As we reach the end of October, Halloween approaches. The weather is cooling, the leaves are falling, and the things that go bump in the night are coming.
When I think of Halloween, scary movies are the first things that come to mind. Films that give you goosebumps, raise your hair, and send shivers down your spine.
We discussed some great horror games to get you in the mood for Halloween. Konami got in the mood as well with their Silent Hill announcements. It turns out that we’re not alone when it comes to getting into the holiday spirit.
Researchers at I’m A Puzzle have discovered the best scary movies for Halloween based on survival games. The research provided twelve movies, ranked by their IMDB rating, that are perfect for a Halloween night viewing.
“Watching scary movies is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to get into the Halloween spirit,” a spokesperson for I’m A Puzzle said, “especially with so many incredible ones to choose from. One of the most thrilling genres of scary movies is those which incorporate a ‘game’ or theme of survival, turning something, which is often fun, into a nightmare.”
“By watching movies that are based around familiar games such as truth or dare and hide and seek, they can play with a viewer’s perceptions of the game and whether or not they would be able to survive. This helps a viewer to feel connected to the plot yet engaged with the fear and unknown of the ending.”
Let’s go over the list of the most popular scary movies for Halloween based on survival games.
Uno: The Movie (2016)
IMDB Rating: 9.2
Uno: The Movie comes from Rooster Teeth, makers of the wildly popular Halo web series Red vs. Blue.
The word “movie” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. In reality, this is a glorified podcast with members of the Rooster Teeth team, headlined by Geoff Ramsey, who also serves as a writer for the film. The movie stars Ramsey, Ryan Haywood, Gavin Free, and Jack Pattillo.
While this isn’t your traditional scary movie for Halloween, Uno: The Movie does give viewers a glimpse into the psyche and madness that comes from adults playing a card game targeted at children.
The Game (1997)
IMDB Rating: 7.7
Directed by David Fincher, The Game is a masterpiece film starring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, and Deborah Kara Unger.
The film’s Consumer Recreation Services company, which acts as the movie’s villain, sets up a game for Douglas’ character, Nicholas Van Orton. What feels like a futuristic version of modern day Escape Rooms quickly turns into a fight for his life.
It may not be Fincher’s best, but The Game is still one heck of a thriller.
Saw (2004)
IMDB Rating: 7.6
The ultimate game of survival, the Saw franchise launched one of the most popular scary movies and horror series ever.
Its original, 2004’s Saw, stars Tobin Bell as the Jigsaw Killer, who wants to play a game with his victims. The Saw franchise has spawned Escape Rooms of its own that play into the combination of horror and survival aspects.
Cube (1997)
IMDB Rating: 7.2
Like Fincher’s The Game, Cube, also released in 1997, is another popular scary movie that feels like a late 90’s take on modern Escape Rooms.
The movie’s characters are trapped in a deadly labyrinth and must escape its deadly mazes. It mixes the best of The Game, Saw, and popular survival games to become a cult classic.
The Platform (2019)
IMDB Rating: 7
The award-winning Spanish movie, The Platform, blends the best of survival games and a dystopian world to deliver the next entry on the list of most popular scary movies for Halloween.
In addition to a terrifying premise, the movie’s story is filled with twists and turns to keep you guessing. The Platform has won 12 different awards across 24 nominations.
Ready or Not (2019)
IMDB Rating: 6.8
A newlywed bride discovers that her husband’s family, best known for their successful board games, has a deep, dark secret.
This game of hide and seek turns deadly. The film delivers a balance of black comedy, horror, and suspense, as well as a good box office return from its estimated $6 million budget.
Exam (2009)
IMDB Rating: 6.8
This is the second movie on the list of most popular scary movies for Halloween based on survival games with an IMDB Rating of 6.8.
Exam is a British thriller focusing on a job application where a group of applicants has 80 minutes to answer one question. The issue is that they don’t know what that question is.
Wicked Games (2021)
IMDB Rating: 6.7
2021’s Wicked Games features a young girl named Harley and her boyfriend taking a relaxing autumn vacation on his country estate.
It follows the trope of masked intruders forcing the film’s stars to play a set of twisted games to survive.
Gerald’s Game (2017)
IMDB Rating: 6.5
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Gerald’s Game features a married couple of Gerald and Jessie attempting to rekindle their marriage.
In typical King fashion, things turn for the worst, and not everything is as they seem. The master of horror sees this movie adaptation deliver an award winning performance. Gerald’s Game won four awards and was also nominated for a fifth.
The Hunt (2020)
IMDB Rating: 6.5
Another popular scary movie for Halloween based on survival games with an IMDB of 6.5, The Hunt is the most infamous Game on this list.
It’s a satirical take on the political divide in America that’s inspired by The Most Dangerous Game.
The Hunt, written by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof, stars Ike Barinholtz, Hilary Swank, Emma Roberts, and Betty Gilpin.
Escape Room (2019)
IMDB Rating: 6.4
We talked a lot about 90s movies that seem to predict futuristic Escape Room-style survival games on our list of popular scary movies. We’ve now come full circle with a film literally called Escape Room.
The movie was successful enough to receive a sequel two years later.
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (2022)
IMDB Rating: 6.3
The final movie on the list of most popular scary movies from I’m A Puzzle was released this year.
A24’s Bodies, Bodies, Bodies features a group of friends at a hurricane party before the storm arrives. The film’s twenty-something-year-olds then play a game of Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, a survival game similar to Werewolf.
From there, the Game because a little too real as the friends have to deal with the consequences of their actions.
