by Let’s face it – NETFLIX’s movie selection is a lot like trick or treating; sometimes you get a King Size Kit Kat bar (YAAAAY!) and sometimes you get a Sugar Daddy (BOOOOO!), the latter always more prevalent. There are a ton of films in the NETFLIX-VERSE that will waste your precious time. Luckily, you have me here to help you out. And if you’re like me – and you are – you have no minutes to waste on bad movies. Those days are gone, friends. This year, I decided to compile a list of horror-movie goodies you can feel confident about stuffing into the pillow sack of your mind. Here are 9 horror flicks to spice up your 2016 Halloween.
1. PONTYPOOL – This Canadian zombie flick is inventive, claustrophobic, and mind-bending. Taking place primarily in an underground broadcast booth, Pontypool follows a washed-up DJ as he reports on the apocalyptic madness taking place in the outside world. This movie is weird enough without being too weird and the creep factor is amped in this one. Solid watch.
2. JOHN DIES AT THE END – The book is better, no doubt, but the adaptation is way above average, especially considering my expectations. In the mood for something more quirky than scary? JDATD is your movie. It has laughs, strong elements of horror and science fiction, and thrilling moments of bizarro. Of course, I’d recommend the book over the movie, but we all know you won’t do that. But you should. Because books are always better.
3. DEATHGASM – This movie reminds me a lot of Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive (Braindead). Maybe it’s the whole New Zealand thing, or maybe it’s the over-the-top, volcanic eruptions of gore. Deathgasm follows two death metal aficionados as they unknowingly summon demons from the netherworld. Chaos unfolds quite formulaically, but the movie is fun nonetheless. The gore factor is off the charts, which – I mean – is fantastic. If you’re in the mood for a low-budget bloodbath with some light (and sometimes corny) comedic relief, you could do no better than Deathgasm.
4. HUSH – This movie really took me by surprise. Just when I thought the whole “Home Invasion” sub-genre couldn’t get original anymore, Hush comes out and completely blows me away. It’s about a deaf writer who gets stalked by a murderous psychopath while staying at a secluded cabin in the woods to finish her next novel. I will say no more other than this was a heart-pounding thriller that kept me on edge the entire 90 minute runtime. Watch it. Now.
5. NEVER SLEEP AGAIN – I’m a huge Nightmare fan. It’s my favorite of the “classic slasher” flicks. Freddy Krueger haunted me as a child and I find myself frequently revisiting the originals. This documentary was a fun trip and the four-hour runtime flew by. If you like documentaries and The Nightmare on Elm Street series, then this is worth an afternoon of your time.
6. WE ARE STILL HERE – One of the more original haunted house flicks in a long, long time. Legitimately scary. I knew nothing about it before pressing play other than it was universally liked among horror lovers. I suggest you do the same and just press play.
7. BASKIN – Probably the weirdest movie on this list. It’s a foreign film, so if subtitles aren’t your thing, you can skip this. Also, I go back and forth with loving this movie and thinking “what in the hell did I just watch?” Seriously messed up movie, but visually engaging. What the film lacks in a decent story and character development, it makes up for with unsettling the audience and the overall bizarreness of individual scenes. Judge this one for yourself.
8. THE HALLOW – I watched this last week and I was pleasantly surprised how well it was done. The movie centers on a family staying at a house in Ireland, and while there, they are stalked by forest demons who desire to kidnap their baby. The first half of this movie is a little slow, but at the halfway point it unfolds with nonstop action and creature-feature horror. The demons look pretty cool and original, although toward the end they really show off the movie’s budget. Still, worth adding to your Halloween watch list.
9. PAY THE GHOST – Based on the Tim Lebbon novella, Pay the Ghost is about a father who loses his son at a crowded Halloween street carnival. Years later, the father is convinced his son is still alive and tries to unravel the mystery surrounding his disappearance. This movie is not very well reviewed, but eff that noise – I enjoyed it. It’s an entertaining horror-thriller that doesn’t try to do too much, and the acting is actually one of the finer points of the movie. Sarah Wayne Callies of The Walking Dead fame brings it like always and Nic Cage isn’t typical crazy-man Nic Cage, full of laughable acting choices and outrageous facial gesticulations. Worth a watch, especially around the Halloween season, as it incorporates many Allhallows Eve themes and captures the ambience of our favorite time of year.
WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING THIS HALLOWEEN ON NETFLIX???
Tim Meyer 
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