Here’s my next and last installment of the 5 Horror Movies to Get You in the Halloween Spirit series. Click here to check out Part I and Part II. I think this is the last horror movie list for a while. But I had to get these out in time for you all to watch them before Halloween, right?
So, kick back, invite some friends over and enjoy these movies to get in the holiday spirit.
The Ritual (David Bruckner, 2017)
What I love about this British horror movie is that it starts dark but relatively ordinary. And then it goes into a darker place. And then it gets darker. It just keeps on taking you to a place of horror and then goes ahead and takes you deeper, again and again. I remember once hearing someone talk about Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls” (1923). For the moment, we’ll set aside Lovecraft’s horrifying racism for the sake of the example. What the person said about the story was that it took you to a horrible place and then took you deeper and deeper, whether you wanted it to or not.
To me, this is the effect that The Ritual creates. While the person talking about “The Rats” didn’t enjoy this plummeting experience, I’ve always loved it. It’s like being led by the hand into a haunted house when you’re already terrified and can’t believe it could be worse. And then it gets worse. And worse. It’s an exhilarating but rare experience to actually find pulled off in a horror story, but this film delivers.
Follow four friends as they go on a hiking trip into the Swedish countryside, all in memory of their dead friend. When one friend gets hurt, they take an unmarked shortcut through the forest. Needless to say, things go bad. But the level of bad pulls you in deeper and deeper—going down into the depths of horror movie awesomeness.
The Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard, 2011)
To start off, this film is co-written by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon. As a Buffy fan, this is always a good thing. What this film captures is a horror movie with a meta-level awareness of the genre, almost like a Scream movie, but with a strong dose of humor. It somehow can make fun of itself while being terrifying at the same time.
But unlike a Scream movie where Ghostface is the only disturbance to normal reality, this film takes normality and throws it away. And then it does it again and again. Each time it expands the possibilities and the stakes in surprising ways.
Follow a group of teens as they go to a remote cabin in the woods only to be picked off by monsters. And then it gets weirder, funnier, and, somehow, more terrifying.
Malignant (James Wan, 2021)
This is another great film that’s best if you go into it not knowing what it’s about. This way the film hits you naturally and you roll with the story as it steers you along. I shouldn’t say much more, just so I don’t spoil the experience for you, but I loved the ride this movie takes you on.
I think what makes this film feel different is that James Wan directed it a few years after he did Aquaman (2018). This action film experience seems to bleed over into this horror movie. It has suspense elements, action film choreography and cinematography that will make you think of a John Wick film, and all the dark intrigue of a Stephen King horror movie. My mind goes to The Dark Half (George A. Romero, 1993) (watch, buy) (paid links).
For this one, I’ll go with the standard story description, and let you uncover the rest. Our protagonist, Madison Lake-Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis), begins having visions of people being killed only to find out that these killings are happening in real life. It’s a scary thrill ride and a fun whodunnit that has stuck with me.
Saw (James Wan, 2004)
Here’s another James Wan movie. Normally I’d avoid putting two movies by the same director on a single list, but I think this one’s worth it.
Like I said about Wan’s other film The Conjuring (2013), we can often trace horror movie franchises back to a great first film that started it all. And Wan seems to have a knack for creating horror franchises, from the Conjuring Universe to Insidious to the plethora of Saw films. But, while I’ll admit that I didn’t watch more than a couple of the Saw sequels, the first movie stands out as one of my favorite films of all time.
What I love about this movie is how much they did with a simple set, a limited cast of characters, and a small budget. After all, it’s a film about two people and a dead body stuck in a room, but somehow it offers so much that it inspired one of the highest-grossing horror media franchises of all time. But where the sequels started to feel routine and thin, this original film still feels smart, original, and raw. It’s a cut above the rest, and it will have you standing up at the end.
Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
What better way to end this list than with the horror-comedy-zombie classic Shaun of the Dead? Need a pick-me-up after all these heavy, dark horror movies? Then check this one out.
Not only is it a fun romp with two slacker pub-buddies figuring out how to survive a zombie apocalypse, but it’s also a love note to the whole zombie film genre. Watch for a hilariously realistic portrayal of what two average-Joe doofs would do if they actually encountered a real-life zombie. Stay for the zombie film references and the way it takes the genre in new directions. And best of all, its not afraid to make fun of itself and the genre it loves.
There you have it! The last of my list of horror movies to get you ready for Halloween.
Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. And even let me know if you think I missed anything. I know I think I missed a bunch. There’re just so many great horror films out there. What do you think we could add?
Happy Halloween!