The Conjuring
Streaming on Netflix
The Conjuring, is a 2013 horror film based on paranormal investigators Ed and Lorainne Warren, and their experiences with the Perron family in New England. The story follows a regular family who moves into a very creepy house in the middle of nowhere. After the hauntings begin they reach out to the Warren’s, and of course, the hauntings increase in severity.
This scary movie makes the top 10 list because it’s still a reliably frightening film despite being released several years ago.The plot is driven forward by a detailed backstory delving into the history of the property and it’s previous hauntings.
Sinister 2
Streaming on Netflix
The sequel to the original Sinister, from 2012, depicts the creepy Pagan deity Bagul, who consumes the souls of children to corrupt them, forcing them to murder their families. The children also capture these violent murders on Super-8 film.
The second film in this focuses on two twin-boys who find themselves being lured in by the ghostly children that Bagul has already taken.
Director Ciaran Foy falls into the trap of stringing together a series of jump scares, but an intriguing plot-line is what draws a viewer in time and time again. Though often times sequels are much less appealing, Sinister 2 is a worthy secondary exploration into the Sinister universe.
As Above So Below
Streaming on Netflix
This film is one of my favorite horror films because of its focus on plotline and backstory. I say it too much, but a horror movie that relies only on jump scares to attract its audience never keeps my attention; As Above So Below has more story than most scary movies on Netflix.
The story has connections to the representations of layers of hell from Dante’s Inferno as the characters descend deeper into the catacombs beneath the city of Paris. The catacombs are a massive grave with a complex series of tunnels below the streets.
The film follows Scarlett Marlow, a young study of alchemy on her quest to uncover the tomb of Nicholas Flammel.
A found-footage style shaky-cam follow the characters as they shimmy their way through walls of human bones.
Coraline
Streaming on Netflix
This story may not fit into the typical definition of a Halloween film because it’s majorly marketed for children, though I remember several of the kids I grew up with being very scared of this film and refusing to watch it with me.
Coraline is transported to a magical parallel universe where she’s given everything she’s ever dreamed of by her “other parents.” This animated film is gorgeously crafted in the unsettling supernatural.
Coraline’s claymation style gives it the same aesthetic appeal as Tim Burton films like the Nightmare Before Christmas, though Burton actually had nothing to do with the production.
Coco
Streaming on Netflix
Coco is a family friendly Disney movie about the legacy of Dia De Los Muertos, and young Miguel’s journey into the land of the dead to explore his families true history.
Set up with stunning colorful animation this picture is not only aesthetically pleasing but is also set up with a heart wrenching story. Focusing on young Miguel as he crosses the great bridge to the other side to find his nearly forgotten grandfather.
This title is leaving Netflix in November so this could be your last chance for a Disney-triggered cry session.
A Quiet Place
Streaming on Hulu
This is a post-apocalyptic dystopian film depicting a family trapped in a world where making any kind of sound means putting yourself in grave danger. Carnivorous monsters are triggered by sound and the family is forced to live in complete silence or die. This film was produced, directed, and stars John Krasinski.
The Silence of The Lambs
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
This is an old-school scary movie going back to even earlier than our childhoods. Silence of the Lambs brings us back to OG horror with psychological scares that continue to haunt you even after the movie is over. Though there aren’t a whole lot of jump scares.
Hush
Streaming on Netflix
This film stars a deaf protagonist, which escalates this film’s haunts to new levels. Being a person who can hear (for the most part,) we never really think about what it would be like to be stalked by someone that we cannot anticipate coming. She originally retreated to a home in the woods for solace, though she finds herself trapped in the middle of the woods with nobody to help her.
Chernobyl Diaries
Streaming on Netflix
This story takes a group of tourists on a sketchy journey through the city of Pripyat, where the group is haunted by mysterious creatures never actually seen on camera.
Though the exploration sounds interesting, the movie is actually insanely terrible and if you were thinking about watching it, please don’t, unless you’re looking to watch a handheld camera shake around the inside of a bumpy van for an hour and a half.
The build-up is never satisfied since the creatures are never shown on camera.