10 horror films to get you in the spooky, fall spirit

"Halloween" by greger.ravik is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Photo credit: "Halloween" by greger.ravik is licensed under CC BY 2.0

With Halloween just around the corner, here are ten movies from The Miami Hurricane to get you ready for spooky season.

28 Days Later

Widely credited with reanimating the zombie movie genre, “28 Days Later” is one of the most influential horror movies ever made. Starring Cillian Murphy and Naomi Harris, the movie features a packed cast and a producing crew to match. The film deserves its praises as it features several of the best scenes to ever exist in a horror movie.

The Conjuring Series

These movies, featuring the stories of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, have become some of the best in horror. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are as good at their roles as any actor in the horror film genre and director James Wan draws up the best scares of his career.

Fear Street Trilogy

As members of the R.L. Stine generation, we were very excited for this one. The casting for “Fear Street” is incredibly well done. For fans of slasher movies, the second movie is especially brutal in its deliverally of gore. The trilogies’ heavy reliance on classic tropes can also be very rewarding, as viewers feel nostalgic within the horror genre.

The Houses October Built

A found-footage cult classic with one of the most interesting concepts in the subgenre’s history. No zombies or evil spirits here, simply a group of friends trying to find the scariest haunted houses they can and getting more than they bargained for. Simple, yet smart and very scary.

Malignant

The newest film from horror prodigy James Wan is an interesting experience, to say the least. Stylistically a cross between Wan’s past work, there are enough cheesy tropes and callbacks to “Insidious” and “The Conjuring” that make this insane plot fun to watch. Heads up, “Malignant” leaves HBO MAX on Oct. 10.

A Nightmare On Elm Street Series

The iconic horror franchise created by one of the most twisted minds in horror, Wes Craven. Introducing Freddy Krueger, the first movie is debatably the best of the ‘80s. The franchise is also one of the only mainstream horrors to feature an LGBTQ lead and has one of the deepest sequel pools.

The Ritual

Since it’s arrival on Netflix in 2017, “The Ritual” has been one of the popular streaming platform’s best selections. Managing to pivot seamlessly across horror subgenres as the movie picks up pace, this story of a group of friends getting lost in the Swedish wilderness is an intense journey for all.

Train to Busan

Yeon Sang-Ho’s zombie crossover hit is one of the most successful international horrors from the last decade, as well as one of the best. There is nothing a horror film fan would not love with the excellent cast, incredibly well-detailed plot and great zombie design.

Trick ‘r Treat

While not the scariest movie on the list, it is the best for getting in the Halloween spirit. This cult classic is an anthology of four events happening on Halloween in a small town. Twists are plentiful, but each story still manages to be fully fleshed out and well-made.

Veronica

Based on the real life death of a teenager in Spain and created by director Paco Plaza of “Rec” fame, “Veronica” is an unsettling movie of the titular character becoming possessed by a demon after using a Ouija board. Plaza’s excellence at crafting endings despite moving at a breathtaking pace continues.

Featured image “Halloween” by greger.ravik is licensed under CC BY 2.0