Few things in life spark more joy than gathering with friends to scare yourselves silly watching horror movies. It’s a bonding experience, and a rite of passage, to say the least. But there are a few things you can do to up the fear factor, whether you’re hosting a real-life horror fest, or watching a scary movie virtually with friends.
To ensure you settle in and watch truly horror-filled movies in style, we’ve compiled a list of the five guaranteed markers of a successful horror movie watch party.
Movie Selection is Key
It goes without saying that movie selection is key, because there’s nothing more embarrassing than organising a horror watch party, only for there to be zero jump scares or, well, horror. Our two picks for the season? Candyman and Don’t Breathe 2.
Candyman (co-written and produced by Jordan Peele) revisits the 1992 classic slasher film that saw Chicago’s Cabrini-Green get terrorised by a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, as a present-day artist digs into the story and, well, gets a lot more than he bargained for. Meanwhile, Don’t Breathe 2 picks back up with blind veteran, Norman Nordstrom, who’s been hiding out in an isolated cabin since the first film in 2016. When the young girl he lives with is kidnapped, things get dark as he tries to save her.
Deck Your Space Out With Creepy Decor
Pretend it’s Halloween and go all out with decorations in your living room, to really set the scene. You don’t have to spend up big — in fact, dimming the lights will do a lot of the work for you. Adding a creepy picture or character behind the bathroom door (or on the mirror) will scare everyone when they take their mid-movie loo breaks, and add fake blood and creepy masks.
Create Themed Drinks
While themed drinks won’t up the fear at your watch party, they’re a crucial part of planning a good party, whether you make cocktails with eyeballs floating around in them or a non-alcoholic punch that’s a deep blood-like red. We highly recommend searching “Halloween Drinks” on TikTok for plenty of quick ideas — and if you’re planning a virtual party, creating a cute recipe card in Canva and texting it to your friends is a nice way to get everyone involved, even from afar.
DIY Costumes
Depending on how immersive you want your watch party to be, adding a costume element into the mix will take your movie night from a simple watch party to a full-blown event. We suggest that everyone dresses up as their favourite horror movie character, but you could also pick a movie and have everyone dress as a different character from the film.
Really Commit to Setting the Scene
So, you’ve decked out your space with spooky decor, you’ve dimmed the lights, dressed up, and supplied the themed drinks — now is the time to really commit. Having someone else in the house create bumps in the night, scary sounds, and scratches on the windows will not only freak out your friends but will also keep you entertained, all night long. All the better if you’re on Zoom with your friends watching the movies all synced up in your own homes. What we’re saying is, it’s time for a performance that will rival the movies themselves (props are highly recommended).
Just in time for your next horror watch party, Don’t Breathe 2 is available to buy now on digital, 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD. As for Candyman, Blu-ray and DVD are also available to buy now.
