Spooky season is having a moment. So much so that it feels like every other film premiering at this year’s festivals is a variation of the psychological thriller/horror genre.

The latest run of terrors include Osgood Perkins’s psychological horror-thriller Long Legs, a cult Sci-fi horror Alien remake, Zak Hilditch survivor thriller We Bury the Dead, Cuckoo, a mystery horror from Tilman Singer and Zoe Kravitz’s much-hyped Blink Twice.

Since when did we all become so fascinated with the macabre, and when did our cultural obsession with being terrified become the norm? Could it be a fear of humanity’s impending doom, or the desensitisation effect of social media, or is it simply the pleasure of delighting in the fantastical horrors outside of our mundane existences within the inescapable rot of the capitalist rat race?

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that being terrified and grossed out is all the rage right now, with indie powerhouses A24 (The Front Room, Heretic, MaXXXine, Midsommar) and Neon (Longlegs, Cuckoo, Presence) leading the charge.

To celebrate Halloween - the spookiest day of the year - Bad Gal Film Club’s list is here to help you get in the mood. Our list may not be the scariest, goriest, or most blood-curdling, but it does feature cult classics and indie features, including feminist thrillers, gruesome girl-night comedy horrors, and psychological social commentaries, as well as films from genre trailblazers Kathryn Bigelow, Mary Hannon and Karyn Kusama.

Near Dark (1987)

Kathryn Bigelow

F/M Entertainment / De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

This American neo-Western horror from the future Zero Dark Thirty director follows a young man called Caleb in a small Oklahoma town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires. The blood-filled film premiered during a resurgence of American vampire films in the eighties, and has since garnered a cult following for its stellar cast, Western tropes and music by Tangerine Dream.

American Psycho (2000)

Mary Hannon

In arguably Christian Bale’s most iconic role, the actor plays Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. With a stellar cast, including Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Chloë Sevigny and Justin Theroux, American Psycho, based on the original novel by Bret Easton Ellis, has become a cult classic, blending horror and satire as social commentary on the yuppie consumerist culture of 1980s America.

Jennifer's Body (2009)

Karyn Kusama

Another dark comedy horror comes in the form of Megan Fox as a high school student vampire who kills her male classmates and devours their flesh after being demonically possessed following a sacrifice. Hailed as a feminist empowerment movie, Karyn Kusama’s hot emo horror has fed into the future canon of women-led thrillers. In an interview at the time, writer Diablo Cody said her and Kusama “wanted to subvert the classic horror model of women being terrorised”.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Ana Lily Amirpour

This directorial debut from Amirpour features a lonely skateboarding vampire who preys on men who disrespect women. The film is set in an Iranian ghost town, “home to prostitutes, junkies, pimps and other sordid souls”. The skating scenes were actually done by Amirpour, who is a lifelong skater. Granted, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night isn't technically a horror per say, but it's erie art-house cinematography, vampire twists and Western genre-bending certainly deliver elements of the genre.

Saint Maud (2019)

Rose Glass

This nail-biting body horror and psychological thriller debut from writer-director Rose Glass (Love Lies Bleeding) is a deeply uncomfortable watch with plenty of creep, tension and suspense. Maud, a newly devout hospice nurse becomes obsessed with saving her dying patient’s soul until her tragic past catches up with her. It’s classic A24, with plenty of suspense, creative cinematography, and ecclesiastical fervour.

Titane (2021)

Julia Ducourna

Upping the ante on the violence and gore is French body horror Titane. From acclaimed director Julia Ducourna (special mention to her previous film, Raw - similarly gripping and gruesome), Titane follows Alexia who, after committing a series of murders, disguises herself as the son of a firefighter who has been missing for ten years. As well as the pretty disgustingly gory scenes, watch Titane for its exploration of sexual and gender fluidity and visually stunning cinematography.

Piggy (2022)

Carlota Martínez-Pereda

Piggy (or Cerdita, as it is known in Spain), is a warning to bullies everywhere. In this blood-curdling horror, Sara, aka Piggy, an overweight teenage girl, is tormented and abused by a group of teenage girls. Sara’s dilemma comes when one of her bullies is in trouble, leaving her with a choice to make. Amid the stifling heat of the Spanish summer, the film’s pressure slowly builds into a suffocating climax. Speaking about why she made the film, director Carlota Marínez-Perea said: "I wrote Piggy to confront my own fears. Real life fears. Because being a teen can be terrifying". Amen to that.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Halina Reijn

It’s a wonderful thing when horror and comedy collide, and in this case, we’re also treated to the addition of beautiful young rich people. In Dutch director and writer Halina Reijn’s (Babygirl) dark comedy, a group of rich young people (played by the likes of Rachel Sennott, Willow Smith and Pete Davidson to name a few) plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, but the game soon turns deadly, taking backstabbing slightly too literally.

Nanny (2022)

Nikyatu Jusu

Nikyatu Jusu’s directorial debut is a smartly disquieting exploration of displacement and racism. The film centers on Aisha (Anna Diop), a woman who recently emigrated from Senegal and is hired to care for the daughter of a white affluent family living in New York City. But Aisha is tormented by the absence of a young son she left behind, and becomes increasingly unsettled by the family’s volatile homelife, leading to a disturbing presence invading her dreams and her reality. Nanny is a haunting tale of immigrant sacrifice, playing with mythic surrealism and unforgettable visuals.

Fresh (2022)

Mimi Cave

Sebastian Stan (Pam and Tommy) and Daisy Edgar Jones (Normal People) star in this tale of the horrors of modern dating, as seen through the eyes of a young woman who is battling to survive her new boyfriend’s unusual appetites. It’s creepy, relatable(ish) and gory. Fresh is a unique take on the romance comedy horror genre, and most importantly, a warning to carry out background checks on your future dates, no matter how alluring or handsome they may seem.

Happy Halloween! 🎃

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