Arnav Srivastav
I just watched ‘It’, and boy am I scared. Unique, terrifying, and utterly disturbing, this devilish brainchild of the prodigal Stephen King is surely to go down as one of scariest horror film ever made. Just the way the frame froze, and Pennyvise started to come at you, wildly and uncontrollably shaking his head left and right; it’s all so scary. While it is undeniable that there have been no films quite like ‘It’ yet, there are a few that come close.
Not conventional jump-scare gimmicks, but foundational, sincere, and brutally frightening pieces of work. Another thing that worked in ‘It’s favour, was the fact that the scares and happening events occurred at such a banal cadence, like it were just anything else. If you loved ‘It’, put your socks on. Here is the list of movies similar to ‘It’ that are our recommendations. You can several of these movies like It on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
18. Blood Creek (2009)
The first in the list, or the last, is Joel Schumacher’s gory blood-fest, ‘Blood Creek’. The film follows the story of two brothers, and their haranguing sojourn to a deserted and dilapidated farmhouse, where they become lab testing material for a sinister Nazi occult. What’s so striking about the film is its fast-pace, and the fact that it never deviates from its original source of inspiration. There have been plenty serial-killer and occult films before this, but ‘Blood Creek’ stands tall as one of the very best. Michael Fassbender’s presence only helps!
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17. Oculus (2013)
Through a beautiful interspersion of the past, and its macabre consequences on the present, ‘Oculus’ managed to become a film to remember. A cursed mirror takes centre-stage, as demonic forces grab hold and take over a middle-aged contractor, who’s commanded to subjugate his family. The present envisages his children, successfully saved, who investigate into the mysterious circumstances of their parents’ death. The movie deserved so much more than it was spared. One thing more: your attention.
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16. Possession (1981)
There’s just one reason to watch the film: Isabelle Adjani. A terrific dual-role performance saw her inhabit the characters of Anna and Helen, two drastically different characters, who both have a pivotal role to play in the narrative. Anna’s troubled and erratic relationship with her husband prompts him to put a private investigator tracking her steps. Anna doesn’t take to it politely, and turns heads on her husband to reign terror. Helen, with beautiful and appealing green eyes, is Bob’s, Anna and Mark’s son, teacher. She gets romantically involved with Mark, and get thickly involved in the fishy pot that cooks up in their lives. Unbelievably nifty and bold in its tracks, the film is one of the better ones coming out of the mercurial vision of Andrej Zulawski.
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15. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Half the time, I didn’t have a whisper of an idea of what was going on. And then, as the end neared, and pats of the events replayed, it all coagulated in a satisfactory and peaceful epiphany. Four stories, four Halloween traditions infringed upon, and four mysterious appearances of a timid yet menacing hooded creature. The stories come together only twice throughout the whole film: start and the ending, and are all inter-connected by one key; Mr Keegan. Inherently dangerous and extravagantly ambitious, the film does a satiating job of providing us with requisite scares and thrills.
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14. Paranormal Activity (2007)
From one found footage horror movie to another, we now have ‘Paranormal Activity’. From my point of view, this was one of the best, found footage horror films that I have ever seen. It is really scary and made me wet my pants. The setting of the night and watching the film through camera footage makes it a hell lotta scary. The plot follows a couple Katie and Micah who decide to move into a new house. Soon, after moving they start to experience weird phenomenon at night. Katie admits that she had felt the presence of a ghost when she was a child and worries that it may have followed her. Micah is skeptical and sets up cameras in their house to see if something is fishy. Well, when they review the footage their worst fears are confirmed.
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13. The Witch (2015)
In the New England of the 17th century, a banished Puritan family sets up a farm by the edge of a huge, remote forest, where no other family lives. But sinister forces then start haunting them. And in good riddance. The archaic type settings and the eerie mist of uncertainty and evil that perennially blanket the screen give the film and irrevocable license to scare. The rituals, the ways and means, all come together to give a cohesive and cognitive plot, that revels in its limited scope. Well written and brilliantly acted, ‘The Witch’ is a winner all the way through.
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12. It Follows (2014)
No. It’s not related to ‘It’. ‘It Follows’ is brilliant and underrated, as all masterpieces are, and revels in its eerie story. It follows the fatal curse of death, carried on by the erratic Jay Height, when she bids her virginity good-bye, sleeping with her boyfriend. Cries for help falls on deaf ears, when the not-so-blind eyes of her friends become an audience to apparitions and phantoms beyond their comprehension. They band together to defend their dear friend, and in the process, make some un-friendly acquaintances. The independent horror film bucks the genre’s habit of over-explaining monsters by going in the exact opposite direction—revealing nothing.
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11. Hush (2016)
As they say: “A picture says a thousand words.” Much like Pennyvise, the masked apparition of a serial-killer targets a deaf author as his next victim. Retreating to the woods to find solace and peace, Maddie finds none of that, and must repudiate the unknown killer’s devious plans and stay alive. Though not exactly a shape shifter, the man is as scary as any other ghost, the same which can be said for the movie. Taut and exciting to its core, the movie manages to hold you in its charm, and blissfully get rid of those big nails which you have been too lazy to clip off. Don’t worry, you got a friend in me.
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10. Hush (2016)
One of the rare horror movies with a genuinely likable victim, ‘Hush’ feels unusually humble in places, mostly as a result of its protagonist’s protesting yet strong-willed charm as she attempts to avert danger. It’s easy to be on-board with the deaf woman’s plight as she does everything that a rational person could do in a tense and violent series of events. It’s major theme is isolation, with the protagonist living in the woods all alone far away from any other contact, which is demonstrated in the first 10 minutes, as well as isolation from the world itself, as she can’t communicate with most people. It is an intense, breathless thriller that captivates its audience almost as soon as it starts as no minute is wasted without supplying an ample dose of suspense.
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9. Creep (2014)
As the title of the film suggests, this is one of those creepiest movies you will come across. It isn’t one of those jump scare horror movies that get so old. It’s one of those original movies that make you sickly curious of what’s going to happen next. Found footage has long since descended into cliche droll, recycling the same jump scares and cinematography tricks to fool the viewer. And had ‘Creep’ been delivered with poor performances or an underwhelming plot, it certainly would have been categorized as such. Luckily, the isolated and often uncomfortably realistic tone leaves a lasting impression far after the run time is over. You will like this whether you’re a fan of found footage or not.
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8. Sinister (2012)
Really scary movies are hard to come across but this is definitely one. This movie has seemed to split critics and audience members alike. It seems like either you hate this movie or you love this movie. It is a movie where it is not so much what the characters are saying, but what you see, or don’t see, that creates the atmosphere intended. The film’s villain is one of the scariest and the score/soundtrack is also definitely one of the best things about the film. Ethan Hawke carried the film so effectively and we will really care about his character and his backstory. If you love horror with little to no effects and a creepy feel you’ll probably enjoy this movie.
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7. Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
The plot of the film is great and you will get to see one of the best performances of Tim Robbins. Since this is the generation of spoilers I am sure you have heard the ending somewhere but even that shouldn’t get you discouraged to watch the movie. Tim Robbins plays the role of Jacob Singer a New York Postal worker. His life has been increasingly becoming painfully strange. He is constantly having flashbacks of the time during which he was in Vietnam. He is also constantly reminded of his first marriage and his dead son. Though his wife tries to support him the best he feels like he is losing his sanity as the line between delusion and reality starts to blur.
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6. V/H/S (2012)
Look, if you decide to go for ratings on these movies you might be discouraged to watch them. But let me tell you one thing, horror movies are designed in a way to scare you not to make you marvel at theme and philosophy. when I watched ‘V/H/S’ I was scared for a few days. Yup, I know I get scared easily but the movie was pretty scary too. The plot is nice. It can be said that this movie is a sort of found footage genre horror flick. A group of thieves is asked to burglarize a house and steal a rare V/H/S tape. But it is easier said than done as the team discovers a dead body in the house and lots of V/H/S tapes each scarier and stranger than the previous one.
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5. The Thing (1982)
A classic revisited. John Carpenter sensationalised the film fraternity and audiences alike with this unconventional sci-fi horror about the remote Antarctica, and its chilling tales. A group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. The apparently benign creature turns out to be a monstrous shape-shifter, capable of assuming the form of his victims, which he starts collecting the moments he is brought inside. Carpenter famously said to the Empire: “You’ll never, ever, see anything like The Thing again.” He’s right, we are still waiting. And we might be waiting for a long time.
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4. Eden Lake (2008)
‘Eden Lake’ is perhaps one of the best British horror films made over the past decade. Happening, exciting, and scary as hell, the film takes you on a roller-coaster ride of terrifying jump-scares and eerie silent pauses. Fassbender proves to be a vessel of destruction, deftly and effortlessly shifting forms and changing gears to give a power-packed performance. A group of unscrupulous and unruly teenagers take Pennyvise’s load and become a menace in the tranquil and peaceful day out of an adorable couple. The film garnered critical acclaim and innumerable accolades upon release, with the consensus reading: “A brutal and effective British hoodie-horror that, despite the clichés, stays on the right side of scary.”
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3. It Comes At Night (2017)
It has become a common norm now to watch anything that has Joel Edgarton in it. And this time, you’ll have your moneys worth bug-time. Employing a post-apocalyptic narrative, the film chronicles the journey of a fe remaining families, who herd together in a house they deem safe. It turns out, it is not, and “it” comes haunting at night. Too many its, huh? Jokes apart, the film is scary than your normal horror movie. The character-based suspense that the movie manages to web around a cliched, yet solid plot, is respectful and a treat to savour.
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2. Creep (2014)
Hear the plot and you’ll know why its titles what it’s titled. A young videographer, Aaron, seeks a new adventure and save her failing career, by accepting an incongruous request off of Craigslist: filming a stranger for a day. It starts friendly, as the mysterious man gives her a hug, and assures her of “more to come.” It turns weirder and weirder as the day goes by, eventually placing her on the brink of her end. The flick is a finely crafted piece of wonderment and horror, gnawing at you in every frame. it is just so perfectly made, it makes my heart ache. Mark Duplass and Brice steal the show with stellar performances, and a solid directorial effort from the latter.
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1. The Babadook (2014)
‘The Babadook’ remains my favourite horror film to date, and the status quo is hard to change. In a way, it resembles ‘It’ the most: children, fable-monsters, and a lot of scary. An emotionally eviscerated widow lives alone with her young son. Unperturbed by his constant reports of a monster animating himself from his book, the mother finally accepts what she sees: the Babadook. The atmosphere, the intensity, the taut storyline, all make the experience an enjoyable ride, that will be difficult for you to forget. Like ever.
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