I am someone who says they hate horror yet all my favourite films are horror films. This is because I have a very specific type of film I love. I donāt particularly like to be scared, I donāt like harrowing gloomy horror, I donāt like jump scares. i dont like extreme violence (when itās realistic, I donāt mind silly gore). I have no interest in watching kids get their heads smashed in or whatever. I LOVE a good concept, I love highly stylish and stylised films, good set design and costumes. I love when things just feel a bit likeā¦weird and off centre? With that in mind here are a few of my favourite films (theyāre all horror but theyāre also just the best films). Iāve also attached a link to my list on letterboxd, itās not just horror but like all films that to me feel like high concept weirdness? Itās a vibe thing š¤·š»āāļø
Sci-fi horror:
Annihilation
Donnie Darko
Under the Skin
The Substance (i am partial to a silly body horror)
A Cure for Wellness (this one also fits under Gothic Horror too)
Get Out (also has moments of horror comedy)
Horror comedy:
Jenniferās Body (probably my all time favourite film)
what we do in the Shadows
The Love Witch
Cabin in the Woods
Fresh
Gothic Horror:
Bones and All
Byzantium
Crimson Peak
Only Lovers Left Alive (I would argue this isnt even a horror at all but its a vampire film so I guess it counts)
Then these are a few others that still (to me) have the same vibe but I canāt categorise them as easily:
Shirley (possibly gothic?)
The green knight (isnāt quite a horror but has horror elements)
Promising young Woman (has horror comedy elements but is also just far too painful to be a comedy)
Nightmare Alley (also probably gothic?)
Horse Girl (quite similar to Donnie Darko imo, but plays more on the insanity route to be called a sci-fi)
Parasite (this is called a comedy but likeā¦is it really?!)
Saltburn (also kind of gothic kind of comedy)
Two honorary mentions I will say that might deviate a little is It Follows (which does have some jump scares and is genuinely terrifying but is high concept and weird vibey enough for me to love it) and Midsommar (which has a lot more intense violence than I usually enjoy but is again great concept and isnāt dark and jumpy).