No matter your brand of spooky — Halloween or Bhoot Chaturdashi — we can’t deny that the season of chills and thrills is creeping closer every day. As the veils between the worlds thin and the ghouls dance, it’s the perfect time to indulge in some spine-tingling classics that have left horror fans trembling for decades. From psychological horrors, such as The Shining, to the blood-curdling cult hits like The Evil Dead and Halloween, bingeing on these iconic films might be a perfect way to get into the “spirit” of the season.

Here’s our pick of 8 classic and cult horror gems to revisit while channelling the uncanny and the eerie.

The Shining (1980)

Redrum, anyone?

No Halloween watchlist is complete without the mention of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Its haunting visuals — blood-filled elevators, the ghostly twins — and blood-curdling use of sound has been a topic of discussion among horror fans for almost half a century. It has also made us change our idea of horror being synonymous with dark and dreary. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as caretaker of the isolated — and haunted — Overlook Hotel, where he, his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and their son Danny settle in for the winter. As Jack is slowly driven to madness by the hotel’s eerie forces, Wendy and Danny must fight to survive. Instead of relying on typical jump scares or gore, Kubrick has created a slow-burning atmosphere of dread, with long shots, unnerving silence and a disorienting visual style that makes the hotel feel like a horror villain in its own right.

The Exorcist (1973)

Before The Exorcist came along in 1973, on-screen depictions of demonic possession were not very common. Directed by William Friedkin and adapted from the novel by William Peter Blatty, the film follows the unfortunate story of a young girl, Regan (Linda Blair), who becomes possessed by a demonic entity. The desperate attempts by her mother and two priests to save her through an exorcism leaves audiences grabbing for a blanket to hide under. Iconic scenes, like Regan’s spinning head and levitating while possessed and all that green vomit, have cemented it as a horror classic — always perfect for a rewatch.

The Omen (1976)

The Omen followed The Exorcist’s groundbreaking footsteps, leaving its mark in the horror house of fame. The film — about a couple, Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine Thorn (Lee Remick), who unknowingly adopt the Antichrist, Damien — stands out for its gradual realisation of horror as young Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens) manipulates those around him to sacrifice themselves. Gruesome deaths, menacing hellhounds and Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting gothic score keep viewers on tenterhooks.

Adding to the film's ominous tone are the bizarre incidents that plagued its production. Three separate incidents of cast and crew members’ planes being struck by lightning, the film's special effects consultant being in a horrific car accident-led decapitation shortly after filming a decapitation scene and other such strange occurrences lead many to believe the film was cursed.

Psycho (1960)

Say “Ching Ching Ching” and everyone knows which horror classic we are talking about. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho follows Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), who flees after stealing money from her employer and ends up at the eerie Bates Motel, run by the seemingly shy and troubled Norman Bates. Marion’s plans take a horrific turn when she is brutally murdered in the infamous shower scene. This causes her lover and her sister to go out in search of her and unravel dark secrets (and skeletons in the basement) about the Bates family. Hitchcock’s masterful use of suspense makes the film a chilling exploration of madness and moral ambiguity that keeps us on toes even after 64 years.

The Evil Dead (1981)

The Evil Dead follows a group of five friends—Ash, Linda, Scotty, Shelly, and Cheryl—who stay at a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway. While exploring the cabin, they discover a mysterious book and unknowingly unleash demonic forces. Known for its intense gore, innovative shots and a blend of horror and dark humour, the film sees the friends getting possessed one by one, as Ash (Bruce Campbell) confronts the evil that threatens to consume them all.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Blending psychological horror with surreal dream sequences, A Nightmare on Elm Street centres on a group of teenagers who are terrorised by a serial killer named Freddy Krueger, who attacks them in their dreams. After several of her friends mysteriously die in their sleep, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) discovers that Freddy is a vengeful spirit seeking revenge on the families who burned him alive for murdering children. Portrayed by Robert Englund, Freddy has become an iconic figure in horror cinema, whose nightmarish presence and twisted sense of humour linger long after every rewatch.

Halloween (1978)

While Freddy Krueger terrorises us with his burnt and disfigured face, Halloween’s Michael Myers induces horror in a white, emotionless mask. Halloween follows Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), a high school student who falls victim to Michael Myers, a masked serial killer who escapes from a mental asylum on Halloween night. Returning to his hometown, Myers begins stalking Laurie and her friends, leading to a chilling night of terror. Adding to the horror is director John Carpenter’s eerie soundtrack, cementing Halloween as a seminal slasher film, with Michael Myers as the face that comes to our minds when we talk about the genre.

Suspiria (1977)

Suspiria follows Susie Bannion (Jessica Harper), a young American dancer who enrols in a prestigious ballet academy in Germany and gets embroiled in the school’s sinister secrets. After her classmates start to disappear, Susie realises that the academy is run by a coven of witches practising dark magic. With its striking blend of visceral terror, unsettling visuals and uncanny score, the film immerses viewers in a nightmarish world that is far from reality. This spooky season, don't miss out on this cinematic masterpiece which continues to inspire filmmakers and horror enthusiasts alike.

For a deeper dive into terror, don’t forget about other timeless scream-inducers like Poltergeist, Carrie and Scream, which continue to prove that horror films grow more chilling with each rewatch.