October is upon us, and as a fan of all things scary, gory and spooky, I could not be more excited! With the days getting darker and the weather just begging you to cozy up in bed with some snacks and a hot beverage, there simply is no better time to watch a horror movie. However, with multiple streaming services just a click away, it can sometimes be difficult to make a choice among the plethora of films at your disposal. So I have made it a little easier for you: here’s my list of classic horror movies you should watch to get into the spirit of Spooky Szn!
- The Conjuring
-
To me, the words “based on a true story” have the power to make any horror movie twice as scary, and that definitely holds true for The Conjuring. If this movie is one thing, it’s scary. So scary, in fact, that most Netflix users who liked the movie couldn’t actually make it all the way through because they were too creeped out. If you’re looking for a story that really tests your guts while also being really well-written and spectacularly acted, this is the one. Prepare to leave your night light on after watching it, though.
- Red Dragon
-
If you’re a fan of serial killer movies you probably know about Red Dragon. It’s the sequel to Silence of the Lambs – which, if you haven’t seen it, you should stop reading and go watch right now! Not only does this movie give you more of Hannibal Lecter– perhaps the best creepy antihero in film history– it also introduces a new serial killer called the Tooth Fairy, who is insane in every possible way. Even though follow-ups to really good movies tend to be a bit disappointing a lot of the time, this is a rare case where the sequel holds up to the original.
- American Psycho
-
I couldn’t write a list about horror movies and not include my absolute favorite film, American Psycho! In the famous words of Stefon from SNL, this movie has everything: violence, gore, a twist ending you really don’t see coming, Jared Leto getting axe-murdered, an awesome 80’s soundtrack, lots of cocaine, Reese Witherspoon in shoulderpads, a creepy detective, even more cocaine, Christian Bale working out in tighty-whities while The Texas Chainsaw Massacre plays in the background, a super detailed skin care routine, and did I mention cocaine? If you liked The Wolf of Wallstreet but wished it had more people getting violently murdered in it, this is the movie for you! It’s a wild ride from start to finish, but one you definitely won’t regret.
- The Cabin in the Woods
-
Similar to American Psycho, this is a movie that’s both super creepy and funny. This is also a movie that nobody expected to turn out as well as it did, so going in without expecting anything will just make the viewing experience even better. The plot is basically this: five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods to relax and party, then bad stuff happens. That all may sound like something you’ve seen before, but this film is anything but generic; it turns familiar horror tropes upside down in a way that’s fun to watch This movie also features Chris Hemsworth before he became Thor, and that alone makes it worth checking out.