The nights are getting longer, days become shorter and colder.
Yes, Halloween is just around the corner, which means it’s another opportunity
to binge watch films! Any opportunity is good to sit down, relax and enjoy a
film, but for me, autumn is the time of the year where I find myself wanting to
see more films, even films that I wouldn’t normally pick. I’m certainly not the
typical ‘horror’ fan, for me fear comes from something deeper. Indeed, if you
tell me to watch a typical horror, I will scream and I will get paranoid (yes I
will sleep with the lights on, who knows maybe the Annabelle doll is out to get
me?) but the film will not have a major affect on me. When I want to watch
something that will affect me on a deeper, subconscious level I tend to pick a
classic thriller, or a psychological horror. I will not be recommending popular
films such as: Saw, Paranormal Activity etc. I want to show you a different
side of fear, the kind of fear that grows in our consciousness, forces us to over
think, dwell and think outside the box.
Here we go!
 |
| Roman Polanski, 1968. |
·
My first choice simply had to be Rosemary’s
Baby. I have to admit, I didn’t expect much from this film on the spectrum of
dread and fear. My dad, who is a massive film buff, told me I need to see it.
Growing up in a Polish household, I was aware of Polanski. He is regarded as
one of the best directors to come out of Poland. I was amazed how powerful this
film is. Mia Farrow, who plays the lead role of Rosemary, is simply outstanding.
Her physique, her hair cut, he delicate beauty really adds to the hair rising atmosphere
of the film. I do not want to spoilt the film; therefore I will not go into
detail. The film really is a real ‘mind fuck’ (excuse me for my inappropriate
use of language). We have the creepy neighbours, the typically normal husband,
who yet gives out a devilish persona; we have the dame in distress (and of
course the baby). This film is a perfect example that what we don’t see has the
power to scare us on a deeper level.
 |
| Jonathan Demme, 1991. |
· My second recommendation is Silence of the
Lambs. I believe that you cannot simply go through life without seeing this
film! I remember being a little girl and seeing this DVD lying around in our
house, I begged my parents to let me see it, well now I know why. Before I
watched this movie, I thought it would be gory, gut wrenching, but to my
surprise it’s elegant, poetic and beautiful in a bizarre manner. This film is
certainly on my top 10 films list. Anthony Hopkins is a phenomenal actor; he is
rather flexible in his roles. Jodie Foster and Hopkins is a match made in
heaven. The film is captivating; Dr Lecter lures you into his uncanny world,
what really strikes me the most in this film, is the sexual tension between
Lecter and agent Starling. It’s the typical young girl/ teacher fantasy which
really adds to the power of the film! On a side note, I highly recommend
Hannibal TV series. The cinematography
and overall aesthetic of the series is simply breath taking, also Mads
Mikkelsen is just creepy, but beautiful!
 |
| Stanley Kubrick, 1980. |
The third film, which I would like to
recommend to you, is The Shining. Once again, my dad talked about this
endlessly stating it’s such a powerful and enigmatic classic. Let me just say I
wasn’t disappointed. The film devours its audience, its swallows them into a
labyrinth of disbelief, dread and torment. Kubrick was an outstanding director,
his films were distinctively haunting, but yet captivating and highly
entertaining. There are many factors, which make the Shining so damn creepy and
haunting. The main reason, of course, is Jack Nicholson, there is no doubt, he
is one of the greatest actors that the world had the privilege of watching
perform. Everything within this film is provoking its audience to feel uneasy.
The films iconic mise en scene provokes the audience to feel uneasy, to feel a sense
of contradiction, as we want to see and know more, but yet we fear to see what
will come next. Also, Shelly Duvall portrayal of Wendy deserves a standing
ovation!
 |
| David Lynch, 2001. |
· Another film that I highly, highly recommend is Mulholland
Drive. It is not regarded as a horror, or even a thriller, however, for many
this film was a haunting nightmare. This is arguably David’s Lynch most
successful and recognised film yet. The cast includes the young, lost Naomi
Watts, Justin Theroux and many more familiar faces. Arguably, all Lynchian
films are bizarre, wrong and just gobsmacking, and certainly that is the case
with Mulholland Dr. At first glance it’s another surreal art house flick, but
as the plot unveils its darkness, the audience begin to realise that the film
is rather frightening. The music, overall aesthetic, cast and, of course Lynch,
create an eerie and obsessive atmosphere that will but many viewers into a
state of confusion, arousal and fear.
·
 |
| Richard Kelly, 2001. |
Donnie Darko is a cult classic that I simply
cannot not recommend. The overall theme of the film loosely revolves around
Halloween, although it is not the main theme that drives the plot. The film gives
us the enormous, chilling rabbit that haunts the audience through the film. The
narrative is nonlinear, it’s not a simple problem : climax ratio. Initially,
when the film was first released it was simply misunderstood, mocked and
quickly forgotten. Luckily it managed to attract a wide variety of audiences
that promoted the film to gain its cult status. I find this film to be rather
nostalgic, we get to see the young, quirky Drew Barrymore, the enigmatic Jake
Gyllenhaal, I mean what more could we ask for?
·
 |
| Alfred Hitchcock, 1960. |
Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, simply
needs to make an appearance on this list. I have had the pleasure of watching
many Hitchcock’s films. Some I liked more than others, but my all time,
favourite Hitchcock masterpiece is Psycho. Psycho is an ageless classic. I
could always recognise which decade the films I was watching came from. The
film aesthetic changed throughout each decade and there are clues to be found
within films that indicate the production date. Strangely, when I watched
Psycho for the first time, I simply could not believe that the film was a 60s
classic. I mean, of course the most obvious indicator is the lack of colour,
which confuses the audience as the film was shot in black and white (although
this was a personal choice). The film is flawless, stylish and artistic. It’s
packed with surprises and keeps the audiences at edge, but what could we expect
from the master of suspense after all. Whether you’re a film buff, or not, you
are probably aware of the iconic shower scene, the earring and piercing music
that accompanies the scene. I can promise you, you will not be disappointed
with this film.
Anna Gaszkowska
Great article! Keep going.
ReplyDelete