So I’m a really big horror fan, and every year during October, I marathon “Spooktober” movies for the month. Some are classics I love that I rewatch, many are horror movies I’ve never seen, some are just random. This year, I decided to go all out and start early (started in mid-September to fit more) and only watch horror flicks until Halloween. This year I saw 26 horror films, and here they all are in order from best to worst - ranked.

This year was a pretty solid year, with only three of the films I watched actually being really bad. Lots of good and lots of average. Warning: the vast majority of these are NOT family friendly, which probably goes without saying given the genre. Without further ado, here is my Spooktober 2022:

#1 - Little Shop of Horrors (dir. Frank Oz, 1986)

Score - 5/5

Not technically horror, get over it. Easily the best movie I saw this month, and one of my favorite movies I’ve ever seen. Don’t know how I’ve managed not to see it for so long - the second best musical of all time. Incredible cast and performances, hilarious script, great songwriting as usual from Alan Menken.

#2 - 10 Cloverfield Lane (dir. Dan Trachtenberg, 2016)

Score - 5/5

Also not really horror, but this movie blew me away. I’d never watched it because I don’t really like the original Cloverfield very much (hate found footage), but I had no idea this film was so different. Also now one of my favorite movies I’ve ever seen. Perfectly executed.

#3 - Halloween (dir. John Carpenter, 1978) - REWATCH

Score - 4.5/5

The first rewatch on this list - John Carpenter is my favorite filmmaker of all time, and Halloween is one of his best. I watch it every year, and this movie ages like wine. Saw it in theaters this year for the first time, and that was an awesome experience. Holds up very well.

#4 - Donnie Darko (dir. Richard Kelly, 2001)

Score - 4.5/5

A weird, creepy, surreal trip of a movie, and I loved it. Just watch it, I won’t say much. Tears for Fears bumps this up a half star.

#5 - Misery (dir. Rob Reiner, 1990)

Score - 4.5/5

Rob Reiner is one of my top 5 directors ever, and Misery had been on my list for a while. Love Stephen King, love Rob Reiner, and love Kathy Bates. That’s a good recipe.

#6 - Hereditary (dir. Ari Aster, 2018)

Score - 4.5/5

In the past, whenever someone would ask “what’s the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?” I didn’t have an answer. Now I do. Lots of people said that about Hereditary when it came out, and I didn’t pay much attention, but there was good reason. Be prepared for the first one-third to one-half to be the most gut-wrenchingly sad and horrific thing you’ve ever seen, and not be “scary” in the slightest - it’s not until the second half that the horror begins. This movie haunted me.

#7 - The Cabin in the Woods (dir. Drew Goddard, 2011) - REWATCH

Score 4.5/5

Another rewatch, this movie is one that I will watch anywhere, anytime. Hilarious script by Joss Whedon (before he fell off both socially and professionally) and well directed. The less you know going in, the better.

#8 - The Fog (dir. John Carpenter, 1980) - REWATCH

Score - 4.5/5

Another Carpenter classic I’ve seen many times and love. It’s slow and creepy, and a perfect Halloween movie - not very “scary” but a great ghost story, feels like a campfire tale. Great atmosphere and as always with Carpenter, masterful direction, lighting, shot choice, etc.

#9 - Poltergeist (dir. Tobe Hooper, 1982)

Score - 4/5

Why haven’t I seen this before? One of those classics that slipped through the cracks for me. Really well crafted story, some awesome visuals too.

#10 - Barbarian (dir. Zach Cregger, 2022)

Score - 4/5

I am literally going to say nothing about this movie because you just have to watch it without any expectations. Don’t even watch the trailer, go in blind.

#11 - The Fly (dir. David Cronenberg, 1986)

Score - 4/5

Love me some Jeff Goldblum, love me some disgusting practical effects. What’s not to like?

#12 - Nope (dir. Jordan Peele, 2022)

Score 4/5

Probably my least favorite of Peele’s 3 movies so far, I still absolutely loved it. Very weird, bold, and bizarre take on an extraterrestrial movie. There are a couple shots that are so unsettling they stuck with me for weeks. Overall, great story if you don’t think too much about the details (just like his last two movies).

#13 - The Exorcist (dir. William Friedkin, 1973)

Score 4/5

This movie serves as a great warning: don’t mess with the occult, bro.

#14 - American Psycho (dir. Mary Harron, 2000) - REWATCH

Score 4/5

A rewatch. I stinking love this movie. Hilarious and dark, and spawned far too many memes. I’ve seen it many times.

#15 - Candyman (dir. Bernard Rose, 1992)

Score 4/5

Pleasantly surprised by how good this one was, and I wonder why it’s not talked about more.

#16 - Videodrome (dir. David Cronenberg, 1983)

Score 4/5

If you ever want to feel like you’re losing your mind, just watch Videodrome. It’s gross and unsettling, and certainly not family friendly. Keep your finger on the fast forward button and don’t watch if you have a weak stomach.

#17 - Carrie (dir. Brian de Palma, 1976)

Score - 3.5/5

The first Stephen King novel and the first Stephen King adaptation - solid, but not mind-blowing. Certainly set the stage for much greater adaptations to come.

#18 - Smile (dir. Parker Finn, 2022)

Score - 3.5/5

This was the biggest surprise of the year for me. I expected this movie to be terrible, just a generic jumpscare fest, and I was wrong. It certainly had a lot of jumpscares, but it was an example of a popcorn horror movie done right. It was extremely effective, and pretty creepy too. Very enjoyable.

#19 - Evil Dead remake (dir. Fede Alvarez, 2013)

Score - 3.5/5

The original Evil Dead trilogy are some of my all time favorite films, and I love Sam Raimi. I was very skeptical anyone could pull off a solid remake, but Alvarez managed it. Completely different in style and tone than the original, but very effective, visceral, and horrifying.

#20 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers (dir. Philip Kaufman, 1978)

Score - 3/5

*long inhuman scream*

#21 - Night of the Living Dead (dir. George Romero, 1968)

Score - 3/5

A classic that I needed to see, and I’m glad I did. Excited to watch “Dawn” next. Go listen to “They’re Coming to Get You, Barbara” by No More Kings.

#22 - Friday the 13th (dir. Sean Cunningham, 1980)

Score - 3/5

The first of the post-”Halloween” ripoff cash grabs. Some really terrible acting, and nothing overly creative, but the setting was fantastic and atmospheric, and the twist was cool too.

#23 - Malignant (dir. James Wan, 2021)

Score - 3/5

I don’t think I have words to describe this.

#24 - Don’t Worry Darling (dir. Olivia Wilde, 2022)

Score - 2/5

Ok, now we are officially in the terrible territory. This movie was exceedingly stupid, and it came across like Olivia Wilde was trying to imitate Jordan Peele but without the creativity or thought. Messy social commentary and abundant inconsistencies, it was a mess, and I’m worried, darling.

#25 - The Happening (dir. M. Night Shyamalan, 2008)

Score - 1.5/5

If you view it as a comedy this is a 4.5/5. Also, what in the world is this casting?

#26 - The Purge (dir. James DeMonaco, 2013)

Score - 0.5/5

I don’t even want to write about this. Not only was it the worst movie I saw this month, it was one of the 3 worst movies I’ve ever seen, period. I can’t believe this was so successful and spawned 100 sequels. I hate this with every fiber of my being. This is a movie made by dumb people, for dumb people. If you like this franchise, I will pray for you.

That’s a wrap! You can see the list and my other lists on Letterboxd here: Letterboxd List