At one time I was watching more horror movies than any other genre. This went on for about a decade. Then suddenly, I had my fill. While I still enjoy horror films, I don’t have it in me to absorb misogynistic violence or too much gore in the name of CINEMA anymore. So, although I no longer consume horror one might categorize as “challenging”, I still enjoy an atmosphere of the macabre as the days shorten and nights cool off. I’m still on my movie-a-day kick, and decided if one digs down deeply enough, horror is an element present in any film.
Experiment began June 30, 2026
Batch timeframe: Sept. 14-Oct. 27, 2026
Movies watched in that timeframe: 29
Total days elapsed: 119
Total movies watched: 88
Below, I listed the movies I have been watching in order of least- to most-enjoyed, and why each film qualifies as HORROR. (Sometimes it’s because they are horror movies).
That Touch of Mink (1962)
This is a horror film because Doris Day JUST ISN’T FUNNY. Stream it now on Kanopy.
Black Widow (1954)
While this wasn’t the most notable thing to premier in 1954, Black Widow is great for those of us who enjoy murder mysteries and unreliable narrators. This is a horror movie because you never know who to trust!!!
Wise Blood (1979)
John Huston directs, and I can’t get over how diverse this guy’s career was. Did you know he directed the 1982 version of Annie? The one with Tim Curry? Well, he did. Wise Blood is a horror movie because Hazel Motes, played by the ever-great Brad Dourif, believes in nothing and then proceeds to prove it, which was scary. Also, although I don’t think I understood this picture, I found Wise Blood thought-provoking and entertaining.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Giant Gila Monster (1959); The Giant Spider Invasion (1973); The Night of the Blood Beast (1958); Reefer Madness (1936)
I like to watch MST3K in the fall or when I need a guaranteed laugh. The horror has now become absurd and a barrier provided by the vacuum of space above Gizmonic Institute shields us from harm. The Giant Spider Invasion was my particular favorite of this group since it takes place and is filmed in northern Wisconsin. Prepare for limitless Packer jokes and midwestern twangs.
The Big Heat (1953)
I found this movie super gritty and mean-spirited, and thus a very effective film noir directed by the legendary Fritz Lang. Police corruption and piping hot coffee are the real villains in this horror movie.
Dance Girl, Dance (1940)
This is one of the few films of the era directed by a woman (Dorothy Arzner) and is enjoying a bit of a renaissance these days since we can talk about feminism and stuff without a witchfinder general present. Maureen O’Hara plays Lucille Ball’s dance hall stooge. The horror of debasing oneself to earn a living might ring the bell of familiarity, and to me, it’s horror.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1958)
Body Snatchers is the granddaddy red scare b-picture of them all. The pod people want you to CONFORM like a frickin’ commie and Americans DON’T DO THAT. It’s a horror film because monoculture is bad for sustainable farming.
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
The tension between Gena Rowland’s idiosyncratic performance (perhaps the best of the 20th century) and her surrounding domesticity is something I am still thinking about weeks later. She behaves like an exposed nerve touching cold air and simple tasks like meeting the school bus trigger world-collapsing crises. Horror is realizing the lives we build for ourselves are as much a snare as a home.
Rio Bravo (1959)
Another solid John Wayne western, although now that I’ve seen Red River, nothing else really compares. Why can’t Dean Martin be Montgomery Clift? Why can’t Ricky Nelson be Montgomery Clift? Why can’t Angie Dickenson be Montgomery Clift? O, the horror I have endured.
Stage Fright (1950)
If Marlene Dietrich shows up to your house covered in blood and asks you to go back to her apartment to retrieve clothes that are not covered in blood for her to change into, please think very carefully. It’s Hitchcock after all, which is horror all the way down.
The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
The people in this film don’t matter. I can’t remember a single face. The only thing that matters in this picture are the practical effects by Ray Harryhausen. His creatures are scary and cool and must have been thrilling to see on the big screen. It’s too bad the sound design doesn’t keep pace, but overall this is a fun, scary-adjacent movie unlike anything else.
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
I try to program a “gentle” scary movie in October for my movie club discussion, so this was my October 2026 pick. The group had a lot to say, but we mostly really loved this classic screwball comedy. I’m a sucker for anything with Peter Lorre and I spent ages daydreaming about living in a mansion in view of a cemetery and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Universal Monster Movies: Dracula (1931); Frankenstein (1933); The Wolfman (1941)
Mead owns this great four-disc box set of Universal Movie Monster films, including the three above that I’ve seen many times. On this watch-through I realized The Wolfman is paying fan service by casting Claude Rains as Lon Cheney Jr.’s dad. Later, Bela Lugosi makes a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance as a mysterious gypsy. These movies are going on 100 years old and they’re still effectively creepy and scary.
Pandora’s Box (1929)
Did you know 75% of all film produced in the silent era is believed to have “perished”? That’s something like 7500 movies that no longer exist. There was no American long-term film preservation protocol in place until 1988. Additionally, film of the silent era was produced on highly volatile nitrite film stock that was prone to spontaneous combustion. These two factors had the biggest impact on stateside silent film preservation, or lack thereof. All this is to say, there are still tons of innovative and beautiful silent movies in the world to enjoy. Watch Pandora’s Box, then read Louise Brooks’ account of her time in the limelight; Lulu in Hollywood. You’ll feel sparkly AND grimy. Oh yeah, Pandora’s Box is a horror movie because sometimes your vengeful German husband takes away your agency when he makes you shoot him on your wedding night in order to ensure your imprisonment and misery.
Ugetsu (1953)
This film has so much atmosphere I had to get the dehumidifier out. Ugetsu is a fabulous example of the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema, and in fact, won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1954. Pair with Onibaba (1964) and Kwaidon (1964) for a ghoulish Japanese triple feature.
Richard Jewell (2019)
How’s this for a horror story?: You are a private citizen. In your role as a temp security officer, you have thwarted a bombing. The whole country was watching. The FBI leaks that you are a potential suspect. You become subject to the scrutiny of the American media machine for weeks and weeks and weeks. You are eventually exonerated, but this fiasco is what you will be known for until your death.
Holy Motors (2012)
Hey I am not sure what was going on here but I really enjoyed myself while it was happening. There is a scene in which two people say goodbye to one another and then one of them immediately dies in a shocking way. I think this scene was specifically about the horror of our changing lives and circumstances over time, and that those things are often outside our control. I thought about my college friends who I loved and who loved me, but we aren’t in touch, and that’s a kind of death. Did you know that Kanopy censors full-frontal male nudity?
The Warriors (1979)
The Warriors works great as a horror film. It’s like a quicksand stress dream but with a bunch of gangs in pursuit. The gangs all have very matchy-matchy outfits and they are all trying to kill you. This is one of the all-time great b-movies of the 20th century.
I Love Boosters (2026)
I will watch Keke Palmer in anything she does forever. She’s so compelling and I love the choices she makes with each new role. There’s no way to describe this movie without spoiling things. It’s the kind of film that the less you know going in, the better. Maybe skip if you’re weird about glistening woman/demon sex scenes.
The Blob (1959)
Watch, as 28-year-old Steve McQueen portrays a high schooler! Now, in beautiful technicolor. If this isn’t on your radar I cannot overstate how great of a film this is. It’s another low-budget classic that has whipped up a cult following to the tune of an annual reenactment of the theater evacuation at Blobfest in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, where the theater featured in the film still stands.
The Old Dark House (1932)
This movie was so much fun. A couple are driving through the pouring rain, with no passenger windows, mind you, and they stop at The Old Dark House to seek shelter and wait out the storm. The lady is given a room to change in and she dons a filmy sleeveless dress???? It’s an Old Dark House, lady! Isn’t she cold? I’d have been cold. Boris Karloff plays the mute and menacing butler and seems to be enjoying himself. Ten out of ten stars.
The Invisible Man (1933)
I’d never seen this movie before. It’s great, no notes. The practical effects hold up, the H.G. Wells story is fun, fun, fun, and the concept of everyone being terrified of this little shit running around the countryside starkers just knocked me out. The police are not up to the task of apprehension. Like, get a bucket of water and a bag of flour, man! Another remarkable thing is that the face of Claude Rains is only visible in the final moments of the film. It was his talking picture debut.
You Can See Everything (2026)
This film was just released to theaters, so it will be a bit until we have copies to circulate. When the trailer dropped it actually triggered my fight or flight response, just like a horror movie. Prior to that, I didn’t care about Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos, or Nathan Fielder for that matter, but the trailer set something off inside me. I knew Fielder had done something completely innovative, and I couldn’t wait for its release to home viewing. The picture is three hours long, but I couldn’t tell. I thought I recognized a dear friend’s laugh in the theater and chalked it up to Theranos psychosis, but no, I saw him in line for a popcorn refill afterwards. You Can See Everything is totally mind-bending, but I am glad to report it didn’t make me hallucinate
All of the movies I mentioned above are available in the Monarch catalog on BluRay, DVD, or streaming on Kanopy, with the exception of You Can See Everything. And speaking of Kanopy, most Mead Library cardholders have access to this streaming service with a valid library account. There are a ton of rare and unusual horror movies up right now. It overwhelms me.
If you are still casting around for what to watch next, consider using our Your Next Five Movies tool. Fill out the form with your favorite movies, actors, and genres and we will send you a list of five movies you might love. Use the “Recommend a Purchase” tool for films that are not yet in the collection, but you’d like them to be.
