The remake of IT had me leaving the movie theater with a newly emerged fear of clowns. I haven’t even seen the original 1990 IT movie, but I’m sure for the people that have, it must’ve brought a strange nostalgia. Horror movies can stick with you for a couple nights but the best ones really stick with you for years.
Here’s a rundown of nostalgic scary movies from my childhood that hopefully hits home with yours.
The Ring (2002)
Seeing this movie was utterly terrifying. I remember being so scared of seeing that little girl with her hair covering her face, it was a pretty easy target my older sisters would use to prank me. This movie stuck with me, and I remember seeing the parody movie “Scary Movie” and even that made me cringe.
The Omen (1976)
Okay, I was not around obviously for the release of this movie, but I did see it at a young age. You know that trope where horror movies use children, and it’s very disturbing? Yeah, that’s the premise for this movie. It’s very suspenseful, and I rewatched it just a few years ago and can tell you it is not outdated. Note: they did do a remake in 2006 but my advice is to stick with the classic.
Final Destination (2000)
OK but seriously, why was this movie (and its many sequels) always playing on a Saturday when nothing else good was on? This isn’t even a creepy horror movie but more of one that made you ask a lot of questions to the screen. I mean, the chances of these deaths are so dependent on a million factors..and yet we worry they might happen to us.
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
There are so many good elements to this movie. We’ve got a creepy jingle that will be stuck in your head when you just look at the title, crazy chase scenes and Justin Long.
And last but not least…
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and Saw (2004)
Disclaimer, I have not even watched the Texas Chainsaw Massacre all the way through. However, I’m adding it to this list because I know it was very popular. Saw, on the other hand (a little too soon?), I have seen. They both are so gruesome, but Saw really unleashed (lol) a new genre of disturbing horror movies I’m still not sure if I love or hate.