Frightening Strikes

Christmas has always been fertile ground for horror. Beneath the decorations, rituals, and goodwill lies a holiday steeped in darkness and uneasy folkloric tradition. Filmmakers take advantage of that contrast, using festive familiarity to heighten unease rather than offer comfort. The films below span decades and subgenres, from slashers and folklore to bleak psychological slow burns, each finding its own way to corrupt seasonal cheer. Whether cynical, brutal, or quietly unsettling, these are horror films (in no particular order) that understand the power of turning reassurance into threat — and why Christmas can feel more frightening than joyful. 1. Black Christmas (1974) During the Christmas break, a group of sorority sisters begin receiving obscene phone calls that slowly escalate into something far more dangerous. As police investigate a missing student, the house becomes the centre of an unseen and increasingly menacing threat. Black Christmas lays it on the line with chilling a...

There’s nothing quite like a chilly October night—curtains drawn, lights low, and a good old-fashioned scary movie flickering on the screen. It’s the perfect season to tingle the senses and raise a few goosebumps. But what to watch, I hear you ask? Fear not. I’ve put together a specially curated list of ten Halloween-themed films guaranteed to quicken your pulse and make your night go off with a scream. You won’t find Halloween itself here—its place on any October watchlist goes without saying. Expect a mix of the bizarre, absurd, comedic, thought-provoking, and downright terrifying. No rankings, no rules—just pure Halloween viewing pleasure. 1.  Trick 'r Treat A fantastic anthology built around the warning: never disrespect the rules of Halloween. Pumpkin boy Sam is both sinister and strangely endearing, presiding over a series of interlinked stories where characters cross paths in clever ways. Well written, sharply shot, and perfectly cast, the film balances dark humour ...

Alien  has to be one of the all-time great sci-fi horror films. As old as it is, it has stood the test of time, still admired by generations of fans more than 40 years on. I remember when it was first released - the hype was tremendous, and the tagline was enthralling:  “In space, no one can hear you scream.”   The teenage me and my equally excited friends queued right around the block and, as there was only one screen at the local cinema in those days, I was anxious that we wouldn’t get a seat.  And yet, despite all the excitement, I came away a little disappointed. I thought it was a very good film, but maybe as an overexcited teenager, I was expecting more action, gore and shock value. I came to realise, when I watched it again a few years later, that Ridley Scott delivered a slow-burn masterpiece. Since then,  Alien  has become one of those rare films I return to for repeat viewings. Here are ten things, in no particular order, I loved about  ...