As we near the harrowing date of All Hallows’ Eve, let us take a moment to appreciate the history and artistry of horror cinema.

Below is a curated list of some of the best horror films, recommended by local ghost hunters, goths and fans of frights. Enjoy, if you dare.

Suspiria (1977)

This dream-like, iconic Giallo film revolves around a young girl who attends a ballet school run by a coven of witches. Directed by legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, “Suspiria” is an absolutely beautiful film with a uniquely terrifying atmosphere.

“It’s one of the most ingenious scary movies ever,” said Peter Harle, a University of Minnesota professor who studies fear and folklore.

Every frame was hand-colored and made to appear surreal, Harle said, adding another dimension of dreaminess to the uneasy bizarre set -pieces. The film’s sound design is incredible as well, cutting back and forth from overdubbed dialogue to an eerie, orchestral score produced by the Italian band Goblin with both synthesizers and strings.

Stylistically, “Suspiria” is like no other film before and has inspired every generation of horror cinema since its release.

Scream (1996) 

Wes Craven’s late nineties classic is a must-watch, not just for horror fans, but for everyone. 

A genre-redefining masterpiece, “Scream” is an incredibly self-aware slasher with an enthralling plot that combines meta-humor with serious scares. Unlike other self-referential horror movies, “Scream” is not a parody, it is an artistic statement that completely changed the way people see horror movies. 

The film has a star-studded cast, featuring marvelous performances from A-listers like Drew Barrymore, Courtney Cox and Matthew Lillard, among so many others. The sequels are pretty good too, at least compared to other horror franchises.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

A modern reimagining of Bram Stoker’s classic tale of an immortal bloodsucker and his lost love, this film is perfect for all of those hopeless romantics out there who also like to be scared every once in a while.

Gary Oldman is unrecognizable in his role as the titular count, shining brightly among an incredibly talented cast of performers including Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. 

Minneapolis Goth DJ and event organizer Mar Navarro said they love how “Dracula” blends themes of love and death through Dracula’s immortality and unending passion for his (spoiler) long-dead wife.

The Changeling (1980)

Created by some of our friends up north, this spooky spectacle centers around a composer who moves into a haunted mansion in the Pacific Northwest. Unlike other more straight-forward haunted house movies, this flick is much more unorthodox in its approach to storytelling and cinematography, resulting in a bizarrely twisted tale of a vengeful spirit.

“It’s not bloody or a slasher-y movie, but I think it’s creepy,” said Twin Cities paranormal investigator Thomas Troupe.

Vampyr (1932)

Recommended by visual artist First Church of the Corrupted Signal, this nearly-centenarian film is a beautiful work of art blending expressionist cinema with gothic horror. Released right at the advent of sound films, the film tells the chilling tale of a young wanderer who stumbles upon a, you guessed it, vampire while staying in a small French village. 

Although “Vampyr” has dialogue, its sound design and cinematography closely resemble silent horror films like “Nosferatu” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” An unsettling and creepy atmosphere persists throughout the entire film, amplified by sudden changes in sound and usages of darkness and shadows to make it thrillingly terrifying.

Of course, it is nice to watch a movie at home, huddled under a blanket with a bucket of popcorn and maybe a loved one, but if you really love cinema you should get out and support your local theaters.

The closest movie theater to campus, the Main Cinema, will be showing some incredible foreign horror classics, including one of my personal favorites, “Ringu,” as part of its Classic to Cult series. And fret not those of you who do not like old movies and/or subtitles, the Main is also showing “The Substance,” a bold, bratty film starring Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore.

Whether you want to be scared or you just want to watch a weird-looking immortal nobleman lust after Winona Ryder, at least one of these films is worth a watch or two.