Reviews by Kyle Ellis

The Craft follows a group of four outcast teenage girls who pursue magic in order to gain power; naturally, chaos and mischief ensue. As the leader of the coven, Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk) becomes all consumed with taking on the powers of nature and her desire to change her life. This proves to be both her and the coven's undoing. The film serves as a warning about seeking out too much power, and has become a Halloween cult classic.

This creepy doll was so beloved that she got her own film after fans saw her for, like, a second in The Conjuring. Maybe it’s her creepiness (that eye makeup is something else, y’all) or the fact that she’s inspired by an IRL doll who supposedly murdered at least one person, but Annabelle is the toy you definitely want to avoid.

Okay—Carrie isn’t really evil. An overzealous religious mother and cruel high school classmates can make anyone mad and go on a path of murder and destruction. Hell, wouldn’t you want revenge if your classmates dumped pig blood on you at prom? A classic case where “the villain” is the actual hero.

There’s Hannibal Lecter, and then there’s Clarice Starling. The FBI agent is one of the most well-known heroines in movie history, and Jodie Foster even won an Academy Award for playing opposite Anthony Hopkins’ equally memorable Dr. Hannibal Lecter. A new take on the character, starring Rebecca Breeds, just concluded its first season on CBS and will likely continue on Paramount+.

As the final survivor in the original Evil Dead (spoiler!), Ash has become a memorable horror character for dealing with one malevolent spirit after another. His most well-known image is from the later films and the Ash v. Evil Dead television series, where his right arm is notably replaced with a chainsaw.

Before there was The Conjuring or any horror film about demons and devils, there was The Exorcist. Poor Regan MacNeil—she’s a 12-year-old girl who plays with an Ouija board (the No. 1 no-no in horror movies, duh) and gets possessed by the Devil. The ‘70s film paved the way for the modern horror movie, and set up two major foundations: don’t trust children and don’t play with Ouija boards.

Scream is the iconic horror film of the ‘90s, though I Know What You Did Last Summer runs a close second. But this Wes Craven-directed film didn’t revitalize the modern horror genre by just its plot—its success is mostly owed to its antagonist, Ghostface. And, while he’s not exactly creepy, his silent/violent demeanor (and phone voice) is horrifying enough to seend chills down your spine.

Again, another reason why you shouldn’t trust children in horror films. While this lovely family believed their son was Heaven on Earth (cue eye roll), Damien was literally the Antichrist. He smiled as he murdered people...how more signs does the Thorn family need?

Ah, who couldn’t love Esther, a 33-year-old woman who masquerades herself as a nine-year-old girl and gets adopted by a couple mourning the death of their unborn child? Hmm.

What did we say before? Never trust children. They start hallucinating children's book characters like Babadook in The Babadook. A white-faced man in a top hat with razor-sharp teeth...the Babadook is one creepy MF-er.