Horror Films For People Who Don’t Like Horror Films

Hello all. Mark here.

With Halloween approaching you might find yourself looking for a horror film to watch. The problem is that our world is so inundated with crap horror it is easy to pick out a stinker. If you are not a fan of horror or gore you don’t want to jump in the deep end of The Human Centipede or Martyrs.

I’ve put together a list of cult classics and movies that deconstruct the genre. They offer laughs, chainsaws and drunk Irish villagers. The violence isn’t over the top and nobody gets sewn together to resemble a centipede.

To make it easy for you I’ve included only horror films that you can find on Netflix. If you are feeling adventurous and want to rent a film I totally recommend The Descent. It is wonderful and worth the rent. Also, here is the Horror Czar’s Horror Index. You will find some mainstream, non-mainstream and incredibly  non-mainstream horror reviews there.

Here is the list! Enjoy!

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil – Funny, charming and gory. Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine are instantly likable bumpkins who think college kids are killing themselves all around them. Also, horror disliker Roger Ebert loved the film.

World War Z  – World War Z is surprisingly smart and urgent. It never slows down and builds to a welcome finale that relies on tension and not property destruction.

Evil Dead 2 – Gonzo filmmaking at its best. if you haven’t watched Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2 watch them now! Get “Groovy” with it.

Scream – You gotta watch Scream. Have you watched Scream? It is fun satire done right. I’ll be right back!

Grabbers – Irish villagers need to stay drunk in order to not become alien food. What is there not to like?

Devil – It will never be considered a horror classic but it is enjoyable, atmospheric and wonderfully constructed. Also, it has one of my favorite horror moments of all time. Philly upside down!

Cabin in the Woods – Innovative, charming and genre bending. Cabin in the Woods is a wonderfully Whedonesque tale of horror, comedy and pithy dialogue. Watch out for the Merman!

Slither – “I can’t get drunk. I have too much muscle mass.” Expect this type of dialogue as Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks battle jerky aliens. Also, an added bonus is watching James Gunn direct before his Guardians of the Galaxy gig.

Insidious 2 – You need to watch Insidious first. Then, check out this roller coaster of a thriller. It is so wild I created the word “dreadernaut” for it. It has stylish cardigans in it as well.

John Dies at the End – Strange, engrossing and fun. John is a little film that is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Odd Thomas – Anton Yelchin and Addison Timlin build a neat relationship and they manage to be charming while saying lines like “you are not allowed to go playing around other Hell gates.” You like the two and care as demons called Bodachs harass them insistently.