We’re days away from Halloween now. Going to a party? Awesome…but for those of you who aren’t and are staying in for a Scare Fest, then I have Ten films for you…Prepare to be terrified!
(Insert Evil Laugh here)
10. The Awakening
Cast:
Rebecca Hall
Dominic West
Imelda Staunton
Director: Nick Murphy
Released: 2011
This will fill your craving for the paranormal this Halloween
Set in 1921, England, it follows the story of Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) who is a published author of supernatural hoaxes. She works with the police to uncover conmen and debunk supernatural phenomena. Her career began after the death of her lover in World War 1.
In the film, she visits a boarding school to investigate the recent death of a student and explain the sightings of a child ghost. However, when she gets there, more than ghosts begin to reveal themselves as her past creeps in to unravel a haunting much more real.
9. Shutter
Cast:
Joshua Jackson
Rachael Taylor
David Denman
Director: Masayuki Ochiai
Released: 2008
This will feed your hunger for thrilling foreign films on the creepiest night of the year!
A newly married couple leave New York for Tokyo, where Ben (Joshua Jackson) has a job as a photographer. While travelling, Jane (Rachael Taylor) hits a girl wearing a thin dress in the middle of the wintry wilderness, and crashes her car. Upon waking, there is no sign of a body, which sets Rachael on edge. However, they are soon to find mysterious lights in their photos, later identified as spirit photography. Fearing the manifestations may be connected, she investigates and learns that some mysteries are better left unsolved.
8. Halloween
Cast:
Donald Pleasence
Jamie Lee Curtis
P.J Soles
Will Sandin
Director: John Carpenter
Released: 1978
A film that started them all…
We all know the story but let me summarise for those who don’t. A psychotic murderer, Michael Myers (Will Sandin) institutionalised since childhood for the murder of his sister, escapes and stalks a teenage girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets. If you hadn’t already guessed, this all goes down on Halloween. It’s not a good day to be a babysitter.
7. The Descent
Cast:
Shauna MacDonald
Natalie Mendoza
Alex Reid
Saskia Mulder
Director: Neil Marshall
Released: 2005
I hear you don’t like monsters? I hear you don’t like the dark? Well here’s a British horror film that has those two things by the bucket load!
The premise of the plot is that six friends decide to go caving in the Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina, and the expedition doesn’t go quite to plan as part of the cave collapses, among various other mishaps along the way. Soon, they find themselves in an uncharted part of the caves whilst trying to get out. What they didn’t prepare for was the strange breed of blind predators lurking within the caves. Though it doesn’t make them any less terrifying.
Hold your breath. Don’t make a sound, or they’ll hear you coming.
6. The Haunting in Connecticut
Cast:
Virginia Madsen
Kyle Gallner
Martin Donovan
Amanda Crew
Director: Peter Cromwell
Release: 2009
More than just a film about the paranormal.
After a family is forced to relocate for their son’s health, they begin experiencing supernatural behaviour in their new home, which turns out to be a former mortuary. What they begin to discover is that the mortuary held many secrets that go beyond the grave.
This film is packed full of jumps, creepy photos and “poltergeistary”. So if you want a fast pulse and spilt popcorn, this is the film for you this Halloween!
5. Session 9
Cast:
David Caruso
Peter Mullan
Stephen Gevedon
Paul Guifoyle
Director: Brad Anderson
Release: 2001
A psychological horror film to fill that desire for mind screws this Halloween.
When an asbestos cleaning crew begin work at an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past, it’s hardly surprising some of its previous tenants left things behind for them to uncover and decipher the real happenings of Danver State Hospital. After finding a box of nine tapes, all sessions from the former patient, Mary Hobbes, talking about her multiple personality disorder, the head of the crew, Gordon, becomes increasingly interested. One of her personalities, Simon, is skirted around in conversation and isn’t heard until the ninth tape. The ninth session. Gordon, unable to stop listening begins to realise that something very, very, sinister is at work in the uninhibited hospital.
Well, they do say curiosity killed the cat.
Question is, are you curious enough?
4. The Blair Witch Project
Cast:
Heather Donahue
Michael C. Williams
Joshua Leonard
Director: Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick
Release: 1999
It goes without saying that this is the film to watch on Halloween.
To summarise for those who don’t know the classic story, three film students go missing after travelling into the woods of Maryland, US, to make a documentary about the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.
To give you a little idea, at the beginning of the film, the opening text states that “in October 1994 three filmmaking students disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later, their footage was found by police.”
Have you got Goosebumps yet? Because if you’re afraid of the dark and handheld camera films, then you’re going to hate this!
3. The Conjuring
Cast:
Patrick Wilson
Vera Farmiga
Ron Livingston
Lili Taylor
Director: James Wan
Release: 2013
You’re probably getting sick of all the paranormal films on this list, but in my opinion, these are the scariest. Especially this one, which is ‘based’ on true events. Gotta love the ‘true event’ films.
Set in the 70s, Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) move their family to a dilapidated farmhouse in Rhode Island, US. However, strange and nightmarish occurrences begin to happen that are petrifying the family. Out of desperation, Carolyn calls in Ed and Lorraine Warren, who are renowned paranormal investigators. They examine the house and what they discover is not just ghosts, but a Satanic haunting which is now targeting the Perron family. The two must use their skills to stop the spectral menace from destroying them all.
Cool right? Bone chilling cool. Get ya pillows on your faces! Because you’re about to witness a conjuring.
2. The Shining
Cast:
Jack Nicholson
Shelley Duvall
Danny Lloyd
Scatman Crothers
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Release: 1980
A classic sure, but one of the best. One of Stephen King’s least depressing books, created into one of my personal all-time favourites. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a must see for any time of the year. But the eeriness of this film will get to you more on All Hallow’s Eve.
Set high up in snowy mountains – the exact location left ambiguous for creepiness -, John Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as the Winter Caretaker in the isolated Overlook Hotel. He takes his wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny, and intends to spend the time working on his book. Once deserted, the hotel is the stuff of nightmares; empty, long, silent corridors, vacant rooms and the added extra that the hotel was built on a Native American burial ground. Aren’t they all?
The son, Danny is the first to witness the strange goings on after being nearly strangled by a strange woman in one of the rooms. The incidences begin to become more frequent. Danny, who is a psychic, starts to see horrific forebodings from the past and of the future – they are enough to make you feel extremely frightened about even being in the room on your own.
The evil and spiritual presence of the hotel influences Jack into a violent rampage, bringing the film to a very eventful and famous climax.
Prepare to be surprised that this 1980s film is still as scary, if not scarier than the films we get these days. Just remember, if you like Redrum, this is the film for you.
And oh yeah…
HERE’S JOHNNY!
1. Dead End
Cast:
Alexandra Holden
Ray Wise
Lin Shaye
Mick Cain
Director: Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa
Release: 2003
A French-American horror film of a road that never ends. With a tiny budget, this film ranks the best and most terrifying of all horror films – personally.
It’s Christmas Eve and whilst on the drive to his in-laws with his family, Frank Harrington (Ray Wise) decides to take a detour. After a near miss with a lorry, the family find themselves driving around in circles, with the only sign directing them to Marcott. On this never ending journey, their family is whittled down to the daughter, Marion. The only other presences they meet on this road being the mysterious woman with the dead baby in her arms and the ominous vintage car that appears to carry each member of her family away after they’ve disappeared.
With a twist like no other, this film packs a terrifying punch that will leave you feeling extremely strange for many hours. If you want to be frightened this Halloween, I suggest no other than the road trip along this Dead End.
So there are my top ten horror films for this Hallow’s Eve. Scare Wisely and have a very Happy Halloween.
(insert evil laugh here)
Tell me your favourite horror films @jodimay15, with the #bonechillers