Last Updated on August 3, 2021
#1 – Classics: THE SENTINEL & THE CHANGELING
But, if you want to go with underseen classics, look no further than THE SENTINEL and THE CHANGELING. Both are movies that deal with haunted houses and both are scary as f*ck. I don’t want to ruin either film by giving away details, but you will not be sorry if you watch either or both of these on Halloween. I guarantee you will be telling your friends about them for years to come. Also, keep an eye out for a young Christopher Walken!
#2 – Modern Classics: CABIN IN THE WOODS & DRAG ME TO HELL
Horror has been relegated to found footage rehashes in recent years, but a couple of great original movies have snuck their way in. The Joss Whedon-penned CABIN IN THE WOODS and Sam Raimi’s DRAG ME TO HELL are both very good horror movies that play with the genre in humorous ways while also remaining quite scary. Even non-horror fans should enjoy these movies which should please any crowd you have over to celebrate the holiday.
#3 – John Carpenter: VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED & THE WARD
Speaking of John Carpenter, the guy has only made two films in the 21st century, which is a damn shame. I personally love IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS and PRINCE OF DARKNESS, but some of his less popular movies are still really good. Check out the creepy remake VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED with a great Christopher Reeve and pair that with his most recent film, the underseen asylum thriller THE WARD with Amber Heard. Neither is perfect, but they are a fun time at the movies.
#4 – Good Remakes: EVIL DEAD & THE THING
The dreaded remake. While most are hot garbage, these two are some of the better ones ever made. EVIL DEAD told a darker and more gory version of Sam Raimi’s original without succumbing to the generic PG-13 that most horror from studios goes with. It is a worthy addition to the franchise and hopefully we get more. As for THE THING, the classic John Carpenter remake of the black and white original is far superior to the 2011 reboot/prequel, so watch that paired with EVIL DEAD for a chilling night.
#5 – Space Horror: EVENT HORIZON & LIFEFORCE
While ALIEN and PROMETHEUS may be the films that come to mind when you think of scary space scifi, there are other flicks out that are even more chilling. Both EVENT HORIZON and LIFEFORCE have a B-movie mentality, but both are darker and more horrific than you would expect. EVENT HORIZON is a personal favorite as it blends the hellish tone of a Clive Barker story with a haunted house in space. LIFEFORCE is more straight scifi but it is scarier than many horror movies set on Earth.
#6 – British: THE WICKER TREE & KILL LIST
Not far behind the French are the British who have also made major strides in genre films in recent years. Hell, the British have always had good horror like THE WICKER MAN. Robin Hardy’s “sequel” THE WICKER TREE may not be as good as the original but it is more chilling and a hell of a lot better than the crappy Nicolas Cage version. Plus, the recent film KILL LIST may be one of the most disturbingly scary films you will ever see.
#7 – French: MARTYRS & HIGH TENSION
The French have proven themselves to be one f*cked up lot in the last couple of decades and these movies are prime examples. Both MARTYRS and HIGH TENSION play with the conventions of the genre before going absolutely nutty in their final acts. Watch them together in whatever order you choose and you will be in for a double dose of head-scratching insanity.
#8 – Lovecraftian: DEAD AND BURIED & DAGON
While we may not have a definitive Lovecraft film as we await Guillermo Del Toro’s AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, there are movies heavily influenced by the writings of the horror icon. Stuart Gordon’s DAGON is a low budget delve into the Cthulhu mythos that is creepy and weird while Dan O’Bannon’s cult classic DEAD AND BURIED bears tonal and visual cues from the same writings. Both will definitely make you wary of bodies of water.
#9 – Anthologies: TALES FROM THE CRYPT & V/H/S
Maybe you don’t have the attention span for a full 90 minute plot. So, why not grab a nice anthology and enjoy a series of short films that will scare you silly. There have been several anthologies in recent years, but few top the classic TALES FROM THE CRYPT. This British flick is still scarier than half the movies released today and served as the influence for the HBO series. In recent years, V/H/S has turned out three enjoyable and gory movies that should entertain even the most jaded horror fan.
#10 – Goofy Fun: HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS & ARMY OF DARKNESS
In my most recent Unpopular Opinion, I lauded HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS for it’s sense of humor and splatstick approach to horror. This was clearly influenced by Sam Raimi’s hilarious ARMY OF DARKNESS which carried the over the top comedy from EVIL DEAD 2. There is often not enough humor in horror movies these days and both of these films compliment each other and would make for a fun Halloween evening.
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