My usual preference when it comes to celebrating Halloween is to get an ungodly amount of candy, a more godly amount of libations and a lineup of classic scary movies together and spend the night enjoying all of it. In the interest of that, here is a list of my favorite Halloween and/or dark/creepy movies as well as some good horror games, for anyone out there who wants to spend the evening indoors (heads up, most of these suggestions are somewhat older creations).

Movies:

1. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

This one is older, but it is one of my all-time favorite horror movies because it is so creepy. It is adapted from a novel written by Ira Levin (who is a great author, by the way), and the horror inflicted is more of a psychological nature, but it is a must-watch if you’re looking to get creeped out.

2. Silent Hill (2006)

This is another of my favorite horror movies. It is adapted from the game series by Konami and it is also pretty intensely creepy and psychologically disturbing, and there are some moments that make you squirm from the terrifying situations that the protagonist goes through.

3. The Babadook (2014)

This one is slightly more recent, and well apparently I just like psychological horror movies, because this movie, too, messes with your mind. It has a surreal, nightmarish quality to it, and the acting in it is rather good.

4. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Not necessarily a classic Halloween horror movie, but a good dark and creepy movie. Also based off a book, by the way.

5. The Shining (1980)

Again, not necessarily a classic Halloween movie, but intense and scary. Thank you, Stephen King, and then Stanley Kubrick (even though Stephen King hated your misogynistic adaptation, it is still a masterpiece).

6. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

A classic, and one of the original users of the “found footage” concept (i.e. hey we found this crazy tape out in the woods, let’s watch it, oh what a horrible end these people came to).

7. The Exorcist (1973)

No Halloween movie list would be complete without it. The book that it was adapted from is a great read, too.

8. Anything Tim Burton

I don’t think this one needs any explanation.

9. Coraline (2009)

A perfectly creepy movie, and who doesn’t love stop-motion?

Video Games:

1. Silent Hill 2 (2001)

Don’t let the age of the game fool you, this is a gem—gorgeous music and terrifying creatures abound, and while the graphics might lack, they sure managed to work around that well through their limitations of how you can explore the scary, scary world of Silent Hill (for example, you explore the dark and mists with a tiny little flashlight).

2. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (2005)

Are you someone who doesn’t like the idea of being chased? Then don’t play this game. It had my heart pounding. The whole game has so many references to H.P. Lovecraft if the reference wasn't obvious by the title.

3. Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010)

Stay out of the dark, or else you will lose your sanity and you will hallucinate (your character in the game, of course).

4. Layers of Fear (2016)

This one is a quick playthrough but it’s quite entertaining and it’ll make you jump.