Countdown to Halloween

7 Days of Scary Movies

7. The Medium

This Thai film about a medium is so effing scary. A fake documentary ala Blair Witch, but with shamanism.

6. X/ Pearl Double Feature

We watched X and Pearl back to back last week, and I may have liked Pearl a tiny bit better since it had more Sunset Blvd craziness, but both were absolutely fun. Mia Goth, Jenny Ortega (yes, WEDNESDAY!) and Brittany Snow (yes, PITCH PERFECT!) star.

5. Carrie

I’m rereading Stephen King’s Carrie right now, and like many of King’s books, the ideas sometimes translate even better into the movies they become. This one is so cinematic and Brian DePalma, Sissy Spacek and John Travolta (in his first role) do an excellent job with the material.

4. Host

A zoom horror movie! This one is full of jump scares, and although I saw it during the pandemic lockdown, it might be even more “fun” now.

3. The Wicker Man/ Midsommar Double Feature

Folk Horror is a genre, people! The Wicker Man heavily inspired Midsommar, and although I love both of these movies equally, it is clear one was inspired by the other. Come for the floral wreaths, stay for the burning.

2. Suspiria

Black Swan has nothing on Dario Argento’s ballet academy. This is one hell of a movie by one of the most original directors.

1. Rosemary’s Baby (1967)

If you haven’t seen the film, this Halloween should be the time. If you have seen it, then pick up Ira Levin’s book and read it in front of a lit jack o’ lantern. For extra credit: read an article I wrote in 2018 for Bustle, “Why Ira Levin’s Feminist Horror Novels Are Still So Terrifying.” You might be interested to know that the author of Rosemary’s Baby also wrote The Stepford Wives and Sliver. A legend. This is my all-time favorite film, which you probably know if you know me. After all, motherhood is all about anxiety.

That’s it for this week! Happy Halloween!