My 31 for 31:

Any movie with an asterisk* is a new watch.

Speaking of, anyone who knows will, I’m sure, notice that a lot of my watches are from All the Haunts be Ours. Perfect time of year to dig more deeply into them.

1 — Edge of the Knife (2019)*

Really exceptionally done, I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. Excellent cinematography, well-paced, and very unique. Can’t believe I didn’t ever hear about this movie until I saw it blindly watching through All the Haunts be Ours vol. 2. Definitely check it out.

2 — The Howling

Didn’t realize that this was about to kick off a werewolf movie kick, but here we are. Love this movie, one of the darkest werewolf movies ever made. Classic. Side-note, I can’t remember any other werewolf movie that made their werewolves so slimy and moist.

3 — Bad Moon

Another classic. My favorite werewolf design out of any movie. Book (Thor) is also very much worth checking out.

4 — Late Phases

Good movie, werewolves look a little silly, but overall very solid.

5 — American Werewolf in London

Nothing notable to say, classic.

6 — Dog Soldiers

Always love Neil Marshall, gotta upgrade my physical copy someday…

7 — Last Shift

Really fantastic occult/cult film, don’t be turned off by the awful cover art.

8 — Altered

My favorite “alien” movie (by that I mean aliens on earth that look like the traditional, big-headed invader type, not something like The Thing or Alien). Under-appreciated and definitely worth a watch.

9 — Trick 'r Treat

Possibly the best Halloween movie based on tone alone, decided to watch it early this year since I’m tired of it being last.

10 — Born of Fire*

Really pleasant surprise, right up my alley. The visuals are phenomenal and the ambiguity of the story was handled well, not like the story didn’t add up.

11 — Deep Rising

Classic, sea horror is one of my favorite sub-genres, and this is way up there. Always a fun watch.

12 — Io Island*

Really enjoyed it, odd movie, nothing moves in the way that you expect, but that feels like a strength here.

13 — Scales*

Interesting, wish I liked it more. The cinematography and premise were great but I personally found the execution lacking.

14 — Death Spa

One of the most enjoyable horror/exploitation movies I know, always a blast to watch and absolutely bonkers.

15 — Possession

One of the greats. Such a visceral, powerful film, and my favorite Sam Neil performance by far.

16 — Bakeneko: A Vengeful Spirit*

Very solid film, plays a lot like a classic film and then takes off at the end.

17 — Nang Nak*

One of my favorite surprises from this list, fantastic ghost story, well acted and filmed. Definitely check it out.

18 — American Psycho

Haven’t seen this movie in almost 20 years, I still enjoy it but didn’t realize how little actual violence and horror are in the film. Much more of a very dark comedy than anything, but always fun.

19 — Silence of the Lambs

I mean, classic, there’s nothing much for me to add to the conversation.

20 — Unhinged*

It was fine, fun popcorn watch. Pretty much exactly what you think it’s going to be.

21 — Sundelbolong*

Really enjoyed this one too. The vibe and effects were on point, and this was my introduction to Suzanna. (I watched the documentary about her right after, but I don’t think that should count on my 31/31.)

22 — Pieces

One of my favorite slashers. It’s exactly what you think it is!

23 — Noroi: The Curse

My favorite found footage film, has such a good sense of building dread and “something is very wrong” all the way through. Just got the new blu-ray release and loved seeing it looking so much better than before.

24 — When Evil Lurks*

My favorite new watch from this list, absolute banger. Exactly the kind of mean, grimy, gory demon movie I love, and it hits the ground fucking running.

25 — Fright Night

One of the best movies for spooky season, now and forever. Also have to give it a shoutout for, despite being a vampire movie, having one of the best werewolf transformations of all time.

26 — Nosferatu (2024)*

I heard a lot of different opinions on this movie before I got to it, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. Count Orlock was very creepy, the way he functions and drinks blood was awesome and upsetting, and while it had some issues I was locked in for the whole movie. Recommended.

27 — Poison for the Fairies*

Really loved this movie, the performances from the two lead girls was fantastic. Never moved in the way I expected but was very satisfying and well made.

28 — Phantasm

Also a top five October vibe movie for me, the tone is perfect and it holds up so well.

29 — Phantasm II

One of my favorite horror sequels, it takes everything from Phantasm and goes harder with it. A little campier than I remember, though that’s not a bad thing.

30 — Cat Sick Blues

One of my favorite modern slashers, and criminally under-appreciated. The new release from Refuse Films is awesome, it looks great and is stuffed with special features.

31 — Something Wicked This Way Comes*

I’ve been meaning to watch this for decades, figured it would be a great capstone for spooky season. Loved it — more intense than I was expecting from Disney, and perfectly captures the tone you want for Halloween. If you’ve been putting it off, give it a shot!