Wanna feel alive? 🙃 Here are 12 horror films

In the mood for a good stream scream? A wintry Horror-fest? Or just want to get the blood pumping? Here are some binge-worthy series and movies that will surely quench your horror thirst.

Midnight Mass

This miniseries takes place in a small community on Crockett Island, as a supernatural presence takes hold of the town. Small town, remote island…we are already off to a great start! It all starts with the arrival of a young, charismatic priest, who bring miracles (and DEATH) to the quiet religious town.

Unsolved Mysteries

Netflix rebooted this 80s classic which uses re-enactments and interviews to explore the real cases of true crimes that are unsolved. This puts ‘based on a true story’ in a new light. It includes some perplexing disappearances, blood-curdling murders and seemingly paranormal encounters.

Bates Motel

A contemporary prequel to the slasher film, Psycho. It follows a young Norman Bates and his mother, Norma who decide to move to a new town and open their own motel. Throughout the series, we see Norman’s psyche deteriorate and unravel. And his mother’s influence, the catalyst.

Hereditary

Honestly, nothing has scared (and emotionally scarred) me quite like this 2018 supernatural movie by Ari Aster. Following her mother’s death, a grieving Annie seeks comfort in a mystical cult who perform occult-like rituals. Soon, the horrifying truth about Annie’s ancestry is revealed – and the demons she inherited from her mother.

The Last of Us

In a world plagued by zombies, Joel and Ellie bond through the harshness of this post-apocalyptic world. Based on the uber-successful action-adventure game by the same name, the pair must journey through ruthless killers, cults and multiple species of zombies. And even if post-pandemic-zombie-apocalypse is not your type of thing, The Last Of Us has a gripping story line and powerful characters to enthrall you in each episode.

Gaia

An ecological horror set in the lush Tsitsikamma National Park. A curious park ranger, seeking more in life, finds shelter with two survivalists after suffering an attack by mysterious creatures in the forest. The ranger soon learns of their mysterious relationship to nature, and the greater threat growing in the deep forest.

In the Tall Grass

A brother and sister venture into a field of tall grass to rescue a boy. But they soon realise they cannot escape and something more sinister lurks in the grass. This is Netflix’s take on the Stephen King story of the same name. It is honestly the most spooky and mind-melting movies I have seen this year. It’s not necessarily gory or bloody, but it leaves you uncomfortable for the entire hour and 40 minutes of the film.

Smile

Smile is a 2022 psychological supernatural horror where a psychiatrist becomes increasingly convinced that she is being hunted by an other-worldly evil. The plot focuses on this entity that can only be seen by those cursed by it: taking on the form of various smiling people. Despite the name, this does not make me smile :'(

The Invisible Man

Cecilia’s abusive ex-boyfriend stages his own suicide. He then uses his crazed scientist imagination to become invisible to torment and haunt her. Now Cecilia must fight against his violent actions and gaslighting to prove she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. This 2020 sci-fi horror received positive reviews for its portrayal on domestic abuse.

Yellowjackets

A team of talented high school girls soccer players survive a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. The series documents their complicated journey as they attempt to survive in the wild: think Lord of the Flies meets teen drama. Yes, cannibalism included.

Midsommar

Every time I hear something related to midsummer, I say nope! All thanks to this 2019 Ari Aster folk horror film. It follows a couple, Dani and Christian who travel to Sweden to attend their friend’s rural hometown for a drug-induced midsummer festival. Do not be fooled by the aesthetic scenery and the idyllic retreat. The movie quickly becomes violent and increasingly gruesome and bizarre at the hands a cult-like community.

Ratched

This is the origin story of Nurse Ratched, and how she became the cruel nurse from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. A young Ratched works at a mental institution that performs unethical experiments on its patients. We see how she slowly becomes the bitter monster we eventually come to know.