Author: Jack Greenbaum
For some people, Halloween is all about horror movies: “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday the 13th” and, of course, “Halloween.” To the carnage-loving, it’s all about the hack-and-gore, and due to the endless number of sequels, remakes and knock-offs available, these movie goers are never out of options for a good scare.
However, as some audiences aren’t as enthralled by the slashers and still want to experience the excitement of the Halloween season, I’ve decided to present three films with all the suspense and thrills of a horror flick – with a bit less red corn syrup and a lot more plot.
First up is “Magic,” a chilling film about a magician, his ventriloquist dummy and the question of who is really controlling whom.
Anthony Hopkins plays Corky Withers, a ventriloquist on the rise. Corky and Fats are about to get a television special when Corky panics and flees to the Catskills of upstate New York. It’s unclear why he’s so scared of success until it becomes apparent that Corky isn’t the only one calling the shots; Fats has a say, too.
Now, this isn’t quite a “Chucky” film, where a doll comes to life and starts attacking people.
“Magic” is purely psychological. The struggles between Corky and Fats are merely between a man and himself. It’s unnervingly thrilling to watch Hopkins wrestle with both his wooden prop and his sanity, as it becomes nearly impossible to see Fats as anything less than a living character. Hopkins gives him such a distinctive presence that the audience is forced to remember that Fats is the projection of Corky’s schizophrenic mind.
“Magic” will enthrall anyone who enjoys a terrifying movie rooted in the psyche.
While “Magic” explores all the madness inside the character, in David Fincher’s film “The Game,” the only sane place is in the protagonist’s mind.
Fincher’s film is a frighteningly fun conspiracy movie where a man’s life becomes a harrowing labyrinth.
Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is a man who has everything, so for his birthday, his brother (Sean Penn) decides to give him an experience rather than a present.
What starts off as participatory, aristocratic recreation soon turns into a nightmarish event that could upend or end Van Orton’s life forever. Part mystery, part thriller, Fincher takes the audience on an adventure through San Francisco with Van Orton as he tries to unravel his enigmatic surroundings.
The tense energy of the film builds until the moment the viewer has seemingly imagined every conceivable twist, and then, like a shaken-up champagne bottle, “The Game” pops, overflowing with a denouement that is surprising and gratifying on multiple levels.
“The Game” is a must-see for Fincher fans and for those who love mind-bending conspiracy movies.
One would be remiss when crafting a list of thrillers if they left off the work of Alfred Hitchcock, the man who perfected the genre. “Rear Window” is a classic that established the claustrophobic thriller as its own cinematic sub-genre.
L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) is an out-of-work photographer who spends his recovery time getting to know the neighbors – with the help of his telephoto lens. When he notices neighbor Lars Thorwald’s (Raymond Burr) strange behavior and the sudden disappearance of Thorwald’s wife, his stir-crazy mind assumes murder to be the only solution. Conscripting his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) to be his investigator, he delves into the mysterious conduct of his nearby resident, and things get eerie when his hunch starts delivering results.
This film reaches the height of fear and anxiety when neither Jeffries nor the audience cannot witness anything that doesn’t occur within the vista of his apartment, which creates terrific suspense when Lisa goes digging around Thorwald’s quarters. A nail-biting, gripping film, “Rear Window” certainly delivers its fair share of thrills and chills.
So there you have it. If you’re looking to get into the Hallow’s Eve spirit and would prefer to avoid Freddy, Jason or Michael Myers, these are my suggestions for films that create a spine-tingling experience without any residual nightmares.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
