The month of Halloween is finally upon us. October is the month where we allow ourselves to be scared a little more than usual: going to haunted houses, visiting cemeteries at night, and watching scary movies. If you're looking to marathon some scary flicks and give "Netflix and chill" a spooky Halloween upgrade, here are 20 spine-chilling movies to watch this October:
1. Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock locked the doors of the set during the filming of this movie because he was so adamant about keeping the twist ending a secret.
2. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
A Wes Craven classic, this horror film features a young Johnny Depp.
3. Jaws (1975)
"You're gonna need a bigger boat."
4. The Shining (1980)
My personal favorite movie adaption of a Stephen King novel.
5. The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
"I'm having an old friend for dinner."
6. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The original will always be the best version.
7. The Mist (2007)
This movie will make you not want to go to Maine, ever. Though really most of Stephen King's stories will make you not want to ever visit Maine...
8. The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
It may be a cartoon, but this Disney adaption of the classic tale has always freaked me out.
9. Rear Window (1954)
Another Hitchcock masterpiece.
10. Predator (1987)
More sci-fi scary than spooky-scary, but still a great nerve-racking movie.
11. 28 Days Later (2003)
I'm not usually a fan of zombie horror, but this movie does it really well.
12. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Another Wes Craven classic, the original is way better than the 2006 version, though that one is definitely worth watching as well.
13. American Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale's character Patrick Bateman actually watches the aforementioned film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in one scene while he is exercising.
14. Beetlejuice (1988)
Adding some humor to the horror. Bonus: Alec Baldwin at his raven-haired, blue eyed finest.
15. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
A film based on the Broadway musical.
16. Donnie Darko (2001)
This is technically a science fiction drama and not a horror movie, but the chilling soundtrack and a Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as a troubled teenager with recurring visions make it excitingly scary to watch.
17. Frankenstein (1931)
Many movies have been inspired by Mary Shelley's iconic novel, but this classic version remains one of the most chilling.
18. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Like Frankenstein, the story of the doctor with a dark side has inspired many film adaptions, but the 1931 version remains one of the most effective, with Fredric March winning an Oscar for the title role.
19. The Birds (1963)
This movie doesn't have a soundtrack, yet artfully demonstrates Hitchcock's skillful sense of suspense in what he referred to as potentially "the most terrifying motion picture [he] ever made!"
20. Halloween (1978)
A necessary inclusion on any list of scary movies to watch in October.
