This content originally appeared in the 2024 issue of Spooky Little Halloween—The Magazine.
I was pretty sure I had just made a deal with the devil.
My friend Matt Woods and I were sitting outside at the White Horse Tavern in the West Village. After nearly two years of Instagram friendship, it was our first-time meeting in person — and on a Friday the 13th, no less.
As happens when Halloween lovers get together, the conversation turned to horror movies.
Matt? A horror fanatic that had met few movies he disliked.
Me? Well, blood and guts on mainstream TV made me nauseous, so good luck getting me to watch anything branded “horror.”
“You just have to find the right kind of horror,” Matt told me. I was skeptical, but I decided to make him a deal.
“Okay — if you make me a list, I’ll watch everything on it.”
It only took two years (you can’t rush an artist at work!), but Matt finally emailed me my list…in early 2020. His timing couldn’t have been more perfect, and since I had all the time in the world (pun intended), I got to work watching all his recommended horror.
The list came in categories, which was helpful. A handful I had already seen over the years, like “Friday the 13th” and “The Craft”. There were plenty of classics I’d steered clear of for fear of them being too gory (“Jaws”, “The Exorcist”), but I was determined to try everything.
I finished the list just a week into 2022, and when I got to the end of it, I was mildly shocked to discover Matt was right — I just needed to find my kind of horror. (For the record, it’s old slashers from the 80s and earlier, psychological thrillers, and absolutely anything dealing with the occult or with a killer soundtrack.)
Working my way through this list of movies turned me into a horror fan.
Don’t get me wrong — there’s still a long way to go, and you will never, ever catch me watching a second of the “Saw” series — but at least I now had reference points and an idea of what else might interest me.
We’ve talked a lot about this list on Instagram since 2020, so I thought it was time to publish it. This isn’t a list for you seasoned horror vets. (But if you need a solid classics watch list…here ya go.)
No, this list is dedicated to my fellow beginners. If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t know where to start with your horror journey…now you do.
Happy watching!
Horror for Newbies
Wondering where something is streaming currently? Use justwatch.com to find out.
* Notes my favorite watches in each category
SLASHERS
Psycho—1960*
Black Christmas—1974
Texas Chainsaw Massacre—1974
Halloween—1978*
Friday the 13th—1980
A Nightmare on Elm Street—1984
Scream—1996*
MONSTERS
Frankenstein—1931
Dracula—1931
The Mummy—1932
The Wolf Man—1941
Creature from the Black Lagoon—1954*
Jaws—1975
Alien—1979
The Thing—1982
Pumpkinhead—1988
Trick ‘r Treat—2007*
HAUNTING & POSESSION & PARANORMAL
House on Haunted Hill—1959*
The Exorcist—1973
Carrie—1976*
Evil Dead—1981
Poltergeist—1982
The Conjuring—2013
WITCHCRAFT & OCCULT
Rosemary’s Baby—1968*
Susperia—1977
The Serpent and the Rainbow—1988
The Craft—1996*
The Blair Witch Project—1999
ZOMBIES
Night of the Living Dead—1968
Return of the Living Dead—1985*
You can also download this list as a printable PDF.
