As the weather turns chillier, the leaves change color and Halloween gets closer, it’s the perfect time of the year to watch a good horror movie. From the spine-chilling to the less-than-scary, we’ve got you covered with five movie recommendations for this spooky season.
First, what makes a good horror movie? Thomas Phillips, a senior lecturer in the English department and a professor for the University Honors Program, teaches the honors seminar “The Power of Horror: Horror Fiction and Film.”
“It’s all about the atmosphere and immersiveness,” Phillips said. “In movies now we see so many jumpscares and so much gore — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes the atmosphere isn’t developed enough for that. Without that [atmosphere], it’s really what we call terror, not horror. Terror diffuses quickly, but horror gets inside, lingers.”
Regardless of what elements of horror are in a movie, there’s still room for creativity in a plethora of sub genres — including thrillers, slashers, classics and “so bad it’s good.”
In Theaters: “Saw X” (2023)
7.1/10 IMDB Score
3.3/5 on Letterboxd
What better way to experience a horror movie than in the pitch dark of a theater?
Xochilt Espinoza Jaen, a second-year studying microbiology with a minor in film studies and president of the Student Film Society, said the best way to watch a horror movie is on the big screen.
“When it’s like a theater and kind of all dark because that adds to the atmosphere,” Espinoza Jaen said. “And if you have your favorite popcorn and your little treats and stuff, that really adds to it.”
Released on Sept. 29, “Saw X” is the tenth installment in the popular “Saw” franchise.
Set between “Saw” and “Saw II,” “Saw X” brings back familiar characters and boasts a fresh new collection of horrific traps, portrayed in the film predominately with practical effects.
Grab your popcorn and watch twisted justice be dealt on the big screen.
Thriller: “The Thing” (1982)
8.2/10 IMDB Score
4.3/5 on Letterboxd
There’s no talking about horror movies without talking about thrillers. The two genres have a tendency to overlap, with both types of movies making for a good spooky watch.
“Thrillers are about kind of creating more mystery in the audience and less so fear, versus horror kind of tries to create more of a fear atmosphere,” Espinoza Jaen said.
One of Espinoza Jaen’s recommendations was the 1982 movie, “The Thing.” The movie uses a tense atmosphere and practical effects, two of Espinoza Jaen’s must-haves to make a good horror movie.
“Often with horror movies especially, they do computerized effects, or CGI,” Espinoza Jaen said. “It really distracts you from the main focus of the movie because you’re like, ‘Wow, I can tell it’s fake.’”
“The Thing” follows a team of researchers in the Arctic as they are trapped in isolation with something that can imitate living things, including each of the men on the station.
With a plot filled with suspense and suspicion, the movie’s combination of disturbing practical effects and skillfully crafted plot marks it as a must-watch.
Slashers: “Scream” (1996)
7.4/10 IMDB Score
4/5 on Letterboxd
Six movies later, Ghostface is still as popular as ever — and for good reason.
“Scream” redefined the idea of a slasher, subverting from the horror cliché it so easily could’ve been a victim of by poking fun at itself.
“‘Scream’ is a metafilm: a film about film, horror about horror,” Phillips said. “It was inevitable that we would see this in the ‘90s. Slashers quickly became a popular subgenre — some were good, many mediocre, just trying to play to expectations. ‘Scream’ is aware of the formula, though. It’s aware of the tropes it plays to and it entertains.”
The typical slasher incorporates the classic horror elements of tension and violence, but takes the genre to the next level in terms of gore.
Regardless of whether or not there are “Scream”-esque elements such as humor and irony, there’s sure to be a pileup of bodies by the end.
Classics: “The Exorcist” (1973)
8.1/10 IMDB Score
4/5 on Letterboxd
There are numerous definitions of “classic” horror, but Phillips said one constant appears to be the idea of richness.
“Often, classics are just tropes, but unestablished and fresh,” Phillips said. “They’re grainy because of the filmstock, the pacing is good and they’re so immersive. They’re quite different from modern horror films, which are crisp in production but often not as immersive. You’re sometimes aware when you’re seeing a modern horror movie that you’re watching something that’s trying to be horror, but not with classics.”
Classic films might not have the best production or viewing quality, but the horror factor is there, preserving and solidifying their place in horror movie rotations.
Between the nightmare-inducing projectile vomiting scene and the creepiness that still appears to be emanating from the infamous stairs in Georgetown (now appropriately named “The Exorcist Steps”), there’s arguably no horror movie as memorable as “The Exorcist.”
“Possession is just timeless,” Phillips said. “It points to not just demons and spirits, but the idea that any human can be possessed by things like ideology.”
So Bad it’s Good: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
7.4/10 IMDB Score
3.7/5 on Letterboxd
Today, some consider the film that debuted Freddy Krueger to be a perfect film while others regard it as a joke.
Directed by “Scream”’s Wes Craven, many elements of the 1996 slasher can be seen in this film as well, from the violence to the humor. However, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” rang differently with audiences than “Scream” did.
“It’s a very jokey film yet very effective as a horror,” Phillips said. “It took risks and was transgressive at the time.”
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” inspired a wave of similar films, most of which were far less innovative, emphasizing the creativity of this “so bad it’s good” flick.
