Fall is here and we think everybody knows what that means: Halloween is about to be in full swing.
Although dressing up as your favorite characters and putting up spooky decorations are all the rage come October, but we can’t forget about one of the most crucial elements that truly helps get you into the haunted spirit, and that’s horror movies. Whether you’re a diehard fan of flicks that are sure to get your heartrate up or maybe you’re just in the scary mood to try something new, here’s a line-up of a few horror films from classic slashers to more jump scares to get you started this Halloween season.
The Scream Franchise
A perfect introduction into all things horror related, the Scream movies have captivated audiences since the first one was released back in 1996. With the ever changing and mysterious villain of the film series, known as ghostface due to the iconic mask and black cloak, these movies are nothing short of cult classics. The Scream movies center around a masked murderer (ghostface) who terrorizes a group of friends all while wielding a very sharp knife. If you’re into horror movies that combine mystery elements these films are definitely ones that you should check out.
The Fear Street Trilogy
A soon to be classic and fan favorite, this Netflix horror trilogy inspired by R.L. Stine’s book series of the same name came out in three parts over the summer of 2021 and simultaneously got even better and bloodier with each new installment while also allowing a lot of heart to shine through as well. The first movie of this trilogy, Fear Street Part One: 1994, is about a teenage girl and her friends who after a string of murders occurs, find themselves at the center of a sinister curse that has been afflicting their hometown for centuries and fighting to not only stay alive, but to finally stop it once and for all. Fear Street Part Two: 1978 and Fear Street Part Three: 1666, tie in wonderfully to the plot of the first installment while also adding deeper and more enriching layers to characters both past and present before it all comes to a head in the third and final film.
Coraline
For those who are lovers of animation, Coraline, although its initial release was in 2009, still holds up today as one of the most eerie children’s movies due to its darker thematic elements and frightening images. Coraline focuses on a young girl of the same name who after moving into a new house discovers a small secret door which, behind it, lurks a parallel world that creepily matches hers; however, as perfect as this world may seem to Coraline at first, she soon finds out that there is in fact nothing perfect about it. Coraline was also released again in theaters this year on August 15, 2024, to celebrate the film’s 15th anniversary.
The Conjuring
Based on an actual true story, The Conjuring is an absolutely terrifying movie that’s full of unbeatable tension and is sure to scare just about anyone. The Conjuring follows two paranormal investigators who’s newest case brings them to a farmhouse where a brand new family has just moved in, but the family quickly realizes that an otherworldly presence also resides there. This film is just the first chapter out of The Conjuring franchise with the fourth movie set to drop in 2025.
Barbarian
This 2022 horror film definitely deserves a place on this list because it is genuinely and without a doubt, unnerving. At first, you’re not entirely too sure what you’re really getting yourself into when sitting down to watch this film and maybe that’s what’s so unsettling about it, but things start escalating rapidly. Barbarian focuses on the character Tess who upon getting to her rental home finds out that it’s actually already being occupied by someone else, and yet against her better judgment, agrees to stay with this stranger anyway but steadily uncovers more imminent dangers within the house itself.
Alien
Sci-fi and horror is definitely an underrated movie genre combination and when done exceptionally well you get the Ridley Scott classic: Alien. Alien has been one of the most talked about sci-fi movies since it was released in 1979, which is just a testament to how good it is and has also spawned numerous follow-up movies such as Alien: Romulus which was released in August of this year. It has an exceptional cast, director, cinematography but its tone most of all is one of the things that is a major standout because throughout the film’s entirety it makes the audience feel uneasy which is where that horror element truly comes in. Alien takes place in the year 2122 where in outer space, a crew on a space vehicle, the Nostromo, are disturbed by an unknown signal from a foreign craft and eventually find a hoard of unspecified eggs on this mysterious vessel which in turn leads to dire consequences.