“The Shining”

This psychological horror film, starring Jack Nicholson, is not a movie to watch alone or even in the dark. Jack Torrence (played by Nicholson), moves his family to an old hotel, where Torrence works as caretaker. Torrence’s son, Danny, starts to see premonitions of the hotel, involving quite a lot of blood. The movie takes a drastic turn when Torrence becomes affected by the ghost his son can see. This movie is terrifying yet thrilling to watch. If the viewer is ready for sleepless nights, this movie is the one to watch.

“Friday the 13th”

“Friday the 13th” is a movie of the ages. Made in the 80’s, the gore may be a little comical, but the story will leave the viewer mortified. The film starts out with a couple sneaking off into the woods away from their summer camp. They are later found, brutally murdered. The story continues years later with the camp being reopened. The counselors (Ned, Jack, Bill, Marcie, Brenda, and Alice) are refurbishing the cabins, when they suddenly start to disappear. This movie is a great initiation to the “horror movie” world. It will leave the viewer petrified, but still able to sleep at night.

“Psycho”

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” is the horror movie that started all horror movies. Filmed in black and white, “Psycho” is iconic. After stealing a good sum of money, Marion Crane is on the run and ends up at The Bates Motel. This movie is full of iconic lines and scenes. One of the most memorable scenes in film is the “shower scene.” In this scene Marion is taking a shower and Norman Bates, the hotel keeper, sneaks in to murder her. The scene just shows the silhouettes of Norman and the knife, as Marion screams. While this movie won’t leave the viewer clutching the nearest stuffed animal, it’s psychological thrills and characters may have the viewer thinking twice about a motel.

“Nightmare on Elm Street”

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” is another one of the classics. Throughout the movie Freddy Krueger haunts the dreams of four teenagers. However, when the teenagers are injured in the dream, they are injured in real life. The twist at the end will leave your head spinning. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” mixes the supernatural and the slasher horror to create an iconic film. Stay away from scissors after this movie.