With Halloween right around the corner and the endless debates about how good modern horror films truly are, what better time is there to delve into the world of spooky movies — specifically some from the late 2010s to the 2020s.
“Midsommar” (2019) dir. Ari Aster
“Midsommar” isn’t a sci-fi film or a slasher, but instead focuses on something that could happen — accidentally joining a cult.
One of the joys of this film is that you could think that you wouldn’t be fooled into joining a cult, yet Aster pushes you into rooting for Danny and her choices. In doing so, you’re siding with the cult and fall for their comforting energy.
There are a bunch of different horror branches here, like body horror, that help to sell that sinking feeling audiences feel when watching.
The cast includes Florence Pugh, Will Poulter, Jack Reynor and William Jackson Harper.
“The Witch” (2015) dir. Robert Eggers
“The Witch” is a bit more obscure than the other films on this list. It’s a period piece set in New England just a few decades behind the Salem witch trials that’ll have you on the edge of your seat.
The film also sets up a bit of mystery. Just like the main characters, the audience doesn’t know who or what the witch could be — or if there even is one.
The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Harvey Scrimshaw and Kate Dickie.
“Parasite” (2019) dir. Bong Joon-ho
“Parasite” isn’t a typical horror film, instead what truly scares you are the actions of the characters and the anticipation of how they’re going to play out.
Apart from simply being a well thought out horror film, “Parasite” also adds existential questions and real-world issues we currently deal with including social class status differences on things that many wouldn’t even consider, in this case it’s rain.
The film stars Kang-ho Sang, Choi Woo-shik, Cho Yeo-jeong, Park So-dam and Lee Jung-eun.
“Nope” (2022) dir. Jordan Peele
While being about one of the classic horror tropes of aliens, “Nope” takes a more creative route that makes it different from other alien films. Instead of running headfirst into problems, our main character has to be talked into it.
While most classic alien films take place in a different time period or on different planets, “Nope” is really intriguing because it takes place in a modern California. Smart phones exist, yet we see how this fails to help during an alien encounter.
The film stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea and Steven Yeun.
“Hereditary” (2018) dir. Ari Aster
Another film by Ari Aster, “Hereditary” uses a genre classic of a haunting that plagues our main characters in their house.
One of the most suspenseful films in this list, “Hereditary” uses some common techniques like quick cuts and jump scares that work and don’t feel tacky. Each frame in this film has a significance — it is up to the audience to decipher it for themselves.
The film stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Gabriel Bryne and Milly Shapiro.
