5 contemporary horror films you need to see this October

This month, we’ve touched on classic and anthology horror. Now, let’s take time to review contemporary horror features destined to be iconic.

When I asked for suggestions regarding contemporary horror classics the response was overwhelming. So much so that I had more responses than I had space to write about them. 30 years have elapsed since the wave of ’80s-era slasher films. Yet in contemporary film, there are plenty of features worth considering and likely will in time be considered horror classics — such as the STD allegory that was It Follows to Jennifer Kent’s feminist horror feature The Babadook.

Several female-focused movies championed amongst suggestions, including The Descent, Ginger Snaps, and Raw. The Iranian horror Western A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night almost made this list. Home invasion films like The Strangers also popped up, as did several franchise off-shoots like the first Purge and Insidious. So, again, to say that there were a lot of options is an understatement. Several of the Blumhouse features were also touted, including the first two installments of the Conjuring series.

The films eventually settled on are all just as fantastic as what almost made it. Some have that extra air of panche, either changing the landscape or evoking timeless horror of the past, some have even been in the Oscar conversation. But, regardless, they’ve put their mark on the collective horror landscape and will keep us talking about them for decades.