I have a love/hate relationship with horror films, but I can't stop myself from watching them. I like a good scare and obviously, accumulating an excruciating number of sleepless nights. So here's a thread of reviews of some titles (in no particular order):

Let's start with an Australian one from 2008/2009, Lake Mungo. It's in the style of a mockumentary, that has a slow eerie buildup and a surreal style of storytelling. I thought it was fantastic.

Unfortunately, we watched this in an old house, that was very remote in a rural part of North Carolina. Naturally, we watched the film in the dark, so when we turned off the tv, I wasn't ready for the complete darkness outside. Let's just say, I really didn't sleep well.

It might be just a coincidence, but Anton Yelchin stars in some of my favorite horror films. Even though this is more of a supernatural thriller, Odd Thomas is one of my favorite titles to recommend. I might even dare to say, it'll easily become a cult classic.

The premise of the story is lackluster (it's adapted from a Dean Koontz novel, and he's bleh as a writer), but the acting and the directing were fantastic. It reminded me of a 90's horror film that I totally loved.

1996's horror classic The Frighteners, starring Michael J. Fox. Is it a 10/10 film that was consistently told well from beginning to end? Nah.
But was it super entertaining & have a great cast? Yep!
Was it also a precursor to Peter Jackson's amazing use of special effects? Yep!

I wouldn't call myself a film buff, I just really love it and watch a lot of titles. So my coworkers realize this fairly quickly and know who to discuss films with. Sometimes, I may get a great recommendation for a film I have yet to watch. The Witch was one of them.

Great horror films can either be gory and create obvious tension (Jeepers Creepers, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.), or they can brew an unsettling feeling of dread. Where you want to know what happens next but also scared to find out (The Shining, Sixth Sense, etc.).

The Witch really does a masterful job of storytelling and really draws the audience in to its world. With intense imagery and a deep exploration into the social construct of ethics, our depiction of evil, and our visceral reaction to the unknown, this film is a must watch.

I also love discovering underrated gems, be it through my own browsing or through editorial lists. Sometimes they're not great lists, it's largely subjective, just like this thread, and tastes differ. But they do have some great titles that you may have missed.

One such film that I largely ignored but decided to give a shot after seeing it appear on a few recommendation lists was Cabin in the Woods. I thought it was going to be campy like The Last House on the Left (70's version is worth a watch, remake, not so much), but I was wrong.

It follows horror films of the 2000's with the quick fright and cheap thrills, but the setup was "devilishly" creative and was very entertaining. It reminded me of The Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, which I really liked (y'all should watch Ash vs Evil Dead, fun tv series).

Now let's talk about some titles that may surface as recommendations while you're searching for what to watch this Halloween. But they're really not good, like they're not worth the effort or time to watch, and I put in the time to watch them so you don't have to.

I love bad movies. Sometimes the premise is so dumb, the acting is really weak or the quality is so bad, that it's just fun to watch. But there's films that are just not good. As Above, So Below is one of them. The premise was interesting, but the film was 2004's Catwoman awful.

Fans of the film The Descent might think it would vibe because its similar plot, but it isn't. The Descent was scary, like curl your toes and shut your eyes scary. The horror was effective and nothing like As Above, So Below.

Another title you'll see on some lists is Jennifer's Body. The teen horror genre is crammed with all sorts of films, generally the box office titles are notorious for being atrociously bad. This film did not escape that fate.

Some films in the same genre that you might've missed, and that I recommend that you should watch are Ginger Snaps, a Canadian werewolf flick from 2000, and "The Raft" in 1987's horror anthology, Creepshow 2.

If I'm going to mention a werewolf flick, I should also mention these obvious titles, that you should watch if you haven't already: An American Werewolf in London, Teen Wolf, Underworld, Dog Soldiers, The Howling, Wolf, Late Phases, and Howl.

I'm sure everyone (my age or older) grew up watching teen vampire films like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Lost Boys, Fright Night, and My Best Friend is a Vampire, but did y'all watch Once Bitten?

It's cheesy, it's fun, it doesn't really fit into the horror genre; it's a typical 80's teen movie with vampires. Plus, Jim Carrey stars as the main character and his comedic chops always reminds me of how much I enjoyed watching it as a child.

Another vampire flick from the 80's that you might've missed though, is Near Dark. It is spooky and menacing, and it's such a great addition to the genre. It's a forerunner to John Carpenter's Vampires or From Dusk Till Dawn, for its use of gore and fright, but executed better.

I mention some other vampire films in another thread, but I think there are more titles worth mentioning https://twitter.com/peetahbooty/status/1312454927294369792?s=20

If you love films like Nosferatu, Bram Stoker's Dracula, or Shadow of the Vampire, you probably have also watched Daughters of Darkness. It is stylish, it fits in the mold of gothic noir, and what we think today of the sexy vampire archetype, I feel like it originated it.

Okay, now everyone's favorite sub-genre: zombies.

Of course, there's obvious titles that y'all should watch like Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, World War Z, Dawn of the Dead (og & remake), Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, and Train to Busan.

But let's discuss how 28 Days Later is the best zombie movie of all time. It takes the best parts of folklore and modern interpretations, but redefines it. It represents a realistic pandemic and captures peril in a way that more modern zombie films after it try to include.

28 Days Later coming out in the early 2000s, really reinvigorated and changed the genre for the better. It allowed for clever story telling, changes to the tone and variety within the horror genre, and even an elevated form of horror.

Indie horror films really set the tone for future bigger films. Like 28 Days Later, Lake Mungo, and The Descent, you see a change in the types of horror films that become super popular and successful.

Films like Get Out or A Quiet Place, two titles that I think deserve their massive success, but indie titles really set the precedent. What I'm saying is, watch more indie films!

Taking a quick departure from the typical stuff, here are some films that count as horror but they're not all scary. Everyone has exhaustively watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hotel Transylvania, and Ghostbusters, but here are a few titles you may have not.

Paranorman. It's a great and entertaining addition to the animated horror genre, it has all of the spooky but non-terrifying elements that Disney films popularized, but it really outshines through its storyline and unique approach to animation.

Another fun animated title is Monster House. It's fun and entertaining, plus my nephews and nieces really loved it when they were younger.

One film that people are still discovering and being delighted by for the first time, is Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein. I absolutely love this movie. Gene Wilder is terrific and Brooks' comedic writing is unmatched. It's deservingly a cult classic and easily a 10/10 from me.

Other notable titles in the horror/comedy genre are Beetlejuice, Return of the Killer Tomatoes, Monster Squad, Casper, Gremlins, Tremors, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. But one that some miss, is Dead Alive.

It is laugh out loud funny. It does and doesn't take the horror elements seriously, and is chaotic in the best way possible.

I guess, before the thread goes back to frightening horror titles, here are some more family friendly titles that I recommend:
Goosebumps, Halloweentown, Little Monsters, Haunted Mansion, Coraline, and of course, Hocus Pocus.