Horror movies have always been popular, especially during Halloween. Whether it’s Halloween (1978), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), or a newer scare such as Trick ‘r Treat (2007), everyone can agree that it’s the perfect time to cuddle up with your friends and get scared. I’ve put together a list of 5 of the scariest movies, in my opinion, that I think everyone should watch if they want to get their socks knocked off.
At number 5, we have The Black Phone (2022). This movie holds a special place in my heart. I went with my friend and dad when I was in 7th grade, and it was the start of my love for all things horror. This movie has quite a few jump scares, and the overall feel is very creepy and sometimes disturbing. I felt genuinely freaked out after watching. It’s also not super gory (The Black Phone 2, which came out this year, is way gorier), which I like because I’m a squeamish person. I rate this movie an overall 8/10, and I think it deserves more recognition.
Number 4, we have The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Even though this movie is 50 years old, and sometimes you can tell, it still has some good scares. The main antagonist, Leatherface, can be genuinely terrifying at times, and I found myself covering my eyes at some points. I also believe the fact that this movie is so old makes it all the more creepy and disturbing. There are some torture scenes that really stuck with me, and that’s why it made it to Number 4 on this list. Overall, it’s a movie that I think everyone should watch at least once, and I rate it an 8.4/10.
Number 3, we have Sleepaway Camp (1983). I watched this movie with my mom also in 7th grade, and I remember both of us having to pause the movie and regroup because it got so scary. This movie is very weird; it feels like a fever dream, but I think that the main plot of the movie is very creative and very entertaining to watch. It isn’t super gory, from what I remember, most of the violence/kills were shadows or taken off-screen/heard, which is just as disturbing as actually seeing it. There’s also a crazy plot twist with an end credits freeze-frame that has stuck with my mom and me for years. This movie is very underappreciated, and I think more people should give it a chance. I rate this movie a 9/10 because it really is just that good and has some very scary parts and isn’t all just blood and guts; there’s an actual storyline.
For number 2, we have IT (2017). I come back to this movie a lot because of the nostalgia and just how good it is. To me, this movie is the perfect mix of comedy and horror, and it makes for what I believe, the best adaptation of Stephen King’s IT book, released in 1986. Pennywise is terrifying, and the group, the Losers’ Club, is just so well done and makes you think that they’re all really great friends and that it’s real. The kid actors in this movie are phenomenal, and so is Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise, and everyone should see this movie if they’re looking for a good laugh while being equally as terrified. I rate this movie a 10/10 because it’s my definition of a perfect horror movie.
Lastly, for number 1, we have Sinister (2012). This movie was really something. The way that it’s shot, with these old cameras showing off kills, is what really did it for me. I had to stop watching multiple times because I got so scared, and I had to watch with the lights on. This movie is kind of like Children of the Corn (1984), based on the fact that it’s children who are doing the killing, which to me makes this movie very creepy and eerie, since children are seen as these innocent and pure beings, but these movies completely ignore that. Movies that deal with demons are also very scary to me, because nobody knows how to get rid of them, and they’re unkillable, so you can’t do anything about them, which freaks me out. I rate this movie an 8/10, because although it’s the scariest movie I’ve seen, it falls kind of short in some areas with plot and the whole “research” part of the movie.
I hope that my ratings and brief descriptions of these horror movies help you when it’s time for movie night again. Remember, scare-factor is subjective, and some movies that I may find scary/not scary aren’t for you, and that’s okay.
