31 horror films you need to watch this October

The Shining

The Plot

In the hopes of securing a creative breakthrough, writer Jack Torrance signs on to be the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, nestled in the mountains and virtually unreachable once the snow sets in. He moves in with his wife and son, planning on using the peace and quiet to work on his novel. Despite the fact that the previous winter caretaker developed a case of “cabin fever” and killed his entire family and himself, Jack figures it will probably be fine. Insert thinking emoji here.

And sure enough, after a month the strange phenomena begin; mysterious bruises, bad nightmares, and horrific visions. Things only get worse from there.

The Breakdown

Slow-building but unrelenting, the combination of claustrophobia as the characters are trapped inside the hotel by the encroaching snow, and agoraphobia within the wind and endless halls and hallways of the hotel, is a potent anxiety cocktail that works harder the longer you watch. Once again, the surreal does this movie many favors; many events in the movie are never explained, and are all the more disturbing as a result. Intensely psychological, yet so much more than that; The Shining is certainly a classic for a reason.

The Scare Factor

The backbone of this horror story is watching Jack’s slow mental spiral, unstoppable and accelerating until it gains critical mass. But there’s so much more to appreciate than just the psychological element; the action, when it comes, is heart-pounding; the supernatural elements, used sparingly and all the more effective for it, push this movie from a perfectly balanced thriller into the realm of true horror.