Too Scared for Horror Movies? These 5 Are the Perfect Place to Start
Horror has always been one of the best and most impressive genres out there, yet it remains difficult to get new fans invested. A lot of people simply don’t like to be scared, meaning they avoid horror movies, and it can be hard to convince them to go against that. However, one of the best things about horror is that it’s a versatile genre that can cross over into sci-fi, comedy, action, fantasy, and pretty much any other kind of film you can imagine. That makes it easier to suggest horror projects for newcomers to check out. If you are someone who gets scared easily, then you don’t want to jump into the deep end automatically, so easing your way into the genre would be much better. With that in mind, there are some legitimate classics that are perfect for introducing newer horror fans to what makes the genre so great.
These films have elements that make them scary, yet there’s so much more to them. They utilize suspense, comedy, and other aspects to make them digestible for everyone, even those who get scared easily.
5) Halloween
The timeline of the Halloween franchise is difficult to grasp if you’re new to the genre, with sequels that only follow certain movies, reboots, and standalone entries. If you’re starting out, make it easier by just focusing on the original. 1978’s Halloween helped popularize the slasher subgenre that was everywhere in the ’80s. Its iconic nature is enough to merit a viewing, yet it’s also great for people who scare easily because the movie doesn’t rely on a bunch of gore or jump scares.
A lot of what makes Halloween work so well is the way it uses suspense. Michael Myers operates in the shadows, the music builds the tension, and while he’s intimidating, Michael doesn’t look overly scary at first glance. It helps that Halloween is an incredibly well-made movie that makes great use of its small budget, and any film fan can appreciate that. This laid the foundation for a legendary villain and should be on everyone’s list of must-see movies.
4) Get Out
Jordan Peele has proven his penchant for great horror filmmaking, and his best work remains his feature debut, Get Out. The 2017 movie took the world by storm and was even a hit with those who don’t care for horror projects. The film features almost no gore and instead focuses on building an unsettling vibe that will make you uneasy, yet shouldn’t overly frighten anyone. It doesn’t feature any monsters or supernatural elements either.
Get Out gives us a look at how evil the human race can be and while that can be scarier than a traditional monster, it isn’t something new to non-horror fans. They see evil humans in other film genres and the real world, so it is a bit easier to take in. Get Out is a tremendous movie regardless of your feelings on the genre, even winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Peele’s other releases, Us and Nope, are also both great for an introduction to horror.
3) Poltergeist
It isn’t the oldest movie on this list, but 1982’s Poltergeist is a legitimate classic in the horror genre. Again, it’s a film that doesn’t have to deliver a ton of jump scares to terrify its audience and uses fear of the unknown in its favor. You don’t really get to see what’s haunting the family in their home, and when you finally do, it features some CGI and special effects that look a bit goofy, which lessens the frights.
Poltergeist was co-written by Steven Spielberg, who is known for his movies being universally accessible. The film is also rated PG, which means that even children were able to see it in theaters with no problem, and family-friendly horror is perfect for a newcomer to the genre. Even though it’s not too scary, Poltergeist still earns its credits as a timeless horror movie with memorable scenes that anyone can enjoy.
2) Alien
Although the long-running Alien franchise is firmly set in the sci-fi genre, certain installments lean more into horror, while some are more action-oriented. The 1979 original is certainly a horror project that scared audiences upon first viewing, yet it doesn’t feel too terrifying to look back on. The Xenomorphs are a pop culture staple, so pretty much everyone knows what they look like now, which makes them far less scary than when folks first laid eyes upon them decades ago.
Outside of the Xenomorph, there aren’t too many things around that can give you nightmares. The scene where the alien bursts out of someone’s chest is probably the biggest scare for non-horror fans. Otherwise, it’s a film that uses the vast emptiness of space and feelings of loneliness to set up its terror, which is chilling, though people who are easily shaken tend to want to avoid jump scares rather than atmospheric scares.
1) Scream
At a time when the slasher subgenre was dying out, Scream arrived to revitalize it. What made 1996’s Scream stand apart from similar movies was how it poked fun at the tropes that the genre is known for. A film about a serial killer’s spree becomes easier for someone to digest when you find the lighthearted comedy in it all. If the movie is pointing out these things, you’re likely to be less scared, which is why Scream has remained prominent for so long. Anyone can appreciate it.
Scream works as a love letter to horror, yet new fans of the genre will get engrossed in the mystery elements of it all. In other slashers, you know who is doing the killing. Here, part of the fun is finding out who is behind the murder spree. You don’t have to be terrified if you’re busy laughing at the film’s meta commentary or if you’re trying to piece together who the killer could be.
