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    #ED curates Horror Fiesta Binge List—22 recommendations to watch this Halloween weekend and honour the spooky season

    OCT 30, 2021 | By Twinkle Tolani
    ‘Us’, directed by Jordan Peele artfully puts across a social message through the horror genre; Photograph courtesy IMDb
    A still from ‘A Quiet Place’, a story about a family forced to keep silence in order to survive, directed by John Krasinki; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    Don’t forget popcorn this Halloween weekend as you celebrate the spooky season with ED’s curated Horror Fiesta Binge List in order of their IMDB rating—

    The Haunting of Hill House, 2018

    The Haunting of Hill House by Mike Flanagan officially streams on Netflix; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    One mini-series season, ten episodes of this seat-gripper directed by Mike Flanagan will spook you right into the Halloween weekend. Swiftly balancing two timelines, the plot revolves around five siblings whose paranormal experiences in their childhood at Hill House continue to haunt them in adulthood.

    Watch the trailer here. 

    Watch this series on www.netflix.com   

    Psycho, 1960

    The 1960 still manages to run chill down spines, and it’s no surprise given Hitchcock’s brilliance; Photograph courtesy Wikipedia

    Classic alert! Directed by celebrated British director Alfred Hitchcock, the feature film follows the account of Bates Motel, Norman Bates and a woman on the run.

    Watch the trailer here.

    The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920 

    The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari might be the first horror film, but it has aged like fine wine; Photograph courtesy Wikipedia

    Said to be the first horror movie ever, the film manages to spook even a century after it was first premiered. Dark, twisted and based on hypnosis, it certainly is a must-watch for horror aficionados. 

    Watch the trailer here.

    Rosemary’s Baby, 1968

    Experience bone-deep chills with Rosemary’s baby, a classic horror film that does not employ jump scares to spread terror; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    This age-old movie works as a slow burn and will keep you glued to your screens. Rosemary and Guy—a young couple trying for a baby move into a swanky building on Central Park West, but find themselves surrounded by peculiar and concerning neighbours.

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.play.google.com/store/movies

    Let the Right One In, 2008

    Witness a saccharine childhood romance turn into a macabre, unimaginable story in the Swedish movie, Let The Right One In; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    A childhood romance gone wrong, a Swedish movie adapted from the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist, portrays a sensitive, troubled 12-year-old boy and a young, mysterious and troublesome girl. It seems just a little quirky until someone reveals a secret…

    Watch the trailer here.

    Get Out, 2017

    Jordan Peele’s directorial and storytelling magic effortlessly shines through in this horror-mystery; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    A melange of genres, the film directed by Jordan Peele, is based on the surprises (not pleasant ones) waiting to unfold when a man in love visits his seemingly ‘normal’ girlfriend’s parents…

    Watch the trailer here.

    The Birds, 1963

    Leave it to Hitchcock, to turn harmless creatures like birds into things of nightmares; Photograph courtesy Wikipedia

    Yet another Alfred Hitchcock film, this one revolves around a pompous socialite who follows a lawyer to his home with the intent of playing a practical joke on him. Things take a screeching turn when the birds in the area begin to attack the people there.

    Watch the trailer here.

    A Quiet Place, 2018

    Versatile actors John Krasinki and Emily Blunt put on one of their best performances. The film has received awards for its sound effects; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    Directed by the multi-talented John Krasinki, and starring himself and his wife, Emily Blunt—the movie follows a family trying to survive in a world where all humans are killed by blind but sound-sensitive creatures. They must maintain silence to survive….

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.play.google.com/store/movies

    The Lighthouse, 2019

    Get used to sitting at the edge of your seat for the entire duration of The Lighthouse starring Willem Dafoe; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    The Robert Pattinson starrer is a definite seat-jerker and takes you through the account of a young lighthouse keeper assisting his elderly supervisor. The plot turns when the youngster is plagued by vivid ‘hallucinations’.

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.netflix.com   

    The Haunting of Bly manor, 2020

    Yet another daunting series from Mike Flanagan streaming on Netflix, a second installment to The Haunting anthology; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    The second entry of The Haunting anthology series can be watched as a standalone from its first instalment. The storyline, based on the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, follows a young governess at Bly Manor who witnesses apparitions haunting the estate. This one is highly recommended for goth fans!

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this series on www.netflix.com   

    Hereditary, 2018

    The Hereditary probes at the scariest aspect of paranormal activities, it’s never monsters or ghosts, it’s always our nearest ones; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    Familial secrets take a dramatic turn with the passing away of the matriarch of the Graham family, leading to her daughter and grandchildren unravelling cryptic and scaring secrets about their ancestry, alongside trying to escape the demonic fate they have been passed on.

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.primevideo.com  

    The Invisible Man, 2020

    Unearth unbelievable mysteries and relive H.G, Wells’ Invisible Man through a contemporary lens; Photograph courtesy Scotland’s Theme Park

    After watching this movie, there’s a possibility you might not throw around the word ‘stalker’ just as carelessly. Inspired by H.G. Wells’ classic book, the movie follows Cecilia, a woman whose frantic ex-boyfriend fakes his death to torment her, on the path to unravel the truth, she discovers something ground-breaking. 

    Watch the trailer here.

    The Witch, 2015

    Delve into 17th century horrors, sponsored by good acting and even better cinematography with The Witch; Photograph courtesy New DVD Releases Dates

    Directed by Robert Eggers and starring Anya Taylor-Joy, and set in the New England of the 17th century, the plot follows a banished Puritan family and their farm by the edge of a remote forest. 

    Watch the trailer here.

    Ready or not, 2019

    Follow a bride into every bride’s nightmare, giggle and groan with this entertaining feature film; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    A cross between comedy and horror genre, this 90-minute is sure to take you through varied emotions and glue you to your screens. The plot involves a newlywed bride, Grace who as her first step into married life must hide from midnight until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her down with guns, crossbows and other weapons. Wondering why?

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.play.google.com/store/movies

    The Babadook, 2014

    The Babadook brings forth the horrifying realisation that perhaps demons are not just talk of the folklore; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    The directorial debut of Jennifer Kent, this horror film is based on her short film titled Monster and is a must-watch for psychology enthusiasts. The plot sees a single mother helping her son battle his fear of a monster lurking in the house, while being distressed by the terrorising death of her husband, but soon discovers there’s something deeper….

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.primevideo.com

    Us, 2019

    Us brings us to realise our biggest fears do not lie outside, but inside us; Photograph courtesy Collide

    Us, directed by Jordan Peele, is quite literally the horror adaptation of the notion that we are our own biggest competitors. The film follows Adelaide Wilson and her kin, who are attacked by a mysterious group adorning red garments, only to realise the attackers are their doppelgangers. 

    Watch the trailer here.

    Sinister, 2012

    Directed and co-written by Scott Derrickson, Sinister explores the mythos of demonic and general supernatural activity; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    The Ethan Hawke-starrer narrates a story of a true-crime writer, who out of desperation to move out of his slump shifts to a house where a family has been murdered. It is only on stumbling upon some concrete evidence, does he realise the home is inhabited by supernatural forces.

    Watch the trailer here.

    Drag me to hell, 2009

    Drag Me to Hell has quite a lot under-surface humour and scares delivered via grotesque imagery and jump-scares; Photograph courtesy New Day Movie Reviews

    Written and directed by the writer of the Spider-Man trilogy, Drag Me to Hell is a supernatural horror film that revolves around a loan officer, cursed by an elderly woman to be banished to hell upon rejecting to extend the latter’s mortgage plea.

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.primevideo.com   

    Malignant, 2021

    The latest movie on the list, Malignant must be a sure-shot list to your watch-list; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    Malignant is a supernatural horror film based on an original story by James Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Akela Cooper. The plotline narrates the tale of a woman, Madison, who begins to have vivid visions of people being murdered, and eventually realises the incidents are taking place in real-time. The film captures her tryst of trying to save the victims, who are strangers to her.

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.play.google.com/store/movies

    Lights out, 2016

    Lights Out doesn’t let you settle in, and jumps right into terror; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    Yet another nail-biting, horror-thriller from James Wan, Lights Out unwraps the story of Rebecca, a woman who is forced to face her fears, when her little brother experiences the same terror with regards to a frightening entity, Sophie who bears a mysterious attachment to her mother. All this only gets scarier, because anomalies take place only when…it’s lights out!

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.play.google.com/store/movies

    Ouija: Origin of Evil, 2016

    Directed by Stiles White, the film is the prequel to 2014 film Ouija; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    Written and directed by horror movie maven, Mike Flanagan, Ouija is an ideal film for those fascinated by the notorious spirit-calling game. A widow and her two daughters, decidedly call upon spirits to assist them to move on to the next phase of their lifecycle. It’s all fun and games until one guest decides to stay….

    Watch the trailer here.

    Mama, 2013

    A horror movie with a touch of sentiment is the perfect way to define Mama; Photograph courtesy IMDb

    Based on the Argentine short film Mama, the movie follows the story of two young girls who are followed by an evil presence post the death of their parents. Nothing will ward the presence off, not even changing houses…

    Watch the trailer here.

    Watch this movie on www.netflix.com