Yes, we know Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street are all great, and we all love them. But everything that’s been said about them has already been said.
So, with Halloween only one week away, here’s a slightly more eclectic list of 8 horror films that will make you shudder, wince, and shriek.
- An American Werewolf in London (1981) Director John Landis revamped the horror genre with this 1981 classic that is equally terrifying as it is hilarious. Although the special effects have aged by today’s standards, it’s impressive to see what had to be done in the days before green screens and computer graphics. (Fun fact: this film was the inspiration behind Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking Thriller music video.)
- They Live (1988) The obvious John Carpenter choice on any horror movie list is The Thing, and while it deserves all the praise, his end-of-the-decade Kafkaesque premonition of the future is eerily prevalent in where society is headed today. Starring WWE wrestler ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper as certified mullet-donning badass shooting aliens trying to control Los Angeles, it features the greatest line of all time: “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass…and I’m all out of bubblegum.” (It’s also where the famed Obey logo comes from)
- Rosemary’s Baby (1968) Released one year before the infamous Manson Family murdered director Roman Polanski’s pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, in her own home, this psychological thriller shows the bond between mother and child in a way that has never been replicated before, or after, on film. Even if that child is the spawn of satan (and the movie hasn’t aged a bit).
- Possession (1981) The title really describes the whole film, a film that took such a toll on leading actress Isabelle Adjani that she physically couldn’t act for years after. RogerEbert.com said, “Possession remains one of the most grueling, powerful, and overwhelmingly intense cinematic experiences that you are likely to have in your lifetime.” Nuff said.
- Funny Games (1997) Two clean-cut country club boys with white gloves crash a family vacation and tell them they’re going murder them by the end of the weekend. Director Michael Haneke remade this German nightmare in English in 2007, but the original is better.
- The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) We don’t really know what genre this film is, but we do know that it’s one of the most psychologically uncomfortable films you’ll see in a while. An aesthetician’s family becomes increasingly ill, and a creepy little boy played by Barry Keoghan who loves spaghetti tells the doctor, Colin Farrell, that he’ll have to kill one of them, or else they all die. Director Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things releases later this year, and we are very excited.
- Strangers on a Train (1951) We couldn’t make a horror list without Alfred Hitchcock, but we opted for one of his less celebrated, yet equally sweat-inducing thriller about a man who makes a deal with a stranger to kill each other’s wives. Predictably, one of them can’t go through with it. And don’t knock the year of release or that it’s in black and white, because trust us, the final scene will have you shaking.
- Raw (2016) Saving the most gruesome for last, this French tale about vegans turning into cannibals was directed by Cannes Film Festival winner, Julie Ducournau, and is possibly the most terrifying film you’ll ever see in your life. Viewer discretion is seriously advised.
And if you get any Halloween costume ideas from this list, just know that we’re always happy to help.
