For horror film fans, October is a big month movie and spirit-wise. Over the next four weeks, Where Y’at will be counting down some of the best movies for this spooky, fun-filled time of year. Some of these are go-to classics, others are remakes done right, while even more are terrifying by helping give audiences a scare worth anticipating. Enjoy, and get ready to be on the edge of your seat as we countdown to our number one Horror movie for Halloween!
15. The Crazies, 2010
Director: Breck Eisner
More often than not, remakes are lazy, stupid and just plain not worth your time. That’s not the case with this awesome movie set in a rural, everyone knows everyone town. People get sick, no-one has any idea why, and as Timothy Olyphant and company try to figure out exactly what the hell is going on, they also have to defend themselves against a secret military mission and people they’ve known for years who are suddenly trying to kill everyone they fix their eyes on.
14. Evil Dead, 1981
Director: Sam Raimi
While the recent remake is very much worth your time, the winner of the franchise remains the first installment. Made on a shoestring budget with then no-name, now horror movie God Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead is one of the reasons I have a chainsaw tattooed on my arm. Also, who doesn’t love a scene featuring a sexual assault courtesy of a tree and more gore than most modern movies even try to fit in. Don’t open the book the dead, for it has horrible things planned for you.
13. It Follows, 2015
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Every year, a horror film sets itself apart from the rest. In 2015, It Follows traces the steps of a girl named Jay who, let’s just say, shouldn’t have gotten busy with a particular person. What follows is a tense, but steady trail of violence that’s seen only by the victim. It’s one of the more impressive usages of setting I’ve seen recently, and the performances are excellent all around. Totally not in your face, and the scares are used to brilliant execution, but the slow crawl of the movie will have you grossly unsettled by the climax of the film.
12. [REC], 2008
Director: Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza
Now I’m not usually unnerved or squeamish, but watching this movie by myself at 2 a.m. one night was definitely a choice I regretted making, even though the movie is beyond enthralling. Set in an apartment building during an undisclosed quarantine situation, a news reporter and her cameraman are thrust into a world of chaos from all sides. The whole movie will leave you scared, but the final minutes of the film are beyond words and leave you feeling cold, tired and ready for rest.
11. Martyrs, 2008
Director: Pascal Laugier
First things first: If you don’t like gratuitous violence and some of the most f'ed up characters featured in a film, this movie isn’t for you. It’s gore goes to the next level, but the reasons for the carnage unfolding are presented in very clear terms. A girl, tortured by seemingly normal people, goes on a mission of revenge, but the web she gets tangled in as the film draws to a close makes what came before seem like a Sunday in the park. Warning, this ending is one of the best among horror film elite.
