By: James Southworth
It's finally Halloween! This means it's time for my to write up one of my favorite posts of the year. As the title of this post indicates, I will be recommending to you five different horror movies that are perfect to watch on the creepiest day of the year. Each year, I challenge myself to come up with five movies I've never talked about on my site. Often this means intentionally going through a lot of different movies, which can also mean that I have to bear through a lot of garbage. But it's always worth it because I get some real gems I can come back to again and again. So here you go: five horror movies you definitely should watch!
1.The Last Exorcism
The found footage horror genre was very popular back in the day, but not so much now. I think I understand why: more often than not, these movies were criticized as being cheap and uneventful. That's because they usually were. There are your occasional underrated found footage films ("V/H/S" and "The Den" come to mind), but those get harder and harder to uncover amongst all the trash. So, I was pleasantly surprised with "The Last Exorcism", a film that was generally liked by critics but not liked nearly as much by general audience members during its time. What works in this movie really works. For one, it's debatable to call this found footage. It definitely has elements of that genre, but honestly functions more like a mockumentary in many parts. I think this works incredibly well for the film. It also helps that the characters in the movie generally are like people you could casually meet on the street. This is due in large part to the great performances, especially by Patrick Fabian as Cotton Marcus and Ashley Bell as Nell Sweetzer. Even in the weaker parts of the movie, the performances don't feel over the top. Often times, it does feel like you're just watching a documentary and not a movie. This helps make some of the horror elements legitimately unsettling. For the most part, there are no over the top special effects or big jump scares. This was really refreshing to me, and surprising since this movie was released in a time when we were not in a good horror landscape. This movie works great for Halloween, and I could see it scaring a group of people because of how real it feels at times. I would, however, suggest you stop the movie before its last 10 minutes. It really goes off the rails in its finale, and not in a good way. It suddenly becomes more like every bad found footage film, and doesn't match up with the relatively grounded tone the rest of it has. Still, the good stuff here is good enough to give this one a strong recommendation.
2. Rosemary's Baby
I don't know how I've missed out on Roman Polanski's classic horror film for so long. There is definitely a reason why it's a classic, as this movie sent genuine chills up in me several times. The movie takes its concept very seriously. It's a very messed up version of the Nativity Story, and not once does it delve too much into comedy or over the top ridiculousness. The horror elements are quite grounded, and in fact, we don't really get to see what the horror itself looks like. I appreciate that the horror itself isn't just the physical manifestation of Rosemary's child: for a big portion of the movie, it's her paranoia and the potential that her neighbors are crazier than they seem. The movie also really goes there in terms of its tone: it's quite dark and foreboding, oftentimes even making you feel a little gross once you realize what is going on. I appreciate that Polanski is never dismissive of Rosemary's trauma, instead showing us repeatedly how what she feels is very real. Mia Farrow's stellar performance brings this fact to life even more so. It's incredibly how effortlessly Farrow transforms from enthusiastic mother to frightened and unwilling participant. There are many other great performances here, such as Ruth Gordon's frightening turn as Minnie, and John Cassavetes doing almost too good a job at being a despicable husband. Polanski himself is probably the biggest star here, though, really making this movie shine in every way throughout its run time. There's no other horror film I've seen quite like this one, and it has already made its way into one of my top 10 horror movies of all time.
3. Midsommar
I've already talked about this movie at length in a review this year, so I'll keep this one a little briefer. As I mentioned in my review, I love how unconventional this film is in terms of the way it delivers its scares. Instead of being in the dark and with hidden demonic entities, here our horrors take place in the daylight, and can even look beautiful in a very twisted way. Say what you will about director Ari Aster's sometimes elusive script writing, I don't think you can deny that in two films he has proven himself to be masterful at delivering scares. He specializes in build-up, and then having intense moments where there's nothing but frightening moments happening. In some ways, I like "Midsommar" better than "Hereditary" just because of how well each scare is set up and then paid off. The addition of very dark comedy only serves to seal the deal for me. Florence Pugh is better than ever in this movie, and I really am happy to see her career take off. This movie may not bring Halloween to mind instantly, but I think it's one I'll be watching during the season.
4. The Others
Now, whereas "Midsommar" may not have the Halloween vibes, "The Others" definitely does. In fact, in many places it visually looks like old time horror films, especially ones with a Victorian or Gothic aesthetic. It's also clear the movie was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, which can only be a good thing. This movie does a really good job at being subtle when it needs to be, and being big when it's appropriate. I love how well-paced the movie is- it's endlessly engrossing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Nicole Kidman as Grace is superb in this movie; in fact, I would say this is still her best performance to date (although her turn in "Big Little Lies" is in good competition). She really holds this film together with her thoroughly emotional turn that makes her a consistently engaging person to watch. Also great in the film is Fionnula Flanagan as Mrs. Mills and Christopher Eccleston as Charles. What helps this film is that every character is intriguing, even Grace's children. Everyone is well-developed. But what really makes this movie work is its jaw-dropping twist. This is one of the best twists I've seen in any movie, as it hits you like a brick wall and leaves your mouth hanging open. The more you think about it, though, the more it makes sense. Returning to the movie you can see clever clue-ins of the twist being in your face all along. This movie earns itself a place in the conversation of the best modern horror movies for sure, and maybe could even be put in conversation alongside the classics.
5. Alien
In space, no one can hear you scream. That was the tagline of "Alien", and man what an effective tagline it is. The fact this movie is set in the vast emptiness of space only serves to make it scarier. Sure, you could argue that this is a sci-fi movie in some ways. And it is. But, at its core, this movie is undeniably a horror film. All the elements are there, and all of them meld together to make for what is one of my top 3 horror movies of all time. Ridley Scott has made some iconic films, and I think "Alien" is probably his best. The thing that helps this movie so much is that you are able to care for all the characters. This movie is more of an ensemble effort, which I think is cool because it makes you unsure of who will survive. Of course, most of us know the character of Ripley now, but no one really knew her when this movie came out, and I'd predict she didn't really become truly iconic until "Aliens". Ripley is, of course, still a great character here, and Sigourney Weaver delivers in the awesomeness department. Easily one of the best horror protagonists of all time right up there with Ash from "The Evil Dead". Other characters here definitely deserve recognition as well, such as Tom Skerrit as the fearless leader Dallas or Ian Holm's legitimately menacing performance as Ash. I love the twist they do with his character, as it helps you to see him in a whole new light on repeat returns to the movie. As far as scares go, this is one of the few movies out there that legitimately scares me even on repeat returns. The confined spaces, usage of lighting, sound design, and entirely unsettling structure of the Xenomorph all help make this movie one that sets me on edge every time. It is a seminal horror film, and a seminal Halloween film. Please see this one for yourself, if you haven't!
There you have it: five horror movies for you to choose from for your viewing pleasure. Happy Halloween, everyone!
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