The only thing scarier than the frights on Halloween night is picking a movie you think is going to quench your thirst for a good scare, sitting through the whole thing and finishing the movie with a heart rate in the negatives.
But have no fear! ‘Tis the season for a truly scary movie, and I’ll be sharing my opinions on which horror movies will really make you scream and which ones will just make you yawn.
“Presence” (2024)
Starting off weak, I recently watched “Presence” (2024). While this film’s plot feels new and unique — it’s shot from the perspective of an entity haunting a family — it’s executed in a boring way. Shots go on for too long, questions are left unanswered in a highly unproductive way and the characters go on long, unnatural and corny monologues multiple times. I wish I could applaud the fresh take on the overused ghost story, but this film is just too boring to give it its flowers.
I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who doesn’t want to waste an hour and a half of their day.
⅖ stars
“The Strangers” (2008)
Continuing on this hate train brings us to a film that saddens me to dislike. “The Strangers” (2008) is a film whose trailers used to give me nightmares. Burlap-sack masked murderers break into a couple’s home to hunt them down. My main issue with “The Strangers” is that the entire movie is essentially that chase. The “climax” of the film, if you can even call it that, is highly disappointing and unnecessarily gory. For a concept as terrifying as being chased by masked killers, “The Strangers” really drops the ball in having any depth to make it scary.
I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who dislikes being home alone.
⅕ stars
“Midsommar” (2019)
In this column, I have trashed gore before, but today, I’m breaking my streak. My first actual recommendation is awarded to “Midsommar” (2019). If you want a film that will make you queasy while being thoughtful with its gore placement, this satanic horror is perfect. This film is sinister, invasive, and straight-up weird. The script is near flawless, the cinematography is beautiful and it’ll definitely leave you in silence and shock when it ends.
I recommend it to anyone who studies anthropology, likes Sweden, or enjoys hallucinogens.
5/5 stars
“The Conjuring” (2013)
My final holiday recommendation is a classic: “The Conjuring” (2013). While you might call it a basic pick, it’s basic for a reason. This film is such a staple to me in the world of horror. It has possessions, ghostly figures, exorcisms and of course, Patrick Wilson. “The Conjuring” is a film I can always count on to give me the chills, no matter how many times I watch it. The timing at which the story unfolds and the elevation of suspense add up to this film’s reliability to be a good scare.
I recommend it to anyone who likes hide and seek and supportive husbands.
4.5/5 stars
