Have No Fear: Scary Movies for People Who Hate Horror
Horror is a fascinating genre. It’s often used as a conduit into deeper stories and themes. Audiences are so busy screaming they don’t notice how thought-provoking the plot is until the credits are rolling. However, the jump scares and gore aren’t for everyone. If you’re like me, and just can’t handle horror movies without losing several nights of sleep, these are some suggestions to get you through October.
Get Out
For Black people, there’s no movie scarier than Jordan Peele’s Get Out. A bunch of white folks pretending to be nice, right up until the moment they steal your life. And don’t even get me started on that last scene.
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Nope
What made Hitchcock such a genius was that the scariest parts of his stories weren’t shown on screen. That’s what Jordan Peele does so brilliantly in Nope. He has a unique way of getting inside the audience’s head.
The Blackening
The Blackening takes the classic horror trope that Black people always die first and hilariously twists it on its head. There’s some gruesome deaths, but also a lot of laughs.
Scary Movie
The Wayans aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, the first Scary Movie is a fun take on the horror craze of the late ‘90s/early 2000s. It highlighted the inherent comedy in horror and made it OK to laugh at the absurdity of the genre.
Saw
I’m strictly talking about the first Saw, which is more about Jigsaw’s mind games than the gory nature of his traps. The overriding theme of the other 10 movies. That doesn’t mean it’s not wildly violent, so if blood is not your thing, skip this franchise.
Ma
The best thrillers feature a piece of unlikely casting. Octavia Spencer is so likeable, it’s hard to see her as the villain. However, she’s so uncomfortably creepy as Ma, it’s difficult to look away from her many, many awful misdeeds.
Underworld Franchise
An ancient war between vampires and werewolves is a fascinating idea. The mythology is more important than the battles, though those are exhilarating. Full disclosure: You only need to watch the first three movies. The others are not worth your time.
The Craft
For teenage girls in the late ‘90s, screening The Craft on girls’ night was a requirement. Even though it all goes horribly wrong, there will always be something empowering about seeing these outsiders use magic to get revenge on toxic classmates.
The Silence of the Lambs
Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter is an iconic movie villain. He’s simultaneously skin-crawling creepy, fear inducing and charming. While there are plenty of scenes you’ll want to look away from, most of them you can see coming and try to prepare yourself.
Little Shop of Horrors
Take an off the rails Steve Martin, make him a crazed killer in a sweet musical and you’ve got an instant cult classic. Plus, Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II adds the perfect amount of soul.
His House
This heartbreaking thriller stars Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu as a Sudanese couple trying to acclimate in England. It’s a captivating story that blends supernatureal threats with their trauma.
Beetlejuice
Michael Keaton’s classic ghost ushered in a new generation of comedy/horror combinations. Tim Burton’s unique aesthetic always makes for an interesting, yet very white, story.
Lovecraft Country
Yes, I snuck one TV series on the list, because Lovecraft Country is such a fresh entry into the horror genre. It takes the idea of otherworldly power and sets in the backdrop of the Jim Crow south. It brilliantly uses a magical divide to examine the power imbalance of the times. I long for the Season 2 we never got.
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