The Best (And The Worst) Horror Movies To Watch This Halloween
No one in my family likes Horror films; in fact, they’re often baffled why, I, someone who has long suffered from intrusive anxiety, could find such comfort in such dark and suspense-filled scenery. It’s a question I often face, “How can you watch that stuff?” As if to escape to a reality even more frightful than the one we face daily is the actions of a nihilist.
With Halloween 2020 looming, I don’t blame anyone who prefers the warm-and-fuzzies of a 90’s rom-com to a chair-gripping, hairs-on-end, fright-fest. It’s been a long year after all. The problem is, even with whatever ‘worst-case-scenario’ anxiety is streaming into my brain that day, or how genuinely terrifying the global news becomes, I still seek out the spooks.
I crave that feeling in my chest; the tingling tightness that spreads through my body as slowly as a terrified babysitter descending into a dark basement. I cannot help it. I love nothing more than drawing the curtains closed, curling my knees to my chest, and watching something demonic on my screen for a few hours.
Am I alone in this? It turns out: no. Phew. Real-life science-people have confirmed that there are other anxious-bodies addicted to the rush that only a classic horror trope can provide.
Studies have shown that when we watch horror films, our brain’s limbic system is triggered by the violent or frightening scenes, and prepares our bodies to respond as if these anxiety-inducing images were real. Simultaneously, however, the logical, conscious part of our brain is aware that we’re watching a film. That what we see is fictional and cannot hurt us. This mix of emotional response and psychological distancing can have a positive effect on our ability to process anxiety. In these situations, the anxiety is manageable; we have the control, we can turn it off anytime, but we choose not to.
Right now, our collective anxiety is at an all-time high; between 20th and 30th March 2020, almost half (49.6%) of people in the UK reported experiencing high anxiety. So, with an impending second wave of coronavirus looming, I suggest that we all do our bit to social distance by staying in and hacking our anxiety with horror.
See in the best day of the year (don’t @ me Christmas people) with a day-long Halloween horror movie marathon- including some of the best and worst that the genre has to offer.
The Best:
1. The Witch (2015)
“Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?” These chillingly whispered words will stick with you for a long time after the close of 2015’s The Witch. Join a devout Christian family in the isolated wilderness of New-England, cloaked in fear, forbidden sexuality, and religious repression. The Witch tracks the story of William, the overbearing patriarch figure, and his wife, Katherine, as they slowly lose grip of their god-fearing family, succumbing to their sins, and the forces of the devil. The Witch has been lauded as going beyond the genre of horror; there are no scare jumps here just violating ominousness that will leave you feeling very strange indeed.
2. Us (2019)
Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror for a bit too long? Your face becomes distorted as your eyes drift out of focus. On over-tired, over-stressed days it can be easy to convince yourself that the thing looking back at you just moved independently of your body. Jordan Peele’s phenomenally unnerving, Us, compounds this feeling. The follow up to 2017’s critically acclaimed, Get Out, the film tracks a young family as they are stalked and tormented by their evil doppelgangers whilst on holiday. The ‘tethered’ people of Us will force you to consider the life you live, the privileges you hold, and what would happen if you ended up on the other side of the mirror.
3. As Above, So Below
The Paris catacombs are a place of legend; six million bodies stored beneath the streets of the city, they exist as the worlds largest mass grave. A simple search on YouTube will return hundreds of ill-advised and ill-fated attempts to tame their dark and mysterious corridors. As Above, So Below’s found-footage style mimics the curiousness and urgency of many of the YouTube excursions it inspired. An archaeology student and her team descend into the depths of the tunnels in search of a historical artefact. As things take a dark turn, this claustrophobic nightmare begins to wreak havoc on their minds, bringing them closer to hell than they ever anticipated.
The Worst:
Just a quick insider tip here for anyone that is genuinely new to the horror genre, sometimes the best thing about watching a horror movie is how much it sucks. Bad horror movies are a guilty pleasure for many. The shoddy FX and the unrealistic gore, the chase scenes that just never seem to end, the fact that no one ever seems to realise that one more stab would stop that monster coming back to life… I could go on.
Screenrant describes bad horror as a “cinematic aperitif” sent to cleanse your palette of the serious, high-brow media we consume and the heavy news cycle of gloom. So, here are a few to add to your watch list:
1. Slenderman (2018)
Anyone who was a teenager in the noughties is well aware of the notorious creepypasta creation that is Slenderman. The rest of the ‘non-internet’ world became aware of him in 2014 when a pair of disturbed pre-teen girls in the U.S attacked their friend, stabbing her multiple times and leaving her for dead. The girls claimed that the shockingly violent act was an effort to please the legendary entity, Slenderman. The lore around this character could not have been more prime for the picking… And then, the Slenderman movie happened, causing horror fans worldwide to yawn, uncontrollably.
The 8% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes speaks for itself… But, if you want to watch something Slenderman-related that evokes something more than laughter, check out the Youtube cult series, Marble Hornets. This vintage piece of internet history might just be one of the creepiest things on the web.
2. The Hunt (2020)
Billing itself as ‘the most talked-about movie of the year that no one has seen yet’, Craig Zobel’s social satire, The Hunt, is a role-reversal of kinds. In a world where the liberal elite has taken over, “deplorable” conservatives are kidnapped and hunted as punishment for their backward, non-conformist ways. It’s an interesting concept and tickles in parts, but overall, it’s a big reach that ends up feeling more focused on ticking off buzzwords and meme-culture tropes than delivering the thrilling fun of your typical chase-down slasher.
3. Tusk (2014)
Let’s be fair, Tusk actually sits within the genre of Comedy-Horror, so the laughs that you get with this one are intentional. The reason I included it here is that it might very well be the strangest thing I’ve ever watched. Period. Written and directed by Kevin Smith, of Clerks-fame, Tusk follows the story of a podcaster, who, in search of an interesting story, winds up in the grips of a really sick dude. Drugged, bound, and severed, Tusk sees its protagonist barely live through a mix between the human-centipede and the mutant zoo from the Mighty Boosh. I would put money on this film being one of the strangest things you’re going to see this year.
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Halloween 2020 is going to be a little different than usual; there will be no trick-or-treating or house parties full of ‘slutty-COVID patient’ costumes (silver linings). But, one thing is for sure, it will undoubtedly be no less scary. So, stock up on sweet-treats, stick on your streaming service of choice and waste another day of this never-ending year watching The Everyday best-and-worst scary movie marathon.
Written by Dominique Daly
Dominique Daly is a Belfast born music-fanatic and stalker of neighbourhood cats. When she's not writing about technology and marketing for her day job as a Content Marketer, she can most likely be found somewhere comfortable drinking wine and moaning about politics.