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ladybusinessIt's December: the end of the year and the time of 1000 recommendation lists. We thought we'd get in on the action with some sweet themed recs! Here's a list of things that creep us out, but we still like them a bunch.
Scary things are generally a bad choice for me (see also: that one time I watched Dark Water while my kitchen ceiling was leaking), but Oxenfree was creepy in all the right ways. It played with my expectations and familiar tropes of both horror movies (OF COURSE a handful of kids get stranded overnight on a creepy uninhabited island with a derelict military base! OF COURSE!) and gameplay, and the result was sometimes so scary to me that I accidentally panic-closed the game. The fact that you have to trigger the horrifying things happening yourself—even when you know that this is going to be awful—was a really effective choice and DEFINITELY made it creepier for me.
The Changeling by Victor LaValle is an amazing fantasy horror story which situates itself deeply in the mundane nature of real life before flipping everything on its head, and getting extremely weird. It reminds me of the best of Stephen King's stories, where his detailed level of small town minutiae plays a crucial part in encouraging the reader to invest in some super-weirdo tales. LaValle's fantasy and horror creation is really expansive and interesting, and he works really hard to acknowledge and subvert horror tropes around women.
I read Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell, early in the year. It was one of the Tournament of Books entries that I’d never heard of, which is always a fun time! And it ended up chilling my spine. I regret very much reading it right before going to bed. The thing is that you can’t exactly put your finger on a) what’s happening or b) why you are so frightened—but that’s what makes it great.
I am not a horror person at all, so I didn't get around to seeing Get Out in theaters, and I will never stop kicking myself for not doing so. Such a brilliant and terrifying movie; not just in the traditional horror movie ways (although it certainly does not skimp on on the suspense or the scares!) but in how it shines a hard light on racism in America. I was so willing to believe that nothing truly nefarious was going on, that everything that seemed off was just clueless white people, not active racist malice, until I really couldn't deny the truth any more. It was sobering, and so effective, and I can't wait to see what director Jordan Peele does next.
I only check out horror when it's recommended directly to me by someone I trust because they know me and my Fears. My feelings about jump scares are one page with "NO" in a 72 point font—bolded with emphasis. But way back when the first season of Limetown came out, I was legit creeped out by it. They've since expanded it with a second season, there's a prequel book, there might be a TV series—I haven't listened/read/seen anything else. But I found that first season super compelling in a psychological horror way and finished that whole first run with all the lights on.
December 28: Scariest/thrilling media that you love
Susan
Scary things are generally a bad choice for me (see also: that one time I watched Dark Water while my kitchen ceiling was leaking), but Oxenfree was creepy in all the right ways. It played with my expectations and familiar tropes of both horror movies (OF COURSE a handful of kids get stranded overnight on a creepy uninhabited island with a derelict military base! OF COURSE!) and gameplay, and the result was sometimes so scary to me that I accidentally panic-closed the game. The fact that you have to trigger the horrifying things happening yourself—even when you know that this is going to be awful—was a really effective choice and DEFINITELY made it creepier for me.
Jodie
The Changeling by Victor LaValle is an amazing fantasy horror story which situates itself deeply in the mundane nature of real life before flipping everything on its head, and getting extremely weird. It reminds me of the best of Stephen King's stories, where his detailed level of small town minutiae plays a crucial part in encouraging the reader to invest in some super-weirdo tales. LaValle's fantasy and horror creation is really expansive and interesting, and he works really hard to acknowledge and subvert horror tropes around women.
Jenny
I read Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell, early in the year. It was one of the Tournament of Books entries that I’d never heard of, which is always a fun time! And it ended up chilling my spine. I regret very much reading it right before going to bed. The thing is that you can’t exactly put your finger on a) what’s happening or b) why you are so frightened—but that’s what makes it great.
KJ
I am not a horror person at all, so I didn't get around to seeing Get Out in theaters, and I will never stop kicking myself for not doing so. Such a brilliant and terrifying movie; not just in the traditional horror movie ways (although it certainly does not skimp on on the suspense or the scares!) but in how it shines a hard light on racism in America. I was so willing to believe that nothing truly nefarious was going on, that everything that seemed off was just clueless white people, not active racist malice, until I really couldn't deny the truth any more. It was sobering, and so effective, and I can't wait to see what director Jordan Peele does next.
Renay
I only check out horror when it's recommended directly to me by someone I trust because they know me and my Fears. My feelings about jump scares are one page with "NO" in a 72 point font—bolded with emphasis. But way back when the first season of Limetown came out, I was legit creeped out by it. They've since expanded it with a second season, there's a prequel book, there might be a TV series—I haven't listened/read/seen anything else. But I found that first season super compelling in a psychological horror way and finished that whole first run with all the lights on.
