Boo! Spooky season can be any season if you’re brave enough, and that means spooky movies can be relevant at any time of the year too. There are many different types of horror movies out there and a lot of them are definitely worth watching. But how to choose which one…dive in with me to get your head in the horror. 

Whether you’re looking for a particular kind of scare or just trying one out, there are a variety of horror movies you can choose from. You can break them into three basic categories: supernatural, scientific, and naturalistic. You can go even further to find exactly what you’re looking for with sub-categories: gore, paranormal, slasher, and many more. There are spooky movies out there for every season and every genre possible, you just have to look in the right places. 

Once you’ve chosen a movie here is what to expect. Of course not every horror movie is the same, but many aim for one goal: to scare. Spooky movies are intended to make you jump out of your seat, your skin crawl, and even make you anxious to see how the movie will end. In order for filmmakers to achieve their goals, they must rely on the following factors: fear of death and the dark, spooky music, spooky places, uncomfortable lighting, and suspense. 

It is simple to find what to look for in a horror movie. An example is John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween film “Halloween.” Carpenter sets the scene in a neighborhood on Halloween night where his escaped asylum villain, Michael Myers, seeks out his next victims.

Throughout his film, he incorporates spooky music (“Halloween Theme/Main Title”), gore and violence (multiple murders), a realistic setting (neighborhood Smith’s Grove), and suspense (how the heroine and children will escape Michael Myers). Carpenter’s film keeps his audience engaged and on the edge of their seats for the entire film and is a spooktacular movie to start with. 

No matter when or where you watch a horror movie please make sure to keep it spooky and safe. If you’re watching it alone or with friends, make sure to keep some candy and blankets by you (in case you need to shield your eyes). Some horror movies may be very intense and have many different triggers, so it’s good to know that you can stop at any part of the movie to talk about personal concerns if that helps too. That wraps up this first head in the horror, have a spooktacular time!