For our first print back, the editorial team picked their favorite horror movies in four genres. Gore, thriller, psychological, and slasher. Below are the movies we picked and why we picked them.
Samantha W.
Friday The 13th (Gore)
I chose this movie because of each character’s layout and development. Jason Voorhees is hands down one of the most famous/popular horror characters. The films have been around since the 80s, and they continue to make them with more imagination creation. They also have quite a few good jump scares that aren’t predictable.
Insidious (Thriller)
The “Insidious” franchise has to be one of the best thriller franchises ever. The darkness of the movies and the drastic change between bright and dark is pretty chilling. Each film’s score will surely make people jump due to the unknown of what comes next. Guessing what will happen in the next movie makes you want to return for more.
The Shining (Psychological)
“The Shining” is one of the most classic Halloween films. It starts normal, and once he gets into the hotel, it turns into something made up in his mind. The cast of it is fantastic in itself. The graphics and designs used are something that you did not see a lot of back in the day.
The Cabin In The Woods (Slasher)
“The Cabin in the Woods” is unusual. The cast, for starters, is fantastic and stretches so far. The theme behind it is not something we are used to seeing in horror movies. It is also a movie you can watch more than once but see something new each time.
Sara O.
Evil Dead 2013 (Gore)
The “Evil Dead” franchise has become a classic among horror fanatics. The 1985 version and the 2023 versions are both great, and terrifying, in their own ways, but the 2013 version has been the best in my opinion. It can be seen as both a sequel and a remake to the 1985 “Evil Dead” as it goes back to the beginning and ties in loose ends from the first movie. The cabin in the woods setting was perfectly eerie, and the lead up to the famous bloody chainsaw scene at the end was the best execution of that scene out of the three versions. This is a perfect horror movie to watch this Halloween season for fans of both classic and gore.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Thriller)
Have you ever had an unsettling dream where you’re unable to leave the situation while also in a constant cycle of repetition? This movie brings about that exact feeling. Based on the 2016 book by Iain Reid, this movie is a chaotic and thought provoking psychological thriller of the interiority of the mind that may send you into an existential crisis. It’s definitely a must watch, and read, for psychological thriller lovers, especially if gore is not your favorite.
The Strangers (Psychological)
This movie has haunted me since I watched it for the first time 10 years ago. Both the original and the sequel will have you stressed, wondering where the masked stalkers will show up next. The terrifying concept of being stalked by people in creepy masks has stuck with me for a long time. Every time I’m somewhere eerie and weirdly quiet late at night, this movie is what my mind goes to.
Scream (Slasher)
The “Scream” franchise is popular among classic slasher horror movie fans, for good reason. It’s a well-done story while also having a good amount of camp (described as a sensibility that revels in artifice, stylization, theatricality, irony, playfulness, and exaggeration rather than content by Susan Sontag in her famous short essay “Notes on ‘Camp’”) added to the film. The villain, Ghostface, uses mind games and stealth with only one weapon, a knife. This is a must watch for those looking for a good slasher film that’s scary with a bit of humor and classic screaming scenes from the actors.
Victor F.
As Above so Below (Psychological)
“As Above so Below” is a great movie on its own, with the concept of the catacombs in France being a very enticing topic to me. The found footage style of the movie gives it another layer of realism. The endless tunnels with figures stalking the characters just out of reach in the darkness. It is all such a mind bending experience, as you get lost in the tunnels with the characters. But aside from that it holds a special place in my heart, representing a specific time in my life. Specifically my freshman year of high school, as that was when I first watched the movie with my friends on my 14 birthday.
The Platform (Thriller)
“The Platform” is an amazing movie that some people would classify as a psychological horror. The long drawn out scenes of repetition, suspense and monotony exhausting the mind, the ending of the movie being up to the interpretation of the viewer. But to me it also has many aspects of a thriller. Scenes of traveling down through the endless complex going from floor to floor give a great fast pace keeping you on the edge of your seat. The idea that everyone you meet is an enemy who wants to kill you for food, the survival aspect of it all. It can definitely get your blood rushing.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Gore)
Most people would not consider a Marvel movie to be “gory” as most marvel cinematic universe (MCU) movies are PG-13 rated and tend to stay away from extremely explicit material. But “Multiverse of Madness” seems to bend the rules and give the viewers a very heavy curveball. From people being burned alive, evaporated, crushed, cut in half, and heads caved in, death is a very real subject in the movie that the viewers are violently reminded of often.
Halloween Kills (Slasher)
Now I am positive that many people would disagree with me on my pick for a slasher as there are many classics that pull the attention of most horror movie enjoyers. But I did not choose this movie based on how good it was, but more how bad it was. Michael Myers is a terrifying figure who poses an insane threat to anyone he comes across making for a great villain and antagonist. But the pure stupidity of some of the characters he kills in this movie is also insane. I found myself just laughing at the kills although gory and entertaining, a lot of them were plain funny. When I think of slashers I think of good kills, dumb characters getting themselves killed, with a fairly interesting plotline in the background following protagonists OR the antagonists. Halloween Kills checks all those boxes, with one notable scene for the kills being the group of firefighters that went up against Myers.
Sarah H.
SAW lll (Gore)
The reason why “SAW lll” is my favorite saw is because of the fact that the traps are the goriest I have seen, especially the head spinning device. I just overall like the fact that the main person trying to get these people out of the traps(who have wronged him in all different ways) gets the choice to save the people or choose to not do so, but failing, showing good character in the process and that he forgives, however it being too late to do so.
The Ring (Thriller)
I like “The Ring,” simply based on the fact that you learn the parents are the real bad guys, as it is a nice twist, but in reality the daughter(Samara) is actually evil and was killed for her own good. She gets released because of the main character and keeps killing after being released and hardly anyone is safe.
The House that Jack Built (Psychological)
It’s a real messed up masterpiece that shows how mental illness(OCD) affects a serial killer. The killer has no motives and the ending is confusing, which is the best part about the film. The killer plans out kills, but falls into his mental health which you see decline more as you watch the film..
Nightmare on Elm Street (Slasher)
I watched this movie when I was young and it made me so scared to fall asleep because I thought I would get hurt or killed in my dreams. Was the first movie to scare me and the idea that Freddy Kruger can kill you in your dreams and in the real world is a wild and fun concept to play with. Plus it has Johnny Deep in the film!
Fabio S.
Re-Animator (Gore)
I still can’t watch this movie the whole way through with how stomach-turning it is. The movie has a perfect blend of being an actual horror movie and a gore-fest at the same time. I wouldn’t recommend this movie for people who do not like gore, but if you think you can go through with it, it is a must-watch.
Barbarian (Thriller)
I didn’t get to catch this movie in theaters, but it was released on streaming at the same time. I didn’t know anything about this movie and I think that is the best way to watch it if you haven’t yet. Watch the movie as spoiler-free as you can. Trust me, it is worth it.
The Gift 2015 (Psychological)
This movie has a slow build for the most part. There are times you forget that this movie is supposed to be a psychological horror movie. That is what makes this movie so good, especially its third act. A movie that makes us question who we are really rooting for, if there is anybody to root for. The movie was
Ready or Not (Slasher)
A fun movie that hits on classic tropes in a way that is still fresh. Even though it is considered a horror, it has amazing comedic elements. The lead actor is also amazing. Samara Weaving is amazing and might just be her best role yet. You can’t help but root for her and hope she makes it to the end of the movie. The last line is also fantastic and sums up the movie well.
Josiah P.
Evil Dead 2023 (Gore)
In the last decade, the “Evil Dead” franchise has come out with gory and violent takes on the original movies that were more campy. Starting with the 2013 ones, which some horror fans may say is the scariest in the franchise. I, however, think the 2023 version was well made and terrifying. I don’t think a character from a horror movie has made me afraid to go to sleep as much as the mother in this movie. It’s one of the better horror movies since the start of the 2020s.
The VVitch (Thriller)
A24 is capable of dropping well made and critically acclaimed movies year after year; but, every so often they will drop a masterpiece. “The Witch,” or “VVitch,” is an absolutely amazing take on horror in general and is one of those A24 masterpieces. Its themes of religious and family traumas make this movie less scary and will leave you more like ‘What the hell was that.’ This movie will leave you on edge until the credits roll and is, in my opinion, the definition of thriller.
The Conjuring (Psychological)
If I’m being honest, “The Conjuring” isn’t really psychological, at least in the traditional sense; I also would be really upset if I didn’t mention it on this list. To me The Conjuring is the best horror movie of all time; nothing has topped it from me. It’s beautifully made and it’s terrifying. Like many people, I grew up in a religious home where demons were believed but not talked about. To me this movie, on a psychological level, messed me up because, even though I’m not religious anymore, it plays on those fears that were burned into me at a young age. It feeds off of the absurd nature of religion and makes it realistic to the point I can’t sleep at night after watching. I could go on and on about characters, the horrifying natures of the real life events, or the legacy of the movie and its franchise but we’d be here all day. Go watch it.
Scream 6 (Slasher)
“Scream 6” isn’t the best “Scream”, movie wise, but it is my favorite. I think “Scream” as an entity was always made to be fun or as fun as slashers could be. It pokes fun at its predecessors as it reinvites its sub-genre. “Scream 6” takes the parody of the 90s and makes light of the franchises of the 21st Century. Things like the MCU have brought forth new rules to movies about how certain characters can act and go about their lives and Scream 6 takes that and leans into it. It’s really funny watching teenagers and young adults run through New York City escaping Ghost Face talk about how their lives are now franchises based on who can live and who dies based on those made up franchise rules. Plus the opening kill is amazing to me so there is that.
