Horror films of this scary season

With Halloween fast approaching, scary movies are trending this week. But in a sea of ​​cheesy, tropical, and derivative horror films, it’s easy to get lost. When choosing the best that horror cinema has to offer, consider the following:

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Your father’s favorite horror films

While my generation wasn’t able to experience the wonder of ’70s and ’80s horror cinema, we can vicariously follow our parents’ recommendations. Films like “Halloween,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Poltergeist” were popular with Generation X and have by no means lost their fascination.

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Stephen King adaptations

The legendary author undeniably changed the horror genre forever, but many adaptations of his books aren’t as well-received. King writes about the supernatural in a surreal, eerie way that rarely translates well to film. Characters like Pennywise from “It” were written with the intention of adapting to the reader’s visual imagination. When viewers are presented with the visuals of King’s monsters on the big screen, all we are left with is the abomination that is “It Chapter Two.”

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Stephen King adaptations

However, there are exceptions to every rule. As a filmmaker, there are several options for a successful King adaptation. Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining made drastic changes to the source material to bring the book to the screen. While King might hate Kubrick’s adaptation, an exact recreation of the book would have done terribly (see the 1997 television version for proof). The original The film Carrie works because the supernatural elements are more intellectual than visual. Misery was a success because it was one of King’s few horror films without supernatural elements.

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Experience obscure psychological thrillers with your uninterested friends

If your favorite horror movie is “The Cremator,” that’s great! It’s totally cool if you’re a David Lynch lover (like me) and want to see Inland Empire this October. But please, for goodness sake, know your audience. The last thing you want to be is the person trying to explain Juraj Herz to a group of people who couldn’t care less.

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Japanese horror

For every insufferable friend who tells you that horror movies don’t scare them, there’s a J-horror movie that will make them shiver. The 1960s gave us some folkloric horror classics like Onibaba and Jigoku, both of which revolve around religion, sex and ancient legends. What people are most familiar with is the vibrant J-Horror era of the late ’90s, which included films like Cure, Perfect Blue and Ring.

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“The Thing” (1981)

“The thing” is not a bad film. It has wonderful practical effects, builds tension very well and has an iconic monster. But every time I rewatch the film, I spend almost all 109 minutes wishing I was watching Alien. It’s no surprise that just two years after the huge success of Alien, someone thought of remaking The Thing from Another World. To put it simply: If I watch a sci-fi horror film set in a remote location with an ensemble of scientists and an alien picking them off one by one, that’s “Alien.” ”

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“Alien” (1979)

It’s a bit like “The Thing” but better.

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Sequels and reboots

Somehow the gate to the Upside Down has opened again. Now we pan over the characters’ shocked faces as the audience gasps. A bad horror sequel is a very special kind of horror. In most cases, the soullessness of the script is far scarier than the monster that has somehow returned from the dead. These sequels rarely work because almost every horror film is also a mystery. Why are we here again if the mystery is solved?

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Funny horror films

Who says scary movies can’t be fun? It can be nice to take a break from the dark, disturbing horror stories and embrace the absurd. Although “Scream” and “Hausu” come from different decades and countries, they both poke fun at their own genre. These films prioritize humor over fear, although they still contain a handful of creative scares. Tim Burton films like Beetlejuice can also be a good choice if you need something cleverer than Scary Movie or its sequels.

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“Last Night in Soho” (2021), “The Menu” (2022)

Jordan Peele’s political satire Get Out is a rare case of a great film with an unfortunate impact on the film industry. Now every idiot in Hollywood thinks they can incorporate modern social issues into their horror films as masterfully as Peele. In these films, themes such as the dangers of capitalism, sexism, or other real-world horrors are presented to the audience and subtly lost. While horror films and political commentary work well together in some cases, many modern attempts prove clumsy and one-dimensional.

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Movies at local theaters in Boston

In the age of at-home streaming, movie theaters are struggling. There are some wonderful little theaters in Boston, such as: Coolidge Corner And The Brattle. The latter offers student discounts and both cinemas are showing classic horror films this month. Unfortunately, AMC is making little effort to bring back horror classics, so support your local theaters!

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“Bone Tomahawk” (2015)

This genre-bending horror western is undoubtedly creative, but has some questionable antagonists. After the protagonist’s blonde, blue-eyed wife is kidnapped by what appears to be a Native American tribe, key members of the town must come together to rescue her. The “Troglodyte” tribe has all the harmful and racist stereotypes of Native Americans, but is technically considered separate from the local Native American community. The rest of the film consists of savage cannibalistic warriors (but remember, they’re not Native Americans) fighting the heroic white cowboys. Seems a bit dated if you ask me.

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“The Innocents” (1961)

Written by Truman Capote, this screenplay follows nanny Miss Giddens, who is tasked with caring for two unusual children in her absent uncle’s mansion. With a history of premature deaths linked to the house and troubling behavior from the children, Miss Giddens begins to question their safety and sanity. Although the film is not well known today, it had a huge impact on the horror genre with its revolutionary cinematography and lighting technology.

And a few final thoughts…

Just as a good horror film can become an instant favorite, the films that don’t work can be anywhere between hilarious and downright painful. But fear not; You won’t go wrong with this guide to scary movies. Please choose wisely this October and look out for American remakes of Japanese films.