13 Films That Prove We Were Right to be Scared of the Dark
Ted Hentschke
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9) They (2002):
They is a film I found on a bargain bin shelf four years ago for 25¢. It’s the same place I found such exceptionally terrible softcore porns like Dark Wolf. Where I expected some boobs and a public domain soundtrack, I found an actually scary movie. They is a movie that isn’t afraid to let you wonder what the fuck is going on. Pieces of the plot are fed to you, but never is the full picture really revealed. Even when you find out what’s going on, the actual mechanics of how everything works are left in eldritch mystery. It shows you scary shit and leaves just enough room for your brain to run circles trying to explain it all.
8) Darkness (2002):
As an intellectual snob, a good plot twist is the kind of thing that makes me feel satisfied watching a film. It’s easy to praise the Shayamalans and Finchers for their creative twists, but Balagueró’s Darkness deserves equal praise. Rather than blindsiding you, it leads you along a path that you slowly realize step by step. Each brick building that road is its own revelation, and when it’s all done, you look back and see the path in its entirety. It’s clever, fun, and ramps into terrifying.
7) Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973):
It’s rare that you say to yourself, “Eh, I really liked the made-for-TV version better.” That’s exactly the case with Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. I didn’t hate Nixey’s 2011 vision, but the more subtle 1973 version remains my favorite. It’s a far more focused narrative, with fewer characters to get in the way and convolute the plot. I don’t need children to be in peril to get me to care about a movie, Hollywood; please stop. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a great example of classic horror goodness that didn’t need a huge budget or star power to be awesome.
6) Pitch Black (2000):
When I picked Pitch Black off of a Blockbuster shelf in the early 2000’s, I was not aware of the amazing effect it would have on me. I don’t recall the exact age, but it must have been between when I was 11 and 13. Forever after, I have considered knife-wielding wounded souls with a history of violence the best character in any movie. Jason Statham was my favorite Expendable, and I kept rooting for Choi Min-sik in I Saw the Devil. Judging by schoolyard debates and the popularity of steampunk, it convinced an entire generation that goggles were cool. It’s hard to pin the zeitgeist on a single person/film, but for a brief time Vin Diesel was untouchable. My theory? It all started with an obscure sci-fi movie called Pitch Black and an absurdly badass character named Riddick.
5) The Lost Boys (1987):
The Lost Boys is a movie that was so good my mom showed it to me when I was 10. This was about the same time she showed me Schindler’s List and Fargo. My mother was a strange, wonderful, deeply gifted woman. It probably explains a lot about me. And you know what? I will still challenge anyone to a stake duel at midnight that says it isn’t one of the most badass vampire tales to ever be put to the silver screen. I spent years envisioning how I’d live both as vampire and as hunter, weighing my soul against the various pros and cons of awesomeness. If that isn’t influential, then I don’t know what is.
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