My Top Ten Horror Movies

I want to tell you about my top ten favourite horror movies. But I wanted to tell you more about myself first.

I have always been fascinated by dark and mysterious things. I was a goth 6 year old. I was a morbid child who loved the Chamber of Horrors in the San Francisco Wax Museum (before they ruined it), loved the automaton executions at Musée Mécanique, begged my grandmother tell me about Sweeney Todd (who was raised with Sweeney Todd as a boogeyman of her Northern English childhood) and all the ghosts of the Tower of London,  and wore out multiple vhs copies of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. I watched a lot of Creature Features with my grandmother, and had a steady diet of movie musicals and monster movies, just like my mother before me. Something in my child brain registered the on-screen monsters as "friends." The sword my mother used in her teenage Headless Horseman costume is at my bedside at all times, next to a mini bat and the knife under my mattress. There are some real-life horrors that you never shake.

I've never lived anywhere that wasn't haunted.

I might have been the only kid who wasn't afraid of the Haunted Mansion, save for the [very best incarnation] of the Beating Heart Bride in the Haunted Mansion attic. It was a real, visceral fear, a white-hot drowning fear that made me feel sad and terrified at the same time. A cold-sweat-induced panic. One of the only other times something scared me like that was the now-defunct Spirit of Monterey Wax Museum.  There is just something about the Lady in White archetypes, especially brides, that scare the shit out of me. I had a run in with La Llorona a few years ago.

Conversely, the Lady in Red archetypes register to my brain as "friend," the way that I  lot of movie monsters do. You can make of that what you will.

I also have a penchant of those gothic horror novel covers where women run breathlessly away from spooky houses. You can also make of that what you will.

One of the most thrilling theatre going experiences I've ever had was seeing a community theatre production of The Woman In Black my friend superbly directed. Two of my favourite operas I've ever seen were the 2017 SF Opera production of Elktra and seeing The Medium. I think I actually enjoy horror theatre more than film.

A lot of my horror-leanings are probably, if I am being honest, tied directly to my Mexican heritage. Death is a part of life, and  no matter how religious your family is or is not, your house is always going to be the Museo de Jesús, with all the saints and the bleeding, flaming hearts, etc. We not only worship our ancestors, we regularly talk to them. For this reason, and I don't know how much of a surprise this will be, but I've actually never seen The Exorcist! My family is Mexican Catholic, are you kidding? LOL. I do really like the theme music, and I will see it some day!

Werewolves have always been my favourite. My father's people, the Abenaki, have a lot of stories about these things. They are on the benign side, but there's always that last line in the story about how the people just admired wolves so much, that one day they became some that just.... well, unnerves me. I have yet to find a perfect werewolf movie; in fact, I would say most werewolf movies are terrible. I also have a soft spot for The Creature of the Black Lagoon.

Indigenous people also have a lot of cultural rules about not going to places where bad things have happened. We don't like to borrow trouble, if you know what I mean.

The English and the Scots also have a  lot of cultural rules about the supernatural; they are a part of life, and ghosts are just a matter of fact. I do not fuck with supernatural, and keep it at a very, very respectful distance.

Before I tell you things I like, let me tell you about some things I don't: 

• I am not one of those people who makes liking horror movies, or Halloween, for that matter, their entire personality. I don't collect things or interests that I think will make me look cool, or make me seem interesting, I like things because I like them. I like storytelling. More importantly, I enjoy good storytelling. I have not seen every horror movie ever, and I don't want to. I don't aim to. It's not all of who I am. I don't like horror because I am Not Like Other Girls; I don't "like" horror movies to get attention from men--in fact, I tend to deeply dislike film, especially horror film, bros.
• The genre has a whole as a lot of... growing pains. Both horror as a genre and its fans need serious growing up. It is... challenging being a Native people who likes horror because it's very hard to love a genre who does not love you. I've written at length previously in other spaces, but it's incredibly difficult to be a Native person who enjoys spooky shit, because horror has a rac!sm problem. The Indian Burial Ground shit absolutely has to go, especially when you compare it to the real-life horrors of NAGPRA. You also cannot breathe a word against Stephen King, who loves his Spooky Dead Injun, Evil Romani, and Magical Black Person Bullshit.  
• If it's not out and out rac!sm, it's the violence against women, the stigmatization of mental health, the absurdity of the way that people behave in these movies that are the exact opposite of how people would respond in real life. Hitchcock is unwatchable. I don't find his films scary, or even thrilling, because I cannot get past how much his films are all a vehicle for how much he just openly hates women. How is he supposed to be this trilling storyteller, when the only story he tells over and over is how much he hates women?! I always Google movies before watching them to give myself spoilers, because there is only so much bullshit this girl can handle. I also do not handle any kind of violence against children or animals very well, and there are a lot of "classic" horror movies I have never seen (such as The Thing) because of animal (or even adjacent) danger.
• For full disclosure, I do not like and do not watch slasher movies. My entire childhood was the real-life horror of being relentlessly stalked and terrorized by multiple violent break-ins from my biological father. My every waking moment of the first 10 years of my life were a literal nightmare. I've had several stalkers outside of being stalked for most of my life by my father. So, no, I have never seen any of the Scream movies, lol. I'll take a pass on those. I do not enjoy haunted houses or haunted immersive experiences for the same reason. Lived that, don't want to relive that, thanks!
• I also don't like The Shining and don't think it's scary in the slightest. In fact, I think that it's very silly, and especially knowing how Shelley Duvall was legitimately terrorized during its filming makes it unwatchable. (Shelley Duvall is supposed to return to film soon, in a werewolf movie, no less, to which I say, good for her!) Let me just tell you something: nothing about the way Jack acts is surprising.  I lived through that. It was just like watching my violent, narcissistic, alcoholic* "artist" father have a violent temper tantrum. Yawn. I got thrown out of a film class once for openly laughing at the blood pouring out of the elevators. Also, how do you fuck up a source material that badly? The whole entire actual point of The Shining, and the thing for which the book is named, is the telepathic relationship between Danny and Dick Hallorann. Sprinkle in use of the N-word (that was not in the book??? Was it? I am too lazy to go and check) for absolutely no reason just to really hammer it home. In fact, I side eye men who say they like this movie. 
•  I actually think one of the reasons why Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman has such an effective transformation of Theodore, because the bad behaviour (spoilers, I guess, lol) is not an emphasized business as usual, but, in fact, a shock.

ALL that being said, there are my top ten favourite horror films in no particular order, with some honourable mentions:

Carrie (1976)

This is one of the few times in the "GOOD FOR HER" genre of horror film really nails it. It not only lives up to how scary everyone says it is, it's a very satisfying pay off. Sissy Spacek deserved an Oscar for this film. Let me tell you, watching this one as someone who was relentlessly, viscously, maliciously, violently bullied throughout my entire school experience, this movie just hits different. By my estimation, Carrie did nothing wrong, and that's what I am sticking by.

Pearl (2022)

X had been vaguely on my radar, the 1970's ✨aesthetics✨ were used to lure me in, but I ultimately had to tap out because of how graphic, in more than one way, the film was. My friend Cheyenne became obsessed with Pearl, and started creating multiple cosplays based on the titular character, and raving about it. Well, I finally caved and watched it, although I should say, it may have been against my better judgement.  I found myself exclaiming, out loud, unironically, multiple times, "GOOD FOR HER!" throughout the course of the film. It's also one of the few instances where the slasher aspects are tolerable to me, because they serve a purpose and aren't mindless. I did not enjoy the violence against the animals, though. This film over all, much as Cheyenne pointed out, is perhaps, like Carrie, a little TOO relatable.

Fright Night (1985)

I feel like Fright Night is the kind of horror movie that was just made for me. Previously, I reviewed it on LiveJournal (sigh), and my praise still stands. I love the atmosphere, the use of practical effects, the casting, the surprising amount of charm, heart, and pathos, the loyalty to the vampiric lore. Roddy McDowell as Peter Vincent is literally everything I have ever wanted. The references to old time Creature Features. The film is funny and scary and whimsical and outrageous all in equal measure.

Don't Bother to Knock (1952)

This one technically falls under "psychological thriller," but since it scared the beejuzus out of me, it lands on this list. Marilyn Monroe deserved an Oscar for this performance. WOW.

The Bad Seed (1956)

Another "psychological thriller" that scares me, so it makes the list. Rhoda reminds me too much of my sister (who openly laughs and brags about having a "bad seed" and relishes in her sociopathy).  I think it also taps into my own fears about knowing that my biological father is bad and that there might be a "bad seed" in me, too. Added to the horror of the ice cold nature of the murders is the latent sexism and the creepy way in which grown men interact with young girls. I also hate the "curtain call." I don't think child sanctioned child battery being played for "laughs" is funny, at ALL, and I think it just adds to the over all creep-factor of the film.

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

This is  yet another one of those  "psychological thriller" films that I count as horror movies because they scared the ever-loving shit out of me. I went into this one thinking it was just going to be corny, and I legitimately did not sleep for three days. Tori Amos has made a lot of references to the film, both on the cover of Boys for Pele (which is actually one of my least-favourite Tori albums, sacrilege, I know) and the title of her album Night of Hunters, which were my only references for it for a long time. This one taps into some visceral, primal fear.

These were all previously mentioned in my werewolves list:

Trick R Treat (2007)

I was promised *incredibly attractive* werewolf cheerleaders, and, lemme just say, it did NOT disappoint. 

Am American Werewolf in London (1981)

Makes me want to eat the bloodiest bacon bison-patty cheeseburger, with a hard cider on the side. This is a lot coming from someone who doesn't even drink alcohol. One of my lifelong goals is to recreate the subway scene in photos. (Native) American Werewolf in London, lol.

The Company of Wolves (1984)

Enough said.

The Wolfman (2010)

Again, watch the unedited director's cut. The film is more cohesive, and the extra carnage in London is just *everything*. Something about the extra gore makes me want to eat the bloodiest steak.

Some honourable mentions:

Nightmarish Phantasms!!!!

Whilst this is not a film that exists *yet*, I had the GREAT pleasure and privilege to read the script. You're going to want to be part of this one. You are going to want to be in the room where this happens. I know this was written by my friend and I have that bias, but it is spectacular in its own right. I am so, so proud of this one and I cannot wait for the rest of the world to share in this. This is one not to miss.

Changeling (2008)

This is not a horror movie, but it makes this list as an honourable mention, because it scared the ever-loving shit out of me. I have only seen it once, but it still get sick just thinking about it. I literally did not sleep for WEEKS after I saw this movie. And then! I looked up the film to see who played one of the characters and found out this was based on real events. The film was already a 142 minutes car crash, and then to add THAT factor on top of it, aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

* I just want to make a quick sidebar here about this comment, as I have come under some scrutiny for my comments about alcoholics in the past; I recognize, and understand that this is a disease. It's a disease that needs to be treated, not a blank check to behave badly, least of all being violent, abusive, or trafficking your children. Alcoholism is a disease, but I just wish that the people whose lives they harm had the same amount of empathy; thank you.