Horror movies are many people’s favorite way to spend their free time. They’re perfect all year round! Whether you like the sci-fi dystopian monsters, the plain serial killers, or the bloody violence that comes with every horror movie, there’s something for everyone. Students at Mount Vernon High School were asked to rate these popular horror movies in an email survey where 26 people answered to find out what the favorite was for horror fans in the building. 

1. Midsommar

Midsommar came in first with an average of 7.06 stars! This movie has been said to be one of the most disturbing movies to be made, so beware if you plan to watch it. This film is about a couple who travels to a small village in Sweden. The culture is rich, the land is beautiful, and the villagers are more than happy to let the newcomers in on one of their celebrations. The day of Midsummer and the days leading up to it. This is a real celebration that is widely popular in Sweden, where a maypole is erected and everyone spends the day singing and dancing and having fun during the longest day of the year. However, this movie takes a dreadful turn on the holiday. This village, which is more like a cult, only gets worse and worse as the day of Midsummer arrives. This movie is not for the faint of heart. It’s rated “R”, so be sure you’re older than 17 before watching. “I ranked Midsommar the highest. This movie scared me, but the cinematography was beautiful,” said senior Georgia Pierce.

2. The Silence of the Lambs

Next is The Silence of the Lambs with an average of 7 stars. This classic is about a serial killer, psychiatrist, cannibal, and all-around villain, Hannibal Lecter. What a fitting name, right? This movie was based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. Hannibal Lecter is a well-known villain in horror movies, as well known as characters like Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, or Michael Myers, but one thing different about Lecter is his intelligence. He is a well-known psychiatrist, Lithuanian nobility, and a cultured man with impeccable manners. He isn’t the type you’d expect to be a serial killer who eats his victims– or maybe he is? “I thought it was a really interesting movie. Some of it was kind of slow-paced, but other parts were really fun to watch,” said junior Sydney Benn. 

3. A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place comes in third with an average of 6.95 stars. All these ratings are so similar! You might as well count them as all being first place. A Quiet Place features a post-apocalyptic world with sightless Lovecraftian aliens– who killed most of the human population– that roam around using their hearing to hunt. They can hear almost anything, even footsteps or whispers. Our main characters are a family of five who need to survive through all these obstacles. “The thing I loved the most is that I was scared while I was watching it, but not enough to creep me out once it was over,” said senior Lily Booth.

4. The Shining

The Shining comes in fourth on our list with 6.7 stars. A father drags his wife and son to an empty hotel in Colorado to cure his writer’s block. The trip turns south when Jack, the father, turns violent and their son, Danny, starts seeing ghosts and other paranormal apparitions.  This movie was based on a book of the same name by Stephen King. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall starred in this movie, but it wasn’t all so great. Director Stanley Kubrick tormented Duvall. He’d put her in distressing situations and made her redo one of the scenes 127 times, which is the world record for most takes in a movie scene.  

5. It

And last for this list, but not least, is It. Yet another movie adapted from Stephen King’s novels, and one of if not the most popular. This movie follows a group of children to defeat an evil creature that can change forms.  “The acting was impressive. Especially from the child actors, they were really good,” said senior Julia Dietsch. 

Leaving off from It, the ranking goes Hereditary, The Ring, The Conjuring, Silent Hill, Insidious, Scream, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Saw, Last Night in Soho, and very last is Titane. This was just a short compiled list of popular horror movies to choose from. This top five list ended up being very diverse, from Swedish cults to a killer clown, there’s a movie for everyone.