One of the best parts of the fall season is watching classic scary movies before Halloween.
Even though the films are not exciting compared to the modern horror movies filled with humor, overused CGI, loud music, and subtle and over the top scares, they are still watchable. The plots are interesting, characters are stereotypical, and monsters/killers are creepy, even though the special effects do appear less terrifying as they did when you first saw them. At the time, the crew behind "Halloween," "Friday the 13th," and "A Nightmare on Elm Street," did not have very expensive technology, but still made horror films that remain classics today.
The horror movies that I find the scariest are psychological ones. In my opinion, fear of the unknown is more terrifying than an actual ghost or demon. The more a creature reveals itself, the less scary it becomes, but the less you see of the monster/killer, it allows the fear to slowly build and create a better viewing experience.
As for the repetitiveness of the movies, this is due to the tropes. These include jump scares, which are just cheap ways to invoke fear the same way a tickle would get a laugh. These are often used more now than in past films and create less suspense. Having no cell phone coverage is another trope (when cell phones were created), but were just an excuse writers used to explain why the authorities never showed up. Other tropes include going to abandoned locations and the final girl surviving, but these mainly exist for original slashers.
Scary movies are like fast-paced, intense roller coasters with a few twists.
These are the horror films to check out around Halloween. Be sure to look for scary movies to stream on Netflix. They will get you into the Halloween spirit. To be honest, there are some films that have aged well, while others have not, but they are still good to watch because the movies could also give you something to discuss with friends.
At the time, these are the films that people loved because they were creative, and did well despite being made with a small budget. The earlier ones kicked off slasher films and made the tropes we see today, popular in the first place. Older horror movies are known for their standard plots, creepy vibes, eerie music, bad acting, and killers with tragic or unknown origins, but these are the elements that give them an identity and make them stand out.
Are horror movies that are not flawless, but still have plenty of scares, humor, and occasional twists ever boring? No, they are not.
These movies are not considered Hollywood blockbusters, but they were very successful during their decade, and do make the fall season more fun. No matter how you feel personally about these movies or the genre itself, Halloween becomes more exciting if you sit down with friends and watch a series of horror movies on the days leading up to the spooky holiday.