With the spooky season upon us, Netflix has brought us some amazing classics to keep you entertained every day until Halloween. Even though we don’t celebrate it on such a grand scale in South Africa, horror aficionado’s enjoy rewatching the classic films that give the genre its teeth.
Case 39
2009 | Maturity Rating:16 | 1h 50m | Horror
A caring social worker brings a 10-year-old child into her home to rescue the girl from abusive parents — only to learn that she isn’t what she seems.
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane
Watching Case 39, all is not what it seems, with a twist that makes you want to rethink parenthood as a whole, I was not keen to rewatch it so soon after finishing it. Particularly as Renée Zellweger is not known for her horror performances, she delivers her role remarkably giving you chills as the credits roll.
Geralds Game
2017 | Maturity Rating:16 | 1h 43m | Horror
When her husband’s sex game goes wrong, Jessie — handcuffed to a bed in a remote lake house — faces warped visions, dark secrets and a dire choice.
Starring: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas
Based on the 1992 Stephen King film of the same title, I remember being horrified to sleep for a few nights after finishing the book. Which is not uncommon when reading any of Stephen Kings writings, as he is truly a horror writing genius. The way the film is able to recreate the devastating effect of trauma and having to face your own inner monsters, is brilliantly portrayed.
Resident Evil
2022 | Maturity Rating:18 | 1 Season | Horror
Years after a viral outbreak caused a global apocalypse, Jade Wesker vows to bring down those responsible while fighting to survive against the Infected.
Starring: Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong
If you grew up in the era of Capcom video games, you had to have watched Resident Evil. Based on the video game of the same title that was massive in the 90’s, the characters and monsters brought the video game to the big screen. While portraying Umbrella Corporation as the true masterminds of it all. Naysayers call it poorly executed, die hard Resident Evil players call it a homage to a classic. I find myself rewatching it purely for the nostalgia.
Saw: The Final Chapter
2010 | Maturity Rating:18 | 1h 29m | Horror
Insane cruelty is the calling card of the Jigsaw killer, whose twisted spirit and terrifying human traps are recalled in flashbacks.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell
The first Saw movie in the franchise is unfortunately no longer on Netflix, however I would suggest watching it first as the series unlocks easter eggs with every film. Being the seventh film in the series however, it leaves for puzzles for and shock value that you will not appreciate if gore is not a genre for you. I say as I watched this behind half closed eyes.
Childs Play 3
1991 | Maturity Rating:16 | 1h 29m | Horror
The tortured spirit of Chucky rises again to seek revenge on the boy who killed him eight years ago, the now-teenage Andy Barclay.
Starring: Justin Whalin, Perrey Reeves, Jeremy Sylvers
As a child of the 90’s, browsing through the movies at the video store, the Horror section both intrigued and scared me. This cover in particular, and I remember purposefully avoiding it to avoid said nightmares. Locking my toys away at night in case they came alive. Chucky is truly an icon of nightmares, although watching it now, I see it with a different set of eyes, does it make him less scary? Absolutely not.
Which Horror classics will you be rewatching this spooky season?
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