My last week of my Halloween 2024 horror movie countdown was packed with supernatural horror movies on the best streaming services. I had a satisfactory experience with sci-fi horror movies even though I wouldn't necessarily call myself a fan, but when it came to supernatural horror movies, I felt more at home just as I did with psychological horrors and slasher movies.
This week's roundup features a variety of different supernatural horrors featuring ghosts, vampires, and high school students with telekinetic abilities concluding the final week of my countdown to Halloween 2024. Focussing on this little project for the entire month of October has been a incredibly fun experience, and one that has not only expanded my knowledge on the best horror movies but has opened my eyes to its different subgenres. This is just the beginning of many exciting streaming projects to come, and you bet that I have a Christmas movie challenge in the pipeline.
Day 22: Paranormal Activity
Director: Oren Peli
Running time: 86 minutes
Where to stream: Max (US), Prime Video (UK) Paramount Plus (AU)
When I was approaching my teenage years and started getting into horror to prove that I was badass, I remember Paranormal Activity being one of the first horror movies I watched.
Like Creep (2014), found footage movies and I have a very complicated relationship. I can't watch one without being on edge the entire time but for some reason that's what draws me in, and as for Paranormal Activity, it's not as unsettling as I remember it being as an 11-year-old.
Though the movie isn't as thrilling as I'd hope it'd be for a home footage horror, it scores points for how it flows. Unlike a few horrors that I've watched recently, the action and climax is preserved until later on in the film. The night-time footage segments give you doses that gradually build as the film goes on, preparing you for something bigger to happen.
Day 23: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Director: Fran Rubel Kuzui
Running time: 86 minutes
Where to stream: Fubo, Paramount Plus (US), Disney Plus (UK & AU)
When I watched I Saw the TV Glow (2024) in cinemas, it made me revisit my favorite TV of all time on Hulu - Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For some reason I've never got around to watching the original movie despite the fact it its TV adaptation is my favorite, so naturally, it was at the top of my list for supernatural horror week.
Going into it, I knew that it wasn't going to be an incredibly polished movie, but that's the beauty about it. Compared to the TV show, the vampires in the movie are a little half-baked and don't have the fright factor. Not that the vampires in the TV show are particularly 'scary', but their prosthetics and characterizations give them a lot more depth as supernatural antagonists. But David Arquette was a very lovely surprise indeed.
Yes, it's not the best movie, but it's a perfect example of an 'if you get it, you get it, and if you don't, you don't' movie.
Day 24: The Babadook
Director: Tyler Gillett & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Running time: 95 minutes
Where to stream: Netflix (US), Prime Video (UK & AU)
When I think of this movie, the one thing that comes to mind is how it became a gay icon in the mid-2010s and had a very short-lived internet fame. This was my return to The Babadook since failing to finish it when it first came out, and it's a very enjoyable watch.
Aside from a screaming child and some very questionable parenting choices, this movie is a deeper commentary of single parent life as well as the terrors of childhood. When this movie was adopted into the queer community after its release, it gained a new interpretation that the character of the Babadook itself represents a repressed queer identity. While watching the movie, both themes had a pretty balanced presence, and were presented in quite a dark manner which I thought was not only engaging but gave the movie a purpose.
Day 25: Carrie
Director: Tyler Gillett & Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Running time: 95 minutes
Where to stream: AMC+ (US), Prime Video (UK), Stan (AU)
Carrie isn't just a supernatural horror movie, it's an account that chronicles coming-of-age, abuse, and religious torment. Easily one of the best written horror characters, you can't help but root for her and the demise she brings everyone to - Sissy Spacek was the perfect choice for Carrie White, as was Piper Laurie as her controlling mother.
Even though this was my second time watching since I was a teenager, watching it again in my twenties felt like a first-time watch. Out of al the movies I ticked off this week, I'd go as far to say that Carrie is the only one I'll revisit again in the future.
