Sandy's Horror Cinema Recommendations: Volume 3

[Sandstone]

SANDY'S HORROR CINEMA RECOMMENDATIONS: VOLUME 3!!!

 

Note: This is the third iteration of this list of recommendations for horror films to watch this Halloween. The first two were on ASMB, this is the first version I am posting here.

 

Background: I have watched a ton of Horror films of all varieties since I was a young kid sneaking them behind my parent's back. I have seen many different types of movies from all different sub-genre's of Horror, and this list is a list of the best stuff I would recommend to other people to watch this Halloween if they have limited experience with Horror films. This is not a fully comprehensive list, but it is a solid attempt I think of a wide variety of suggestions.

 

Method: These suggestions are listed in the order that I would rank them roughly for each sub-genre that I am covering in this list. I generally ranked them based on a few factors namely: Overall feeling of fear it gave me during, lasting impression it gave me after, Uniqueness of the content or topic of the film, and How overall disturbing I found the subject matter to be personally (e.g. how likely would I have been to think about the possibility of said stuff on my own). I gave a few brief tags to some of the films based on things which I think viewers may find interesting or may want to avoid watching because they personally find it too disturbing or distasteful to watch. I have also included the year each film was made available to the public in parenthesis next to the name. I tried to give recommendations from a variety of time periods.

 

Tags

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Surrealism: Horror that uses imagery or content that is overly absurd or impossible but intentionally vivid in order to make a point or evoke a particular emotion.

 

Gore: Horror that heavily utilizes gore and physically graphic scenes or imagery.

 

Sexual Violence: Horror that includes things such as: genital mutilation, strange sexual fetishes or desires used to emphasize a disturbing feeling in the audience, fictional depictions of rape, molestation, or otherwise graphic violence during sexual acts.

 

Animal Violence: Horror that includes scenes that in some way harm non-antagonist creatures, such as pets or other friendly or protective animals.

 

Tense: Horror that makes use of many scenes which are meant to invoke feelings of tension in the view such as being chased, being in a very physically dangerous situation for a prolonged period, Being captive for an extended period.

 

Supernatural: Horror that contains content about otherworldly entities which may include things like: ghosts, witches, magic, spirits, demons, aliens, extra-dimensional beings, mythical monster/creatures, angels, gods, or demigods.

 

Foreign: Made in a country that's primary language is not english (e.g. countries other than US, UK, or Australia)

 

ATMOSPHERIC DRAMA HORROR:

 

These films rely on a dramatic fictional narrative which places a protagonist(s) in an unusual or disturbing setting or scenarios. Slashers and Splatter which are specific but prominent subsets of drama horror are included in their own category below.

 

 

20. Annabelle (2014) Supernatural, Tense

 

19. The Conjuring 1/2 (2013, 2016) Supernatural, Tense

 

18. Sinister 1/2 (2012, 2015) Supernatural, Tense, Gore, Animal Violence

 

17. The Grudge (2004) Supernatural, Tense

 

16. The Ring (2002) Supernatural, Tense

 

15. 28 Days Later (2002) Supernatural, Gore

 

14. REC (2007) Supernatural, Gore, Foreign, Tense

 

13. Let The Right One In (2008) Supernatural, Foreign

 

12. It Follows (2014)  Surrealism, Tense, Supernatural, Sexually Violent

 

11. The Descent (2005) Tense, Supernatural, Gore

 

10. Excorcist (1973) Supernatural, Gore, Surrealism

 

10. The Last House On The Left (1972, 2009) Tense, Gore, Sexually Violent

 

9. Steven King's IT (2017) Surrealism, Tense, Supernatural, Sexually Violent, Gore (highly recommend this over the original as it is closer to the book and does a better job with the subject matter)

 

8. I Spit On Your Grave (1978, 2010) Sexually Violent, Gore

 

7. Cannibal Holocaust (1980) Sexually Violent, Gore, Animal Violence

 

6. The Evil Dead (1981, 2013) Sexually Violent, Gore, Supernatural, Animal Violence

 

5. Inside (2007) Tense, Gore, Sexually Violent, Foreign

 

4. Irreversible (2002) Gore, Sexually Violent, Foreign

 

3. Hellraiser 1/2 (1987, 1988) Gore, Sexually Violent, Surrealism, Supernatural, Tense

 

2. Suspiria (1977) Surrealism, Gore, Tense, Supernatural, Foreign

 

1. Martyrs (2008) Surrealism, Gore, Tense, Supernatural, Sexual Violence, Foreign

 

 

 

ATMOSPHERIC PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR

 

These films rely heavily on a general feeling of unease in the viewer over psychological fears of the unknown, common superstitions, or repulsion to the taboo. Typically these do not have a specific or obvious protagonist and the exact nature of events may change drastically over the course of the film, whereas the problems in Drama Horror stay very consistent. Body Horror is a specific subgenre of this type and is listed in a seperate category below.

 

15. The Sixth-Sense (1999) Supernatural, Tense

 

14. VHS/VHS 2 (2012, 2013) Supernatural, Gore, Sexual Violence

 

13. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) Supernatural, Gore, Tense

 

12. Dark Skies (2013) Supernatural, Tense

 

11. Don't Breathe (2016) Tense, Gore

 

10. Get Out (2017) Supernatural, Gore, Tense, Sexual Violence

 

9. As Above So Below (2014) Surrealism, Tense, Gore, Foreign

 

8. The Babadook (2014) Surrealism, Animal Violence, Tense

 

7. The Witch (2015) Surrealism, Tense, Supernatural

 

5. Raw (2016) Gore, Sexually Violent, Foreign

 

4. Antichrist (2009) Surrealism, Gore, Tense, Supernatural, Sexually Violent

 

3. The Midnight Meat Train (2008) Surrealism, Gore, Tense, Supernatural

 

2. The Shining (1980) Surrealism, Tense, Sexual Violence, Supernatural

 

1. Jacob's Ladder (1990) Surrealism, Tense, Supernatural

 

 

 

SLASHER HORROR

 

A subset of Drama Horror with a specific character set, namely: Single Antagonist or Villain, Chases and Attacks Protagonist with very few pauses, typically very violent usually utilizes extremely gory or physically painful scenes

 

10. Scream (1996) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

9. Child's Play (1988) Gore, Sexual Violence Tense

 

8. Wrong Turn (2003) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

7. Psycho/American Psycho (1960, 2000) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

6. Halloween (1978) Gore, Sexual Violence, Supernatural, Tense

 

5. Friday The 13th (1980) Gore, Sexual Violence, Supernatural, Tense

 

4. Nightmare on Elmstreet (1984) Gore, Sexual Violence, Supernatural, Tense

 

3. The Hills Have Eyes (1977, 2006) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, 2003) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

1. Haute Tension (2003) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

 

 

SPLATTER HORROR

 

Similiar to the above except it focuses more on a captive, kidnapped, protagonist(s) and also usually involves extremely graphic scenes of rape and/or torture and/or murder. Do not recommend watching these if you do not have a strong stomach....

 

8. Would You Rather (2012) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

7. Silent Hill (2006) Gore, Sexual Violence, Supernatural, Surrealism

 

6. I Saw The Devil (2010) Gore, Sexual Violence

 

5. Turistas (2006) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

4. The Green Inferno (2013) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

3. Saw 1/2/3 (2004, 2005, 2006) Gore, Tense

 

2. Hostel 1/2/3 (2005, 2007, 2011) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

1. Wolf Creek 1/2 (2005, 2013) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense

 

 

 

BODY HORROR

 

These films focus heavily on grotesque, disturbing, or violent changes to the human body and/or transformation to a terrifying state of being. These films also typically have heavy science fiction elements. They can be very disturbing to watch especially if you are afraid of diseases, contamination, parasites, etc...

 

11. Splinter (2006) Gore, Tense, Supernatural

 

10. The Ruins (2008) Gore, Tense, Sexual Violence, Supernatural

 

9. The Void (2016) Gore, Tense, Sexual Violence, Surrealism, Supernatural

 

8. Under The Skin (2013) Gore, Sexual Violence, Tense, Surrealism, Supernatural (this one is very strange and long)

 

7. Cabin Fever (2002) Gore, Tense, Surrealism, Sexual Violence

 

6. Alien/Aliens (1979, 1986) Gore, Tense, Surrealism, Sexual Violence, Supernatural

 

5. Re-Animator (1985) Gore, Tense, Surrealism

 

4. Dead Ringers (1988) Gore, Surrealism, Sexual Violence

 

3. Audition (1999) Gore, Tense, Surrealism, Foreign

 

2. The Thing (1982) Gore, Sexual Violence

 

1. Eraserhead (1977) Gore, Sexual Violence, Surrealism, Animal Violence