The leaves are browning, the sky is graying, and the lawns are once again being filled with a menagerie of skeleton and pumpkin decorations; we all know what that means. The month of all things spooky and scary is upon us, and if you’re anything like me, that means it’s time to start watching horror films. Whether you’re getting together with friends or binging scares alone in a dark room, here is a selection of horror recommendations, both new and old, for when you feel your October appetite for frights. 

MODERN: Nope (2022)

If you’re a fan of anything horror, you’re probably aware of Jordan Peele’s forays into the genre, especially his award-winning 2017 film Get Out. In fact, if you’re a fan of anything horror, you’ve probably already watched this, and to that, I say: who cares? Watch it again! It’s awesome. Peele’s third directorial outing is yet another terrifying piece of modern genre work, blending inspirations like Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind into a film that simultaneously succeeds at providing immediate, heart-pounding thrills alongside an insightful critique of the exploitation of people of color in the film industry. If you haven’t watched it, I have to warn you: if you have any particular fear of chimpanzees in birthday hats, I suggest you steer clear.

CLASSIC: The Thing (1982)

Often dubbed the master of horror, John Carpenter is the director of so many defining films of the genre, so it was a tough choice deciding what to include here. In the end, I had to go with The Thing. Even if the original Halloween may have been more thematically appropriate, there’s nothing quite like The Thing. A perfect blend of practical effects-based horror and pure suspense, The Thing is a cornerstone of horror and a baseline of creature effects and narrative efficiency in horror. Centered around a group of Antarctic researchers who accidentally uncover an alien that can take the form of any organism it absorbs, the film is a masterpiece of paranoia that keeps you guessing along with the characters as to who the alien could be through precise filmmaking and a perfectly tuned cast of characters. In addition, the film boasts a frigid winter atmosphere that serves to highlight the coldness and distrust at its core, and it makes for a fantastically tense viewing experience. Make sure to watch on an especially chill/snowy day in October. 

MODERN: Malignant (2021)

James Wan has directed multiple films that could be considered modern horror classics. In between doing large blockbusters such as Aquaman and Furious 7, Wan has spent his career founding mega franchises of his own, directing films such as Saw and The Conjuring in addition to producing many more movies of the same vein. I say all this only to set up the fact that Malignant, his most recent film, is nothing like anything Wan has directed before, and that’s all for the better. It’s fun, it’s creepy, it’s cinematically bold and narratively deranged, and absolutely meant to be taken only as the overly goofy violent schlock that it is. The pleasures of Malignant certainly aren’t for everyone: it’s overly cheesy in parts and almost excessively gory in others, but if you’re able to buy into the wavelength Wan is riding on, you’re sure to be in for a good time. 

CLASSIC: Evil Dead 2 (1987)

On a similarly bizarre wavelength as Malignant is Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2, a beautiful concoction of madcap slapstick comedy and ceaseless gory scares. Raimi, known for directing the Spider-Man trilogy in the mid-aughts, got his start making the Evil Dead films, and that fact shows in all the best ways in the trilogy, moving with all the energy and vigor of a young filmmaker bursting with ideas and love for the genre. For all those who haven’t seen the first Evil Dead, worry not, because Evil Dead 2 makes sure to provide a short 15-minute recap of that film at the beginning that makes sure you’re never lost among the madness (or at least not more lost than you need to be). Evil Dead 2 is pretty much nonstop insanity from minute one, boasting chainsaw arms, evil-possessed hands, foul-mouthed zombies, demon time portals, and more all in a tight 85-minute runtime. 

MODERN: The Empty Man (2020)

Likely the least well-known film I’ve put on this list, but it’s worth it to me because if even one person who reads this decides to watch this movie I’ll know I’ve succeeded. The Empty Man– an unfortunate victim of the Fox-Disney merger that resulted in it being unfavorably dumped on streaming without much marketing or fanfare– takes the well-worn detective, creepypasta, and cult horror genres and puts a fresh, unnerving twist on them. Running for a monstrous 140 minutes, the film is essentially a modern horror epic, opening with a terrifying 20-minute prologue set in the Himalayan mountains before transitioning into an atmospheric mystery centered around a detective investigating an urban legend about a creature called “The Empty Man” that seems to be tied to the deaths of multiple teens in the area. If that sounds generic to you, I promise you the film is able to make it feel interesting, delving into the psychology of cult indoctrination, with an expert handle on its ominous mood and the filmmaking of scares to boot. If you have a Hulu subscription, watch it— I promise it’ll be worth your time.

CLASSIC: Trick R’ Treat (2007)

Maybe 2007 is too recent to rightfully classify something as a “classic”, but frankly, I could care less; it’s a classic to me. Michael Dougherty’s anthology horror Trick R’ Treat is essential Halloween viewing, interweaving 5 tales of spookiness that occur on Halloween night into a perfect Halloween Eve tapestry. The stories range from creepy urban legends to tales about vampires or werewolves or serial killers, though all are connected through a mysterious child with a knapsack over his head named Sam. I can’t get into the story anymore without ruining the surprises (there are a lot of them), but I will say that the film is equally funny and scary and that if you are a lover of anything Halloween, you will find something to enjoy here.