1) Scream (1996) – This movie is fantastically self aware and creates a genuine dread. The mystery it sets up is exceedingly well written and constantly leaves you guessing. It’s an unpredictable ride and has many classic moments, such as the phone call at the beginning, and for good reason too. If you liked Nightmare on Elm Street then you’ll love Scream.

2) Halloween (1978) – Another classic horror movie! So popular and so scary that it still influences many horror plots and cliches 40 years later. None of its sequels managed to capture the horror, and even end up being so bad they’re funny. I suppose when you make such a terrifying film, it’s difficult to match the tension

3) Get Out – A difficult to watch social horror. This is Peele’s directorial debut which makes it a stunning feat, as it’s extremely clever. I enjoyed picking everything apart and rewinding the film to analyse certain scenes more closely after finishing it. My full review is [here] but tl;dr you need to see it immediately and give yourself time afterwards to let it all sink in.

4) Hereditary – An absurd independent film from A24, about a family dealing with grief. The trailer was incredibly misleading and the plot of the film changed quite dramatically in the first 20 minutes but this added to my enjoyment as it left you on edge, never knowing what was going to happen next. Judging by other reviews I saw, Hereditary seems to be a marmite film; a lot of people think it’s pretentious, boring and even laughable, whereas others like me love it for its ingenuity, lack of jump scares and well-placed shadows and horror imagery. It’s been a long time since I’ve genuinely been in shock of something onscreen. It’s not necessarily what you see but it’s how it presents it to you. I can’t say too much more without spoiling it so try to watch it knowing as little as possible. I will warn you though of very disturbing images and imagery, so be careful.

5) Cabin in the woods – A satirical horror from the minds of Drew Goddard and Joss Wheedon, that makes fun of contemporary horror, whilst still being horrifying. I had to watch this movie twice to fully understand but if anything this shows the replay-ability of Cabin in the Woods. I recommend this film to anyone who is any kind of a horror film, or even has seen a good few horror cliches.