October is easily one of the best months in my book. The weather finally starts to feel cool (and comfortable), my sweaters come out of the back closet, and I can sit down and watch a horror movie. This October, I finally had the perfect chance to watch some movies I had never seen before, and ones that have been sitting on my watchlist for years. Â
Now that spooky season is officially over, here are some of my favorite first-time watches from the past month! Â
This movie had been on my watchlist for such a long time, and it definitely did not disappoint. I loved the creative yet disturbing imagery and symbolism. The characters were all incredibly memorable and the story throws you into some crazy twists and turns. I was caught off guard (in a good way) so many times. If you want a thought-provoking and certainly unique movie, this is for you. Â
Night of the Living Dead (1968)Â
This is a classic, so of course I have to include it. I had fun watching this, but truth be told, I wish it kept more of my attention at times. For a movie from the late 60s, the special effects hold up surprisingly well. Fans of zombie apocalypse media, check this one out. Â
This movie should absolutely be a campy Halloween classic. The mad scientist trope is a trope I really love, so the spin on it here was super cool to see. I was laughing at times, in awe at others, and nearly jumped out of my chair at some of the horror elements. I highly recommend it, and if you like it, there are more!
Let me just say, this one went far beyond my expectations. The plot, character development, and heartbreaking story are all so well-put together. The horror elements are perfectly paced and well done. It is a rare case of a horror film tugging at your heartstrings and playing with your emotions. I wish I had the chance to see this in theaters when it came out earlier this year, because wow. Â
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)Â
“A vampire movie with Winona Ryder, count me in!” was my exact thought scrolling past this one on Netflix. I am honestly surprised that I do not hear more conversations about this movie when mentioning Dracula movies. The visuals in this film are gorgeously bloody, and the star cast gives fantastic performances. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who loves that 90s vampire aesthetic. Â
When this sequel was announced, I was excited and had many doubts. Knowing how the last one ended, I was skeptical about how the filmmakers would even go about creating part two. Thankfully, my doubts were thrown out the window. Visually, this movie is utterly gorgeous and disturbing. The frozen setting is so well utilized and unlike the original, each kill is shown on screen. I love being scared, so this difference from the first actually made it more enjoyable. I also appreciate the back story given to The Grabber and some of the events of the first film. Â