Halloween is finally upon us! Terror games and goosebumps from ghoulish ghost stories surround us, pumpkin patches and costume parties overtake our weekend plans, horrifying haunts and dreadful darkness intensify the adrenaline rush this month / holiday brings to us; an adrenaline that I am proud to say I immerse myself in. Halloween is one of my all-time favorite holidays - I'm a "horror junky" as my roommate calls me, I love all things scary, suspense, and mystical. I've watched more horror movies, in this last year alone, than I can count and I've been to more haunted houses and farms than I can never list. I have so much knowledge in the Halloween season, which is why I have created a list of scary movies that I think everyone should watch, especially around Halloween. [No spoilers ahead.]

1. The Conjuring 1 & 2

This is based on the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators who investigated the real-life stories we hear about today. The movies take place in 1971 (One) and 1976 (Two) and follows Ed (played by Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (played by Vera Farminga) as they investigate the hauntings of a Rhode Island family (One) and in the sequel they travel to investigate the Hogsden family in England. From the very beginning of the movies, the audience is drawn in; simply from the eeriness of the situation and the anticipation of what to expect. Although the first one was good, I was jumped quiet a bit more and was all around more frightened in the second one, simply because the material was a lot darker and creepier. This is a great movie to watch if you love films that mess with your mind and challenge reality, just don't watch it alone.

2. Mama

I'm not going to lie, my best friends and our moms went to go watch this in theaters when it first debuted - and we were scared out of our minds. We lived in a small county town, calling our mother's "Momma" is a daily thing, and although the spelling is varied, we stopped referring to our mom's as such for at least two weeks. Mama was directed by Andrés Muschietti, it was derived from a previous short film by the same name of his released in 2008. Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster - Waldau star in the American adaption. The film tells the story of two young girls who were found abandoned in a cabin in a forest alone, but an entity was taking care of the girls; an entity the refer to as "Mama". That entity then follows the girls to their new home in the suburbs with their long lost uncle, and everything goes crazy from there. This movie soon became enticing because of the suspense and unsuspected jumps that occur all throughout, but it was the unsuspecting twists (especially at the end) it what kept me watching.

3. Anabelle

If you already fear dolls, or even if you don't (I did not), when you watch this film you're view will always lead back to one thought: "Dolls are the creepiest." Released in 2014 and directed by John Leonetti, this movie is a spinoff of the aforementioned Conjuring 1. It's a movie engrossed in detail, backstories, and real-life situations. I was beyond thrilled with this movie, and I can not wait until the sequel is released (reportedly 2017).

4. Sinister 1 & 2

This movie scared me more than any of the other movies on this list, when I first watched it theatrically in 2012; and again when I watched Sinister 2 in 2015. The first one is about a true crime-fiction writer who discovers a box of family films in his attic, that don't belong to him, and that soon puts the family in immense danger. From the very beginning of the family, we are introduced to the death that alludes the families in the films, and as the movie progresses and secrets become aware to the audience; we can't help but still feel bewildered at what is unfolding before our eyes. With the dramatic twists and turns and wild ending, its no wonder this movie made nearly $80 million in the box office. The second came in not too far behind at $52 million in 2015, as it tied in with the first one in some aspects, it presented its own uniqueness and earned it's own appreciation.

5. Insidious

Released in 2011, this movie now has a sequel (Insidious: Chapter 2), a prequel (Insidious: Chapter 3), and a fourth movie in the making (it will be taking place around the same time frame as the first film). This movie is directed by James Wan (director also of several of the movies above), and stars Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Barbara Hershey. The movie focuses on a couple whose son suspiciously enters a comatose state, and then is used by spirits who wish to inhabit his body and use him as a way to "live once again". It is full of screams, suspense, horror, and surprises all the way to the end - it's worth a watch. As are the next three in the series, but I'll let you see for yourselves.

Embrace the fear, screams, and horror - it awaits you.