Halloween is approaching as quickly as midterms are. Regardless of which of those is scarier, I must share the best horror movies that have come out this year in order to prepare everyone for Halloween. These movies vary in genre, amounts of gore and blood, and, of course, horror. Viewer discretion is advised.
Starting backwards, fifth on the list is “Barbarian”, a horror film that follows Tess, Georgina Campbell, who finds her temporary rental to be double booked with a man named Keith, Bill Skarsgard. Despite her grievances over the circumstance, she soon finds out that there are worse and more terrible things to worry about rather than sharing the rental with a stranger. The film came out recently on Sept. 9 with incredible success. The film is darker and scarier than its premise suggests, and whatever you think is the twist, it is certainly way worse.
Fourth on the list, “The Black Phone” is a coming of age, supernatural horror film, having premiered in July. The movie follows Finney, Mason Thames, an unfortunate boy who falls victim to the serial child abductor dubbed “The Grabber,” Ethan Hawke. Left in a room with a disconnected black landline, Finney begins to receive calls from the killer’s previous victims, who want to help ensure he doesn’t end up like one of them. The terrifying film is an adaptation of a 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill, and while it lacks blood or gore, the film will remind you what it felt like to be a kid who was scared this kind of nightmare could ever happen, and that in itself, is frightening.
Third on the list, “X” is a slasher film, having come out theatrically March 2022. The film takes place in the late 1970s, with a group of young adults: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, Scott Mescudi. They attempt to make it big by filming a pornographic film on an elderly couple’s property. Things go south when the group begins to be targeted by an unexpected individual. The film is incredibly graphic in nature, both in nudity and in violence, which adds to its horror elements.
Second on the list, “Prey” is a sci-fi action horror movie, debuted in July, exclusively on Hulu. The fifth installment of the Predator franchise, Prey is the prequel for all other films. Taking place in the 1700s, Naru, Amber Midthunder, attempts to prove to her Comanche tribe that she has what it takes to be a skilled hunter. She is faced to fight a never before seen alien who hunts humans for sport, as well as dangerous colonizers.The film is phenomenal for its indigenous representation, as well as for its creative kills. You are left on your toes, hoping the heroine of the tale succeeds against the grave odds she faces and whether or not her pet dog makes it through the whole film.
Number one on the list is “Nope”, a neo-Western sci-fi horror film, directed by Jordan Peele. Based in the countryside, the film revolves around OJ, Daniel Kaluuya, and Emerald, Keke Palmer, a pair of siblings who care for their Hollywood horse ranch and attempt to grasp evidence of a mysterious UFO. The film is filled with so much tension and build up over the dangers of the UFO and the possibility of aliens, you realize why this film was named Nope. When man attempts to control or command nature, nature never listens. Nature can only be guided, and people who do not understand that within the film pay that heavy price with their lives, in a very detailed nasty display.
There was an abundance of horror films that have come out in 2022, many of which are still in theaters or have yet to come out. Celebrating Halloween is experiencing the exhilaration of fear and adrenaline when you attempt something new and scary. Take that chance, jump that leap and go watch a horror movie!
