Celebrating #31HorrorFilms31Days: My Best Picks

I’ve watched 31 horror movies every October for the past 13 years, and I wanted to do a special post celebrating my favorites from each year ❤️ by ranking them all against one another 😈 to create an ultimate #31HorrorFilms31Days list from all my favorites over the years.

But first things first, what is #31HorrorFilms31Days? In 2012, author Daniel Kraus suggested a “challenge” (quotes because there is no prize – only bragging rights for binging the most horror) where people on Twitter would use the hashtag #31HorrorFilms31Days and make a pithy comment about each horror film they watched during October. It was just for fun and there were no real rules aside from the strong suggestion to watch things that are new to you and commit to completing the movie once started no matter how bad it was.

At first, I did #31HorrorFilms31Days for the libraries I worked for. Eventually, I branched out to doing it myself which freed me up to access even more movies and allowed me to be a little more forthcoming with my opinions. Like MTV’s The Real World, I stopped being polite and started getting real…till I went back to being polite because I realized how often filmmakers take note of people commenting on their movies (especially tiny indie films). And I wanted to show at least some respect for people who busted their butts to make these movies even if they ended up not suiting my particular tastes. This will be my 14th year of watching at least 31 movies each October.

I watch horror movies outside of October (which is why you won’t see some big horror releases on here I’ve really enjoyed like the 2021 Candyman or Pearl), but I really enjoy just letting loose in October. I really do feel like the proverbial pig in mud binging my favorite genre. It makes it less disappointing to watch something I don’t like when I know I will watch something else the next day anyway.

It is also relaxing. After a day of making decisions at work and then proceeding to fret that I’m wasting my free time outside of work, #31HorrorFilms31Days takes the guesswork out of everything. If I have a couple of hours, I will be watching a movie lest I fall behind on my count. My only decision is which one to watch that night. And sometimes I’ve had one of our cats pick for me I’m so decisioned-out:

Doing this challenge each year has led to some cool internet acquaintances. I’ve also found a lot of new favorite watches I don’t think I ever would’ve gotten around to watching without this motivation. There’s been some trends that were not my cup of tea like artsy slow burns about trauma or mundane supernatural elements that are integrated into the everyday world (e.g. Longlegs and It Follows). I will always be a slasher and stylistic movie girl at heart as I think my top choices will reveal – I love a movie with an expressionistic soundtrack that grabs you and shakes you around a bit. But anyone who proclaims horror is dead just doesn’t watch enough of it in my humble opinion. So many good movies come out each year to add to the never ending list of ones to watch.

Before I reveal my list of the favorite new watches from over the years, I want to do a quick stroll down memory lane of what I watched each year. Before you do an angry spit take, lists are numbered in the order I watched the movies each year. So rest assured as bad as some of my takes are, I don’t think The Collector is better than The Thing. Also I did originally rewatch a lot of movies, so I’m denoting those.

2012

1. The Collector (2009)*
2. Silent House (2011)
3. The Legend of Hell House (1973)
4. Tremors (1990)*
5. Phantasm (1979)*
6. Friday the 13th (1980)*
7. Poltergeist (1982)*
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)*
9. The Children (2008)
10. Black Christmas (2006)*
11. Sorority Row (2009)*
12. Scream 2 (1997)*
13. Scream 3 (2000)*
14. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)*
15. Final Destination (2000)*
16. Final Destination 2 (2003)*
17. Final Destination 5 (2011)
18. Session 9 (2001)*
19. The Thing (1982)*
20. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)*
21. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)*
22. Suspiria (1977)*
23. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)*
24. When a Stranger Calls (1979)
25. Ginger Snaps (2000)*
26. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)*
27. The Ring (2002)*
28. Hocus Pocus (1993)*
29. Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (2012)*
30. Halloween (1978)*
31. Halloween (2007)*

2012 featured a lot of rewatches as I rediscovered my love of horror movies after finishing grad school.

2013

1. My Bloody Valentine (2009)*
2. The ABCs of Death (2012)
3. Cube (1997)*
4. The Shrine (2010)
5. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)*
6. The Breed (2006)
7. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
8. Insidious (2010)*
9. The Shining (1980)*
10. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)*
11. Amityville 3-D (1983)
12. Cloverfield (2008)*
13. Prometheus (2012)
14. The Woman in Black (2012)
15. Scream (1996)*
16. Poltergeist (1982)*
17. Carrie (1976)*
18. Hardware (1990)
19. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)*
20. Kill List (2011)
21. The Strangers (2008)*
22. Silent Hill (2006)*
23. House at the End of the Street (2012)
24. Prom Night (1980)*
25. The Conjuring (2013)
26. Cthulhu (2007)
27. The Prowler (1981)
28. The Purge (2013)
29. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)*
30. Drag Me to Hell (2009)*
31. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)*

Again, a lot of rewatches from my second year of the challenge. At this point, my then-girlfriend (now wife) and I had moved from a luxurious 250 square feet studio to a one bedroom basement unit where the front door opened into the bedroom. We were moving on up! Or down more specifically on account of it being a basement unit.

Kill List surprised me with its complex disjointed narrative and shockingly nasty spirit. I also appreciate a horror movie that starts as another genre (in this case a hitman taking an odd but well-paying job) and devolving into something truly horrific.

2014

1. Dead Wood (2007)
2. Oculus (2013)
3. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
4. Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
5. Dark Floors (2008)
6. Cat People (1942)
7. I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
8. The Bad Seed (1956)
9. Village of the Damned (1995)
10. Diabolique (1955)*
11. Eyes Without a Face (1960)
12. Dracula (1958)*
13. Psycho (1960)*
14. The Haunting (1963)*
15. Night of the Living Dead (1968)*
16. The Exorcist (1973)*
17. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)*
18. The Omen (1976)*
19. Jaws (1975)*
20. Suspiria (1977)*
21. Berberian Sound Studio (2012)
22. Hausu aka House (1977)
23. City of the Living Dead (1980)
24. The Thing (1982)*
25. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)*
26. Scream (1996)*
27. The Blair Witch Project (1999)*
28. Session 9 (2001)*
29. Saw (2004)*
30. [REC] (2007)*
31. Scream 4 (2011)*

Lots of revisits this year, but a lot of the first watches really exceeded my expectations. Oculus in particular is probably one of my favorites and one I went on to introduce friends to. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones was an interesting change of pace from its predecessors – moving the horror from the suburbs with white protagonists to a city with Latine protagonists.

I also first watched Hausu this year after randomly picking it up off the library shelf. You simply cannot unsee a disembodied head floating over to bite her friend’s butt.

2015

1. The Cat and the Canary (1927)
2. The Man Who Laughs (1928)
3. The Old Dark House (1932)
4. The Seventh Victim (1943)
5. The Thing from Another World (1951)
6. Jigoku (1960)
7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
8. Alien (1979)*
9. The Watcher in the Woods (1980)*
10. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
11. Videodrome (1983)
12. Demons (1985)*
13. The Howling (1981)*
14. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)*
15. The Blob (1988)*
16. Hellraiser (1987)*
17. Candyman (1992)*
18. Urban Legend (1998)*
19. Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
20. It Follows (2014)
21. American Psycho (2000)*
22. The Innkeepers (2011)*
23. Sinister (2012)*
24. The Houses October Built (2014)
25. Pontypool (2008)
26. Thir13en Ghosts (2001)*
27. Them (2006)*
28. Munger Road (2011)
29. All Cheerleaders Die (2013)
30. Drag Me to Hell (2009)*
31. Scream (1996)*

I hadn’t quite made the jump to watching all “new to me” movies quite yet in 2015, but I was starting to take more of an interest in expanding to watching older horror movies to round out my viewing. And as you might pick up, I made an effort to watch a bunch of movies in chronological order of their release dates. I think this is a good strategy for appreciating classic horror movies.

Although it wasn’t new to me, I remember tweeting that spaghetti and meatballs for dinner while watching Demons was a markedly poor choice. The visual of the meat coated in red sauce did not sit well with the practical effects nonsense of Demons.

I will also not soon forget Munger Road aka the greatest advertisement for St. Charles, Illinois you will ever see that ends with an UNRESOLVED CLIFFHANGER AND A LITERAL TO BE CONTINUED. This is what you get for supporting fellow Illinoisans!

2016

1. The Fog (1980)*
2. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
3. The Boy (2016)
4. Sinister 2 (2015)
5. Crimson Peak (2015)
6. A Bay of Blood (1971)
7. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
8. The Final Girls (2015)
9. Martyrs (2008)
10. The Forest (2016)
11. The Other Side of the Door (2016)
12. Bone Tomahawk (2015)
13. The Invitation (2015)
14. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
15. Shock Value (2014)
16. Last Shift (2014)
17. Creep (2014)
18. We Are Still Here (2015)
19. Pumpkinhead (1988)
20. Cold Prey (2006)
21. Goodnight Mommy (2014)
22. The Witch (2015)*
23. The Neon Demon (2016)
24. Baskin (2015)
25. Lights Out (2016)
26. Green Room (2015)
27. The Shining (1980)*
28. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)*
29. Scream 3 (2000)*
30. Inferno (1980)
31. Proxy (2013)
32. Starry Eyes (2014)
33. The Wailing (2016)

2016 shifted almost entirely to new watches. There were a lot of SMH moments this year. The Boy threw me for a loop. Cannibal Holocaust was so extreme I decided not to recap it on behalf of the library. On the other hand, I felt like I could skirt by recapping Martyrs for the masses?!?!

At this point, the thing I’m most baffled by is the amount of times I rewatched Scream 3 specifically during these past 13 years of #31HorrorFilms31Days. But who can explain or really understand who they were in October 2016? Such a comparatively innocent time even with all the cultural shitstorms that had already happened that year.

It was also the first year I began recapping my journey on this blog, so to read more what I thought at the time about these movies: 31 Horror Films 31 Days 2016: A Frank Postmortem 

2017

1. The Exorcist III (1990)
2. Fear, Inc. (2016)
3. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
4. Beyond the Gates (2016)
5. It Comes at Night (2017)
6. The Monster (2016)
7. The Stuff (1985)
8. The Final Girls (2015)*
9. Phantasm II (1988)
10. Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994)
11. Cult of Chucky (2017)
12. Happy Death Day (2017)
13. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
14. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)*
15. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)*
16. The Innocents (1961)
17. Inside (2007)
18. Chain Letter (2010)
19. The Burning (1981)
20. Southbound (2015)
21. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)
22. The Ring (2002)*
23. Body Snatchers (1993)
24. Don’t Breathe (2016)
25. A Cure for Wellness (2016)
26. The Bye Bye Man (2017)
27. Zombeavers (2014)
28. Get Out (2017)*
29. Hocus Pocus (1993)*
30. Resolution (2012)
31. Raw (2016)
32. The Devil’s Carnival (2012)
33. A Dark Song (2016)
34. The Void (2016)
35. The Grudge (2004)*

I still remember starting this #31HorrorFilms31Days right away on a sunny Sunday morning. What an excellent day for an exorcism. To read more about what I thought about these movies at the time: 31 Horror Films 31 Days 2017: A Frank Postmortem

2018

1. Hereditary (2018)
2. The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
3. A Quiet Place (2018)
4. Winchester (2018)
5. Train to Busan (2016)
6. Stage Fright (1987)
7. R-Point (2004)
8. It (2017)*
9. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)*
10. Malevolent (2018)
11. Blood Fest (2018)
12. Chopping Mall (1986)
13. XX (2017)
14. Tales of Halloween (2015)
15. Veronica (2017)
16. Sweet Home (1989)
17. Jigsaw (2017)
18. Halloween (2018)
19. Event Horizon (1997)*
20. Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)
21. Midnighters (2017)
22. Lake Mungo (2008)
23. Hell House LLC (2015)
24. Terrified (2017)
25. Noroi: The Curse (2005)
26. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017)
27. Sadako vs. Kayako (2016)
28. Ruin Me (2017)
29. Lake Bodom (2016)
30. The Ritual (2017)
31. Found Footage 3D (2016)
32. Never Hike Alone: A Friday The 13th Fan Film (2017)

I still didn’t quite stick to new movies, but most were this year. This is also when I started rooting through the Bargain Bin slashers like Chopping Mall and Stagefright which I tend to find extremely fun for the Halloween season.

This was also my first year completing the challenge as a married woman, and nothing says “prepare for a happy, feel good life together as a family” like watching Hereditary less than a month into a marriage. Apparently I didn’t do a recap in 2018? I have to presume I forgot between getting married and honeymooning so don’t hold it against me.

2019

1. Child’s Play (2019)
2. Ma (2019)
3. The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
4. What Keeps You Alive (2018)
5. The Prodigy (2019)
6. Nightmare Cinema (2018)
7. Brightburn (2019)
8. Suspiria (2018)*
9. Häxan (1922)
10. Mirrors (2008)
11. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
12. The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018)
13. Pet Sematary (2019)
14. Frankenstein (1931)
15. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
16. The Endless (2017)
17. Await Further Instructions (2018)
18. The Changeling (1980)
19. Blood Feast (1963)
20. The Final Girls (2015)*
21. The Borderlands (2013)
22. Ghostwatch (1992)
23. Dead of Night (1945)
24. The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971)
25. Assimilate (2019)
26. Zombie aka Zombi 2 aka Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979)
27. The Visit (2015)
28. Terrifier (2016)
29. Us (2019)*
30. Ghost Stories (2017)
31. Hell Fest (2018)

I really enjoyed the bolded ones this year. Ma was one of the first times I felt myself flat out rooting for the killer for most of the movie. What Keeps You Alive was the first movie that had me doing double takes on my wife the entire time in suspicion.

Ghostwatch was instant love at first watch.

This was also my first year doing the challenge in our current, completely above ground apartment! The shadows of people passing by the windows of our old basement apartment (the front windows faced the sidewalk outside) did add to the atmosphere of some of the movies, but sometimes a girl has to do a little #GlowUp in living conditions. To read more about what I thought about these films at the time check out: #31HorrorFilms31Days 2019: A Frank Postmortem

2020

1. Host (2020)
2. Crawl (2019)
3. Brahms: The Boy II (2020)
4. Countdown (2019)
5. Ready or Not (2019)
6. WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
7. Revenge (2017)
8. The Invisible Man (2020)
9. Fantasy Island (2020)
10. Tales from the Hood (1995)*
11. Tales from the Hood 2 (2018)
12. Bit (2019)
13. Doctor Sleep (2019)
14. One Cut of the Dead (2017)
15. Spiral (2019)
16. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
17. The Grudge (2019)
18. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
19. Scare Me (2020)
20. Knife+Heart (2018)
21. Blacula (1972)
22. Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)
23. The Babysitter (2017)
24. La Llorona (2019)
25. Zombi Child (2019)
26. The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Resurrection (2020)
27. Haunt (2019)
28. Blood Quantum (2019)
29. Theatre of Blood (1973)
30. Confessional (2019)
31. Satan’s Slaves (2017)
32. Hocus Pocus (1993)*
33. In Search of Darkness (2019)
34. Halloween (2018)*
35. Ghostwatch (1992)*

Was there any better movie to start the 2020 batch with than Host after a long day of virtual meetings? To check out what I thought about these movies at the time: #31HorrorFilms31Days 2020: A Frank Post-Mortem

2021

1. Malignant (2021)
2. Kandisha (2020)
3. Willy’s Wonderland (2021)
4. Fear Street: 1994 (2021)
5. Fear Street: 1978 (2021)
6. Fear Street: 1666 (2021)
7. Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981)
8. Underwater (2020)
9. Night of the Demons (1988)
10. V/H/S/94 (2021)
11. One Dark Night (1982)
12. A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
13. Annabelle: Creation (2017)
14. Scream (1996)
15. Wrong Turn (2021)
16. Halloween Kills (2021)
17. The Invisible Man (1933)
18. The First Purge (2018)
19. The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
20. Megan Is Missing (2011)
21. Anything for Jackson (2020)
22. There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021)
23. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
24. Color Out of Space (2019)
25. Curtains (1983)
26. Slaughter High (1986)
27. His House (2020)
28. Possessor (2020)
29. The Vigil (2019)
30. The Retreat (2021)
31. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)

I’m surprised to see 2021 was the first year I truly stuck to completely new to me movies.

Another round of Bargain Bin slashers was worth it to see the ice skating scene in Curtains. The movie also has a proto-Me Too element that was interesting to watch in 2021.

His House and The Vigil were also top tier watches and had me on edge rounding out the list. To read more what I thought about these films at the time: #31HorrorFilms31Days 2021: A Frank Post-Mortem

2022

1. The Lighthouse (2019)
2. Watcher (2022)
3. Dark Glasses (2022)
4. The Forever Purge (2021)
5. The Black Phone (2021)
6. Men (2022)
7. Caveat (2020)
8. Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
9. Deadstream (2022)
10. Curse of Chucky (2013)
11. Hellraiser (2022)
12. The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
13. The Medium (2021)
14. Fresh Hell (2021)
15. Pledge Night (1990)
16. Offseason (2021)
17. Sleepy Hollow (1999)*
18. Halloween Ends (2022)
19. Sorority Row (2009)*
20. Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge (1989)
21. The McPherson Tape (1989)
22. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
23. Terrifier 2 (2022)
24. V/H/S/99 (2022)
25. Popcorn (1991)
26. Prey (2022)
27. Orphan: First Kill (2022)
28. The Night House (2020)
29. Werewolves Within (2021)
30. Fear Street: 1994 (2021)*
31. Fear Street: 1666 (2021)*
32. Cube (2021)
33. Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes (2021)
34. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)
35. Sissy (2022)

I always insist I’m not a big horror comedy fan, but the trifecta of Deadstream, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and Sissy had me changing my tune. Sissy is this bizarre funhouse mirror version of one of my other favorite lesser-known gems New Year, New You. But where the latter gets crueler as its story continues, Sissy embraces its dark humor throughout.

To check out more what I thought about these films at the time: #31HorrorFilms31Days 2022: A Frank Postmortem

2023

1. Pieces (1982)
2. Death Valley (2021)
3. The Blackwell Ghost (2017)
4. Horror in the High Desert (2021)
5. Malum (2023)
6. Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva (2023)
7. Influencer (2022)
8. Scream VI (2023)*
9. V/H/S/85 (2023)
10. Knock at the Cabin (2023)
11. The Initiation (1984)
12. Pitch Black (2000)
13. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)
14. Totally Killer (2023)
15. Cobweb (2023)
16. The History of Metal and Horror (2021)
17. Elevator Game (2023)
18. Talk to Me (2022)
19. Smile (2022)
20. Final Exam (1981)
21. The Blackening (2022)
22. Alone at Night (2022)
23. The Empty Man (2020)
24. The Mummy (1932)
25. Dagon (2001)
26. When Evil Lurks (2023)
27. The Outwaters (2022)
28. Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023)
29. Warning: Do Not Play (2019)
30. Party Hard, Die Young (2018)
31. Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (2023)
32. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)*
33. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)*

Pieces is the best way I think I’ve ever started a horror marathon.

Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva is the most tense I’ve been while basically staring at nothing since Skinamarink. It was basically me yelling “this is so scary!” over and over again, and my wife looking over to see absolutely nothing happening on the screen besides someone walking around with a camera.

To check out more what I thought about these films at the time: #31HorrorFilms31Days 2023: A Frank Postmortem

2024

1. Saw X (2023)
2. Trilogy of Terror (1975)
3. Longlegs (2024)
4. Satanic Hispanics (2022)
5. Infested (2023)
6. MaXXXine (2024)
7. The First Omen (2024)
8. The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)
9. Horror Noire (2021)
10. In a Violent Nature (2024)
11. Livescreamers (2023)
12. I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
13. Alligator (1980)
14. A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
15. #MissingCouple (2024)
16. V/H/S/Beyond (2024)
17. Skull: The Mask (2020)
18. Under the Shadow (2016)
19. Demons 2 (1986)
20. Terrifier 3 (2024)
21. Abigail (2024)
22. Possession (1981)
23. Faces of Death (1978)
24. Oddity (2024)
25. Late Night with the Devil (2023)
26. Mr. Crocket (2024)
27. Campfire Tales (1997)
28. Master (2022)
29. The Last Broadcast (1998)
30. Smile 2 (2024)
31. Time Cut (2024)

Time Cut is like the evil twin of Totally Killer. It is the same concept but not well-executed AND it rubs salt in the wound by being the first time travel story I’ve seen where the protagonist travels back to the yesteryear of when I was in high school.

On the other hand, lots of good first watches. The First Omen blew me away with how good it was as a prequel to a classic horror film. Smile 2 gave tense scares and a great original pop soundtrack to boot. Saw X gave us the “Avengers Assemble!” of the Saw Universe.

To read more about what I thought about these films, check out: #31HorrorFilms31Days 2024: A Frank Postmortem + Ranking

🎉🎉🎉13 Years of #31HorrorFilms31Days Ultimate Top 31 List🎉🎉🎉

Time for the cage match. My only rules for this are I have to include at least one fresh watch from each year -that’s it. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive or well-rounded list, but instead purely ones I really enjoyed and would likely rewatch repeatedly. These aren’t necessarily what’d I’d suggest watching if you want to dip your toe in the horror genre for Halloween (I’ll provide some suggestions for that towards the end). But the ones towards the top are definitely ones I’ve gone on to show my friends and talk up whenever possible.

One last thing. While the top 9 are pretty locked in – the others were extremely hard to sort. I’d consider the rest of the list a toss-up but those top 9 are where my heart is.

1. Kill List (2013) (First watched in 2011)
2. Body Snatchers (1993) (First watched in 2017)
3. The Seventh Victim (1943) (First watched in 2015)
4. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) (First watched in 2022)
5. Totally Killer (2023) (First watched in 2023)
6. One Cut of the Dead (2017) (First watched in 2020)
7. Martyrs (2008) (First watched in 2016)
8. Oddity (2024) (First watched in 2024)
9. Infested (2023) (First watched in 2024)
10. Final Destination 5 (2011) (First watched in 2012)
11. Never Hike Alone: A Friday The 13th Fan Film (2017) (First watched in 2018)
12. Smile 2 (2024) (First watched in 2024)
13. Hellraiser (2022) (First watched in 2022)
14. Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (2023) (First watched in 2023)
15. Zombie aka Zombi 2 aka Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979) (First watched in 2019)
16. The Blackening (2022) (First watched in 2023)
17. Train to Busan (2016) (First watched in 2018)
18. Lake Mungo (2008) (First watched in 2018)
19. Hereditary (2018) (First watched in 2018)
20. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) (First watched in 2019)
21. The First Omen (2024) (First watched in 2024)
22. Terrifier 2 (2022) (First watched in 2022)
23. Last Shift (2014) (First watched in 2016)
24. The Invisible Man (2020) (First watched in 2020)
25. Oculus (2013) (First watched in 2014)
26. Deadstream (2022) (First watched in 2022)
27. Ghostwatch (1992) (First watched in 2019)
28. The Final Girls (2015) (First watched in 2016)
29. The Fear Street Trilogy (2021) (Watched in 2021)
30. The Fear Street Trilogy (2021) (Watched in 2021)
31. The Fear Street Trilogy (2021) (Watched in 2021)

10. Terrifier 2 (2022) (First watched in 2022)

Once again I shock myself sometimes. Despite my misgivings about elements of this movie, it has grown on me over time. Some films I’ve watched feel like warm hug from the 80s with their elements of nostalgia. This feels like a sick mutilation from a schlocky 80s movie with a sadistic grin and craven sense of black humor. I think it is masterfully crafted and nostalgic for a dangerous horror film of yesteryear, while being completely original and fresh. Art the Clown is one of the most instantly recognizable new horror antagonists since Ghostface. This movie veers more towards disturbing and disgusting than scary, but the creepy stranger who doesn’t follow normal social norms element triggers a visceral modern fear that has stuck with me since its release.

That being said, I would absolutely not recommend this to someone who doesn’t consider themselves a horror fan. This is not a fun watch for anyone who has ever said “horror films are not really their thing.” But if horror films are your thing, it is worth a spin.

9. Last Shift (2014) (First watched in 2016)

There are two films that have scared me so much as a grown adult that it took me years to go back and watch either. The Strangers and Last Shift. This is the only horror movie that scared me so much during #31HorrorMovies31Days I paused it multiple times to secure my apartment and at one point go to the bedroom to be comforted by my wife. That’s how freaked out I was. That jail cell scene? Give me a break.

I love this movie so much, I actually convinced a website other than my own (where I had to pitch them and everything) to let me write about it: Work is Hell in Last Shift

8. The Invisible Man (2020) (First watched in 2020)

This is the first and only movie I’ve ever clapped for as the credits rolled in my living room. This has masterful storytelling and one of the most shocking scenes I’ve ever scene in a horror movie.

7. Oculus (2013) (First watched in 2014)

This is so legitimately scary and actually gives us a REASON someone would INSIST on messing around with a cursed mirror. Nasty movie in the best way possible.

6. Deadstream (2022) (First watched in 2022)

The predictable but well-executed jump scares in this one and creepy backstory tricked me into utterly loving a horror-comedy (a subgenre I always insist I don’t like but this list says otherwise). It wasn’t till the sheriff showed up that I realized “oh this whole movie is a found footage, livestreamer sendup of Evil Dead II.

5. Ghostwatch (1992) (First watched in 2019)

It took me years to watch this due to how hard it was to track down. I am now in possession of a beautiful Blu Ray boxset edition I bought as a gift to myself. What an impactful, fun, and absolutely terrifying thing. The BBC is so insane for airing this. A must watch of the genre.

4: The Final Girls (2015) (First watched in 2016)

The Final Girls is easily the movie I’ve shown most to friends after watching. It is one of the first “horror” films that literally made me laugh and cry multiple times. As I tell people I recommend it to: you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll never hear “Bette Davis Eyes” the same way again.

1-3: The Fear Street Trilogy (2021) (Watched in 2021)

The Fear Street Trilogy was always going to be at the top of this list. I love the way it ties everything together. I love the energy and fun mixed with an increasingly complex mystery. I love how it combines elements of a slasher with the supernatural and pays homage to the brilliant movies that influenced it. I truly think these movies are just about perfect, and would easily be my go-to crowd pleasing recommendation for anyone looking for something scary to watch for Halloween.

Quick Thematic Lists

The End and the Beginning

Life involves horror whether we want it to or not. It may seem strange to find sanctuary in scary movies, but in times like these they feel more necessary than ever. Characters may not make it to the end. They may initially resist acknowledging what is happening. But eventually someway or somehow, they must acknowledge the problem and fight to survive another day. The only way out is often straight through the worst (or “the shit” as it is so aptly called in the Tales from the Hood movies). The resilience through catharsis horror films give can be a gift in hard times. I’ve enjoyed exploring the genre more and more throughout these years, and look forward to continuing to add new favorites to my list.