Halloween is just around the corner, and the most sacred tradition among our Anglo-Saxon friends is watching horror movies and eating handfuls of candy. Obviously, it’s the perfect occasion to combine munchies, pumpkin blunts and your passion for the sofa.
Here’s a small selection of films with horrific themes, from the least scary to the most terrifying, so you can avoid any risk of a Bad Trip.
Hotel Transylvania.
Scare factor: 1/10
It’s cute, it’s funny and it’s full of monsters, each more endearing than the last. The film that recounts the adventures of Dracula (dubbed by Adam Sandler) in his hotel, which is off-limits to humans. It’s the sweetest of all Halloween films, but it’s no less indispensable for being directed by the creator of Samurai Jack and Super Nanas. It’s top-notch animation for the whole family.
Cabin In The Woods.
Scare factor: 3/10
This is not a horror film. Not surprising when you consider that it’s the brainchild of Joss Whedon, who wrote and produced it. Joss Whedon is the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and director of the first Avengers. In this film, which at first seems very clichéd, we follow a group of young people who go away for the weekend to a cottage threatened by evil forces. Without spoiling the whole film, I can tell you that the sequel is as surprising and entertaining as the beginning is clichéd. It’s the biggest cinematic twist of the 2000’s. The film even features a Stoner character who’s much smarter and more resourceful than expected (which has to be my favorite character).
Jason X.
Scare factor: 5/10
This film is the perfect example of “too bad not to be great”. It follows Jason, our relentless and almost indestructible killer (who, it should be remembered, later fought on equal terms with Freddy Kruger) as he is sent into space and… groomed to be even more powerful. It’s absurd, gory and so much fun. What if the true spirit of Halloween was gratuitous violence?
Hellraiser II.
Scare factor: 7/10
Hellraiser 2 is a milestone in horror film history, one of the last blockbusters to come out of an independent, subversive universe. It’s a film filled with Cenobites (demons with deformed flesh) in epic battles against all-too-fallible humans. It’s also the last in the series to benefit from the expertise of Clive Barker, the author behind this Judeo-Bdsm universe, which gives it a far more piquant flavor. The Disney+ remake (with Pinehead as Disney Princess, WTF?.) is very successful.
Rec. Scare factor: 8/10
Rec is the enfant terrible of the Blair Witch Project and Romero’s Zombie films. The opportunity to follow the first-person adventures of a TV crew in a building beset by dark forces. Unlike Blair Witch, there’s a real build-up of power, and unlike Paranormal Activity, the actors really know how to act. So, in my opinion, this is the best horror film in its category.
Ring (the Japanese version)
This is the only film on this list that really shook me up. Watching Ring and getting high is an experience for the brave. It’s a Japanese horror tale based on several true stories of sudden, unexplained deaths. If you decide to watch the haunted cassette film, there are three rules: -The room must be dark -You must watch the Japanese version (much scarier) -You are not allowed to stop the film to “take a break”. The atmosphere during filming was so intense that 4 technicians performed exorcisms at home after it was over. Are you up to the challenge?
