At the beginning of this month, I decided on a whim that I would watch a horror movie every day of the month. You know, to get myself in the spooky season mood. I’ve always been a massive fan of horror, but I was too scared to actually watch horror movies growing up. So, in place of actually watching the film, I would just watch youtubers like Dead Meat or Found Flix (or just any YT page that would summarize horror films, I think Ryan Holliger was also a big one) who would offer summaries of the films. But I realized one day, how can I proclaim myself to be a horror fan if I haven’t actually watched that many horror films? So I decided to change that this October, watching a variety of films over the month, some classics and defining films of the genre, and other films that just seemed interesting to me. This article will recount the first week of my journey. Also if you want to see me talk about these films sooner than the week (or longer) it’ll take me to publish an article, you should follow my letterboxd here.
The Alien (1979)
Although I didn’t actually watch this movie in October, it was basically the start of my journey as I watched it at the end of September and it kickstarted this want for me to start watching these movies that I should have watched years ago. Directed by Ridley Scott, The Alien was a film that I knew I’d like, but finally watching it made me really understand why this film is held in such high pedigree. I mean first of all, the set and costume designs in this film we’re astounding. There we’re so many moments in this film where I was glued to the screen looking over every little detail in the space ships; you can just tell there was so much care and precision put into this film. One sequence that really stuck with me that I feel perfectly demonstrates this is when we follow the crew as they explore the alien spaceship. During this sequence there’s so much eye candy in the design of this spaceship that it just leaves you in awe at times.
On the costume/effects side, the entire design of the Xenomorph was so cool and I love how they made its design mirror the wires and machinery covering the ship, making it blend in with the ship and feel like he could be lurking in any scene.
Aside from the set and costume design though, this film just tells a really cool story of this crew that brings this alien aboard their ship and have to try to fight it off, supported by some good acting, very tense and scary parts as well as some straight up action moments. This was a really great film and I can’t wait to dive more into the rest of the universe of The Alien.
When Evil Lurks (2023)
This was the actual first horror movie I watched this month. Directed by Demian Regura, who you may also know from the 2017 film Terrified, When Evil Lurks (or Cuando acecha la maldad) is a Argentinian horror film where we follow two brothers as they navigate their small rural town after the possession of one of the residents brings terror to their town. My favorite part about this film was the unique “apocalyptic” vibe it had to it. What I mean by this, is that what led to this current state of the world is kind of alluded to be a cataclysmic event, but everyone still tries their best to live normally in spite of this. Think maybe A Quiet Place, but instead of aliens the characters are fighting more paranormal entities. This film also had some great disturbing moments, but I feel like they didn’t lean on shock value for those moments at the same time making those moments more disturbing and memorable. Everytime we we’re hit with one of those really shocking moments, the actors do a great job bringing those moments to life with their reactions and emphasizing the horror.
I also thought this film had an interesting feminist subtext or edge that critiques things like toxic masculinity and men’s dismissal of a lot of the womens ideas in this film (as well as other issues stemming from patriarchy), these actions often leading to these same mens detriment. Overall this was a really interesting and cool film but I feel like this movie, similar to Regura’s other film Terrified, just leaves you wanting a little more.
Hellraiser (1987)
This was the second film I watched this month, and it is probably the most unique of these first seven films I watched. Directed by Clive Barker and based on his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser follows a supernatural puzzle box that summons an extradimensional group known as they Cenobites that expose the person who opens it to extreme pleasure and pain. This movie was like actually all over the place, there’s of course the extradimensional Cenobites who despite their iconic look aren’t really that big of a part of the plot, then there’s also a slasher elements and even a dude slowly coming back from the dead. The part of this guy slowly coming back from the dead also makes for some of the most iconic parts of this film and shows off some awesome practical effects for 1987.
There’s also so many iconic lines in this film. One of my favorites was from the end of one of the monologues the head Cenobite gives where he warns someone that “we’ll tear you’ll soul apart,” and the line delivery is just perfect. Or another improvised line where one character yells “Jesus Wept” before being torn apart by chains.
This is a movie that looking back on I begin to enjoy a lot more, because there’s so much going on this film that you can’t compartmentalize initially, but as you have more time to sit with it you begin to realize all the different things this film did so well. Because of this, I think I would enjoy this film even more with a rewatch and maybe even reading the novella eventually. I’m also excited to check out the many sequels eventually.
The Exorcist (1973)
This immediately became one of my favorite films ever. I don’t think I have the words to explain how good of a film this was. It did so many things amazingly that I genuinely be a film that comes the closest to being a “perfect” film. Directed by William Friedkin, in this film, we follow actress Chris Macneil as she deals with her daughter slowly falling under the possession of a demon, and as simple the premise may seem, this is such a loaded movie. Although the movie was only around a hour and a half, it felt like at least 3 hours with how much happened in the film (and I don’t mean that in a bad way). The way every character feels so fleshed out and the way the story is told so seamlessly without feeling like we’re missing out on anything it, it still stuns me the movie isn’t longer. The story of course is great, but the film is also amazing in so many other ways, the score, the acting, the pacing but most notably to me, the cinematography. My goodness this was such a nice film to look at. It of course had its iconic shots, like the one used for most marketing or the one as I have for the header for this section.
Or even this shot from the beginning of the film in Iraq.
But even outside of eye catching these shots, every shot of this film was just composed with so much intention and thoughtfulness that just makes the entire film feel more dynamic when there’s these additional elements that feel so thought out.
What I’ve noticed in a lot of modern reviews is that many speak of the film as being “aged” in it’s scares and horror, but I completely disagree with this idea. While the film may not present a ton of jumpscares or outwardly disturbing moments, it is still a horrifying and scary movie by all means. I think the film accomplishes this best by contrasting the normalcy of most of the film, with the absurdity and horror of the moments with the daughter. Making those moments with her feel all the more terrifying and unnatural due to the rest of the film feeling so “normal.”
This will probably end up being my favorite film of the month, and although I don’t know if everyone will enjoy it as much as I did, if you consider yourself to be in anyway a fan of horror or just movies in general and have not watched this film yet, I implore you to watch it as soon as possible.
Candyman (1992)
Candyman is probably my second favorite film I watched this first week and also another film based on Clive Barker story, but this time directed by Bernard Rose. In it we follow graduate student Helen Lyle as she works on her thesis and begins to uncover the paranormal entity Candyman haunting the Cabrini-Green heights in Chicago. This film does so many things amazingly, what first stuck out to me was how good of a job it did immersing you in the Chicago setting. I think this point may be a little biased having spent a lot of time in Chicago growing up, but the movie gave me a strong sense of nostalgia like I had lived in Chicago or had grown up in the 90s there. Another awesome thing about this movie is the villain, Candyman. Actor Tony Todd (RIP) gives one of the best horror movie villain performances ever in this film in his portrayal of Candyman. From his iconic soothing voice to the massive fur-overcoat he rocks in the movie, there’s so many aspects of his performance in this role that makes it one of the best ever. The film also has a great score to support a great story and cast.
Another part of this film I really appreciated were the themes and subtext of the film which dealt with topics like generational black trauma, redlining and gentrification long before these topics were in the mainstream. And being aware of the history of Cabrini-Green and its eventual demolition which displaced its thousands of mostly low-income black residents makes this film hit even harder.
This was such a great film that also resonated with me personally more than any other these other six films I watched this week. This film and The Exorcist we’re probably my favorites of this first week.
THe witch (2016)
This was the second to last movie I watched this first week, and I would say The Witch will end up going down as a 21st century horror classic. Directed by Robert Eggers, a name quickly becoming one of the most recognizable in contemporary horror and film in general, The Witch follows a early colonial Puritan family as they are exiled from their village and find a new home in a plot of land surrounded by an eerie forest. Unfortunately for them though, this eerie forest houses a witch who doesn’t wait long to start terrorizing this god-fearing family.
One of the greatest parts about this film is that it draws you into its terrifying atmosphere like no other. Using the combination of historically accurate clothing, dialect and shelter, this film makes you experience the isolation and loneliness of living in early colonial America as if you were there. This movie most certainly has its viscerally disturbing moments, but I feel a lot of the real horror of this film lies in this isolating pre-industrial atmosphere where we’re left with those elements mentioned earlier as well as overall dark film that has you looking through every frame for something horrible you expect to be lurking in the back.
Another great part of this film has to be the performances. Not only do they do a great job using shakespearean english, they also do a great job showing this internal religous struggle they have as they have to reckon with the situation they’re in but also try to continue believing in their faith.
This was a really great film and is the second Robert Eggers film I’ve viewed that makes me really want to check out his other work in Northman and Nosferatu.
The Shining (1980)
This was the last film of the week, and another one where I can understand immediately why it’s held in such high regard. Although I can’t say this film resonated with me personally as much as a film like Candyman, the greatness of this film is undeniable. Directed by one of the most famous directors ever Stanley Kubrick, and being a adaptation of one of the work of one of the most famous authors in Stephen King (who infamously disliked this adaptation), this film had all of the recipes for success from the start. In it we follow the the family of the Torrances as they look after the remote Overlook Hotel as the hotel is closed for the winter, and slowly we see the father, Jack, begin to lose his mind and become more dangerous and unhinged. Watching a movie that so iconic and referenced in pop culture was an interesting experience because sometimes I felt like I was waiting for the next iconic moment in the film rather than enjoying the film itself, it that makes sense. Fortunately, I don’t think it really hurt my actual viewing experience at all.
Now moving onto a completely different topic, I thought it was funny I watched this film and The Witch back to back as I thought they were very similar in that they did a phenomenal job building a terrifying atmosphere that has you on the edge of your seat. But to me, neither really gave me a scare or moment that released all of that built up tension. Don’t get me wrong, each had their own insane conclusion but just not what I was expecting per se.
I think my favorite part of this film definitely had to be the score. I mean at times I felt like it was doing more to scare me than even the horrifying moments on screen. A kind of random part of the film that I really liked was Wendy’s outfits. Genuinely shoutout to wardrobe/costume department because every time she was on screen she had the flyest outfit i’ve ever seen on.
The Shining was about everything I could have wished for it to be and also a movie as I’d love to rewatch, eventually read the book and watch the sequels to because I know there’s so much to the story that you can’t get just from watching this film once.
Those we’re the first 7 seven films I watched as a part of this little challenge thing I’ve given myself. Hopefully I can get the article about the next set of films out sooner, but it’s tough while I also have midterms right now. If you read until the end thank you and I hope you enjoyed this little ramble of mine about these movies!