There has been one type of media that I have always fixated my eyes on, and that is horror. Just the simple idea that someone thought of that certain thing and put it on a screen or in a book really makes me feel giddy and excited. Now, I could go on all day about how much I love horror media but instead, I will talk about my list of horror movies that I truly love. I’ll be breaking down my Top 5 list from least scary all the way to the scariest, so you can properly pick your poison.

5. The first movie I would like to start off with is an anime film called Perfect Blue by the late Satoshi Kon. A nightmarish look at the duality that exists between the person and the avatar, Perfect Blue is not horror in the typical sense of the word and there are no demons, no monsters, and very little blood compared to your typical horror film. Nothing is hiding under the bed and ready to strike except for your own self, and that is what Perfect Blue is truly about. This film features the struggle of identity and specifically the struggle of the protagonist, a pop star turned drama actor.

4. Now, this next film is quite more of a personal story. The Shining by Stanley Kubrick is one I remember watching for the first time at my friend’s 11th birthday party. I remember watching the infamous tricycle scene with my friends and just having a true sense of fear. I had to keep telling myself to stop thinking of that scene, but came to a defeat when I told my mom to pick me up early. I felt so ashamed. In a way, this is like Perfect Blue, but shows more of what insanity can do to a man that has a family and is staying alone at a hotel.

3. If you have a fear of the unknown, or are interested in the idea of not being alone, then Apollo 18 is the perfect film to frighten you. The movie mainly focuses on three astronauts trying to complete a mission in space, but little do they know they are not alone. Their mission quickly changes into just trying to stay alive.

2. If you are into the idea of cult leadership and just movies that make you question your own being, the 2018 film Hereditary is the perfect movie for you. It gives off this sense that all of the acting isn’t scripted at all, and that this is all just the actors’ genuine reaction of what is happening to them. I won’t go into full details about what the movie is about because I would rather let you watch and find out for yourself.

1. Now, this movie is quite special. The last movie I will be talking about is the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project. If you are looking for good ole jump scares or scary possessed nuns, this ain’t the movie for you. The Blair Witch Project is based on three filmmakers that have allegedly disappeared from the face of the earth while making this film and their footage has been found a few years later. This movie isn’t like any other horror film that has a killer. It’s more like a documentary type of film that just shows the filmmakers slowly lose their sanity. I won’t discuss more about it but have this thought: it is based on a true story.

Honorable Mentions

Even though the Top 5 are my personal choices of horror movies you should watch on Halloween, I will also talk about some honorable mentions. If you are into gore and slasher films, watch House of a Thousand Corpses, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the cult classic and original 2004 Japanese film called Ju-On (better known as The Grudge). If you are more into edgy/weird but then again awful movies, watch Salò/120 Days of Sodom, KIDS, Gummo, and Clockwork Orange. And if you are more into jump scare/creepy movies, watch Insidious, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, and Midori:Shōjo.

All of these movies can be found through Netflix, Hulu, HBOMAX and Amazon Prime Video. If you can’t find them then go to this place called The Black Lodge in Memphis. It’s basically a movie rental store but mostly filled with horror films.