The days are shorter, the air is crisper and my left knee is acting up; Halloween is obviously around the corner. Many of us are finding ourselves increasingly attracted to the spine tingly spooks that come with the holiday. Next to trick-or-treating or one-upping your friends with an overtly ridiculous costume, nothing is more “Halloween” than watching scary movies. Unfortunately many traditional horror/Halloween movies are just that, traditional. If you’re looking for an edgy cinematic experience that’ll give you high blood pressure without the cliché plot lines and the one too many buckets of blood, then look no further. I’ve gathered, to what are in my humble opinion, five of the best movies that are both scary and offer more than just a cheap thrill, in other words, they’re good overall films. The criteria is simple, the film can’t be categorized as a horror genre. Utilizing the all-knowing and unrivaled minds at Netflix, these films have been dietarily pre-approved as ‘horror-free,’ so they won’t go to your thighs. Depending on where you fall in the spook-meter, these films will range from strange, to eerie, to downright scary. So gather a bucket of candy corn and kick the season off in style.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
A quick look at the ending says it all.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prT1E_S__jM&w=560&h=315]
Seven (1995)
What’s the worst part about chasing a serial killer? It’s knowing you’ve already lost. Gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, wrath, pride, lust. Let he who is without sin try to survive.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4YV2_TcCoE&w=560&h=315]
Memories of a Murder (2003)
Based on the first documented serial killer in Korea, “Memories of a Murder” doesn’t skip the gritty details.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqC8lCplQvY&w=420&h=315]
Zodiac (2007)
We all know the story of the infamous Zodiac. Imagine It’s 1968. It’s a wet night in San Francisco. You’re in a stranger’s basement, you hear a sound, you thought you were alone, who could it be?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWgRfb17-M&w=560&h=315]
Enter the Void (2009)
Does the idea of a vortexed existence after death in which you float aimlessly, helpless, and in search of substance while witnessing life as you know it pass you by in mockery, frighten you?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mooCXnTMJUQ&w=420&h=315]
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