We have officially arrived at Halloween week, a bittersweet feeling as we are approaching the climax to one of the best times of the year, but unironically also a time that a lot of folks want to watch horror movies as well! So today I’ve compiled a list of a few good gateway horror films. Whether you’re an experienced fan of the genre like me and you’re trying to show a younger person or a person who isn’t a big fan of horror movies a film, or you yourself aren’t big into the genre but you want to branch out and try something scary or horror-y for Halloween here is a list of a few of the safer bets that those of you are more likely to enjoy. Quick PSA, I’ve seen gateway horror film lists that lean on the really safe side for like small children or what have you, my list will for the most part be pretty teenage level and up horror that I wouldn’t recommend showing to small children, but rather a teenager starting their journey into the genre or an adult who isn’t big into horror. Most of these films aren’t very sexually explicit at all, but range when it comes to the blood and guts aspect.
Insidious series
The Insidious series leans pretty heavily into the scary, don’t get me wrong, but they’re still pretty safe in the aspect that they rely more on visual and jump scares and less on gore and violence for the most part. I believe the whole series is rated PG-13, but they’re all still pretty scary for the most part for someone of all ages. These movies started coming out around the big boom of truly terrifying films in the early 2010’s along with Sinister and The Conjuring, and although the Insidious and Conjuring universes went debatably a little too far and ran a little too long to me personally, a lot of films in both those series are actually scary and are mostly safe watches to show someone teenage ages and up, even if they aren’t into the blood and guts stuff, they’re bound to keep someone tied in and get a reaction out of them.
Evil Dead II & Army of Darkness
These movies on the other hand lean pretty heavily into the blood and guts stuff, but it’s mostly played out in a fun and silly way and not a mean and sadistic way. While there are a lot of horror visuals and gory practical effects in these films, they never take themselves too seriously, and Ash is a hilarious and likeable main character. He’s so animated and unbelievable and drops so many memorable one-liners that he’s kind of reminiscent of a cartoon character and becomes such a loveable asshole over the course of the films. Plus, Army of Darkness goes back to medieval times and that’s a really cool and hardly explored setting in the horror genre that made me love that film all the more. If you want to see Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell (the director and Ash respectively) just having fun and making schlocky, iconic, memorable horror comedy then I’d definitely recommend checking these out, they’re must sees on your journey into horror.
Happy Death Day & Happy Death Day 2U
I really enjoyed these movies, they’re like a horror version of Groundhog Day with the main girl reliving the same day over and over again until she figures out who’s killing her and how to stop dying. These movies are slasher films technically and create their own masked killer within the series (Babyface), but they’re definitely on the safer side of slasher films and none of the deaths that we see are played out in a brutal or violent way at all. This also capitalizes on the classic slasher element of establishing a main group of kids and using a college campus as its main setting but I’ve always kind of enjoyed that setting and it’s just a cozy and comfortable feel in a slasher film to me. These films also deal with grief and growth as a person as we journey with our main character into her development of becoming a better human being, so they can be a bit heavy, but they’re real well-done movies and definitely ones that I could see teenage/college age people highly enjoying.
Ghostbusters series
I know, I know. Some of you wouldn’t consider this horror, but I do damn it, and I think this is a perfect example of gateway horror films in the more technical sense of the term. These are fantasy/comedy films that plays with horror elements and center around an uprising of spirits coming to take over the world, that’s awesome. My favorites will always be the classics because I grew up watching them and still hold them near and dear to my heart to this day. Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson are THE Ghostbusters in my mind, but I really don’t think there’s a bad film in this whole series so they’re all a safe bet, to me at least. This is also one of the only recommendations of mine that I would say is good for the entire family, while horror and ghosts are played with aplenty throughout the series these movies are an overall fun and funny time that play more like a fantasy with comedic moments and horror elements throughout more so than a full on horror movie, but they’re a great time around Halloween none the less.
Jeepers Creepers & Jeepers Creepers 2
These are grade A horror monster movies to me and were a part of my early introduction to horror myself, so I have some nostalgia for them yes, but I think they are good gateway films also. They are a simple story to follow and introduce their own really cool monster in The Creeper. Basically every 23rd Spring for 23 days this indestructible monster with an infatuation for human flesh awakens and feeds and if he decides you have something that he likes, you better run. A truly ominous and simple story that pulls you right in and while there are some violent and gory scenes in these movies, they’re all done in pretty quick shots or dimly lit areas so you’re not getting the full effect or vileness of the gore like you do in certain other films. The writer and director of these films got in trouble for some pretty rough child charges back in the day and I didn’t find that stuff out till many years after watching and loving these movies, but if that’s something that holds you back from wanting to partake in these I understand that, but they are some truly good monster movies that you could show almost anyone that you want to show a horror film to.
Universal Classic Monster Movies
I’m talking Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, the ones from the 30s and 40s, you know the deal! For real though these are a safe bet for pretty much anyone of all ages and a perfect Halloween time watch for sure. The Universal Monsters are THE classic when it comes to horror and they’re such easy, comfort watches for me. To some people I’m sure these would likely come off as pretty slow to modern standards, but you have to remember these films are 80-90ish years old now. They’re not just some of the earliest horror films, they’re some of the earliest films period. These were released shortly after the silent film period, which is crazy to think about, but they were highly well done, stand the test of time, and hold up as true classics in cinema to this day. If you’re dabbling into the horror genre, dabbling into film in general, need something easy and agreeable to throw on in the background at a Halloween party, want to show your kids their first “scary movie”, or whatever the circumstance may be, the Universal Monster movies are a must.
I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween and has enjoyed their season to their fullest extent up to this point. We will all reconvene to talk more horror, pro wrestling, and football very soon!
