With the end of October comes the celebration of Halloween and, along with it, an endless amount of books, movies and games to select from for your spooky pleasure. Here, four Daily Lobo editors have compiled a list of some of their favorite terrifying titles sure to keep you up at night.
Spenser’s Pick: “The Wolf of Snow Hollow” (2020)
Equal parts horror and black comedy, Jim Cumming’s follow-up to 2018’s critically acclaimed “Thunder Road” concerns a hot-tempered police officer struggling to bring an end to a series of werewolf-related killings in his small town. The werewolf plot, however, is secondary to the officer’s personal struggles concerning questions of masculinity, authority and alcoholism.
What makes this movie work is the balance of the human and horror elements in the central character, played by Cummings. The officer is not likable, but he’s captured so vividly that you can’t help but watch as he ruins his own life and works to get it all back. Though the script has some pacing issues and takes itself to places it doesn’t quite earn, the film itself is worth watching for Cumming’s performance and the magnificent special effects in the rendering of the titular wolf.
Zara’s Pick: Climax (2018)
Though not a horror movie per se, Gaspar Noe’s “Climax” is guaranteed to make everybody at any given social function think a little less of you for putting it on — that is to say, the perfect horror movie, in the minds of some. Following a dance troupe rehearsing in an abandoned school after their sangria is mysteriously spiked with LSD, “Climax” succeeds most in its noxious blend of Noe’s usual shocking material paired with some dizzying visuals and soundscape.
Much of the film is shot in just one take, making it feel all the more excruciating as we follow our main character Selma (played by an exceptional Sofia Boutella) through varying degrees of anguish and chaos. All-in-all, as far as hair-raising thrills go, “Climax” might be the perfect contender for your viewing displeasure.
Thomas’ Pick: Until Dawn (2015), Resident Evil: Biohazard (2017), Resident Evil Village (2021)
I don’t watch many horror movies, but I love horror video games. Until Dawn is a 2015 choose-your-own-adventure game where you juggle playing as eight different characters reunited at a ski lodge in the mountains a year after two of their friends went missing at the lodge. With a killer on the loose, you do your best to keep the group together — and keep everyone alive.
Another favorite of mine is the Resident Evil series. You can’t go wrong with most of the games in the series, but Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village are great entry points. In Biohazard, you play as Ethan Winters as he tries to find his missing wife in the swamps of Louisiana. You play as this same character in Resident Evil Village, set in Eastern Europe, where you face vampires, werewolves, creepy dolls and more while you try to make your way to a castle so that you might save your family.
John’s Pick: “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” (1989)
If you’re studying film, chances are you’ve heard this title thrown around by a number of annoying film bros in your introduction to screenwriting class in a desperate attempt to separate themselves from your other classmates. In most cases, this would be enough reason to completely disregard the film, but 1989’s “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” more than earns its spot on any cinephile’s watchlist this October.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
I recommend going into this film knowing very little. What you’ll find is some immaculate body horror, astonishing practical effects, over-the-top acting and a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Clocking in at only 1 hour and 17 minutes, the film makes for a quick watch at any Halloween party and is sure to leave your friends looking at you just a little bit different by the end.
With these recommendations in tow, we hope that you’ll spend less time on the horrifying task of making a decision and more time just being scared.
Thomas Bulger is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @thomasbulger10
Zara Roy is the copy chief at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at copychief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo
Spenser Willden is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @spenserwillden
John Scott is the editor-in-chief at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @JScott050901
Thomas Bulger is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @thomasbulger10
