As the month of October drags on, I’m beginning to realize that I’m a total autumn basic. I absolutely love sweaters. I love curling up under blankets. I love the changing color of leaves. I love pumpkin things (although I won’t spend $5 to have some faux-pumpkin syrup squirted in a cup of perfectly good coffee).
The month of October also gives me an excuse to get really excited about horror movies. Every year during the weeks leading up to Halloween, I binge on horror films. Not only are they fun (and terrifying) to watch, but they also give an excuse — especially on cold autumn nights — to curl up with a partner and hold each other tightly during the really scary parts. Netflix is currently a treasure trove for spooky stuff, so here are 10 titles you should watch on the site before Halloween.
“Donnie Darko“
One of the greatest Halloween-related movies of all time, “Donnie Darko” stars Jake Gyllenhaal (“Nightcrawler”) at the titular character, who suffers chronic hallucinations and is told by a large rabbit named Frank that the world will end in 28 days. Everything about the film is iconic, from the Tears for Fears-heavy soundtrack to the absolutely terrifying bunny costume to lines like “You’re such a fuck-ass” and “chut up.”
“Night of the Living Dead“
Low-budget, sure. But also claustrophobic, unrelenting, gruesome and sprinkled with just the right amount of social commentary. This film wrote the book on zombie movies.
“The Blair Witch Project“
It was this movie that popularized the found-footage genre, spawning endless imitators that could never match the brooding atmosphere of this 90s horror classic. You never see any “witch,” but the creaky sounds that seem to engulf the main characters’ tent are scarier than anything you could see.
“Carrie“
Brian De Palma’s “Carrie” is a masterwork of horror cinema, heavily indebted to Alfred Hitchcock and his techniques of building unbearable suspense. It tells the story of a high school girl (Sissy Spacek, “The Help”) who is bullied by her classmates and abused by her God-fearing mother. But she also has the power of telekinesis, the perfect ingredient for revenge (maybe in a school dance setting) against those who have wronged you. Just take a look at the film’s original tagline: “If you’ve got a taste for terror … take Carrie to the prom.”
“Rosemary’s Baby“
You’ll never want to have a kid after seeing this one, a classic from director Roman Polanski. Basically, Mia Farrow’s (“Dark Horse”) husband joins a satanic cult, then rapes her and impregnates her with Satan. Yeah, it’s as unsettling as it sounds.
“Zodiac“
Probably one of David Fincher’s finest works, “Zodiac” tells the story of the famed serial killer who murdered numerous victims in San Fransisco in late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer taunted police with codes and riddles, but his identity forever remains unknown. The film adaptation of this peculiar case is a slow-burner, exploring the psyches of men driven by obsession while also offering a healthy dose of shocks and scares.
“Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn“
A group of people hole up in a cabin while spirits haunt them over a claustrophobic 84 minutes. Sam Raimi’s sequel is slapstick horror at it’s finest; you will never have more fun being scared.
“Twin Peaks“
“Twin Peaks” is returning to television for nine episodes in 2016, and all of them will be directed by auteur David Lynch. The original 30 episode series, which deftly combines mystery, horror and soap opera tropes, is a bizarre look at a perfectly normal-looking town with deep, dark secrets below its surface. It is endlessly unnerving, and the demonic presence of “BOB” is enough to give any viewer nightmares.
“Nosferatu“
A recommendation for film buffs only. F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic “Nosferatu” is a crowning achievement of German Expressionism. It’s also a film that became the blueprint for all subsequent vampire films. The use of shadows, grotesque makeup and cross-cutting all make “Nosferatu” a delightfully creepy cinematic experience.
“The Human Centipede: First Sequence“
I haven’t seen this but I’ve heard it’s terrible and disgusting.
