With Halloween just around the corner, tons of spooky activities are popping up. While some people like to go out to haunted houses or trick or treat, others like to curl up on the couch and watch a scary movie.
I’m definitely one of the people who prefer to stay in. As much as I like to find new and exciting movies to watch, I also like to revisit my favorites. Classic horror movies like “Saw,” “Scream” and “Friday the 13th” are always being recommended, so I’ve shared my top five underrated gems.
My all-time favorite horror movie is “Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight.” This Polish movie is about several teenagers being sent to a camp to get rid of their technology addictions. While they’re there, two mutated brothers attack a group that has gone hiking away from the rest of the camp. This movie has gotten a lot of criticism for being a stereotypical slasher film, but that’s what I love about it. Some also criticize the dialogue for not being written well, but I’ve noticed that all of the people that say this don’t speak Polish. Things can get lost in translation and the English dub doesn’t give the same effect that the original does. This movie came with a sequel that I also love, although it’s a bit more strange than the first one.
My second favorite horror movie is “Pearl.” This movie is a prequel to “X” and the yet to be released film “MaXXXine.” “Pearl” is about a girl who lives on a farm that wants to be a star, but she’s stuck with a strict mother and a paralyzed father. This movie has received very high ratings, especially among women, for her display of “female rage.” Instead of sticking to her gender role as a housewife, Pearl takes her own path, even if it involves some rage-filled murders.
The next movie on my list is the sequel to “Pearl,” “X.” This movie follows a group of people renting a house to film a movie. While they’re there, the old couple that they rented the house from starts to hunt them all. The old lady is Pearl, the main character from the last movie. She’s upset that she’s wasted her life away on the farm instead of being an actress like the girls renting the house. Her mantra is that if she can’t have stardom, no one can.
“Incantation” is my fourth favorite horror movie. This Taiwanese found footage movie is about a mother trying to protect her daughter from a curse that she accidentally inflicted on her while pregnant. I’m someone who doesn’t get scared during most horror movies, but this one was terrifying. It’s ominous and fills the viewer with dread. The movie skips around in time a lot, which can be confusing, but it is definitely worth the watch if someone is looking for a scare.
My fifth favorite movie is “Skinamarink.” This movie will leave the watcher with a horrifying empty feeling after viewing it. “Skinamarink” is about two young siblings that realize that the exits to their house have disappeared, leaving them trapped inside. Their father has also disappeared, driving their mother to insanity. The children are left to fend for themselves as an invisible force torments them. This movie has very little spoken dialogue and the movie can seem a bit too long to some, but to me that really makes the viewer feel isolated and helpless like the children. It’s an experimental film that not everyone will like, but it will leave watchers with chills down their spines.
Horror movies are a classic staple of Halloween. They can be a fun way to connect with friends or a way to get a good spook. If someone chooses to watch the movies I’ve recommended, they should grab some popcorn and a blanket to prepare to watch a film that they won’t regret.
