2023 10 Best Halloween Movies You Haven’t Heard Of. Somehow I dropped doing a scary movie list compilation and I’m kicking myself for letting it slip. But guess what? That is good news for you, my dear random internet reader… why is that you ask? Well, that means that you get two years of scary movies to pull from! YAY US! So let’s go find some of the scariest Indie movies out there that I guarantee (terms and conditions apply… not actually a guarantee… and this particular guarantee probably doesn’t hold really any water at all. Like any. So, feel free to contact your lawyer, fine. But guess what? She’s going to say… Taylor? That guy? He is widely known to be so full of … HYPERBOLE, everyone knows that he is full of it. Also, we know that McDonald’s is bad for you. We all know this.) you haven’t heard of. With the small print out of the way, let’s get to the list, shall we?
Let’s kick off our Top 10 List… and let’s start with the least scary of this bespoke, handpicked list, and gradually up the fear factor until we have you screaming for mommy at the end. (Your Lawyer, “See? This guy! I mean, what grown up screams for their mother? Hyperbolic. Severely! You can’t trust anything he says, and yet, you want to sue him because of some off handed “guarantee”? I mean, come on.”)
Top 10 Scariest Movies for Halloween 2023
Scary Movie Number 1: BEAU IS AFRAID
Some would cry foul at this movie being scary. And to you? I would say, you need to re-baseline your life. This is some horrifying craziness right here. So, go on a retreat… get to counseling? Do something, because you need to redefine “scary” in your life. Like pronto. Basically Beau is Afraid tells the story of a Momma’s Boy who is attempting to get to his sick mother. But he basically has a mental breakdown and it means from almost the jump, we know nothing about what is real or fake. And some crazy stuff happens throughout.
Scary Movie Number 2: THE MENU
Alright, of all the movies that don’t belong on this list, this is the biggest. Oh, it’s scary. But it’s also quite funny at times. It’s officially a dark comedy… like a really dark comedy. It’s so dark… it is actually quite scary. Especially that ending. (Which is also equal parts funny.) So if you scaredy-cats out there are hoping for something that you can also watch and it won’t melt your brain? This is probably the only one here for you. And even this one? It might be too much. The movie tells the story of a post-modern food tasting experience. So post modern it totally flips the script.
Scary Movie Number 3: BLACK MIRROR SEASON 6
We here at THiNC. have been a huge Black Mirror fan since season 1. And if Black Mirror doesn’t frighten you with its realistic portrayal of technology and its horrors?? You aren’t listening. Sure, there aren’t any jump scares… sure, there is rarely blood (I mean, there are notable exceptions… but you know what I mean.), and yet, it can be the most horrifying thing ever. Trust me here. And season 6 is no exception. When you realize that I’m right, please come back and apologize. Thanks for that.
Scary Movie Number 4: SKINAMARINK
Another caveat. This one could be the dumbest movie you’ve ever seen. And a lot of THiNC. readers have told me exactly that. But if you watch it correctly, it could be the scariest movie you ever watch. (Which means you’ve never seen the horrific movie Midsommar. But I digress.) It tells the story of a haunted house, and a couple of small children interacting with the paranormal…? I think? Or maybe it’s about something else? It’s a little hard to tell! haha.
Scary Movie Number 5: THE LAST OF US
The Last of Us is a crazy good series. But it also has some of the greatest scary on screen moments of the last two years. It is a post-apocalyptic story about a guy trying to deliver a girl to another location. That’s it. But the only problem? There are zombies throughout the land of various types and horrors all intent on devouring them. It’s a great show. But it is also really scary at times. In a great way.
Scary Movie Number 6: FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
I am about half way through The Fall of the House of Usher and am loving every minute of it. And there are some really fantastically scary moments. Tense slow reveals. Fantastic jump scares! Tense mood altering intensity. This show has it all. And it is perfect Halloween scariness. It’s really great.
Scary Movie Number 7: UMMA
I have a feeling that there is literally nothing more scary in this world than becoming a mother. And this movie is 100% all about that theme. The fear of motherhood, and the fear of losing grip on our sense of reality as a mother. Sandra Oh is always magical. (Killing Eve was other-worldly good.) And Umma is no exception.
Scary Movie Number 8: INFINITY POOL
This is where my recommendations go from regular scary, to other worldly scary. Please note, that if you like bump in the night scary, but can’t cope with the darkness of real fear? Then these next three are not for you. Trust me. Infinity Pool is a THiNC. film that is crazy to figure out, but it is also really really dark and scary. Okay? Great.
Scary Movie Number 9: THE FEAST
The Feast is sooooo good. Scary. But also, a modern day folk lesson about offending mother earth, creating a blood curse against powers bigger and deeper than ourselves. I was so blown away by this movie. I love everything about it. It’s a lesson and a warning. It’s a hint that we all might be heading in the wrong direction collectively. It’s so good. Check it out.
Scary Movie Number 10: TALK TO ME
Talk to Me is not only the scariest movie of the last couple years, but it is also the most stereotypical of the horror movies in this list. And yet, A24 made certain that while this standard horror screenplay is anything but a standard horror film. This movie has a lot of other things up its sleeve. I love the conversation it created, I love the ending. I love THE SHEER SSCSAARRRREISESNTESS OF IT ALL!!!! So teeth-chatteringly good. Definitely don’t recommend it to the weaker bladder among us.
—–
Not enough for you? Feel free to check in with my previous installments of this same exact exercise: Halloween Movies 2021, 2019, 2018, & 2016. And voila, you now have something like 50 new scary movies in your back pocket! That’ll be $29.95. Oh wait, that’s right, you got in here for free. Unbelievable value.
And with that dear friends, you have your allotment of thrillers for October and the entire year ahead. If you have other movies that are worth trying out, don’t hesitate to add them to the comments. I’m always looking for new craziness to partake in.
Edited by: CY