Tension)
If you haven’t noticed, I love foreign films! High Tension is a 2013 French psychological thriller/slasher film directed by Alexandre Aja, written by Aja and Grégory Levasseur.
It’s about two young women – Marie and Alex – who are on a trip to visit Alex’s parents for the weekend. I’m intentionally not going to go into any further detail about this film except this: If you like psychological plot twists – and are ok with a little blood, this one is for you.
Other Notables
- In the Tall Grass
- The Autopsy of Jane Doe
- The Perfection
- The Cabin in the Woods (not scary in the slightest, but definitely a cult-classic)
- Insidious
- Paranormal Activity
- Saw
- The Conjuring
- Devil’s Pass
Have you seen any on this list? What’s one that you’d add? Share in the comments or on the corresponding Instagram post!
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