Friday The 13th Must Watch Movies
Friday the 13th is quickly approaching at the best possible time. It’s the scary season, and maybe you need some different movies to itch that slasher scratch. Through the Moraine Valley Library, you can access a wide array of horror movies completely free of charge!
Celebrate your Friday the 13th right from the campy to the mind bending with these titles.
With any media, especially horror, please exercise caution. There are websites to see if movies have any content specifically upsetting to you.
[Alt text: The word “Hellraiser” is on the top of a blue background. A human figure sits under the title with pins in its face and a complex black outfit with an expression of contempt. The figure is also holding a box.]
We are starting off STRONG. This 80’s titan of a classic is the perfect watch if you want bone chilling terror. Beloved in the horror community, we follow a mother with a dark past and a daughter trying to make sense of the horror residing in her new home. This is a film where if you can look past the bright red blood, there are a million different interpretations in the puzzle unraveling before you. If you are a fan of the supernatural and gross, this will be the movie for you.
[Alt text: A figure with a cautious expression stands in the center of a warm background. The words “Willy’s Wonderland” in the center. The bottom of the image features various worn-down animatronics.]
This is a movie you watch because you hear “FNAF” and “Nick Cage” in the same sentence. Heavily inspired by the iconic horror game Five Nights at Freddy’s, this will tide you over with laughs as you wait for the official film. Nick Cage acts in a stoic silent roll, letting the editing and body language carry the comedy. The side plot is hit or miss, but at worst it adds great fuel to the head scratching happenings in this unassuming children’s restaurant. It’s a campy movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
[Alt text: Text saying, “If this movie doesn’t make your skin crawl… it’s on too tight!” written across the top of the poster. A wreath frames a woman sitting in a chair being suffocated by plastic. The words “Black Christmas” written on the bow.]
This may be contradictory to the Halloween season at first, however this is a movie perfect for any vague cold weather. This is the movie where all your favorite slasher tropes are born, even being a strong influence for the original Halloween! Set during winter break in a sorority, sisters staying behind survive the intruder residing in the attic. The visuals are truly 70’s and the acting is too. This oldie really is a goodie.
[Alt text: The text “Suspiria” is sprawled across the top of a poster. A woman with a terrified expression holds a long poker. A colorful peacock statue right behind her.]
If there is any movie you should without a doubt watch, let it be this. Suspiria is a beautiful film about Suzy Bannion’s surreal experience going to a dance academy away from all that is familiar. Tragedy struck the day before her arrival and the school is not all that it seems, with impossible hallways and oddities alike. This colorful and experimental film will take your breath away with bright colors, mind bending architecture, and terror that will leave you inspired and mortified.