It's spooky season! You know what that means: Time to curl up on the couch, make some popcorn, and watch some horror movies. But what if you're not much of a horror aficionado and you're just getting started out? Are there any classics you might want to check out? What about anything new that's received good reviews? Where to begin?
Thankfully, horror fans are more than happy to weigh in. You can thank Redditor MotorVariety4091 asked the online community,
"What horror movie is perfect?"
"They have a weakness..."
"Tremors (the FIRST movie) is a perfect monster movie.
A blend of monster movie, dumb-seeming intelligence, and great characterization, it hits all the tropes, angles, and tension of classic monster films, while at the same time subverting and changing them.
The monsters create tension in every scene, only increasing as things get more desperate for the people you find yourself connecting with. They're great monsters too, perfect even, as you don't know they're there until they're right under you, and even if you DO know they're there…well, they can wait you out as you climb the power lines, days and days if they have to.
They have a weakness, but it's only fatal if you're smart about it, and even then they LEARN. They're patient, alien and strong, but CAN be killed. It's not a struggle against the unknowable, unassailable, but a FIGHT with a monster you have to bait out to kill. The only way to win is to play chicken with it, and PRAY you're good enough
Witty one-liners, funny character moments, and good pacing help the movie stay coherent and brings you back from the precipice of thinking that that's all the movie has to offer. Slapstick, cutting words and in-jokes, all dot the runtime, even when a harrowing escape turns into a Mulan-like shot of the characters pole-vaulting from rock to rock
Still, for all its silliness, the horror of seeing a man's face under his hat, sucked into the ground by something he NEVER EVEN SAW…it has some chops for horror in the best movie monster ways. People go missing before anyone even knows what the problem is, and the one who did figure it out died from dehydration and exposure on the power lines long before he could warn others.
It's not necessarily a good movie, but it's a perfect monster movie, and should absolutely be seen as a great horror flick.
Plus it's got Reba McEntire and Kevin Bacon in it."
This is definitely one of my comfort movies. There are some genuinely creepy moments alongside some funny ones, and even some sweet ones. I've seen it many times over the years.
"The way the movie builds tension..."
"Coraline. I think people forget about this because it's children's horror, but it's a perfectly paced movie. Divided up into 4 acts, each act adds in a new flavor of horror that builds on itself.
The way the movie builds tension and horror, along with the artwork, music, and character designs, means the viewer is never allowed to get accustomed to the horror on the screen. I recommend it to anyone who likes horror, adult or child."
"The fact that..."
"Pet Sematary. The fact that a possessed cat is the main antagonist is a really unique concept."
Unfortunately, I don't particularly care for either version of this tale because neither one has managed to even capture the feeling of dread that is so pervasive in the book, but there is no denying that the original film certainly leaves you with an impression.
"You have to remember..."
"The Blair Witch Project.
I know the whole "found footage" genre has been done to death now, but this was one of the first movies to adopt this method and it worked beautifully. You have to remember that this movie came out before the internet/social media....so when the marketing material claimed it was real, there really wasn't much of a way to disprove it.
I still remember leaving the cinema as a 15-year-old shaking with fear. A superbly made, suspenseful horror movie which still holds up to this day."
It seems cool to hate this movie now, but you know what? I love it to pieces. It's incredible, and one of the only movies to give me chills even while watching it in broad daylight.
"Since it's a Kubrick movie..."
"Since it's a Kubrick movie it deserves to be watched on a larger screen with decent speakers. Lights off. It's probably better watched in the dead of winter as well. It's the kind of movie that's a whole mood.
The book is also one of King's best and it's so different from the movie that both are great in their own right."
A classic that I never get tired of.
"First movie that came to mind..."
"First movie that came to mind was Signs. A slow build from crop circles to full-scale alien invasion. As far as psych horror goes that's my favorite."
"I think what made Saw so great..."
"Saw. I think what made Saw so great was that it was just an ordinary guy doing these things. No monsters, no supernatural stuff. That's what made it so scary."
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The first Saw blew my mind when I was younger. Unfortunately, the sequels, save for perhaps the first one, were pretty lackluster. It's amazing this series has gone on so long.
"I think the original..."
"I think the original Halloween is probably about as perfect as a horror could ever be. It's perfect in every way."
"Who doesn't love..."
"Seven has been one of my all-time favorites for a long time. A little horror, little thriller. Who doesn't like Morgan Freeman as a homicide detective?"
"It has fantastic effects..."
"John Carpenter's The Thing is my favorite. It has fantastic effects, the story keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the characters are great and believable."
Well, what are you waiting for? Get watching!
And since I'm here, I'll leave you with some of my recommendations:
- Black Christmas (1974)
- The Witch (2015)
- Nightmare in a Damaged Brain (1981)
- Alien (1979)
- Suspiria (1977)
- Funny Games (1997)
- The Vanishing (1988)
Have some suggestions of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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