We’ve finally reached the scariest month of the year, and to properly celebrate, I will be suggesting horror movies within different genres every week! Each suggestion below will include a summary of the movie and my thoughts on it—without any spoilers. 

Animated horror

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) [PG]

Runtime: 1h16m 

In honor of Ken Page, the voice actor for Oogie Boogie who sadly passed away last week at the age of 70, I wanted to highlight “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” It is a family-friendly “horror” movie that follows the protagonist Jack Skellington throughout his journey as he attempts to take over the role of Santa Claus and the Christmas holiday. 

This movie is filled with several well-crafted musical numbers and creepy character designs that will definitely give you the October feeling that you’re looking for. If you’re not into movies, I would also recommend giving their soundtrack a try, especially “Oogie Boogie’s Song” if you’re into a bluesy, jazzy, Halloween-y kind of sound. 

International horror

“Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum” (2018) [Not Rated] 

Runtime: 1h35m

This Korean found footage horror film follows a group of young adults as they explore a famous abandoned asylum for their horror web series. 

This movie is a bit of a slow burn, but once the actual horror portion of the movie starts, it progresses at a very fast pace. I was a big fan of their long moments of suspense followed by a jumpscare, although their jumpscares did feel a little disappointing at times. However, I was still watching with my hands over my face for most of the back half of the movie, so I would say it did a good job at scaring me. There isn’t much gore, but it certainly is unsettling, so give “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum” a try if you think you can handle it!

A horror TV series

“The Haunting of Hill House” (2018) [TV-MA]

1 season, 10 episodes

This drama TV series unfolds with the story of a family and their experiences in what later becomes the most haunted house in America. Each episode follows one of the siblings in their childhood and how it has shaped them in the present time. With all types of ghosts haunting their homes, they must come back together as a family and finally put an end to their suffering. 

I originally didn’t want to give this show a try because I was expecting cheap jump scares and a basic story, but it wasn’t that at all. Sure, there were still some cheap jump scares, but they added so much to the story, which is beautiful on its own. This whole show is just filled with love, family, heartbreak and horror. On top of that, it has a long shot that is 17 minutes long, and if that isn’t enough to impress you, I don’t know what can. 

Comedy horror

“Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022) [R] 

Runtime: 1h34m

With a hurricane crashing their vacation, a group of young adults are forced to stay at home all night. After finding one of their friends dead with no leads on who the killer is and no internet, they must rely on each other to survive … but can they?

This is a classic whodunit movie with ridiculous interactions between its characters, and I enjoyed it so much. I think this would be a great movie to watch as a group as it’s more suspenseful than it is scary, and the ending will either lead to a very positive or very negative uproar in reactions. Either way, you’ll be laughing and having a great time. Find some friends and give it a try!

Psychological horror

“The Babadook” (2014) [Not Rated] 

Runtime: 1h34m

After being traumatized by the loss of her husband, a single mother must find a way to comfort her child once he starts to fear a monster within their house. Soon she comes to find that maybe the child isn’t imagining the horrors inside their home.

Like most psychological horror movies, there is a lot more than what meets the eye to “The Babadook,” but I think this one is easier to decipher than most other psychological horror movies. There is a clear explanation somewhere on the internet, so if you do end up giving this movie a try and want to understand it better, there is definitely a rabbit hole to dive into afterward. However, even without guidance, this movie is very creepy, easy to understand and visually appealing if you’re into weird monster designs. 

Science fiction horror

“The Invisible Man” (2020) [R] 

Runtime: 2h4m

This movie follows a woman trying to escape her husband who she swears is tormenting her after his death because he is wearing a suit that can turn him invisible. With nobody believing her story, she realizes she’ll have to take matters into her own hands. 

The scariest part of this movie is the hopelessness portrayed by its main character. As the audience, you get an insight into what might really be happening, but everyone around her continually treats her like she’s overly paranoid, and it’s so frustrating—in the best way possible. I would say this movie is more of a thriller than a horror movie, but, like I mentioned before, her situation is quite scary to watch unfold. 

Cult classic

“The Omen” (1976) [R]

Runtime: 1h51m

To avoid breaking his wife’s heart, an American diplomat adopts a baby from the church to replace his stillborn child and play him off as their own. But once strange satanic things start happening around their son on his sixth birthday, the diplomat must put a stop to it before it’s too late. 

With “The First Omen” coming out earlier this year, I decided to give this oldie a try, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. It’s an old film, so there are portions that drag on for longer than they should, but the cinematography is interesting to watch, and it was fun to see how things began to unfold for Damien (the adopted child) and the rest of the family. 

Slasher horror

“Orphan” (2009) [R] 

Runtime: 2h3m

With a similar premise to “The Omen,” after a devastating loss of their unborn child, an American couple decides to adopt a child from an orphanage. As they become familiar with the strange child, the mother begins to notice sinister things about her behavior that the rest of the family seems to ignore. 

Unlike many others, this isn’t a very gruesome slasher film, but it certainly has some bloody bits to it. It was also really cool to have someone with hearing aids be a part of the main cast and the usage of American Sign Language be such a huge part of the film. If anything, the sudden loss of sound when put into that character’s perspective really drives how important sound is within daily life and how effective it can be in a horror setting.