It isn’t truly Spooky Season without watching horror flicks to get in the spirit. As a self-proclaimed scary movie connoisseur, I’m always looking for new thrillers, slashers, and supernatural movies to watch. Whether you’re into classics like Psycho (1960) and Silence of the Lambs (1991), or if you’re looking for something new beyond Halloween and Scream remakes and franchises, there are tons of options to consider.
However, not all movies are created equal. Older films like The Exorcist (1973) or Child’s Play (1988) don’t have the same kick as newer films like Smile (Smile) or Evil Dead Rise (2023) with better special effects. For anyone planning to indulge in a scary movie marathon this Halloween, here are some films (in order of least to most scary) that actually kept me up at night, clutching my stuffed animals for protection.
Vacancy
Watching this film was the first time I genuinely thought, “new fear unlocked” while watching a horror movie. Every time I stay in a hotel, the plot of this movie pops into my head just as I try to fall asleep. Vacancy (2007) follows a couple who check into a secluded motel. After deciding to watch slasher movies on the television, they soon realize that all the movies were filmed in the room that they’re staying in.
Vacancy is a nerve-wracking, suspenseful movie where the viewers are unsure how the characters can get out of their situation. It’s easy to get immersed in the movie, but it wasn’t as scary as the others on this list. If you’re in the mood for a less intense scare, this is a great choice to start with. The scariest part is the fact that it could definitely happen in real life.
Hush
When Hush first came out on Netflix in 2016, I had never seen anything like it. Granted, I was only 10 back then, but I had watched my fair share of scary movies (or at least the scenes where I didn’t cover my eyes). Hush had a fresh kind of fear with a scenario that I had never thought of, living alone in the middle of nowhere as a deaf writer. The director, Mike Flanigan, had an interesting take on the typical “secluded horror movie” storyline. While it used to be available on Netflix, it has now shifted to about 10 streaming services such as YouTube, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
I’d consider this a slasher film with a mild amount of gore, but this is again one of those films that are scary because of its likelihood to actually occur. I’ve watched it so many times that it doesn’t scare me as much, yet it doesn’t lose its intensity with each watch.
4Bia
This Thai horror film is one of my favorites. Since it’s split into four separate stories, the plots are digestible, scary, and interesting at the same time. It’s a perfect pick for those who have a shorter attention span. Although it isn’t originally in English, it’s available with English subtitles on Apple TV.
I’d say it’s worth the watch because of the interesting storylines that still seem cohesive yet separate. I don’t want to give too much away, but each story has its own focus and strong fear factor. The first story is about an injured girl who develops a virtual friendship. The second story is about a group of bullies and their victim. The third story is about a group of friends and their camping trip experience. The last story is about a flight attendant’s experience flying with a princess.
If you end up enjoying this movie, the sequel (Phobia 2) is also available on Apple TV with a similar structure of (this time five) different scary stories.
Sinister
With this film, the list starts venturing into more supernatural horror rather than slasher. These are the movies that keep me up at night for hours. These are the movies that give me the shivers three years after watching them for the first time.
Before even watching Sinister (2012), I would get frightened by just its trailer back when I was seven years old. By the time I finally got around to watching it, I understood why. The movie follows a true crime writer who moves his own family into a house where a family was murdered. His goal is to solve the mystery, but then strange things begin to occur as he investigates.
Depending on your beliefs regarding the supernatural, this may or may not be that frightening, but I think it’d be a solid scare no matter what. The film’s sequel, which came out in 2015, wasn’t as good as the first one (but still interesting and enjoyable). Both are available on a few different streaming services such as Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.
The Strangers
Dipping back into the suspenseful, gory subgenre of horror, The Strangers (2008) might be one of the best of its kind. Based on a couple of true stories, this film executes a better take on the couple staying in the middle of nowhere trope. I don’t want to give too much away, but the film drags you through an intense experience of wondering what will happen. This film will have you clutching pillows and hiding behind blankets.
It’s technically a series, but I think the first one is the best one. The 2024 remake was very similar to the 2008 version, but the 2018 version has a different premise. All three versions are available on different platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Max, and Hulu.
The Conjuring
The Conjuring universe is a film series done well, but my favorite of them all is the very first one. It’s another supernatural, ghosty horror movie, but these tend to be my favorites. The less you can understand why something happens, the scarier it is — and that’s the whole point of the genre in my opinion.
The Conjuring (2013) was a movie I avoided for the longest time because I was so deathly afraid of it. It had all the necessary elements: based on a true story, scary trailers, and directed by James Wan (one of my favorites in the horror genre). The film follows paranormal investigators/demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren as they try to figure out the cause of a family’s horrifying experiences in their isolated farmhouse. Whether or not you believe the origins of the true story, this movie still has the means to keep you up at night.
It’s by far my favorite horror movie whenever someone asks me that question, but the second and third ones are also great watches. In that same universe, there’s also the option to watch The Nun (2018), Annabelle (2014), The Curse of La Llorona (2019) and their sequels.
A Classic Horror Story
Gore doesn’t typically get to me, but I could barely finish A Classic Horror Story (2021). If you want your stomach churning and your eyes averting, this movie will get you to that point. Only available on Netflix, the film follows five friends on a trip who crash their vehicle and end up in a forest.
As the title implies, it starts with a typical horror plot, yet it ends up far from cliche at the same time. Besides the fact that the violence is difficult to swallow, it was scary and the plot was interesting. If you’re up for something different — given the fact that it’s originally in Italian (but other languages are available) — this is a solid choice to include in a scary movie marathon.
Verónica
As we get further down the list, we get closer to the movies that I don’t think I could ever watch again because of how scary they were. Based on a true story, Verónica (2017) tells the story of a girl in Spain who tries to summon the spirit of her dead father using an Ouija board. However, after fainting during the session, Verónica starts experiencing weird things.
I can’t even begin to explain why this terrified me so much, but if you want to feel afraid, this movie will do that to you. Although it’s originally in Spanish, English subtitles are available. Also, there’s a 2023 prequel called Sister Death that I haven’t watched (yet).
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Although this movie came out in 2005, it has one of the strongest fear factors I’ve ever encountered. Every time I think about it, I feel on edge for a while. I found this film interesting because it isn’t just a horror movie, but it’s also a crime one.
The film is about a lawyer’s case defending a priest who performed an exorcism on a girl who ended up dying during it. I thought the criminal aspect of the film was interesting, yet it’s the supernatural part that is based on a true story. The film focuses on Emily Rose’s experience before the prosecutor argues Emily was mentally ill and the lawyer argues that she was possessed. All judicial proceedings aside, this was one of the most terrifying movies I have ever watched. If you add it to your watchlist, good luck sleeping.
Talk to Me
This might be the scariest movie of all time. Directed by Danny and Michael Phillipou, Talk to Me (2022) is another supernatural horror film. The plot centers around a group of friends who start conjuring spirits with a mummified hand at parties — which goes horribly wrong.
As terrified as I am of this movie, I loved it as a film fan. It was so well done in terms of the story, themes, and acting, and none of that was diminished because of its purpose to scare people. Including this in your Halloween movie marathon is a great idea if you want to feel afraid, but it won’t leave your mind for weeks.
