31 Days of Horror Films

Finally, it is the first day of October, which means I can watch horror movies and spooky films, of all kinds, with gleeful abandon! Don’t get me wrong, I’m down to watch a good horror flick pretty much any time of the year (my second favorite time being the month of December, cause, you know, ‘Christmas Horror’ is a thing), but October is just the epitome of all things dark, creepy, and foreboding. It is probably due to all the autumnal changes, such as the days become progressively shorter, the temperatures cooler, the growing season being essentially over, and the trees shedding their leaves in a glorious cascade of color. Fall is a truly magical and macabre season.

That being said, it becomes a struggle to figure out exactly which horror films to watch… Should I stick with classic horror, action horror, slasher films, horror comedy, family horror, body horror, sci-fi horror, horror musicals, or something in between? With the plethora of horror subgenres, making movie selections can be downright intimidating, as there are so many marvelous options. What I’ve compiled below is my selection of must watch terrifyingly wonderful horror-filled films. There are some comedy picks, some musicals, some family friendly fare, and lots of classic horror selections. My numbering acts as a potential schedule to squeeze every movie into one fright-filled month of film viewing. Enjoy!

1. Scream (1996, Dir. Wes Craven)

2. The Mummy (1932, Dir. Karl Freund) 

3. Psycho (1960, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

4. Night of the Living Dead (1968, Dir. George A. Romero)

5. Double Feature: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, Dir. Don Siegel) &

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978, Dir. Philip Kaufman)

6. Carrie (1976, Dir. Brian De Palma)

7. Tales of Halloween (2015, Dir. Neil Marshall)

8. The Addams Family (1991, Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld)

9. The Phantom of the Opera (1925, Dir. Rupert Julian)

10. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, Dir. Jim Sharman)

11. The Shining (1980, Dir. Stanley Kubrick)

12. Double Feature: Frankenstein (1931, Dir. James Whale) &

Bride of Frankenstein (1935, Dir. James Whale)

13. Rosemary’s Baby (1968, Dir. Roman Polanski)

14. The Birds (1963, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

15. Signs (2002, Dir. M. Night Shyamalan)

16. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954, Dir. Jack Arnold)

17. Zombieland (2009, Dir. Ruben Fleischer)

18. Zombieland: Double Tap (2019, Dir. Ruben Fleischer) – New Film!!! Releases October 18th!

19. Double Feature: Little Shop of Horrors (1960, Dir. Roger Corman) &

Little Shop of Horrors (1986, Dir. Frank Oz)

20. The Fly (1986, Dir. David Cronenberg)

21. Sleepy Hollow (1999, Dir. Tim Burton)

22. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974, Dir. Tobe Hooper)

23. The Wolf Man (1941, Dir. George Waggner)

24. The Exorcist (1973, Dir. William Friedkin)

25. The Cabin in the Woods (2012, Dir. Drew Goddard)

26. Double Feature: Ghostbusters (1984, Dir. Ivan Reitman) &

Ghostbusters II (1989, Dir. Ivan Reitman)

27. Hold That Ghost (1941, Dir. Arthur Lubin)

28. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, Dir. Wes Craven)

29. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922, Dir. F. W. Murnau)

30. Dracula (1931, Dir. Tod Browning)

31. Halloween (1978, Dir. John Carpenter)

What are your must watch horror films? Any horror films currently or coming soon to theaters that you are looking forward to this season? What horror films scare you the most? Share your thoughts and frightful favorites in the comments below!

Copyright © 2019 Sarah Crane