Halloween is upon us again, and in addition to dusting off those decorations, you’re likely going to fish out some horror movie favorites for the season. Maybe some The Nightmare Before Christmas for the wee ones and some A Nightmare on Elm Street when the kids are in bed. But in addition to the classics, you might want to add something new to the roster. Thankfully, plenty of new horror films came out this year to fit how anyone celebrates the holiday. Here are some recommendations for the newest horror films to watch this Halloween.

For Those Who Want Less Gore and More Psychological Horror

Backrooms

Ken Parson’s Backrooms taps into the dread of no longer existing in spaces that seem to grow without us. Even though there is a monster running around the many odd rooms of this realm, we don’t see much of the gruesome kills that happen almost entirely off-screen. The real terror comes from the trauma of recalling the past and how we progress. Those who don’t are doomed to the eerie allure of the backrooms that seem familiar yet foreign. It’s a disorienting and fascinating maze of our association with interiors.

For Those Who Love Gore and Can’t Get Enough of It

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

The direct sequel to 28 Years Later is a vastly superior upgrade for its firmer focus on a gang of Satanists and a weary doctor trying to find meaning in the madness of a zombie apocalypse. The film is worth watching for the unforgettable scene of Ralph Fiennes dancing around flames to Iron Maiden, but the gore effects are absolutely superb in how grotesque they get. Heads are ripped off bodies, skin is peeled off, and innocent people are brutalized in genuinely horrific ways. If zombie films seemed to have decayed in the past few years, director Nia DaCosta injected some gnarly new energy into this subgenre.

For Those Who Want Some Queer Horniness with Their Horror

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Classic slasher movies are explored for their commercial appeal, psychological effects, and sexual desires in what is easily the best film from director Jane Schoenbrun to date. Hannah Einbinder plays a filmmaker tasked with reviving the Camp Miasma horror franchise and meets with the veteran actress played by Gillian Anderson to figure out what the movies were all about. What she discovers goes far beyond the movies’ themes, digging deeper into the sexual appeal that makes horror so intoxicating. Equal parts surreal and silly, I’ve never seen a horror film quite like this, where Einbinder and Anderson get sensual with everything from horror movie concepts to chicken finger dipping sauces.

For the Young Kids

Stitch Head

The hardest part of celebrating Halloween with younger kids is finding just the right entry point for horror. The animated monster movie Stitch Head is a good choice because it weaves in a tale of acceptance with some charming monster designs and musical numbers. The kid monster Stitch Head has grown weary of a castle where a mad scientist constantly creates new monsters. When he ventures out to the village below, he discovers people find him both fearful and fascinating, making him question what they consider scary. With its colorful computer animation and sweet message, it’s doubtful any kid will be frightened by this picture, but they might gain a better appreciation for monsters in general, as it showcases themes similar to classic monster movies.

For the Teenagers

This is Not a Test

On the surface, This Is Not a Test might seem like just another zombie apocalypse movie, though it focuses exclusively on teenage survivors. As the film progresses, however, it explores the more compelling angle of how these young characters deal with depression and loss when they seek safety within their high school. The teen characters are smart enough to figure out zombie-survival tactics, yet emotional enough to feel more like human beings than video-game players.

For Those Craving Revenge

Send Help

Nobody directs a horror movie quite like Sam Raimi, and his latest entry, Send Help, is a wonderfully bonkers and brutal scenario that could’ve made for the best episode of Tales from the Crypt. Rachel McAdams is an unappreciated office worker who ends up on a deserted island with her sexist boss, played by Dylan O’Brien. Wiser about survival, McAdams uses her skills to get the upper hand on O’Brien in more ways than one. It’s a simple premise, but it delivers gruesome gore, shocking developments, and Raimi’s penchant for getting the camera incredibly close for maximum gross-out effect. If you want to see a discriminated-against woman get revenge on her discriminating boss, this movie doesn’t disappoint, and it’s incredibly fun for the over-the-top catharsis.

For Those Who Want Something Extra Weird

Buffet Infinity

The very idea of Buffet Infinity is intriguing enough, depicting a cosmic horror that invades the suburbs through a restaurant, seen only through TV commercials. But the surreal progression of how capitalism and consumerism devour a community is what makes this movie so wonderfully bizarre. Channel surfing takes on a darkly strange quality as it weaves the uncertainty of a cosmic force through pawn shop jingles and car dealership superhero narratives. There’s never been a movie quite like this and it’s perfect for anybody who has grown weary of horror formulas.

For Those Craving Violent Silliness

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

While the first Ready or Not film was a juicy dose of class satire and satisfying revenge on a murderous upper class, the sequel amps up the ridiculousness with more Satanists trying to kill Samara Weaving’s character. There are bigger stakes, bigger action, and a bigger cast that is having a blast in this scenario. Everybody in the cast is a lot of fun, but Elijah Wood might be my favorite addition as the smiling and stern lawyer who reads off Satan’s rules with such chipperness and believable acceptance of his role. There are some ridiculous kills, absurd logic to the games, and plenty more rich elites exploding into blood.

For Those Who Haven’t Watched Obsession

Obsession

Seriously, you need to see this movie.

For the Background of a Halloween Party

In Search of Darkness 1995-1999

If you have a Halloween party where there’ll be more conversation than eyeballs on the TV, a good choice to tune in and out of is the In Search of Darkness megadoc series, with the latest entry covering horror films from 1995 to 1999. Running over six hours long, you can leave this on for the entire party and occasionally drop in to listen to some of the interviews or start up a conversation when your favorite horror movie graces the screen. It’s a big-old bag of fun-size horror pictures that is a great choice for horror lovers who enjoy talking about the genre.