At heart, every horror movie boils down to a few basic, fundamental fears that touch us all, but there are infinite variations on those basics. Horror movies span a broad range: Some are mildly dark fables meant to make children laugh, while others are shocking stories trying to make adults afraid to sleep with the lights off.
And everyone has different tastes in horror movies. Some people are looking for character-based drama where every death feels like a tragedy. Some fans just want to watch the bodies pile up. One horror devotee might be looking for catharsis and comfort, where another one wants to be challenged with something they’ve never seen on screen before.
And there’s so much horror out there right now. Widely accepted as a low-cost way for first-time filmmakers to break into the industry and as a great gamble for studios hoping to spend a little to earn a lot, horror movies are crammed onto every streaming service — and then there’s the streaming service solely for horror movies. So how does anyone make sense of it all and pick the next horror movie that’s best for them?
The Polygon entertainment crew wants to help. We watch a lot of horror and we recommend a lot of horror, but now, in the spirit of our Dear Polygon help line for games, we want to get more specific and personal, and recommend a horror movie just for you. Yes, you, dear reader.
Looking for a film you haven’t seen yet on your favorite topic or in your favorite genre? Want something you can watch with specific friends or family members, or the best film by a certain director, or a place to start with a specific subgenre? Let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll do our best to help.
Just hop over to our movie recommendation request form and fill it out to let us know what you’re looking for. We’ll start posting answers in October as spooky season gets a little closer.