Yes, Halloween passed, and yes, that’s when you’re supposed to watch most scary movies, but I would like to propose that the silent dead of winter might be even more inviting for them, with the amount of darkness and cool temperatures that have us helplessly trapped in our houses.

Also, disclaimer: I’m not saying these movies don’t contain any horror elements or scary moments in them, just that they weren’t scary overall to me personally, as someone who watches horror media often. They may still be scary to you, so if you’re sensitive to that, don’t watch!

“Scary horror movies.” You type it into Google, in the mood to get spooked, and scroll through your options for a bit. Seen it, seen it, bad ratings, looks gross, seen it… oh, dang, this looks like it’d keep me up at night. And then two and a half hours later, you’re sitting on your couch, thinking about how you probably could have made something scarier yourself at that time. If you’re into horror, then I’m sure you’ve found yourself in this situation.

Although it doesn’t end that way every time, Every once in a while, I’ve had a time where the first few steps of that occur, and yet at the end, I’m perfectly happy with what I just watched. Despite not being scary, these films were entertaining, creative, and made me think, so even if you hear “that one’s not actually that scary,” don’t be so quick to scroll away!

His House: This is a movie that is absolutely underrated in my opinion, which is why I’m putting it at the top of this list. It is very artistically filmed and contains a narrative filled with enough emotion and plot twists to give the viewers a shocking and memorable experience. The film follows a refugee couple just after they escape from war-torn South Sudan as they begin their stay in a new home in England. However, they struggle with assimilation into the new environment, wrought with post-traumatic stress and haunted by the spirits of those they lost. This movie brings the stress of what they endured into their current lives in a way that is jarring and strikes the sympathies of anyone watching. It shows the couples differing views on coping, with one leaning into the English life while the other attempts to connect more with her roots all while still using their love for each other to remain sane. Even though I tend to be pretty critical of horror movie endings, as I often see them as predictable and unsatisfying, I was more than content with the ending, as you are left with a more than satisfactory end and a wonderful, frankly unexpected, final shot used to tie off a stunning film.

Alien: Being on the older side, as it came out in 1979, Alien is not near the level of scary horror considered these days; however, it’s still plenty entertaining, well-made, and an interesting science-fiction story (coming from someone who isn’t usually super into sci-fi movies). This movie follows the tense and nerve-racking experience of a crew of astronauts after an unknown lifeform makes it onto their ship (the Xenomorph, or face-eater for short, if you’ve ever heard it referenced!) This film has a very suspenseful atmosphere that builds up to big moments and plot twists that leave the viewers on the edge of their seats. It also has a very satisfying ending.

Parasite: Whether you’ve seen it or not, I’m sure you’ve heard of this movie before. Parasite is a Korean film that became famous for its brilliantly thought-out story, filming, acting, and everything else, really. I won’t summarize the plot for the sake of spoiling anything that could surprise you; however, I will say that this story involves an incredible moral battle throughout, leaving you wondering who’s a good person, who’s a bad person, who’s in the right and in the wrong, and what anyone could have done differently. It contains conflicts between the lives of the rich and the poor and between individuals with their own ideals, desires, goals in life, etc. The ending is absolutely jaw-dropping and will leave you wanting to rewatch the movie immediately after. A marvel of a movie.

I Am Legend: A Zombie Movie Ahhhh, some virus broke out, the contents of which are unclear, and now people are turning into green-ish, purple-ish-colored groaning undead who want brains. Whatever will this randomly assembled group of protagonists do? That’s how they usually go, which is why I only like a very select few. They tend to be repetitive, frankly uncreative, and usually fall into the category of “so bad, it’s good.” However, I Am Legend is actually the first zombie movie I became a fan of! In this film, Will Smith plays Robert Neville, a scientist who finds he is immune to the zombie plague occurring. He struggles throughout the movie to find a cure, completely alone in a city of the undead, only leaving his guarded apartment during the day to find food and potential clues to a cure. Spoiler: The dog does die in this movie. I know, it was deeply upsetting to me, too, but this is one of the few movies I like despite that, as it wasn’t done randomly just to add plot, like most movies do.

Happy Death Day: I won’t say this is any kind of huge, masterfully created work of art that will go down in film history as life-changing to the viewers, but I will say it’s entertaining and well thought-out. The movie follows a girl as she struggles with a darker version of Groundhog Day, in which, on her birthday, she dies, the day repeats, she dies again, and the cycle continues. With suspense, good acting, humor, and some good plot twists, this movie is fun to watch and has an interesting and satisfying ending!

Bonus short film

Unlucky Charms (5 min, 22s). The cereal is evil. Great animation for a small creator!