By Megan Ruge Asst. living and arts editor
It’s October, and that means Halloween is well on its way. It’s only appropriate that during such a time I would provide a list of films that make fear the main subject. This is a list of bad horror films that might still be worth your time.
All of the films are on Netflix under the “horror” genre.
The first film on this list is the unorthodox and disturbing “Human Centipede.” This unrated film left audiences sick to their stomachs. It’s the story of two American women who find themselves in a bind after their car breaks down while in Germany. They are taken to a remote villa where they experience a unique kind of torture, a kind that is unheard of.
“Human Centipede” received a 5.1 out of 10 from Rotten Tomatoes because “the gross-outs overwhelm and devalue everything else.” If you are looking for a reason to lose your dinner or just feel a little—or a lot— disturbed, check out this film.
The second film on this list, though much less scary than the first, is a timeless throwback. “Curse of Chuck” is the newest movie in the “Child’s Play” franchise, which features a doll possessed by the soul of a psychopathic killer. In this film, Chucky comes to terrorize a young woman in a wheel chair and her family.
Rotten Tomatoes gave “Curse of Chucky” an 81% rating, but critics gave it a score of 6.2 out of 10. If you’re a fan, you may have already seen it, but if not, it’s one you might consider this Halloween season.
If you are looking for something a little more “humorous” for your fright night viewing pleasure, you might consider selecting a film from the “Scary Movie” franchise. Netflix is currently streaming numbers two, three and five.
“Scary Movie 2” focuses specifically on haunted house movies such as “The Haunting,” “The Exorsist” and “The Amityville Horror” and spoofs them to make an over-the-top raunchy comedy that will leave you with more questions than answers. Rotten Tomatoes gave “Scary Movie 2” a 3.4 out of ten.
“Scary Movie 3,” set its focus outside of the realm of “horror spoofing” and delved into other genres. The film draws influences from works such as “The Ring,” “Lord of the Rings,” “The Matrix,” “8 Mile” and many more. This film is a hodgepodge of horror, action and awkwardness. Rotten Tomatoes gave “Scary Movie 3” a score of 4.8 out of 10.
In “Scary Movie 5,” the creators widen their scope of spoofing even further. The movie draws influences from many films, such as “Paranormal Activity,” “Black Swan,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and “Inception.” The influences and spoofs throughout the film are what make it so “scary” to watch.
Rotten Tomatoes gave “Scary Movie 5” a 2 out of 10 rating, calling it weak in comparison, but it mentions the amount of pop culture gags. If you consider yourself a “spoofy” person, and you’re often up-to-date on the latest in pop culture, this film just might be your fright night fit.
The next film on the list is another horror classic. If gore and jump scares are your thing, then “Final Destination 3” is the film for you. In this movie, a young woman has premonitions about a mass death by roller coaster and does whatever she can to prevent it. She saves the party on the roller coaster and prevents them from an untimely accident, but the survivors must pay the consequences of cheating death. Rotten Tomatoes gives this film a 5 out of 10 rating.
These films all have a low rating and a low budget in common, but they also have a large audience. Maybe it’s the cinematic lack of story telling that makes these films so utterly unappealing to critics, or maybe it is the overwhelming desire of the films’ teams to make them so terrifying that it ruins them. Whatever it may be, these films might still be worth viewing.