Halloween season is fast approaching. For many, this means snuggling on the couch and putting on a classic scary movie. As you browse the streaming options, you will find the same five horror movies and a myriad of sequels. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a classic. Scream is one of my favorite movies of all time! But watching the same old slashers (each with a slightly different group of protagonist teenagers) can get boring and repetitive. So, to cure your endless struggle to find something new to watch, here are ten of my favorite underrated horror movies to mix up your watchlist this Halloween season.
#1 – My Bloody Valentine (1981) Dir. George Mihalka
Alright, I admit this one isn’t the most underrated movie ever. However, it’s often neglected from classic horror lists. My Bloody Valentine is a Canadian film with an iconic villain and amazing practical effects. The movie centers around Valentine Bluffs, a sleepy mining town with a troubled past. After an incident that ended with the death of miners with a lone survivor, the town decided to stop its annual Valentine’s Day dance. When the town reinstates it, threatening messages come courtesy of the survivor who was rumored to be dead. With witty dialogue, iconic kills, and all the hallmarks of an 80’s slasher, My Bloody Valentine is a movie that just worms its way into your heart.
My rating: 3½ /5
Letterboxd rating: 3/5
#2 – Battle Royale (2000) Dir. Kinji Fukasaku
No, it is not about Fortnite. Although, it inspired it! Battle Royale is a Japanese horror movie that follows a class of ninth graders left on a deserted island and forced to kill each other until there is a sole survivor. This movie is full of iconic moments and characters that continue to inspire the horror movie industry, to this day. It spawned a new horror genre and inspired later “killing game” media like Saw, Danganronpa, and The Hunger Games. Do not let the fact that it is in Japanese scare you away, Battle Royale is worth watching whether you prefer sub or dub.
My rating: 4 ½ /5
Letterboxd rating: ⅘
#3 – We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021) Dir. Jane Schoenbrun
Many might recognize Schoenbrun’s name from the 2024 film I Saw the TV Glow. Much like that film, World’s Fair is strange but entrancing. In the movie, Casey (Anna Cobb), a lonely teenager, gets immersed in an online horror roleplaying game, but the lines start to blur between real and imaginary the deeper she gets. Singer-songwriter Alex G created the soundtrack, which features little dialogue. Although the movie can drag on at times, it is well worth a watch especially if you, like Casey, are chronically online.
My rating: 3/5
Letterboxd rating: 3/5
#4 – A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) Dir. Ana Lily Amirpour
Dubbed “the first Iranian vampire western,” A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is anything but boring. The skater-feminist vampire titular character kills misogynists, takes their CDs, and looks cool doing it. While the movie is completely black and white, the cinematography is still stunning. It is one of my favorite parts.
My rating: 4/5
Letterboxd rating: 4/5
#5 – Sleepaway Camp (1983) Dir. Robert Hiltzik
No pun intended, Sleepaway Camp is so very camp. This movie follows a young girl sent to an overnight camp after a boating accident killed her sibling and father, and the series of killings that occur at the camp after her arrival. A-la 80’s fashion, all the guys wear crop tops, and all the girls look way overdressed for a summer camp. This, and other aspects of the movie such as funny dialogue and unconventional kills come together to form an equally funny yet terrifying horror movie with an unforgettable twist.
My rating: 3/5
Letterboxd rating: 3/5
#6 – Re-Animator (1985) Dir. Stuart Gordon
Re-Animator is an adaptation of a Lovecraft story that is considered by many to be a cult classic. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) conducts experiments bringing corpses back to life but is in for more than he bargained for when his creations take on a life of their own. This movie, one of my favorites on this list, is impressive not only in that it gives new life (pun intended) to the evil scientist genre but also that the special effects are practical and gory and awesome. Herbert West is a protagonist you want to punch and hug simultaneously, and Combs’ performance shines as a highlight of the movie.
My rating: 4/5
Letterboxd rating: 4/5
#7 – Rosemary’s Baby – (1968) Dir. Roman Polanski
Neighbors can be the worst, and no film depicts this quite like Rosemary’s Baby. One could argue that this movie is popular and therefore does not belong on the list. However, its popularity lies with the older generation of horror fans, and especially with the prequel movie Apartment 7A that just came out, there’s no time like the present to introduce it to a newer audience. Rosemary’s Baby is a haunting psychological thriller about what happens when a young woman loses her bodily agency and her crazy neighbors make her life even worse. Though this movie isn’t big on death and gore, it’s terrifying nonetheless. Rosemary’s Baby is certainly a movie that leaves a lasting impression.
My rating: 5/5
Letterboxd rating: 4/5
#8 – Pontypool (2008) Dir. Bruce McDonald
What if there was a zombie infection spread by sound? This is the premise of Pontypool, a movie where a small radio station tries all it can to warn its listeners of the impending apocalypse. The zombie genre can be tired, but Pontypool breathes new life into the genre with a unique form of infection. Speech is the enemy in this movie and leaves the characters with little choice but to reinvent language itself. With memorable characters and an interesting plot, Pontypool will leave you tongue-tied.
My rating: 3½/5
Letterboxd rating: 3/5
#9 – Fresh (2022) Dir. Mimi Cave
Fresh is the story of a meet-cute (or should I say… meat-cute) gone wrong. After Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) finds the supposed love of her life in a grocery store, things turn dark as she’s held captive for a black market human meat trade. Fresh is witty, ironic, and unfortunately realistic. Both Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones deliver amazing performances and have amazing chemistry on screen. The movie is fast-paced and exciting, and the ending is one of the most satisfying endings to a horror movie I’ve ever seen.
My rating: 4/5
Letterboxd rating: 3½/5
#10 – The Cabin in the Woods (2011) Dir. Drew Goddard
In The Cabin in the Woods, a group of cliche horror teens spend the weekend at a remote cabin. They don’t know that the spooky occurrences happening to them are part of a larger conspiracy with sacrifices on an even larger scale. The Cabin in the Woods is meta but not too smart for its good. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, this movie explains every horror cliche ever but does so creatively and funnily. This movie is one you can rewatch indefinitely, and will certainly change the way you watch horror movies from here on out.
My rating: 4/5
Letterboxd rating: 3 ½ /5
With Freddy, Jason, Ghostface, and Chucky’s dominion in the horror genre, it can be hard to find good movies that aren’t a spin-off or a sequel. I hope that I have at the very least encouraged you to explore the expansive horror genre, to branch out and find a new favorite hidden gem. However, this list isn’t an end-all-be-all, and what I like might not be for you, and you should research content warnings before you watch. Horror is a vast and unique genre, and exploring new directors and franchises can prove beneficial–you might find the next Wes Craven or Dracula.
