GUEST EDITORIAL: Four of the Scariest Films of the Decade

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Four of the Scariest Films of the Decade

by Kevin Gardner

Horror films have their roots in the silent era, but the movies didn’t gain acceptance with moviegoers until the 1930s. Whether the plots involve haunted houses, crazed killers, aliens or monsters, the world enjoys watching films that make them scared. In the last thirty years, horror has become increasingly popular, and filmmakers continue to discover new ways to make the audience jump in their seats. From 2010 to 2200, a few scary movies stand out as being exceptionally frightening and entertaining. In the following sections, you can examine four of the scariest pictures of the last decade.

It

Stephen King’s 1986 novel, It, was a bestselling hit and soon spawned a mini-series that had mixed reviews. The story involves a group of children in a small Maine town who are terrorized by an evil being that preys on children every twenty-seven years. In 2017, Andres Muschietti directed a film adaptation of King’s novel that frightened audiences worldwide and was a massive success. The demented Pennywise the clown, played by Bill Skarsgard, is one of the scariest villains in film history. He exploits the fears of the main characters by creating horrific illusions that they believe to be reality. It is an exceptional film, but it’s not for the weak of heart. If you need to relax after viewing the movie, you may want to try cbd gummies to ease your mind and calm your fears.

Get Out

In 2017, another film battled It for the scariest movie of the year. Jordan Peele’s Get Out received critical acclaim and a large following that watched the movie on the big screen multiple times. The protagonist of the story, Chris, travels with his girlfriend to meet her family for the first time. Chris is welcomed warmly by the wealthy family, but he soon realizes something is off about his hosts. His curiosity to find out the truth thrusts him into a nightmare conspiracy that has him fighting for his life and soul. The family uses the daughter to find healthy African-American men so they can force their ancestors’ souls and minds into the men’s bodies. Chris fights for his life, and his struggle against the psychotic family is fascinating and frightening.

Hereditary

Although 2018’s Hereditary was his first film, Ari Aster proved to the world that he was a skilled director who could deliver a spellbinding tale that causes you to lose sleep for several days. The plot of the film revolves around a grieving family who has lost an unusual loved one who had a close, secretive bond with the young daughter. The mother, played expertly by Toni Collete, tries to learn more about her mother’s strange past, but she’s frequently plagued by horrific visions that begin to disrupt her reality. Her son, played by Alex Wolf, has his separative issues about his grandmother’s death, and he sometimes clashes with his mother’s increasing paranoia. The first half of the film has a somber tone, but after another tragedy occurs, the film becomes a nightmarish force that throws the characters and viewers into a supernatural world where death and reality become intermingled. The cinematography, soundtrack and acting are high caliber, and Hereditary is not a film that you’re likely to forget anytime soon.

Midsommar

In 2019, Ari Aster directed another creepy tale that rivals Hereditary for the scariest film of the decade. Midsommar is a film that focuses on Dani played by Florence Pugh. She’s grieving the loss of her family but decides to travel with her boyfriend and his friends to a festival in Sweden. When the group arrives in Sweden, they make their way to a small village filled with white-frocked revelers who appear to be living in a Bohemian society that welcomes everyone. After the guests witness a shocking event that’s part of the town’s festival, the townspeople and their strange customs become more nefarious and unhinged. Dani fights to hold onto her sanity as her friends are tempted and terrorized by the peculiar residents.

If you’re a fan of scary films, you can’t miss out on the previous recommendations. The movies are well directed and acted and some of the scariest ever made.