Streaming tips for Halloween: NextPit editor's favorite shockers!
Do you feel too old to go out in costume on Halloween? Then maybe the movies and series that NextPit recommends below are something for you. Because I asked the editorial staff what the favorite shockers of Stefan Möllenhoff, Camila Rinaldi, Zois Bekios & Co. are.
Although I hated dressing up for trick or treats as a kid, I love Halloween! This isn't because of my half-baked attempts at costumes during college, but because of my favorite movie genre: horror. For me, this includes everything from classic ghost stories, zombie flicks, and torture porn to the annual Treehouse of Horror episodes of The Simpsons.
Since we in the editorial team recently started raving together, I asked my colleagues for their favorite movies and series. Below you will find our list of the best horror streaming content. If available, I've also included the links to the respective video streaming service.
The favorite shockers of the NextPit editorial team
Camila Rinaldi: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre & American Horror Story: Asylum
Camila must be going completely crazy for Halloween! Her movie tip is the horror classic "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" from 1974, the first movie that brought together the worlds of "Texas" and "chainsaw killers". Director Tobe Hooper's film introduced the iconic character "Leatherface" and was a standard part of any horror fan's repertoire in the days of DVDs. Must see for no other reason than for the many remakes barely come close to the original.
The second tip I haven't ventured into myself is American Horror Story: Asylum. I'm not a series fan and my first impression of "American Horror Story" was way too cliché and relied too much on jump-scares. The Asylum theme looks interesting though and maybe I'll give the second season a chance! Camila likes it after all!
Ezequiel Exstein: Climax and Suspiria
Our video editor Ezequiel has to deal with the horror videos he has to edit outtakes from our videos every day. His movie tips really got me excited though, as both Climax and Suspiria are true masterpieces.
Climax was directed by scandal horror director Gaspar Noé and is about a group of dancers who actually just want to have a party. But because someone has spiked the sangria with a drug, they all gradually lose their inhibitions. Of course, this doesn't mean tying the tie around the head, but much more disturbing things. Not for the faint of heart!
Suspriria comes in two very good versions. Once in the original by horror legend Dario Argento and in the remake by Luca Guadagnino. Both films are about a Berlin dance academy where a student disappears. Little by little, we as viewers discover that the director Madame Blanc doesn't have all the pirouettes in the choreography. Both fantastic films!
Rubens Eishima: 28 Days Later and リング (The Ring).
Rubens asked me directly if zombie movies belonged on the list. Of course they do belong, and promptly Rubens posted one of the best zombie movies ever. 28 Days Later is especially compelling with its creative beginning. That's because the protagonist wakes up in the hospital and is suddenly faced with a zombie apocalypse in London. The rest of the movie is a bit weaker, but still cool!
"リング" is the original version of "The Ring" from Japan. There are enough parodies and remakes than you don't know the black-haired girl who suddenly crawls out of the TV. Since Japanese horror movies are generally recommended, you should check out リング. Even if it's a bit more exhausting, I recommend the original version with subtitles.
Stefan Möllenhoff: Room 1408 and Haunted Hill House.
I haven't seen either of Stefan's picks yet, but with "Room 1408" he recommends a movie by my favorite writer: Stephen King! The movie is based on a short story by King and features a real star-studded cast. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are not often seen in horror films. It is the story about a hotel room where supernatural things happen. Sounds like a typical Stephen King story!
Haunted Hill House has been recommended to me more than once. It's a Netflix horror series directed by Mike Flanagan. The latter has worked on the Shining sequel "Doctor Sleep's Awakening" as well as the very good films "Hush" and "The Game". So the director knows his craft and I'll put "Hill House" on my list as well!
Zois Bekios: REC and Raw
Zois seems to like three-letter movies! I wouldn't recommend either of these if you have light stomachs or like to munch on chips while watching movies. If you haven't heard it before, REC is one of the movies that are considered the scariest horror movies of all time. It's about a film crew who are sent to investigate a mysterious house. In good found footage fashion, since we only watch from the point of view of the "real" movie camera, the atmosphere is nicely oppressive.
Raw, on the other hand, is aimed more at your limbic system, which is the part of your brain responsible for disgust. Super creepy, though, the film isn't. It comes from director Julia Ducournau, who is currently headlining the feature film Titane. It's about a strict vegan who slowly but surely takes a liking to meat while studying veterinary medicine. I haven't seen Raw myself yet, but coincidentally, my film friend group is already scheduled to watch it together (shoutouts!).
My picks: Midsommar and Verónica
As an old horror bunny, I can watch most movies alone without having trouble sleeping afterwards! Nevertheless, the films Midsommar and Verónica managed to disturb me in the long run. Verónica creates an incredibly oppressive atmosphere with its setting in an ordinary apartment and somehow the "I used a Ouija board and now the devil is chasing me" idea hardly seems worn out here. I was genuinely scared and had little desire to walk through the dark apartment to the bathroom again that night.
Midsommar is, in my wide-eyed mind, one of the best horror films of the modern era. That's because it's full of detail and completely flips an element of classic horror films. So what you're afraid of isn't lurking in the dark - on the contrary, it's daylight throughout the film. The creepiness factor comes from the cult members, who become increasingly unpredictable. By the way, Ari Aster's first film "Hereditary" is also highly recommended.
As a little treat, I'd like to give you my favorite horror short film on the net, right here in the article. And I don't mean Tom Hank's perhaps most legendary role as "David S. Pumpkins"! But rather the short film "Lights out", on which the film of the same name is based.
With that, the NextPit editorial team wishes you "Happy Halloween" - and I personally look forward to your Halloween tips in the comments!
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