* Contains descriptions and images which some readers may find upsetting *
Now the clocks have gone back, there’s only one day left till Halloween. As the leaves are blown from the trees and dance across the road in the breeze, rain pelts against your windows and the wind howls, it’s the perfect time to settle in, open a bottle of red and creep yourself out with a good horror film. So in this special extended edition of Six of the Best, we have a few suggestions for something you can watch from behind the cushions…
Halloween
Let’s start with an absolute classic. Malevolent monster Michael Myers has become a horror icon, but it all started with this low budget slasher. Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) is stalked by a seemingly unstoppable man who lurks in the shadows before attacking her and her friends on Halloween night. This film slowly winds up the tension by crafting a feeling of paranoia before culminating in a memorable ending. What makes this film so good is its urban setting and it’s “this really could happen” this story. Forget the inferior remake and stick with the original and best.
Buy it here
Maniac
Elijah Wood gives a brilliant performance in this exceptional remake of an 80’s slasher flick. A young man struggles with his mental health which leads him to stalk and murder women on the streets of LA. But he falls in love with a beautiful young photographer, which slowly develops into an obsession. This excellent film is shot entirely from the point of view of the murderer and has an outstanding soundtrack, graphic violence and is beautifully filmed. This hidden gem is a more cerebral horror which plays on primal fears.
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The Strangers
A young couple (played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) find themselves trapped in a nightmare when their home is invaded by a group of strangers in masks. Who they are and why they are terrorising the couple is unknown, but this film proves that you are not even safe in your own home. This tense film is full of suspense and will make you check you have locked the door before you go to bed.
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The Descent
In this claustrophobic British horror, a group of friends go caving and discover more than they could ever have imagined when they find themselves trapped following a tunnel collapsing. As they head deeper and deeper into the cave system, they are clearly not alone as they are set upon by something in the dark.
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Trick ‘r’ Treat
Four tales of Halloween are intertwined in one night of horror. A group of children play a trick on a young girl based on a local legend which goes horribly wrong, some teenage girls are stalked by a masked man through a Halloween street carnival, a school principal has a secret life and a man is terrorised by a very special Trick-or-Treater. The stories all combine in this enjoyable anthology horror.
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Hocus Pocus
In this camp classic, three witches are accidentally resurrected on Halloween by a group of teenagers. With the help of a talking cat called Binx, the friends battle the witches in an attempt to save the town. With the entire cast camping it up and Bette Midler singing “I Put a Spell on You”, this family film is great fun.
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Frankenweenie
When Sparky, a young boy’s beloved dog, dies, his grief stricken owner bring him back to life in his makeshift attic laboratory. But when his friends find out, the young boy is blackmailed into bringing other pets to life, which escape and cause havoc. Using beautiful stop motion animation, this gentle Tim Burton animation is both touching and funny. If you loved The Nightmare before Christmas, then you’ll love this too.
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La Horde
In this French new wave horror, a group of people are trapped at the top of a high rise building which is besieged by the living dead. Making their way down the levels, they are relentlessly attacked by the fast moving monsters. This film is like “28 Days Later” on speed and is full of gore, fast paced action and terrific set pieces.
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The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
In this modern remake of the 1970’s shocker, a family on a road trip across the dessert find themselves besieged by a group of cannibals. When their baby is stolen by the cannibals the family revert back to their own tribal instincts to fight back. This graphic and violent film is one of the better remakes of the last few years and has blood, guts and shocks aplenty.
Buy it here
