Must Watch Movies For The Spooky Season

It's getting to be that special time of year where you can binge an unhealthy amount of horror movies without people thinking you're weird. With that in mind, it seemed like an appropriate time to make some recommendations from my short* list of favorite/underrated horror movies, in no particular order.

*long

Spoiler warning is in effect.

Constantine (2005):

Let's kick things off with an underrated classic; Constantine is a quintessential early 2000's action movie with just the right amount of horror. Lead by Keanu Reeves (who can make anything fun), this movie boasts an interesting universe, fun dialogue, cool imagery, and some great Angel and Demon performances from Tilda Swinton, Peter Stormare and, yes, Gavin Rossdale of Bush. This one is nice to put on the background if you don't want to have to put a lot of energy into paying attention to a movie, and it's just easy to like.

Horror Rating: Not really that scary.

Fun Rating: Yeah, it's a pretty good time.

Grave Encounters:

Alright, we've had a light, fun start, now let's get spooky. Grave Encounters is a personal favorite of mine in the found-footage genre; an excellent send-up of ghost hunting style shows that also happens to have some genuinely good scares. Buoyed by solid acting, great in-jokes (if you've ever watched the likes of Ghost Adventures or anything similar, you'll get a real kick out of some of the scenes here), decent scares, good pacing, and a lack of heavy-handedness when it comes to the usual found-footage tropes, Grave Encounters is a solid horror romp that'll scratch your found-footage itch (at least until we get a little further into the list...).

Horror Rating: Some decent scares.

Fun Rating: The ending, of course, gets pretty dark, but it's still good fun.

Hereditary (Depending):

Let's call this one...optional. If you're a fan of being scared, this one might just be for you. If you think being shaken by a movie sounds like a good time, then this one is DEFINITELY for you. I don't think a horror movie has ever left me feeling the way Hereditary did; this one stuck with me for days after I watched it. Not just because it's scary, which it is, but because it was, to the definition, horrifying. As in, shocking. The acting, the editing, the shot composition, the score, all of it coalesces into a monster of a horror movie that really has to be seen to be understood. Ari Aster has proved so far to be excellent at capturing very human drama in the midst of traditional horror movie happenings, and it makes the horror in this movie all the more gut-wrenching

Horror Rating: Depends on your taste, but pretty damn scary.

Fun Rating: Fun is not the word I'd use to describe this experience. Gripping may be more accurate, but fun? Probably not.

IT (2017):

You'll notice I didn't call this IT: Chapter 1. That's because this should be the only IT movie, the other chapter is...very bad. Hilarious, but bad.

We went pretty dark in our last film, so let's lighten things up a bit again. While still a fairly dark and scary film, IT is also a pretty fun time all things considered. The young cast is great across the board, the soundtrack is surprisingly stellar, the scares are well done, and Bill Skarsgard's iteration of the iconic Pennywise is, as far as I'm concerned, the definitive portrayal of the character.

Horror Rating: Some pretty good scares.

Fun Rating: This one is pretty fun to watch; never overly dark.

The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2:

Both of these are pretty good horror fare that play well with some familiar tropes. I wouldn't say they break any new ground in terms of horror films, but they stick to a tried and true horror formula and do so quite well. The actors do a great job across both films, they're both well-paced, and the scares are all solid (maybe a bit too jump-scary at times). Not really a whole lot more to say about these, just a couple of fun, well-made scary movies

Horror Rating: Decently spooky.

Fun Rating: Decently fun.

As Above So Below:

This one caught me off guard when I first watched it; my expectations were actually fairly low given the reviews I'd seen for the film, but surprise, it's now one of my favorites. While not necessarily super scary, relying on a few tired tropes to get its spooks in, where this movie really shines is its fascinating story/setting, and the fact that it ends with, thank goodness, a reasonably happy, definitive ending. I'm so exhausted by horror movies that essentially end with a "?" because they want to be the next big franchise (oddly enough, this is a movie that I would love to see at least a spiritual successor too, considering the plot is basically "what if Indiana Jones went to actual hell?").

Horror Rating: A few spooky moments, won't blow your mind.

Fun Rating: This one is pretty cool, I dug it.

Halloween (1978):

Alright this one feels like a given; John Carpenter's slasher classic basically created the genre, and there's good reason why. This movie has a great soundtrack, a menacing villain, and some excellent scares (the closet scene will always get me). This is more or less required viewing during the Halloween season.

Horror Rating: Some great stuff.

Fun Rating: It's a good time.

The Thing (1982):

While we're on the subject of John Carpenter, we might as well discuss his other horror classic. 1982's The Thing is what great monster movies are made of; an unstoppable force in a secluded location where you can't even trust your friends. Some great acting, stellar scares, and out-of-this-world visual effects make for something very special.

Horror Rating: Some good scares, great body horror.

Fun Rating: It's hard not to have a good time quoting this movie as you watch it.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe:

This one came outta nowhere. I knew next to nothing about this film when I want to watch it, and I was blown away. A terrifying movie in which almost nothing happens until the last third, it's just so good at keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole way. Great performances, great atmosphere, this one sinks its hooks in you and doesn't let go until the credits roll.

No GIF for this one, experience it fresh.

Horror Rating: Solid, definitely jumped a few times.

Fun Rating: Loses points for an animal death but still fun to watch with friends.

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

I watched this one on a whim a few months back while my wife and I were on a huge found-footage horror kick, and it really floored me. This movie holds off on most of it's legitimate scares until the third act, but kicks into such chaotic high-gear at the end that I actually had to take a short break. All the trappings of a great Korean horror film, with the jump scares and uncomfortable intimacy of found footage. This one ranks highly for me.

No GIF here either, same reasons.

Horror: Slow burn for awhile and then it kicks your ass at the end.

Fun Rating: Definitely a good time.

Well I think we should wrap this up before this ends up as a twenty minute read. I hope y'all enjoy my spooky selections for the season, and if you're looking for more, here's a less-detailed list of fun movies to watch for the season:

- Lake Mungo

- The Taking of Deborah Logan

- Hellraiser 1 and 2

- Baby's Room (2006 Spanish film)

- Anabelle Comes Home

- [REC]: You can't beat a classic, I only didn't review this one because every horror fan already knows how good this is.

- Underworld 1 and 2

- Queen of the Damned

- V/H/S