School’s back in session, and that can only mean one thing: Halloween is on its way. Between shuffling to classes and spending long nights doing homework, who wouldn’t want to relax on the couch and watch a good movie? And since it’s getting closer to Halloween, why not test your mettle with a horror movie? Luckily, here’s a list of the best horror movies that will get your heart racing and your hair standing up as soon as the opening credits roll.
For starters, the term horror is a broad genre. What scares one person may not even faze another.
Nothing says a fun Friday night like having to watch over your younger siblings. If you need a movie to keep them entertained and you unbothered, try Tim Burton’s “Coraline” (2009). Playful animation blends with a creepy alter-dimension that may even have you on the edge of your seat.
If you’re an adult lightweight when it comes to horror, the movie “Crimson Peak” (2015) would be a good first start. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain, this gothic romantic horror has just enough of the fear factor to be enjoyable but not too much so that it’s unbearable.
A more artful and sorrowful horror movie is “Mama” (2013). On the outside, it seems like any other creepy movie, but the mournful background story about a mother and her baby will have you sympathizing with Mama. It might even convince you to join her side.
There are some out there where the possibilities of demons and spirits don’t even make them shudder. For them, they get a special horror series all to their own: the Hannibal Lecter trilogy (1991-2002). Downright full of blood and gore, as well as the fear factor of reality, the series, starring Anthony Hopkins, will make you sweat as soon as you see his infamous character on the silver screen.
Horror can’t be contained to planet Earth. Both “Sunshine” (2007) and “Life” (2017) are both horror flicks set in outer space. The kicker with these two movies is that not only is there some terrifying force out to get you, but you can’t escape to the outside and expect to live. To quote Ridley Scott’s “Alien” (1979), “In space, no one can hear you scream.”
Who said horror movies are only an autumn tradition? Mix Halloween and the Christmas season together to get Michael Dougherty’s “Krampus” (2015). It encompasses all of the festivities and excitement of the winter holidays, but with the added edge of an ancient Bavarian beast who prowls for naughty kids around Christmas time. Grab your gingerbread men and eggnog and watch this with your friends this holiday season.
Honorable mentions (in order of ascending scariness) go to “It” (2017), “The Purge” (2013), “House of Wax” (2005), the T.V. show “American Horror Story” (2011-present), and, by popular demand, Tyler Perry’s “Boo 2! A Madea Halloween” (2017).
Whatever your autumn plans entail, make time for you and friends to properly get into the Halloween spirit with snacks and a spine-tingler.