Dear Life Section,

I am in desperate need of help. Many of my friends want to watch scary movies on Halloween, but I am terrified of horror movies. I am not sure what to do, but I cannot sit through a terrifying movie.

Please advise,

Super Scared

Dear Super Scared,

I completely understand your hesitance to watch scary movies. I used to be terrified of scary movies and all of the horror genre. But there are plenty of Halloween classics that dip their toes into the pool of horror without diving into the deep end.

One thing to remember is that you do not have to start with movies like “The Conjuring,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “It” and “Get Out.” As much as those movies are stunning films that are classics in the world of fear, they are a bit scary for a first-timer.

Here are some of the best scary movies that are so old, they are kind of funny:

1. “Scream” (1996): 10/10 movie rating, 4/10 scary rating

This is one of the most iconic horror movies of its time, with the main premise calling out many tropes and redundancies in other horror movies.

The movie is scary, with the opening sequence consisting of a phone call that is coming from inside the house.

The primary killer Ghost Face is one of the more notable serial killers. but the concept of having your victims narrate through a scene as it is happening is a great way to relieve some of the inherent fear that comes along with it.

When this movie first came out, it was terrifying, but at this point, so many of the effects and tropes are outplayed and overdone that the movie becomes somewhat laughable.

2. “Child’s Play” (1988): 8/10 movie rating, 5/10 scary rating

The classic Chucky character appears in this first movie of the “Child’s Play” franchise, where Charles Lee Ray uses voodoo to enchant a “good-guy doll” and start his killing spree.

This movie is scarier on a conceptual level, and some scenes are kind of freaky.

For example, seeing the burnt crisp of a child-sized doll running around is scary, but other scenes make this movie laughable at best.

Due to the practical effects, you see a woman rolling around on the ground holding a doll to her neck during the movie, which is goofy at best and takes you out of the movie at worst.

This movie is a classic and can leave you thinking about it for a while, but it is not nearly as bad as some of the others in the series, let alone the genre.

3. “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997): 8/10 movie rating, 4/10 scary rating

This is another classic film with the trope of teenagers making a bad mistake and the consequences haunting them. This movie has a few good jump scares here and there, but the film is easy to make fun of throughout.

This classic is ripe with jokes to make about each of the characters and the stupid things they do. The amount of times I slapped my forehead and thought, “You idiots,” while I was watching this movie is insurmountable.

While there are a few jump scares in this movie, figuring out the plot is relatively easy, and it has so many stupid moments that it is more funny than scary in the end.

4. “Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984): 9/10 Movie rating 6/10 Scary rating

This movie is the first in this column that I think is actually kind of scary. Though not immediately scary, because fear was not coursing through my veins while I was watching the movie.

The scary part was that I thought about it for many days afterward. The movie is probably one of the best conceptual horror movies on this list. 

Freddy Krueger is the big bad in this film, infiltrating dreams and murdering teenagers left and right. This movie is one I recommend watching. It is not a particularly scary movie; it simply has a good concept that sticks with you.

These movies are classics and bring fun vibes to any party.

There are a lot of scary and not-so-scary movies out there. The rule of thumb is that any scary movie watched with friends becomes a comedy movie if you make enough jokes.

Thanks for writing,

The Life Section