It’s finally October, which means ‘tis the season for everything pumpkin spice, cold weather (maybe), pumpkin patch visits and scary movie marathons. It is the start of the festive holiday season, and what better way to get into the spirit than to watch your favorite scary movies? Multiple lists have been done over the years showcasing the same scary movie “you should watch” . The lists always include cult favorites such as Scream, the original Halloween and Friday the 13th. While these are some great movies to get you into the spooky season, there have been some newer movies that are just as scary and as good as the originals. Below I listed my top five favorite underrated scary flicks that definitely make me not want to sleep with the lights off. Enjoy!
1. The Babadook
This has to be one of my favorite recent scary flicks. The story follows a young mother and her son, Samuel, as they journey through life after the father died in a car accident on the way to the delivery room. It’s been almost six years, and the mother still cannot cope with the death of her beloved, especially with a child as high strung as hers. Without giving too much away, Samuel unexpectedly brings in an un-invited guest to the already dismal house when he finds a new book in his bookshelf. The movie has many twists and turns that you do not want to look away but also definitely do not want to be alone while you watch it.
2. Mulholland Dr.
This film is not so much scary as it weird and bizarre, which I believe is the perfect movie to watch during Halloween time. The movie is also made by David Lynch, who is known for his creepy and somewhat cryptic storylines that make moviegoers think long and hard after they have watched it. The movie is about young starlet Betty Elms who just moved to LA to follow her dreams of becoming a star. On her way, she befriends amnesiac woman who cannot remember if someone tried to kill her or not. The movie goes through different stages and vignettes that eventually all come together at the end. The ending is the strangest part, and I could not sleep after watching it because I was trying to figure out what had just happened. A good film to watch with friends!
3. They Look Like People
Going into this movie, I had no idea what it was really about. I watched the commercial for it a couple of times, but was both intrigued and confused as to what the storyline was about. Basically, the movie is about Wyatt and Christian, two old friends who link back up after they go through different separations. Wyatt has just broken up with his fiance, and Christian just broke up with his long time girlfriend and is trying to go back out into the dating world. The two friends have a great time in the beginning going out and meeting new people. That is until Wyatt starts getting ominous voice messages telling him about the end of the world. This movie is definitely more psychology thrilling than jump scary, but it will have you freaked out nonetheless.
4. Dead Silence
Ever since I can remember, I have always hated ventriloquist dolls. Something about them really creeps me out, so imagine my surprise when I found a movie about a killer ventriloquist doll. I was hesitant to watch at first, but something prompted me too which is why I am now putting it on this list! The movie is about a guy named Jamie who is trying to find his wife’s killer. Before she died, his wife, Lisa, was sent a ventriloquist doll out of the blue. When Jamie comes back home one night from getting dinner, he finds his wife dead and with her tongue cut out. The doll is cradled right next to her when he finds her. If you don’t like dolls as much as I do, I would suggest watching this movie with a friend. The movie is also made by James Wan who is the mastermind behind the Insidious movies!
5. The Conjuring
Another one by James Wan, and one of my all time favorite movies in general, The Conjuring is about a family that moves into a house that holds a dark secret. The movie follows the Perron family who have just moved into a dishevelled farm house in Rhode Island in the early 1970’s. When they first arrive the family dog does not want to go inside and the youngest daughter finds a secret cellar while playing a game of hide and clap. When I saw this movie in theatres, I jumped and screamed so many times that the usher had to ask me to refrain from making any more noise. That alone should tell you that this movie is equal parts thrilling and jump scare. It is a great movie to watch with friends because you are not going to want to sleep alone in the dark after seeing it.