cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/6176443
My wife and I love to binge watch scary movies in October. Looking for stuff that’s truly scary and not just gore. Watcha got?
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Looking for stuff that’s truly scary and not just gore
1. Hereditary (2018) - Still one of the most unnerving things I’ve ever seen. Does NOT rely on gore and has only maybe 30 seconds of blood in the entire thing. The horror of it comes from the skill of the storytelling and only at the end did I realize how many little things were said throughout the movie.
2. It Follows (2014) - Unique and does an incredible job of making you constantly check the background for potential danger. Did not scar me like Hereditary did but instead offers a very fun version of anxiety for its runtime if that makes any sense. The first is a must-see. Skip the sequel.
3. The Ritual (2017) - Brings some of that Lovecraftian style horror. One of those movies that just creeps you out and brings that fear of the unknown in style, yet brings out that primal survival instinct at the same time.
4. The Others (2001) - Just a damn good ghost story. I won’t say anything else to avoid spoiling it.
5. Nope (2022) - I’ll say that there are a lot of layers going on here. This is probably better recommended for movie nerds that love intertwining story themes, characters and backgrounds that serve as a foil to the main plot, a slow buildup of details that culminate into an expertly told story, and an emphasis on sound design and symbolism.
Honorable Mention: Coherence (2013) - I know, I know. It’s not a horror movie. But that existential dread, that fear of the unknown, that feeling that makes you panic, it’s all there. This is a sci-fi puzzle movie somewhat like Primer so I’ll say the dread and terror is not in itself horror. That said, it’s a creepy watch and I’ll always recommend it as a good palette cleanser after something like Hereditary traumatizes you or after binging fun, dumb classic horror style stuff.
Solid list, I can attest to all of these except coherence, which I haven’t seen yet. OP should watch some of these!!
Coherence is great! You should give it a watch.
Event Horizon (1997). Traumatized me as a child, still scary af to an adult.
Very underrated!
Alot of gore though, lol
Cabin in the Woods is fun, also Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Officer we’re having a doozy of a day!
Alan Tudyk is a remarkably underrated actor. lol That movie is hilarious.
If you’re a fan of his work, I’d highly recommend Resident Alien. Not really a horror at all, it’s more of a sci-fi/comedy/drama but it’s excellent.
Just wanted to say thanks for this recommendation! I started watching it and I’m really loving it so far.
One of his best roles so far IMO
The VVitch is one of the few movies I’ve found truly scary. Not a ton actually happens, but the movie leverages its isolated and dreary setting to the max.
Yeah it is slow in places but is genuinely creepy and unsettling.
Creepy and unsettling = my jam
IMO, the first Scary Movie was the best. Badum tss
Ok, I’ll find the way out…
Removed by mod
I hate hate hate the first Scary Movie, the “comedy” was too obvious for me.
But I got talked into watching the second one despite thinking I would hate it, and I found that one hilarious.
Well, you’re probably forgetting the law that the second movie can never be better than the first.
But seriously, the first one fit right into my teenage sense of humor. I don’t think I could laugh at any of the movies today.
Edit: Language
Same. lol As a kid, the first 3 movies were hilarious to me. Now, not so much. But I really appreciate them for what they were back in the day.
I don’t know, I think parodies might be immune to that law. It’s very hard to keep the second act of a 3 part story interesting, but making something funny that’s ripping off something else probably doesn’t have that same limitation
(That wasn’t really meant seriously)
Thank you for the clarification, honestly I was aware but one of my favorite things to do is to respond to a non-serious post with a serious answer.
Not in a condescending way, of course. For some reason it brings me great joy.
In my opinion, this explanation makes you very likeable.
Ravenous (1999) Really good take on the skinwalker myth that tries to stay genuine to the actual cultural signifigance that it has in naive american mythology. Its a story of tragic desperation giving way to insatiable hunger and the act of harming+killing another human during to keep yourself alive times of intense starvation tainting a persons spirit and mind. Not big spoopy deer monster.
he poughkeepsie tapes is the only horror movie I’ve ever had to turn off, it was just too depressingly real even knowing its fictional. Only for true horror nuts who get off on the depressing non-schlocky kind of horror.
Midsomar was a good one buy it was really popular so you mightve seen it
Hubbie Holloween isn’t horror but a fun holloween themed comedy to watch as a palette clenser
I watched Ravenous when I was pretty young and I was so scared I’ve never seen it again since. Maybe I’ll give it another watch more than 2 decades later.
Really have to watch Poughkeepsie Tapes at some point, keep hearing crazy stuff about it!!!
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12749596/
Host.
It’s a pandemic movie, and it was EXTREMELY well done. Not “well done for a pandemic movie” but “holy shit that’s an excellent movie, period”. And SCARY. Not just gore, there’s actually very little of that, it just ramps the atmosphere up perfectly.
The Shining - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film)
We went to see the opera based on the book this past weekend. It was fun!
I think “A Tale of Two Sisters” is incredibly underrated, really great Korean ghost story. Acting is top notch, solid scares, and beautiful cinematography. Highly recommended!!
Some older films can get creepy without gore. Check out the French film Diabolique (1955) or Wait until Dark (1967) with Catherine Hepburn.
Some Halloween movies that are just on my fun list: The Stuff (1985), The Stepfather (1987), Hider in the House (1989), and the Blob (1988).
I love all types of scary movies. But there are so many different categories of “scary”.
creepy and ominous
Hereditary - I figured this one out pretty early on but Toni Collette’s acting is top notch. Movie is still really good.
Signs - one of the scariest movies I’ve seen
It follows - this one stuck with me and made me think for days
Pontypool - really good flick about a zombie outbreak told from a secure radio station
Let the right one in (Swedish original) - just an amazing movie that happens to be a vampire flick
intense and brutal
Malignant - topped my list immediately. It’s batshit. Absolutely insane. If you don’t like James Wans’ typical output you’ll love this. It was obviously his whatever-the-fuck-i-want movie and it. Is. Awesome.
Barbarian - The Malignant of 2022
20 weeks later - I prefer this one over 20 days, mainly for the intense opening sequence
Dawn of the Dead (2000s version) - opening sequence
Red Sky (Netflix) - go in blind if you can. Like, don’t even look at the thumbnail… vampires …
comedy horror I actually like comedy horror movies so have to incorporate them
Wyrmwood Road of the Dead - maybe belongs in the list above but is more tongue in cheek than anything. Really got me into ozploitation movies
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil - fuck you, slasher movies
Cabin in the Woods - ending sequence is pretty insane but the movie was a must watch
Renfield - I’m a sucker for a good vampire flick and this did it for me
Killer list! Saves me from having to post my recommendations.
I actually like comedy horror movies so have to incorporate them
Me too, it can be tricky to juggle that and provide scares but Cabin in the Woods nails it. Shaun of the Dead, Evil Dead 2, Peter Jackson’s Braindead, Tremors and both Zombielands are also worthy contenders.
Malignant - topped my list immediately. It’s batshit. Absolutely insane. If you don’t like James Wans’ typical output you’ll love this. It was obviously his whatever-the-fuck-i-want movie and it. Is. Awesome.
It seemed to fly under the radar, unlike Barbarian, a bit but is fantastic.
In that category Cobweb could work. It’s a Marmite film and you need to suspend disbelief but it worked for me and the audience I saw it with.
Amongst slightly older films The Mist, Cube, Timecrimes and From Dusk Till Dawn (just the first one) are still solid.
And with classics… you can never go wrong with The Thing and I know it’s recommended every single time but there’s a reason for that.
From Dusk Till Dawn is such a banger. My brother knew I wouldn’t watch it unless he told me they were vampires in it at some point. Little did I know, this was a well respected twist and I’m a bad person for selling it as such.
I’ll have to check Cobweb out. I have never heard the term Marmite Film before but I immediately knew what you were talking about!
Renfield - I’m a sucker for a good vampire flick and this did it for me
Hells yeah. My wife and I just had to rewatch that scene from the climax a few times because we were laughing so hard.
I feel like this movie doesn’t get enough love, but Dark Skies (2013) is a really great all around scary movie.
There’s also all the A24 movies that have come out obviously (Hereditary, Witch, Midsommar). They released Talk to Me this year too which I thought was really good.
A24 has been putting out some great stuff.
They really have.
Incantation.
