Do You Like Scary Movies?
Scream is one of the quintessential slasher movies and it’s one heck of a ride. If you’ve finished watching this one (and its subsequent sequels) you may be itching for more. Well, fret not. We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks. Of course for all the movies we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full review. So without further ado, we present 10 movies to check out when you’ve finished watching Scream!
Identity
Inspired by Agatha Christie’s classic novel ‘Ten little Indians’, Identity is a psychological thriller armed with some great twists and decent characterization. Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, Identity’s story centers on ten strangers who become acquainted with each other. When they realize they’re being killed off one by one, the group try to piece together who’s behind this. Well-written and suspenseful, Identity is a chilling movie well worth checking out.
Urban Legend
Urban Legend isn’t awfully original and it doesn’t really do anything outside the norm. Both Urban Legend and its sequel Urban Legend: Final Cut do get some brownie points though for its original premise and imaginative killings. The story revolves around a group of college students at a remote New England university. At the center of this is Natalie, a gifted student who (along with the rest of her class) learn about a host of urban legends and a killer 25 years prior. Only, when a killer suddenly crops up on campus and begins killing again, the kids find themselves in the midst of a tense slasher. Urban Legend does have a nice little twist at the end (as does its sequel) while the host of killings are timely enough to keep you watching until the end.
Black Christmas
Black Christmas is a solid horror film, this time switching the holiday season from overused Halloween across to Christmas. The story is quite straightforward; a group of sorority sisters find themselves stalked by a maniac. While it doesn’t sound like much, this 1973 picture was overlooked at the time and feels like a forgotten classic. The film is undeniably creepy too and has enough suspense to keep you gripped until the very end.
Cherry Falls
Cherry Falls unashamedly takes a lot of inspiration from Scream. However, the movie does manage to inject some originality with its premise, which leans in hard with the teen slasher vibes. The story here takes place in the small town of Cherry Falls, deep in the heart of Virginia. A long-haired killer is targeting high school virgins and offing them in increasingly gory ways. Fellow virgin Jody Markam launches her own investigation to try and figure out who the killer is. In doing so though, she uncovers a whole string of dark secrets. Cherry Falls is cleverly written at times and zips by at a pretty decent pace.
Valentine
Valentine is another slasher but this time changes the time of year from the conventional Halloween to Valentine’s Day instead. This deliciously dark slasher has a pretty decent cast and a pretty menacing killer too. The story itself is typical slasher fare, revolving around five women who are stalked by an unknown assailant while preparing for Valentine’s Day. Combining suspense, tension and gore, Valentine is a heck of a good time and certainly worth checking out.
Cry_Wolf
Cry_Wolf has some clear ‘Scream’ vibes when it comes to its cast of characters. The movie also conjures similar mystery vibes with its overarching story. When a woman is found murdered a group of high school students decide to use this as the foundation to scare their classmates. A group of teens set out and spread online rumours that a serial killer called “The Wolf” is on the loose. As the rumours spiral and the line between fantasy and reality blurs, it seems like there may actually be a ‘Wolf’ killer after all. There’s some nice twists in this one and it culminates in a pretty decent modernization of the slasher genre.
Happy Death Day
Happy Death Day happily fills the horror boots of the time loop, armed with a simple and interesting premise in the process. The story here follows an arrogant, spoilt student called Tree who’s forced to relive her birthday over and over again. Unfortunately this always results in her death. As the movie progresses though, she starts to make sense of what’s happening to her and tries to find a way to fight back. The result here is a movie that’s part-horror / part-comedy mash-up that fits the bill nicely for those after an imaginative teen slasher with a twist.
Final Destination
The one that started them all; Final Destination released back in 2000 and brought with it a brand new style of teen slasher. Away from the masked killers came a much more scary, invisible threat in the form of Death itself. The first movie is arguably the best and revolves around a group of high school students, who ready themselves for a trip to Europe. When Alex has a premonition of their plane crashing, his crazy outburst prompts him, his teacher and a group of students to be thrown off the plane before it departs. As fate would have it, their plane does explode but so too does Death’s plan for them to die. Now, the group find themselves dodging the FBI (who believe they caused the explosion) and Death itself, who sharpens his scythe and tries to kill the kids in increasingly creative ways every chance he gets. Original, gory and full of some pretty gnarly deaths, Final Destination is a solid choice.
You’re Next
If you’re looking for a gory thriller with a lot of twists and turns, You’re Next should definitely be on your radar. The story begins with a family reunion which turns into a full-on massacre when a gang of masked killers invade a sprawling mansion in the middle of the country. On a ruthless mission of murder, the group bite off more than they can chew when they realize one of the group has a talent for fighting back — violently. Cleverly written and with a sharp eye for detail, this one’s well worth a watch.
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods is one of those movies that’s best to go into completely blind. This film takes the tried and tested camp horror idea and expands that into something wholly original. At its core, this story revolves around five friends who go for a break at a remote cabin. There, they end up with more than they bargained for as they discover the horrifying truth behind this cabin. Wirthout giving too much away, this is one of those films that you’ll either love or hate. Either way, it’s undoubtedly original in its intention and definitely worth a watch. So there we have it, our 10 Movie picks to keep you busy after watching the original Scream! What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!