Horror movies are a staple for this time of year. As the temperatures outside get lower, the idea of cuddling up after a long day and putting on a movie intended to give you a heart attack sounds like the best way to spend a night. Some of thebest horror moviesout there are meant to have your palms sweating, have you cowering under your blanket in fear, sending unrelenting chills down your spine. Looking at modern horror movies today, directors likeTi Westhave mastered the genre.
Ti West is a film director, producer, and writer that has an outstanding reputation in horror. As a movie-maker in this day and age, West has been able to create immersive, modern, and fresh-feeling horror movies that have changed what people have been and will continue to be excited to see. This Halloween season, we have put together a list of the best Ti West horror movies that you should check out if you are looking for a good scare.
8The Roost
Are you a fan of creature features? Slasher movies? If the answer is yes, why not check out 2005’sThe Roost? West directs this movie surrounding a group of four friends on a road trip to a wedding. Well, the road trip falls perfectly on Halloween, so things are bound to go awry. After a severe car crash, the friends are stranded in the middle of nowhere. They stumble upon a farm and come across a horror they could not even imagine.
Related:Here’s Every Movie Directed by Ti West, Ranked
A staple for horror movies in the modern age is definitely the subgenre of found footage.Found footage filmsturned the horror world upside down and made the terror penetrate into the real world in ways that have our skin crawling. West directed a horror thriller found footage film calledV/H/Sin 2012. The movie follows four people who are tasked with stealing a VHS tape from a creepy house, when things take a turn for the worse. If you are a fan of the found footage format, this movie is available on Hulu.
6The Sacrament
The horror thrillerThe Sacramentis a found footage film that kind of flies under the radar in terms of popular found footage films. The movie is pretty unsettling, to say the least. It follows the narrative of a tragic cult following where people suffer under the hands of a leader. This kind of movie is definitely not for everyone, but if you were looking to dip your feet in this realm of horror,The Sacramentis available for free across a few streaming platforms.
5In a Valley of Violence
We love seeing Ethan Hawke absolutely KILL IT in a horror or thriller movie.In a Valley of Violencecame out in 2016, and Hawke stars as the drifter Paul alongside John Travolta, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, and Karen Gillan. This movie follows Paul as he stumbles upon the town of Denton on his way to Mexico. The town begins to prove how it lives up to its name and reputation as the valley of violence.
Related:Ti West Shares Origins of X Trilogy
4The Innkeepers
The Innkeepersis a supernatural thriller about 2 people who work at a hotel. They decide to run an investigation surrounding reported hauntings. The history of the place begins to unravel an unwanted presence at the hotel and the 2 are forced to face things that exist beyond our world. The film utilizes incredibly terrifying imagery to push it forward and as a result, audiences are left with an uneasy feeling that keeps them up all night.
3The House of the Devil
The House of the Devilfollows a young college student’s struggle to make enough money to afford a new apartment. She takes up a babysitting job that takes a dark and twisted turn. She arrives at the home and her employer reveals that instead of a child, she is tasked with watching his mother. This thriller is sure to have you on the edge of your seat and the slasher elements incorporated in it are what great horror is made of.
West’s critically acclaimed prequel to the terrifyingX, titledPearl, came out in September 2022, and it was incredible. In this movie, we follow Pearl, a young girl who feels trapped on her family’s farm. She is pressured by he parents to stay until her urges to pursue a larger and grander life outside the isolated house push her past her limits. Even if you have yet to watchX, which came out in March 2022 this year, take on the spooky season by storm by heading to the theaters and watchingPearlon the big screen. PerVariety, West’s film received Martin Scorsese’s seal of approval, who hailed it as “deeply disturbing.”
Xcame out earlier this year and is easily Ti West’s best horror movie in his filmography so far, and is one of the best horror movies to come out in recent years.Xis a slasher film that follows a group of people looking to make an adult film in a rented house. However, when the owners catch them in the act, all hell breaks loose and the true horror begins. This is an A24 film that, if you are at all a fan of modern horror, will not disappoint. As outlined byIndieWire,Xmarks the beginning of West’s slasher trilogy, followed byPearland, coming up,MaXXXine.
