The five best indie horror movies to watch on Halloween
By Tatat Bunnag
With Halloween approaching this weekend, some of you may be feeling too lazy to go trick or treating. Perhaps finding a decent horror movie to watch at home is a good idea.
While most horror fans will already know the classic Hollywood movies like The Exorcist, The Shining, Friday the 13th, or Nightmare on Elm Street, it’s easy to forget that there are a lot of independent horror films made around the world. The directors use small crews and have the freedom to make movies on their own terms.
Student Weekly has come up with the five best examples of this tradition. Some are clever, some are unpredictable and all of them are scary. Share the scares with friends and family this Halloween.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Blair Witch Project was one of the very first modern found-footage horror films that was a landmark in film making, not only for its style but also its clever marketing.
It tells the story of three film students who disappear in a forest while making a documentary about a local legend of the Blair Witch. The film was first presented to audiences as real footage that was found by police. The film terrified everybody who saw it before the filmmakers revealed that the footage wasn’t real. Since its release, The Blair Witch Project has set the standard for many found-footage horror films, such as Paranormal Activity, [REC], Cloverfield, and Grave Encounters.
The Evil Dead (1981)
Long before the huge success of his Spider-Man films in the 2000s, director Sam Raimi was a young independent filmmaker fascinated by horror movies. He used cheap film cameras to make his movies, one of which was The Evil Dead. With a budget of less than $400,000, Raimi created his own fantasy world with some bizarre special effects. The plot followed five college students on holiday in an isolated cabin in the woods during the school break, where they find a Book of the Dead that can unleash evil demons. The Evil Dead remains a cult classic with a great mix of dark humour and fast-paced horror.
Let the Right One In (2008)
Not to be confused with teen flicks like Twilight and True Blood, this 2008 Swedish film was a fresh start for the vampire genre. Let the Right One In examines the destruction of childhood innocence when a young boy learns the deadly truth about the little girl next door — that she’s a bloodthirsty vampire. Both beautiful and disturbing, Let the Right One In is one of the spookiest and most interesting horror films in years.
Trollhunter (2011)
Trollhunter is a Norwegian documentary-style fantasy film from 2011. Although it’s another found-footage film, it has a unique way of storytelling that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Trollhunter is about a group of students investigating a series of unexplained bear killings, but they learn that there are much more horrifying things going on. They follow a mysterious hunter named Hans but soon realise that he isn’t normal when they meet huge monsters. Trollhunter is a surprising film, and one of the best examples of this style.
The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook was one of the most talked-about horror films of 2014. Australian director Jennifer Kent's film debut finds a mom attempting to raise her hyperactive son on her own. Things get spooky after she reads him a mystery children's story which involves a supernatural monster. It's only a matter of time before the monster from the book comes to life. The Babadook is a simple but truly frightening horror film. The film kept us guessing if Babadook was real or just their imagination. Make sure you have a blanket nearby because you’ll want to hide under it.
Vocabulary
- found-footage (n): fictional film presented as if it were discovered film or video recordings
landmark (n): an event, discovery, or change marking an important stage or turning point in something
hyperactive (adj): showing constantly active and sometimes disruptive behavior
bloodthirsty (adj): wanting to kill or wound somebody or something
