8. Crimson Peak | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

9 Horror Movies For The Faint Of Heart

Chills and thrills for the anxious soul.

233
9 Horror Movies For The Faint Of Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oquZifON8Eg

In This Article:

Summer is ending, and you know what that means: it is now, legally, Halloween. If you're like me and can't handle the big scares, though, here are a few movies to suggest at your next scary movie night:

1. The Others

There is one type of horror movie I absolutely cannot handle. I can stomach monsters, I can handle serial killers, but I believe too deeply in ghosts to enjoy basically any kind of horror fiction about them. Except for The Others. The Others is, actually, one of my favorite movies. It presents itself as a standard horror movie - a woman and her children are introduced to their house's new servants and strange things begin happening soon after - but turns on its head as you begin to realize that what looks like a straightforward set of clues doesn't actually add up. It's a fun one to try and solve, and isn't too, too spooky in the end.

2. It Follows

If you don't like horror movies because you don't enjoy the suspense, this one probably isn't for you. Otherwise, though, It Follows features a clever, new monster for an audience that has grown accustomed to horror tropes. It Follows follows a girl trying to escape a creature invisible to all but the person its curse is inflicted upon, the victims of which must endure the creature as it follows behind them at a walking pace with certain death in the cards if they are caught. It's new, creative, and only frightening if you fear the sensation of being on the run.

3. Coraline

Coraline is the most terrifying children's movie ever made. It makes your skin crawl and keeps you unsettled for its entire duration. It's a girl trapped in the Upside Down who believes she's merely in Wonderland, a downward spiral that keeps me on edge long after it finds the bottom. It is perfect, however, for children. "It was a story, I learned when people began to read it, that children experienced as an adventure, but which gave adults nightmares," Neil Gaiman wrote in a Facebook post in 2011. "It's the strangest book I've written."

Adults see Coraline as a child living in a dangerous world with no means of escape. Children see Coraline as validation of the monsters they already believe are in the world and see themselves as Coraline, the hero of an adventure. It's a fascinating piece of writing -- worth the goosebumps, I think.

4. A Quiet Place

This is more of a post-apocalyptic, family-driven suspense film than a straightforward horror movie, but it is a monster movie. After an invasion of creatures who will attack anything that makes a sound wipes out the majority of the planet, a small family must find a way to survive without disturbing Earth's newest residents. It's got a few jump scares, but it's the silence in it that's most effective. Audiences watching this film often went as quiet as the characters had to be, only munching on popcorn when they knew they were safe. It's one of the most effective uses of sound in a film that I've seen, and a slightly less than terrifying one at that.

5. Cabin in the Woods

This one's a funny one. It's got some scares, but its main draw-in is the way it takes horror tropes and interrogates them through one of the oldest in the book: a group of friends meet extraordinary circumstances in what should have been a simple trip to a cabin in the woods. It's more psychological and clever than it is scary, and by the end has evolved from horror to sci-fi to thriller and back.

6. Get Out

If you haven't seen Get Out yet, you'd better have a pretty good reason. This Oscar-winning story about a young black man who discovers his anxiety over meeting his white girlfriend's family is more than earned is a tense, twisting thriller to the very end. As long as your horror movie fears don't stem from the idea that "humans are the true monsters" or you're afraid of deer, though, you should be able to withstand this new addition to the genre -- and you absolutely should.

7. Jennifer's Body

This truly was a comedy way ahead of its time. Sure, it's a horror film, but it's campy horror. It's over the top, high-school-girl-fueled horror. Unless guts and gore freak you out, you're in for a good time.

8. Crimson Peak

The ghost-fearing romantic heroine in me is reluctant to put this film on this list, but it deserves a mention. This Guillermo del Toro horror film follows a classic trope of gothic literature: an unsuspecting woman finds herself entangled in the dark and haunted (?) history of a brooding man. This time, though, the ghosts are very, very real. Crimson Peak is not only a very well-made piece of horror/adventure, but a brilliantly written love letter to the women of gothic literature as its fair skinned beauty becomes a 19th century ghost hunter.

9. What We Do In The Shadows

Or, if you really can't stomach any kind of horror but still want to join the fun, an honest comedy might be your best bet. Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi made this mockumentary about a group of vampire roommates in modern-day New Zealand, and it will sate your appetite for monsters without the scares.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

117152
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

24475
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

22836
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments