Halloween is an incredible time of year. The weather is nice and chilly, the leaves are changing, there’s candy all over the place, and it’s the one time that you might actually be able to get your friends and family to sit down and watch some horror movies with you. If and when that time comes; you need to be prepared, and we have your back.
From over-the-top and hilarious, to spine tingling, to downright disgusting – this list has it all. Here are 10 Modern Horrors to watch on Halloween… if you’re mind (or stomach) can handle it:
Let’s get the obvious choice out of the way. Even though Tales of Halloween wasn’t the flawless victory that many of us horror nerds were hoping for, it still manages to capture the spirit and various tones of the Halloween season in a remarkably effective way. It has laughs, gore, demons, aliens, monsters, and everything else you could possibly want in an anthology flick. Every segment might not be for you, but I bet several are.
Halloween night isn’t complete without a Slasher film or two. The problem is that they are all so damn similar these days. The copy and paste formula can still be entertaining, but if you’re looking for something a little more interesting, give Suspension a shot. After a successful festival run, the film found itself in the recently released 8 Films to Die For collection. It has decent kills, but most importantly, it does something different in the Slasher space.
Who the hell knew that Mark Duplass could be so… creepy? No list would be complete without a quality Found Footage film thrown in there, but to categorize Creep as such may be doing it a serious disservice. The atmosphere and mystery are some of the best available in 2015, and words and phrases like “tubby” and “peach fuzz” have become mainstays in my ever-evolving horror reference guide. You gotta check this one out.
Honestly, I go back and forth on this one. But if there is ever an appropriate time to sit down with Adam Green as he goes Digging Up the Marrow – Halloween is it. The story is interesting and execution is decent, but the monsters are what makes this one worth its run time. Whether being caught on camera or drawn by an artist; these are some incredibly unique designs and concepts PERFECT for this time of the year.
Heavy metal, demons, axes, and dildos! This bloody comedy out of New Zealand has it all. The characters are absolutely lovable, the story is nonsensical, and the violence is sensational. I’m not sure I have had a better time with a film in 2015 than I did with DEATHGASM (all caps, because lower case is for pussies). This isn’t just a must-see for Halloween, it’s a must-see for any horror fan worth their weight in gore. Rock on.
We Are Still Here is a graphic and unsettling horror film that pays homage to the old-school vibes of yesteryear. The scares are effective and the atmosphere is almost tangible. Even when shit starts to go batshit crazy in the last 10 minutes – it’s a (very) bloody and intriguing good time.
Over the last few years, Ireland has really stepped up as a force to be reckoned with in the horror community. There may be no greater example of that than Ivan Kavanagh’s The Canal. The mysterious story and downright frightening imagery made The Canal one of the best horrors of 2014. Here we are a year later, and it’s still a must-see. Ireland isn’t fucking around, folks.
Director Mickey Keating has had (and continues to have) one hell of a year. There’s no “one thing” that makes POD a film to seek out immediately – it’s a combination of things. The way one set of events is constantly shrouded in secrecy as it falls into another is terrifically unsettling, the gradual way in which a threat may or may not be presented is mind altering, and the performances turned in by the cast are outstanding. POD has a very short run time for a feature film, but it’s like choosing the best cut of meat for your steak. There’s no filler, and it’s all delicious.
Brace yourselves for this one. Headless is barely even a movie, and depending on what kind of sicko you are, that could be a good thing or a bad thing. There is a story, but it isn’t a particularly good one. That said, it doesn’t have to be. Headless is hands down some of the most uncomfortable and freaky shit that I have ever seen. It’s more of a collection of god-awful scenes than it is a feature film, and I absolutely love it. If you wanna find out who your real friends are – throw this one on at your Halloween party and see who stays.
Last Shift might be the biggest surprise to come out of 2015. It flew under the radar at a handful of festivals for almost a year before getting a mass release earlier this month. It features an extremely eerie locale, great practical effects, and some of the best sound design I’ve heard in the horror genre. Turn the light down and the surround system up – this one is legitimately spooky.
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