Carrie
The first adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stephen King comes from thriller specialist Brian De Palma. But he also feels at home in the horror genre. The story tells of 16-year-old Carrie, who struggles with bullying at school. At home, her mother waits for her, increasingly immersed in her religious beliefs.
Carrie discovers that she has special telekinetic abilities – and gradually seeks revenge. The film remains fascinating and is surprisingly gentle in some moments, especially regarding the characterization of Carrie herself. At the very end, a small but by today’s standards harmless shock moment awaits the audience – the keyword is “Hand”.
Fun Fact: John Travolta had one of his first significant appearances in Carrie. He later became a star with films like Grease and Saturday Night Fever.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Unlike Nosferatu, this is an official adaptation of the famous book by Bram Stoker. Directed by none other than Francis Ford Coppola, who also directed the Godfather films. His Dracula is a classic horror tale and shines through many visual ideas that creatively play with the medium of film.
The overall staging is almost operatic and does not shy away from grand images. Especially the beautiful costumes and set design stand out. The main roles are played by Gary Oldman as Dracula and Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker. For fans of the vampire genre, the film is a must – moreover, it avoids overly shocking moments.
Fun Fact: Originally, the film was supposed to be made for television with another director. It was only when Coppola got hold of the script that he took over and made it a feature film.
Get Out
In Get Out, there are one or two mild shock moments, but overall, the film is well-suited for horror beginners. It mixes horror elements with satire and tells the story of Chris, a young Black man who visits the parents of his white girlfriend.
What starts as a cheerful family celebration quickly turns into a threatening scenario for Chris, in which racism forms the basis for an absurd but not entirely far-fetched story. Get Out shows well what horror films can also be: social criticism wrapped in an exciting story.
Fun Fact: Director Jordan Peele was primarily known as a comedian before Get Out. The film was his directorial debut, and since then, he has followed up with two more works, Us and Nope.
That was our list of nine very good, but not too hard horror films. Did you already know all of them, or did you manage to pick up some tips? Feel free to write to us in the comments which other films are suitable for the scaredy-cats among us. Fans of the genre can find more on MeinMMO: 5 horror films where you ask yourself what you’ve actually seen
