Horror movies are a staple for the spooky season! If you’re looking for some new horror movies or just revisiting some old ones, we’ve got a great selection for you.
Ella’s Recommendations
Scream
Starting the list off with a Halloween classic! Scream is my all-time favorite horror movie. I rewatch it every Halloween and have even dressed up as characters from the movie with my younger sister! I also had the pleasure of meeting David Arquette, who plays Dewey, twice last year. The film, with a cast of many incredible actors (including my celebrity crush Matthew Lillard), is just so good and could be talked about for hours. Directed by horror icon Wes Craven, this feature film recounts the mysterious deaths happening in Woodsboro, California, by a masked killer known as “Ghostface.” He makes phone calls, asking the iconic line “What’s your favorite scary movie?” before killing his victims. Sidney Prescott, whose mother was brutally murdered the year before the events of the movie, is now being stalked by this mysterious killer — and that’s all I’m going to say about the plot. Any more I feel would ruin the experience if you have never seen this movie. However, I will say, the last plot twist and the final scene have always been my favorite parts. I definitely recommend this film to anyone who wants a fun, sort of meta-horror movie.
Carrie
Although more tragic than scary, Brian De Palma’s 1976 film is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. Based on the 1974 novel by Stephen King, Carrie tells the story of Carrie White, a teenager with telekinetic abilities who is bullied at school by her peers and at home by her overbearing, religious mother, Margaret. One day after gym class, Carrie gets her period in the shower, prompting her to believe she is dying, and the girls throw tampons at her. One girl, Sue, feels bad for treating Carrie so horribly, and asks her boyfriend, Tommy, to take Carrie to prom. However, Chris, Carrie’s main tormentor is banned from prom for refusing to apologize to Carrie and crafts a revenge plan that involves Carrie winning prom queen and getting a bucket of pig’s blood dumped onto her. It’s one of the most recognizable scenes from the movie and has been parodied repeatedly While the movie is not entirely accurate to the book, Carrie stands alone as one of the most iconic horror movies of all time. It was also remade in 2013 with Chloë Grace Moretz. Fun fact: Did you know Carrie became a musical?
Speaking of the Carrie musical…The Performance Collaborative of Ball State is putting on a production of Carrie: The Musical on November 8th, 9th, and 10th! Follow @pcballstate on Instagram for more info!
The Black Phone
I first saw The Black Phone in theaters during the summer of 2022, so nowhere near Halloween. The movie is based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son!). The film tells the story of a town suffering from the disappearances of many young boys by a man aptly named “The Grabber”. Finney, our main protagonist, becomes a victim of these kidnappings. and now has to survive his kidnapper with the help of the ghosts of his victims, including his friend Robin. While this is happening, Finney’s little sister, Gwen, has dreams of where he is being kept, leading her to help solve his disappearance. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who wants a more “happy” ending since they are harder to find in the horror genre!
The Shining
Back to the Stephen King adaptations with this one! Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film, The Shining, while not accurate to the novel, is still a fantastic horror staple. As one of the first horror movies I ever watched, it holds a special place in my heart. The story follows a recovering alcoholic, Jack Torrance, and his family during their winter stay in the Overlook Hotel while he works as the caretaker. However, due to a horrific incident involving the last caretaker, the Overlook Hotel has become a breeding ground for strange and paranormal activity. Danny, the youngest son, is affected due to his ability, dubbed by the Overlook’s chef, Dick Hallorann, as “the shine.” In the climax of the movie, the Overlook takes over Jack, leading him to attempt to finish the job of the original caretaker. This movie is highly referenced in other media, and I highly recommend watching this if you haven’t!
P.S. The Shining has a sequel called Doctor Sleep, which has a movie adaptation that was released in 2019!
Talk To Me
Another movie I watched in the summer and nowhere near Halloween, Talk To Me is probably one of the most anxiety-inducing horror movies I have ever seen. I had a pit in my stomach and secondhand embarrassment the whole time. It was released in the United States in 2023 and follows Mia, a seventeen-year-old girl struggling with the suicide of her mother. A new phenomenon has been sweeping the teenagers of the town: a severed and embalmed hand that allows them to communicate with the dead through means of possession. However, the possession can only last 90 seconds, or disaster strikes (and guess what? It does!). Riley, the little brother of Mia’s friend, Jade, is possessed for longer than 90 seconds. For the rest of the movie, Mia struggles with making really poor decisions, which may or may not be forced by something else that’s controlling her. It has a bit of a twist ending with a lot of nail-biting and fast-paced moments. This is one I highly recommend!
Mini Bonus Rec: Five Nights at Freddy’s
Okay, this one is here for fun mostly. It’s not really a horror movie, but it’s based on a horror game, so I’m counting it. Five Nights at Freddy’s, released in October 2023, starred Josh Hutcherson (another celebrity crush), Elizabeth Lail, and Matthew Lillard (again!). I have been a FNAF fan for years, having watched many hours of playthroughs, theory videos, and fan songs. When this movie was released, I fell back into my obsession. The movie is slightly cringy and not completely accurate to the canon the fans have created, but it has a killer soundtrack and a fun vibe, so I definitely recommend checking it out!
Jayden’s Recommendations
Halloween
Halloween is one of my all-time favorite horror franchises. It’s a classic! In my family, Michael Myers was a well-known face. So much so that my little brother begged to go as Michael for Halloween for years, and I even have a poster signed by one of the actresses! In total, 13 films make up this beloved franchise, with the first being released in 1978 and the latest being released in 2022. The films follow a man named Michael Myers, who, on Halloween night, goes on a rampage and searches for his victims after escaping from an institution. In the 1978 adaptation, that victim is Laurie Strode, played by none other than Jamie Lee Curtis (who, in my opinion, is the scream queen of horror films). Laurie is a college student, babysitting her neighbor’s kid for the night, with no idea of the danger she is in. That’s the plot for the first movie, and they just keep getting more chaotic from there. If you’re looking for an interesting, semi-gruesome franchise, I will always recommend Halloween.
The Conjuring
The Conjuring is one of the best horror movie trilogies out there. Based on a true story, it’ll leave you with goosebumps and wide eyes. The first movie, which was released in 2013, follows the Perrons and their five daughters after they move to a farmhouse. Not long after arriving there, they realize that they aren’t alone and that a dark entity is living there as well. They enlist the help of paranormal investigators and world-renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren to get rid of the demonic spirit that has attached itself to their family. If those names sound familiar, you’ve likely heard them in other horror movies, as they are important characters in many demonic cases. The first movie is my personal favorite out of the trilogy, but I still highly recommend the other two. The Conjuring is truly a bone-chilling movie that I will never stop recommending.
It
Based on the bestselling novel written by Stephen King, published in 1986, It is a story that has been around for years. The remake of the original film(1990), which was released in 2017, takes place in a town called Derry and follows seven children as they face the nightmarish clown known as Pennywise — a bloodthirsty, evil trickster who shows up every 27 years and preys on the children of the town. The film was so popular that it was followed up with a sequel, It Chapter Two in 2019. Not to mention that it has a pretty renowned cast. Actors known worldwide such as Finn Wolfhard and Bill Skarsgård are in the first film, and the cast just continues to grow in the sequel (by that, I mean it has James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Jay Ryan, and many more). Honestly, this is always a fun horror movie to watch. I know that watching a film about a murderous clown wouldn’t be considered “fun” to many people, but it is to me! Aside from the gruesome and creepy aspects of the movie, it’s also pretty funny. Chances are, you’re just as likely to laugh as you are to scream while watching this film.
The Strangers
If you’re looking for a more realistic, yet just as creepy, horror movie to watch, The Strangers is probably a good place to start. To me, not even demonic possession could beat a horror movie that revolves around something that could actually happen to me. There are quite a few movies in this franchise, but the original one, released in 2008, follows a couple that is staying at a vacation home for a relaxing weekend. However, that “relaxing” weekend turns out to be a bloodbath when three masked strangers break in and leave the main characters fighting for their lives. The first film terrified moviegoers in theaters with four simple words: “Because you were home.” Come on, there’s nothing more horrifying than knowing that the only reason you are being targeted by three psychopaths is because you were at your own home. There are currently three movies in this franchise that have been released, and a fourth one is currently in post-production. If you’re looking for a scary movie that will have you heavily consider investing in a home security system, The Strangers is the perfect film for you to watch during this Halloween season.
Evil Dead Rise
I only just recently watched Evil Dead Rise, and I have to say it is one of the creepiest horror movies I have ever watched. This 2023 film follows two estranged sisters, Beth and Ellie, and Ellie’s three children as they fight off an evil, demonic entity that possesses everything in its path, while also being trapped in their apartment building due to an earthquake. This movie is the sequel to the 1981 movie, The Evil Dead, which follows the same demonic entity. When I originally watched Evil Dead Rise, I couldn’t get over it, and I ended up watching the original movie with my dad and loved it just as much. This movie, however, is not for the easily disgusted. The violence is especially gruesome in this movie, and I would say it’s one of the gorier movies I’ve seen recently. But if that’s up your alley, I would highly recommend this movie. And if you like the second one, go and watch the original!
That is our (incomplete) list of haunting horror movies that you should watch this spooky season! Let us know what you think of them.