It seems as if every week, a new horror movie appears in theatres (i.e. Paranormal Activities 1, 2, 3, 4, whatever; The Purge, Insidious, The Haunting in Connecticut, etc.) Demons, loud noises and sub-par acting. How spooky. In the spirit of October and Halloween, I will suggest a few eerie and genuinely frightening movies for the haunting season.
In 1991, one of the most popular movies of all time was made, and it was one of the creepier ones. The Silence of the Lambs, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, is a psychological horror flick where Foster’s character, Clarice Starling, investigates a mass murderer and his possible connection to well-known psychopath, Hannibal Lecter, played by Hopkins. For anyone wanting an eerie and convoluted movie with serial killers and horrific realism, this movie is definitely worth a watch. And good news — you can watch it on Netflix.
Second on this list is 1996’s Scream. Though it’s more of a parody of horror films, the movie holds its own with scares befitting of a scary movie. While The Silence of the Lambs is more prone to give you nightmares, Scream is the one that will have you checking over your shoulder for that iconic mask. A more traditional scary film, with creepy figures and murders left and right, we have to remember that Scream was one of the first satirical horror movies, and for that reason, we should love it.
Lastly is 1999’s The Sixth Sense. Back when M. Night Shyamalan was a respected director, he made this award-winning movie starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment. Willis plays child psychologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, who attempts to help treat a young boy named Cole (Osment). While the premise does not sound frightening, the way that Crowe goes about solving Cole’s problems makes this a truly unsettling experience. Between the vivid imagery and foreshadowing and brilliant twist ending, you will not only be covered in goosebumps as you watch but eagerly awaiting the conclusion of this classic film.
Horror movies do not have to be all loud noises and bad acting. Thrillers with a spooky edge are allowed to be award-winning and allowed to be made with quality. If you’re in for cheap scares and cheaper movie making, then I implore you to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D or Rob Zombie’s Halloween. But if you want genuine spooks and scares with above-average directing and acting, then check out the movies I listed above.
Hailey Bibbee is a freshman studying English and creative writing. What makes you nostalgic? Email her at hb398213@ohio.edu.
