The Independent Staff Picks for Best Indie Horror/ Halloween Movies
The Independent Magazine wishes you a happy spooky season! In the spirit of Halloween, we picked some of our favorite scary movies to share with our readers. If you have not gotten a chance to see these films that remind us of the season, we highly recommend that you check them out. Happy Halloween!
Staff Editor Brooke Lelia’s Pick: “Suspiria” (1977) dir. Dario Argento
Dario Argento’s “Suspiria” is every performer’s nightmare brought to life. When Suzy Bannion arrives at a prestigious dance conservatory, she soon discovers she’s stepped into a secret coven of witches. Drenched in vivid color and haunting atmosphere, this arthouse horror masterpiece is as mesmerizing as it is terrifying, making it the perfect Halloween watch for lovers of striking visuals and spine-tingling suspense.
Editor-In-Chief Hannah Brueske’s pick: “Death Becomes Her” (1992) dir. Robert Zemeckis
Though the film received a substantial budget through Universal Pictures after landing in Zemecki’s hands, writer David Koepp wrote the “Death Becomes Her” screenplay envisioning a low-budget independent film. This gave him the freedom to dream up wild grotesquerie and absurdly flawed characters, who would later be embodied by Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. In the film, the two play frenemies with a vengeance Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp, who, after killing each other, find out they both took a potion that makes them appear youthful forever—but also unable to die. The ahead of its time effects (notably Madeline’s twisted neck and Helen’s stomach hole) make the film hilariously entertaining and an instant Halloween classic.
Staff Editor Ashley Davis’ Pick: “A Self-Induced Hallucination” (2018) dir. Jane Schoenbrun
Tracing a comprehensive history of the Slender Man and articulated entirely through found YouTube clips, “A Self-Induced Hallucination” is undoubtedly a labor of love. Documenting everything from the real-life Slender Man stabbings to recorded cases of self-inflicted paranoia and interpersonal strain, Schoenbrun hits the ground running on their fresh-faced and wholly empathetic body of work dedicated to exploring human behavior between the lines of contemporary mythos and Internet folklore.
Staff Writer and Alumni Liaison Nate Ruttenberg’s Pick: “Retribution” (2006) dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Director of legendary J-Horror films such as “Cure” and “Pulse,” Kurosawa sticks to his roots with “Retribution,” casting longtime collaborator Koji Yakusho as a detective solving a murder where all signs point to him being the killer. Constantly plagued by a strange, surreal woman in a red dress, the detective begins to question his own identity and sanity.
Contributing Writer Francis Rogerson’s Pick: “Mad God” (2022) dir. Phil Tippett
Legendary visual effects craftsman Phil Tippet (known for his work on “Jurassic Park” and the “Robocop” and “Star Wars” films) spent 30 years working on this nearly wordless stop-motion epic, his first feature-length directorial effort. The protagonist, their face hidden beneath a gas mask, descends into a hellish, labyrinthine landscape populated by a litany of grotesque, eye-popping creatures and machinery. Armed with only a map and a suitcase, they embark on a mysterious journey into the unknown. Certainly not for the squeamish, “Mad God” is one of the most visually imaginative films of the decade from a master filmmaker and singular artist.
Managing Editor and Treasurer Casey Miller’s Pick: “Skinamarink” (2022) dir. Kyle Edward Ball
Analog horror is a subset of the genre that is nearly defunct, yet 2023’s crowdfunded Canadian terror “Skinamarink” breathed new life into the medium. “Skinamarink” is auric and razor sharp; its atmosphere is impossible to escape, swallowing the viewers into its truly evil interior. A delightful Halloween watch!
Regions: Boston