Halloween is my favourite time of the year! As a spooky kinda gal it is the one time of year no one questions the horror movie inspired dresses I wear, or tells me 'Halloween was last month!', and buying home decor is never easier. One of my favourite things in life is also horror movies, so when it was requested by As the Pokéball Turns that I write a 13 Days of Horror Movies: Halloween Countdown, I had to oblige! I'm actually going to write two of these, one that is a mixture of movies, and one that is purely found footage, my favourite horror genre. Without further ado, let's get right into it:
13. The Descent (2005)
IMO The Descent is one of the most underappreciated horror films around! And I can't help but wonder if that is because it is focused around a group of women. It has so much tension, and the setting is truly horrifying. What isn't to love? I got in trouble for making my Mum watch this when I was a teenager when she asked to watch 'that horror about caves'. She meant The Cave, which is a 12, and I knew she did, but I'm a meanie so I put The Descent on and scared the crap out of her. Sorry Mum!
12. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Shaun of the Dead, the rom-com-zom. A romantic comedy, with zombies! I'm not one for a rom-com, but I am a huge Shaun of the Dead fan. I tried to go to the cinema to see this back in 2004 when it was released and I was 16, and I got turned away for being too young and having no ID. It's a 15, I just had a baby face. Finally got to see it in the cinema two weeks ago to celebrate the 20th anniversary. Some of the language doesn't hold up, but it's still a must watch.
11. Terrifier (2016)
With Terrifier 3 hot in the cinema right now, it's the perfect time to check out the original movie in the francise (ideally immediately followed by Terrifier 2!). Terrifier is very gory, so if gore isn't for you, maybe skip this one. I will say as someone who isn't a fan of the later Saw series and the Hostel movies because of the realistic gore, Terrifier is very 80s campy gore. My husband isn't really a horror guy, but he loves this franchise and Art the Clown!
10. In A Violent Nature (2024)
Speaking of something different, my day 10 is probably my most controversial choice, this years In A Violent Nature. A slasher that follows the killer, instead of the victims. Beautiful cinematography, a unique perspective, and weirdly some proper laugh out loud moments. Or at least, me and my bestie laughed in the cinema when we saw it, plenty of other people literally walked out the cinema frustrated by the walking shots the movie is famous for. Whether you like this or not, I have no idea, but I do think it is a must see for any horror fan.
9. Day of the Dead (1985)
During February the cinema I go to had a zombie themed month, showing classic zombie movies every Monday. One of those was Day of the Dead, and I was shocked to realise I hadn't seen it! It does what every good zombie movie should do, make you question who the real bad guys are, the zombies following their instincts, or the humans left behind? A classic for good reason!
8. Halloween (1978)
That's right, I'm going to list Halloween, but not for Halloween itself, I'm saving my favourite for the top spot! Halloween is a masterpiece in how to pace a slasher, how to build tension, and how to create an iconic horror antagonist.
7. Wrong Turn (2003)
A favourite of my teenage years, I had to watch this as a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, because of Eliza Dushku. I've been nervous of hillbilly cannibals and houses in the middle of nowhere with loads of abandoned cars ever since. Not a fan of the remake in 2021, I think it is too different to call itself a reimagining really. But the original? So good.
6. Ready or Not (2019)
This is the film that proves that Samara Weaving needs to be one of the future iconic final girls of the horror genre. Her scream is unreal! I feel like this film flew under the radar and so many horror fans I know I haven't seen it, and it deserves better. The rumour is that Ready or Not 2 is in the works with Samara returning and if true, I cannot wait!
5. Talk to Me (2022)
My best friend Fal and I like to go to what Odeon calls 'Scream Unseen' showings, airing horror movies just before they come out that typically have been shown at film festivals or aren't from major production companies. In A Violent Nature is a film we saw through these, and Talk to Me is another. It's the first film from Aussie twins Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou and what a debut film it is! Creepy, haunting, eerie, and leaving you wanting more. All the actors did an incredible job, with particular mention to Sophie Wilde the lead who absolutely smashes it. Talk 2 Me (a sequel) has been confirmed, and I cannot wait!
4. Totally Killer (2023)
One of the more modern entries, this film knows exactly what it is, and is really fun whilst doing it. A time travelling slasher that goes back to the 80s and is fairly ridiculous! It's an easy watch, and it is fun, just what I want in a horror sometimes.
3. Dog Soldiers (2002)
Brit horror at it's finest, part action, part horror, part comedy! This werewolf movie never seems to get mentioned when people talk about horror, and I don't know why! Sean Pertwee nails it as one of the army squad who are trying to meet up with a Special Ops unit that has not fared well under the light of the full moon.
2. Cube (1997)
Of all the horror I didn't get to see in the cinema, this is the one I wish I had seen on the big screen the most. There is one particular scene that is so anxiety inducing, and so stressful, I can't imagine how it must have felt in the cinema. This is my absolute top under appreciated horror movie. It so rarely gets mentioned when people talk horror at all, and it is a truly stunning movie in terms of the cinematography to boot. Forever a favourite! I had this on VHS from my Aunty and Uncle, and it was one of the first DVDs I bought when I switched to DVDs. It's also one of the few I still have today!
1. Scream (1996)
And of course, I have to end with my all time favourite horror movie, Scream. From the opening kill, to Randy's Rules, this movie never gets old. I've watched it more times than I can count, and will keep watching it over and over. I have a Ghostface tattoo too. This is the franchise that really gave me my love of horror after I watched it as a teenager whilst babysitting and it really got to me. It has to be my pick to watch on Halloween itself!
