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The autumn chill is in the air, Halloween costumes are being bought and the 30th is fast approaching. Everywhere, streaming services are getting ready to release their contribution to the ‘horror’ genre online and so are the movie studios.
When browsing through the ‘Horror’ or ‘Halloween’ collections on streaming, you notice a pattern: most films are old. Think The Shining, The Exorcist, and Halloween levels of old! Maybe it’s because nothing compares to classic horror or maybe because you haven’t found good horror films yet.
The change in direction for horror movies, and the move away from psycho killers and supernatural horror could have something to do with the changes in consumer tastes. People no longer find supernatural horror scary because the special effects can be cringy and the monsters are just computer-generated
Instead, people have moved on to horrors rooted in reality and movies that are psychological and scary. Films like Split, Hold Your Breath, and Speak No Evil are scary because they tap into the darkest parts of the mind, and consumer changes mean their entertainment needs have changed.
In the general entertainment verse, consumer changes have changed with what they do for fun. Even if they enjoy old means of entertainment like board games, for example, they are turning towards a new wave of more accessible, and updated means of entertainment.
Gaming, for example, used to be limited to a console and the games you purchased. It then evolved into multiplayer online gaming and cross-console gameplay. Even now, online gaming extends beyond the console and can be done on the phone and tablet.
The evolution of online gaming has created the evolution of online gambling. People looking to play traditional casino games are now playing the same games but optimized for online play with new sounds, features, and ways to play. Games like roulette, blackjack, and Texas Hold ’em have been adapted for this purpose.
Texas hold’em online gambling still offers the same fast-paced action you’d experience in person trying to figure out the other people in the game, but not as intense because it’s over a screen, which makes the game appealing for enthusiasts and casual players.
With the entertainment world trying to broaden its audiences to stay on top of consumer needs, changes are hard to keep up with. One thing that will never die in entertainment is the genre of horror and watching Halloween movies every year.
1. Speak No Evil, (2024)
The original Speak No Evil came out two years ago and is a Dutch psychological thriller, a couple befriends another family, and when they go to their house, and find themselves in the middle of a nightmare.
It received rave reviews considering it isn’t a Hollywood production. Speak No Evil was written and directed entirely by Danish director Christian Tafdrup. Two years later the Hollywood remake by Blumhouse was released starring James McAvoy as the terrifying patriarch of the other family and Mackenzie Davis as his wife.
The same plot point applies: two families befriend one another, one family is crazy, and it turns into a horror house. Watch this movie purely because James McAvoy is fantastic in horror. He was amazing in Split and Glass.
James Watkins, the director is underrated in the horror genre. He deserves his flowers though because he directed The Woman in Black and My Little Eye.
2. Five Nights at Freddy’s/FNAF (2023)
I adore Five Nights at Freddy’s because it’s a funny and slightly sinister film with a stellar cast. Josh Hutcherson leads the film as Mike, a security guard who ends up working at the closed Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria.
During his shift, Mike finds out that the characters in the Fazbear group are alive, and they want to kill him and any humans who come near the pizzeria. Imagine you’re sitting in Chuck. E Cheese eating with your family and then suddenly, the characters come to life and want to kill everyone. If you think about it, that’s the plot of FNAF.
3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, (1974)
Nothing can beat the classic horror hype, and a gory slaying movie is needed for this list. The only one in the franchise we need at Halloween is the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It’s bloody, gory, and a bit over the top, but has a great set-up: smalltown America gets hit with a chainsaw-wielding serial killer who targets three young friends.
The cast is great, Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface is terrifying even through his mask. He did a lot of preparation for the role which you can see in his work on-screen. The original has suspense and just the right amount of chase to make you feel suspense, even if you’ve seen it a million times. The movie still holds up well years later because it is genuinely terrifying and plausible, especially in an age where people used to hitchhike!
4. Train to Busan, (2016)
Train to Busan is set between train stations and in train carriages in South Korea where a zombie outbreak occurs. The main character Seok Woo (Gong Yoo) is travelling with his daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an) to see his wife when all hell breaks loose.
There is a sequel to Train to Busan called Train To Busan Presents Peninsula, released in 2020.
It’s conflicting to watch as Seok Woo isn’t a typical selfless man. He loves to work and get ahead, whereas his daughter Su-an is kind and she challenges her father’s beliefs as the outbreak goes on. Train to Busan is more about morality and sacrifice and what you would do in the event of a zombie outbreak.
This is a guest editorial and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Action-Flix.com
