Worst2First: My Top Ten Films to Watch on Amazon Prime This Halloween

Worst2First:
My Top Ten Films to Watch
on Amazon Prime This Halloween

Halloween is the time for ghosts, ghouls, and everything dark and twisted to be celebrated, and the streaming services offer a plethora of ghastly goodies to watch. For Amazon Prime Days of Horror, I picked ten films from the streaming service I would suggest watching this Halloween season.

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

Jack Frost

If you're looking for something more humorous and outrageous this Halloween season, "Jack Frost" is right up your alley. When a serial killer comes into contact with rare genetic materials, he turns into Jack Frost, a seemingly unstoppable killer snowman who returns to his hometown to get revenge against the cop who put him away, and create some Yuletide carnage along the way. Some horror films are so bad because of a poor story or performances, but "Jack Frost" is bad for all the right reasons - it doesn't take itself seriously and relishes on its B-rated status.

#9

House

Directed by horror maestro Steve Miner, "House" is your quintessential haunted house film that doesn't take itself too seriously, invoking laughs and screams in equal measure. When a troubled author stays in the home of his recently deceased aunt, he learns that the house is full of ghouls, ghosts, and ghastly things that go bump in the night and threaten his livelihood. William Katt gives a committed performance and the film includes all the classic 80s practical effects you can ask for, as well as a heaping amount of humor to go with it.

#8

Cabin Fever

Eli Roth is one of this generation's most prolific horror directors, and one of his earliest works was "Cabin Fever," which resounds all the more nowadays during a global pandemic. When a group of friends spend the weekend in a remote cabin in the woods, they discover they're not alone - the place is ground zero for a new form of bacterial virus that eats away at a person's skin. Utilizing both practical and special effects, Roth manages to craft an unnerving virus film equipped with all the blood and gore he's known for, as well as supplying a tale of mistrust and betrayal by former friends, and you'll never watch "Boy Meets World" the same again after seeing Rider Strong in this role.

#7

Train to Busan

The South Korean zombie action horror film "Train to Busan" has received universal acclaim, and it's no surprise why. More than just fast-running zombies on a train, the film is also a tale of familial drama and filled with tear-jerking emotional moments thrown in with the screams and terror. Featuring zombies more akin to "World War Z" than "The Walking Dead," "Train to Busan" is one train you won't want to get into in real life, but can't wait for the ticket to watch on Prime.

#6

Children of the Corn

One of the few novels written by Stephen King to not take place in Maine (since there's no cornfields there), "Children of the Corn" takes place in small town Nebraska where all the adults in the town have disappeared, and it's run by a gang of religious children. When two outsiders investigate the goings-on, they draw the ire and anger of the children who seek to kill them by any means necessary. Spawning a franchise of its own, nothing compares to the original, and it'll have you thinking twice about going to another corn maze.

#5

The Descent

Taking your fears of claustrophobia and the dark to new levels, "The Descent" is an unrelenting descent into the pits of horror hell. When a group of women decide to go exploring in a remote cave, they soon discover that they're not alone, as they're being hunted by creatures who've been living in the cave for centuries. Filled to the brim with tense moments and terrifying visuals, "The Descent" will stick with you long after it ends, proving itself as one of the most powerful horror films in recent memory.

#4

Hellraiser

Clive Barker is as synonymous with horror as Stephen King, but his stories are much darker due to their sadomasochistic leanings, and the epitome of this is his classic "Hellraiser."  When a person manages to solve a mysterious puzzle box (known as the Lament Configuration), they summon the Cenobites - a race of extra-dimensional beings who equate pain and pleasure as two ends of the same coin, and set out to fulfill their deadly desires. Led by the Priest (who will eventually be known as Pinhead), they wreak havoc behind the scenes, as the main villains in the film are the humans who summon them. Doug Bradley personified the Priest's character and the visuals are downright terrifying, invoking a person's deepest fears and desires and maintains its prominence in the horror pantheon over thirty years later.

#3

House on Haunted Hill

Revolutionary for 1959 and a classic today, "House on Haunted Hill" features horror legend Vincent Price in one of his best performances as eccentric billionaire Frederick Loren, who invites some friends to his mansion for a haunted house party. Whoever stays the night gets $10,000 dollars, but they subject themselves to the numerous horrors that reside within the residence. Either in black-and-white or color, "House on Haunted Hill" is a Halloween must-see, and while some of the effects seem very dated now, it was still highly effective in its day and still brings chills today.

#2

An American Werewolf in London

What does "An American Werewolf in London," "The Iron Lady," "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" have in common? They've all won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, and it was something extremely rare for a horror movie to achieve. Directed by John Landis (who's better known for his comedies "Animal House" and "Blues Brothers"), the film centers on two Americans backpacking through London when they're attacked by a werewolf, and the repercussions that occur after. Featuring some of the most state-of-the-art makeup designs imaginable during the time (and still as effective today), "An American Werewolf in London" is a great mix of comedy and creature feature horror that's remained as relevant now as it did over forty years ago.

#1

Night of the Living Dead

In a small town outside of Pittsburgh, with a less-than-shoestring-budget, George A. Romero completely transformed the cinematic landscape as we know it. "Night of the Living Dead" introduced the world to a new type of zombie that's been a staple in countless films and television series since, but nothing tops the 1968 original. When a group of people hole up in an abandoned farmhouse, they're shocked to learn that the world has been infested with the walking undead, and must learn to work together to make it out alive. More than just a soulless zombie feature, the film also focuses on racial prejudices and the mistrust people have for one another, all the while maintaining its sense of horror and hopelessness throughout.