Yes, the Babadook may possibly be one of the best horror characters of all time and The Conjuring is a great film to enjoy during the spookiest month of the year. However, everyone has most likely already watched them at least once.
While oldies are still goodies (especially during Halloween), it’s still nice to watch a refreshing, original film. All of the movies on the following list are available on Netflix, so get ready to binge watch the best horror films of the season that may actually be completely new to you, for once!
1. Holidays
What better way to get into the Halloween festivities than to watch eight short, disturbing, sometimes gory tales of multiple holidays? My personal favorites in this piece are “Father’s Day”, which deals with a woman on a frightening quest to find her long lost dad after receiving a package from him, and “Valentines Day”, an actually kinda funny yet still horrific story of the power of rejection. And don’t even get me started on the Jesus Bunny portrayed in the Easter anecdote.
2. Creep
While the picture above may look odd and tbh kinda funny, this film about a freelance photographer shooting a documentary for a dying father to show his soon-to-be-born son turns dark REAL. FAST. Just another reason to never trust a Craigslist post, this piece thrives on jump scares and creepily prolonged stares into the camera: a trustworthy combination for any horror movie.
3. The Invitation
If you like your horror movies the way you like your melted chocolate--slowly, slowly burning until it reaches a scorched point of no return- then The Invitation is for you! A man is forced to reunite with his ex and her new husband, but their awkward social encounters are definitely not the only scary aspect of this film. You won’t really know what’s going on until it hits you like a wall of bricks and there’s nothing left to do but watch in shock.
4. It Follows
Just thinking about this film makes me want to cautiously look behind my shoulder. It Follows is probably the most popular movie on this list, however it is V underrated and every time I mention it to someone they have no idea what I'm talking about. The premise is admittedly strange-a weird STD plagues a woman, causing random strangers to follow her in an attempt to kill her--but the mood and impending dread revolving around the entire film practically induce a heart attack. Jumpscares are scarce, but you won’t realize you’ve been holding your breath until the film ends.
5. Raw
My personal favorite on this list, Raw revolves around an incoming college freshman who sacrifices her lifelong vegetarianism to participate in a hazing ritual. One taste of meat leads Justine, the main character, to crave much more dangerous meals than a burger. This film is French, but reading the subtitles is way worth it. While Raw is considered a horror film, there are many other aspects to it--from female empowerment to the struggles of beginning college--that make it so much more interesting and full of depth. Well, and the whole cannibalism part is pretty wild, too.
Happy Halloween!