Friday the 13th is the perfect excuse to revisit some of Hollywood’s most memorable horror films and discover a few newer ones along the way. From classics that shaped the genre with haunted houses, masked killers and supernatural forces to recent releases featuring deadly fungi, sinister dolls and zombie outbreaks, there’s plenty to choose from. Whether you enjoy old-school scares, gruesome thrillers or horror with a dose of dark humour, these films deserve a place on your OTT watchlist this Friday the 13th.
1. Cold Storage [ZEE5]
Making its premiere on ZEE5 this Friday the 13th, Cold Storage follows two young employees, Teacake and Naomi, working at a self-storage facility built on the site of an old US military base. Their routine night shift takes a terrifying turn when a deadly parasitic fungus, which had been sealed away underground, escapes from its containment. As the microorganism begins multiplying and infecting everything in its path, the two employees find themselves caught in a dangerous situation. With the help of a retired bioterror operative, they must find a way to contain the rapidly spreading threat before it puts humanity at risk. Starring Joe Keery, Georgina Campbell and Liam Neeson, the film combines science fiction, horror and dark comedy.
2. Abigail [ZEE5]
A kidnapping that promises a huge ransom soon turns into a nightmare in Abigail. The film follows a group of criminals hired to kidnap the 12-year-old daughter of a powerful underworld figure. Their job is to guard the young ballerina in an isolated mansion for one night in exchange for a $50 million ransom. However, things take a terrifying turn when members of the group begin disappearing one by one. They soon discover that Abigail is no ordinary little girl and that they are trapped inside the mansion with something far more dangerous than they had imagined. With its unexpected revelations, suspense and bloody horror sequences, Abigail makes for an entertaining watch.
3. Scary Movie [Amazon Prime Video]
If you would rather laugh than be scared this Friday the 13th, Scary Movie is just the film to watch. A parody of popular horror films, it follows a group of teenagers who find themselves being stalked by a masked killer after a tragic hit-and-run incident. As the killer begins targeting them, the group gets caught in a series of increasingly bizarre and hilarious situations. The film takes familiar horror movie tropes and turns them into comedy, making it a fun watch for anyone who enjoys a little humour alongside their horror.
4. Zombieland [SonyLIV]
For a mix of zombie horror and comedy, Zombieland is a great pick. Set in a world where a zombie outbreak has turned much of humanity into flesh-eating creatures, the film follows Columbus, a nervous college student who has managed to survive by following a strict set of rules. During his journey, he crosses paths with Tallahassee, a fearless zombie hunter with a love for Twinkies. The two eventually encounter sisters Wichita and Little Rock, and the unlikely group sets out to navigate a world overrun by zombies. Filled with action, comic situations and unexpected friendships, the film offers an entertaining take on the zombie apocalypse.
5. Obsession [JioHotstar]
A young man’s wish to make his longtime crush fall in love with him turns into a terrifying ordeal in Obsession. The film follows Bear, who comes across a mysterious object called the One Wish Willow and uses it to make Nikki reciprocate his feelings. His wish appears to come true, but Nikki’s affection soon becomes increasingly obsessive and frightening, with consequences Bear never anticipated. Written and directed by Curry Barker, the psychological horror film stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette. It explores the darker side of desire, emotional manipulation and the dangers of trying to control another person’s feelings.
6. Hereditary [Amazon Prime Video]
A family tragedy sets off a chain of disturbing events in Ari Aster’s psychological horror film Hereditary. After the death of her secretive mother, Annie Graham begins uncovering unsettling details about her family’s past. As strange occurrences start affecting her husband and children, Annie finds herself confronting a terrifying legacy that seems to have followed them for generations. Led by Toni Collette, the film builds its horror through grief, family secrets and an increasingly disturbing atmosphere.
7. Weapons [JioHotstar]
When all but one of the children in a classroom mysteriously disappear at exactly 2:17 am, their small town is left searching for answers. The disappearance puts their teacher, Justine Gandy, under suspicion, while the parents struggle to understand what happened to their children. Told through the perspectives of different people connected to the incident, Zach Cregger’s Weapons gradually reveals the disturbing events behind the mass disappearance. The film stars Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and Amy Madigan.
8. Sinners [JioHotstar]
Twin brothers Smoke and Stack return to their hometown in 1932 Mississippi, hoping to leave their troubled past behind and open a juke joint. Their plans take a horrifying turn when a group of unexpected visitors arrives at the gathering, bringing an ancient evil with them. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role alongside Hailee Steinfeld and Miles Caton.
9. A Nightmare on Elm Street [Amazon Prime Video, rent]
Wes Craven introduced one of horror cinema’s most recognisable villains with this 1984 slasher. A group of teenagers begin having the same terrifying nightmare about a disfigured man with razor-sharp blades attached to his glove. The man, Freddy Krueger, soon starts killing them in their sleep, making it impossible to tell where their nightmares end and reality begins. Heather Langenkamp plays Nancy, who must find a way to confront Freddy before he claims another victim. The film also features a young Johnny Depp in his acting debut.
10. The Exorcist [Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV Store, rent]
One of the great classics of supernatural horror, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist follows the disturbing possession of a young girl named Regan. When her behaviour becomes increasingly frightening and doctors fail to explain what is happening to her, her mother turns to two Catholic priests for help. What follows is a deeply unsettling battle to save the child. Starring Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair, the film became a landmark in horror cinema and remains essential viewing for anyone interested in the genre.
11. Rosemary’s Baby [Apple TV Store, rent]
Roman Polanski’s psychological horror classic Rosemary’s Baby centres on Rosemary, a young woman who moves into a New York apartment with her husband. Their new neighbours seem unusually interested in the couple, but Rosemary’s growing unease takes a darker turn when she becomes pregnant. As strange incidents begin to pile up, she suspects that her husband and the people around them are hiding something sinister about her unborn child. Mia Farrow delivers a memorable performance as Rosemary.
12. Halloween [Amazon Prime Video, rent]
John Carpenter’s Halloween helped establish the slasher film as we know it today. Fifteen years after murdering his sister, Michael Myers escapes from a psychiatric hospital and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield on Halloween night. As he begins stalking a group of teenagers, Laurie Strode finds herself fighting for her life. Jamie Lee Curtis plays Laurie in the film that launched her career as one of horror cinema’s most enduring stars.
13. Friday the 13th [Amazon Prime Video, rent]
The list would be incomplete without this film. A summer camp with a grim past becomes the setting for Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th. As a group of young counsellors prepare to reopen Camp Crystal Lake, someone begins hunting them down one by one. The camp has long been associated with a child’s drowning, and the killings suggest that its history is far from buried. The film helped popularise the summer-camp slasher and became the starting point for a franchise that would span multiple sequels.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
