Bella Perez
With Halloween right around the corner, I thought as a horror fan it was very appropriate for me to give you a list of my top five scary movie recommendations to watch this year. These are in no actual order of importance because then that would be like asking a mom to rank her kids.
1. Scream – 1996
Wes Craven’s Scream is one of my all-time favorite movies. I will forever remember the first time I watched this movie and it is one I often show friends who have never seen it or are trying to get into horror. It is the perfect combination of both horror and comedy which makes it so easily enjoyable. Sidney Prescott and our other main characters make this movie great. These people, while fictional, feel real and are extremely likable which is rare for scary movies where characters are usually made just to raise the body count. The strong writing and realistic characters are just two of the many reasons this is such a good film. It’s hard to say much about this movie without spoiling anything but there is a reason this movie reinvented the horror genre.
I recommend that if you have never seen this movie before you go into it 100% blind because that will make it the most enjoyable.
2. Bodies Bodies Bodies – 2022
Bodies Bodies Bodies is a whodunit movie with a huge twist at the end. I will keep this spoiler-free because I want everyone to have the opportunity to watch this and any movie without spoilers. After all, that makes watching movies boring. This movie captures the humor of Gen Z nearly perfectly. With underlying messages about social media, this movie can be seen as a dark comedy about the harm it can do. The young cast makes this movie so fun and it feels like you are partying with them for much of the movie. Summed up this movie reminds me so much of the game Mafia I played as a kid.
3. The Blair Witch Project – 1999
There is no other scary movie like The Blair Witch Project. Often considered the first found footage movies it is no wonder why this is held to such a high standard. While some people might not enjoy this movie due to the shaky camcorder type video I think it adds to the effect of the movie. While much of it is your main characters fighting in the woods I think their emotions are truly believable and it becomes so clear why many thought this was a real found footage film. My best suggestion is to watch this in a completely dark room. That’s how I watched it for the first time and I think that is why it has become easily one of my favorite movies. It is an experience that will stick with you!
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street – 1984
I could talk about the original A Nightmare on Elm Street forever. This was one of the first scary movies my mom ever let me watch as a middle schooler and off the bat I was sold. While a bit cheesy the idea of Freddy Kruger is truly terrifying. Most killers in scary movies are escapable or at least avoidable in some way. Not Freddy. He haunts you in your sleep something you need to live. This is how Nancy Thompson gets stuck in a vicious cycle. You go to sleep you die, you don’t sleep you go insane. I think Wes Craven did an amazing job putting us in the shoes of these characters by showing how much restraint it took for most of them to try and stay awake and then also showing the consequences they faced for falling asleep. I don’t think we have seen a villain or story so original and like Freddy since which makes this first movie so special to me.
5. House of 1,000 Corpses – 2003
The best way to describe Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses is a creepy roadside attraction. Exuding the same vibes as his 1998 album titled Hellbilly Delux, House of 1,000 Corpses has the same dirty and grungey vibe as much of Rob Zombie’s music does. It’s an oddball movie that will keep you guessing most of the time what in the world is going to happen next. It takes scary movies to a whole new level with crazy editing, a crazy plot, and an even crazier family. This is what I can only imagine a nightmare brought to life would be like. The family we focus on for most of the film is the Firefly Family and I can say with 100% certainty I would never want anything to do with them. I would say this movie isn’t for the casual horror fan because it is such a cluster of crazy. It’s as if a bunch of scary movies were pulled from a hat and randomly thrown together. For me, it works but I can also understand why some would not enjoy this. If you want to be left completely confused and maybe a little scarred I think this is the movie for you but with much warning, this is a much more violent film than most of the list.
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