A spooky horror list for the spookiest season. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
By Andre Adkins Jr, Staff Writer
Every year around Halloween one of the most common ways to get in the holiday spirit is to watch scary movies. Some of us spend longer time scrolling through Netflix or HBO Max than we do actually watching the movie. Have you ever wondered, “What are some good scary movies out there that I have never heard of?” There are many underrated horror movies that do not receive proper recognition or attention from movie enthusiasts. Here are five scary movies that are less known but highly recommended to get you into the Halloween spirit.
1. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
The movie was released in 2016, and although its budget is unreported, it is estimated to have been low due to the small cast. The movie is based on a father and a son performing an autopsy of an unidentified woman’s body (Jane Doe). Over the process, strange occurrences begin and they realize that Jane Doe’s body may not be what it seems. Expect a very suspenseful journey watching this film, and not reliant on overused jump scares. The film has great storytelling where it is easy to connect with the fear the characters feel. André Øvredal is the director and has directed other horror films such as “Scary Movies To Tell in The Dark”. Rotten Tomatoes scores this film at 87 % and can be found on Amazon Video.
2. Unfriended
Stepping away from the conventional ghost movie standard, “Unfriended” follows a group of teenagers on an ordinary skype call, when suddenly an unknown profile joins their call and haunts them. While not only scaring the group of friends, this ghostly profile causes conflict and questions the true nature of their friendships. This film was released in 2016 and had a low budget, so the film relies heavily on the small cast and suspenseful tension while on their skype call. “Unfriended” has a Rotten Tomatoes Score of 62 and can be watched on Netflix.
3. Grave Encounters
“Grave Encounters” is a less-known horror film that was released in 201l. Imagine the task of creating a quality horror film with a budget of $120,000. Despite the budget, it is a very thrilling film that follows a film team that eagerly seeks to capture paranormal activity on camera. Investigating an abandoned mental asylum, the team soon finds a more haunting activity than they have ever encountered and desperately searches for a way out. If paranormal films are a favorite of yours, “Grave Encounters” is highly recommended. Scary movie enthusiast Zharia Potter, who has watched scary movies since the age of 7 highly recommended this movie: “It was really good, surprisingly, better than what I expected, it’s definitely better than a lot of paranormal movies”. “Grave Encounters” can be watched on Amazon video and has a score of 67 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
4. Dead Silence
“Dead Silence” is directed by well-known horror movie maker James Wan. Released in 2007, with an expensive budget of $20 million, it follows an ordinary man receiving a strange ventriloquist doll by mail with no reference from who sent it. After disturbing events occur, he soon learns the dark backstory of the doll and the original owner which has a major impact on his family story more than he expects. Through the course of the film, a constant thing that is said by the characters is “Beware the stare of Mary Shaw.” “Dead Silence” can be found on Amazon Video and has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 21 %.
5. The Void
The most unknown film on this list is, “The Void”. It was made and produced in Canada in 2016, and received a limited release in theaters in the United States. Jump scares and the act of the paranormal is not the goal, rather it looks to give the audience chills and leave them pondering, while asking themselves “What is going on?”. The story focuses on a small town, local sheriff and other residents become trapped in a hospital with unknown creatures inside, and an eerily formed cult waiting outside the hospital. The Void can be found on Amazon video and has a score of 77 % on Rotten Tomatoes.
These five underrated horror movies do a great job of storytelling, building suspense, and creating fear. If you’re looking to watch something new this upcoming Halloween, these films are hidden gems ready to be streamed and watched alongside good company or alone, so push play if you dare.
