There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who love scary movies and those who don’t. I definitely live in that first camp. I have loved everything about horror since I was a kid. The earliest horror movie I remember watching was the It miniseries, way back in the 90s. For a short time, the movie frightened me but what I remember most was the experience of watching it. My younger brothers and I (and honestly we were all too young to be watching this) would watch it, recite the lines, and then jump, scream and laugh at all the scary parts. It became a fun tradition to watch this movie and others together, to the point that we now have scary movie nights together as adults.
Throughout the year I read horror novels, watching horror TV shows, and of course, watching scary movies for the fun of it. It doesn’t have to be spooky season for me to turn on a scary movie, but during October I have to watch my favorites.
If you’re looking for some recommendations or if you’re curious about what I’ve been watching, keep reading! Also, make sure you are following me on Instagram because every Friday this month I will be showing you what horror movies I am watching! These movies are great in case you decide to stay in on Halloween Night instead of going out.
Comfort Scary Movies
This category might seem weird. I don’t think most (normal) people associate horror with comfort, but I do! These are some of my favorite scary movies: I enjoy them and have watched them so many times that I don’t really even have to pay attention the whole time or start from the beginning to enjoy them.
The Conjuring, Annabelle Creation & Insidious –
Although the plots differ largely, these three movies are my favorites of the James Wan horror juggernauts. Watching Insidious for the first time back in 2011, I remember feeling genuinely scared and entertained more than I had ever felt watching a horror movie. Because of this, I will pretty much watch any film James Wan makes (although I am still not over how terrible Malignant was).
Of the 8 films that are called “The Conjuring Universe”, the first Conjuring film and Annabelle Creation are my favorites. I love watching Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, on screen. Honestly, I’ve rewatched both initial conjuring films quite a bit. The third… left much to be desired but I still enjoyed it. And as a 90’s kid who grew up watching a possessed doll torment Chicago, Annabelle was always going to be a hit for me.
Scream -Speaking of the ’90s, I don’t know of any millennial who hasn’t watched this saga a thousand times. When you think of slashers Scream is definitely high on the list and the sequels weren’t bad either. Slashers aren’t my favorite horror sub-genre but I am a BIG Scream fan. I can’t wait to see the 5th installation in January 2022!
Halloween – While on the subject of slasher, I can’t go without mentioning the movie that helped redefine the genre. I literally watch this on Halloween night every year. I’ve gone as far as watching multiple documentaries on the making of this film. I’m fascinated with the story behind its production and I love the sequels (even the bad ones).
The Shining & IT -As your friendly neighborhood Stephen King stan, of course, a few of his movies would make the list. I’ve read both of the books these movies were adapted from and I honestly can’t get enough. I even loved the Shining follow-up film Doctor Sleep (which is also an amazing read). Pennywise, whether he is being played by Tim Curry or Bill Skarsgard, is a funny, creative and terrifying villain. I love these films!
New(ish) but noteworthy Scary Movie Recommendations
When I’m not watching my favorites, I do like to try new things. I’m not afraid of watching a bad horror movie here or there, those are super entertaining too (for their own reasons). Here are some of tbvhe new, but noteworthy horror movies that I liked, but don’t hear people mention often enough!
Demonic – This is one of my favorite scary movies on Netflix. I had very, very low expectations when turning this on but I was pleasantly surprised. It has a familiar premise to a lot of movies but I really liked the twist at the end! Give it a try!
Winchester – This is another Netflix horror flick that you should try. The Dame, Helen Mirren, is in it. She’s an eccentric, rich old lady. It’s great!
The Boy 2 – If you saw the first installation in this franchise you might be wondering how the sequel found its way onto my list. That’s because, in my opinion, the sequel is miles better than the first. I wasn’t very impressed with The Boy, so watching The Boy 2 was just a product of me being bored at home. But I like this movie and Katie Holmes is good in it.
The Ritual – This was another pleasant Netflix surprise! nothing is scarier than friends hiking in the woods, then someone gets hurt but as it turns out, that is the least of their worries. This one is really good!
Hereditary – This movie messed me up… in the best way possible. It is such a weird, unsettling horror story that I couldn’t pass up adding it to the list. I don’t even want to say much, the surprises this one has need to stay that way!
Horror Series worth watching
Evil – I binged the first two seasons of this show last year and am still waiting anxiously for season 3. This show follows a scientist who has teamed up with a priest (Mike Colter) to investigate possessions. You should definitely give this a try!
The Exorcist – This show is a continuation of the original The Exorcist movie and stars Gena Davis! I really wasn’t expecting to like this show but I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it has been canceled so the story we get over two seasons is all we have.
Behind Her Eyes – Much like Clickbait, this series was a big hit on Netflix earlier this year. It’s more of a supernatural, psychological thriller, and a straight-up horror movie, but I felt it belonged on this list. It is full of twists and turns and the end is… crazy!
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch – I just want to warn you, this is not your 90’s Sabrina the teenage witch. This show is a darker, more supernatural look into the occult side of being a teenage witch and what that world is like. There are 4 seasons, the first few are the best of course but if you loved the original and movies like The Craft, you should like this too.
American Horror Story – I believe this series was my first introduction to horror TV series and it will forever hold a spot in my heart. There are 10 seasons available now, all of which I have not seen, but this series is mostly an anthology so you don’t have to watch them all in order to be sucked in. The seasons I recommend most are as follows: Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, Roanoke, and Apocalypse.
On my Scary movie to-watch list
To finish off this list I want to talk about things I haven’t gotten a chance to see yet. If you have recommendations please drop them below! All of these scary movies/shows are currently streaming on Netflix!
Things heard and Seen
Haunting of hill house
Crimson Peak
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