Horror movies are a staple during the spooky season, and with Halloween fast approaching, Blue Raider horror connoisseurs are surely looking for new movies to add to their watch list. These four movies have been selected to demonstrate the true breadth of horror. Whether you’re spending this Halloween at a party, with a friend or even alone, everyone is sure to walk away thoroughly frightened with these films. 

‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)

“Rosemary’s Baby,” based on the book of the same name, follows a young couple looking for a new apartment with the hopes of settling down and starting a family. Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse eventually move into the Bramford, an old New York Apartment Complex, where they befriend the strange but friendly Castavet couple. Rosemary is soon pregnant after the move, but as Guy’s friendship with Castavets deepens, she will quickly come to regret the existence of the only thing she wanted in her life: her own child. 

The movie is the pinnacle of the thriller genre and tackles many heavy topics, such as consent and marital abuse, with an underpinning of the occult. It is a great place to start for those getting into horror or for fans looking to broaden their scope. 

‘Alien’ (1979)

“Alien” follows the crew of the Nostromo, a space mining vessel, on its ill-fated return trip to Earth. After the ship’s computer prematurely wakes the crew from stasis due to the apparent presence of intelligent life, they descend to a nearby Planetoid to investigate the disruption despite the protests from Warrant Officer Ripley. After discovering strange eggs on the Planetoid, the curiosity of the ship’s executive officer, Kane, gets the better of him, and he is attacked by an emerging creature after disturbing the nest. The creature implants itself inside Kane, where he is knocked unconscious. The crew decides to take Kane back to the ship for testing, which would prove to be their final mistake. 

While sci-fi isn’t necessarily the place some might look for a good scare, “Alien” broke the conventions of a genre originally defined by men in Ripley and her tense, hair-raising encounters with the titular alien. The movie is admittedly a slower burn compared to other horror movies, but it is well worth watching. 

‘The Evil Dead’ (1981) 

“The Evil Dead” follows five college students’ vacation at a remote cabin in the backwoods of Tennessee. In the basement, they find a strange book with audio tapes to translate the unknown language within. After playing tapes, they accidentally unleash the powers of the Necronomicon, where the spirits contained within pick off each student one by one.

“The Evil Dead” is everything a cheesy thriller should be, from its gory visuals to its contrived plot to its standout protagonist. Ash Williams is iconic in the horror scene for a reason, and his brutal kills throughout the series are both incredibly graphic and goofy. Watching this movie with a friend is recommended. 

‘Midsommar’ (2019) 

“Midsommar” follows the graduate student Dani, who struggles to maintain her relationship with her boyfriend, Christian, while dealing with the loss of her sister and parents. Desperate to salvage their relationship, Dani tags along with Christian and his friends on their trip to an isolated village in Sweden for its midsummer festival. As they navigate the pagan colony, the cracks in its idyllic veneer start to show, all the while the rift between Dani and Christian grows wider. 

“Midsommar” is a gorgeous film that showcases how horror movies can utilize color and brightness to their advantage. The color grading of the film makes it stand out among the genre, where dark settings are often over-relied upon to sell the horror in a scene. Nighttime settings in the movie feel especially oppressive, as they are used sparingly and with purpose to highlight the true nature of the pagan colony in the movie. “Midsommar” has set a high bar for modern thrillers and should be the gold standard for future films in the industry.

To contact the features editor, email [email protected].

For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, and follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on X and Instagram at @mtsusidelines. Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter here.