Devin Meenan, Arts and Life Editor – There’s no better season to watch horror movies than the year’s spookiest month: October. Now, there’s plenty of famous horror movies most every non-coward has seen, from genre masterpieces like “The Shining” and “Halloween” to schlock classics like “A Nightmare On Elm Street” or “Friday The 13th.” However, today, I want to spotlight more obscure or lesser loved entries in the genre.
“Alien: Covenant” (2017) – Hulu
Probably not the “Alien” you were expecting, but I want to go to bat for director Ridley Scott’s most recent and underrated follow-up to his 1979 masterpiece. Half gnarly horror movie, half treatise on creation, “Covenant” is hampered by its occasional “going through the motions” plotting, but remains anchored by Michael Fassbender’s rapturous performance as android-turned-mad-scientist David all the way through to an ending so stunningly, brutally nihilistic for a tentpole film that applause is the only appropriate reaction. Give us a sequel, Disney!
“Dead Ringers” (1988) – Tubi
Having the same actor play two parts is a rote gimmick, but David Cronenberg’s “Dead Ringers” contains one of the only examples where I genuinely felt as if I was watching two distinct actors. Jeremy Irons, excellent as always only doubly so, stars as twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle who share everything in life – an apartment, a profession, and their patients (in more sense than one). When the more demure Beverly begins an exclusive relationship with actress Claire (Geneviève Bujold), it kicks off a shared descent into madness for both twins. “Dead Ringers” is a more psychologically-focused horror film for Cronenberg, who’s otherwise renowned for his body horror films, and it’s unsettling yet also touching to the final scene.
“The Descent” (2005) – Tubi
Neil Marshall’s “The Descent” focuses on six women who, after one of their number Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) suffers a personal tragedy, unite for a spelunking vacation in the Appalachian mountains. Some misdirection leads them down the wrong path, however, and they’re soon besieged by cave-dwelling monsters as they carry on their march into the unknown in the vain hope of escape. “The Descent” plays on some of the most primal fears in the book – darkness, claustrophobia, being buried alive, loss of family, and, ultimately, loss of self, culminating in a truly chilling bait-and-switch of an ending note.
“Horror Of Dracula” (1958) & “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992) – Hulu/AMC+
I went back and forth over which “Dracula” to include, Terence Fisher’s 1958 version starring Sir Christopher Lee as the Count, or Francis Ford Coppola’s opulent 1992 take featuring Gary Oldman. In the end, I decided to have both, for I think 2 Dracula movies speak to the character and story’s fluidity. Indeed, despite broadly similar stories, these are two very different movies and two very different takes on the title character – the former is kitschy and well-made in spite of itself, the latter is a visual feast brought to the screen by one of American Cinema’s all-time masters. Likewise, Lee’s Dracula exudes sexuality but not romance, while Oldman’s is practically a Byronic Hero.
“The Host” (2006) – Hulu
Director Bong Joon-Ho captured hearts and minds across the globe with “Parasite” (2019), but he had many great accomplishments under his belt prior. One of these is “The Host” – after an aquatic monster created by river pollution abducts a young girl Park Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung), her family, particularly her father Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) set out to rescue her, in spite of bureaucratic interference. Like “Parasite,” “The Host” demonstrates Bong’s ability to tell stories grounded in his native Korean culture which still resonate universally – you’ll even be able to overlook the less-than-convincing effects used to bring the monster to life
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978) – Showtime
It’s rare that a remake so utterly surpasses the original, but that’s what Philip Kaufman’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” update does. Set in 1970s San Francisco, “Body Snatchers” is a film animated by and afflicted by post-Watergate paranoia and the general social discontent of the era in which it was made. That’s not to say the film’s a relic; it’s just as scary now as it was back then, with craftsmanship and acting at least one pay grade above what you’d expect to see in a remake of a 1950s B-Movie.
“The Night of the Hunter” (1955) – Amazon
Charles Laughton’s only film as a director, “The Night Of The Hunter” is a southern gothic fairy tale (“Hansel & Gretel” stands out as a particular influence) – it’s also a reminder of just how scary fairy tales can be. Robert Mitchum plays Harry Powell, a psychopath disguised as a preacher who discovers his cellmate Ben Harper hid a stolen sum of $10,000 before his arrest. Once Harper’s executed and Powell’s released, the latter seduces the former’s wife Willa in hopes of learning the money’s location; it’s not long before Willa’s at the bottom of a river while Powell’s chasing her two children, and the money along with them, down the Ohio River. Cinematographer Stanley Cortez does an excellent job using shadows to terrifying effect, with some frames feeling downright expressionistic, but at the end of the day, it’s Mitchum’s performance of pure menace that’ll send the sharpest shiver up your spine.
“Peeping Tom” (1960) – Amazon Prime
Released the same year as and overshadowed by the similarly voyeuristic proto-slasher “Psycho” (1960), “Peeping Tom” tells the tale of photographer/serial killer Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm), who films his victims’ final expressions before he ends their lives. It’s easy for horror to age poorly, so “Peeping Tom” is doubly impressive for striking a creepy note six decades on. In particular, there’s the opening scene where Mark films his murder of a prostitute; the woman’s face as fate approaches her is one of the most terrifying images I’ve ever seen captured on film.
“Prince Of Darkness” (1987) – Amazon
It’s not common for horror films to sustain a sense of continuous dread throughout their entire runtime, but “Prince of Darkness” beats the odds. When an unnamed priest (Donald Pleasance) discovers both a warning and a mysterious green cylinder beneath an abandoned church, he recruits a physics professor and his students to help him investigate. The group is soon beset by apocalyptic portents that quickly, and lethally, escalate. Frightening in spite of the story’s inherent schlock, “Prince Of Darkness” is a B-movie with A+ craftsmanship; in other words, it’s a John Carpenter film.
“Ready Or Not” (2019) – HBO
On Grace’s (Samara Weaving) wedding night, she discovers that her freshly-minted in-laws, the Le Domas, require her to play a game to complete her initiation into the family. After Grace picks Hide and Seek from a random draw, she discovers the game is more dangerous than she’d expected, and the night turns into a fight for her survival. “Ready or Not” is genuinely funny, with an uproarious third act, while Samara Weaving as Grace turns out to be the most badass bride this side of “Kill Bill.”
“Return Of The Living Dead” (1985) – Cinemax
As you might’ve already guessed, “Return Of The Living Dead” owes a great debt to “Night Of The Living Dead” – the former posits that the events of the latter were (loosely) based on true events, with the zombies in “Return” being accidentally-awoken leftovers from “Night.” More of a horror-comedy than the straight horror of its predecessor, “Return” actually manages to be even scarier, owing to more intelligent and durable zombies, while remaining often downright hilarious. Plus, the whole film is brimming with an 80s punk rock aesthetic that can’t be beaten.
“Sinister” (2012) – AMC+
True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) moves his family into the recently-vacated house of a recently-murdered family, hoping to turn the case into his next big hit. Soon, he discovers a collection of snuff films stored away in his attic, a clue to the… well, sinister source of the murders. Hawke is not just one of our finest actors but one of our most dedicated, always giving his all no matter how shoddy the movie around him is – that commitment does “Sinister” wonders. Hawke gives the film an emotional grounding so many studio horror films lack, for we care about Ellison as more than just a vehicle to uncover the mystery or experience jump scares.
“Suspiria” (1977) – Kanopy
Few films feel as dreamlike as Dario Argento’s “Suspiria,” but your own dreams will be bereft of bliss once you witness it. The film follows Suzy Bannon (Jessica Harper), a young American dancer who leaves home to attend a ballet school in Freiburg, Germany; after she learns of the recent death of a student just prior to her arrival, she slowly discovers the school is home to a great, ancient evil. A nightmare drenched by vibrancy, with a truly ethereal score by Italian band Goblin, “Suspiria” is a film that demands to be experienced more than it does to be understood.