BY BRINN SMITH
October is the start of the spooky season, the time of year that you group up with friends and the ones you love and get scared together. Horror is the genre for this, of course, with movies like the instantly great “Sinners,” or the gore-filled “Terrifier” movies, to the inspiration for this (and so many) article’s name “Scream,” the horror scene is the place to get your screech on. I would like to throw out some of my personal favorite horror films from the past few years with hopes to spark discussion and get some people to watch them.
Starting this mini-list is a movie from earlier this year, Curry Barker’s “Obsession” released in May of 2026. “Obsession” is a film that touches on a lot and has led to much discourse regarding the two leads. The leading man, Bear, is seen as almost a litmus test for some to see if others are able to pick up on some levels of subtle story telling. For me personally, I thought he was awkward to start with, but I can’t say that I ever really liked him. The acting in this movie is phenomenal. The actor of Bear, Michael Johnston, does a very nice job portraying a character that the audience is not supposed to like, though outside of the film, he seems like a nice guy, and the actress of Nikki, Inde Navarrette, does amazing switching tones and acting possessed at times, genuinely looking like someone else is flinging her around, or just being creepy. “Obsession” is a story revolving around a toxic relationship, and it does depict scenes of rape and extreme violence, so please be aware before going in. “Obsession” is currently streaming on Peacock.
The next film is “Companion,” released in January of 2025, written and directed by Drew Hancock. A second movie where a weirdo incel is a villain, this time played by Jack Quaid, who is able to play both the unhinged and normal guy Josh brilliantly. There was a twist in this movie that was spoiled by the trailers, which does suck, but if you haven’t seen any promotional material, I highly suggest going and watching it on HBO Max. Sophie Thatcher has been in a lot of movies recently, and from what I’ve seen, giving a great performance in all of them, with this film as no exception. She plays the main character Iris, who the twist of this movie revolves around, and plays her in such a way that you can’t help but root for her the whole movie. “Companion” might just be my favorite movie to release last year, and if there was one movie that I hope someone takes away from this list, it would be this one.
Our final movie is “In A Violent Nature,” written and directed by Chris Nash, released in June of 2024. Another gory movie, but with some very impressive practical effects. “In A Violent Nature” can be best described as “what if a slasher movie followed the slasher instead?” And it does a phenomenal job. It is a very slow movie, with very little music to accompany it. Most of the time, the only things to be heard are the sounds of nature that our slasher, Johnny, is walking through, as well as his footsteps. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not for everyone, I didn’t think it was going to be for me when I started watching it, but if you’re paying attention, the details and character work in this movie are great, though they aren’t overt, and it does take some amount of focus. “In A Violent Nature” is currently streaming on Hulu, and a sequel has been announced with a trailer up on YouTube. If you are up to something a little experimental, I highly suggest it.
With that, my mini-list is over. I hope that readers are inspired to sit down and watch these movies, as my love for them cannot be overstated. I just have one more question: What’s your favorite scary movie?
