Halloween is 10 DAYS AWAY! Every October, Richie and I commit to watching as many scary movies as possible. We still have a lot of time, but I figured I’d share what we’ve watched so far in case you need some inspiration.
As you’ll see, we use the term “scary movies” pretty loosely. I’ll share them in general categories:
Classics
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) – The oldest movie we’ve watched this year, I couldn’t remember if I had actually seen it before, and I’m pretty sure I hadn’t. It’s responsible for the “final girl” trope. (By the way, we watched Final Girls last year and I really liked it!)
Halloween (1978) – I saw this a few times as a kid and I’m surprised it held my attention because the lead-up takes so long and Laurie’s friends are so obnoxious. But it’s definitely a classic for a reason.
Friday the 13th (1980) – I thought I knew this one in and out, but I think I must be more familiar with one of the sequels! There’s a twist that I actually did not remember. And slasher movies based at camp are just so great (the Sleepaway Camp franchise excepted).
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – I watched this one a lot as a kid and remembered it pretty vividly. It holds up!
Hellraiser (1987) – Probably the weakest of the classics. We had big plans to watch the 2022 version that just came out, but eh. The Cenobites are excellent, however—especially the one with the sunglasses.
Sequels
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995) – Richie had just finished Matthew McConaughey’s memoir, so this was timely. Amazing that both he and Renee Zelwegger ended up so famous.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) – Richie didn’t watch this one with me, which was good because it was cheesy as all get-out and the witchy covers of popular songs were not terribly bewitching. I actually wasn’t planning on watching it until the podcast Attitudes! shared about Jamie Gooch, a mom from Waco, TX who got media coverage for her views that the movie exposes children to darkness and can unleash hell. So obviously I had to watch it. Anyway, I thought the cast was great; I especially love when child actors have to emulate adult characters—young Sarah Sanderson nailed it. All in all, I enjoyed it and even lol’d at a couple parts.
Trippy
John Dies At the End (2012) – I don’t remember how this ended up on our radar, but the blurb sounded good. It was definitely an odd one and I don’t regret watching it, but I probably wouldn’t watch it again.
Black Mirror: Season 2, Episode 4: “White Christmas” (2014) – This was the Black Mirror Christmas special that season, but I think it’s more appropriate for Halloween. Or whenever, really; it’s arguably the show’s best episode.
Come True (2020) – Another sci-fi selection, I got tricked into watching this because I thought Daniel Radcliffe was in it, but it was only a lookalike. I liked the concept of the movie—which is about a girl who has horrible nightmares and enrolls in a sleep study—but the execution was only okay.
Other
Motel Hell (1980) – In my family, this one would be in the “classics” section, but it’s not as well-known as the others. I was excited to have Richie watch it and it was pretty much how I remembered it. Nancy Parsons was understandably nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in it.
The Mist (2007) – Based on a Stephen King book, I feel like other King adaptations are probably spookier/creepier/scarier. This one was pretty hokey, except for the shocking ending.
There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021) – Watch this if you love Scream but are sick of the franchise! I thought it was well done.
Lou (2022) – Stephen King raved about this movie, so we assumed it was horror. It is not. It’s an excellent action thriller starring Allison Janney as a total badass. My only complaint is that I thought the antagonist was not very convincing and that they really wanted Jon Bernthal but he was unavailable.
At the time of this writing, we have 45 minutes left of The Shining (it’s long and we were tired), which I think may already be my favorite this year. I had only ever seen clips and I can’t believe it took me this long to watch it in full.
What have you watched this year or in past spooky seasons? Is there anything you watch every year?
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