October has officially arrived! Out with the heat and in with the cool breeze and fall leaves! The start of October means spooky times, Halloween candy, pumpkin flavored coffee and most importantly horror movies. If you’re a horror movie fanatic like me, October may be one of your favorite months. From a gore-centric movie like Evil Dead to a supernatural thriller like Annabelle to a psychological horror film that leaves you guessing like Silence of the Lambs there are so many horror movies to see. Here are seven of my favorite horror movies you need to watch to kick off the spooky season!
- Friday the 13th
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Friday the 13th is a cult classic must-watch movie in the month of October. The idea of a masked killer running rampant throughout a summer camp is the epitome of a great horror movie and another classic coming from the slasher genre. Released in the 1980s, the movie focuses on a killer getting their revenge on camp counselors. The biggest question – who exactly is this killer? Kicking off October with Friday the 13th gives yourself the rest of the month to delve into the series that follows suit – a total of 12 movies! You can even watch two of the most famous horror slashers battle it out in Freddy v. Jason. (If it counts for anything, my personal favorite: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives.) Unfortunately, October 13th falls on a Wednesday this year, but you can enact the spooky energy with this movie!
- halloween
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Halloween is considered one of the classics in the horror genre. It can even be looked at as the one of the founding movies for the slasher genre. Michael Myers is the serial killer no one wants to meet. The idea of someone lurking in the shadows ready to attack really embodies the spooky season. Halloween also has many different films to offer, and I mean a lot. There are 13 movies in the Halloween franchise, including the most recent, Halloween Kills that is being released October 15th. If sequels aren’t your thing, then you can even see a completely different produced and directed version of Halloween by watching the film directed by Rob Zombie. Halloween needs to be on your must-watch list for October because who doesn’t watch Halloween before Halloween? My personal favorite – the original classic from 1978.
- Scream
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Scream is another slasher classic created by horror mastermind Wes Craven. Coming out in the late 90s, this film gives a little more recent take to the slasher genre. Out with Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger and in with Ghostface. Watch as a masked killer terrorizes a town, especially through phone calls. Watch as heroine Sydney faces off against Ghostface in the original movie and sequels that follow, and races against time to discover who the killer is before more victims die. However, the killer may be closer to her than she thinks. For Sydney, not everything is as it seems. Besides the spooky factor, you will get to see a young Drew Barrymore in the beginning scenes of the film. Sounds like a win-win!
- a nightmare on elm street
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Who could forget about A Nightmare on Elm Street, another must-see horror classic? Coming from the early 80s, the movie was Wes Craven’s big break into horror. The mastermind’s major film focuses on Freddy Krueger, who will turn your dreams into nightmares. Watch as Freddy terrorizes teens in their sleep. With his knife-life claws, Freddy’s devious plans at night will have the frightful teenagers dead by morning. Like the movies listed above, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a movie turned series that allows for more horror marathons. If you prefer reboots, you can watch the 2010 reboot as well. Johnny Depp’s first real break came from the original, only adding to the fact that it’s a must watch! Trust me, you won’t be able to sleep after watching them. But Halloween is the month for nightmares, right?
- The conjuring
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Moving on from slasher, let’s enter the supernatural realm. If you’re into ghosts, demons, and anything else – The Conjuring is the movie for you. The Conjuring is the beginning of the series including Annabelle, The Nun, and most recently, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It. The Conjuring is a must-see for the spooky season. Join Ed and Lorraine Warren as they help a family deal with something strange going on in their new home. Learn about the supernatural that could be hiding behind the walls, and in turn ruining their lives. The factor that makes this series so unsettling is that it’s based on true events and cases that the Warrens faced!
- hereditary
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Hereditary is a rather recent horror movie directed by newcomer Ari Aster. Hereditary is by far one of my favorite horror films in that it is different from the rest. Instead of being based on slashers, ghosts or demons, Hereditary finds itself focusing on the psychological side of horror. This movie will keep you on your toes and make you guess at every turn. Even years after seeing this movie, I still have questions about it. However, if you watch it again and again. you can find different clues throughout the movie. which is a plus! If you end up liking Hereditary, you can watch another one of Aster’s popular horror films, Midsommar.
- get out
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Another one of my favorite horror films is Get Out. Coming from the creative mind of actor and comedian, Jordan Peele, Get Out is a horror masterpiece. Peele will keep you on the edge of your seat and will continually throw different twists at you. Like Hereditary, Peele’s Get Out find itself falling into the psychological thriller genre of horror. Bringing out his comedic side, Peele is also able to incorporate bits and pieces of comedy relief throughout the film to ease the tension in your living room. Plus, if you’re an English major like me, you can discover symbolism all throughout the film. If you find yourself loving Get Out as much as I do, you can venture into Peele’s other movies such as US and the reboot of Candyman (which is out now) .
Halloween is only a few weeks away, and what better way to kick off the spooky season than with a movie marathon? Horror movies are a defining factor of the month of October and the best way to celebrate the spooky season. Hopefully, you can find yourself some free time during the semester to pop some corn, sit on your couch, and enjoy a horror movie or two! If horror movies aren’t your thing, I completely understand, schoolwork is spooky enough!