This time of year always puts people in the mood to watch a good horror movie, even if it means not being able to sleep at night. Shockingly, Netflix has a pretty good selection of scary movies available to watch instantly, so snuggle up with some cocoa and be prepared to get scared.
Catch up on your Halloween scary movies with the CUI’s picks. (CU Independent/Kai Casey)
“The Omen”
This 1976 version of the devilishly good movie follows Robert Thorn and his wife, Katherine, who replace their child who dies soon after birth with one whose mother died at the same moment as their child. They name their new son Damien, and soon after mysterious events began to occur. As Thorn investigates Damien’s origins, he finds that most of his records have mysteriously disappeared and later begins to suspect that he might be the Antichrist. Tune in to find out the ending to this classic horror flick.
“Creature from the Black Lagoon”
Don’t doubt the creepiness of this movie just because it was made in 1954. Set in the Amazon, the movie features a research team investigating evidence that may lead to the missing link between water and land creatures. Unknown to them though, a mysterious creature stalks them, eventually killing many. In order to find concrete fossil evidence of the creature’s existence, the researchers decide to explore a body of water called the Black Lagoon, eventually coming across the creature, the Creature of the Black Lagoon. This film is a classic creature-feature that has set many standards for horror and sci-fi movies since its creation.
“Paranormal Activity 2/3”
There is some debate about whether this series of ghostly thrillers is even THAT scary, but you have to admit that you now think twice about keeping your foot outside of the covers at night. “Paranormal Activity 2” follows the sister of the main character from the first “Paranormal Activity,” and the strange happenings in her house involving her baby boy Hunter. “Paranormal Activity 3” follows the main characters as little girls, revealing the origins of the demonic spirit haunting them. In the tradition of movies before it like “The Blair Witch Project,” these movies take on a first-person point of view and attempt to create that “home movie” feel. Netflix has the second and third installments of this series available instantly, helping you to brush up on the complex past of the series’ main characters before you see “Paranormal Activity 4,” now in theaters.
“Let the Right One In”
In this Swedish romantic-horror movie, there is no glittering skin, only a little boy being picked on until he meets a mysterious girl who, you guessed it, is a vampire. The boy and girl ultimately foster a romantic relationship, and the girl helps the boy with his bully problem. This film takes a whole new approach to the vampire film, which tends to be predictable and uncreative. Horror movie website Bloody Disgusting said of the film, “It’s rare enough for a horror film to be good; even rarer are those that function as genuine works of art.” Roger Ebert even called it “the best modern vampire movie.”
This list only scratches the surface of good horror movies to watch this Halloween season. And it’s okay to admit that they keep you from sleeping at night, so you can stop telling people “it’s probably just insomnia.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ellie Patterson at Elizabeth.n.patterson@colorado.edu
