It is officially spooky season and if you aren’t a horror movie fanatic (such as myself), you are probably not out shopping for Halloween decorations by the end of September. However, it would be an injustice to yourself not to watch at least a few scary movies. What better way to do this than going in with a bang and start with the spookiest genre there is: demonic possessions. Grab some snacks, turn the lights down low, fire up your cauldrons and binge watch my top five spooky season scares.
The Insidious quadrilogy (2010, 2013, 2015, 2018)
Netflix
Follow the thrilling story of a young boy who suddenly falls into an unexplained comatose state, leaving him open to a world of demonic possibilities. His mother, desperate for answers after she notices chilling happenings around the house where her son is being treated, turns to a more unconventional style of healing: a medium and her team of “ghostbusters.” There is never a moment of relief throughout any of these movies, as the hairs on your neck will be standing up straight throughout each minute.
The Boy (2016, 2020)
Netflix
This two-part movie series is based on a grieving family trying to come to terms with the loss of their son Bhrams by keeping his spirit alive in the most terrifying of ways. The couple employ a full-time nanny to help them with this task. However, as the movie progresses, it seems that more than just the boy’s spirit embodies this house. This movie has one of the biggest plot twists that I have ever witnessed in horror movie history.
The Woman in Black (2012, 2014)
Amazon Prime Video
This film is another fear packed two-part movie series with an unsettling twist. The protagonist, Arthur Kipps, is sent to a remote island to sort and close off the affairs of a deceased client from his law firm, but Kipps is also dealing with the grief of recently losing his wife. When he arrives, he discovers that he is not the only one grieving the loss of someone dear to him. However, he does not realize the magnitude of the dark, demonic secret the villagers are keeping buried deep within the soil. The storyline becomes even more horrifying in the second movie with the addition of an orphanage – if you know, you know.
The Grudge (2020)
Amazon Prime Video
The Grudge has always been an iconic Japanese horror movie, where an ominous curse in the form of a demon is born and is set to haunt the spot of a killing and all those who visit it for all of eternity. The 2020 version gives a fresh blood-curdling spin on this concept whilst keeping to the classic story line, as the movie now takes place in the U.S.
Annabelle trilogy (2014, 2017, 2019) and The Conjuring series (2013, 2016)
Amazon Prime Video
Chances are, you have probably already come to know the story of the demonic red-headed doll behind the glass kept in The Warrens’ Occult Museum in Connecticut, but do you know her true story? Watch the Annabelle trilogy and The Conjuring series to see how both these series intricately intertwine to reveal the truth to us.
When you’ve watched them all and are probably sleeping with the lights on for the night, do not forget that these are just stories written for our entertainment… Or are they? Either way, happy haunting.
