A horror movie with substance is a pretty great thing. Take a look at The Substance… maybe? That one is almost mindless, to be honest, with how in-your-face it is, with its satire and what it’s ultimately trying to say, but it is saying a lot. And there are other classic horror movies, naturally, that are about more than just being scary, including the likes of Get Out, The Exorcist, and Hereditary.
For those that aren’t too complicated and are all about delivering scares, or maybe entertainment value, in the case of the ones that are more comedy/horror hybrids, you’ve got a few below. These work as great mindless horror movies, and are the kind you can watch and appreciate with your brain more or less switched off. That’s not to say they’re all completely lacking substance, if you want to dig in, but social commentary and deeper messages don’t really feel like they’re focused on, for the movies below.
10
‘Phenomena’ (1985)
Image via New Line Cinema
Of all the Dario Argento movies out there, Phenomena is easily one of his more underrated efforts. Yes, Suspiria might be easier to recommend, and something like Deep Red feels more important within the bounds of the horror genre and its history… but Phenomena is really fun. It’s kind of goofy, though it never becomes an outright comedy, so its more bombastic elements end up feeling more endearing than tongue-in-cheek or anything like a horror parody.
It’s about a young girl who can communicate with insects, and then there are ways that ability ultimately allows her to assist in an investigation to catch a killer at large. It’s quintessentially one of those “you just have to roll with it” kind of movies, but if you’re in the mood for something more than a little strange, Phenomena delivers. Also, if you’ve liked any other Argento-directed movies and have overlooked this one, remedy that as soon as you can!
9
‘Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter’ (1984)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Most Friday the 13th movies work as mindless horror films, and that’s okay some of the time, because some of them can be fairly entertaining. You’ve got an almost unstoppable killer, and then a group of (usually young) people who have to try (and usually fail) to survive that killer. It’s not like Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter really goes beyond this sort of simple story, but it executes all the recognizable and expected conventions of the series the best.
There are some decently fun characters/victims, the violent special effects are done well, it’s a frequently entertaining movie, and it being framed as a finale does give it a tiny bit more oomph than most Friday the 13th movies. Of course, it was not genuinely “The Final Chapter,” but it did end up being the best chapter, and perhaps the only Friday the 13th movie that’s an actually essential watch.
8
‘Terrifier 3’ (2024)
Image via Cineverse
All the Terrifier movies are mindless, truth be told, though the second and third ones are a good kind of mindless. The first Terrifier might well be too narrative-free and thrown-together. It’s barely got a story or a reason to watch, beyond Art the Clown having an undeniable presence as a villain, and the violence being consistently grisly and over-the-top. Terrifier 2 and 3, make no mistake, are also very focused on Art the Clown doing his Art the Clown thing, and showcasing grisly sights.
Terrifier 3 has more by way of a reason to care because there was a bare minimum kind of story in Terrifier 2, and it’s continued well in Terrifier 3. It’s still a very blunt and straightforward affair, and Terrifier 3 is not the kind of thing you can watch unless you don’t mind very in-your-face on-screen violence, but at least it and Terrifier 2 feel more or less like actual movies. Also, Terrifier 3 stands out for being perhaps the grisliest Christmas movie ever made.
7
‘House’ (1977)
‘House’, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi in 1977 is about people going to a house where weird things happen to them. It is set up for many horror stories out there but few play out with quite the same atmosphere as found in House. Most of it is incredibly silly but has an eerie fever dream quality at times.
This film can be subjective. Some might find not one second of it frightening while others might appreciate its unique charm. House is essential in comedy-horror cinema and is so well-regarded that it might have graduated beyond cult status into being recognized as a classic comedy/horror film.
4
‘Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah Giant Monsters All-Out Attack’ (2001)
‘Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah Giant Monsters All-Out Attack’ (2001)
The Godzilla franchise has many films that are scarier than Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah Giant Monsters All-Out Attack but Godzilla himself remains frightening here driven by vengeful spirits making this film somewhat horror-themed.
This film explores science fiction elements while also tackling themes related to World War II traumas through its mythical figures like Mothra and King Ghidorah.
3 ‘Dead Alive’ (1992)
Image via Trimark Pictures
The director Peter Jackson made several notable low-budget horror films before achieving fame with The Lord of The Rings trilogy. His best early work is Dead Alive which is also known as Braindead in some regions.
If your brain is tired rather than dead then Dead Alive/Braindead offers sheer entertainment value over its runtime making it worthwhile viewing.
2 ‘Gremlins’ (1984)
Image via Warner Bros.
The least scary movie here would have to be Gremlins which feels darkly comedic while still maintaining elements of horror.
This film works effectively as both a monster movie filled with tiny creatures while also being an enjoyable Christmas film.
1 ‘Grindhouse’ (2007)
Image via Dimension Films
This epic-length movie directed by Quentin Tarantino includes two segments titled Planet Terror by Robert Rodriguez which contains notable horror elements while Death Proof serves as more of an action thriller.
The overall Grindhouse experience includes fake trailers leading to actual films being made later on like Machete (2010) showcasing its unique blend of styles.
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