It’s October, and you know what that means: pumpkins, candy, costumes and, most importantly, horror movie season!
As tradition dictates, all of you must settle down during the week of Halloween and force yourselves through the scariest movie that you can handle. However, this isn’t the end of your duties. As the years pass, your goal should be to watch every horror movie in existence.
But what counts as a scary movie? Is “The Menu” (2022) too satirical to scare your pants off? Does “Coraline” (2009) cater too much towards children?
The truth of the horror genre is that it exists as a nebulous catch-all for any movie with frightening themes. When I asked someone about their favorite horror movie, they answered that, while they may not consider it a horror movie, they liked “Train to Busan.” Yet, “Train to Busan” (2016) is included when you search “horror” and “movie” together on IMDb and on the Rotten Tomatoes “200 Best Horror Movies of All Time” list. For example, zombie movies may not be considered traditional horror for many, but popular culture disagrees. One watch of “28 Days Later” (2002) would likely change the mind of even the staunchest genre snob.
Kids movies make a resurgence around Halloween as a safer option for the younger crowd and our more easily spooked friends. However, does a PG rating diminish the fear factor of the film? Recall how “Monster House” (2006) or “The Witches” (1990) made you feel as a child, whether in your elementary school auditorium or your childhood living room. Not happy, I would guess. What about horror with comedic elements, like “Happy Death Day” (2017) or “Ready or Not” (2019)? Even the funnier moments won’t take away from the stomach-churning bloodier scenes.
“Okay, everything counts as a scary movie, I get it,” you say. “That doesn’t explain why I need to watch them all.”
The simplest answer is that you need to face your fears. As the world plummets into global conflicts and social unrest, balking from red corn syrup on screen shows a level of weakness that shouldn’t be cultivated. Many genres of media and entertainment are forms of escapism. Horror is the opposite; it’s meant to expose the darker parts of humanity and mirror the state of society.
Horror can also help you understand the fears of others. What real world issues do directors tackle in their films? How might your friends’ backgrounds impact which movies scare them the most? For example, consider the following movies:
“Megan is Missing” (2011) is a found footage horror film following a 14-year-old girl who goes missing, followed by her best friend a few weeks later. The movie compiles fictional online chat videos and news reports to create a rather overly graphic depiction of the dangers minors can face on the internet, including trafficking. The movie exploded in popularity in 2020 on TikTok, a time when people were stuck at home and on the internet more often due to COVID-19. Fears regarding minors on social media skyrocketed as a result. In response to criticism about depicting sexual violence against minors, director Michael Goi claimed that he made the movie a warning to parents about what could happen if children trusted predators online.
“The Purge: Election Year” (2016) was released in 2016, one of the most politically charged election years in recent memory. In the movie, U.S. Senator Charlie Roan runs for president in 2040. In her campaign, she promises to end Purge night, which is one night a year when all crimes are legal. The plot is a representation of the fears left-leaning Americans possessed at the time about the impending election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The inclusion of a white female protagonist running for president parallels Clinton’s campaign. To watch the movie is to open a time capsule of a period of political polarization that mimics the one we face today.
“Get Out” (2017) was Jordan Peele’s directorial debut and follows an African American photographer invited to meet his white girlfriend’s family. The movie primarily explores themes of cultural appropriation, race relations and the dynamic between police and the black community. Peele’s other movies also explore social themes. “Us” (2019) alludes to the failure of the 1986 Hands Across America fundraising event, focusing on marginalization and privilege. Peele’s other film “Nope” (2022) focuses on exploitation and animal abuse in Hollywood.
“The Hunt” (2020) is an example of a movie that could potentially fit into the horror genre, while also overlapping thriller and action. The satirical film follows right-wing captives kidnapped by left-wing elites who hunt them for sport. Intended to inflame both sides of the American political divide, horror once again targets current sociopolitical issues.
“Sinners” (2025) was one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year, following twins starting a juke joint for their predominantly black community in Clarksdale, Mississippi, which is soon beset by vampires. The movie interweaves themes of Christianity versus hoodoo, colorism, cultural music and multiple minority identities (African American, Chinese American, Irish, Choctaw, etc.). Despite the challenge of commenting on all these concepts, the movie does not sacrifice entertainment with a cohesive plotline, compelling side characters and plenty of blood.
Other movies include “Candyman” (1992) which explores racial inequality. “Candyman” (2021) does the same with a focus on gentrification and the black perspective. The protagonists of “His House” (2020) are refugees from South Sudan struggling with trauma and racism. Some movies are allegories for personal fears, like “The Babadook” (2014) for grief or “I Saw the TV Glow” (2024) for gender dysphoria.
Though the subjects may not scare you, they represent real fears of real people explored through outlandish or fantastical settings. Expose yourself to uncomfortable themes, and you will find a more compassionate outlook at the end.
So, watch a scary movie this October. Start where you are comfortable, even if others tell you that it doesn’t count, and work yourself up the ladder of horror. You might learn something.
