Seasons change, our obsession with horror never gets old! Everyone has already gotten their Halloween plans in order. Still, there’s always another story worth snuggling up with, another nightmare waiting to unfold, and another cinematic world ready to pull us in. In response to the season’s call, we couldn’t help but give in. We never get enough of horror films! So, here’s a curation worth diving into.
1. Smile 2 (2024)
Naomi Scott stars as Skye Riley in Smile 2 (2024). Photo by Barbara Nitke / Paramount Pictures © 2024.
As a sequel, Smile 2 follows Skye Riley, a rising pop queen who has certain issues related to her dead-end career and her private life, which is jumbled up with fame. Looking for someone to rely on, she falls victim to a dire curse upon her sanity. In fact, every person around her suddenly put on a macabre smile. In this case, the film opens up multiple interpretations of horror through the pressure on an artist to maintain a perfect image, and the final decision comes down to the viewer.
2. The Substance (2024)
Demi Moore in The Substance (2024) / MUBI © 2024
The substance concealed within its vessels promises always a fresh beginning, but nature cannot be deceived forever. Time has other plans, replacing what once captivated the world with something new. For Elisabeth Sparkle, the writing is on the wall as her aging appearance draws brutal reactions, pushing her to summon a greater version of herself. Her obsession with perfection and disregard for the natural balance lead to body horror at its finest.
3. Funny Games (1997-2007)
The Egg Scene. Funny Games (1997) / WEGA Filmproduktion ©
In Michael Haneke’s Funny Games, the eggs are anything but innocent, evoking a disturbing sense of corruption that feels ingrained from birth. Rather than relying on conventional horror tropes, Haneke builds terror through psychological manipulation, unsettling silences, and the casual cruelty of his intruders. What begins as an ordinary family getaway spirals into a twisted game where the rules keep shifting and no one is truly in control. Michael Haneke took the director’s chair once again for the American adaptation of his original film.
4. Ready or Not (2019-2026)
Samara Weaving stars as Grace in Ready or Not (2019) / Fox Searchlight Pictures © 2019.
Marriage kills romance? Well, I don’t think so. But is this how it’s going to be from day one? You should be ready for everything marriage brings. I bet you’ve never seen a family as chaotic as Grace’s in-laws, who have in mind that she has to be killed before dawn as part of a deadly wedding game. Happily ever after has always been lame, which is probably why everyone wants to believe it’s supposed to be magical. The sequel is also highly engaging!
5. Misery (1990)
Kathy Bates stars as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990) / Castle Rock Entertainment © 1990.
For Roland Barthes, a text finds its meaning in the reader. What if the reader kept maintaining a relationship with the work? Then, the author remains obsolete, Barthes says. Becoming your favorite author’s life-saver should be on many fans’ bingo cards. Annie Wilkes requests to have the book written as she pleases after finding Paul Sheldon in a miserable condition. He had no choice but to help her.
6. The Lighthouse (2019)
Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star in The Lighthouse (2019). Photo courtesy of A24 © 2019.
Thomas is a watchman guiding lost souls safely toward the light of the lighthouse. Of his manipulative delusions, he crosses the line between him and his intern, also named Thomas, rendering perception itself unreliable; this dynamic puts them up to a jarring and blind pursuit of “godhood.” The visual world reflects the film’s dark surrealist aesthetic.
7. Happy Death Day (2017)
The "Babyface" killer mask featured in Happy Death Day (2017) / Blumhouse Productions © 2017.
Imagine, you can’t help but notice how you keep shuttling back to the same morning, over and over again. Nothing changes in the weather, just the same old déjà vu. “I know this scene by heart. I’ve been here before.” It’s a loop, for sure. Although you keep repeating the same actions, you’ll eventually realize that you’re free to change the course of the day, but only within a limited time. If not, you die. Of course, never without a vicious psycho who can’t wait to hunt you down. The film is more reminiscent of Natasha Lyonne’s Russian Doll. There’s a sequel, as well, in case you’re interested.
8. Frankenstein (2025)
Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth star in Frankenstein (2025). Photo by Ken Woroner / Netflix © 2025.
“It’s alive!” Mary Shelley’s beloved creature Frankenstein resurrects one more time in Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece. The film explores the monster’s tragedy, since being seen as a monster shapes the way people choose to treat you. Victor Frankenstein flouts the natural order in his ambition to become divine. He gives life to a creature only to prove he could create. Yet beneath its monstrous appearance lies a being searching for something far more human than its creator could ever imagine. It's hard to tell who the real evil is when the film is filled with monsters, Medusa included. Her place behind Victor is no accident; the myth and its long history in art are explored in Demonizing Woman: The Myth of Medusa and Its Depiction on Works of Art.
9. Warm Bodies (2013)
Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer star in Warm Bodies (2013). Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment © 2013.
The bodies, as they slowly rot and resist dying, betray human nature. In a post-apocalyptic world, only a couple of survivors are trying to live against the zombies. Yet, one of these creatures evolves differently than the others when he meets Julie. Together, they completely change the expected scenario.
10. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Christina Ricci stars as Katrina Van Tassel inSleepy Hollow (1999) / Paramount Pictures © 1999.
Nobody ever knows what kind of surprise will be encountered in the Tim Burton universe. Born out of the spooky legends and Washington Irving's classic, The Headless Horseman is enough to keep the Halloween spirit going strong. Dear Depp as Ichabod Crane drops by Sleepy Hollow to investigate what’s behind a series of mysterious murders. But in a town where superstition runs deep and the line between myth and reality begins to blur, the truth may be far more terrifying than anyone could imagine.
A Few Films Are Not Enough, I Need a Whole TV Show
11. Supernatural (2005-2020)
Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles star as Sam and Dean Winchester in Supernatural. Photo courtesy of The CW / Warner Bros. Television © 2005.
If you haven’t managed to watch Supernatural yet, you’re missing out on everything horror has to offer. From myths, demons, and ghouls to simple ghost stories, the fate of all sorts of mind-blowing supernatural creatures is up to the brothers, Sam (played by Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (played by Jensen Ackles). Yeah, “Saving people, hunting things. The family business.” The show’s core is built around mysterious events that aren’t supposed to be real at all.
Jensen Ackles stars as Dean Winchester in Supernatural. Photo courtesy of The CW / Warner Bros. Television © 2005.
Hunting had taken a back seat, especially for Sam, when we first met the Winchester brothers. Daddy had gone missing, so they hit the road in a 1967 Chevy Impala. The journey begins. Supernatural still has it.
