Halloween season in full swing, possibly the best way to spend the upcoming weekend consists of a cup of coffee, a blanket, a horror-fest on your laptop and enormous courage!
Here are seven favorite horror films you can challenge yourself with!
- The Shining (1980)
The classic Stephen King novel adopted on screen by none other than the American maestro Stanley Kubrick. A house with a violent past, creepy corridors, ominous suspense, madness, murder, supernatural imagery, and everything you can think of that would lead to your worst nightmare. This one redefined the horror genre for years to come. Kubrick later told a friend that he wanted “to make the world’s scariest movie, involving a series of episodes that would play upon the nightmare fears of the audience.”
- The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook is an Australian supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by Jennifer Kent, that has been applauded profusely all over the world. The plot deals with a single widow raising a child who chances upon a disturbing book. Soon, they find themselves surrounded by a sinister being, and things take a very wrong turn. The Babadook is a film that will leave you gasping for breath amidst the terror it throws at you.
- Rosemary’s baby (1968)
The French-Polish director Roman Polanski (Remember The Pianist?) brings out the chills with supernatural phenomena, occult worship, satanic rituals and a devilish creepiness pervading through the screen. Not your usual horror flick, Rosemary’s baby is widely regarded as a cult classic, and won two Academy awards with countless other awards. The film is said to inspire hundreds of other Satan-worship films and similar rituals all over the world.
- The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Blair witch Project is eerily disturbing because of how real it feels. Promoted as a video footage shot by three film students who went missing while looking for the Blair witch in a haunted forest in Maryland, it combines the elements of mystery and horror oddly enough to scare the audience off the edge of their seats. Some moviegoers are also said to have fallen ill because of the shaky camerawork. Watch at your own risk!
- The Ring (2002)
The Japanese original of The Ring is said to be scarier, but let me assure you this is no less! This movie with a few others, changed the genre from jump scares to an almost psychological hit of horror, which would define the genre for years to come. The music used in the movie is by Hans Zimmer, and makes for a brilliant score. The infamous scene of the ghost crawling out of the TV scene to kill, was etched in the minds of every moviegoer, and stayed equally frightening for a long time. Not an easy one to digest!
- The Conjuring (2013)
Every great horror flick is based upon a real life incident, and this is no different. Creepy dolls, haunting figures, bloody exorcisms, you name it, they have it! The director delivers his experience of working with horror, and this is one film that has been said to spook out the bravest of the lot. I would advice the reader to read up on the actual tale of Bathsheba Sherman, that inspired the film. The Conjuring is a tale of sheer mastery over the genre of horror.
- The Exorcist (1973)
No list on horror films can ever be complete without the most iconic of them all- The Exorcist! It is a supernatural horror film inspired by the 1971 novel of the same name, that was inspired by the real life exorcism of Roland Doe in 1949. The film has had a great impact on pop culture, and features as several horror critics’ Scariest film of all time. The set of the film was also said to be cursed, as several cast members and their families died during production and post production. It was also the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy best picture award.
That’s it for this Halloween. We sincerely hope these films allow you a good night’s sleep. The next time you are in a dark, empty room in the middle of the night, make sure your eyes are closed.
-Debmalya Bandyopadhyay
