For all people who love to be thrilled and chilled to the bone by things that go bump in the night, Halloween is the best time of the year. New horror movies flood theaters, trick-or-treaters sneak out of the shadows, and besties pile up pillows, blankets and snacks to enjoy horror movie marathons.
Although critics think the horror genre is scary and even sometimes childish, I find it entertaining; it just amazes me. Even though most horror movies don’t scare me, my top five favorite horror films that had me turning on the lights throughout the house and checking under the bed were “Sinister” (2012), “Tarot” (2024), “Talk to Me” (2024), “Lights Out” (2016) and “The Babadook” (2014).
“Sinister” (2012)
“Sinister” is a supernatural horror film that takes place in a fictional town in Pennsylvania where an author played by Ethan Hawke hasn’t sold a book in 10 years. He moves his family into the very house where an entire family was murdered. He begins to work on his new book but soon realizes strange things are going on in the house with his kids. All of the bizarre occurrences come to a head when he finds a box in the attic with film tapes holding terrifying footage that had happened to the past owners.
You can watch this film on Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime. It is rated R and is 1hr 50m long. This film had me at the edge of my seat with many jumpscares and twists and turns. It has even been found to be the number 1 jumpscare horror movie of all time and will have your heart racing. Although it came out years ago, it is still by far one of my favorite films to watch with friends and family.
“Tarot” (2024)
“Tarot” is a suspense/supernatural film that takes place in a mansion that a group of friends rent out for a birthday party. Throughout the tension between the main character Haley and her ex-boyfriend, Grant, the friend group makes their way into the basement, revealing a box with possessed horoscope cards. Haley then reveals her friend’s cards with their tarots. Each friend is then attacked by the monsters in their tarot readings and dies painful and slow tragic deaths. One by one, the friends are brutally removed from the picture. We are left wondering who will survive…if anyone.
You can watch this film on Netflix and Apple TV. It is rated PG-13 and is 1hr 32m long. I watched this movie in theaters and was so intense, I couldn’t keep from peering through my fingers and squeezing my eyes shut throughout the movie. The jumpscares had me screaming and jumping in my seat.
“Talk to Me” (2022)
“Talk to Me” is a horror/supernatural film that takes place in a basement with friends and a demonic embalmed hand. Once the group of friends realize they can talk with spirits from the other side, it becomes all the rage at parties, until one of them holds the hand for too long and unleashes a demonic entity that possesses the friend. Run. Run. RUN!
You can watch this film on Hulu, Fubo TV, and Sling TV. It is rated R and is 1h 34m long. The minute I saw the trailer in theaters, it had me hooked and the ratings were through the roof. It had me on an emotional roller-coaster, a chilling masterpiece. It was so effective to me and kept me awake at night wondering if this happens in real life. I recommend this if you’re in for a thrill.
“Lights Out” (2016)
“Lights Out” is an action/horror film that takes the fear of the dark into a real experience. When the main character, Rebecca, leaves home, she figures her childhood horrors were all just her imagination. Now her little brother Martin finds himself dealing with the same terrifying experiences which scares her to the core as she worries about the safety and sanity of her brother. The audience finds out their mother has an angry supernatural entity attached to her who wants vengeance in the dark..
You can watch this film on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV. It is rated PG-13 and is 1hr 21m long. This movie terrified me. Like so many of us, when I was little I was scared of the dark and watching this made me feel like something was watching me in my room even though it was just my imagination. With its seamless blend of horror and supernatural elements, this film has left an indelible mark on the genre, deserving every bit of its perfect 10/10 rating.
“The Babadook” (2014)
“The Babadook” is a mystery/horror film that takes place in London with a single mother and her son who are traumatized by the violent death of her husband. Soon her son’s fear of monsters is another thing she must deal with, then she realizes that it wasn’t all a fear. It was soon to be discovered that the ‘monster’ was a presence haunting her and her son.
You can watch this film on Netflix, Pluto TV, and Sling TV. It is not rated and is 1h 34 m long. In my opinion, this movie had me watching the corners of my own home. It was a spectacular movie that gave me chills throughout my body. It looked into the mental effects in the mom’s perspective and how she was dealing with her husband’s death and the son’s point of view as well. It’s something I’d recommend watching if you want to scare yourself to sleep. If you can sleep.
