October, the spookiest month of the year, is finally here. Grab your favorite candy, a blanket, and get ready to be spooked. Here is a list of spooky movies to binge. 

It (2017)

Craving a film about haunted houses with creepy clowns that live in sewers? Watch IT to experience the chills.  Adapted from the novel published in 1981 by author Stephen King, It follows a shapeshifting clown named Pennywise who emerges every 27 years to prey on children. Seven kids who are labeled as outcasts decide that they must work together to battle this horrific spirit. Sophomore Labeeba Aniqa said, “I was hooked from the beginning. The movie is really scary and also really entertaining. There were so many jump scares and Pennywise made it so much scarier that I often get haunted whenever I see a balloon pop out of nowhere.” 

As Above, So Below (2014) 

As Above, So Below follows the terrifying sequence of events as a documentary crew decides to explore the catacombs of Paris, not realizing the sinister past that it carries. Sophomore Jaileen Nadal said, “I really liked the found footage type of cinematography that was part of this movie. It definitely made me so scared. It has the chills and thrills.” As Above, So Below is definitely a film major horror fans might find delightful! 

Smile (2022) 

Hair-raising and extremely gory, Smile is a psychological horror film that makes sure to keep you up at night. Based off of Parker Finn’s short film Laura Hasn’t Slept, the movie follows the life of Dr. Rose Cotter after she witnesses a traumatic incident that involved a patient. Soon after this, she experiences increasingly disturbing visits by a paranormal entity that takes a major toll on her mental health. The entity uses one of the least horrifying things to torture its victims…smiles. Freshman Shannon McCluskey said, “The new Smile movie is a 10/10 and definitely traumatizing…I can’t look at my face in the mirror anymore!” A slow-burn horror with loud jump scares to keep you on your toes, Smile is prime for any October watchlist. 

Insidious (2010) 

Insidious, the first in the franchise, includes the surreal idea of another world, “The Further,” to challenge the well known phrase that “things are not always what they seem.” The film follows couple Josh and Renai, whose son mysteriously falls into a coma after they move into a new house. While it’s thought that the cause of the coma was a rare disease due to no symptoms, it’s discovered by the couple and parapsychologist Elise Rainier that the underlying cause of the coma is a malevolent entity. But that’s only the beginning. When the paranormal activities start to happen, the true frights begin. Watch Insidious: Chapter 1 to be addicted to the never ending horrors of the Lamberts. 

The Black Phone (2021) 

Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone is a horror breakthrough with a mix of psychological suspense and supernatural horror that is terrifying but will keep making you cry out: “what happens next?!” 13 year old Finney Shaw is kidnapped by a sadistic, masked killer and discovers a phone in the soundproof basement where he’s kept. The phone connects Finney to the killer’s previous victims and they’re determined to make sure that Finney doesn’t have the same fate as them. The film twists in the theme of growing up and trauma and emphasizes character development and claustrophobia yet keeps the thrill strong.