Ten Films to Freshen the Scares This Halloween.

 

Hello again, reader, this is Jay. As we are nearing the year's epicentre for spooks and things that go bump in the night, people will often be gathering to watch horror movies from all over the globe. I always notice that these films tend to be the same few. Like Christmas films, everyone has their go-to, whether that be the classic Alien, The Blair Witch Project, or one of the plethora of tacky slasher films that have tainted the horror genre. I don't want to shame anyone for their choices, but I'd definitely like to suggest that whilst gatherings aren't necessarily too safe, trying to refresh yourself with one of the following horror films may just make your Halloween that much better. So, here are ten great horror films that you maybe haven't seen! 

Also, a small disclaimer before we start: this list, very disappointingly, does not feature any films directed by women. This makes me rather ashamed, as I'd like to be encouraging diversity. However, this does supply me with the objective of finding some fantastic female-directed horror films in the next few weeks. (any suggestions are more than welcome!)

10. Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017)

Ok, ok, I know I said films that you maybe haven't seen, but let's just say this entry is there for the people who haven't had the pleasure. Get Out, like many films on this list, is weird. It follows Chris's (Daniel Kaluuya) disturbing visit to his girlfriend's parent's house, which is in a secluded neighbourhood in rural America. When he gets there, it is immediately obvious that something is not right, which is weird, because everything seems fine... too fine. It sounds clichéd, but one thing I really like about Get Out is that it leads you into thinking it is any other horror film, then throws a metaphorical custard pie in your face and makes you look like a fool for ever believing this was not unique. Get Out, like Peele's second film, Us, is filled with well-implemented political allegories and commentaries, which usually make the situation a whole lot scarier. If you haven't already seen it, put this in your pile, I highly doubt you'll regret it!

9. i'm thinking of ending things (Charlie Kaufman, 2020)

Charlie Kaufman's latest film, which only released in September, as quite possibly one of the best Netflix originals to date, is the incredible waking-nightmare i'm thinking of ending things. You've probably seen, or at least heard of at least one of Kaufman's other film, whether that was one he wrote (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich and Adaptation are some of his most recognisable) or one he directed (Synecdoche New York and Anomalisa are his other directorial features) but no matter whether you've seen one of his films or not, you may know of the nature of his films; absolutely mind-bogglingly and wonderfully bonkers. This film is no exception and does mark Kaufman's first real venture into the horror genre. If you do decide to take yourself on this adventure, it is important to realise that this is not a conventional horror film, it does not aim for scares and it does not aim to make you writhe, trying to hold in the screams whilst someone is torn apart by a horde of zombies. No, this film will very slowly, but very effectively crawl from the base of your spine, making its way up to your neck, where it will stay, breathing quietly on the back of your neck. It is so horribly uncomfortable and awkward and will have you questioning yourself, as Kaufman plays with his audience with many tricks and moments of 'wait, whaaat-?' Another thing viewers must realise about this film is that the plot is open for interpretation. Much like the a lot of the work of the ever-fascinating David Lynch (who I'll talk about again in just a minute), i'm thinking of ending things doesn't have a linear plot, simply meaning it doesn't always make sense. The really, really brilliant thing about experimental films like this are that they are completely open for interpretation. If you watch it with a friend, I will almost guarantee that both of you will have completely different ideas as to what has happened (one reason I can't get enough of experimental film) and this will supply some great conversation. So, if you are up for a really different and seriously uncomfortable viewing experience, I highly recommend this masterpiece! 

8. Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)

I had to put a David Lynch film on this list, I just had to. Much like the previous entry, the iconic Eraserhead is perhaps the king of experimental cinema. Focusing (if that's the right word) on the hellish life of Henry Spencer, in the aftermath of the birth of his (absolutely hideous) deformed baby. There really isn't much I can say apart from that, as, to be quite honest, the rest of the film is really just the film equivalent to a highly disturbing interpretive dance, but a seriously enjoyable, mad and scary interpretive dance. Apart from that, I can't think of much else to say, it's just essential watching if you enjoyed the unclear nature of i'm thinking of ending things or if you want something completely left field to watch, but do be careful, it will haunt you for days. 

7. An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981) 

Hands down the best werewolf film ever released, An American Werewolf in London is perhaps one of the greatest examples of horror-comedy, making it fantastic material for Halloween viewing. Its comedy label does not take away from its horror aspect however, as its producers originally stated that it was too scary to be a comedy (but also too funny to be a horror!), which hopefully helps those who are looking for scares. One aspect from this film that is always praised is the makeup and practical effects, particularly the scene in which the werewolf transforms. Like the chestburster in Alien, that scene precedes the film itself. Also, it features the under-appreciated and, quite frankly, terrifying scene set in the all-too-quiet London underground (Tottenham Court Road station, for those who like extra trivia). John Landis, the director, has another popular horror film to his name, one that I'm certain you will have seen. Maybe film isn't the right word for it, but instead, music video. That's right, Landis directed the greatest music video of all time: Michael Jackson's Thriller. If werewolf films are your thing and you haven't seen this (can you even call yourself a werewolf fan?) make sure you consider this for October 31st! 

6. The Wolf Man (George Waggner, 1941)

The Wolf Man, part of the absolutely horror-nerd-essential Universal Classic Monster series, was the film to kick off the werewolf obsession that inspired other fantastic werewolf ventures, such as An American Werewolf in London and the cult-classic Dog Soldiers. I've placed The Wolf Man higher than American Werewolf, despite saying that American Werewolf is a better film. I've done this due to this one being part of the Classic Monster series, which could make up your entire Halloween watchlist, if you wanted to have a refreshing and retro Halloween. Apart from that, for those of you who really love modern horror, it would be a fantastic experience to go back and watch some of the films that shaped the films we watch today. It's really interesting to see how horror has evolved in different contexts, how it worked around censorship and how it slowly branched out into different types of horror. In my opinion, The Wolf Man is a great place to start with that and will also provide something new to talk about for most people. Who knows, maybe you will be able to talk to it with your grandparents, who saw it in cinemas many years ago! 

5. The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015)

If you are anything like me, the woods make you feel so great, but absolutely terrify you at the same time. If you are anything like me, you will also love this film. The Witch (often stylised 'The VVitch) tells the story of a 17th century family who are forced to move away from their town. They choose the edge of a dark wood (for some reason) as a spot to construct their new home before the winter arrives, as they need to have a place to look after the family's new baby, Samuel. However, it isn't long before things start to take a turn for the spookiest, as Samuel abruptly disappears. The family begins to fall apart, all fighting for their lives and their sanity against a force of evil that lurks just past the tree line. If my summary didn't already make it sound scary enough for you, let me tell you that the way that Eggers tells this story is, quite frankly, paralysingly frightening. He manages to make the audience feel real, genuine fear by leaving so much for the viewers to tell themselves, helped by the many scenes that are shrouded in horrific darkness. Naturally, as with most horror films, The Witch is best watched in pitch darkness. I'll admit, I felt the need to hug a pillow for protection in the final ten minutes. This film will make your flesh crawl a mile (away from the horrible woods, that is!).

4. Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)

As I mentioned in my previous list, if you are going to limit yourself to watching only English-language films, you are going to miss out on some fantastic films. This rule still applies to the horror genre. Let the Right One In is a prime example of fantastic foreign horror. Following the miserable life of Oskar, who lives on the outskirts of 1980s Stockholm and the friendship that blossoms and evolves with his reclusive neighbour, Eli, a girl who appears his age. Oskar is bullied often at his school and struggles with this on a daily basis, until Eli starts to give him advice. Who is the older man Eli lives with and why does Oskar only ever see her at night? Are the murders happening around the town connected to them somehow? Most importantly, is everyone who they claim to be? A classic coming of age meets with another frequently used horror sub-genre (one that I will not spoil) Let the Right One In is the perfect pick for your Halloween viewing if you are looking for a bleak illustration of how bad people are, with a sprinkling of supernatural horror on the side. 

3. The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers, 2019)

After walking out of the screening of The Lighthouse, almost shivering with madness and fear, I was ready to say that Robert Eggers could be the best director of horror ever, with a grand total of only two feature films. If you've seen The Lighthouse, you might just know why, but even if you disagree, you must have at least felt some form of fear during your viewing. I think this film gets such a high position on this list for breaking my threshold for anything disturbing over its knee (splintering it into a million pieces), honestly, I have never been more uncomfortable watching a film. This is probably due to my deep and primal fear of the ocean, which Eggers manages to manipulate in a seriously cunning way. Not only does he manage to make you feel genuine fear, but the way the film is written, the sound editing, the cinematography and even aspect ratio all weave together carefully to shake the viewer to the point where it feels like they are falling into the same abyss of madness that both of the lighthouse keepers are falling into throughout the film. If you liked The Shining, Black Swan or The Babadook (or the previously mentioned Eraserhead!) I'm going to bet that you will, for lack of a better term, thoroughly enjoy this film.

2. Ghost Stories (Andy Nyman & Jeremy Dyson, 2017)

Independent horror films, especially British ones (no bias, I promise) are always exciting, because they are always so unique and unpredictable. In when rating on unpredictability, Ghost Stories takes the cake. I can't say much about this one without spoiling it, but I can tell you that the film takes on a semi-anthology format, telling four different stories in one film, all of them only connected by the fact that they are cases that an ex-paranormal investigator just could not solve. We follow Phillip Goodman, a paranormal investigator himself, as he takes his turn at solving the three cases that just could not be cracked, whilst we learn more and more about his own personal demons. Ghost Stories supplies viewers with plenty (and I mean plenty) of scares, multiple moments of unbearable tensity, golden moments of realisation and some great performances from co-stars Alex Lawther and Martin Freeman. If you're up for a twisty and twisted tale set in the all-too familiar English countryside, this is definitely the one for you. 

1. Creep (Patrick Brice, 2014)

Here it is, my number one choice for Halloween films, from deepest darkest corner of independent films put on Netflix, Creep. For those of you who I bashed at the beginning of this article for repeatedly watching The Blair Witch Project, this one will appeal to you greatly, this is due to Creep also being a found-footage film, shot with a tiny crew and an even smaller cast (two people and a voice on a phone). Due to this very low budget cast and small crew, the film naturally creates an extremely claustrophobic feeling, combined with the found footage, rough cut style, it seems all too real to watch comfortably. The story Creep tells is about a man, Aaron, who is low on money taking a job helping someone film a home-movie style video, someone who lives out in the middle of nowhere. When the Aaron arrives, he meets Josef, an extremely eccentric man who reveals that he is terminally ill and wants to make a video for his unborn child, one about his every day life. As the video progresses, the things Josef asks Aaron to do become increasingly abnormal and Aaron begins to feel that he may not be fit for the job. One thing Aaron doesn't know is that once he signed on, there would be no escape. I would honestly say that Creep is the scariest film I have seen. I like to say that I can withstand horror and it doesn't scare me easily, but this film shook me to the core, mainly due to it being based completely in reality. Creep takes everything you think you know, throws it to the ground and spits on it, it reminds you that nobody is safe and today, nobody can be one-hundred percent trusted. This one will have you locking all of your doors and windows and constantly looking over your shoulder for weeks to come. If this sounds like a film for you, proceed with caution, you won't shake this off for a while. 

So, there we have it, ten films which I believe could really freshen up your Halloween watchlist. Whether you liked the films or not, I'd love to know what you thought of them and your reasons, I'd also be more than happy to give you more recommendations, if you'd like them. For now, though, seek out these dark gems and grab a pillow to hide behind! 

See you soon and thank you for reading.

Jay.