James Wan Calls This Black-and-White chiller “Truly creepy”

James Wan
MALIGNANT, director James Wan, on set, 2021. ph: Matt Kennedy /© Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection

During the 2022 Halloween season, James Wan shared a series of movie recommendations via social media. Seeing as he’s batting 1,000 with his own cinematic output, we’re always keen to share his picks. And that’s exactly what we’re about to do.

Today’s selection is a black-and-white horror picture from 1962 called Carnival of Souls. Wan actually cites the film as an inspiration for the Insidious franchise. So, if you’re a fan of the Lambert family, you’ll definitely want to track down Carnival of Souls.

In Carnival of Souls:

Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) ends up the sole survivor of a fatal car accident through mysterious circumstances. Trying to put the incident behind her, she moves to Utah and takes a job as a church organist. But her fresh start is interrupted by visions of a fiendish man (Herk Harvey). As the visions begin to occur more frequently, Mary finds herself drawn to the deserted carnival on the outskirts of town. The strangely alluring carnival may hold the secret to her tragic past.

Anyone interested in checking the film out will have no shortage of options for where to watch. As of the publication of this post, you can find the flick streaming for free (with ads) on Tubi and several other ad-supported VOD platforms. Additionally, subscribers to the respective platforms can find the picture streaming on Max and MGM+.

In an Instagram post, Wan said of the film: “It’s an atmospheric, black and white chiller that is truly creepy. I’ve always said that the sensation of creepiness and spine-tingling chills are the hardest feelings to achieve in a horror movie.”

Stay tuned to the site for more recommendations from the masters as we learn them. And be sure to follow us on Twitter so you never miss an update.

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