As the month of October rapidly approaches, so does the spooky atmosphere that accompanies it. Arguably one of the best parts of the spooky season is the return of horror movies. Obviously watching horror movies can be an activity done all year round, but watching them with a scary atmosphere creates a different feel. There have been many horror movie hits, and each one has had an amazing plot with equally frightening elements.
Some elements that make a horror movie a horror movie are jump-scares, suspense, and fear. These are created through special effects, methods of cinematography, as well as lighting and sound. Every person has a different preference when it comes to elements of horror they like to see. Andres Diaz, an IB sophomore, loves “the Paw Patrol movie,” because the dogs look a bit like humans, but on a more serious note his favorite movie is The Conjuring because he likes “all of the jump scares.”
The original installment to The Conjuring universe was released in 2013. The movie is about two paranormal investigators who help a family that are terrorized by a dark presence in their Rhode Island farmhouse. It can be streamed on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Hulu. It was and still is loved as a horror classic with a 7.5/10 on IMDb. It also has a good rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an 86% on the Tomatometer and 83% on the Popcornmeter. The last and latest installment, The Conjuring: Last Rites, was released just two weeks ago on the fifth and is not currently on any streaming services, but it can be seen in theaters. All movies within the universe star actor Patrick Wilson as the character Ed Warren and actress Vera Farmiga as the character Lorraine Warren.
Another favorite horror franchise is Scream. The first film came out in 1996 and featured the iconic killer, Ghostface. The mask Ghostface wears has become one of significance especially near Halloween. The franchise currently has a total of seven movies, as well as one TV show. Six of the movies have already been released with the seventh anticipated to be released in 2026. The original cast includes Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette who were all present for the first four installments. The fifth installment onwards featured actors such as Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, who both unfortunately will not be in the seventh. However, the seventh does bring back Neve Campbell. Aamina Lakha, a health academy senior, has watched the latest installments released in 2022 and 2023. To her, the movies were extraordinary because “they combined horror and gore with a solid storyline and plot.” She also mentioned that “some horror movies focus too much on the characterization which takes away from the fear factor.” Lakha feels that these installments were produced in a way where the two were balanced properly.
Some other classic horror movies include The Exorcist and Halloween, both of which were released back in the 1970s, but are still ones many people love watching for a good scare. Popular characters that a majority of people have heard of since childhood such as Dracula and Frankenstein are also featured in some movies. Frankenstein is seen in the movie Frankenstein which was released way back in 1931. Dracula on the other hand can be seen in a multitude of movies such as Nosferatu (1922), Dracula (1931), and Horror of Dracula (1958).
Good horror movies combine suspense, fear, and strong storytelling. From classics to modern hits, the best ones not only scare audiences, but they also generate a lot of excitement.