My 5 Favourite Horror Movies

Halloween is upon us and I wanted to share with you my five favourite horror films. I am a huge horror fan. Horror books, horror movies, horror everything - I just love it. It has to be well done though - no medium rare horror here. I've already shared my list of books for this year in which we tackle five recent books and check out why they are so great - but I don't think I've shared my five favourite horror films.

I will not be including The Rocky Horror Picture Show because:

a) it appears on the list of my favourite films of all time already and that's not fair on other movies

b) it would appear at number one on this list and that's also not fair on other movies

c) it's not strictly speaking a horror movie - it's more like a musical comedy

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I also won't be including Interview with the Vampire because it already appears on my 'favourite movies of all time' list.

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And once again, I won't be including An American Werewolf in London even though it is a fantastic movie and would definitely make it on to the list. It's mainly because it is more of a comedy movie in the Rocky Horror sense in which it makes fun of common horror tropes rather than uses them to scare.

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So, let's take a look at my five favourite horror films of all time...

Note: these are, of course subject to change if something *amazing* were to perhaps come out this year. But there is not a great chance of that happening due to the age of several of these movies

My 5 Favourite Horror Movies

5. Midsommar (2019)

As you know, I am a particular fan of folk horror and this is about as folk horror as the modern age will get. I always have an urge to watch this film again around the Halloween season and that's mainly because I want to go through and pick out all of the symbolism. The ending is simply cinematic and it is probably less frightening and more artistic in its nature. I'm not going to lie - it definitely feels like a copy of The Wicker Man - if the earlier movie was not terribly intimidating. But where the scares don't quite jump out, the atmosphere and folkish nature definitely makes up for it. This film was absolutely incredible and is definitely worth a rewatch.

4. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Back some years' ago there was a time where I watched this film every Saturday. I can't tell you why but I absolutely love the way this film feels. There's the way in which the hallway changes decor, the spelling out of Valak's name in the Warren home, even the song I Started a Joke by the Bee Gees that is used as one of the soundtrack songs. The Conjuring 2 may not be the scariest film out there but as far as filmmaking goes, it is definitely my kind of movie. It has basically everything to become my comfort movie.

3. The Woman in Black (2012)

Talking about comfort movies, we have another one of my absolute favourite winter-night films: The Woman in Black. I love the fact that it's a period piece, it feels all dark and uncomfortable, everything is old and falling apart and, at the centre there is a folkish tale of a woman who is seen walking around the town. Arthur Kipps doesn't know what's hit him. It might be a bit different to the book, yes, but I still love it all the same. Again, I would count this in the 'folk horror' subgenre.

2. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)

You can't go wrong with a classic. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is a movie I talk about often because there really aren't very many movies like it. It is dark and intense, it has atmosphere and the discomfort is quite literally in the jagged setting. The character of Cesare is a brilliant villainous personality and yet, there is still a twist to be learned. In basically what was the first ever psychological horror, this movie really set the damn bar. Terrifying, chilling and eerie, this shadowy horror leaves us all with a creeping feeling.

Honourable Mentions!

- Psycho (1960)

- Misery (1990)

- Onibaba (1964)

- Vampyr (1932)

- Nosferatu (1922)

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1. The Wicker Man (1973)

Oh don't look so shocked. The Wicker Man is an amazing movie and it has such a great storyline. It feels like a lot of fun but the deeper you dig, the more you realise it's actually quite messed up. I love the rural setting, the masks, the weird things that take place and the atmosphere. The newer one starring Nicolas Cage really didn't do it for me - it just didn't have the same vibe as the old one. The original definitely gives that quality that there's something up, but the audience knows what it is. The newer one...not so much. I don't mind rewatching The Wicker Man over and over again. It is simply a brilliant horror movie.