My Halloween Movie picks
Scary movies are synonymous with October and the Halloween season. As I was scouring my streaming devices looking for a good disturbing film to settle in with for the night, I was having a hard time choosing. I grew up watching horror films with my family, and I haven’t realized how many I’ve actually seen – the great, and the terrible. Since today is Halloween, I thought I’d dust off some memories of some truly amazing horror movies you can settle in with on this Thursday Halloween night.
There are endless classics available that I would highly recommend to start with as a beginner in the horror genre, however, for the sake of the viewers and accessibility, I will be focusing on titles only available on the Netflix streaming service.
Eli
Synopsis: A fragile family puts their faith in a mysterious doctor’s “miracle cure.” But this healer’s hiding a horrible secret.
Eli is allergic to everything it seems, and when he is sent to a facility where they claim they are able to help him, things immediately seem off. Eli claims that after treatments that he’s been seeing entities. What put me off about this movie was the jump scares were so frequent that they lost their affect after a while. I’m a strong believer that if you see the “monster” too much, that it essentially loses it’s effectiveness at being truly terrifying (and the imagination is always more frightening, imho). At the end, we obviously realize some things aren’t exactly as they appear. I would say that this movie isn’t really scary, just disturbing at times (if you’re squeamish with medical procedures, for instance. My boyfriend had to walk away.) The mother spoke in such an annoying whisper the entire time, you can’t help but hate her by the end of the movie. The ending wasn’t very predictable and it was entertaining, so I’ll give this movie a big “it’s OK.”
Score: 6/10
The Cell
Synopsis: A psychotherapist uses an experimental technique to step inside the unstable phyche of a comatose serial killer in an attempt to save his last victim.
I LOVE this movie. In the near future, there are technologies to go inside the dreams of people. Jennifer Lopez stars as the therapist who normally helps children work through trauma, in their world. When a serial killer is in a coma, they’re on a time crunch to save his last victim from drowning in one of his torture chambers, which is set on a timer. They just have no idea where. The best part about this film is the visuals. It truly feels like you’re inside someone’s dreams. The contrast between the beauty of a child’s dreams and that of a serial killer are intense. Gruesome horses being sliced into “slides”, memories of his abusive father, disembowelment, twisted characters and inner demons that plague his existence. It’s a fairly trippy movie, with a great cast, visuals, and ending.
Score: 8.5/10
Train to Busan
Synopsis: As a zombie outbreak sweeps the country, a dad and his daughter take a harrowing train journey in an attempt to reach the only city that’s still safe.
Even if you’re not a huge zombie movie fan, this film is a wild ride for sure. A busy man living in China must bring his child to Busan for their birthday to visit their mother. As their journey begins, there are small indications an outbreak are happening around them. Nothing is taken into serious consideration, however, until it’s all thrusted upon them in the train in an epic fight for survival. These are not walking zombies by any means….these are full strength, sprinting, terrifying creatures who animate quickly after death. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I absolutely adore a good action horror with a bit of grotesque details thrown in. IMO it’s the perfect horror-fest Halloween film that you probably haven’t heard of, and those are the most fun. J I’ve seen this movie twice in the past year. Highly recommended.
Score: 10/10
Delirium
Synopsis: A man with a history of mental issues moves into his late parents’ mansion and comes to suspect his new home may be haunted.
I will start this by saying that I feel people are split between if they deem this a good movie or not. I really liked it, and my boyfriend thought it was dumb. It’s not for everyone, but after seeing so many movies, I like to see new angles and takes on what constitutes horror. After a man is put on house arrest after being released from the psychiatric hospital, he experiences strange happenings around his late father’s estate. You truly take the journey with the character as you start questioning if what’s happening around him is taking place in his head or reality. I’m a psychological thriller fan, so I enjoyed not knowing what was real or not until the very end. It’s a fun ride with not too much gore or jump scares, and the isolation makes it all that much more creepy. It hits that sweet spot for me as far as that balance goes, without being too obvious.
Score: 7/10
Movies that are worth an honorable mention….
The Ritual
Four friends with a long-standing, but strained, connection take a hiking trip into the Swedish wilderness, from which they may never return. 6/10
Apostle
In 1905, a drifter on a dangerous mission to rescue his kidnapped sister tangles with a sinister religious cult on an isolated island. 5/10
The Witch
Believing that a witch has cursed their family, pilgrims homesteading on the edge of a primeval New England forest become increasingly paranoid. 9/10
As Above, So Below
A beautiful tomb raider and her crew hunt for treasure in the catacombs of Paris and find themselves in a hellish underworld. 8.5/10
In the Tall Grass
Something sinister lurks in the field. They’re running for their lives – and trapped in a shifting maze. 6/10
Gerald’s Game
Lingerie and handcuffs were supposed to spice up their weekend getaway. Instead, they surfaced a wife’s darkest fears. 6.5/10
See any good ones lately? Recommend some for me below! Bonus if I haven’t seen it.
