movies (not horror)
Legend of Hei
This movie thoroughly impressed me when I first watched it. From the art style to the even the writing. If you want a movie that feels good to watch, this is definitely a recommendation from me. And speaking of which...Castle in The Sky
I don't even think I need to sit here and tell you how good Studio Ghibli movies are; everyone and their mothers know. This one right here is my personal favorite for personal reasons (a close tie with Spirited Away), and rather than have the Studio Ghibli films I enjoy each be their own entries, I'll just list them here: Spirited Away, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and Kiki's Delivery Service.Madoka Magica: The Movie
>Content warnings
Gore, alcohol and drugs
Ok so obviously don't watch this movie if you haven't watched the series first, otherwise you won't know what the hell is going on. In comparison to the original series, they really went all out on upping the quality of their animations. This movie is fantastic and so is just the whole of Madoka Magica honestly. If you haven't watched it, you're missing out.
(I'm genuinely struggling to think of movies I like that aren't horror movies. Help)
movies (horror)
noroi: the curse
>Content warnings
General gore, animal death (dogs, pigeons), child abuse, cannibalism mention
As you're going to see throughout this list, I love found footage horror movies. They're absolutely my favorite genre and I'm not even entirely sure why! I don't see this movie talked about as much as it should be and I really think it deserves some more love. I'm overall dissatisfied with how the west does ghost stuff since it's really all just the same shit regurgitated, but Japanese horror films really nail that shit and this is the prime example of why.
the blair witch project
>Content warnings
Alcohol and drug use
Speaking of found footage, here's the grand daddy of found footage horror. There's a very good reason as to why this movie has a generally good reputition among horror fans. It set a style all with a small budget (for industry standards) and eight days of shooting. That's all it took to make such a huge difference! That and a great marketing campaign. If you haven't seen it and would like to, I would highly recommend viewing a VHS rip. Such a rip can be found here.
cloverfield
>Content warnings
Gore, alcohol use
Ok, I won't even lie to you—this movie is pretty fucking goofy. The character writing is...a bit questionable. However I put it here because A.) I love giant monsters, B.) Found footage, and C.) I do genuinely like some of the moments and scenes. The special effects are really neat and overall how the movie presents itself visually is wonderful. You'll just have to deal with some decently goofy character writing, and honestly it doesn't even take away from the film as it's something fun to laugh at, in my opinion.
ghostwatch
>Content warnings
Ghosts I guess? Nothing beyond that
This is something that most DEFINITELY needs some more love and attention. To give a little bit of backstory, this was produced for a British TV show called "Screen One" as a sort of Halloween special. It presented itself as a legitimate, live episode at first before things begin to go horribly wrong. For its time, this was a big shock to everyone watching as the turn is so out of the blue in terms of people who enjoyed watching Screen One. It actually got a shit-ton of complaints because of this little stunt, but I assure you it was purely because people are pussies. And in the same vein...
Inside No.9's Halloween Special, "Dead Line"
>Content warnings
Gore, ghosts
This is yet another Halloween stunt, this time for the show "Inside No.9." I don't want to say much because of how out of hand everything gets, but...just know that if it seems like something is off, it's on purpose. It will try and trick you. Here is a link to watch it. If that link is down, this is a copy I put up for download. Apologies for the lower quality. I tried to find higher quality rips but I couldn't.
Lake Mungo
>Content warnings
Child abuse, dead animals (pigs), underage sexual assault, body horror, ghosts
Yet another example of excellent mockumentary/found footage styles, you'll see people bring this up when it comes to good found footage. This movie was an incredibly enjoyable watch from start to finish.
V/H/S/94
>Content warnings
Animal death (rabbit), alcohol and drug use, gore, body horror, suicide, flashing lights, ableist language, generalized hate speech (coming from a hate group that gets tortured and dies)
Jesus H, I guess including this is a good measure of how much text I can put into the content warning pop-up. This film is just...a fucking grab bag of the most "what the fuck did I just watch" content I've ever seen. And I mean this positively, it's a very fun movie! However I highly suggest you take a look at that content warning before proceeding because this one goes off the fucking rails to put it nicely.
Ringu
>Content warnings
Domestic violence, ghosts, mild flashing lights
Yet another entry in "Japan fucking dominates the horror genre", Ringu is the Japanese version of The Ring. I don't suggest watching The Ring as it's very...Americanized and thus a lot less spooky. And even so Ringu actually isn't too spooky either (at least, for my standards). It hits the mark for more "atmospheric dread" with some good storytelling, making for a very enjoyable watch. I actually thought I was gonna shit my pants watching this movie, but no! Just dread the passing seconds as one does.
Get out
>Content warnings
Animal death (deer), drug use, gore, suicide, hate speech, racism (the entire film revolves around racism),
I would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't at least heard of the name Get Out or Jordan Peele. This movie was a fantastic watch from start to finish. Believe me, all the praise the film gets is ENTIRELY deserved. I know I've said this before but if you haven't watched this, please do yourself a favor and take some time to do so.
The Thing (1982)
>Content warnings
Animal death (dogs), animal abuse, gore (a lot), body horror (a lot), drug use, suicide
A gorgeous film! If you love practical effects you're gonna nut to this (on second thought please don't nut to this). The set pieces and practical effects are downright gorgeous in terms of sculpting, and when watching I found myself not being able to stop due to how engrossing it was. Hell, this happened on my second and third watches as well. It can be a little goofy at points but I honestly think that gives it even more charm.
Skinamarink
>Content warnings
Child abuse, gore, self-harm, mild flashing lights
This right here is most definitely one of my favorites. If you want a recommendation from me, I would suggest waiting for the right moment to watch this. Do it when your house is empty with the lights off at night, preferrably like midnight or something around that time. If your house can't be empty, waiting that late at least ensures everyone is asleep and no one is around to help you. Turn off your phone, exit Discord, just cut yourself off from the world. If you haven't seen this I really don't want to give away too much, but this movie has such a special way of...fucking with you. It's one of the best horror movies I've seen in a while, and I say this with multiple watches. This really left an impact on me the first time I watched it because I did so meeting those exact recommended conditions I set. Highly recommend for any horror fan.
youtube channels
i can't sleep O
This is one of my favorite Youtube channels. The animation style is gorgeous and all the visuals they insert are so wonderful to look at. I will have to insert a massive trigger warning, however. Their videos touch on topics such as suicide, self-harm, sexual assault, and torture. Please proceed with caution.gemini home entertainment O
I think that nowadays, analog horror is very oversaturated due to just how many people jumped onto the bandwagon. This channel right here was one of the earlier channels that started just before the genre started blowing up, and I think because of that it set a style for channels to come. For good reason too, as the animation and atmosphere is really something to admire.mythology & fiction explained O
A great channel for turning on in the background or on your other monitor, and getting a good injection of knowledge into you.night mind O
If you aren't really into ARG's, nor have the want to do all that puzzle solving, this is a great place to go for you. When I was first starting my deep dive into ARGs and generally creepy webseries, this channel was my very introducion into all that. Everything is covered with such care and detail, and on top of that his voice is great.joel g O
He's most known for the ENA series of videos, but honestly all of his animations are so gorgeous and full of life. The work here is an incredible inspiration for me.ghosttundra O
By far the most popular series from them is the Lacey Games series, which deserves a lot of praise for its incredible style. However all their animations are so fantastic.>Content warnings
Sexual assault of a minor (the rest of the videos in the Lacey Games series have their own warnings)
