There is no middle ground: there are those who love, and those who hate. But let’s be fair: despite the large amount of trash content scattered around, the horror genre has been conquering and terrorizing generations. That’s because the monsters under the bed or the bathroom ghosts that come to life on the screens actually always existed in our imagery, in the books and in the stories told. This cinema’s magic is irreplaceable: dreams (and nightmares) that can, finally, come true.
It’s important to emphasize that there isn’t only one style of horror film, and although the main intention is to scare, many movies also bring deeper themes. To introduce this unsettling genre, we’ve decided to separate it by subgenres. Now, let’s get to know each one — and, for the experience to be complete, we’ve selected the main options for you to watch and get to know them all.
Supernatural
First we go with one of the most common subgenre of horror: the supernatural. On it we have ghosts, demons and everything related to the paranormal universe. Stories range from exorcisms and ouija boards to invisible friends and strange sounds around the house.
With so many options, a light tip for anyone who will start is the famous Paranormal Activity (2007). It follows a pretty cool lineup of films like The Blair Witch Project (1999), in which security cameras and even personal camcorders capture the entire movie, practically entering the viewer and bringing realism to the story. Despite the cliché recommendation, the franchise’s first movie may shiver many who are not used to (but only watch the first movie, ok? Ok).
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For the bravest, the classic:: The Exorcist (1973)
Splatter
Blood everywhere. On the splatter films, there is no pity either with the characters or with the viewer. Mutilations, torture games and heavy scenes are the strongest point of this kind of movie, which may shock first-time viewers. But despite all the “gratuitous violence”, we have here a work that has won a legion of fans: Saw (2004). Although it’s also a huge franchise, the first film represents it all very well. The story goes beyond the “violent games” proposed by Jig Saw: we have social critiques, an entire ideology and a brilliant screenplay that make the film much more interesting. And as the cake cherry, the movie has an ending that leaves everyone jaw dropped.
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For the bravest, the classic:: The Human Centipede (2009)
Slasher
And here are our dearest ones: the serial killers. Slasher is one of the most successful subgenres, and on it we see iconic figures like Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, Chuck and so many other characters. There is not much to say: the villain himself is what frightens us here, and he is right before everyone’s eyes. The killers, each with its own characteristics, choose victims generally randomly, and killing is their fun hobby. As we have several options, we chose a symbolic one: Scream (1996). The story revolves around Sidney Prescott, a young woman who is pursued by the psychopath Ghostface. While she tries to uncover the identity of the killer, the movie makes several jokes about the horror genre – not just the first, like all the movies in the franchise.
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For the bravest, the classic: Psycho (1961)
Psychological
Psychological horror is one of the most interesting subgenres of horror, and even widely used in literature. It ends up approaching the suspense, and what really causes fear on this kind of film is human nature itself. There is no blood, no brute violence, and nothing of the sort. Instead, evil is implicit, and gradually reveals itself in a discreet way. Usually these stories are the best thought and, for them to be well executed, it is necessary the coolest team of production and performance.
A must-see movie to see is Misery (one of several Stephen King’s books adaptations). The story itself is already great: a writer who becomes famous ends up “killing” one of his characters, and a nurse finds him after an accident. She is, by the way, his “number one fan”. However, strange things begin to happen, which gradually reveals the real facet of the woman. It’s really awesome!
(If you like this, you’ll probably also enjoy the other adaptations of Stephen King’s works – do not forget to check out The Shinning (1980), which is not for beginners, but is one of the best horror films ever)
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For the bravest, the classic: Rosemary’s Baby (1969).
Monsters
Since the onset of the horror, many of the stories were accompanied by characters who were not human, which haunted many people. Aliens, Zombies, as well as so many other known figures are part of this panorama, and the subgenre can even be divided into other categories. Of some, you’ve probably heard: Frankenstein and Dracula, for example. And in the middle, we even see films involving animals with characteristics that transcend the natural, like big sharks. But for you to start, there is nothing better than to get to know the famous REC (2007), a zombie epidemic movie that, despite following the same plot of several others (a disease that turns people into cannibals), is a great introduction to know the subgender.
- For the bravest, the classic: Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979)