A Scaredy-Cat’s Guide to the Horror Movie Season

By Cadyn Hollingsworth ‘25

With the weather cooling and the Halloween decorations going up, it’s the perfect season for a good scary movie. However, many of us may find ourselves shying away from this tradition out of fear. Getting scared by movies is certainly an acquired taste, but can be fun for anyone if done the right way.

Starting light, there are tons of comedies that are technically horror but lean heavier on the laughs for entertainment. Horror comedies are a great way to ease into the getting scared experience with less risk, and get you in the Halloween spirit. Plus, they offer a particularly fun atmosphere when watching in a group. These horror comedies are some of my favorites and are great for beginners:

• Young Frankenstein
• Beetlejuice
• Zombieland
• Shaun of the Dead
• Little Shop of Horrors

If you’re ready for a step up, classic horror movies are another great way to dip your toes in the water. This time, these movies are truly trying to be scary but are not as terrifying by today’s standards, either because they are slightly dated or were busy innovating new ways to be haunting rather than perfecting them. Classic Universal monsters are always a safe bet but my particular recommendations are:

• Psycho
• Frankenstein + Bride of Frankenstein (double creature feature!)
• Eyes Without a Face
• Dracula
• Nosferatu or Phantom of the Opera for silent films

If you’re still going strong, it’s time to figure out what scares you the most and pick movies that will steer you away from them. For example, psychological horror is a terrible subgenre to watch if you’re scared the most by human bad-guys and unsettling atmospheres, but if it’s jumpscares you can’t handle then it’s not a terrible way to go. For many, psychological horror may be a good way to ease into the genre because the lighter ones often play like thrillers or crime dramas with added haunting elements. Good examples of this include:

• The Sixth Sense
• Silence of the Lambs
• Get Out
• Green Room
• The Black Phone

     But maybe creepy environments and disturbed killers are what scare you the most. If that’s the case, supernatural scares probably won’t bother you so much because they’re not realistic the way crazed humans are. If this sounds like you, some calmer but entertaining supernatural horror movies for you are:

• Let the Right One In
• Poltergeist
• The Others
• Crimson Peak
• Interview With a Vampire

     Regardless of what scares you and what doesn’t, watching with friends will almost always lighten the mood, and spoiling yourself can help as well (the website Where’s the Jump provides the description and time stamps of all jump scares in many popular horror films). So being a Scaredy-Cat shouldn’t be an excuse for not divulging in some fun horror movies, there’s a horror movie out there that should suit your taste. Why not push your comfort zone a little this Halloween and try them out?