Welcome to the first-ever edition of Macabre Mondays!
Born in the same vein as Sci-Friday, fellow writer
has taken the initiative here to organize and motivate a few folks to write about their favorites within the horror genre, be it books, movies, shows, or games.Today, I want to talk about my favorite subgenre of horror films, and share three of my all-time favorite creepy films with you. “Creepy” is its own category to me, quite apart from cheap scares or grotesque imagery (nothing wrong with those, mind you! they just have a different place).
“Creepy” gives you that lingering feeling of unease that sticks with you later on, when you’re trying to sleep. It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
Without further ado, here are 3 of the creepiest horror movies of all time.
Session 9
Every now and then, a movie takes control of your mind for a while, takes you for a ride, then drops you off at the end. You’re left putting the pieces back together at the end, reconstructing what you just watched.
That’s how I felt the first time I saw Session 9.
It’s hard to imagine a more creepy setting than an abandoned mental hospital. Even more disturbing, the group of asbestos removal workers has to wear hazmat suits the entire time. Things take a turn for the dark and creepy when they uncover a series of audio interviews between a doctor and patient at the hospital.
The sense of dread you get when you listen with the crew is palpable. What’s not shown is every bit as scary as what’s shown, and I think that’s a trademark of a good “creepy” movie.
David Caruso and Josh Lucas were two pretty big names I recognized when I first saw the film, but it is Peter Mullan whose understated reactions and point of view we share. His rendition of Gordon is a pleasure to watch.
This is a great example of horror minimalism—doing only what’s needed on the screen, and letting the viewer’s imagination handle the rest. There’s not a better way to make a horror film creepy.
Insidious
Insidious really picked up the “horror minimalism” torch passed by Session 9.
Now, you’re thinking: sure, an abandoned mental institution is pretty creepy, but isn’t this just a haunted house movie? Well… not exactly. First, a classic haunted house trope can be produced very effectively, even in spite of having been done hundreds of times. I enjoyed both The Woman in Black and The Others, both 21st century haunted house forays.
Insidious turns the traditional haunted house concept on its head.
After Patrick Wilson’s kid ends up in a coma, it’s revealed that it’s not the house that’s haunted… it’s the kid. Lin Shaye shares the stage and screen with Wilson as a medium of sorts, and both deliver fantastic performances.
A really subtle soundtrack underscores the unsettling jaunt between the very familiar world of the house, and the other side. Astral projection with some odd groundings in the real world give a constant surreal vibe to the film, and the classic “haunted house” stuff is allowed to take center stage.
Creepy!
Lake Mungo
Lake Mungo is a classic ghost story in the same way that Insidious is a classic haunted house film. Embracing a documentary-style approach (not quite found footage, but a close cousin) might not seem like the most original way to go about this, but this film is wholly unique.
If you’ve ever found yourself questioning the boundaries between reality and the supernatural, at least while you’re suspending your disbelief for a film, you’ll find a familiar feeling with Lake Mungo, but this version of the feeling is on steroids.
Alice Palmer is a young woman from a small town in Australia who drowns while swimming. As her family struggles with their grief, poring over home videos and photographs surrounding Alice’s life, they become convinced that Alice's presence might still linger in some form.
You, the viewer, get to feel this psychological tension build up. You’re seeing the same evidence the family is seeing. The filmmakers allow you to share the sense of grief, effectively making you more vulnerable. That makes the creepiness even more powerful.
No spoilers.
And there you have it, folks—three horror films that master the art of the "creepy" factor.
Why is traveling all the way to the darkest corners of the human psyche so interesting? Maybe it’s a desire to understand what we’re capable of, or maybe it’s just that we want to stretch our minds in ways we don’t normally get to.
Regardless, I suspect I’ll always be drawn to this sort of understated horror, often devoid of overuse of gore or shock tactics. Give me psychological unease any day of the week!
As much as I relish exploring the creepy depths of these films, I'm far from alone in my fascination with horror here on Substack.
Other participants of Macabre Mondays you might want to check out: the aforementioned
, along with , , , , , and , among others. They’re all passionate about horror, and are all participating!I don’t know what sorts of horror those folks will write about, but let’s talk about the creepy stuff a little more here. What are some of the creepiest films you’ve seen? What left a mark on you, or kept you from sleeping?
Oooof, not a horror fan. (Because I'm a wuss, you see.)
I used to think horror was all about silly jump scares (ala Scream) and the like. Then I watched The Ring (the original Japanese version) and couldn't get the "creep" factor you're talking about out of my head for days.
Thanks, but no thanks!
Session 9 is one of my favorite movies, bar none.