So, did you take the last week to watch the six horror films I suggested in my previous post? Whatever the case may be, I have an eclectic list of seven more quality horror films that you can find streaming on Netflix to help you celebrate the Halloween season.
First up is a 1985 film that is depressingly the last great film that zombie king George A. Romero would write and direct, and it’s also just a criminally underrated zombie movie. I’m of course talking about the third in the “Dead” series — Day of the Dead. Romero had his work cut out for him following up Night of the Living Dead, but somehow he was able to craft an even better zombie flick with the 1978 original Dawn of the Dead (personally, my favorite horror film ever made). Romero came back to zombies in 1985 and successfully ended the original “Dead” trilogy on a high note.
Day of the Dead takes place deep into the zombie apocalypse, perhaps years after the initial outbreak. The story follows a group of soldiers and scientists who have been posted at an underground facility to survive and perhaps find a reasoning behind the incident and a solution. Day of the Dead focuses more on the human versus human aspect of this situation, as was previously seen in the first two “Dead” films. But this one is unique in that it highlights and introduces the notion that the zombies could perhaps “learn,” making for some cool and unique scenes. Horror effects master Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th) came back to do the zombie effects for Day of the Dead (along with The Walking Dead’s Greg Nicotero, who worked under Savini), and I almost feel like this movie is worth a watch just to see the incredible effects work displayed here. If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead or zombie movies in general, then this is a must watch.
Up next is a Swedish vampire romance film from 2008 called Let the Right One In. Perhaps you’re aware of the 2010 American remake Let Me In, which may actually be my preferred film of the two, but you cannot go wrong with either version. Let the Right One In is about a young boy who befriends a young girl who just so happens to be a vampire. It’s a fascinatingly dark love story that will definitely stick with you.
Christian Bale may be best known for his role as Bruce Wayne in the Christopher Nolan “Batman” trilogy, but his absolute best work can be found in 2000’s American Psycho. Bale’s performance as the psychopathic murderer Patrick Bateman is absolutely brilliant, and it is worth seeing this movie just based on his performance alone, though it also helps that the film is a hilarious black comedy that focuses on satirizing materialism in the modern age through the eyes of a Wall Street-type who goes on a murderous rampage in the late 1980s.
My next recommendation is a 2010 South Korean film called I Saw the Devil, which may just be my favorite horror film to be released since the beginning of the decade. Having written quite extensively about this film already, I suggest you read some of my previous articles about this movie to get a feeling of what this one is all about.
Taking it way back, my next pick is Roman Polanski’s 1968 classic, Rosemary’s Baby. This film tells a horrific story of a young woman who goes mad as she begins to believe that a satanist cult wants to steal away or hurt her unborn child. Thanks to terrific performances and direction, this tale is a truly scary experience and a must for fans of the horror genre.
My last two movies are for those who may want a lighter film that you could still enjoy on Halloween. 2010’s sleeper hit Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil is one of the best horror-comedies of the last fifteen years and some of the most fun you can have watching a movie this Halloween. Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine star as Tucker and Dale, a hilarious duo of hillbillies who are mistakenly identified by a group of suburban teenagers as psychopathic murderers. What ensues is horror-comedy that legitimately rivals even the best comedies in the genre like Shaun of the Dead and Evil Dead II in terms of just how many of the jokes actually land.
The final film on my list is a lesser-known gem from the 80s called The Monster Squad. If you’re looking for a more family-friendly film to show this Halloween, the only movie on my list that isn’t R-rated is this goofy and fun horror-comedy from 1987 that is similar to other 80s classics like The Goonies and Gremlins. The monsters of the 1930s-1940s Universal horror movies — Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Wolf Man, etc. — have awoken and come together to take over the world. Who else could stop them but a group of twelve-year-olds who love horror movies? The Monster Squad is 80s cheese but is also just a ton of fun, has a large amount of memorable lines, and I think it’s cool to see all of those monsters together in one film.
I truly think you can’t go wrong if you watch any or all of the films I’ve listed here and in the first part of my list. Happy watching!
— Michael Lane, Blog Editor