Whether you’re a true blue horror fanatic or someone who just enjoys a casual scare every now and then, there’s something for you in this list.
Related: 9 Horror Movies That Will Keep You Up All Night On Halloween
With the Halloween season just around the corner and the air getting (infinitesimally) colder, the urge to see a horror movie grows stronger. While Filipinos don’t necessarily revere Halloween as much as Christmas, you can’t deny that Halloween is still fun and is something you wouldn’t want to miss out on– whether that comes in the form of visiting scary rides in theme parks, watching slasher films with friends, or going to a Halloween party.
And you know what? It’s ok to feel the chills run up the spine and cower in fear under a blanket before we head into full-blown holly jolly Christmas mode. So, before the parols get hung and Mariah Carey is on blast in malls 24/7 (which, TBH, is already being done), here are six horror movies, from horror comedies, horror romances, to full-on nail-biters, to jumpstart the Halloween excitement.
LISA FRANKENSTEIN (2024)
To start things off light– a rom-com and a horror movie rolled into one. This one is for those who want to have someone match their freaks. Lisa Frankenstein made rounds earlier this year for being Liza Soberano’s first Hollywood film. But aside from how she ate her role up, this Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton starrer is the perfect film to watch for kicking off your Halloween watchlist.
Directed by Diablo Cody (yes, the same director who birthed another iconic horror flick, Jennifer’s Body), Lisa Frankenstein follows teenager Lisa (Kathryn Newton), who inadvertently summons a zombie boyfriend (Cole Sprouse) one night after a disastrous party with her step-sister Taffy (Soberano). What ensues next is a bloody hilarious story.
BODIES BODIES BODIES (2022)
A classic whodunit. Or is it? A24’s essence is found all over Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, a modern take on the whodunit genre starring a slate of actors who portray different archetypes of Gen Z, including the queen Rachel Sennott, Amandla Stenberg, and Pete Davidson. A staycation gone wrong, the movie takes place in a remote mansion during a storm while a group of rich 20-somethings try to figure out who is a murderer in their midst. A sharp, yet tasteful take on how Gen Zs react to the world around them, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies is a top-tier sleepover flick with an A-tier ending.
BONES AND ALL (2022)
Cannibalism as a metaphor for love. The desire to fully consume the person you love, bones and all, in an attempt to forge the compositions of your bodies into one whole, grotesque, creation. After creating the now cult classics, Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria (yes, another horror flick!) Luca Guadagnino cannot get enough of casting Timotheeé Chalamet in (arguably) tragic romances.
Bones and All sees two cannibals, Lee and Maren, on a journey across rural America, trying to survive as outcasts who have a taste for human flesh. A morbid take on love, Bones and All is best paired with listening to Ethel Cain’s 2022 album, Preacher’s Daughter, whether before or after the film, to maximize the cannibalistic Southern gothic vibe.
FENG SHUI (2004)
Who wasn’t utterly terrified by this movie as a kid? This iconic Kris Aquino (our fave local scream queen!) starrer is a classic Filipino horror movie. Feng Shui follows Joy (Aquino), a mother of two and wife to a cheating husband, who finds a Bagua, which at first seems to bring her family luck, turning their lives around. That is until a slew of deaths follow them. Feng Shui also features Lotus Feet, a horror movie icon that scared a generation of Filipino children. This movie will never fail to draw you further into the rabbit hole of horror flicks.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
This one will keep your eyes peeled all night. Wes Craven’s (the director of the Scream franchise) Halloween classic will have you sipping coffee until 3 AM while fighting for your life to stay alive. Set against the funky backdrop of the mid-80s, this classic supernatural slasher has seen many iterations of the movie throughout the decades, including a crossover with another horror franchise, Friday the 13th.
The story follows a group of high schoolers tormented by their town’s ghostly past, slowly clawing its way from their subconscious into their realities. This iconic piece of cinema has withstood the test of time, and the ability to give people nightmares (lest they actually sleep after watching this movie).
SCREAM (1996)
Wes Craven just never misses. For those who haven’t seen it yet, the first Scream movie will have you literally screaming at the screen the entire time, wanting to reach into the movie itself and yell, “Mama a killer behind YOU 💜!” With layers of horror meta, Scream is one of the top slasher movies in Hollywood.
Featuring an ensemble cast with stars like Neve Campbell (one of our fave scream queens and final girls), Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox, the first of the many (now up to seven) Scream movies follows Sydney (Campbell) finding herself at the center of a string of gruesome deaths while reeling from her mother’s murder a year ago. Oh, and watch out for that shocking twist at the end.
BONUS: PORTRAIT OF GOD (2022)
This chilling short film might only be seven minutes long, but it will stay with you for much, much longer after you finish it. Portrait of God, a short horror film directed and produced by Dylan Clark, sees a girl preparing for her presentation on a painting entitled, “Portrait of God,” which allegedly causes people to see the image of God within a canvas of nothingness.
As her presentation progresses, she realizes the image might be of something else entirely. A masterclass on keeping the audience at the edge of their seats, this short film packs a punch despite its minimal runtime. Be careful staring into the darkness after it though, you never know what will appear and stare back at you.
Continue Reading: 5 Psychological Horror Movies To Watch On Your Spooky Nights
