My favorite horror movies (and where to watch them)
I love horror movies. I really, really love horror movies, especially those of the psychological variety. Even if they don’t scare me (which is most of the time), they still have amazing storytelling techniques and keep your interest throughout. I recommend these movies whether you’re looking for a good scare or just want to watch a great film!
- Alien (1979)- A classic movie about a starship’s crew terrorized by an unstoppable and deadly extraterrestrial that ruthlessly hunts them down one by one.
- Lake Mungo (2008)- A mockumentary about a grieving family seeking to uncover their dead daughter’s secrets, which may be the cause of why she has seemingly been unable to move on.
- The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)- Another mockumentary about the discovery of hundreds of tapes detailing one serial killer’s decades of profoundly disturbing “work.” The movie is a mixture of said tapes and interviews from people involved with the case.
- Jaws (1975)- One of the most famous films of all time, Jaws details the menace of a massive, man-eating great white shark on Amity Island and the measures taken by the local police chief to destroy it once and for all.
- Ringu (1998)- Arguably the most well-known J-horror film of all time (and responsible for bringing the genre to the attention of Western countries), Ringu depicts an unsettling video tape rumored to cause the death of whomever watches it within seven days. After witnessing it, Reiko Asakawa must race against time to find the cure to her predicament.
- [REC] (2007)- The basis of the American remake Quarantine, [REC] is a found-footage film following the actions of a reporter and her cameraman who are unintentionally dragged into a horrifying mess when they are locked in a dark apartment with something sinister lurking within.
- Ju-On (2000)- Another J-horror film (which inspired the Grudge series), Ju-on (aka The Curse) details the story of a house haunted by a vengeful onryō and the havoc wreaked on whoever is unfortunate enough to encounter her.
- Sinister (2012)- After true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt moves into a house that was the setting for a gruesome murder in order to get ideas for his new book, he discovers a box of home movies that put the lives of himself and his family in grave danger.
- The Descent (2005)- A caving expedition involving six women goes horribly wrong after they are trapped within an unmapped cave system. Worse still, they soon discover they aren’t alone…
- Perfect Blue (1998)- The only anime film on this list. While Perfect Blue isn’t a horror film in the strictest sense of the word, it’s a psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat and, for lack of a better word, mindfucks you. It revolves around Mima, an ex-idol who has decided to venture into the acting world. After filming a particularly traumatic scene, Mima becomes unable to distinguish reality from fantasy and soon begins a downward spiral. However, her fears may not be as unfounded as they seem…
