By Kate Zalapi-Bull
October 14, 2024
A self-proclaimed horror enthusiast recommends the scariest films to watch this spooky season.
We’re almost halfway through October and there’s no better way to celebrate the spooky season quite like curling up with a bowl of popcorn and a good old scary movie. Scary stories are some of the oldest tales ever told, and they evoke the most primal of all emotions: fear. Perhaps that’s why horror movies are so effective, and this selection includes five movies that I think really deliver on the fear factor.
- The Ring (2002)
One of the first horror movies to scare me out of my skin was Gore Verbinski’s The Ring from 2002. The American adaptation of the 1998 Japanese movie is known for its atmospheric and eerie blue color palette and its quiet, mounting dread. Naomi Watts delivers a memorable performance as a Seattle journalist tasked with getting to the bottom of a mysterious haunted video-tape that dooms all who watch it to a grisly fate. This film achieves its horror by building up the tension and the mystery over a nearly two-hour runtime, making it a perfect nail-biting watch for the fall season.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Apple TV
- Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
Another horror movie that never fails to keep me up at night is the Japanese supernatural horror movie Ju-on: The Grudge. The movie’s events are told in a non-linear manner and the central mystery revolves around a familial murder, vengeful ghosts and a traveling curse. In this film, nowhere is safe — not your own home, not out at a restaurant with your friend, not even your own bed! The film’s minimalist and innocuous setting serves to amplify the presence of its ghosts, and its infamous death rattle is possibly one of the best uses of sound design in horror history.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
- The Descent (2005)
If you haven’t seen the British creature horror movie The Descent, you’re in for one of your most terrifying and claustrophobic watches yet. The Descent follows a group of women who go spelunking in rural Appalachia and, unsurprisingly, things don’t go as planned. Where this movie really shines is in the ensemble cast and the dynamics between the characters. Combine that with the terrifying creature designs and the pitch-dark, confined cave system, and you’ve got an remarkable watch that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
- It Follows (2014)
One of my favorite annual fall movies, especially as a Metro-Detroiter, would be the slow burn It Follows. Set and filmed in the Detroit suburbs, the film centers around nineteen-year-old Jay, who , after a date ends badly, finds herself continuously stalked by a malicious entity no one else can see. This movie grips you from the chilling opening scene to the climactic ending. It also features some stellar cinematography that heightens the feeling of being stalked and is backdropped with a great score that you will definitely be listening to for days to follow. Just don’t be surprised if you keep looking over your shoulder after watching this film.
Where to watch: Netflix, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
- Hell House LLC (2015)
If you’re into found-footage movies, this one’s for you. Hell House LLC follows the staff of an amateur haunted house attraction who get more than they bargained for when disaster strikes during their opening night. This film is the product of a relatively small cast and crew, and what it may lack in a big budget, it makes up for with some unforgettable scares and a great set design. Altogether it delivers a really eerie vibe that is perfect for a creepy Halloween movie night.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Kate Zalapi-Bull is a senior at MSU studying creative writing with a minor in film studies, with plans to be a novelist in the future. In their free time, they can be found writing at various locations around campus and over-analyzing their favorite scary movies.