EVERYONE DESERVES ONE GOOD SCARE

Every October horror fans around the world rejoice at the approach of their favourite holiday, Halloween! A perfect excuse to watch horror films, October often finds horror fans in their element. As a horror fan myself I’m partaking in the 31 Days of Horror challenge, where you pick out 31 horror films to watch, one a day over the month.

But what about those film fans out there who aren’t horror hounds? What about those of you who aren’t really into horror but are maybe looking for a way in? Horror is an expansive genre, possibly the most expensive, with countless sub-genres, each with their own rules, and some drastically different from others. It’s not all about ghosts, gore, masked killers and final girls, you know? So, if you’re not into horror, but want to join in the festivities this Halloween month, I’ve compiled a list of the six best horror movies for non-horror fans.

Hope you enjoy.

1. HALLOWEEN (1978)

We’ll start with the obvious. Like Die Hard for Christmas, Halloween is the perfect holiday movie. Se during one Halloween night in a small town in America, Halloween marked the feature debut of Jamie Lee Curtis, who defined the role of the final girl with her portrayal of babysitter in peril, Laurie Strode. Years after young Michael Myers inexplicably butchered his sister on Halloween night the now grown personification of pure evil returns to his home town to wreak bloody havoc.

Directed by John Carpenter and written by Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween is often credited as spawning the entire slasher sub-genre. But while the iconic slasher films such as Friday the 13^th and Nightmare on Elm Street are known for their bloody, violent set-pieces, Halloween is a much subtler affair.

Featuring surprisingly little blood, Halloween is more concerned with a creeping sense of dread, making it the ideal feature for any horror new comer.

Michael Myers is a startlingly frightening and instantly iconic villain, but it’s the characters of Laurie Strode and Dr Loomis (played by the ever-excellent Donald Pleasance) who steal the show. If you’re looking for a way into horror but you aren’t too keen on gore the Halloween is the ideal place to start. The perfect introduction to the slasher genre and one of the most iconic films ever made.

IF YOU LIKED THIS: Halloween II, Friday the 13^th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play, Scream