As the spooky season approaches, I want to watch scary movies to get myself in the Halloween spirit. This has always been hard for me because I am not a massive fan of horror movies. I watch them during the day when it is still light outside and never, ever alone! However, I have a few favorite horror movies that don’t scare me too badly.
- It (2016)
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This was the first horror movie I have watched all the way through, and it is probably one of my favorite movies. The movie explores the disappearance of a little boy named Georgie. The first scene shows Georgie being violently abducted by the clown everyone in the movie dubs, IT, also called Pennywise. The movie follows Georgie’s brother and his group of misfit friends to defeat Pennywise and solve the mystery of Georgie’s disappearance. I must confess, though, that the first time I saw it in theaters was with my dad in preparation to see the movie later in the week with my friends. I’ve seen this movie so many times that it is more comedic than scary now!
- Totally Killer (2023)
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I watched this movie about a week ago, and it is a new favorite of mine. I liked the unique concept of this movie. Jamie is a junior in high school in a town where three friends were murdered thirty years before. The killer returned on Halloween night and killed her mother, making Jamie determined to find them. If you’re into science fiction, I’ve got some news for you—in an odd twist, this movie also features a time machine. It was definitely an interesting plot point for a horror movie, but I enjoyed the uniqueness of it. Without giving too much away, the movie involves a podcaster, a time machine, and a rundown amusement park. I would have loved to attend this exciting movie’s pitch meeting.
- Misery (1990)
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The next movie on this list, Misery, is horrifying because of how realistic it is. A famous author, Paul Sheldon, is driving through a huge snowstorm when he crashes his car and injures himself. He wakes up in the bed of a very kind local woman. She cares for him, and he is in awe of her dedication to caring for a perfect stranger. However, things go awry quickly when he starts to get better and finds himself trapped. The book is based on the 1987 Stephan King book of the same name. Every time I hear a snowstorm in the weather forecast, I can’t help but think of this movie and how poor Paul went through the scare of a lifetime. I can get through this movie without getting too scared because I know what happens in the end. The jump scares still get me every time, though!
- Scream 6 (2023)
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This is the most recent horror movie I’ve seen in theaters. I’m going to be honest, I only really wanted to see it because the lovely Jenna Ortega was in it. (It was released a few months after her iconic Wednesday series released.) I haven’t seen all of the Scream series movies but out of the ones I have seen, this one is my favorite. As the sixth movie in the Scream franchise, it shows the four survivors of the Ghostface killings from the last movie trying to make a fresh start for themselves in New York City. Despite moving across the country to escape, the Ghostface killings start up. The group, once again, finds itself in a deadly situation with a killer on the loose. I hadn’t seen Scream 5, but I was able to follow along despite not watching most of the franchise’s movies. Out of all the scary movies I’ve seen, this one has the most accurate portrayal of teenagers. I think that accurate representation of a friend group around my own age made it a tad scarier because of how relatable the group and the setting were.
MIRAMAX
As you’re deciding what not-so-spooky movie to enjoy on a night in, consider these flicks! And, who knows? Maybe you’ll want to try a real horror movie after enjoying the ones on this list!