The horror genre has become very popular over the last 60 years, encouraging more and more movie directors and actors to want to create new movies with terrifying stories. While horror movies are great to watch year-round, there’s nothing quite like loading up your favourite slasher right before Halloween.
Some horror movies sadly fail to deliver and might even be ridiculous instead of scary, but there are others, which are classic masterpieces that will have you and whoever joins you in the horror marathon curled up in a ball, waiting for a dreaded jump scare, or a grotesque bloodbath.
So if you’re planning to decorate your place for Halloween and get a properly scary movie on, here are our top 10 Halloween movies that are actually scary.
Halloween 1978
Halloween is one of the earliest slasher films, directed by John Carpenter. This movie not only inspired tons of other movies with masked murderers, but it also redefined the concept of being the black sheep of the family.
The film focuses on Laurie Strode, the unlucky sister of murderer Michael Myers, who was sent to a psychiatric hospital from a young age after showing signs of violence towards others and killing his other sister, Judith. After Michael escapes the psychiatric institution, Laurie will have to fight for her life to escape her estranged brother, who goes on a murderous rampage that terrifies the entire town.
Halloween 1978, taps into the human need for facial expressions removing them entirely through Michael’s mask, making him look colder and more desensitized. Almost as if Michael was more machine than man.
Haunt
If there’s anything horror movies have taught us, it is that exploring abandoned locations never ends well, especially for arrogant teenagers. Haunt focuses on a group of friends who visit a haunted house on Halloween and quickly learn that the horrors within it are quite real.
Before long, Harper and her friends find themselves trapped in the haunted house with masked killers who will stop at nothing to satisfy their thirst for blood. While the movie isn’t as gory as other horror titles of its genre, there are more than enough bloody moments to satisfy viewers.
House of 1000 Corpses
One of Rob Zombie’s greatest works, House of the 1000 Corpses explores the macabre as a psychotic family kidnaps a group of teenagers to torture and murder them on Halloween. Blending the surreal with graphic and violent elements, this movie is great at making viewers uncomfortable and creating a certain tension in the air that remains long after the credits roll.
Terrifier 2
This film proves that a multi-million dollar budget isn’t always necessary to deliver a spine-chilling experience for horror fans to enjoy. With an estimated budget of 250,000 USD, Terrifier 2 continues the story of Art the Clown as he keeps looking for victims to torture and murder in the most gruesome ways.
One of the things that make this movie so great, is Art’s demeanour, as he is silent throughout most of its runtime and only shows a few signs of enjoyment here and there. This causes a similar effect as Michael Myer’s silence and masked face, as it desensitizes the killer, making reasoning and begging for mercy completely futile.
Hell Fest
Amusement parks are often scary to some people, as there are fast rides with complex turns and upside-down loops that are enough to cause non-adrenaline lovers to faint. However, Hell Fest adds another element to make these places terrifying, as it sets a psychopathic killer loose on a group of teenagers who never expected their night to end the way it does.
The movie has an eerie carnival setting that plays well with its concept, and the terrifying thing about the killer is that he not only uses the park’s attractions to hide his crimes but also blends in perfectly with the environment, making his next strike completely unpredictable.
Rob Zombie’s Halloween
Another movie from the amazingly twisted imagination of Rob Zombie, Halloween is a remake of the 1978 original that started it all. Zombie’s version explores Michael Myers’ story much more in-depth, delving into the killer’s childhood years that lead up to him becoming the bloodthirsty psychopath that is presented in the original film.
This movie takes on several additional risks the original couldn’t due to its time. It features gorier scenes, a much more aggressive Michael Myers, and an overall darker, more violent tone. While many fans agree that the original is still superior, Rob Zombie’s Halloween is still a great scary film to enjoy on Halloween.
Trick ‘r Treat
Anthology horror films were one of the most popular concepts in the late 2000s and early 2010s. With films like VHS and Trick ‘r Treat, the subgenre established itself strongly among horror fans worldwide.
Trick ‘r Treat focuses on the various horrors that take place in a small town during Halloween as it interconnects different stories revolving around supernatural creatures, monsters and serial killers.
Houses That October Built
The Found-footage subgenre isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and, to be completely honest, it doesn’t always work. However, when it does, masterpieces like Houses That October Built are created for horror fans to enjoy.
The film follows a group of friends who are travelling across the U.S. to visit scary haunted houses. As the film progresses, they start to realise that the spine-chilling experience they were hoping to find has become all too real.
Late Night With the Devil
Late-night TV shows are probably the last place you’d expect supernatural events to take place, but Late Night With the Devil proves that it’s not only possible, but quite likely. The movie tells the story of a talk show host whose Halloween special spirals out of control as more and more supernatural events start to happen throughout the night.
One of the things that make this movie scary is how it blends the concept of live television with the unpredictability of supernatural events and their obscure nature.
Hell House LLC
Hell House LLC is set a few years after a group of people are killed during a haunted house tour. A crew of paranormal investigators sets on a journey to discover what happened to the victims in hopes of documenting supernatural events.
However, their efforts turn out to be more fruitful than they anticipated, facing them with the worst horrors they could possibly imagine.
Get Ready for a Spine-Chilling Marathon
Hopefully, the movies we covered here have sparked your interest and will make their way to your yearly Halloween marathon. Be sure to invite a friend over to share the adrenaline and unmatched tension of each film.
Here at Mad About Horror, we have everything you need to decorate your house and dress as your favourite character for Halloween. Make sure to visit our Homepage to explore our offerings. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
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