Staff Picks: Five horror movies to watch before Halloween

Raleigh Hightower, Lifestyle Editor

As temperatures drop and more of the surrounding world becomes draped in the signature lights, ornaments and wreaths associated with the season of giving, horror fans may find themselves longing for one last scare.

With only four days left until Halloween, the staff of  The News has come together to assemble a list of some of our favorite horror movies for those interested in binge-watching away their final moments of Halloween.

 

‘The Birds’

The first entry on our list comes from director Alfred Hitchcock, commonly considered a pioneer of the horror genre. “The Birds” was released in March 1963, less than three years after the release of Hitchcock’s famous work “Psycho.”

“The Birds” is loosely based on a short story written by British author Daphne du Maurier. The film follows Melanie Daniels as she meets a man named Mitch Brinner in a pet store as he looks for a pair of lovebirds to buy his sister for her birthday.

Melanie buys the lovebirds for Mitch and follows him to a small town in northern California to deliver the birds. Upon arriving in the town, a series of strange bird attacks begins.

Our staff admired “The Birds” for its ability to vilify something as simple as a flock of birds. A similar sentiment was echoed in a review that was published in The New York Times in 1963:

“Making a terrifying menace out of what is assumed to be one of nature’s most innocent creatures and one of man’s most melodious friends, Mr. Hitchcock and his associates have constructed a horror film that should raise the hackles on the most courageous and put goose-pimples on the toughest hide,” Bosley Crowther said.

“The Birds” is available to stream on NBC’s streaming service Peacock.

 

‘Scream’

The next entry on our list is the 1996 Wes Craven classic, “Scream.” “Scream” follows a group of high school students as they become the target of a mysterious masked killer known as “Ghostface.”

“Scream” opens with a high school student, Casey Becker, who is home alone, seemingly preparing to watch a scary movie. Casey is interrupted when she receives a mysterious call from a stranger who attempts to discuss horror movies with her.

After repeated phone calls, the caller reveals to Casey he is outside of her home and demands she correctly answer questions about horror movies if she wants her boyfriend, who is bound with duct tape outside of the window, to live. Casey answers incorrectly, and her boyfriend and herself are murdered.

The murder of the students sends the town and the remainder of the students into a frenzy, leading to accusations as the murders and threatening phone calls continue.

Our staff admired “Scream” for its unapologetic self-awareness and critique of the horror genre. At the time of release, director Wes Craven had already built an impressive horror filmography with films like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “The Hills Have Eyes.”

Craven’s filmography puts him in a unique position to critique his own genre. The sentiments of our staff are also echoed by original reviews of “Scream” in 1996:

“‘Scream’ winks at everything from a virginal heroine in a flowered cotton nightie to ‘the moment when the supposedly dead killer comes back to life for one last scare,” Janet Maslin of The New York Times said in her review.

Scream also features Murray State alumnus W. Earl Brown who plays a news cameraman named Kenny. “Scream” can be viewed with premium Amazon Prime or Roku subscriptions and can also be rented on YouTube.

 

‘Perfect Blue’

The next film on our list is an animated film titled “Perfect Blue.”

“Perfect Blue,” directed by Satoshi Kon, debuted at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 1997 but was released to the Japanese public in 1998.

“Perfect Blue” follows a Japanese pop star named Mima Kirigoe as she transitions her career toward acting. Mima takes on edgy film roles as she struggles with shedding the “good girl” image she had curated for herself during her musical career.

Things take a dramatic turn when an obsessive fan begins stalking Mima. The struggle with her career and stalker lead Mima to experience episodes of psychosis. Problems are even further exacerbated when people surrounding Mima’s career begin to be murdered.

“Perfect Blue” was the first directorial effort by Kon, and he ultimately directed four anime films before suffering a sudden death at the age of 46 in 2010.

While “Perfect Blue” may not have the jump scares traditionally associated with horror, our staff admired “Perfect Blue” for the juxtaposition created between the elements of darkness and horror with the bright aesthetic of a pop star.

“Perfect Blue” is available for streaming with a premium Amazon Prime or Sling TV subscription but can also be rented from YouTube.

 

‘Suspiria’

The fourth film that captivated our staff was Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 remake of the 1977 Italian film “Suspiria.”

‘Suspiria’ is set in the West Berlin of 1977 controlled by the western Allies of World War II. The film follows Susie Bannion, an American girl who leaves her Ohio home to audition for a dance company in Berlin.

Susie’s arrival coincides with the disappearance of one of the company’s other dancers who alleged that the dance company’s matrons were part of a coven of witches. Strange events continue after another one of the students attempts to escape and is killed.

As the strange events continue, Susie becomes the protegeé of the matrons who begin to devise a special role for Susie within the coven.

In addition to the film’s use of color, movement and sound, The News staff also praised the film’s disturbing ending and Thom Yorke’s score.

“Suspiria” can be viewed on Prime Video or is available to rent on YouTube.

 

‘Incantation’

The final film recommended by The News was Taiwanese horror film “Incantation.” “Incantation” was directed by Kevin Ko and was released in March but became available on Netflix on July 8.

“Incantation” has quickly become a record-setting film in its native country and currently holds the title of the highest grossing Taiwanese horror film of all time.

The film is shot in a nonlinear “found footage” style and follows a mother, Li Ronan, who is trying to regain custody of her daughter, Dodo. Dodo returns to live with Ronan, but she quickly begins to behave uncharacteristically and becomes physically ill.

Desperate to help her daughter who continues to grow sicker, Ronan begins to suspect that her daughter may be cursed because of an event that occurred six years ago in which Ronan and some friends broke the rules of an ancient religion.

The News staff admired the ability of “Incantation” to simultaneously introduce the audience to this cryptic ancient religion and its corresponding curse, all while leaving them wondering what is going to happen next.  By the time the audience finally understands the nature of the curse, it is too late.

“Incantation” shies away from the traditional horror jump scares and monsters and opts for an atmospheric, slow mounting horror that tactfully employs disturbing gore.

“Incantation” is available for streaming on Netflix.