It’s that time of year again where I (like many others) dedicated the month of October to watching scary movies. Why do we do this when we can choose to watch them all year-round? I’m not quite sure, but it has turned into a fun tradition, nonetheless.
Last year I was only able to watch 12 films, but this year I tackled 22! Not sure what this says about me and how I allot my free time, but an accomplishment I guess? Anyway, the same rules apply as any other year I’ve done this. I will only watch horror films I’ve never seen before, no repeats. So, if you don’t see your favorite film up here it doesn’t mean I haven’t seen it (I mean, there is a good chance I haven’t) but ranking films you’ve only seen for the first time makes for a more fun experiment. Here we go:
22. Malignant (2021) – 4/10
I just did not like this film. I do not understand what it was going for. I do not understand how it has a 77% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.2 user score on Metacritic. Bad acting, bad script and bad directing. The pacing is grueling and makes this film 20-30 minutes unnecessarily long without giving any meat to the extra time. The premise of this one is a woman begins dreaming of people dying and then finding out they are dying in real life. The reveal was absolutely ridiculous, and nothing is truly explained in a way that made any sense. There is an action-sequence in a police station that will just have you laughing the entire time. This wasn’t a horror comedy. Again, this one just wasn’t for me.
21. Trick R Treat (2007) – 5/10
This one came recommended and has developed some sort of cult following. The film is neither scary, nor very good. Trick R Treat is an anthology film with 4-5 stories that are loosely connected. It features decent performances from Dylan Baker and Brian Cox, but neither of them can save this overly corny slop. The “Principal” segment is the strongest, but the rest felt like a chore to get through.
20. Friday the 13th (2009) – 5/10
Ah, a reboot to a franchise that despite its popularity may only have two or three decent films in its filmography. This one tries to reboot it but struggles to give it much of a new voice. The same lore is there with the previous “Jason” movies, so there isn’t much of a struggle to understand what is going on in this one. You go into slashers (especially Friday the 13th) with anticipation of new and inventive kills. This had neither, sadly. Oh! This also features a Jason Voorhees that can run, which goes against all that is holy in the franchise. It kills suspense and looks ridiculous. The only thing they brought back from the series is the gratuitous nudity, if you are into that sort of thing.
19. Wolfman (2005) – 5/10
A horror film shouldn’t have you looking at your phone because you are bored. Somehow director Leigh Whannel (see: Saw franchise) does this. The film tries to blend supernatural and psychological horror, but it doesn’t land. There is some decent body-horror with one of the characters slowly changing into the aforementioned Wolfman, but that is one of the few positives about the movie. The male lead, Christopher Abbott (annoying boyfriend from HBO’s Girls) is a very bad actor and does the acting no favors. Julia Garner, who is a phenomenal actor, does what she can, but isn’t given much to work with.
18. Terrifier (2016) – 5/10
I apologize to my coworker in advance who loves these movies and recommended it for me this month…but this one just wasn’t for me. The positives: Art the Clown is absolutely terrifying and I can see why he (it?) has entered the upper echelon of horror villains for folks. Maybe it was intended to be this way or the budget was really that low, but this was too B-movie with the acting. The kills are over-the-top and grotesque, so if you are into that you are in luck! The practical effects of the film are pretty great, so props to the special effects guru. Great practical effects and makeup can elevate any film.
17. Wrong Turn (2003) – 6/10
There is something about 2000’s slasher flicks that I just love and find charming in some way. This isn’t a good film by any stretch, but it had great practical effects, features a terrifying “bad”, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you liked both the House of Wax and Hills Have Eyes reboots, you’ll love this.
16. 47 Meters Down (2017) – 6/10
This is the part of the ranking where we enter the “good” territory for the first time. 47 Meters Down nails the terrifying with its premise: two scuba divers fall to the bottom of the ocean floor (47 meters!) in a shark cage, surrounded by sharks, and a limited amount of oxygen. There are attempts at some emotional journey/redemption for the main characters like films The Shallows or Crawl, but it can’t quite nail it. Perhaps it’s because the two leads are terrible actors in this (I’m sorry Mandy Moore). The movie does do a great job with the suspense and you often finding yourself holding your breath in certain situations. This film does a great job on preying on your fears of the ocean and sharks…like me.
15. Day Shift (2022) – 7/10
I had low expectations for this one because it was a Netflix original and it was hard to see Jamie Foxx nailing horror comedy. However, it worked just enough to be an enjoyable flick, albeit a pretty dumb one. Foxx and Dave Franco carry the film as the story really is nothing new in the realm of vampire flicks. The action in this one is phenomenal, and some scenes remind you of a cross between peak Wesley Snipes Blade and John Wick. Snoop Dogg has an extended cameo role in the film, if you are into that. You will not be scared by this film, so only go for it if you want some cheesy action.
14. Don’t Move (2024) – 7/10
Produced by horror master Sam Raimi, this is an interesting (and terrifying) concept for a film where a young woman on the verge of unaliving herself is literally talked off the edge by a stranger…only for said stranger to kidnap her. The stranger is a serial killer who on route to his destination, is distracted enough for the woman to free herself and purposefully crash the car and escape. The only problem is, while the woman was unconscious from her abduction, the stranger injected her with a drug that completely paralyzes her body after 20 minutes. The rest of the film plays to the horror of getting away before she is completely incapacitated. Both leads are very good in this.
13. Ginger Snaps (2002) – 7/10
What could have been B-movie slop turns into quasi horror comedy with a heavy-handed allegory between puberty and werewolves. It still worked for me and the practical effects were great. Werewolf films are very hard to nail, but this one offered an interesting perspective. The film has a certain darkness to it and is directed in a way you’d think it could be a Tim Burton or Guillermo Del Toro movie. If that adds any incentive for you to check it out.
12. Final Destination Bloodlines (2025) – 7/10
The first Final Destination was an amazing concept and the rest that followed have just been “alright” or “meh”. This latest film is in that “alright” realm. The story is good, deaths fun, and the opening scene are worthy of the franchise. I like the added new approach with family bloodlines and how Death stalks in a different way this go-around. The acting isn’t great, but produces some memorable characters. It was also bittersweet to see Tony Todd reprise his mortician role one final time before his untimely death last year.
11. The Invitation (2022) – 7.5/10
I think I liked this film much more than the critics and audience. It has an interesting premise of a recently orphaned young woman who does a DNA test and finds a long-lost family that she never knew she had. She is flown out to a new cousin’s wedding and that is when things take a dark turn. The story and direction are great right up until the last 20 minutes where it devolves into a B-movie horror after what felt like an elevated story. You could see the twist coming but it didn’t prevent it from being boring.
10. Bring Her Back (2025) – 7.5/10
If you enjoyed Talk To Me from a couple years ago, this is the second film from the Philippou Brothers. It is an enjoyable follow-up to that film, though not quite as good or scary. Makeup and gore were top notch though and it features a bonkers (see: amazing) performance from Sally Hawkins. Like Talk To Me this film deals with death, loss, and guilt.
9. Weapons (2025) – 8/10
This is Zach Cregger’s second solo directorial effort after the amazing Barbarian from a few years ago. This film had gotten a lot of hype before I eventually viewed it this past week and I think that may have distorted my outlook on this. The positives: The acting (particularly Julia Garner and Josh Brolin) and cinematography is great. The built-up suspense and nonlinear storytelling are something horror needs more of. Being a father myself, I think it added another layer of terror. However the end of this gets a bit goofy and silly for me to elevate it to the “great” level. Very good film though.
8. Companion (2025) – 8/10
Perhaps this one leans more into the sci-fi genre than horror, but I’m going to allow it. I won’t give too much away, but the twist was good (if you haven’t been spoiled or just see them coming from a mile away). This almost played out like an extended Black Mirror episode, and that isn’t a bad thing. Companion had great turns from Sophie Thatcher (more on her later) and Jack Quaid (and one bonkers from Rupert Friend). The film was simply very entertaining.
7. Smile 2 (2025) – 8/10
A perfectly cromulent sequel that continues the tale of this “Smile Monster” (that’s what I’m going to call it okay). It sounds goofy, but it really is excellent horror. From the cold open (a direct continuation of the first film) to the endless torture of Skye, I really enjoyed it. I hear there is another sequel in the works and based on this ending…hoo boy am I ready.
6. Poltergeist (1982) – 8/10
Yes, it has taken me 40 years to watch this iconic horror film that helped shape much of the supernatural horror subgenre. This film has been the inspiration and spoofed for decades now. Long-story short, a normal family household begins being haunted by largely unseen spiritual entities. At first it begins and playful, but then turns into full terrorizing. This includes kidnapping their youngest daughter — “They’re heeeerrrrre”. It’s a real rollercoaster of a film and has some genuine scares. You can also see that Spielberg flare even though he is only credited as a “producer”. The acting is great (Craig T. Nelson and Jobeth Williams in particular) and affects have even aged nicely. I can see why it’s a “classic”.
5. Smile (2022) – 8.5/10
Not going to lie, I avoided this film (despite positive reviews) simply because the movie posters looked dumb. I put those very real and legitimate concerns away and found a horror franchise I really enjoy. It has very similar vibes to The Ring and It Follows, but does the internalized trauma as the focal point. The film is very well done with some legitimate scares/effects without not feeling like a complete retread of the subgenre.
4. Blink Twice (2024) – 8.5/10
A poignant twisted tale that unfolds in a natural way as the veil is lifted on both the women in the film and viewer. The pacing is great and it delivers a terrific payoff that I didn’t see coming. It was all very impressive for a first time director, Zoe Kravitz. Though afterwards you see all the subtle hints. Acting is spotty at times, but this is a great horror flick. Channing Tatum with one of his best performances of his career.
3. 28 Years Later (2025) – 8.5/10
The original 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later are some of my favorite horror films ever, let alone zombie films. When I saw they were making a legacy sequel/reboot I was a bit scared. How would they recapture the magic/terror of these films, but also have some new to say? The key was obviously bringing back the original director (Danny Boyle) and screenwriter (Alex Garland). And boy did they work their magic with this one. The “infected” of the “28” series are some of the scariest in the genre because they feel the most plausible. They aren’t undead, they don’t have to be killed a certain way…they are just infected humans who have no urge other than to kill/mutilate anyone who isn’t infected. Leave it to Boyle/Garland to create a coming-of-age tale out of all this. The cold open is great (though not as good as ‘Weeks’. The performances from the four main leads (especially Ralph Fiennes) are excellent. I’m excited about the planned two upcoming sequels.
2. Heretic (2024) – 9/10
Hugh Grant was a huge reason for me not wanting to see this film originally. I just don’t care for him as an actor/person. That was obviously a mistake because this is a near masterclass of horror. The psychological horror being tolled on both the Sisters and the viewer keep adding up that you feel the weight of their fear. It may have been heavy-handed for some, but I really enjoyed the thoughts and views presented on religion and control in relation to the story. The twists feel terrifying and real. Sophie Thatcher, who plays one of the sisters, is absolutely incredible and easily one of my favorite up-and-coming actresses working today.
1. It Comes At Night (2017) – 9/10
The best kind of horror is the one that seems the most plausible to happen. In this film, the world has been overcome with a world-ending pandemic. People isolate themselves from this disease because contracting it means certain death. The story picks up with a family which has been living in isolation who just lost their grandfather to the disease. They then come upon a young family as they tried to break in their home one night looking for food. The families try and co-exist, but truths are revealed and trust is tested. This is psychological at some of its best as all layers of trust and civilized behavior has devolved for these brutal times. Included in all this is a coming-of-age story for a teenager who has lost some of his most formative years to this new world. Joel Edgerton who plays the father is a masterful actor. The direction is amazing and the ending of the film will have you reeling.
