Halloween nears and it’s time to break out the horror movies — that is if you don’t only watch them during the holiday. If you prefer horror movies that are modern, whether it’s because of a unique plot or graphic quality, then check out Final Destination (2000-2011), Saw (2004-2017), and The Descent (2005-2009). Hopefully these will enlighten your Halloween.
While all of these films can be found on multiple streaming sites and apps, only two are available for free: The Descent and The Descent: Part 2. The link for The Descent will direct you to Shudder.com, and the link for The Descent: Part 2 will direct you to TubiTV.
If you’re okay with renting movies, then you can find any of these movies for cheap (as low as $2.99) on websites and apps such as Amazon Prime Video, VUDU, Apple TV, and Google Play. However, on occasion, others such as Hulu and Netflix will stream these movies. Hulu will most likely have a category of uploaded Horror movies for October since the upcoming Netflix uploads did not list either of these horror movies in September, nor October.
Now, let’s get to the bread. Final Destination has a line of five films in the franchise: Final Destination (2000), Final Destination 2 (2003), Final Destination 3 (2006), The Final Destination (2009), and Final Destination 5 (2011). The general plot of this franchise is that the main character sees a vision of them and others dying in a horrible accident but since they saw it seconds before happening, they then freak out, and end up miraculously dodging death along with several other people.
However, because they didn’t die like they were supposed to, it’s basically an imbalance of nature and they are still destined to die, so throughout each film it’s a struggle with staying alive. I personally used to not like these films because I was uncomfortable with how realistic they seemed, but now I love them because I’m a sucker for plots that fall into place.
Another franchise that I also used to be uncomfortable watching was Saw. Yet right now, it is my current obsession. Saw has a line of eight films and an upcoming film: Saw (2004), Saw II (2005), Saw III (2006), Saw IV (2007), Saw V (2008), Saw VI (2009), Saw VII (2010), Jigsaw (2017), and Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021). The synopsis of the plot is that these kidnapped characters are being “tested” in a “game” to see if they truly have what it takes to survive. It is a plot twist galore, but what I enjoy about this franchise is that everything falls into place by the end of the movie while also leaving you on a cliffhanger for the next film. Personally though, after rewatching the franchise so many times I began to have questions about certain plot gaps, but I will leave it up to you to see for yourself.
Last but not least, I give you The Descent (2005) and The Descent Part 2 (2009). If you are one who likes venturing the outdoors and would like to explore caves and the like, then don’t let this freak you out. This plot takes place in exploring underground caves where several friends run into terror in the dark — undiscovered creatures that eat human flesh. This franchise will keep you on the edge of your seat and includes an ultimate alternate ending.
Overall, I hope you enjoy these 2000’s-2010’s horror franchise selections and that you can look forward to binge watching this spooky season. Indulge this stay-at-home Halloween with an ultimate horror movie marathon, and have fun!