Arrowhead Scares: Part 3

These last two weeks I talked about some local hauntings and “monsters” around here. Because it’s the middle of a pandemic right now, it wouldn’t be the safest thing to go out and look at these haunted places, especially since some are tourist attractions. Reading scary stories is fun, sure, but a lot of people prefer to watch some spooky movies. Here are a few recommendations for horror/thriller movies to watch! Some of these will be graphic as they are horror movies, so watch at your own risk.

Coraline (2009)

This stop-motion film is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman. A lot of people will discredit animation as being a good medium for horror, but Coraline’s story is undeniably creepy and the use of animation strongly helps the narrative. Coraline is an 11-year-old girl who moves to an old mansion turned into apartments. Understandably, she’s upset with her parents for moving her away from her friends and home. When she gets access to the Other World, she meets idealistic versions of the people living in the apartments. She begins to fall in love with the Other World, not realizing the risks until it’s too late. It’s an amazing film! I’d dedicate every movie on this to animated Halloween movies but animation isn’t everyone’s favorite medium. Of course, Tim Burton movies are a staple if you’d like some more (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, etc). 

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is an insanely powerful movie that is even more powerful if you watch it in, well, a quiet place. Turn off the lights, get rid of any distracting things or noises, and focus entirely on watching it. It’s the closest you’ll get to see it in a movie theater, most likely, which is the best way to view it. After indestructible aliens take over Earth, most of humanity dies because the aliens locate you by sound. A family was able to survive without speaking because their daughter was born deaf, so they all knew American Sign Language. They walk nearly soundlessly through their town while scavenging for supplies. There’s almost no sound. No film score, only the people moving through the set. It’s terrifying and emotional and an amazing film overall.

It (2017)

It is one of my favorites! The main cast of characters is relatable and each is well fleshed out. Pennywise is a memorable villain and actually pretty creepy compared to some others. The main character makes a yellow sailboat out of paper for his younger brother on a rainy day. The younger brother takes it out onto the street, however, it floats into a storm drain where he meets Pennywise, the clown. Pennywise lures the boy closer, trying to give him the boat, only to horrifically kill him. The older brother and a group of “weird” kids from the town join together as the “Loser’s Club” to search for the children that had been going missing and to find out the mystery of their hometown. It perfectly balances a good story with creepy visuals and amazing acting by the actors and actresses cast.

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s works as a director are insanely good. Get Out was his first directed film, released in February of 2017, and it didn’t disappoint. Get Out is one of the best modern horror movies out there, with an unpredictable plot that pulls you in even after the credits are done rolling. It’s about a black photographer who goes to visit his white girlfriend’s family for the first time and realizes they’re not exactly normal. Even the house and groundskeepers are acting oddly towards him. During his stay, he experiences increasingly disturbing things, such as hypnosis and finding out the truth about his girlfriend’s family. If you haven’t seen it already, you really won’t expect what happens at any point. Every time I thought something would happen, it felt like the complete opposite would happen next. Peele’s other film, Us, is an amazing watch, too.

Hush (2016)

Hush is similar to A Quiet Place in that the main character is deaf. If you find yourself begging the main characters of horror movies to just have some common sense, Hush can boast a main character who can actually think and outsmart her enemies. She lives alone, isolated in the woods, to work on her career as an author. A lot of the beginning of this relies on surprise, so the only plot I’ll give you is that the main character is deaf and has to struggle against a murderer who can hear her even though she can’t hear him. The greatest incentive to watch it is that she knows how to think, as opposed to some characters featured in popular horror movies.