Take a walk off the beaten path with these 5 underrated Halloween horror films

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With Halloween soon approaching, it’s time to turn off all the lights and watch some scary movies late into the night.

While it may be tempting to put on classics like “Scream,” “Jaws” or “The Shining” during “spooky season,” the horror genre extends far beyond an established film canon. Horror includes a wide variety of wonderfully weird, thematically rich films; it is an an outlet for both seasoned and up-and-coming filmmakers to express their wildest ideas through creepy cinematography or startling effects. Unfortunately, many of these ideas don’t always receive the attention they deserve.

Here are five overlooked gems (critically, financially or both) that will make for unique and frightening Halloween viewing.

“The Empty Man” (2020)

Released in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with little fanfare beyond a misleading trailer, “The Empty Man” became a cult classic when released on streaming and is one of the best comic book adaptations in recent years.

Its conspiratorial, creepypasta-esque (referring to widely shared online urban legends with disturbing imagery) premise follows ex-cop James (James Badge Dale) who investigates the disappearance of a teenage girl who attempts to summon the Empty Man, a local legend. As James immerses himself in this mystery, he discovers a cult which is potentially connected to both the Empty Man and the girl’s disappearance.

The directorial debut of David Prior, who previously shot special features for David Fincher and the Coen brothers, crafts a chilling atmosphere with a feeling that an unknown horror is lurking closely. This feeling is established in the film’s off-putting, cold open set on a mountain in Bhutan, wherein four friends find an ancient human skeleton and are slowly possessed by an evil spirit.

Though seemingly disconnected from the rest of the film, this prologue sets a tone of supernatural curiosity that never quite leaves you. This same air of mystery extends to James’ investigation, suggesting that his life may be in the hands of forces beyond his understanding.

“Jennifer’s Body” (2009)

“Jennifer’s Body,” screenwriter Diablo Cody’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning “Juno,” has had a problematic yet slowly shifting relationship with critics and audiences. Though it was released to harsh backlash in 2009, this succubus story follows a demonically-possessed high school girl named Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) has entered a period of critical reevaluation as a modern feminist classic.

Jennifer is a popular cheerleader while her best friend Anita, more commonly known as “Needy” (Amanda Seyfreid), is a nerdy outcast; despite their polarizing social statuses, the pair are childhood friends and remain close. While attending an indie rock concert together at a bar, the building catches fire and a shocked Jennifer leaves with the band.

Jennifer later shows up at Needy’s house covered in blood and vomiting mysterious black fluid; something happened to her when she was with the band, and Needy wants to know what. Though Jennifer appears fine the next day, she secretly starts seducing and eating boys.

The film’s initial reception and especially its marketing, with the poster and the trailer depicting Fox as a sex symbol, completely miss the mark on what makes it both a hilarious and disturbing horror movie. “Jennifer’s Body” isn’t made to be sexy, rather it shows how male projections of sex appeal harm women.

Cody’s writing style is sharper and snappier here than in “Juno;” the film is almost tailor-made to be a high school comedy classic with one-liners like “She’s actually evil. Not high school evil” spread throughout. Karyn Kusama’s direction, meanwhile, revels in the visceral physicality of Jennifer’s preying on men.

Through humor and horror, “Jennifer’s Body” confronts the dehumanizing effects of misogyny and how the patriarchy strips away female agency.

“Prince Of Darkness” (1987)

From the self-proclaimed Horror Master himself, John Carpenter’s “Prince of Darkness” is an atmospheric and harrowing examination into the futility of human institutions against evil. Though easy to browse past amidst a legendary filmography including “Halloween,” “The Thing” and “They Live,” this supernatural horror film is one of Carpenter’s most impressive directorial efforts.

“Prince of Darkness” is the second entry in Carpenter’s unofficial Apocalypse Trilogy (bookended by “The Thing” and “In the Mouth of Madness”), which pits characters against both visible and invisible forces. The film follows a research team of scientists, students and a Catholic priest (Donald Pleasence) as they investigate a mysterious cylinder of green liquid which contains the sentient embodiment of Satan.

The film features a pulsing score from Carpenter himself, a series of unsettling dream sequences containing bizarre messages from the future, and gory practical special effects. Though it received mostly mixed reviews, “Prince of Darkness” contains enough eerie imagery and thought-provoking ideas on human nature to stand alongside Carpenter’s other masterpieces.

“Psycho II” (1983)

How does one possibly follow up Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” one of the greatest and most influential films ever made? The answer is “Psycho II,” directed by Richard Franklin, which follows Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) 22 years after the events of the original film.

Deemed mentally sound and released from a psychiatric institution, Norman moves back into his old home near the Bates Motel, where the first film’s murders took place. But external (and potentially internal) forces set out to thwart his rehabilitation. Norman receives notes from his “Mother” who possessed his mind in “Psycho.” He hears strange voices over the phone or calling out to him throughout the house. Soon, he becomes a suspect in a new series of murders occurring near his house.

Though critical consensus holds it far lower than the original, “Psycho II” is a satisfying extension of its predecessor that tells a compelling story of mental health and social stigmas. It is deeply empathetic to Norman’s struggles, in large part thanks to Perkins’ heart-wrenching performance. He desperately battles against his childhood trauma, the crimes he unwittingly committed in “Psycho” and members of society who would rather see him in prison than rehabilitated.

The film’s horror isn’t just about violence and tension. It’s also rooted in sadness over Norman being forced back into a role he never wanted.

“Society” (1989)

Brian Yuzna’s “Society” is so absurd in its satire of the evil underbelly of American suburbia that it makes David Lynch’s thematically-similar “Blue Velvet” look family friendly by comparison. The film follows a teenager named Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock) as he uncovers a disturbing sex cult for the wealthy Beverly Hills elite.

Phil Brown writes that, from its alienating and gruesome special effects to its twisted sense of humor, the film is “a wildly unpredictable ride for its fans and a frustrating experience for those who can’t connect on Yuzna’s wavelength.” “Society” released in the United States three years after it was finished, with reception ranging from “pretentious” to “ahead of its time.” As Bill investigates a series of disappearances, deaths and cover-ups tracing back to the aforementioned sex cult, the film’s commentary on the cannibalistic and depraved nature of American wealth becomes all the more apparent.

More than anything, “Society” is a passion project for special effects artist Screaming Mad George (real name Joji Tani), whose credits include Carpenter’s “Big Trouble in Little China,” “Predator” and multiple entries in the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” series. The film’s climax, a violent ritual called the “shunting” (which should be experienced with as little context as possible for maximum effect), is a culmination of George’s dedication to surreal, sickening practical visual effects work.