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Halloween is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to go on a horror movie binge. Considering trick or treating is not recommended this year, Key West Video has put together some of our favourite films for your Halloween movie marathon. We really wanted to put these in some kind of hierarchical order, but it’s simply too hard to rank all these films.

Hereditary

Directed by Ari Aster. Starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne

Hereditary follows the life of the Graham family. After the grandmother passes away, her daughter and grandchildren discover more about her dark and sinister past. This movie was scary for a couple of reasons. The eerie imagery and the high stakes of the film evoke emotional discomfort in the viewer, making it scary for the gore and how it makes you feel.

“This movie is one of my favourite horror movies because it made me cry in fear” – Vinuja, Post-Production Supervisor/Admin

Haunting of Hill House

Created by Mike Flanagan. Starring Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, and Victoria Pedretti

There is so much to love about this show – yes we realize it’s not a movie but it was too good to not include. The cast works so well together and individually, are amazing actors. This show has so much to offer no matter how many times you watch and even has a second season called “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” Haunting of Hill House does a great job of incorporating hidden characters and images throughout each episode, which adds to spooky effects. There is also some stellar cinematography that really helps elevate the storytelling and add to the spookiness. We don’t want to give away any spoilers but trust us when we say you will know what we’re talking about.

Midsommar

Directed by Ari Aster. Starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren. 

This is another great film by Ari Aster and another one of his movies to make our list. This film follows a group of friends who travel to their friend’s hometown in Sweden. Upon their arrival, a fun festival ends up turning into a strange competition with no escape. This film causes a lot of emotional stress on top of creepy imagery and gore, similar to Hereditary. The movie itself is also a huge puzzle, leaving the viewers wondering, “what just happened?”

A Quiet Place

Directed by John Krasinski. Starring John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe. 

This film follows a family as they live in this apocalyptic world full of scary, armoured creatures that are hypersensitive to sound and obliterate anything that makes a sound. The family walks barefoot and uses ASL to communicate with each other in this new world. The film was nominated for several awards and had amazing sound design despite being a predominantly silent film. This film has you on the edge of your seat and feeling like a part of this high stakes environment.

It

Directed by Andy Muschietti. Starring Jaeden Martell, Ben Hanscom, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Bill Skarsgard

This recent film adaptation of the classic novel by Steven King really reinforces one’s fear of clowns. Bill Skarsgard manages to have the creepiest facial expressions heightened by the use of makeup and the costumes. This hit also has a sequel so that you can indulge in some Pennywise not once but twice! The film’s visual effects, paired with the gore, will have you covering your eyes in anticipation every few minutes.

Cooties

Directed by Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion. Starring Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill

This is another horror/comedy where a group of teachers has to face their students, who have turned into monsters. Did we mention this is all because of some contaminated chicken nuggets? Whenever a movie has a group of kids in it, we assume it’s family-friendly. However, hide your kids for this one; there’s blood, gore, and adult innuendos.

“I’ve watched it multiple times. Usually I only watch a horror movie once.” – Nicole, Editor

Dreamcatcher

Directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Starring Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee

This sci-fi/horror flick follows a group of friends with telepathic powers. Using these powers, they need to fight a dark, ominous force, one that hasn’t yet been seen by humankind. Our staff admits it may not be the best movie out there, at least critics don’t think so, but this blend of horror and sci-fi is worth watching, at least once.

“It appeared to be somewhat supernatural at first but was actually more of a lowkey scifi. I liked the blending of these genres and feel like it doesn’t happen too often” – Sarah, Animator

Insidious

Directed by James Wan

Insidious is the first in the franchise, and it got great reviews of being one of the best horror movies people have seen in a long time. When the young son of two parents falls into a coma, weird things start taking place in the house. The film gives you vibes similar to that of paranormal activity and is full of lots of jump scares to keep you alert!

Cabin in the Woods

Directed by Drew Goddard. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchinson, Fran Kranz, and Jesse Williams

Cabin in the Woods follows a group of friends who vacation in a cabin, you guessed it, in the woods. The group is then tortured by zombies and is left fighting for their lives. Scientists under the cabin control these crazy zombies.  This horror/comedy really strikes the perfect balance between scary, funny, and strange!

“It’s great because of how different it is. It gives away it’s twist almost immediately but still manages to be terrifying” – Aaron, Animator

Get Out

Directed by Jordan Peele. Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford

The best part of Get Out is that it’s frightening not only on a basic scary movie-level but on a social commentary level. The film takes an unsuspecting turn and sets you up for a lot of discomfort. It’s one of those movies where you know something is wrong, but you’re not quite sure what exactly that thing is. This film also offers a unique experience each time you watch it as you start to look for different things.

There you have it! Key West Video’s top horror favourites! What are your favourite horror movies? Let us know in the comments!