Train To Busan
Horror has a long and varied history of putting bad things on trains: a knife-wielding maniac in Terror Train; werewolves in Howl; Vinnie Jones with a meat pulveriser in The Midnight Meat Train; hell, many of you live your own personal train-based horror movie every morning on the Tube. This time it’s zombies, in this fantastic South Korean horror movie. The story follows a selfish business man who has to accompany his daughter on a long trip to see her mother, only things go a tad south when a zombie outbreak occurs (both on and off the train).
It’s a ridiculously breakneck flick that, quite like the titular train, hardly ever stops for a rest. It’s also relentlessly harrowing – you’re never quite sure which of your favourite characters are going to get it in the neck next; nobody is ever safe. Plus, in case you’re in desperate need of it, there’s a load of that “social commentary” stuff thrown in there among all the carnage, so it’s a clever zombie movie, like they used to make.
Of course, you can always ignore that and just enjoy the screeching maniacs flying about killing everyone – nobody will blame you. In cinemas October 28
Ouija: Origin Of Evil
The original Ouija was the epitome of teen cash-in horror (Hasbro produced it, after all), but the reins on this prequel have been handed over to Mike Flanagan, who helmed the brilliantly tense Hush (check it out on Netflix). The movie is set in 1965, and follows a family whose daughter starts acting strangely after playing with a ouija board. Basically, “strangely” means having white eyes and climbing up the walls; symptoms which most parents will recognise as displayed when their child eats too much Haribo. Both scenarios are terrifying, and both occur on Halloween, so you’re in for a fright either way. In cinemas now
Tales Of Halloween
The horror anthology film is not as popular as it once was – classics like Creepshow and Tales From The Crypt haven’t really been beaten by modern attempts (although V/H/S and Trick ’R Treat are both pretty darn good). So here’s to the latest one – Tales Of Halloween, which consists of 10 interlocking tales all directed by established horror directors like Neil Marshall (The Descent), Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II) and Lucky McKee (May). Quality varies, as it always does with this type of film, but it harkens back to the short, sharp shock style of ’50s pulpy horror comics. There’s lots of blood and guts, too, for those of you who like that sort of thing. On Blu-ray and DVD now
The Neighbour
This joins the ranks of other dodgy neighbour movies (Rear Window, Fright Night), only it switches things up, as both residents are hardly model citizens. And one is far worse than the other, but there won’t be any spoilers here. This thriller starts off as one thing, before transforming into a terrifyingly different beast. It’s taut, violent and distressing: perfect Halloween viewing. Invite your neighbour over to watch it and keep winking at them – that’ll stir things up. On DVD October 31
The Neon Demon
Nicolas Winding Refn is known for his darkly controversial films, which are often packed full of OTT and shocking grue. His latest film, The Neon Demon, is potentially his most disgusting yet, and also his closest to an out-and-out horror film. It starts off innocently enough, as a young model moves to LA to pursue her dreams, but by the time the ridiculous climax comes it’s descended into full-on, psychedelic shock tactics. Your tolerance of this will depend on your verdicts on Refn’s previous films, as it’s all very “throw everything at the wall”, but there’s a lot to like. The journey is far better than the destination, but that’s not necessarily a huge problem. On Blu-ray and DVD October 31
