October is the time to watch horror
movies, so prepare yourself for a descent into the world of high
strangeness! What are your favorite horror movies? Some people like
horror movies with zombies and maniacs running around with murderous
chainsaws, you know, the sort of stuff that use jump scares, blood,
and gore to make people scream. But I prefer psychological horrors and
macabre stories, the sort of movies which will make you think. I have compiled a list for the 20 horror movies I like the most.
The list consists of two parts,
and the ranking is in ascending order. Part I is from 20 to 11, where
Part II will be the top 10. The list is a reflection of my personal
preference for the genre. Perhaps from my list you will find a few
movies to intrigue you on a rainy night.
Number 20: Attack the Block (2011)
Who knew, a story about aliens invading
a block of units could be so entertaining! Attack the Block is a small
budget horror movie with a splash of comedy in it. This movie
is a cult classic, and it is the kind of movie I would watch on a
late Friday night. The story follows a gang of hoodlums, as they
struggled to survive an alien invasion in the apartment complex they
live in. Attack the Block is a genre-bending film with a fun story,
and the special effects are pretty great too, which is even
more impressive considering the small budget.
Number 19: IT (2017)
A number of Stephen King's novels
have seen movie adaptations, and IT is one of my favorites. There are two motion picture adaptations for IT; a TV series
from 1990, and a recent movie in 2017. I think the 2017 movie is
better than the TV series. The story is about a bunch of kids growing
up and facing their deepest fears, where the monster, Pennywise, is a
physical manifestation of all their fears. However, the best thing about this
movie is not the scary clown, but the kids themselves. I mean, even
if Pennywise was removed from this movie, leaving a story only about the kids, it would still be just as good.
Number 18: The Wicker Man (1973)
The Wicker Man? The one starring
Nicholas Cage? No no, I am not talking about the disastrous 2006 remake
which starred Nicholas Cage. I am talking about the original from
1973, a British horror/mystery
movie inspired by a novel called "Ritual". The Wicker Man
takes an interesting peek into cults and belief systems. There is no
supernatural element in this movie, but it is terrifying nevertheless
because it uses paranoia so well. The Wicker Man is one of the finest
horror movies I have ever seen.
Number 17: The Conjuring (2013)
The recent years brought us a movie
franchise, based on the (allegedly true) stories of Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were paranormal
investigators and Christian exorcists. There are now 5 or 6 movies in this franchise, but I like The Conjuring the most. I remain skeptical of the
paranormal and supernatural activities, but The Conjuring is
genuinely terrifying and suspenseful. This movie may have dramatized
the effects of demonic activities and Christian exorcisms, but what
surprised me is that many religious people are also skeptical of Ed
and Lorraine Warren's stories. I mean, only a few hundred years ago
this stuff was the fabric in the everyday life of religious people,
and these things were also recorded in their holy scriptures.
However, nowadays when religious people encounter modern-day
possession and exorcism stories they don't believe it, instead they
usually examine the modern-day claims through the lens of scientific
skepticism. This made me wonder, why aren't present-day religious
people applying the same scientific skepticism they used on the
modern-day claims, to also examine the claims in their holy
scriptures? Their positions seem inconsistent to me. I mean, if they don't believe in the present day stories then they have even less reason to believe in the ones from antiquities.
Number 16: Alien (1979)
The best movies in the Alien franchise,
are the first two movies. But the first one, Alien, directed by
Ridley Scott, is a sci-fi/horror masterpiece. But where, or who, is
the horror in Alien? Is it the Xenomorph? Well, if you think about
it, being locked up in a spaceship with a Xenomorph is no more
terrifying than being locked up in a cage with a lion or a pack of
wolves. But that is not "horror". So where is the
horror? I believe, Alien is influenced by the philosophy of
Cosmicism. This is a literary philosophy invented by author H.P.
Lovecraft and it is the very heart for the famous Cthulhu mythos. I was not
a big Alien fan until I discovered the philosophical connection
between the movie and the Lovecraftian horrors, then suddenly I saw Alien in a new light, with a newfound sense of appreciation.
Number 15: The Gift (2015)
Are the things we say to each other
just words? Take a look at a movie called The Gift. This is a
psychological horror movie made with a very small budget. If I tell
you anything more about the movie then I will spoil it, so let me
just say The Gift is a damn good movie. There is no supernatural
element in this movie, and there is no blood and no gore. This movie has a very clever story. Don't watch
any trailers for The Gift, just pick up this movie and watch it, and
it will surprise you, with two hours of suspense and mystery.
Number 14: The Babadoook (2014)
The Babadook is an Australian
psychological horror movie. This movie was made with a
very small budget. The Babadook feels a bit Indie and arthouse. It is quite scary and I
love it. The first time I watched
The Babadook I was cowering behind a blanket and a cushion. The story follows a widowed mother, who was raising
her 6 year old son alone. Her son began to display strange behaviors
and it drove her to the brink of exhaustion. This movie successfully
made the audience wonder if the characters were experiencing an
imagined event or a genuine supernatural episode, and it was intense
and suspenseful. The Babadook is a prime example of good Australian
film making, and it also showcases what good acting and a good story
can achieve with a small budget.
Number 13: Get Out (2017)
Get Out is a psychological horror
movie, but it is also a little bit comedic because it is a satire and
a social commentary. This movie received the Oscar award for the best
original screenplay, which is extraordinary for a horror movie! I mean, how
often do we see the judges on Oscar handing out an award to a horror
movie? Not very often, right? I think this movie deserves the
critical acclaims, because it is very clever, and it offers a thought
provoking story, one you have never seen before.
Number 12: The Mist (2007)
At number 12 is another adaptation of
Stephen King's novel. I believe there is a more recent TV series
adaptation for The Mist but it is poorly received. Anyway, I am not
talking about the TV series, I am talking about the 2007 movie
adaptation, The Mist.
The premise of the story is quite simple, a
mist of unknown origin suddenly invaded a small town, and the
residents found themselves besieged by mysterious
assailants in the mist. This movie has multiple interpretations, and its
ending will punch you in the gut, for it has the most horrifying
conclusion to a movie I have ever seen. However, I think the ending
also sends a powerful message, and although it deviates from the
novel, but even Stephen King himself said he wished he could have
come up with that ending. Does this sound interesting to you? Make
sure you check out The Mist.
Number 11: Rosemary's Baby (1967)
Rosemary's Baby, directed by Roman
Polanski, is an adaptation of a novel of the same name. I like both
the movie and the novel, and it is also worth mentioning the movie is
a very faithful adaptation of the book. The story follows a young
woman, Rosemary, who, together with her husband, just moved into a
posh apartment in New York. The young couple encountered very
friendly neighbors, but soon Rosemary discovered something is amiss
about their new friends. The horror in Rosemary's Baby is the sense
of paranoia. The movie keeps the audience guessing if Rosemary's
ordeals were real or the products of her own imaginations. The story is also a commentary about control and
women's health. Rosemary's Baby is an icon in the horror genre, and
it is worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet.
This covers number 20 to 11. But what
about the top 10? Gentle readers, stay tuned for Part II, where I
will continue and list my top 10 favorite horror movies of all time.
Until then, happy haunting!
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