My Top 5 Scary Movie Recommendations
For your spooky season watchlist.
It’s that time of year!
I think I heard on the news that something like 84% of Americans watch scary movies as part of their spooky season tradition. I’m no different. My friends will sometimes point out that I can watch scary movies other times of the year as well, and yes that’s true. I could also eat turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes in April and sing Holly Jolly Christmas in July, but I’m not a psychopath, am I?
So without further ado, here’s the best of what I’ve seen this Halloween holiday season. I hope you find some gems to add to your own seasonal viewing.
Talk To Me
I’m very much enjoying the trend of smart horror we’ve been enjoying the last decade or so, and Talk To Me stands next to Babadook, Heredity, and It Follows, as a supernatural thriller rooted firmly in the human condition. It speaks to the heady and impulsive choices we make as young adults, never thinking that we might suffer consequences, and then the horror of that first time one realizes that they’ve done something they can never ever take back. The acting is superb, all these kids deserve fruitful careers, and the ending perfectly brings things full circle.
Longlegs
Speaking of acting… holy poop! I’ve heard this film compared to Silence of the Lambs a lot, but that’s superficial at best. It starts off with a similar premise, but quickly moves off in its own direction and one that will keep you guessing at that. Nicholas Cage is completely unrecognizable under heavy makeup and I kinda wish they’d kept it a secret that it was him. The opening credits spoil it at the get go, though, so I’m not going to feel bad about dropping it. This is going to be your slow burn for the season, with bleak, long, lingering shots, but once the movie reveals what’s really going on it’s worth every second.
Lisa Frankenstein
What if John Hughes directed a Tim Burton movie? Or possibly the other way around. Either way, Lisa Frankenstein is aimed directly at your 80’s nostalgia and it hits a bullseye. If you’re looking for something to scratch that goofy/quirky/dark comedy itch this season, then this is the movie for you. Complete with a zombie trying-on-outfits montage.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man
This one is least of the items on my list, although that is due largely in part to how good everything else is. The lower budget compared to previous installments in the Hellboy film franchise is noticeable, and the powerhouse combo of Ron Pearlman + Guillermo Del Toro is missed. Nevertheless, The Crooked Man sets off in a smaller-stakes, less world-ending-threat, monster-of-the-week direction, and I think it’s a great fit for Hellboy. I dig the action/horror vibe and I would totally watch more movie adaptations of Hellboy’s low-key adventures.
The Fall of the House of Usher
If you’re going to add any of these to your own watchlist this spooky season, make it The Fall of the House of Usher. Make time, though. Rather than a single movie, this is an eight episode miniseries loosely inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. It is so much more than that as well. Usher is an inspired social commentary about greed, vice, and a system that allows the absolute worst of humanity a fast track to the top. Poe fans will enjoy all the Easter Eggs, but you don’t need to have an English degree to enjoy this smart, stylish, and satisfying gothic horror tale.
That’s the best of my watchlist this year. What’s on yours? I’m always looking for good recommendations. And who knows? Maybe you’ll see yours on next year’s list.
Happy Halloween, y’all!
And don’t forget to be spooky!
But not too spooky 💀👻🎃
