Seven Horror Movies I'm Watching This October

How frightful!

Blows dust off blog

Happy spooky month! Halloween was known as the devil's holiday in my Baptist household, so I didn't grow up anticipating pumpkin carvings, dressing up, or trick or treating. The first time I dressed up for Halloween, I was a freshman in college. I was Dora the Explorer. Since then, I've dressed up two other times, as Morticia Adams(ish) and as an undead witch.

Halloween (and October to a lesser extent) marks the beginning of the holiday season for me. The run from October 31st to January 1st is my favorite time of the year. The air is electric, fun, and exciting.

Sidenote: the Victoria's Secret Fashion show is back?! Listen, I found out about this a few hours ago (October 15th) and got hit by a wave of nostalgia. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was a staple of my holiday season as a teen. It was appointment tv (while mom chided me and the models). I'll have to check out the show for old time's sake!

Back to spooky season. Although celebrating Halloween was forbidden, we were allowed to watch scary movies. Mom's lowkey a movie buff. This isn't where I tell you what my favorite scary movie is, as I've never thought about it. I've seen the first two Chucky movies (yes, that's what they're called). The first scary movie I ever watched was either Child's Play or Poltergeist. I've also seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a few of the Micheal Meyers films, a few of the Jason films, Final Destinations 1-3, Rosemary's Baby, House on Haunted Hill, Jeepers Creepers, and actually a lot more.

But there are plenty of horror movies I've never seen, both those that are considered classics in the genre and the newer offerings.

So last year, I started a series called October Scaries. The goal is to watch horror movies that I've never seen before. Last October, I watched 13 and reviewed them on Tiktok and YouTube. This year, I'm watching seven. There are four requirements when I'm creating the watchlist: 1) at least one movie is led by a Black character, 2) at least one is a foreign horror film, 3) at least one is considered an American classic, 4) at least one premiered in the 90s or earlier.

Here are the seven horror movies I'm watching this October:

1. The Brood (1979) | Canadian

2. The Platform (2019) | Spanish

3. The Descent (2005) | British

4. The Platform 2 (2024) | Spanish

5. The People Under the Stairs (1991) | American

6. Barbarian (2022) | American

7. Silence of the Lambs (1991) | American

I've watched up to The People Under the Stairs, but I've only posted reviews for The Brood and The Platform, because I upload every Thursday night. Today, my review of The Descent will be posted. I review movies and tv shows from a sociocultural lens. I focus on how both marginalized and centered identities are represented and what societal/hierarchical messages are reinforced or subverted through the story.

You can watch the October Scaries '24 playlist on my YouTube channel.

To give you a preview, my quick and dirty review of the movies so far are:

1. The Brood is a thin story that has one notable scene.

2. The Platform is an amazing story that shows different ways people navigate an oppressive, violent system.

3. The Descent started off so freaking well and then went off the rails. One out of five stars!!! I still have strong feelings. You can listen to them tonight!

4. The Platform 2 is not a good sequel. It doesn't hit in any of the ways the first one did. Dare I say they shouldn't have bothered?

5. The People Under the Stairs is very good. Captivating, if a bit long.

If you're curious about the 13 movies I watched last year, fear not. They were:

1. The Shining (1980) | American

2. Doctor Sleep (2019) | American

3. The Mill (2023) | American

4. Night of the Living Dead (1968) | American

5. Ma (2019) | American

6. Eyes Without a Face (1960) | French

7. Train to Busan (2016) | South Korean

8. Master (2022) | American

9. Wendell and Wild (2022) | American

10. Midsommar (2019) | American/Swedish

11. Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) | American

12. The Skeleton Key (2005) | American

13. Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) | American

You can catch the playlist here!

Similar to last year, I'm watching the films with my sister and friend, and we're having a lot of fun. My only regret is that real life responsibilities kept me from making a list of 13. I hope to be back at full strength next October!

What scary movies are on your watchlist this spooky season? What are your top three favorite scary movies?