The leaves are turning, there’s a chill in the air, and you can see Halloween decorations going up already. That’s right, it’s spooky season again. And what better way to ring in the most terrifying time of the year than a horror movie marathon? Here are the fifteen best scary movies to start spooky season right.
Hereditary
The uneasy, grim tone of Hereditary makes it a chilling watch even before a drop of blood is spilled. It’s a haunted movie that deals with the supernatural in a way that feels truly otherworldly. This is among the scariest films of the “possession” subgenre and a great showcase for director Ari Aster. While some of Aster’s later films, like Midsommar, might have become more popular, Hereditary is a downright terrifying picture.
Evil Dead II
Equal parts hilarious dark comedy and spooky zombie movie, Evil Dead II shows why Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are legendary names among horror fans. There’s nothing on this planet cooler than Ash Williams replacing his recently-removed hand with a chainsaw, saying “groovy” directly at the camera, and then hacking up evil zombies to bits.
Alien
Ellen Ripley battles against all odds in Alien, fighting a bizarre xenomorph that defies all reason. It’s hard to even pin down what, exactly, the alien antagonist is capable of—and Ripley has to rely solely on her wits to outmaneuver and outsmart her deadly adversary.
Get Out
Jordan Peel’s singular Get Out is the rare horror movie that manages to be funny, insightful, and truly unsettling. Its chilling premise is something that you need to see for yourself, in any event. The less you know going into the movie, the better. The twists, shocks, and reveals will be more impactful that way.
Halloween
What better movie to celebrate spooky season than Halloween? The bloody tale of Michael Meyers returning home to terrorize his family helped kickstart the entire slasher subgenre, leading to the 80s being a decade dominated by horror flicks about teenagers running from blade-wielding murderers. Also, Jamie Lee Curtis is stellar in this movie.
Cabin in the Woods
Cabin in the Woods is a love letter to the horror genre as a whole. Rather than spoil the fun twists and turns for you, just know that you’ll get the most out of this movie if you’re already a die-hard horror fan with good knowledge regarding the history of the genre.
A Quiet Place
It doesn’t get much scarier than an alien invasion. In A Quiet Place, invaders from another world have arrived and already won. They’ve got super-sensitive hearing and will attack any humans they hear. As such, the protagonists must do anything they can to avoid all noise. This intriguing premise leads to some gripping horror drama and makes for one of the best modern entries in the alien invasion genre.
The Ring
Many American audiences were first introduced to Japanese-style horror with The Ring, known as Ringu in Japan. This spooky ghost story concerns a video tape that curses anyone who views it. The slow, creeping dread is amped up by great cinematography and claustrophobic scenes that make you feel the presence of evil even in the mundane.
His House
To say too much about His House would give away the terror at its heart. This is one of those rare movies that has a 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so you owe it to yourself to go in blind and discover the horror awaiting the South Sudanese refugees in their new home in England.
Night of the Living Dead
George Romero’s iconic Night of the Living Dead isn’t the first zombie story ever, but it established so many classic tropes that it has become a standard-bearer for the entire subgenre. The classic premise—the bodies of the dead rising to terrorize the living—is enough to keep you up at night.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
It’s one thing to run from a flesh-and-blood threat, but it’s another thing entirely to fear something that can assault you in your dreams. Nowhere is safe in Nightmare on Elm Street, as the malevolent spirit of Freddy Krueger stalks a group of teenagers through their nightmares.
The Fly
David Cronenberg knows how to gross you out while still finding the pathos in his grotesque creations. That’s on full display in the tragic horror movie The Fly, as Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Brundle accidentally splices his DNA with that of a common housefly and slowly transforms into a hideous monster.
Pearl
Pearl, like its phenomenal predecessor X, is one of Ti West’s scariest movies. It’s grounded in reality but plays like a bizarre dream from a bygone era. The title character yearns for a life of glamor far beyond her farmhouse origins, but something isn’t quite right under the surface of her Hollywood dreams.
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28 Days Later
If Night of the Living Dead is the prototype for the classic zombie movie, 28 Days Later is the quintessential modern zombie flick. In Days, the “zombies” are living humans who have been infected with some kind of bizarre rage virus. They’re fast-moving, vicious creatures who will stop at nothing to spread their infection to anyone they encounter.
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Werewolf by Night
Who would have thought that Marvel Studios would make a great horror short film? Werewolf by Night unironically rules, starring the titular werewolf, comic fan-favorite character Jack Russel. Yes, his name is hilarious, and, yes, this entirely black-and-white ode to classic monster movies is one of the best things Marvel Studios has ever made.
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