Horror movies are now firmly mainstream entertainment. “Obsession” became the biggest box office surprise of this year, netting over $523 million worldwide on a reported $750,000 budget. Amy Madigan won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her turn as a malevolent witch in last year’s “Weapons.”
If you’re looking for entertainment to fit the spooky season, these are some of the best frightfests of the year. And while you peer through your fingers, you might also learn something.
‘Obsession’
Where to watch: Peacock
Worldwide Box office total: Over $523 million
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Life lesson: Be careful what you wish for
This year’s biggest horror hit has a timeless premise that’s been explored in works as varied as the 1902 short story by W.W. Jacobs “The Monkey’s Paw” and one memorable “Treehouse of Horror” episode of “The Simpsons.” What if you got everything you desired and it all went horribly wrong? In the movie, lovelorn Bear (Michael Johnston) wishes on a novelty toy that his crush Nikki (Inde Navarrette) would love him more than anyone in the world. Though the “One Wish Willow” looks like a gag gift, his wish comes true. At first, it seems like Bear has the girl of his dreams. Soon, however, Nikki’s possessiveness turns terrifyingly dangerous, and her demonstrations of love turn grotesque. (Anyone want a sandwich made out of a dead cat?) Still, as with most stories with this message, the real villain here is the wisher. Bear’s wish essentially tortures poor Nikki, but he’s so self-interested he refuses to see her pain.
‘Backrooms’
Where to watch: HBO Max
Worldwide Box office total: Over $400 million
Life lesson: Avoid trips down memory lane
The next time you’re thinking of going to that nearly abandoned mall in your hometown that hasn’t been renovated since the ’90s, think again. This A24 hit, based on a YouTube series that was inspired by a viral photo of an eerily yellow room, turns nostalgia into a nightmare. It follows the depressed owner of a furniture warehouse (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who discovers he can walk through one of the walls in his store and enter an upside-down world where nothing is quite right and monstrosities lurk in the corners. It’s a reminder that sometimes what might look pleasingly retro is actually just old and creepy.
‘Resident Evil’
Where to watch: In theaters
Worldwide Box office total: Over $363 million
Life lesson: Quit while you’re ahead
None of the events in Zach Cregger’s wild ride of a videogame adaptation would have happened if the protagonist Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier, didn’t take a late-night gig delivering a mysterious package to a hospital in the fictional Raccoon City. Bryan had already done at least one job that night and was woefully unprepared for this one. Maybe the apocalypse would have still reached him if he hadn’t decided to make a little extra cash in order to avoid a tough conversation with his pregnant girlfriend, but also maybe not.
‘Send Help’
Where to watch: Disney+ and Hulu
Worldwide Box office total: Over $94 million
Life lesson: Be a good boss
Dylan O’Brien’s character in Sam Raimi’s diabolical survival thriller has to endure a “Misery”-type situation complete with mind games and physical torture. Why? He’s a terrible boss . O’Brien’s smug Bradley Preston ruthlessly mocks Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), a longtime employee at his company. But he’s in trouble when they become stranded on an island after a plane crash, and she takes her gleeful revenge. Linda may be maniacal but the audience is on her side because Bradley is such a toxic presence. It’s a twisted take on workplace power dynamics: Be careful how you treat the people beneath you. They may not always stay there.
‘Buddy’
Where to watch: Rent or buy on most major platforms
Worldwide Box office total: Nearly $27 million
Life lesson: Don’t underestimate friendly-seeming characters
If you’ve always been suspicious of the plastered-on smiles of cheery children’s TV characters, let this indie prove you right. The title character of “Buddy” is a falsely cheery unicorn, who presides over a series not unlike “Barney & Friends.” But Buddy is not all smiles. When the kids in his constructed world disobey him, he turns murderous. The movie is disturbing precisely because it so accurately recreates the environments of the likes of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” or “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” just with a lot more menace.
‘Faces of Death’
Where to watch: Shudder or AMC+
Worldwide Box office total: Over $2 million
Life lesson: Log off
This remake of a cult curio from the 1970s barely made a ripple at the box office, but it’s one of the most fascinating horror films of the year with its commentary on online culture. Barbie Ferreira stars as Margot, a content moderator who stumbles upon eerie videos where someone seems to be re-creating the kills from the original “Faces of Death” movie. If Margot had just let this go, everything would be fine, but she can’t stop obsessing over what evils might be taking place to feed the algorithm, which leads her directly into the clutches of a slasher.