5. Hush (2016) dir. Mike Flanagan

This indy gem is the perfect way to start October. Kate Siegel stars as Maddie, a deaf writer who lives in the middle of the woods alone. That’s right, the protagonist of this horror flick is deaf, which amps up the scares when she finds out she has a home invader. The film uses the character’s disability to its advantage and often has nearly silent scenes in it’s most intense moments. This feature of the film made me love it as a personal pet peeve of mine is when a horror film uses an overly intense soundtrack to tell the audience something is going to happen. Hush does the opposite, like the protagonist being antagonized by the intruder in her home, we have to rely only on what we see to tell us what is happening. By doing this director/writer Mike Flanagan can make a truly terrifying film without relying on gore or ominous violin music.

4. Salem’s Lot (1976) dir. Tobe Hopper

No horror film list is complete without a Stephen King entry. Although I was tempted to put the originally TV movie It (1990) on this list due to the recent hype over the reboot, Salem’s Lot is on another level of frights. In typical Stephen King fashion Salem’s Lot is about a small town in Maine, but in this story the town is slowly being taken over by vampires. When a writer, Ben Mears (David Soul) returns to his home town after leaving years before, he slowly discovers a sinister plot as the locals start acting strange or disappearing. Aided by a teenage horror buff, Mark Petrie (Lance Kerwin) the two begin to realize that newcomer Mr. Straker, played masterfully by the great James Mason, is not who he seems. If this film interests you I highly recommend reading the novel of the same name before watching it, as the slow sense of dread and horror is much more played out in the original text. And whatever you do, stay away from the Rob Lowe 2004 version.

3. Psycho (1960) dir. Alfred Hitchcock

As a film student I can’t in my good conscience leave Psycho off this list, it is one of Hitchcock’s best after all. And as famous as the shower scene is, there is so much more at play in this film, after all that is only one scene. The film follows Marion Crane, played by Janet Leigh, the mother of Jaime Lee Curtis, known better in the horror scene as the “Scream Queen,” who after embezzling money from her office, flees to meet up with her lover. Everything is working out for Marion until her fate is sealed at the “Bates Motel” where she meets Norman Bates, who has a complicated relationship with his mother to say the least. The rest of the film in typical Hitchcock style builds until the film ends with the audience on the edge of their seats wanting answers for the thriller rollercoaster they just watched.

2. The Cabin in the Woods (2011) dir. Drew Goddard

This film is the perfect example not to judge a book, or in this case a film by its color. When I saw the title, my first thought was “Oh great another slasher flick with a group of teens getting hunted in the woods.” And although I was not entirely wrong with thinking this, this film is that and so much more, literally. Similar to the last entry on this list The Cabin in the Woods takes everything you know about horror films and turns its on you. And although you don’t have to be a diehard horror fan to enjoy the film, it certainly helps with some of the dark humor. This film is the perfect one to watch with a group of friends to get into the Halloween spirit and is a great way to kick off a horror movie marathon this month.

1. Scream (1996) dir. Wes Craven

I know you might I have thought Halloween (1978) would have ended this list since I mentioned Jamie Lee Curtis earlier. But, I couldn’t end this list without adding my favorite horror movie, and one of my favorite movies of all time Scream. Like The Cabin in the Woods, Scream takes everything you know about slasher movies and throws it back in your face. It certainly helps that director Wes Craven helped invent these stereotypes with his Freddy Kruger films, which is exactly what makes this film work. Packed with Easter eggs and quick jokes for horror fans to enjoy, Scream creates the perfect mix of fright and mystery as the viewer is right there with the characters trying to figure out who the killer is. Neve Campbell stars as Sidney Prescott, a high school student who is haunted by her mother’s murder a year previously. From there we meet her group of friends, including film buff Randy Meeks, who admittedly many film students can see themselves in. After the murder of two students the night before, the town of Westboro is at a loss for who the killer could be, as is the viewer. From there the film takes off as the “Ghostface” killer finds more teenagers to kill, and all of the kills have something to do with Sidney. Could these murders a year later be connected to Mrs. Prescott’s murder that happened a year ago? Will Randy’s knowledge of the “three horror movie rules” help him and his friends be safe from the killer? You’re going to have to watch this classic slasher to find out.