5 Horror Movies I Think You Should Watch

These are 5 of my top 10 horror movies. The order changes all the time but these movies always make the list. I'm not a movie critic, and I don't pretend to be. Some of these are sequels so, of course, I recommend watching the previous movies first.

Different people like different things and nothing gets sand in my panties faster than a pompous know it all telling people what they love is "trash" and somehow thinking they're smarter or more elevated.

I prefer to focus on what I like vs what I don't like. I judge movies based on the amount of joy they bring me and not necessarily whether or not they’re objectively good movies.

1) Insidious 2

Director: James Wan

Writer: Leigh Whannell

I’m a sucker for a good ghost story and an even bigger sucker for a good demonic possession movie. Combined? Even better.

This movie starts where the first left off, and brings us immediately back into the story.  Patrick Wilson does a fantastic job in this dual role, and The Bride in Black makes for a super creepy “villain” with a very clever back story.  The pacing, suspense, story, sound and characters are all absolutely perfect and keep me engaged the whole time…even by my 20th watch.  

Now, for the biggest reason I love this movie. My brain loves easter eggs and tie ins and the way they tied this film with the first one blew my mind.   I also love that it goes beyond just a haunted house and touches on astral projection, other dimensions, paranormal investigators/mediums as well as not going down the religious route. Elise, Tucker & Specs are my favorites and I love that the following two movies are all about Elise. There are also the perfect amount of laughs in this movie without making it cheesy or unserious.

My only big gripe with this movie is the ending. I really wanted them to make a sequel that starts from the end of this one, but that hasn't happened yet.

Fun fact: A very young Jenna Ortega makes an appearance at the end of the film.

2) Creep

Director: Patrick Brice

Writer: Patrick Brice & Mark Duplass

Creep is another one of my favorites. Mark Duplass is unexpectedly great at playing creepy. I knew and loved him from "The League" so seeing him play this character was really awesome.

People seek out horror movies for different reasons, but on some level we all must enjoy being scared. Or maybe we are chasing the high of the "first scare" we experienced in childhood.  Most of us don't really feel that fear anymore but I've learned that being uneasy/uncomfortable is a close second to fear. This whole movie is incredibly unsettling.  Honestly, this movie makes me feel more uneasy than any other movie (besides Eraserhead, maybe) no matter how many times I watch it.

POV horror is something that has been overdone and run into the ground but it works in this film. If you're looking to feel your skin leave your body while it tries to crawl to the other room...definitely give this one a watch. I don't want to talk too much about it and give too much away, but you'll never see a bathtub without thinking TUBBY TIME again.

Fun Fact: Mark Duplass once shared the screen with Megan Markel.

3) Night of the Demons

Director: Kevin Tenney

Writer: Joe Augustyn

Ok. I'm so obsessed with Night of the Demons. Linnea Quigley is one of the ultimate scream queens and drops some ULTIMATE banger one-liners like "I JUST WANT TO LOOK GOOD FOR THE BOYS!" and " FAR FUCKING OUT". This movie is quintessential 80s cheese, but in the best way. It sits right in the sweet spot for both horror and comedy. A Halloween movie  where teenagers slowly get possessed one by one? Yes please! Everything about it is iconic.  Not to mention how much I love the SFX and creature make up. I've been lucky enough to meet some of the cast (including one of the awesome SFX artists) and they're all wonderful! I've probably watched this movie at least 15 times. Never get tired of it and always love showing it to people who haven't seen it.

The movie poster for Night of the Demons 3 is a core childhood memory because I remember seeing the cover at Blockbuster and thinking how badly I wanted to watch that movie, and how badly I wanted that skull lollipop. Simpler times.

Fun fact: Amelia Kinkade choreographed her own dance in the infamous "Angela's Dance" scene.

4) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Director: Chuck Russell

Writer: Wes Craven, Bruce Wagner, Frank Darabont, Chuck Russell

What horror fan doesn't love Freddy?! While I love all the Nightmare on Elm Street movies (besides the remake) this one has always brought me the most joy to watch. We get Heather Langenkamp back as Nancy, and Patricia Arquette in her first movie, which is a cool bonus. Similar to how I feel with Night of the Demons, I think this movie really has the fun campy feel of the 80s while still being scary. Although, scary is subjective. Freddy doesn't scare me because I love him but the idea of being able to die in your dreams and have it happen in real life is certainly scary!

Having the lines blurred between dreams and reality in the Nightmare movies make for some of the best horror deaths of all time and really allows for creativity. Many other slashers have to follow the same formulas, but Freddy can get away with anything. Can't forget his epic one liners either. "WELCOME TO PRIME TIME BITCH" being my all time favorite.

When I talked with Heather Langenkamp, I asked her what most fans say is their favorite and she said it's usually this one and the first one. Which I think makes sense. I wonder if Part 6 is anyone's favorite...

Fun fact: The iconic Zsa Zsa Gabor is on the TV talk show before Freddy comes out of the TV!

5) Poltergeist

Director: Tobe Hooper

Writer: Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais, Mark Victor

As a kid, I always loved spooky and creepy things. Even in 1st and 2nd grade I'd always check out the ghost stories from the library, and watch "Are You Afraid of the Dark" whenever I could. Some of us are just born weird.

Poltergeist was the first real horror movie I was allowed to watch. After begging and begging to watch a scary movie, my mom figured this one was a good intro. She wasn't wrong, but it absolutely scared the shit out of me. Mostly because I had a walk in closet, just like Carol Anne and I was convinced it was going to suck me into oblivion. Even to this day, they get a little side eye from me. But, no matter how scared I was, I insisted on watching it over and over. It's a great story, and I think it does a lot without relying on too much gore or shock. The pool scene and the skeletons? Genius. The chairs in the kitchen stacking themselves? Perfection. Maggots in the meat? Gross, but very effective. The sequels were also pretty dang good in my opinion. There's not a creepier character in cinematic history than Reverend Kane!

The lore behind this movie is also fascinating. You should look it up if you haven't. Was it really cursed? Probably.

Fun fact: Real human skeletons were used in the pool scene (allegedly)