Alright, let’s have a chat. Say that you’re on a date, hanging out with friends, or maybe you’re just on your own, and the desire to watch a horror movie arises. You’re scared at first because you’ve never watched a horror movie; you don’t know how you’ll react to them. Are they all as terrifying as Midsommar and Hereditary seem to be?
Rest assured, readers, we have the solution to that. Today, I’ll review several great picks for horror movies for beginners, whether you want something with a little less horror or maybe a little more. Let’s get into it.
Poltergeist (1982)
Poltergeist is a classic horror movie from the 1980s that Steven Spielberg co-wrote. The film follows a family who has to find a way to save their daughter when vengeful spirits kidnap her in their own home. Out of most horror movies, this one is very light on the jumpscares and mainly builds fright through suspense – mixed in with some pretty okay-ish CGI.
Halloween (1978)
You can’t get more of a classic horror movie villain than Michael Myers. Halloween was released back in 1978 and told the story of a young woman acting as a babysitter the night of Halloween and how she has to survive the wrath of Michael Myers, an escaped killer from a mental facility. Halloween isn’t gorey but has excellent music, suspense, and an unforgettable villain. Out of all the Halloween movies, this one is still the best.
The Fog (1980)
The Fog is a horror movie directed by John Carpenter that makes you question what you see in the fog. It focuses on a group of strangers who all have to survive this strange fog that takes over their town, which seems to contain evil forces. The movie isn’t scary, but it is a nice entrance into a more suspenseful horror.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
M. Night Shyamalan’s best movies often involve some horror, and The Sixth Sense follows that. The film mainly focuses on a child psychologist with a patient who can see dead people, but of course, the classic Shyamalan twist makes this movie all the better. It’s not scary, per se – just exciting.
Psycho (1960)
I mean, yes. I have to put Psycho on here. Directed by Hollywood legend Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is based on the novel of the same name and follows the story of an investigator looking into the strange life of Norman Bates at the Bates Motel and how one interaction with a young woman and her disappearance changes everything. It’s black and white with no gore, but it's a great horror movie to start on. Trust me.
Friday The 13th (1980)
The Friday the 13th movies were essentially some of the films that began the subgenre of slasher within horror, but the first movie isn’t even that bad. It focuses on a group of teenage counselors trying to survive a serial killer at their summer camp after a tragedy occurred years prior. While there are some messier scenes, it’s not that bad and has some great music.
Beetlejuice (1988)
With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releasing, it’s the perfect time to watch the first film. Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, a “bio-exorcist” contacted by two ghosts to get humans to leave their home – but he has tricks up his sleeves. Look, Beetlejuice, truthfully, is probably the best entrance into horror. This movie is way more funny than scary, but it has enough creepy moments to dip your toes in horror.
The Black Phone (2022)
Starring Ethan Hawke, The Black Phone is an excellent horror film that follows the story of a teenager who is abducted by a child murderer and can use a rotary dial phone to speak to past victims to find a way out. This film has a few gorier moments, but they’re pretty tame. And truthfully, the plot alone is so creative you’ll be sucked in.
Happy Death Day (2017)
There are plenty of fantastic horror comedies, and Happy Death Day is one of them. The film follows a young woman who, when she is killed, is forced to relive the day over and over again to find the murderer. Yes, this is a horror version of Groundhog Day, and it’s the best.
Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins is a comedy horror film that everyone has seen at least once. The film follows the story of a man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai. At first, it seems fine, but once they get fed past midnight, they turn into monsters that wreak havoc. The movie isn’t scary, but it has some good makeup and will make you chuckle at the monsters.
Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
Shaun of the Dead is a classic comedy zombie movie directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg. The film follows a salesman who must survive the zombie apocalypse with his friends when the entirety of London falls. The zombies can sometimes be creepy, but trust me when I say you’ll be laughing a heck of a lot more than screaming.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
Night of the Living Dead essentially created the zombie genre as a whole. This classic horror film from the 1960s, directed by George A. Romero, follows a group of survivors in Pennsylvania who must try to survive when they are all attacked by corpses that have come back to life. The movie features the slowest zombies ever, but they’re still pretty creepy – and powerfully told.
Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s movies are always hits; Get Out was his first big one. The movie follows a young Black man who travels to his Caucasian girlfriend’s house for the first time to meet her family, only to discover that they hold much darker secrets than ever before. There’s barely any gore in here—all the horror is in the storytelling and how evil humans can be.
The Ring (2002)
Have you ever heard the phrase “Seven days?” Because it comes from here. Directed by Gore Verbinski and based on the Japanese horror film and novel of the same name, this movie follows the story of a journalist who discovers that when she watches a cursed tape, she will die in seven days—and now she must find a way to survive. Yes, the girl can be a little creepy, but truthfully, the movie isn’t that bad.
Insidious (2010)
When it comes to horror movies about demons, Insidious is pretty much the best you can get because it’s not “poop your pants” scary, but it’s effective in the way it scares. Directed by James Wan, the film follows a married couple who must find a way to save their son when he enters into a coma, and his body becomes host to several vengeful spirits and demons. There are a few jumpscares, but it’s nothing an average person can’t handle.
Scream (1996)
This film isn’t scary, and I stand by it. Scream is the first in the Scream franchise, and it follows Sidney Prescott as she tries to avoid getting killed by Ghostface, a serial killer in her town. This movie is just a trope city, and there are undoubtedly bloody moments, but not enough to truly scare you. If anything, it’s a love letter to horror movies from decades before.
Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland was one of the first zombie movies I ever watched, and I think it’s a great horror comedy for first-time viewers. It mainly follows four survivors as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse, but it’s the comedy that keeps you coming back for more. It’s so funny, and some of the ways the zombies are killed are hilarious. It’s one of Emma Stone’s best films.
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
Starring David Naughton, An American Werewolf in London tells the story of two American backpackers who are attacked by a werewolf. One of them gets bitten, turning him into a werewolf when the moon rises. The scariest thing about this film is the realistic werewolf transformation, but other than that, it’s a great horror movie to start on.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
While the found-footage horror genre has only gotten bigger, I often credit The Blair Witch Project as the first to really set it off. The film focuses on a group of film students who are trying to make a documentary about a local legend, only to vanish. Their footage is found a year later—hence the name, “found footage.” The movie has a few scary movies but builds its scares on suspense.
Jaws (1975)
Will you be scared of sharks a little after this? Sure, but Jaws is iconic for a reason. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a marine biologist and a shark hunter working together to take down a man-eating great white shark. Yes, the score is as iconic as you think it is.
Alien (1979)
To me, the original sci-fi horror movie was always Alien. The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the space crew as they have to survive aliens that make their way into their vessel. Truthfully, I don’t see the aliens as too creepy—the only thing that’s truly scary is the alien popping out of someone’s chest, but it’s not that bad.
The Shining (1980)
One of the best Stephen King adaptations is The Shining. Based on the novel of the same name, The Shining follows a family in which a writer takes on the position of off-season caretaker in a hotel, only for him to lose his mind while he’s there. The movie itself is built on suspense and doesn’t really have that many gory or scary moments—it’s just a greatly shot film.
Old (2021)
Old is an M. Night Shyamalan movie that follows a group of vacationers who realize that they are aging inexplicably quicker on a beach, to the point where they grow closer and closer to death with each passing hour. I enjoy this film a decent amount and think it’s excellent for first-time horror viewers, mainly because there’s barely any gore, and it’s an exciting concept.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)
For all my PG-13 peeps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a great first-time horror movie. Based on novels of the same name, the film follows how horror stories written in an ancient book come to life, and it’s up to three teenagers to figure out how. The movie is creepy, eerie, and so much more – but it doesn’t quite cross the line of unwatchable. I love it.
Carrie (1976)
Carrie is hands-down one of the best horror films to start watching. The film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, follows a young woman who is bullied at school. She later finds out that she has telekinetic powers—ones she uses to exact revenge when she’s pushed too far. The film isn’t gory but expertly acted and brilliantly told.
The Cabin In The Woods (2013)
This sci-fi comedy is everything. The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of close friends who go away to a remote cabin for a weekend. There, they all fall victim to different kinds of killers—only to find out that these killers aren’t who they thought they were. The twist is excellent; you have to watch it. It’s not scary at all.
A Quiet Place (2018)
A Quiet Place is a great horror movie to start on. The film follows a family who are trying to live in a world where man-eating but blind monsters have taken out much of humanity. They have incredible hearing, and you're dead if you make a sound. The monsters can be a little creepy, but there’s so much more that makes this movie so good.
Goosebumps (2015)
Goosebumps is an excellent PG-13 pick on here. Based on the R.L. Stine books of the same name, the film follows a group of kids and a fictionalized Stine as they struggle to capture all the monsters in the Goosebumps books when they come to live and terrorize their town. It stars Jack Black and is silly, goofy, and just a little scary – perfect for first-timers.
The Birds (1963)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds follows the sudden invasion and attack of birds that look to kill in California and how it came to be. Yes, I know the premise sounds goofy, but it’s a well-shot film and a classic for a reason.
Child’s Play (1988)
Child’s Play may sound like it’s for children, but it’s not. The film follows a widowed mother who gifts a doll to her son, unaware that a serial killer’s spirit possesses it and is looking to kill again. Look, this movie is goofy as heck. It is. It’s about a doll killing people – you’re not going to have nightmares after. Just make sure the kids don’t see it.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Everyone needs a horror musical sometimes. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, is based on the musical of the same name and follows an engaged couple who take refuge in a castle when their car breaks down, only to see that it’s occupied by several interesting and enigmatic people. That’s all I’ll say. Now, let’s do the Time Warp!
Mama (2013)
Starring Jessica Chastain, Mama tells the story of two girls who are brought home by their uncle after their parents die and are haunted by a strange entity. The spirit follows them to their new house. The film certainly focuses more on the love a mother can bring than anything else, but it’s perfect for first-time horror fans.
With all these options, now I feel like watching some of the best horror movies ever – I think it’s time for a horror movie marathon.
