With Halloween around the corner, horror movie fans are hitting the theaters! Horror films have been a staple of American cinema since it’s original inception. From classics like Nosferatu, psychological horror-thrillers like Psycho, to contemporary classics like The Ring, horror films have captivated audiences for years. It’s been a particularly busy season for horror films these past few months, with films like Annabelle, Dracula Untold, Deliver Us from Evil, and Tusk all premiering not too far off from one another. Each film belonging to a different domain of the horror genre, these four films have something for just about anybody. Annabelle is a supernatural horror thriller about a possessed vintage doll, an increasingly terrifying experience, borrowing elements from previous classics like Child’s Play. Dracula Untold is a dark fantasy horror film that rewrites the classic tale of Dracula by giving the titular character an origin story. Deliver Us from Evil is a crime-supernatural horror thriller centered around a priest and a police officer riding a city of demons through exorcism, a very familiar plot device of the horror genre. Finally, Tusk is different from the previous three films in that it’s a horror that is also a comedy. The film centers around the mysterious disappearance of the protagonist’s friend and the events that unfold thereafter.

If you’ve seen The Conjuring, I suggest you watch Annabelle, a spin-off and prequel to The Conjuring. Like previously mentioned, Annabelle borrows very prominent horror genre plot devices, like the possessed doll that we’ve seen before in Chucky. The film is centered around John and Mia, a couple expecting their first child, and the mysterious, escalating events that happen because of the possessed doll, Annabelle. After a shocking turn of events, the film’s ending will leave the audience speechless. Annabelle was a box office success. Costing $6.5 million to create, the film made that back 25 times as much through the box office, earning approximately $165 million. Suffice it to say, it’s one you shouldn’t miss. Dracula Untold is a great example of taking a classic story and putting a unique spin to it. Dracula Untold takes the familiar story of Dracula and gives it an origin, bypassing the difficulty of an audience being enthralled by a story they’ve heard many times before. Dracula Untold was a high-budget film but it did manage to cover all of their costs and still brought in a healthy profit in the box office. Although it can also be classified as a horror, Dracula Untold can be heavily action-oriented, so if that’s what you enjoy, hurry and watch this movie before it leaves theaters.

Deliver Us from Evil is another great example of taking a very familiar, and possibly worn out, plot device and creating something new. Deliver Us from Evil presents the plot of an exorcism by having a police officer and a priest team up to rid their city of demons that are possessing innocent lives. The film received generally mixed reviews, mostly leaning towards negative, and did not leave a lasting effect on its audience. It was forgettable. If the plot fascinates you, I suggest watching this film when it comes out on DVD, otherwise stay away. Finally, Tusk, is a horror film with very strong comedic elements. Unfortunately, Tusk was also very poorly received and became a box-office flop. Tusk was directed by Kevin Smith, the famous director/writer of other hits like Cop-Out and Red State. Tusk is now mostly known by its large promise but eventual flop. Tusk is a horror film of a man’s disappearance. It’s also worth noting that Johnny Depp plays an important role in the film, as he’s known to be an actor to passionately portray every role he chooses. Unless you’re a big Kevin Smith or Johnny Depp fan, I recommend skipping this film. Regardless of your choice, you’re in for some scares during this fall season of horror movies!