I’m a Halloween fanatic and every year I can’t wait until October to get my spook on. However, I’m also a bit of a scaredy-cat and can’t watch the horror movies I love without a helping hand. Lucky for me, my husband is usually willing to watch and hold my hand as we get ready for the screams and things that go bump in the night.

So we thought we’d put together a list of some of our favorites.

Us

If you’re into anything Jordan Peele, is the new king of the creepy. After the success of Get Out, the next in line for the winner of the suspense is Us. This movie revolves around a family that is being followed and attacked by intruders that upon closer look appear to be look-alikes. This movie will have you wondering if you can even trust yourself. When we watched it, it was hard to look in the mirror for a few days.

His House

This movie is about a refugee couple that flees South Sudan and has trouble adjusting to their new English surroundings but even more so with the strange happenings in their new home. This movie is so richly layered with storytelling, a reflection on life in this movie’s narrative goes beyond the creepy but also the realities refugees face when learning how to integrate into different societies. It was haunting and a brilliant representation of things that go bump in the night. Definitely a must-seee!

Vampires vs. the Bronx

I’m a tragic fan of cheesy horror movies as much as the creepy, mysterious ones. These are your cheesy slasher, 80s-esque horror-comedy. And one of our current favorites was Vampires vs the Bronx, this one is big fun while making clever points on gentrification. With a cast of young social misfits leading the fight against the vampires trying to change their neighborhood, Vampires vs. the Bronx is definitely a movie worth watching if scary to you means a refreshing look at the vampire genre, a young cast of color (because we love them) and a few cameos from some familiar faces. It’s a great option for some Halloween fun and an instant cult classic. Also, as a Dominican woman, representation is everything.

The Old Ways

This is another one that breathes new life into possession horror movies by interlining some Hispanic and Indigenous superstitions and storytelling. The story deals with Cristina, a Mexican-American journalist who goes back to Veracruz for a story, where she gets kidnapped by a group that believes she is the devil. While the plot may seem familiar, this movie takes it to a different place full of old traditions, Brujeria, or witchcraft, and something much older altogether. It’s these nuances that pulled us in and wanted us to learn more. It also led me to believe that it is a reflection of what happens when we leave our ancestral lands and forget where we come from. Also, the music was amazing!

Ma

Now if obsession-style Misery-type thrillers are more your speed, definitely check out Ma. This is the kind of cringe-worthy movie that makes you hope you never cut someone off in traffic or pray you were nice to all the kids in your class. Octavia Spencer delivers a killer performance flowing through rabid and sympathetic and back again like it’s nothing. It’s a movie that will keep you guessing.

Whichever of these movies you choose, there is something for everyone but even more, is that these stories center on people of color, and horror could use a little more diversity in the stories it represents. Almost all of these movies have also won awards meaning Hollywood needs to start paying attention.

So from us to you, happy watching.