It is almost Halloween, my friends! I don’t know about y’all, but the couple of weekends before Halloween are always full of scary movies for me and Jacob. It’s one of my favorite things about this time of year, so I figured it would be fun to put together a list of our top 20 scary movies that we think would be perfect for a scary movie binge fest (along with some honorable mentions). It was really really hard to choose from all of the scary movies we’ve seen, and it was even harder to put them in order, but here goes:
Sinister – a true crime writer and his family move into a home where he finds old films with some quite disturbing footage. He starts diving deeper into what happened and well….let’s just say I almost peed my pants. This is probably the scariest movie I’ve ever seen to date.
The Conjuring – lots of ghost hunting going on in this movie, and we LOVE it. A family moves into a new home with a crazy history. When investigators come in to look into the things that have been happening, the whole story starts to unfold. It also involves a really creepy doll, which you learn more about in the next movie on the list…
Annabelle – I love all of these movies equally and really enjoy that they intertwine with The Conjuring series, where you learn more about the origin of the creepy doll. I love how the writer connects all of the movies together.
Lights Out – this one has a really cool/different storyline, and easily makes the top of the list because of it’s scare factor. Once you watch this, you’ll definitely want to sleep with the lights on. Do not watch if you are scared of the dark.
The Exorcist – I mean….if you like scary movies and haven’t seen The Exorcist, what are you even doing? It’s one of the best classic horror films of all time. However, if you aren’t into demonic possession, then you can skip this one.
Paranormal Activity – if you’re into ghosts and the paranormal like I am, then this is your kinda movie. Things moving on their own, random bangs out of nowhere, and a really interesting story to go along with it. No gore, just a good ‘ol classic scare fest. PA 1-3 are my favorite out of the 6.
Pet Cemetery (the original) – this is one of those movies that doesn’t have a ton of pop-out scenes, but the creep factor is 10/10. This movie will always freak me out, no matter how old I get.
The Decent – This movie doesn’t get enough credit, that’s for sure. A group of girls go down to explore a cave, and what they find is quite horrifying. It’s pretty bloody in some parts, but overall this is a GREAT scary movie choice.
Insidious – This is your typical scary movie in that a family moves into a home and weird things start happening with their son and in the house. However, I feel like this movie was really creatively made and that’s what sets it apart from a lot of the others. My heart was pumping the whole time and it has some awesome scare scenes.
The Invisible Man – This movie is pretty scary but also has a little bit of sci-fi twist to it, which is super interesting. There are tons of good creepy scenes in this and it is super suspenseful. Just think of that feeling you get when you feel like you’re being watched and convert that into a movie…. that is what this is and I LOVE it.
Halloween (the original) – a true OG scary movie that is a MUST watch. Normally scary movies that were made back in the 80’s tend not to scare me as much anymore, but this movie’s scare factor stays!
The Orphanage – not to be confused with “The Orphan”. This movie is a Guillermo Del Toro movie and is in subtitles, but you forget you’re even reading subtitles because the movie is just THAT good.
Friday the 13th (the original) – A killer going after counselors at a summer camp in the woods? Need I say more?
Nightmare on Elm Street (the original) – A pure, classic 80’s slasher film. Freddy comes for teenagers in their dreams, so they never want to sleep. And the theme song STILL gets me to this day. One, Two Freddy’s comin’ for you….Three, Four better lock your door….Five, Six get a crucifix….Seven, Eight never stay up late….Nine, Ten never sleep agaaaaaaain.
Ratter – the most underrated scary movie EVER. This movie freaked me the FFFFF out and I loved every second. Just watch it, trust me.
The Strangers – if you like movies set in a house in the woods where you’re getting knocks at your door in the middle of the night, then you will LOVE this.
The Grudge – This one is set in Japan and is a re-make of a Japanese movie, which should already tell you it’s a must-watch. This movie is so creepy, it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up! It has a very dark and dreary atmosphere, almost similar to The Ring.
The Others – creepy all the way through, and has a really cool twist at the end. And it’s Nicole Kidman so……..
IT (the new one) – For some reason, I have never thought this movie was SUPER scary, only because I’m not afraid of clowns. But if you are, then you might be terrified. Nonetheless, I think this movie has such a great storyline and is much more than just your typical scary movie. I am honestly not crazy about the original movie, but the new remake of IT was made SO well and follows the book much more closely. This is definitely a must-see for scary movie fans.
The Visit – I am not usually a fan of M. Night Shyamalan movies, but this one was sooooo good. There are actually parts of this movie where I found myself giggling, but there are also parts where I found myself freaking the FFFF out. It’s not your typical scary movie, but it definitely has a high creepy factor and would highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it!
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Scream
Black Phone
Watcher
The Ring
Hush
As Above, So Below
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the one with Jessica Beal lol)
The Wretched
The Rental
The Ritual
I hope you all have a great Halloween weekend, and if you happen to watch any of these on this list, let me know how you liked it!
