Top 9 horror films worth watching on Halloween

Scary stories come in many forms: some frighten us with otherworldly creatures, others keep us on edge until the very last minute, while some make us reflect on human fears. Over the decades, horror has evolved from classic monsters to psychological thrillers and unusual experiments with the genre. UNN has compiled a selection of the top 9 films that will create a chilling atmosphere and help set the mood for an evening of horror.

Rosemary’s Baby

In Roman Polanski’s film, an ordinary young woman’s life gradually turns into an unsettling story with mystical overtones. Rosemary begins to suspect that the people around her are hiding something dangerous, and that the events happening to her have a much darker explanation than they initially seem to. The film stands out for its atmosphere of constant anxiety and its skillful use of ambiguity. Rather than immediately revealing the source of the fear, the director leaves viewers room for doubt and speculation. It was this approach that made the film a notable example of supernatural horror.

The Ring

Journalist Rachel Keller begins investigating the mysterious deaths of four teenagers. Shortly before their deaths, they had all watched a strange videotape and then received a phone call warning them that they had only seven days left to live. A fifth girl, who witnessed her friend’s death, lost her mind. Rachel’s niece was among the victims, so the journalist decides to find out what the mysterious recording conceals. She finds the tape and watches it, but soon receives the same call, accompanied by a horrifying prediction of her own death. Together with a friend who works as a video engineer, Rachel tries to uncover the recording’s origins and stop the unknown threat. However, the danger also spreads to her family: the journalist’s son accidentally watches a copy of the video, after which he begins to be haunted by terrifying visions.

The Babadook

Amelia raises her son Sam on her own after the death of her husband, who died on the child’s birthday. The woman tries to cope with everyday difficulties, but the boy’s behavior becomes increasingly strange. Sam is convinced that a terrifying creature named the Babadook has moved into their home. Gradually, fear enters the lives of the entire family. However, the film is not only about a mysterious monster. Through Amelia’s story, the director shows a mother’s exhaustion, her inner tension, and the difficulty of living with constant responsibility for a child. "The Babadook" combines supernatural horror with psychological drama.

The Cabin in the Woods

A group of young people sets out to spend the weekend in a remote cabin in the woods. At first, everything resembles the familiar plot of a classic slasher, in which a group finds itself far from civilization and encounters danger. However, it soon becomes clear that events are unfolding in a completely unexpected way. The film plays with the familiar rules of horror movies and turns well-known genre conventions into part of an unexpected story. It has typical characters, a creepy location, and situations reminiscent of dozens of other horror films, but the creators use these elements to reinterpret the genre. 

Paranormal Activity

A young couple moves into a house where unexplained things begin to happen. The woman says that she has felt the presence of an unknown entity since childhood. Her partner decides to set up a camera to record everything that happens at night. The film is shot in the found-footage style: viewers observe events through camera recordings, creating an impression of reality. Oren Peli worked on the film in his own home, and the production budget was approximately $15,000. After its release, the film became a major commercial success and launched an entire franchise.

The Witch 

The events unfold in 17th-century New England. A Puritan family is expelled from the community and settles near the forest, hoping to start life anew. But the peace does not last long: the youngest child disappears without a trace, and strange things begin happening in the house. Gradually, distrust and fear grow among the family members. The mother is overcome by despair, the father begins to doubt, and their eldest daughter, Thomasin, is suspected of witchcraft. The film creates tension through its gloomy atmosphere, historical setting, and the conflict between religious beliefs and inexplicable events. It is a slow-burn horror film in which fear gradually builds, while the boundary between superstition and the supernatural remains uncertain.

The Witch of Konotop

The beautiful Olena has left her witching past behind for love and a peaceful life. However, the full-scale invasion destroys her plans: while trying to leave the combat zone, the woman loses her beloved, who is killed by Russian occupiers. What she has endured changes Olena. She returns to her true nature and uses supernatural powers to take revenge on those who took the most precious person in her life from her. The film reimagines the image of the Witch of Konotop in the context of the modern war. The film stars Tetiana Malkova and Taras Tsymbaliuk. For director Andrii Kolesnyk, it was his feature-film debut. Real captured military equipment was also used during filming.

Annabelle

John and Mia are preparing to become parents. To please his wife, the husband gives her a vintage doll to add to her collection. But that very night, their home becomes the site of a brutal attack: members of a Satanic cult break into the house. After this event, the couple encounters inexplicable phenomena connected with the doll. A dark entity is behind them, turning the family home into a place of constant fear. "Annabelle" combines the theme of occultism with a story about a threat to a young family. The doll itself plays a particularly important role in creating the eerie atmosphere, with its stillness only intensifying the sense of danger.

Other

In the mid-1940s, Grace Stewart lives with her two children in an old mansion on the island of Jersey. She is waiting for her husband to return from the war, though there has been no news of him for a long time. Her children cannot tolerate sunlight, so strict rules apply in the house: the windows must be covered with curtains, and the doors must be kept tightly shut. The usual order is disrupted when her daughter Anne tells her about an unfamiliar boy whom she supposedly saw in the house. The girl claims that he lives there with his family. At first, Grace does not believe her, but eventually she begins to notice strange things herself. The film gradually reveals a story in which the secrets of the old mansion intertwine with fear and very unexpected plot twists.

Mama

After the mysterious disappearance of their father, two young sisters, Victoria and Lily, are left alone in an abandoned house in the forest. Several years later, the girls are found and taken in by their uncle Lucas and his girlfriend Annabel. The children gradually adjust to their new life, but they behave strangely and constantly mention a mysterious "Mama" who, according to them, cared for them throughout all the years they were alone. Eventually, the adults begin to notice strange phenomena in the house... It constantly scratches at the walls and makes strange noises. At first, the new parents believe it is either the children’s imagination or emotional trauma, but in the end it becomes clear that it is their dead mother, who has returned from the other world to look after the children.