Spooky Month 2025: Horror Movies
The Wailing
This is the kinda movie you have to watch twice or look up a YouTube video shortly after watching. It's this intricate horror story centered around a small town where bizarre deaths are linked to the arrival of a mysterious stranger. And oh yeah, it's South Korean because of course it is. This film is bursting full with misdirections, easily missed details, and this trailing slow burn sense of dread throughout. You gotta pay attention or you're gonna get lost halfway through, trust me.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
This one's....I guess it's a South Korean rip of The Blair Witch Project? Definitely more teeth than Blair Witch Project and the scares start coming almost rapid fire towards the end. Wouldn't call it scary, but an engaging hour to spend curled up with a bowl of popcorn over your laptop wondering what's gonna happen next. Pacing's pretty good from start, middle, to finish. Their use of barely known actors and a real location (Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital) are nice little Blair Witch-y touches that really add to the already tense atmosphere. And it's pretty nice to watch a horror movie where the main guy is unlikable in a very real way. Like he's not just a dick, he's a dick you've probably met or at least heard about third hand once in your life.
V/H/S
Was told like a billion times I'd love this movie to pieces. Did not love this movie to pieces, sorry. Liked this movie at least, didn't hate the experience of watching the whole thing in one sitting. It's just. I dunno. I liked the concept of it, how we're getting these snapshots into stories without context or closure. Feels almost like a plot sampler, if that makes sense. Like every VHS is another unfinished sentence. Cool concept, execution wasn't exactly to my liking. But you know, watch what you want and like what you want. Not like I can stop you.
Train to Busan
Something about how zombie fiction is used to explore humanity and morality (I Am a Hero, Train to Busan, etc.) much like how vampire fiction is often used to explore sexual desire. Movies like this really cut to the core, make you cry harder than your fear can ever reach while watching. The action remains at a solid pace with these little moments in between that really underline this film's message.
Audition
Based on a book of the same name. Not much to say about this film without giving away the whole premise, but this is one of those films where you're pretty sure what's gonna happen halfway in and somehow it still catches you off guard. Some great visuals backed by what could easily (at first anyway) be the plot of a questionable romantic comedy film. Make no mistake, this movie has teeth. It's like if you took the often misogynistic femme fatale trope and went full speed into pure horror.