Just because we’re social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t watch movies with your friends. Whether over Zoom, Netflix party or a socially-distanced hangout with a movie projector, these six horror films are perfect to watch with a group.
- Scream
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I first watched Scream in the middle of a sweltering North Carolina summer with a group of friends, and it was one of the best movie experiences I’ve had. Ghostface, the killer, is one of the most recognizable bad guys — and for good reason. Ghostface is both terrifying and sadistic; the opening scene with Drew Barrymore alone will convince you. Instead of a mysterious big bad, Scream asks a question we all fear: what if someone we trust, one of our friends, was a serial killer?
- Happy Death Day
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If your friends don’t do too well with horror movies (read: eyes and ears are always closed), then a comedy horror might be the best route to go. As someone who scares easily, I had an absolute blast watching Happy Death Day with my friends in the theaters. There are plenty of jump scares, but Jessica Rothe’s performance as final-girl Tree is ripe with on-point comedic timing.
- The Cabin in the Woods
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What happens when a group of friends who fit the stereotypical horror stereotypes — the jock, the slut, the virgin girl, the hot new guy, the stoner — go to a cabin in the woods? They all get killed, obviously. Not only is The Cabin in the Woods a self-aware satire of the horror genre that delivers scares of its own, but the movie will also incite debate on which order you and your friends will die in your own hypothetical horror movie.
- Ready or Not
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Since its release last year, I have watched Ready or Not three times — with my mom, other family members and with friends. Ready or Not is the perfect horror movie to watch with a group. The movie puts a deadly twist on the classic (and innocent) child’s game, inciting both nostalgia and thrills as Grace is hunted by her in-laws.
- Us
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By now, you’ve probably watched Jordan Peele’s Get Out at least once. While Get Out works excellently as both a horror movie and social commentary, Us takes the scares to a whole new level. I was scared sh*tless watching this in the theaters, and only made it through with the help of my friends. Watching Us with a group is a necessity, not a suggestion.
- The Babysitter
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If you are looking for another comedic horror film, The Babysitter is a good choice. The Babysitter is an outrageous movie with over the top blood squirting, editing and dialogue. Due to the film’s self-awareness, it all works, culminating in a horror movie that produces a fair share of scares and laughs.
I hope you have an absolutely horrifying time watching these movies. Happy spooky season!