Since the month of October began, we here at Fangirlish have been bringing you some of our favorite spooky things. Now, it’s my turn to talk about some of my favorite horror movies. Some of the movies you may know, some are probably films that you’ve never heard of either way, I am excited to talk about all of them.
I don’t get super Halloween-y like some people do but I do love my horror flicks so let’s get to it shall we.
Homicidal (1961)
This is going to be the oldest and only black and white movie on this list, trust me. There is just something so interesting about this horror flick. It’s not gory but for the time it was made, it was very scary. It was so scary that they had a warning before the climatic scene and a money-back guarantee if you got to scared to finish. My mom showed this movie to me last year and my eyes were glued to the screen. I figured out the twist before it was over and I wonder if you can too.
Homicidal is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Interview With the Vampire (1994)
This film based on the book by Anne Rice, was one of the first vampire films I ever watched and it is still my favorite to this day. Obviously the Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise duo is a win but, I just love this film. Louis was the first broody vampire I fell in love with, (sorry Edward) and watching this movie got me to read the book. The cast is perfection and not only did I love Brad and Tom, Antonio Banderas as Armand was pretty hot too. All hotness aside, this is a classic. The cinematography, the old New Orleans backdrop, the costumes, and the darkness all make for a great vampire movie.
Vampire In Brooklyn (1995)
This is honestly one of the most overlooked films during Halloween and that makes me a little sad because people are missing out. Vampire in Brooklyn is one of my favorites. Don’t let this trailer fool you, although this movie has comedic moments I assure you, there are scary ones as well. Eddie Murphy is known for his comedic performances but, I was pleasantly surprised to see him in this role as the vampire Maximilian.
Vampire In Brooklyn is available to stream on Amazon Prime video.
Urban Legend (1998)
We’ve all heard our fair share of urban legends over the years but this movie took them and turned the into a scary film. This movie is crazy and has some cringey moments that even I still find difficult to watch but the twist is one to behold and so worth the watch. I’m not going to say anything further because you really should watch it.
Urban Legend is available to stream on Amazon Prime video.
Queen of the Damned (2002)
I know, I know this is the third vampire movie I’ve mentioned on this list. I told you I love vampires so you shouldn’t be surprised. This one is another film based on the book of the same name in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series. While this movie didn’t remain totally true to the book, I still love it. The late Aaliyah, one of my favorite singers played the role of Akasha and she killed it. I can’t help but wonder what they would have done to add more to this film if she hadn’t passed away.
I must also say that I loved Stuart Townsend as Lestat and his concert sequences in this movie are some of my absolute favorites. He brought a different kind of sexiness to Lestat and it was interesting to see his version in comparison to the version of Lestat in Interview with the Vampire.
Queen of the Damned is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Tamara (2005)
It wouldn’t be Halloween without a witch movie am I right? this little gem starring Jenna Dewan is one of those unexpected yet campy horror flicks. My sister got me into this one and I’m glad I watched it because it did not disappoint.
Tamara is available to stream for free on Tubi.
Dorian Gray (2009)
Now this film is not a regular horror flick, it’s more of a classical type of film but I love it. Doesn’t hurt that Ben Barnes is the star either. Based on the book by Oscar Wilde, Dorian Gray is about the price of eternal youth and what we are willing to do to obtain it. The process of aging is a common fear for lots of people and the price of maintaining youth is often a heavy one. After you watch this, you may rethink wanting to stay young forever. It’s a bit of a metaphor because even if you stay youthful on the outside, what is inside continues to change and decay.
Dorian Gray is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Hostel Part II (2007)
This movie will make you glad we couldn’t leave the country for vacation this year. Seriously, if you have seen the first Hostel movie, then you know it’s one of the most fucked up horror flicks. I thought that one was intense but this one has it beat 100%. I don’t know, maybe it’s because it involves a group of girls and watching girls go through this kind of thing hits too close to home but, this was a one time watch for me. If you’ve got the stomach for this kind of horror flick, this is all you.
Hostel Part II is available to stream on Amazon Prime video.
Fright Night (2011)
This remake of the 1985 classic is a favorite for sure. Fright Night starring the late Anton Yelchin as Charlie, and Colin Farrell as Jerry, is so much fun. I love the original Fright Night and was thrilled to find out Anton and Colin would be in the updated version and I actually got to attend a screening of this one years ago. Anton is a delightful Charlie and well, Colin is super sexy as Jerry. If you love the original Fright Night, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well especially since we get a cameo of the original Jerry, Chris Sarandon.
Fright Night is available to stream on Amazon Prime video.
Suspiria (2018)
And we are closing out this list with another witch movie. This film directed by Luca Guadagnino is a reimagining of the 1977 film from Dario Argento and personally, I enjoyed this one more. I have seen the original version but it just did not have the same impact as this new version did.
If you want to read a deeper dive of both films, I recommend checking our piece “A Tale of Two Suspirias.” Dakota Johnson plays the lead role of Susie in the updated version and she was phenomenal. The things she had to put her body through to pull off all of the dances showed some serious dedication. Also, Tilda Swinton plays a few dual roles, see if you can guess which ones.
Suspiria is available to stream on Amazon Prime video.