So Halloween season has just ended, and for the first time, I managed to pull off the watch at least one horror (or horror adjacent- depends on your definition) film for each day of the month- I got to 37 in the end and also was watching a TV show with horror vibes too (Agatha Along- and just for next Marvel ranking as it will be up there as I LOVED it). I figured to help others who might try this, I'd give a brief rundown of what I watched and whether it is any good, and then a brief list of some faves in the horror genre for me- the best franchise, the horror film I'd most recommend to everyone (including non horror people), the horror film I'd most recommend to horror people, and the best final girl. Also a few random "I'd die on this hill" horror opinions I hold.
Before we start, to flag my favourite pocket of horror is horror with meta/comedy vibes, and I do not do torture porn for a collection of reasons nor do I do home invasion as it wigs me out too much- so get ready for zero opinions on the Saw franchise or Funny Games or similar, and lots of more funny, self aware things.
Film 1- The Night House (2020)
What is scary- Ghosts
General or non horror people content warning- suicide, violence against women, one jump scare, and a bit of blood at the end
Plot- In the week following her husband's suicide, Beth (Rebecca Hall) starts seeing creepy things and hearing voices in the night at the lake house that the couple owned and her dead husband built, and she starts to question how much she knew her husband.
Short review- Entertaining and the whispered ghost voice in the middle of the night was the thing that most interrupted my sleep of anything I watched as it was creepy and effective. That said I didn't love the ending.
New to me or not- first watch and though I didn't hate it (I gave it 3.5 on Letterboxd) I'm unlikely to rewatch.
Where did I watch it- Disney+
Film 2- The Omen (1976)
What is scary- creepy devil child
General or non horror people content warning- gaslighting, angry dogs, angry apes, and one scene where someone gets a leg stuck on a fence post (otherwise not bloody at all). Also if you don't love abortion as a plot line, it does come up.
Plot- The US Ambassador to Rome (Gregory Peck) gets a random spare baby from a creepy Catholic hospital when his own baby dies at birth and tells his wife that it is their baby (she never knows that first baby died). Five years later in England (as the Ambassador's post changes to England) at the child's fifth birthday party, his nanny hangs herself off the roof of their mansion and an angry dog shows up. The next day, a priest shows up at the Ambassador's office and rants about the blood of Christ and the child in a way that makes not much sense, and also a new nanny shows up out of nowhere and seems to be encouraging some of the more questionable things that the child is doing.
Short review- well I get so many of the reference in one of my favourite books now, Good Omens borrow a chunk of its plot from this film. Otherwise, this film is unintentional camp as all get out, and that is fun. The deaths are largely bloodless and I found more than one of them a little funny.
New to me or not- oddly a first watch as it is such a classic (that will be a theme I will say- watched a lot of classics). Would definitely rewatch after a wine or two even if I thought The Night House was a better film- just for the camp vibes.
Where did I watch it- Disney+
Film 3- Victor Frankenstein (2015)
What is scary- I guess Frankenstein's monster but not really. This film is basically not scary
General or non horror people content warning- I think basically everyone could watch this but there are a few organs or body parts, and one re-animated dog
Plot- what if we broke Frankenstein... waiting jumping the gun on my dislike of this film... back to the plot. Igor (Daniel Radcliffe) is a man with a misalignment of the spine that has caused a hunched back, and he works at the circus in London. One night, Victor Frankenstein (James Mcavoy), a medical student comes to the circus and he sees Igor revive the trapeze artist. Igor leaves the circus with Victor who fixes his back and gets him to assist with his project to reanimate a body.
Short review- why and no come to mind. As a huge fan of the book, I still wait for a good adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and this is one of the worst I've seen. It tries to make Victor Frankenstein sympathetic and he isn't meant to be. Also spoilers, the monster is barely in this. I just question how they got the cast they did, aside from Radcliffe and McAvoy, they also have Charles Dance and Andrew Scott.
New to me or not- Definitely new and definitely never watching it again. The worst thing I watched all October.
Where did I watch it- Disney+
Film 4- Attack the Block (2011)
What is scary- aliens
General or non horror people content warning- racism, classism, a few jump scares, a wee bit of gore (not much though), animal death
Plot- in East London, a young nurse (Jodie Whittaker- pre Dr Who) is mugged by a gang of youths (led by a young John Boyega- pre Star Wars) on the way home from work. After she runs off, something falls from the sky and the youths kill it and take it to the grow house of the drug dealer they sell for in their council estate apartment block- where unbeknownst to them, the nurse also lives. After the youths head back to their own flats briefly, they are attacked by other aliens who look different to the first one and they flee back to the apartment block.
Short review- this was a lot of fun and also had a great underlying message about assumptions, racism, and classism. It is also funny at times, and the performances are great- which is interesting as most of the younger cast were unknowns who had not been in anything before (Boyega had but not most of the other actors playing the gang of youths). I will say I didn't watch much UK horror this October but what I did watch was a strong showing.
New to me or not- New and would definitely rewatch
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 5- House on Haunted Hill (1959)
What is scary- a haunted house
General or non horror people content warning- a jump scare or two but they are pretty mild as it is the 1950s after all, and a pretty toxic but very campy marriage.
Plot- an eccentric millionaire (Vincent Price) offers a random group of people $10,000 to spend a night in the house he has just brought which is meant to be very haunted as many people have died there.
Short review- is it Halloween season if you don't watch a Vincent Price film? This is high camp and full of those 1950s mid-atlantic accents that no human had naturally. Are there better 1950s horror films? Yes but I do enjoy this one a lot.
New to me or not- first rewatch of the season, and would rewatch again
Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime but it is in the public domain so basically you could find it anywhere
Film 6- Midsommar (2019)
What is scary- cultic rituals
General or non horror people content warning- I will say maybe skip this one if you don't like horror, but just to cover these, suicide, homicide (in a non campy horror, more realistic sense), drug use, rape (this is debated but I think it is), a super toxic relationship, misogyny, close ups of mutilated bodies, and lots of creepy tense daytime scares.
Plot- Dani (Florence Pugh) has just experienced a massive trauma. Though he was considering breaking up with her, her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), stays with her due to the trauma and when a Swedish exchange student in his doctoral program invites him and his two friends, Mark and Josh (Will Poulter and William Jackson Harper), to witness the midsommar rituals in the remote village in which he grew up (of the group, Josh is actually writing his thesis on midsommar rituals across cultures), Christian invites Dani to come. They arrive in Sweden and the village ends up being very remote. On the way into the village, they also meet two English tourists invited to the ritual by a friend of theirs. The rituals start and they are not what the American or English guests thought to expect and things get very disturbing.
Short review- I was ready not to love this as I will get to this in my "die on this hill" horror opinions but I didn't like the only other Ari Aster film I've seen, but I ended up thinking it was very good. It does get very disturbing and as mentioned, if you don't like horror don't watch this as a film to get you into the genre. I will call out the visuals, it is beautifully shot if at times that only makes it more disturbing. I also will say that Will Poulter's Mark is a character I disliked more than I have disliked a character in a long time as I could just imagine him being the worst sexist, elitist, entitled academic after finishing his doctorate. Also to say the real life horror that is Dani's trauma in the opening scenes of the film is harrowing and very difficult to watch.
New to me or not- new to me. Not sure I'd rewatch as it is very disturbing but it is also very good.
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 7- The Craft (1996)
What is scary- witches
General or non horror people content warning- suicide, many many creepy crawlies including spiders and snakes, animal death, racism, bullying
Plot- Sarah (Robin Tunney) moves with his widowed father from San Francisco to LA. At her new school, a group of three teen witches, Nancy, Bonnie, and Rochelle (Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True) are looking for a fourth for their coven, and on her first day at the school, Bonnie sees Sarah floating a pencil and the group asks her to join. Sarah is initially reluctant but after the popular boy in their class, Chris (Skeet Ulrich), spreads rumours about her, she changes her mind, and a coven is formed.
Short review- I was a 90s teen so you know I love The Craft (excepting the spider-y bit). It just nails the uncertainty of being a teen girl and the way teens lean into wish fulfillment. Fairuka Balk as Nancy is just everything... she goes all out and it is kind of campy OTT performance I love in horror.
New to me or not- definitely a rewatch- I would have first seen it in 1997 or 1998 on VHS, and I've seen it a few times since then.
Where did I watch it- SBS
Film 8- Beetlejuice (1988)
What is scary- ghosts and other supernatural beings
General or non horror people content warning- it is a kids' film so basically 100% watchable. I will say for my fellow arachnophobes, it starts with a spider (I went straight from The Craft to this so two spiders in a row)
Plot- A young couple (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) are spending their honeymoon fixing up an old house they have just bought. However, they die in a car accident and wind up haunting the house unable to leave it. A new family moves into the house- a venture capitalist type (Jeffrey Jones), his artist wife (Catherine O'Hara), and his goth teen daughter from his first marriage (Winona Ryder). The ghost couple wants the new folk gone so they call on the services of Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), an undead being who specialises in getting humans to leave houses and also just generally a dodgy fellow.
Short review- I love Tim Burton so I really enjoyed this. It is camp, it is fun, and if you were a kid, it might be a tad scary. Also anything that has Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton in it, you have generally sold me.
New to me or a not- oddly new to me. It is one of the few Tim Burton films I'd not seen. Would definitely rewatch.
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 9- The Babadook (2014)
What is scary- creepy monster hidden in shadows
General or non horror people content warning- a few jump scares, PTSD/grief, a super annoying child (kidding- not sure if it is the actor or the performance but I didn't like this kid), many cockroaches
Plot- Amelia (Essie Davis) is an aged care worker who lives in the suburban Adelaide with her primary school aged son. Her husband died in a car accident on the way to the hospital the night the boy was born. The child, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), is very socially awkward and has nightmares of boogeymen. One day, the boy finds a book in his house about the babadook and asks that Amelia reads it as a bed time story. The book ends up being very creepy and violent, and it seems to summon a presence into their house.
Short review- yes Aussie horror, yes female directed/written horror, yes Essie Davis. This film is now up there with WandaVision on my list of depictions of grief, and the performance by Essie Davis (who I'm a long time fan of) is just outstanding especially considering it is on her to largely carry the film. I will say the kid is annoying and you have been forewarned about that.
New to me or not- new to me and would rewatch (in fact I suspect it is one you would get more out of on a rewatch)
Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime
Film 10- Train to Busan (2016)
What is scary- fast zombies (as distinct from the slow ones)
General or non horror people content warning- much gore (it is zombies), and some neglectful parenting
Plot- Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) is a business man in Seoul, who has little time for his daughter, Soo-ahn (Kim Su-an). After he misses a singing performance of hers and accidentally buys her the same gift for her birthday that he has bought her previously, he begrudgingly agrees to take her to see her mother (his either ex or estranged wife) in Busan. They and others board the train the next day, and as it is about to depart the station, an ill woman runs onto the train. The woman becomes a zombie, and soon most of the passengers on the train are too.
Short review- though this wasn't the only non American film I watched this October, it was the only one not in English and I'm a bit of ashamed of myself for being remiss in not including more international fare especially as Japanese and Korean horror is normally very good. This film is great (I was on a really good run this day as I started with The Babadook and this was film two on a day of five straight up brilliant films). This was the most action-y of the films I watched as there is a lot of running from the fast zombies, and fighting the fast zombies- especially from Ma Dong-soek (or Don Lee as he is also known) who steals the film in one of the supporting roles. I'm normally a slow zombie not fast zombie person, so good work by this film in getting me onboard with the fast ones.
New to me or not- new to me and would absolutely rewatch as it was fun.
Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime
Film 11- Suspiria (1977) (note there is a remake which I've not seen)
What is scary- this is a bit of a spoiler as you don't know until later but it is witches
General or non horror people content warning- it is very fake but this film is VERY gory. Also creepy child and many maggots and a dog attack and a bat attack.
Plot- an American girl (Jessica Harper) shows up at a prestigious German ballet academy at night and sees another girl run away in the night, and after watching this, she is then barred entry to the school that night. The next day she returns and soon realises something is off with this school.
Short review- YES! Though this wasn't the best film as a film, that I watched this October, it was likely my favourite new to me film. It is the definition of camp. It is very over the top and brightly coloured (the blood, which there is a lot of, is basically orange paint). Also one of the fun wild facts about it is that it is completely dubbed- supposedly like many Italian horror films of this era (yes it is Italian), all the actors filmed on set in their original languages and it was chaos as people had to do things to signal that they had finished speaking so the next actor knew to start and then those who spoke English dubbed over their lines and for the non English speaking actors, an English speaker was bought in to dub theirs. Everything about this is just the kind of silliness I love whilst also being beautifully shot. Also if your ballet school doesn't have a room of razor wire, are you really running a ballet school?
New to me or not- as mentioned, new to me, and this is now one for a regular October watch
Where did I watch it- sadly it is not included in any streamer (except maybe Shudder which I cannot justify getting), I paid for it on AppleTV
Film 12- Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
What is scary- fake Dracula (this is basically Dracula but they didn't have the rights)
General or non horror people content warning-it is a silent black and white film, I would be shocked if anything scared you but I guess you could call maybe one scare a bit jumpy.
Plot- a young estate agent is sent to speak to a mysterious man about the purchase of some land in town- it is basically the plot of Dracula
Short review- I've not watched a silent film for many a year (since I was at uni) so it was good to get this in as a horror classic. A substantially better adaptation of Dracula than Victor Frankenstein was of Frankenstein- they combo some characters, move it to Germany, and change the ending but it still works. It is very well made and Max Schreck is creepy to watch as Count Orlok. I would say make sure you focus up as silent films can be hard to keep focus on if you are expecting sound, and it is worth the watch. It goes well for something over 100 years old (by over 35 years the oldest thing I watched this October).
New to me or not- new to me
Where did I watch it- Youtube- it is long since in the public domain. Be careful though, there are cut down or sped up versions out there- you want the 95 min version. Also I included the full title above but just search of Nosferatu and don't worry the cards between scenes are in English not German.
Film 13- Addams Family Values (1993)
What is scary- a serial killer
General or non horror people content warning- I saw this as a kid and didn't find it very scary but I guess I will say attempted murder (including of a baby by teenagers), and classism and racism by jerky camp people.
Plot- Morticia and Gomez Addams (Angelica Huston and Raul Julia) welcome a new baby to their family, Pubbert. After their teen/pre-teen children, Wednesday and Pugsley (Christina Ricci and Jimmy Workman), try to kill the baby, they decide to hire a nanny. Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) who is lonely and jealous of Morticia and Gomez's relationship instantly falls for the new nanny, Debbie (Joan Cusack). Wednesday and Pugsley think something is up with the new nanny and they get shipped off to camp. Meanwhile Debbie and Fester start a relationship.
Short review- This is my favourite piece of Addams family content, though I do also love the original black and white show, the first film in this series, and Wednesday. It is beautifully over the top and even when the plot could be seen as dark (e.g. Wednesday and Pugsley trying to kill their brother) it is very funny. I think there is a reason that Christina Ricci will always be Wednesday for a lot of people (me including) and it is this film as despite being quite young, she is brilliant. Also brilliant is Joan Cusack who steals most every scene she is in as arch villain Debbie. Though I question the need for a nanny in the Addams household- Morticia and Gomez, do what with their days?- I'm happy someone came up with the concept of them hiring one just as it means this film exists. Finally all the points for Gomez in the delivery room, who declares when asked if the baby is a boy or a girl, "It's an Addams".
New to me or not- yep I already mentioned, not new to me. I love this film and first saw it at age maybe 12, and have seen it a few times since.
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 14- Scream (1996)
What is scary- a mysterious killer
General or non horror people content warning- gore- the goriest kill is in the first about 5 minutes and especially in the final scenes there is a lot of blood and guts. Also shut shaming and peer pressure and jump scares and people using their phone as phone.
Plot- Sidney Prescott's (Neve Campbell) mother was brutally murdered a year ago and the suspected killer is in jail, however on the anniversary of her mother's death, two people at her school are also murdered. The killer seems to be targeting Sidney's school and possibly Sidney herself, so her friend Tatum (Rose McGowan) and the police department, ask Tatum's brother, Dewey (David Arquette), who is a deputy to watch out for her. Meanwhile suspicion falls on many people including Sidney's boyfriend, Billy (Skeet Ulrich), his best friend Stu (Matthew Lillard), and another member of their friend group, the horror film obsessive, Randy (Jamie Kennedy). In addition to this, the murders have brought the media to town including a journalist who claims the man jailed for Sidney's mother's murder is innocent, Gail Weathers (Courtney Cox).
Short review- this is a five star film from me. It has been up there as one of my top tier films (not just horror, but films full stop) since I was a teenager. When you watch a slasher, it can be the case that they are not rewatchable or that they aren't even watchable if you know who the killer/s is. I knew who was behind the murders before I saw this for the first time (I'm trying hard not to spoil now but as the film is shockingly nearly 30 years old, I suspect people know) and I think it might be my most rewatched horror film. It is very funny and very meta, and the more you watch other horror, the more you come back to this find more jokes/references. Also points to Neve Campbell and Skeet Ulrich who paired up on two of the best horror films of 1990s between this and The Craft - in the same year, both of them were 1996 films. I will say as friends got confused lately when I said it was funny, never forget it is a horror film and is at points quite gory so if you don't do gore, maybe not for you.
New to me or not- I already said it is likely my most rewatched horror film and I watch it every October, and also every time a new film in franchise drops.
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 15- Scream 2 (1997) (yes we are about to be on a Wes Craven run- get ready)
What is scary- a mysterious killer
General or non horror people content warning- gore. Also jump scares and people using their phone as phone.
Plot- The high school aged survivors of Scream are now in college and when killings start on campus, the adult survivors of the first film join them as does Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) the recently released man who was originally wrongly accused of killing Sidney Prescott's mother. New to the mix are Sidney's college boyfriend Derek (Jerry O'Connell), his best friend Mickey (Timothy Olyphant), Sidney's roommate Hallie (Elise Neal), and a local reporter who is following Gail around (Laurie Metcalfe).
Short review- that plot was hard to write without spoilers of the first film, basically I'm only mentioning survivors from the previous film if they are on the poster for the next one- the poster for Scream 2 features Sidney, Gail, and Dewey. Again I love this film. It is a sequel that is not a significant drop in quality from the first film and it actually features a kill that is for me one of the most terrifying kills in any slasher (the first one in the bathroom at a cinema).
New to me or not- definitely not, I saw it at the cinema and I've seen it many times.
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 16- Scream 3 ((2000) (you might have guessed that)
What is scary- a mysterious killer
General or non horror people content warning- gore (though much less than the others in the franchise). Also jump scares and people using their phone as phone. STRONG parallel proto Me Too vibes.
Plot- Sidney after the events of the first two films is living in relative isolation. The third film in in universe Stab films is being made and it is the first in the series not to be based on the events of Sidney's life as written up in books by Gail Weathers. Dewey is working as a security guard on the set of Stab 3 and dating the film's version of Gail, Jennifer Jolie (Parker Posey). When people associated with the film start being murdered, Gail comes to LA and due to her connection with films, the police detective on the case (Patrick Dempsey) asks her to help with the investigation.
Short review- again not spoilers that this features Sidney, Dewey, and Gail- they are on the posters and this is the point at which they are basically the final trinity of the Scream franchise but from here on out, no giving away who survives (yes there are more Screams coming and though there are some posters with characters on for 4-6, the main posters didn't feature them). This film is written off by a lot of people who love horror as the violence is toned down and the humour dialed up. Personally I have a soft spot for it between Parker Posey's amazingly OTT performance (one of my favourite performances of the franchise), Carrie Fisher's cameo (the cameos in this film aren't needed but I love them), and the way in which it, as a film produced by the Weinsteins, has a critique of abuse of young actors by producers (when MeToo happened one of the stars of this very franchise, Rose McGowan, spoke about her abuse at the hands of Harvey Weinstein). I will own it is a weaker film than most of the franchise (though it is not my least favourite) but it still will always have a place in any regular rewatch of this franchise for me.
New to me or not- again not new to me. I have rewatched it many times and saw it at the cinema when it was first released.
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 17- Scre4m (2011) (aka Scream 4)
What is scary- a mysterious killer
General or non horror people content warning- gore- LOTS of it. Also jump scares and people using their phone as phone.
Plot- back in the town of Woodsborough (where the original film occurred), Sidney's cousin, Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts), is at high school and much like happened to her cousin, people start getting murdered at her high school. Jill's friend group includes Robbie and Charlie who are both film nerds (Robbie is live streaming his whole life), Kirby who is a film nerd who is somehow too cool to be a film nerd, and Olivia. Jill is also estranged from her boyfriend, Trevor, who keeps trying to contact her.
Short review- this is my least favourite of the franchise, and it is all down to one scene, the death of Olivia. We know next to nothing about her before she dies (as you might have picked up from my character description above) and she has the most gruesome death in debatably the whole franchise and it isn't even just the death as we see Ghostface kill her but then they go back and mutilate the corpse before it is found and that scene just doesn't sit well with me (which I know sounds weird when speaking about a slasher film). Still not the worst horror film as this franchise is so strong but something is a bit off for me. I can see what they were trying to do with this attempted reboot of the franchise but I don't think they fully succeed as even the motives fall flat (I will say that happens in the next entry too) for the killer/s. Anyhow not to dump on this as it is the last film directed by a master- it is Wes Craven's last film- and it is not dreadful just not fully my cup of tea.
New to me or a rewatch- I saw it at the cinema when it first came out- this was my first rewatch
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 18- Scream (2022) (aka Scream 5)
What is scary- a mysterious killer
General or non horror people content warning- gore. Also jump scares and people using their phone as phone.
Plot- 11 years and many Stab films after the events of Scre4m, Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) is attacked by a Ghostface in her house in Woodsborough and hospitalised. Her sister, Sam (Melissa Barrera), and Sam's boyfriend (Jack Quaid) come to see her. Sam reveals that she knows that she is the daughter of Ghostface from the original Woodsborough murders (aka the events of Scream (1996)). It is identified that the new Ghostface is going after those with links to the previous murders (they went for Tara because of Sam), and they identify in Tara's friend group, two relatives of Randy and one relative of someone from Scre4m (who is also themselves still alive).
Short review- I think the Scream requels are quality especially this first one. Though a killer might be obvious to some people, it is still a solid film and has more commentary on both franchises and films generally than the fourth film - I also find the fourth the least meta (again points against it). I don't love the motives of Ghostface BUT massive points to the franchise for the guts to kill off a huge legacy character in this one. I like the introduction of Sam who is a great character and Mindy who is my favourite character of the requels. Finally in a franchise that doesn't recycle killers (well hasn't yet), Sam's ghost/visions are a genius way to bring back a Ghostface in a different way to other slasher franchises.
New to me or not- I saw it in cinemas and again just before Scream VI came out so third watch (also to just say I didn't avoid Scre4m when Scream VI came out- it was just not on streaming at the time)
Where did I watch it- previously Scre4m was the hard to find film of the franchise, now it is Scream 5. It isn't on a streamer subscription. I paid to watch it on Amazon Prime.
Film 19- Scream VI (2023)
What is scary- a mysterious killer
General or non horror people content warning- gore (more than 5, less than 4 but only just). Also jump scares and people using their phone as phone.
Plot- most of the survivors of Scream (2022) have relocated to New York. Two film students at the college some of them go to decide to kill their film studies professor, only to both be killed by a Ghostface right after one of them commits the murder. As the survivors from the last film are still recovering from those events, they start to get paranoid about the new people in their lives and wondering if any of them could be a Ghostface. In addition to this, the police notice that the killer/s is using masks worn by previous Ghostfaces.
Short review- this film had big shoes to fill with one major legacy character dead in the last film and another not in this film due to contract disputes for that actor (they will be back in VII or 7 or however they style that). I saw this film for the first time right before I headed to New York for the first time and boy did I not need that subway scene in my head on the subway. The subway scene and the ladder scene are some of the tensest scenes in the whole franchise and are staged brilliantly. The cast without some of the longer standing franchise characters is still solid and I got the motives of Ghostface and thought it gelled more with the motives we saw in 1-3. I do think they left too many people alive at the end especially as some of them were stabbed a lot, but that is my biggest qualm- I love/hate the fact that the franchise keeps so many people alive (great for character development but does drop the stakes a tad), and it was just a few too many people left breathing in this one.
New to me or a rewatch- first rewatch since seeing at the cinema last year.
Where did I watch it- Foxtel (oddly unlike Scream (2022) it is on streaming)
Film 20- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) (you thought I was done with Craven or franchises he started, think again)
What is scary- a mysterious killer that hunts you in your dreams
General or non horror people content warning- gore including a full on blood fountain, didactic morality, deaths made to look like suicide, stalking vibes, neglectful alcoholic parenting.
Plot- Tina has a dream where a man with a burned face and a glove with knives on the end (Robert Englund) attacks her, and she wakes up with her nightgown ripped where he slashed at her. The next day at school, she tells her friend Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) about it and about being scared to sleep and Nancy suggests Tina stay at her house. That night, they are joined by Glen (baby, crop top wearing Johnny Depp), Nancy's boyfriend, who was invited as Nancy's absentee alcoholic mother isn't around, and Rod, Tina's boyfriend who shows up unannounced. Before Rod shows up, Nancy reveals that she has been having similar dreams to Tina. That night, Tina is violently killed in her sleep and Rod is suspected of the murder.
Short review- this is a classic for a reason. It is what you want from a slasher. It is violent but comedically so- especially the blood fountain death (not giving away who that is). Englund is the height of creep as Freddy- before he gets funnier in later films. The title of this post, "I'm into survival", is a quote from Nancy in this film and is now up there with "Not in my movie" that Sidney Prescott says in Scream as one of my favourite final girl lines. Nancy generally is now up there with my favourite final girls mainly for that line and full on Home Alone treatment she gives her house in the later scenes. Warning though, the bath tub scene.... terrifying.
New to me or not- this one is new to me. Freddy terrified me as a child thanks to a primary school friend and so I avoided it in my teens, and then it has largely been unavailable in Australia since the demise of video stores. Would definitely rewatch.
Where did I watch it- on friends' bluray. It isn't on any streaming service even at cost and hasn't been for years.
Film 21- A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
What is scary- a mysterious killer that hunts you in your dreams
General or non horror people content warning- gore- again quite a bit including some with S&M overtones, body horror, bullying, and depending on your read, some rampant homophobia or a really unhealthy coping mechanism for denying your sexuality (I mean I know the LGBT+ community has embraced this film to a degree but on its face not great)
Plot- Jesse (Mark Patton) has moved into the house previously occupied by Nancy from the first film. He starts to have dreams featuring Freddy Krueger. At school he is picked on by some students, and clearly seems to have a crush on a male friend (though the film wants you to think he is interested a female classmate but there is no chemistry there and script does nothing to develop it). Freddy starts to try and inhabit Jesse's body so that he can come into the real world and kill people.
Short review- this is quite a step down from the first film. It is not subtle in portraying Jesse as gay and in denial of his sexuality and Freddy as a manifestation of his sexuality. If you aren't looking for the camp, it is more than a wee bit homophobic.That said it is super camp which does balance things out a bit.
New to me or not- First watch
Where did I watch it- again on a bluray as it ain't on streaming even at cost
Film 22- Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street (2019)
What is scary- homophobia in Hollywood
General or non horror people content warning- homophobia, gaslighting
Plot- Documentary of the impact of making A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge on the lead actor, Mark Patton. The film's overt gay overtones basically ruined his career as he was an out but not very openly so gay man in the midst of the AIDS crisis who was trying to prove he could be a lead actor, but lack of subtly in the script made him an actor who it was thought could only play gay characters and that was basically the end of his career. In addition to this, the creative team behind the film actively blamed him for bringing the gay undertones (they are not under, they are over) to the film even though other actors claimed they were obvious in the script and informed their performances. Mark Patton ultimately quit acting but now with the resurgence of the film in the LGBT+ community, he has started engaged with fan conventions and the like.
Short review- This documentary is narrated by Cecil Baldwin is in the main actor in the Welcome to Nightvale and hosts Random Number Generator Horror Podcast Number 9 both podcasts I love, and it is great. It is interesting to see the impact of one not particularly good film on an actor's career and the way they can find their way back to it due to a change in the fan base and a reassessment of the film.
New to me or not- First watch
Where did I watch it- unlike the Freddy films, this is findable. I paid to watch it on Apple TV
Film 23- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
What is scary- a mysterious killer who hunts you in your dreams
General or non horror people content warning- gore. Suicide, drug addiction, mental health struggles, a little body horror
Plot- Kristen (Patricia Arquette) has dreams of Freddy and he makes it look like she has attempted suicide. Her parents decide to place her in a mental health facility where she meets other teens who have seen Freddy and whom he has made to look like they have attempted suicide. It turns out that Kristen has the power to bring other people into her dreams and each of the other teens have powers they can link into whilst asleep, so they decide to try and use their powers to defeat Freddy.
Short reviews- This is better than Part 2 but not as good as the first film as it has a vibe of a superhero film gone wrong (that said it is what The New Mutants wishes it was). Very over the top and silly especially when the teens in their dreams declare their powers. It is fun but not a great film
New to me or not- First watch and would rewatch.
Where did I watch it- again bluray
Film 24- Slotherhouse (2023)
What is scary- killer sloth
General or non horror people content warning- teeny amounts of blood, young women being toxic
Plot- Emily wants to be president of her sorority as her mother was, but she doesn't have enough social followers to bring down Brianna who is at present the only person running. When she stops a runaway dog at the mall and gives it back to its owner, a random guy talks to her about loving animals and how he has a sloth that he is looking to sell (he is an illegal exotic animal dealer, it turns out). Ultimately Emily decides to get the sloth, but when she shows up at the man's house, he isn't there and she just takes the sloth. The sloth is a hit on socials but at the same time, girls at the sorority start disappearing.
Short review- this film is capital all letters DUMB, but is also fun. If you have some wines, it is very funny and stupid. Also the sloth puppet is really cute, and if you don't love horror, it is not very violent.
New to me or not- first watch and would rewatch as long as I had wine
Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime
Film 25- The Substance (2024)
What is scary- getting older
General or non horror people content warning- BODY HORROR, gore, sexism, ageism, close ups of gross eating and food, dehumanising close ups of people
Plot- Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is a former actor who now hosts an aerobics program. She has just turned 50 and her boss (Dennis Quaid) fires her so they can hire someone younger. After being fired, she winds up in a car accident and when she is in hospital the nurse gives her the USB for something called "The substance" and tells her that she would be a good candidate. Elisabeth watches the video on the USB which talks about being a younger and more attractive version of yourself, but repeatedly also that both people "are one". Initially Elisabeth dismisses this, but she ultimately orders "the substance". "The substance" involves creating a new person out of your body (I won't describe how) and then swapping between bodies every seven days. Sue (Margaret Qualley) is the younger body that Elisabeth creates and the first thing she does is get hired as Elisabeth's replacement on her aerobics show. For the first week, the swaps go fine even though Elisabeth is bored with nothing to do on her days, however soon Sue starts trying to be in her body more than seven days and things start to go awry for Elisabeth.
Short review- My second female directed horror of the watch. This is about the most visceral film I've seen in a bit (and was even more than the Cronenberg I watched this October) and it is at times very gross- I was more grossed out by close ups of food and eating than the body horror. It is a painful reflection of the ageism and sexism of Hollywood, and though it didn't work for a friend of mine who watched it, the way the camera gets awkwardly close to Qualley in some of her scenes worked for me to make Sue a thing not a person in the eyes of the cameras watching her. Demi Moore's uninhibited performance as Elisabeth might be the best of her career and Margaret Qualley is having a great year- I've seen her in very different roles in this, Kinds of Kindness, and Drive-away Dolls and she was amazing in all of them. This film is one of two horror films I've seen this year that I think are bound for uni curriculums in the near future- the other being I Saw the TV Glow.
New to me or not- it is still at the movies, of course it is a first watch. May rewatch in the future as it is quite good.
Where did I watch it- at the cinema
Film 26- It Follows (2014)
What is scary- a mystery possession/ creature
General or non horror folk trigger warning- deaths are a bit violent not that there are many, creepy stalker vibes, drugging
Plot- A girl runs out of her house having a apologised to her parents, and her mutilated corpse is found the next day. Cut to Jay (Maika Monroe) a college student who is hanging out at home with her sister and her sister's friends who ask her to hang out with them that night, which she declines to go on a date. On her date, the guy she is with starts to act paranoid and it seems as if people are watching him. The next day she goes on another date with him and they have sex and then he drugs her. She watches up tied to a chair and he explains to her that something is now stalking her and looking to kill her, and that he passed on this curse to her through sex so it is in her best interest to pass it along soon as the creature/possessed people will come for him if she dies.
Short review- the stalking element of this film are quite effective though it does lose points for the tactic that is used to try to stop the thing which is silly (I mean the pool if you know what I'm talking about) and also the sexually transmitted element which does harken back to the trope of 70s/80s horror where sex meant death. It is very creepy and the performances from the actors who are unknowns are very good though.
New to me or not- This was a first watch
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 27- Carrie (1976)
What is scary- you pick, either psychic powers or the worst mother ever or bullying
General or non horror folk trigger warning- so much blood. Also abusive parenting, bullying, pig death, creepy male gaze approach to film making.
Plot- Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) gets her period as a sixteen year old for the first time and doesn't know what it is, so is bullied by her classmates. When she gets home, her mother Margaret (Piper Laurie) tells her that having her period is a sin and locks her in a cupboard. The next day at school the other girls get in trouble for bullying Carrie and are put on detention, when one of them, Chris (Nancy Allen), refuses to do detention she is banned from attending prom. Chris and her boyfriend (young John Travolta) plot revenge on Carrie. Meanwhile Sue, another girl who bullied Carrie, feels guilty for doing so and asks her boyfriend, Tommy, to take Carrie to the prom to make Carrie feel better. Meanwhile, Carrie appears to be developing psychic powers.
Short review- once you get past what might be the creepiest male gaziest scene ever filmed that is the opening sequence in the girls' locker room, this is a great film. The performances, especially Laurie but also Spacek, are amazing. I'm not sure if Stephen King originally wanted Carrie to be the villain (suspect he did to a degree) and you might read it that way, but the real villain is her mother and Laurie is over the top and terrifying in the film. I also can't see Carrie as a villain due to the villainy of Chris who is a truly horrid human. I have heard that there are readings of the film that see Carrie as neuro-divergent and I think that is an interesting read that is worth exploring as even setting aside her mother's abuse, there is something about Spacek's Carrie that is very child like.
New to me or not- again oddly a first watch. I might skip the creepy opening sequence on a rewatch but I would rewatch
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 28- From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
What is scary- vampires (but slightly weird looking ones)
General or non horror content warning- bit of gore- most of the vampire blood is green, the human blood is the problem. Quentin Tarantino's foot fetish. Rape and sexual assault. Gun violence. Nudity. A side of racism, sexism, and ableism.
Plot- Seth (George Clooney) and Richie (Quentin Tarantino) Gecko are bank robbers. Richie, who is also a convicted murderer and sex offender, has recently helped Seth escape from prison in Texas and they are fleeing to Mexico. They take a hostage but Richie rapes and murders her (thankfully off screen) and they are stuck with no transport, so they kidnap a family for their RV. The family is a disillusioned recently widowed minister, Jacob (Harvey Keitel), and his two teenage children, Kate and Scott (Juliette Lewis and Ernest Liu). Richie instantly takes a creepy interest in Kate and her feet (urgh why Tarantino- keep that to yourself). They get across the border and stop at the all night strip bar for truckers that their contact in Mexico said to meet him at in the morning. Once they are in the bar, Seth who is normally the calmer and much less violent (he only kills people when necessary for his robbery or when they threaten him or Richie) of the Geckos almost gets into a fight, and he and the teenagers start drinking. A dancer called Santanico Pandemonium (Salma Hayek) comes to the stage and does a dance with a snake that captivates Richie. A fight breaks out and it turns out the bar staff and dancers are all vampires and Santanico Pandemonium kills Richie.
Short review- You'd think from all the content warnings, I might not like this and you'd be wrong. I'm a big fan of Tarantino (aside from his creepy feet thing) and he wrote this, and also of Robert Rodriguez who directed this. It leans into the pulpy 70s vibes and hits the nail on the head. I normally question Tarantino as an actor (stick to writing and directing) but he is effectively creepy as Richie who to my mind is worse than the vampires. I also often dislike Juliette Lewis but I like her here. This film is very silly and fun.
New to me or not- I own the DVD. I've seen it is few times
Where did I watch it- Stan
Film 29- Night of the Living Night (1968)
What is scary- slow zombies (original variety) (also I use the word "ghoul" below as George A Romero called them this- even though they are basically what we now think of as zombies in films)
Content or non horror viewer warning- there is a bit of eating some organs, evil society, racism
Plot- Barbara (Judith O'Dea) and his brother are attacked by a shambling ghoul when laying flowers on their father's grave. Barbara escapes and runs toward a house where she finds Ben (Duane Jones). Barbara sinks into a state of shock and is of no help as he boards up the house. They are getting updates from radio as they come through and it appears the whole of America has been taken over by ghouls. Ben hears a noise in the basement and two men emerge from it. It turns out there are a younger couple, and a middle aged battling couple and their sick daughter hiding in the basement. Some of the group band together to see if they can get away from the house and the ghouls.
Short review- though Suspiria was my favourite new to me film of this October, this was the best film as a film that I saw. It is very well done especially considering the tiny budget that it was on, and the scare both of the zombies and of people being horrid is right there. The scenes I found creepiest and stayed with me the most of all the films I watched were in this and the next film- the closing scenes in the credits of this film are chilling, and I know Romero said that the character of Ben wasn't intended to necessarily be black and Duane Jones just gave the best audition (colour blind casting in the 60s that is a surprise), but having the character be black just makes these scenes even more gripping.
New to me or not- as mentioned, new to me. Definitely would rewatch
Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime. That said, in the public domain (always has been due to copyright/licensing mix ups when it first came out) so you can find it lots of places. I would say the colourised version on Amazon is janky and I would say maybe find it somewhere in the original black and white.
Film 30- Under the Skin (2013)
What is scary- aliens
General or non- horror content warning- gore, attempted rape, nudity, child abandonment
Plot- A English young woman (Scarlett Johansson) drives around Glasgow picking up young men in a van. She lures them into a house for sex but they find themselves in a black void and sink into the floor.
Short review- This film is very sparse on dialogue and that adds to the creep factor. Johansson gives an amazing performance and though she is killing many young men, the performance makes you feel for the character as she gradually grows in sympathy for humanity. As mentioned above, this film had one of the most chilling scene of all the horror films I watched- which is the child abandonment scene I mentioned in my content warning, it is rough. I will also say that the ending of the film is a very difficult watch. On a personal note, this film made me miss Scotland as someone who spent time there. Anyhow it is brilliant but intense- as mentioned the UK horror on this watch was great.
New to me or not- I bought the DVD a while back but I never got to watching it, so this is the first watch. I could rewatch but I would need to psych myself up now knowing how bleak it gets.
Where did I watch it- SBS (it is also on Netflix if you are looking for it)
Film 31- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
What is scary- things being camp as all get out (if that scares you)
General or non- horror content warning- some of the language in the film is bit outdated so could read as homophobic but if you watch this as being a 1970s film it isn't, otherwise the death and then display of Eddie might be a lot if you are super not into any violence.
Plot- After getting engaged at their friends' wedding, Janet (Susan Sarandon) and Brad (Barry Bostwick) get lost when going to tell their old mentor about their engagement. They stop at a creepy old castle owned by cross dressing alien Dr Frank-n-Furter (Tim Curry) who is in the middle of building an idealised man.
Short review- this is one of my favourite film musicals. It is super dooper camp and super dooper fun, and no-one ever served like Tim Curry does in this film. So keen for next year as it is the 50th anniversary of its release and I cannot see there not being a big rerelease of the film (this film holds the record for longest cinematic run as it has basically always been on somewhere since it was first released, but somehow I've never seen it at the cinema).
New to me or not- I watch it every Halloween. I have seen it many, many times.
Where did I watch it- Disney+
Film 32- The Evil Dead (1981)
What is scary- demon possession and attack trees and zombies
General or non-horror content warning- it is GORY (some of the gore is stop motion and fake but still gore), also rape by a tree (yes you read that right), jump scares
Plot- A group of young people go to spend a weekend in a random cabin in the woods. They find bunch of things belonging to the cabin's former owner and they read out of a Sumerian book of the dead and it summons entities that start possessing them and the woods around them.
Short review- the budget of this film was basically nothing and the effects work is somehow brilliant. Raimi isn't here for character development or story telling, he is here to scare us. With the exception of Bruce Campbell's Ash, the characters are ploughed through (the film is less than 90 mins long) and there is just a bucket of gore and then some. If you don't do horror, this one ain't for you as the gore might be too much, but I really enjoyed it. I will also say, it made me appreciate one of my favourite horrors all the more as it heavily references Evil Dead.
New to me or not- again oddly new to me, 1000% would rewatch
Where did I watch it- paid to watch on Amazon- it isn't included in any streaming service
Film 33- The Thing (1982)
What is scary- aliens
General or non-horror content warning- again GORE (some stop motion but still gory), body horror, animal death, paranoia, very tense
Plot- a group of American scientists in Antarctica rescue a dog who is running away another group of scientists who are shooting at it from a helicopter. The dog it turns out is carrying an alien that has the power to morph into any living person or thing, and it kills all the other dogs, and starts to replicate the scientists and kill them.
Short review- John Carpenter just kills it at suspense. The scene where the scientists are testing who might be an alien is so tense and gets you so on edge. Again this ain't one if you don't do horror as it is well gory. If you get past the gore, it is a brilliant film and very suspenseful and scary.
New to me or not- again a classic I was watching for the first time (I knocked off so many of them this October), would definitely rewatch.
Where did I watch it- paid to watch on Amazon- isn't included in any streaming service
Film 34- Videodrome (1983) (went hard on films from around when I was born on the day I did back to back films 32-34)
What is scary- visions and possession
General or non- horror content warning- body horror (it is Cronenberg after all), S&M sex, some gore, depictions of snuff films/porn (it is very blurry and obscured, or cuts before you see much)
Plot- An executive of a sleazy TV company, Max (James Woods), in Toronto is trying to find new content that will be controversial enough to bring in an audience. Having turned down people offering him soft core porn, a man who gets to him content shows him a clip for Videodrome which is an illegal broadcast of snuff films that also include rape. Max gets obsessed with Videodrome and wants to get it on his channel. Later he goes on a date with a radio presenter (Debbie Harry- yes from Blondie) who is into S&M and she is so drawn to it that she goes to find where it is broadcast so she can audition and she disappears. Meanwhile Max starts to have creepy violent visions that include body horror.
Short review- not my favourite Cronenberg- that is existenZ- or the best- that is The Fly- but this is good even if the content is a lot. I have referenced body horror a few times so just to clarify for those who don't know, body horror is anytime in a horror film that a body gets manipulated in a way that is not normal- it could bulge, it could contort, it could morph, it could be (and often is) very bloody, and it could be something else appearing or acting like a body (it happens with a TV in this film). Cronenberg is basically the guy who made it a prominent element of modern horror as it is the big scare of his films. It is a good film that is very well made but I would stress read that content warning before you watch.
New to me or rewatch- another new to me classic. May not rewatch but there is other Cronenberg I would.
Where did I watch it- paid to watch on Amazon- isn't included in any subscriptions.
Film 35- Constantine (2005)
What is scary- demons
General and non-horror folks content warning- suicide, some violence (not super gory but a bit).
Plot- John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a demon hunter who is hoping to hunt and exorcise enough demons to balance out the fact he attempted suicide as a teen so that he does not go to hell. He can see demons unlike other humans. He meets Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) a police detective whose twin sister committed suicide with Constantine's name on her lips, and they start to dig into the suicide especially as Angela is sure her devote Catholic sister would not commit suicide.
Short review- there are some excellent components here- Tilda Swinton as a basically genderless Angel Gabriel, yes to all of that for example- but there is a lot that doesn't work- it is a bit overwritten, overlong, and some of the supporting performances weren't great and could have been cut. I would have preferred a more comic accurate Constantine (yes this is based on a comic) but I do love Keanu in all things. I will likely watch the sequel which is supposedly coming soon- though based on some things in this film, how Constantine is still alive, I don't know. On a comic book scale, worse than most MCU, better than most Snyder era DCEU. It is fun but it do drag.
New to me or a rewatch- new to me
Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime (it is also on Stan)
Film 36- The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
What is scary- ummm many things. I'll go with zombies but basically you think of a horror movie beast, it is here.
General or non-horror content warning- all the horror beasties (including very briefly a giant spider), a lot of gore, creepy surveillance vibes, problematic writer
Plot- A group of college kids go to a cabin in the woods on a trip. On the way, they encounter a creepy gas station attendant warns them about going to the cabin but they keep going. At the cabin, some of them are acting oddly- Jules (Anna Hutchison) who is pre-med is acting like a dumb blonde and his boyfriend Curt (Chris Hemsworth), a sociology student, is acting like a macho jock. Simultaneously (not a spoiler you meet these people before you meet the college kids), a group of scientists (lead by characters played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford) are manipulating what is happening to the college kids as part of some mystery ritual.
Short review- I love this film so much. It is super meta, and basically everything I want in a horror film. I mentioned above that seeing Evil Dead added to my appreciation of another film, this is that film as I knew the basic construct was a reference to Evil Dead but not the degree to which they are pulling from it. It is also hilarious- basically everything Fran Kranz's Marty says makes me laugh every time I watch this, especially the line "I dare you to make out with that...moose". Points for antipodes representation, I only watched one Australian film in October so here is a shout out to this having an NZ actor (Anna Hutchinson) and an Aussie one (Chris Hemsworth). I will warn it is quite gory. Finally if you avoid men in Hollywood who have been called out for being horrid, this film is co-written and co-produced by Joss Whedon.
New to me or not- Own the DVD (normally watch it on DVD because I don't watch Whedon getting even a fraction of a cent more cash from me) and have watched it many many times.
Where did I watch it- just for ease, Stan
Film 37- Get Out (2017)
What is scary- racism
General or non- horror folk content warning- racism (just saying it again), classism, mental manipulation, a wee bit of violence including one surgery shot in the final scenes
Plot- Chris (Daniel Kaluuya)'s girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), invites him to meet her family. He is very cautious from the jump as she has told him that he is the first black man she has dated and that she hasn't told her family that he is black. Rose assures him that her family are very inclusive of everyone and that her father "would have voted for Obama a third time" (something her father says to Chris word for word when he first meets him). On their way to her family's place, they hit a deer and end up interacting with an overtly racist cop. When they arrive, her parents present as liberals with buckets of white guilt, but something is off especially as they have two black servants who act strangely, their son is very intense and creepy, and suddenly there is a big event the next day that Rose appears to have completely forgotten about.
Short review- this is one of my all time favourite films, but it always chills me to my core and makes me feel very uncomfortable every time I see it which it should as I'm a white well-meaning leftie after all. I need that reminder that inherent bias is a thing, and that people of colour aren't a monolith, they are people- which is one of the huge problems with the way even well meaning white people speak about people of colour. It is also funny I should say, and it ain't very gory.
New to me or not- I saw this four times the year it came out (three times at the cinema) and I've seen it a few times since.
Where did I watch it- Stan
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That is all 37 films...
As suggested some recommends:
Best franchise- it is Scream. Most franchises are hugely variable which is why I've not gone beyond the first Friday the 13th or Halloween (I do at some stage want to watch Halloween 3 as it sounds hot chaos). There is no film in the Scream franchise that is worse the Alien: Resurrection or either Alien vs Predator, or even some of the Freddy's I watched this October. It is very consistent and even with the hate of 3 that exists, most people still agree it is watchable even just for Parker Posey.
Best horror for non horror folk- it is Get Out. Heaps of people I know who hate horror have got through it and thought it is great.
Best horror for horror folk- it is Cabin in the Woods. Basically if you are a horror fan who doesn't love this, clearly you and I have different taste and you might be a gross torture porn person.
Other horrors I would recommend- these are my five star horrors on Letterboxd aside from Scream, Night of the Living Dead, and Get Out (note for any that have been remade, I mean the original):
- The Shining- Stephen King adaptation- family goes on isolated holiday, father goes mad
- Silence of the Lambs- TBH I don't think this is horror but Letterboxd does. Crime procedural, FBI agent interviews convicted serial killer cannibal to help locate another serial killer.
- Alien- alien takes over ship and hunts for crew
- A Quiet Place- aliens have invaded earth and people must be silent as the aliens hunt using sound
- Psycho- after a woman steals from her employer, she stops at her creepy hotel
- The Host- Korean film- alien monster arrives in Seoul and starts chomping down on people
- Halloween- mysterious killer stalks baby sitters- one of the two best ever horror film scores IMHO
- Rosemary's Baby- woman gets mysteriously pregnant and also her neighbours might be cultists- other one of the two best ever horror film scores IMHO
- Let the Right One in- Swedish film- child vampire bonds with child who is not a vampire
Noting these are my best horrors as "films", there are others, like Cabin in the Woods, that aren't as good on a "film" scale but I would rank high as horror.
Best final girl- now I suspect you all think I'm going to say Sidney Prescott as Scream is my favourite franchise but no, it is one of the other Scream survivors. Gail Weathers is my favourite final girl. Why? Gail is everything that a final girl should not be, by all accounts she should have died early in the first Scream. Final girls (or male equivalents) are meant to be girl (or boy) next door types, they are meant to be virginal, they are meant to be likeable, and they are not meant to drink or swear. Gail drinks, smokes, and swears; she is hugely unlikeable; she doesn't seem to be virginal; and she is definitely not the girl next neighbour. Spoilers if you are trying not to know who survives in this franchise, but Courtney Cox's Gail Weathers now holds the record for survivor who has appeared in the most consecutive films in a horror franchise (I think it might be characters full stop not just survivors actually).
Clare's horror hills on which she will die on- these are very unpopular opinions but just saying The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Hereditary (2018) are not good and definitely not scary. Blair Witch was not helped by my not being a fan of hand held camera work but legit somewhere in the middle of them all yelling "Josh" a lot, I fell asleep for about five to ten minutes. It was in the cinema and I was SO bored that for the bits of the film where I was awake I was largely looking at my watch and thinking "when will this end". Hereditary I know a lot of people find deeply terrifying, but I found it derivative (especially of Rosemary's Baby) and not scary. Was the car crash a shock? A little. Was Toni Collette's performance good? Very much so, you can give a good performance in a bad film. Is it scary? No. Before anyone asks, yes I saw it at a cinema and not at home in my comfort zone, I still think it isn't good.
So that is some horror film ranting... some of these I might have made you curious about, some the opposite, please don't watch Victor Frankenstein as it do suck, and leaving you with some classic final girls (as this film madness was largely brought to you by Wes Craven slashers that seems a good place to leave things)
