Five Horror Reccomendations For Scardey-Cats

By Flora Irvine-Hall

Image from Adobe Stock

Face your fears with these frightening but fun flicks!

The horror genre might not appeal to everyone. But I believe that there’s one out there for everyone. Kind of like with soulmates.  So even if you’re a total scaredy cat (which can be defined as a person whose very easily spooked) here are five horror film recommendations for beginners:

1.      The Scream Franchise (1996-present)

Image from Past Posters

This film series begins when spunky teen Sydney Prescot finds herself at the centre of a murder spree and series menacing phone calls. If you’re sensitive to stabbing scenes and blood then this one may not be for you but Scream’s tongue in cheek narrative and the way it pokes fun at itself makes is a great starting point for anyone who wants to try horror. With it’s camp villains, witty dialogue and iconic Ghostface voice, these films are always a super fun watch.  And trying to guess who the killer is adds in a kick of suspense and entertainment.

Scaredy-cat warning These films contain A LOT of stabbing!

2.    Ready or Not (2019)

Image from IGN

This film follows Grace, a wide-eyed underdog  who has just married into a very wealthy family. On her wedding night, she discovers that her new in-laws take part in some very dark and disturbing rituals and a game of hide-and-seek turns into a night of survival. While the premise sounds dark, this film is full of humour and fun. Grace is a main character that it’s easy to root for and the supporting characters while detestable are very funny. The ending scene in particular, without wanting to give spoilers away, is both hilarious and satisfying.

*Scaredy-cat warning*  This film contains elements of devil worship as well as very gruesome but very entertaining depictions of violence

3.      Corpse Bride (2005)

Image from Posterazzi

Yes, it’s a cartoon but what better way to ease your way into the horror genre than a children’s film?  This Tim Burton story follows Victor, a kind-hearted but nervous young man who is to be wed to a gentle and beautiful woman called Victoria. But after messing up in the rehearsal ceremony, Victor practices and his vows while out in the woods. The problem? He unknowingly vows to marry Emily, a very beautiful but very dead bride.  It’s just the right amount of freaky to give you an adrenaline rush, the animation is stunning, the voice acting is spectacular, the actual story is very touching and the amazing songs will have you tapping your feet and singing along. Yes, it’s also a musical.

*Scaredy-cat warning*  This film has themes of the undead and implications of murder.

4.      The Scary Movie Franchise (2000-2013)

Image from Microsoft

If you thought Scream made fun of the horror genre, this parody series takes it to a whole new level. The first film is a parody of Scream and begins when Cindy Campbell and her friends are involved in a hit and run. Years later, they start to receive threatening calls and are killed off one by one.  There’s a lot of great scenes in this first film but their portrayal of the Ghostface mask is particularly hilarious. Other films  that the series parodies are The Grudge, Saw and I Know What You Did Last Summer. The films are full of goofy, silly humour with purposely OTT acting. If you’ve been scarred by horror villains like Jigsaw, then Scary Movie 4  in particular will cure that fear with laughter.

*Scaredy-cat warning* This franchise contains lots of violence, ghosts and ghouls and early 2000s humour.

5.      Misery (1990)

Image from The Movie Database

Based on The 1987 Stephen King novel, this thriller is all about an author called Paul Sheldon who ends up is a car accident. Luckily (or unluckily) he is rescued by a nurse named Annie who just so happens to be his number one fan. At first, Annie is very accommodating and Paul is having a very relaxing recovery. But after Annie reads Paul’s manuscript and discovers he has killed off her favourite character, things take a very dark turn and Paul finds himself being held captive by the very unstable woman. While there is one scene with a hammer that is very hard to watch, most of the film relies on suspense as opposed to gore. The slight campness of the film almost makes it comforting and Kathy Bate’s performance is a masterclass in acting.

*Scaredy-cat warning* This film contains kidnapping and bones being broken.

So even if you have to watch these films under the covers, give them a try!