Spooky season is officially here and one question that may be on the mind is “what movie should I watch?” Streaming services remove and add different shows and movies all the time. It can be a challenge to find something, especially a new one. 

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Based on each category of common horror, monsters are some recommendations in which most are popular but much less mainstream. Each category has three recommendations that follow a pattern of one classic, one modern and one underrated. 

Vampire:

The first movie to point out is “Fright Night.” The original “Fright Night” came out in 1985 and is full of classic ‘80s practical effects. 

The special effects are unique and go far beyond just fangs and some blood. Their eyes are red and their mouths open much wider. These vampires look much more like monsters than the typical vampire. Yet despite how creepy they look, the movie does not take itself too seriously. 

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It is a classic ‘80s movie that is campy and fun. It is available to watch on Max. The remake which came out in 2011 takes a more serious tone but is still decent. 

A different genre of vampire movies is the film that started the FX show with the same name as the film “What We Do in the Shadows.” Directed by and starring Taika Waititi, the film has laugh out loud dialogue and sets the tone of old vampires in the modern world. It features werewolves as well, who are the target of harassment from the vampires. 

So many vampire movies make the tone too serious and make it easy for the film to be boring. This film however pokes fun at common vampire tropes and is a lot like the tv show that it heavily influences. 

The comedy does not outshine the effects in the movie. The practical effects are not forgettable. The chase scenes or the scenes in which people get bit are done impressively. This is a perfect horror comedy that can be added to your list and is available to rent for $2.69 on Prime Video. 

The first ever feature from the director Guillermo Del Toro, “Cronos” is another film that is not a typical vampire movie. The movie is in Spanish and has a dubbed version as well as a subtitled version. 

The thriller centers around a device known as a scarab that is the cause of a vampire-like abilities and needs. The main character, an antique store owner named Jesus Gris, is played by the late Frederico Luppi. He finds the scarab in one of the antiques he bought for his store which sets up the plot of the movie. 

The set is beautiful and takes inspiration from Dario Argento, a famous Italian director who directed the classic horror movie “Suspiria” to feature a story full of color despite how sad the tone is. The special effects are much more unique and sets the film apart from the rest of the genre. 

The movie contains much symbolism in regard to addiction. Jesus keeps going back to using the scarab which furthers the plot. The comparison is straightforward and is interesting in showing how it affects the character, but may not be suited for all audiences. 

Werewolf:

“The Howling” is a movie from 1981. This is one of the more well-known movies but is not as famous as “An American Werewolf in London.” The special effects are top notch, especially for the detailed transformation. The franchise has an insane total of eight movies.

It starts off slow but by the end is definitely worth the wait. The film follows a reporter played by Dee Wallace, who visits a retreat to help her PTSD. This retreat however seems to be more than she bargained for. 

The film is available on Prime Video for $6.99.

Imagine a mail carrier, a wealthy couple, a blue collar worker, a businessman and a couple others are stuck in a lodge from a snowstorm. Some end up dead and one is a werewolf. It is up to the Forest Ranger Finn Wheeler played by Sam Richardson in the movie “Werewolves Within.” This is the closest film so far to the game Werewolf and is a fun ride all around. 

The characters are well-developed and the dialogue is fun. The set is cool and well-used. It gives the sense that the audience is trapped in the lodge with the characters. The film has its funny moments but uses the set to amplify the emotions that the characters feel. 

Lots of werewolf films tend to pay a lot for one transformation that leaves very little for the rest of the movie. This movie doesn’t and while the transformation is not as impressive, it paid off given how the rest of the movie turned out. 

Can you guess who the werewolf is? “Werewolves Within” is available to watch with an AMC+ or Philo subscription. 

“Ginger Snaps” is a completely underrated film. The movie had a very low budget but created an impressive piece regardless. The werewolves are much different than a typical werewolf in this film. Instead of turning on every full moon, they turn once and stay as a werewolf forever – a curse that takes their humanity away from them forever. 

It follows two sisters, Ginger and Bridgette, in which one gets bit and the other does everything she can to help her. This movie is dark and the sequel is even darker. 

The transformation is portrayed as much slower. As it continues Ginger changes not only physically but mentally as well. Traditional werewolf movies do not explore the emotional side as much or they just show how much stronger they are the next day or the regret after the full moon. The transformation process changes her personality and her thoughts. She is mentally and literally becoming a werewolf more and more by the day. The movie and its sequel is available on Prime Video, Peacock and Tubi as well as a few others. 

Zombie 

As a movie that defined the zombie genre, “Return of the Living Dead” is as campy as it comes for horror; from the music, to the set, to the zombies themselves. It is the first movie to introduce the idea that zombies want brains. 

It is the unofficial sequel to “The Night of the Living Dead” and was created out of an argument, according to “The Complete History of ‘The Return of the Living Dead’” by Christian Sellers and Gary Smart. John Russo and George A. Romero disagreed on how to follow their film and their solution was to separate. Russo decided to make this film while Romero went on to make “Dawn of the Dead.”

While the movie is exaggerated fun and has a lot of funny moments it is very gory and is not suited for all audiences. 

The zombies in this film are almost unstoppable. They can take so much damage while still getting up in the end. 

It follows several different groups of characters that eventually come together in the end while also having fun sets and a look at ‘80s counter culture. The movie is available to watch on Prime Video. 

The next film is one that is completely off the wall. “Little Monsters” is a film released in 2019 that follows a teacher named Miss Caroline played by Lupita Nyong’o and a musician named Dave played by Alexander England. Dave goes on a field trip with the class and this is where the start of the apocalypse is. 

They have to protect the kids from the zombies while also trying not to let the kids think this is really happening. To pretend that it is a game.

Josh Gad, who has played Olaf and many other Disney characters plays a character who is horrific. It is a jaw dropper to say the least. The casting is great and everyone played their roles very well. 

When filming a movie that has this much gore and has this young of kids many precautions are set in place. Rules and regulations in regards to this makes it very difficult to film scenes and they worked with those to get it done. 

“Quarantine” is a movie from 2008 that is pretty popular. The movie that one is based on is a Spanish film titled “Rec.” It is almost shot by shot the same but it is important to give recognition to the original. 

The movie along with gore has a lot of flashing lights. 

The budget for this movie is a pretty low $2 million in regards to the film industry. The shots are very cleverly done and gives the same effect of “Werewolves Within” in how the audience feels trapped with the characters. This movie goes one step further with it being filmed completely through a reporter’s camera man. To have the camera shake and the reporter address it makes it feel a little too real. 

The stunts are impressive and work well for the jump scare department. The movie does not rely on jump scares however. The cast was specially cast on their ability to improvise and their reactions to the jump scares are real. It really sets the tone for the movie and makes it that much scarier. 

The movie follows a reporter named Ángela Vidal played by Manuela Velasco who was a real reporter and was cast to get the sense of a real reporter. 

The film is available to watch for free on Tubi. 

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