Every year when autumn rolls around, we see an uptick in patrons checking out horror novels and scary movies. Like any genre, horror comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors, so even if you think you scare too easily, there’s an autumnal read (or watch) out there perfect for you. From gothic mysteries to gruesome slashers, eerie hauntings to creepy dolls, below is a short list of items to try out this Halloween season.
Books
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
There’s never been a better time to try a horror classic for the first time, or to revisit an old favorite. Shirley Jackson’s gothic chillers have aged gracefully and are almost compulsively readable – you won’t want to put them down. For other classics, try The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, or Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
What Moves the Dead
Horror doesn’t have to be white-knuckle jumps and suspense. It can be a quiet, gothic, mysterious mood that meshes perfectly with autumnal settings. Kingfisher’s retelling of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is an excellent update to a terrific story, and the scalding tarn, strange rabbits, and curious mushrooms give this an unsettling feel. If you’re in the mood for autumnal gothic chills, you might also try Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia or Bunny by Mona Awad.
Whalefall
Not as startling or tense as the other books on this list, but this ticking clock thriller about a scuba diver swallowed by a whale is not for the squeamish. A moving – and oddly inspiring and hopeful – piece of the modern horror canon. For a similarly gruesome read, try Eric LaRocca’s Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke or Nick Cutter’s The Troop.
The Shining
Where better than to start with the King of horror himself? There are a lot of great entry points for Stephen King, but for my money, The Shining remains one of his best. Reading this for the first time you won’t be surprised he rose to the heights of his fame – the characters feel real, and it is that the horror is happening to them that makes it scary. An often imitated but never surpassed titan of the genre, this is also a great entry point for its perfect length. Not too long, not too short, chilling from start to finish. Pet Sematary, Carrie, or IT (for readers looking to tackle a mammoth read) are also great places to start if you’ve never read a King novel.
The Only Good Indians
Stephen Graham Jones is a prolific writer of literary horror, and the man knows his stuff – many of his books are chock full of horror film references and different varieties of horror. The Only Good Indians is a fantastic standalone that reads like a lyrical nightmare and will break your heart at the same time as it scares you – you’ll want to read it till the wee hours of the morning. For more literary horror, try John Ajvide Lindqvist’s Let the Right One In, or Agustina Bazterrica’s Tender is the Flesh.
Movies
What We Do in the Shadows
We know some folks don’t like being scared, and we get it! But you can still join in the Halloween spirit with this horror comedy about a documentary crew filming a dysfunctional house of vampires. You’ll be laughing out loud from start to finish. Prefer werewolves to vampires? Try Werewolves Within for another horror spoof. Or maybe you’d like to poke fun at the undead – try The Dead Don’t Die.
Nosferatu
With a remake due out in theaters later this year, it’s time to check this one off the old watchlist! A silent classic that inspired countless filmmakers with its iconic imagery and atmosphere. For another silent classic horror flick, try Haxan. Or try another one from the director of the upcoming remake, The Witch.
Get Out
A masterclass in paranoid tension and gaslighting horror, Jordan Peele’s feature length debut (and pivot from comedy to horror) is a modern classic of the genre. For more tightly-paced thrills, try Late Night with the Devil. Or for mystery-tinged horror, give Midsommar a shot.
The Thing
Sorry, were you expecting perhaps a more seasonally appropriate choice in John Carpenter flick? While Michael Meyers is an icon of the slasher genre, The Thing remains an icon of practical effects and paranoia. This Antarctic thriller is sure to give you chills. Want another unknowable and unique threat? Try The Ruins. Or maybe you want more paranoia in your horror – try 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Scream
Wes Craven’s iconic meta-slasher is terrific fun from a cast of fantastic performers. Perfect for veterans of the genre but also for newcomers, since the “rules” of horror movies are laid out in a fun, tongue-in-cheek way that will keep you guessing until the final reveal. For more fun meta-horror screams, try Ready or Not or Freaky.
A collection of horror novels and movies to ease you into the genre or jump-start a Halloween-season marathon, ranging from mildly creepy to absolutely terrifying.
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