For those who like to be scared, October is the perfect season to indulge in the carnal pleasure of fear and allow ourselves to explore horror in the safe space of the cinema. Every year Cineworld celebrates the love of terror with a month filled with jump-scares, glorious gore, abhorrent villains, and more with a Horror Film Season line-up that guarantees to make anyone drop their popcorn.
The year of 2025 has already proven to be one of the best when it comes to horror film releases, which is why Cineworld are revisiting a slashing slate of classic horror films, from the archives – both old school and more recent classic hits. Which begs the question: what makes a timeless horror movie? It’s not just about providing on-screen violence and carnage; there’s more to the art of crafting a cinematic experience that will leave viewers reeling with dread well past the end credits.
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As a horror expert and film critic, who regularly puts themselves through the paces of watching films that will make me shudder at the thought of going to bed with the lights off, I’m going to take a look at what truly makes a remarkable horror film.
This spooky season we’re going to peek behind the curtain to see what horrors Cineworld will be trick or treating with in October and look under the skin at different tropes, techniques and titillating tools of the horror trade.
The horrors of reality
We might find the world of monsters and make believe a fear inducing phenomenon but what really gets us checking over our shoulder late at night is the thought of real horror. As a society we’ve become obsessed with understanding the serial killer, and all because we want to know how their minds tick and stop the sickest of true crimes from happening.
Mary Harron’s 2000 film adaptation American Psycho starring Christian Bale encapsulates the disturbing mind of a serial killer Patrick Bateman. There’s nothing more horrifying than realising that serial killers can disguise themselves as functioning humans in society, hiding their calculated and manipulative tendencies.
And talking of true terrors, there’s nothing more horrifying than the pursuit of mother nature. Which is why John Carpenter’s 1980 classic The Fog, has audiences stuck in looming dread. When the elements are up against us, it becomes a matter of trying to survive against an uncontrollable force that humans know just cannot be battled.
Religion and the occult
Robert Egger’s The Witch is a perfect example of a non-conventional horror film that creates a sense of uncertainty and unease throughout. With an olde England backdrop, steeped in deliciously dark cinematography and an occult story with innocent animals fallen to evil, this film demonstrates that we have a longstanding fear of the occult, and the feeling of trepidation causes a visceral reaction in the viewer.
Another aspect that works time and time again in horror, is religion. From The Exorcist to The Omen, horror that makes us question our existence and where we’re heading always gets audiences going. Constantine starring Keanu Reeves taps into heaven and hell and the foreboding feeling that we might be surrounded by higher beings in the form of angels and demons.
It’s all in the aesthetics
Part of the allure of horror is its portrayal of the gothic – classic horror stems from literature such as Dracula and Frankenstein, which comes through as a clear influence in more modern takes like Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. Using jarring animations with an aesthetic that exudes with spooky hues, undead romance and grotesque beauty.
The one place we think we are safe is in our dreams but as proven in Wes Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, that’s far from the truth. Causing a dystopian dreamworld created from familiar yet disconcerting imagery that causes living nightmares to happen, the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise is one of the most loved horror classics.
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Senses that scream
One of the key aspects that makes a truly horrifying horror film is playing on the senses of the audience, which is exactly what Neil Marshall’s claustrophobic The Descent does. Enclosed spaces, rapid camera movements that mimic the panicked eye, cave dwelling creatures and submerging the viewer into darkness all cause fear.
And classic horror has always relied on sensory tropes – from using loud noises to get viewers jumping out of their seats to scenes of vile and disgusting gore to incite a feeling of nausea, all horror tricks that work timelessly. With the most sensory experience being the element of surprise, which is why you'll be hiding behind your hands for this year’s Horror Season Secret Screaming film.
Keep it spooky this season
We cannot get enough of horror tapping into our primal fears, the ones that as a child we could only conjure in our deepest nightmares. What lurks in the darkness? Could there be a serial killer under the bed? What monster will haunt our visions?
October is the dedicated season to prepare for the unknown horrors that will be terrorising Cineworld’s screens so if you’re ready to be scared by these classic horror movies, grab yourself some tickets and celebrate Halloween all month long. We can't wait to see these classic horror movie scenes on the big screen again.
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Zoë Rose Smith is a horror film journalist and founder of Zobo With A Shotgun – specialising in anything extreme, with a penchant for nasty, gory and controversial horror films and books. She is the co-host of the Tainted Love podcast looking at relationships, sex & dating in horror. She has written for publications including Second Sight, Umbrella Entertainment, 88 Films, Unearthed Films, Filmhounds, FANGORIA and more.
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