You Wanna See Something Really Scary?

Emily Recommends Horror Movies

It’s October, and I don’t know about you, but in my house that means horror movies. Emily is the True Horror Fan in the house. I’m just an interested observer, but she takes it all quite seriously. She belongs to a Discord group for horror fans called OkGOREberfest (it used to be a Facebook group with over 700 members until the algorithm randomly and capriciously deplatformed them for no apparent reason). The basic idea is that if you belong to the group, you watch a bunch of horror movies in October and tell the rest of the group about it.

Each year I sort-of participate, despite not belonging to the group, officially. I live in the same house with Emily, so the horror content is just part of my environment in October and I wind up seeing a lot of horror movies — not as many as she sees, of course, but it’s a healthy diet for sure.

I catalogued all of that horror content last year in a post, just for something to do. I also wrote a couple of horror-related think-pieces that month:

• When the Borg Lady Sings: The Diminishing Potency of the Nameless Dread
• In a Hand Basket: A Review of Hellraiser (2022)

This year the build up has been extra intense as Emily has helped port the group from Facebook to Discord and also joined Bluesky (one of the leading contenders for a Twitter-replacement now that Elon Musk has made that formerly ubiquitous social media platform so odious).

Over the last several days Emily has posted a lengthy list of horror movie recommendations on Bluesky for people who want to celebrate October in a seasonally appropriate way. I am sharing her entire list here for my handful of readers and so it’s all in one place for future reference.

Emily’s Recs

(originally posted by @stonkers.blsky.social)

Gonna start posting movie recs for folks who are starting to build their October watchlists and are looking for some ideas.

In no particular order, just as I think of them, here goes!

Spider Baby (1967) Lon Chaney Jr. and Sid Haig are somehow overshaowed by the delightfully bizarre Jill Banner!

Next up, a super fun, self aware found footage film from last year. It’s found footage, but has updated some of the technology and reasoning for the cameras in a pretty fun way. It wears its love for the Evil Dead on its sleeve, so if you like the gory goofiness of those, you might like Deadstream!

This one might appeal to people who love slashers. The Final Girls is fun and full of a surprising amount of heart (which means you know it’s also quite bloody!).

Something Wicked This Way Comes is the best of the dark Disney era, by far. The perfect balancing act between nostalgia for a childhood that is almost over and nostalgia for a childhood that is long past is bittersweet and beautiful.

This movie’s got everything!
*Deep horror about corporate espionage? ✅
*Diet culture run amok? ✅
*Concern about what exactly *is* yogurt? ✅
*Consumerism as culture? ✅
*Innate knowledge that companies want to addict us to their products? ✅ ✅ ✅
The Stuff couldn’t be more wonderfully 1985 if it tried.

Far and away one of the most effectively spooky found footage movies I’ve stumbled across is Hell House LLC. Some genuine scares in here. Unfortunately, I did get imbued with the cursed knowledge that the filmmaker pronounces his last name cog-netti, like he’s never before heard an Italian speak.

I really love the atmosphere of The Awakening (the image below captures it pretty perfectly). The cast is impeccable, the setting cold and beautifully spooky. One of the top tier modern ghost story movies, for me. Rebecca Hall, horror movie goddess 😍

Okay, here’s a controversial one. I don’t care what anyone says, World War Z is a fuckin’ bop. The first act is a masterclass in exposition, the pacing throughout is fantastic, the stakes are crystal clear, and Pitt’s character is written in a way that makes the events of his whole plot believable.

Another one people didn’t like, but I think is underrated, Open Grave. I don’t understand why this has a 22% on RT. The final act isn’t spectacular. But the set up and opening act are really good. There are some truly unsettling scenes in this, and that’s tough to pull off for me these days!

Gorgeous, stylized, absurd, spooky but not scary, with some extremely good humor sprinkled throughout! It’s clearly deeply influenced by Argento, but while it feels surreal and dreamy, it also feels grounded and relatable in a way I have never find Argento to be. I absolutely loved In Fabric!

I fuckin’ love that Elijah Wood made a fortune doing LotR, and has decided to spend the rest of his career making super weirdo, often horror, movies. I hope he never stops. 2019’s Come to Daddy blends genuine brutality and genuine humor extremely well. It’s great.

Next rec is a horror western, one of my all time favorite sub-genres! The Wind is a horrifyingly claustrophobic tale set in the expansive openness of the expansionist American West. Caitlin Gerard’s performance is stellar, and it has to be, because this poor woman is very much alone on the prairie.

Sticking with the horror/western sub-genre, I present to you: Ravenous, a film that I think is finally starting to get the love it deserves. Incredible cast (particularly Pearce and Carlyle), and a bonkers banger score by Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman that tinges the whole thing in weirdness.

And rounding out my horror/western top 3 is none other than Bone Tomahawk. Honestly, this is 90% an amazing western film, and the last 10% contains some wildly brutal stuff, not for the faint of heart! But gosh, the journey getting there with Russell, Wilson, Fox, and Jenkins is supremely good.

Next horror rec is truly special debut feature by writer/director Remi Weekes. It is scary, heart wrenching, and honest, just the way the best ghost stories always are. Check out His House on Netflix.

Okay, here’s one that might not hit with everybody, but a police detective procedural gets derailed by an angelic civil war? With Christopher Walken as Gabriel and Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer, and somehow Adam Goldberg and Amanda Plummer steal the show?? Sign me up. It’s The Prophecy (1995)!

How to even begin to describe Jackie Kong’s Blood Diner? Things it has: Vegan restaurant serves human meat, nude aerobics, 5 million year old amulets, a brain and eyes in a jar (sentient), a mom who just needs to go out and get some GOD DAMNED tampons? She’s in this movie!! A+ for a specific palate.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space. If you skipped this one because it looks silly, well…okay it is silly. But it’s also very very funny, and contains some truly delightful effects! www.etsy.com/listing/1284...

I was just saying yesterday that I would love to see more horror movies made by indigenous filmmakers, and Blood Quantum is a perfect example. It’s worth learning a bit about what the blood quantum is before watching this film because it explores the rich irony so well. Beautifully shot and acted. A+

Next up, a real favorite of mine, 1932’s The Old Dark House! It was such an unexpected delight. It’s James Whale’s followup to Frankenstein, and tbh, I think it’s a superior film. Witty, snappy, gay as hell, and so gorgeous. Plus it has Ernest Thesiger, and if you don’t love him, you have no heart.

I saw Basket Case when I was waaaaay too young. Like maybe 10? All I remembered was the full frontal dude nude running down a street and how hilarious I thought that was. Watching again as an adult, I was treated to a greasy, grimy New York City full of great characters (Casey 😍).

Here’s one I never see anyone talk about, and that’s a shame because Aubrey Plaza gives an amazing, shambling zombie performance in Life After Beth, a movie about why letting go of love is good sometimes.

If you’re short on time, the short film Hair Wolf is just the thing. From its Letterboxd description: A BEAUTIFUL NEW FILM FOR A BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE The staff of a black hair salon fend off a strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture.

Looking for a dose of horror comedy from New Zealand that *isn’t* What We Do in the Shadows? Check out Housebound! it’s very charming, very funny, and leans into the actual horror harder than WWDinS does. Rima Te Wiata is so wonderful as the mom, she’s so sweet and annoying in the perfect mom way

I will die on the hill that 1988’s remake of The Blob is as amazing and important as Carpenter’s The Thing when it comes to its practical effects. The garbage disposal guy? The PHONE BOOTH DEATH?? Ugh, it’s so good. Plus, the lesser Dillon and his glorious mullet.

Another entry in the “Why ghost stories are my favorite” is 2017’s Tigers Are Not Afraid. A group of kids deals with the violence of cartel violence and the ghosts that it creates. It’s hauntingly beautiful and deeply heartbreaking.

Triangle (2009). I can’t really explain how and why this movie is fantastic without giving too much away. It’s worth trying to not know anything about it before going in. I absolutely adore horror on the high seas, and this one is so dang good!

Speaking of horror on the high seas, 2002’s Below. Ocean horror + haunted house + claustrophobic submarine? Gods yes, please. This haunted sub movie is so unsettling, and the cast is so good: Bruce Greenwood, Zach Galifianakis, Olivia Williams, Holt McCallany among others. Huge recommend!

Another one I love so very much that, like Ravenous, has finally started to get the love and attention it so richly deserves is Pontypool. It’s such an odd little film. Shot almost entirely in a single location, with much if not all of the action taking place outside, offscreen. But it is so *TENSE*

Hey, y’all wanna come to a Murder Party with me? No? Well you should, because it’s fun as hell and it’s Jeremy Saulnier’s debut feature! A lonely guy finds an invitation to a halloween night party and decides to just show up. It is more than he bargains for.

Okay I admit I slept on 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers for too dang long. I don’t know why I was under the impression that it was goofy or cheesy in a bad way. It is not. It’s grim and bleak, and the cast is incredible. Don’t be a doofus like me, see this movie right away!

The Ritual (2017): I loved the atmosphere of gloom created by both the foggy Scandinavian woods and the deep sorrow among the four old friends who can’t get over the death of their fifth buddy. Also, absolutely stellar monster design, just top notch. Also also, Rafe Spall. I dig him a lot

There’s a chance that when a dud missile landed in the apartment block where Shideh lives with her child, it brought a djinn along with it. Under the Shadow is a creepy and unsettling metaphorical exploration of women’s oppression in Iran during the Iran/Iraq war.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964). Even if you think you don’t like old movies, I think you should give this one a try. It’s a sumptuous display of color and cruelty, and Vincent Price is at his very best here. Gorgeous!

You know what hits just right sometimes is a good horror doc. Scream, Queen! is very good. I watched Nightmare on Elm Street 2 approximately thirteen thousand times when I was in junior high and it was only much later in life that I was like “OHHHhhhhhh.”

Maybe you’re in the mood for some horrors from outer space but also want some truly repellent body horror? Look no further than 2006’s Slither. It’s slimy, it’s gooey, it’s slithery. It’s an utterly disgusting good time

Speaking of slithery slimy things, Grabbers (2012) is so much fun! It’s not giving anything away to tell you that this is about aliens who dislike alcohol, so the way to survive is to get blind drunk and stay that way. 🫠

On the opposite end of the Irish horror spectrum from Grabbers is The Eclipse (2009). I love how strange and dreamy this movie was — an odd mix of drama, love story, and jump-out-of-your-seat scary. And Ciarán Hinds puts in a great performance, as usual. A not-quite-horror, if that’s your mood!

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not the biggest fan of the vampire sub-genre. I just don’t vibe with the whole “Oooh blood and sex and death and sex” thing, but am glad it makes other people happy! SO! Of course one of my fave vamp films is 30 Days of Night. These are some scary ass vampires.

Speaking of vampires, I love Vampire’s Kiss for the way it plays with the genre. It is so goofy and over the top, as Nic Cage performances often are, until it very much isn’t and it gets super real. Plus, it’s where this meme came from, and we should all what free range farm our memes come from

And speaking of Nic Cage, did y’all catch Mandy? As gory and violent as it is, the most horrifying thing in the film is being kidnapped and forced to listen to a dude’s favorite album in his basement.

I’ve been binging all of Dropout.tv’s shows for months now, and was delighted to discover that Make Some Noise’s Josh Ruben directed the very funny 2021 Werewolves Within. It stars Sam Richardson, who’s so so good in Veep and The After Party.

I’ve been trying to keep this thread to movies I think people might’ve missed, and maybe this one doesn’t fit, but I love it so much I have to include Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. It’s so charming and deeply loves slashers. If somehow you don’t know the premise, just watch it blind, it’s a great time!

Another very funny one out of New Zealand that has waaaaay more drawings of dicks than any other NZ comedy horror film is Deathgasm, an ode to metal and horror and being a nerd. I loved it.

1974: there are coal miners striking and rolling blackouts across Britain. This young nurse has to live through a night shift in an old hospital. If you’re scared of the dark like I am, The Power (2021) will get under your skin. Ending is a little too on-the-nose, maybe, but good nonetheless.

If you’re more in the mood for a languorous, atmospheric tone poem with excellent characters, and deeply unsettling imagery and themes, look no further than Na-Hong Jin’s 2016 powerhouse, The Wailing. But be in the right mood for it, or it will not reward you.

I’ve posted a ton of comedy, so to keep with the somber mood set by The Wailing, let’s talk about Saint Maud. What an amazing movie, with an all out performance by Morfydd Clark. Twin horrors of of religious zeal and being medically reliant on a stranger co-mingle here wonderfully, horrifcally.

Time enough for a few more recs before new watches begin tomorrow. Check out this candy colored confection, shot gorgeously on Film! It’s Anna Biller’s The Love Witch. Looking like it stepped miraculously straight out of 1970, but with a feminist lens that’s both weird and beguiling.

You know those movies where someone goes missing and comes back *wrong*? I love those. You know how that could be made even better? Make it a whole spaceship that goes missing and comes back *very, very wrong* Event Horizon is a nightmare. A wonderful, hellscape in space nightmare.

Another incredible horror in space is 2007’s Sunshine. Saw this in theaters and didn’t care for it, but years later on rewatch, I was blown away. Director Danny Boyle pulls off so many great tricks to create a sense of the almost unbearable beauty and draw of the ever-nearing Sun…

Creep (2014). A prescient glimpse into just how bad the gig economy was about to become for workers.

Time for another Rebecca Hall (💀 👑) rec: The Night House. Hall is incredible here. I don’t want to say too much, but this film is one of the best explorations of depression and its effects that I’ve seen. Plus, there’s a jump scare in here that was so effective, it got me good.

I don’t necessarily think You’re Next is underrated, it seems like if you poke any horror fan, they’ll tell you it’s one of their favorite home invasion films. If you’ve seen it, check out the recent Evolution of Horror podcast ep on it, it’s a fun discussion!

A fascinating film from 2020 was Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s The Platform. A vertical prison where inmates are fed from a descending platform provides the canvas for painting a picture of taking more than your fair share and the sheer luck that places some people in the position to do so.

Okay, I think i’m gonna wrap this thread up with a favorite of mine. It’s arguably not horror, but deeply horrifying, so…

It’s Ken Russell’s The Devils. I’ve never seen a better treatise on power and the church. It’s scathing, it’s gorgeous, and it’s got hot priest Oliver Reed. 🥵