Scary Movies to Watch If You Don’t Love Scary Movies

If you’ve already carved pumpkins, went apple picking and maybe even walked through a haunted house, what else is left to celebrate the spooky season? Watching Halloween-inspired movies, of course!

VALLEY is obviously a fan of the family-friendly Halloween movies from our childhood like “Halloweentown” and “Twitches,” but maybe your roommates have been bugging you to watch the latest horror movie in honor of Halloween, and the problem is you hate scary movies.

That’s nothing to be ashamed of — no matter how much some of us love scary movies, we’ve all had to hide behind our hands while watching an extra spine-chilling scene. And no one likes nightmares!

So if you’re ready to diversify your movie selection before October comes to a close, but don’t want to be completely spooked, VALLEY has the perfect list for you.

“Scream”

This 90’s classic is definitely a horror movie, but after an initial scary opening scene, “Scream” is a perfect film to show anyone new to the genre. It mixes in humor with suspense and plot twists without taking itself too seriously. And this is just the first in a series of films — the fifth is coming in 2022!

“The Blair Witch Project”

Told through the lens of a “homemade” video recording, this supernatural movie follows people making a documentary in the woods about a legend called the Blair Witch. The filmmakers go missing in the process, and the “recovered footage” is what you’re watching. This classic film has no jump scares or anything too intense, but is still a really suspenseful and eerie film to get into the spooky spirit.

“Coraline”

While this may be considered a kids’ movie, it has a very creepy feel that’s perfect for Tim Burton fans. Based on the book by Neil Gaiman, this stunning, stop-motion animated movie follows a girl who finds a secret door in her home leading to a parallel world.

“The Shining”

One of the most famous scary films from your parents’ era, this movie creates a different sort of fear. A GQ article explains that this film doesn’t use “giant monsters, jump scares, or piles of corpses.” Instead, the scariest thing about this film is “when almost nothing happens.” With an unsettling and ominous score and iconic scenes like the twins in the hallway and “Here’s Johnny,” this is a classic horror story.

“Get Out”

Fans of “Black Mirror” will love this psychological thriller that examines the topic of race in a brilliant, terrifying way. A viewer in a BuzzFeed article wrote that this is the “only film I immediately rewatched so I could see what I missed the first time.” For a scary movie with a deeper meaning, this film delivers.

“A Quiet Place”

This film was directed by John Krasinski, who also stars in the movie alongside his wife Emily Blunt. The couple and their kids are forced to live in silence to avoid being hunted by mysterious creatures. A Mashable article describes this film as more of a “stressful scifi romp” than an intense horror film.

Which films are you just brave enough to watch? Tweet us, @VALLEYmag, and tell us the movie you’re most looking forward to seeing on Halloween!

Related