My Favorite Horror... What Works and What Doesn't
I've been a fan of all things spooky and scary for a very long time. As a child, while this was an arguably-poor decision on my father's behalf, I remember watching him play games on the Playstation like the Bioshock franchise, the Fallout games, and other horror or horror-adjacent video games. My parents infrequently consumed horror media when popular movies came out, and my dad enjoyed Halloween quite a bit.
For a long time, I was a terrified child. I was intrigued by horror and traditionally scary things, but I was also incredibly intimidated. At Halloween, my dad would set up a fog machine on our porch and play "Halloween sounds" videos from YouTube. The creaking door noises, the zombies shuffling about, and the random screams of terror would make me petrified.
I tried to consume horror more as a teenager, watching popular YouTubers and their Let's Play videos, or watching scary movies by myself in the basement of our home. I would develop kinks in my neck from jumping so hard, and pull muscles. I would have nightmares. I wanted so badly to enjoy horror.
Then, I few years back, I noticed that some horror was better than other horror. I was able to watch the Alien movies, and found that I loved them very much. I enjoyed science-fiction interlaced with horror.
But the thing that really kicked off this whole hyper-consumption of all things spooky, and really helped me lean into this horror-persona was a single book I had seen on the Internet, recommended over and over and over.
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica.
Originally titled, Cadaver Exquisito, being published in Spanish, Tender is the Flesh is a dystopian horror novel about a man who works as a processor of meat in a factory. The catch? All animals have died or been deemed unsafe to eat due to a virus, and human meat has been normalized for consumption.
The novel was released in 2017, and then re-published in English in 2020. I managed to get my hands on it for my first wedding anniversary in 2023, when my spouse had me to a "Barnes & Noble" run to pick up a few books. Tender is the Flesh is a novella, and reasonably short. I was able to finish it in mere hours and from there, I felt hooked by the idea of disturbing fiction.
But it wasn't just the horror, the gross-ness, the wrongness of cannibalism or butcher practices or any of that that made me enjoy it; I enjoyed it because of a commentary between the lines. The book focuses on humanity's hunger, the idea of consumption and how we can't give up certain ideas, and how that affects others. It's a social commentary, as well as deeply disturbing and difficult to read. I enjoyed it because it felt like it was more than just spooks and scares.
Since then, I've consumed a lot of horror, in various different ways. I enjoy movies and track my watching on Letterboxd. I read a lot of horror and track my reads on StoryGraph. I play video games and yap a lot about it in my life, and hopefully here more often.
These are my top 5 of everything: horror movies, horror books, and horror video games (or something adjacent) and why I've enjoyed them so much.
(Links will be attached on where you can purchase, rent, watch, or play these different pieces of media. Support local businesses and libraries when you can!)
HORROR BOOKS
While Tender is the Flesh is within my top 5, I'll elaborate on an additional book to make a complete set of 5 below.
1. Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
This is a literary horror novel that explores grief, motherhood, and the human condition. I gave this book 5/5 stars, as I enjoyed it so so thoroughly. You can find more about the book and author here.
What worked: Highlights of Monstrilio included magical realism, queer character inclusion, a captivating book cover, and a medium pace that wasn't too fast but kept me captivated. I thought this book was a great study on irrational human behavior, dreamlike trauma, and how we struggle with reality.
What didn't work: I don't have too much to say on what didn't work, I really enjoyed this book. In terms of horror, it was nontraditional and not "jump-scare" -centric at all. That being said, if there was any critique or warning, it would just be that I don't think this book is meant for everyone (while a common critique for horror in general, this isn't for every horror-enjoyer either).
2. The Troop by Nick Cutter
This is a graphic, intense, body-horror novel. A boy scout troop ends up stranded on an island during a campout, stuck with a man with an intense and dangerous illness. This book received a 3/5 stars from myself with the review of "This novel had a portion that was five pages too long (the whole part was five pages)". This book is a difficult read. You can find more about the book and author here.
What worked: If this book was so intense and difficult, Abi, why is it on your Top 5 list? The Troop is an intense and gross book. A lot of the body horror is gratuitously described and stretches for a while. For some readers, that's great. For myself, it was a challenge and I enjoyed that aspect. I was able to sit and digest the book the best I could in the thick of it. As silly as it might sound as well, I really had to pace myself with the book instead of chewing through it rapidly, and I feel as if I absorbed more than I would normally.
What didn't work: For myself personally, it was my limit for "splatterpunk" and gross horror, maybe even a little too intense really. I enjoyed Cutter's writing, but some of the gore felt like too much and it would take me out of the situation. Disturbed is a great sensation to make your readers feel but push it too much, and the immersion is gone and you've potentially lost a reader.
3. Slewfoot by Brom
This is a historical, horror novel based in Puritan / Colonial America. We follow a woman who's been married off to a man in her village, and how she deals with conflict between paganism and Puritan Christianity. I loved this book, ended up giving it a listen as an audiobook, which was so immersive and wonderful. This novel focused on themes of misogyny, beliefs, survival, and religious implications and power within a complex society. You can find more about the book and author here.
What worked: I have never read a historical horror before but this really really motivated me to seek it out more often. It was informative while also interesting to read, not what I usually experience reading regular historical fiction. I also found the main antagonist to be compelling, ruthless, and challenging to read alongside.
What didn't work: While this is a work of fiction, and technically a dark fantasy at that, I would've liked to see more world building within the puritan society, as an emphasis on the horror of the situation. Some might not consider Slewfoot to be horror, but I still would. I think the genre is flexible. To better represent that, I might've leaned a bit more into the setting. Regardless, I loved this book a lot.
4. Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
This was such a wild read. Immaculate Conception is a horror novel about beauty, awe, jealousy, art, and technology in an ambiguously futuristic society. I don't remember why I decided to read this book specifically, but I managed to finish it in one night and I was very pleased with the experience. You can find more about the book and author here.
What worked: This novel isn't an inherently horror-esque novel at first glance. There are many themes that are addressed in the novel though, that really fill in those 'jumpscare' gaps. You're filled with dread and anxiety from character actions and motives, not shocking reveals and such. The book is posed as a lighter, more psychological read, but it does have something festering below that unsettles and disturbs and I felt it was done really really well.
What didn't work: My ONLY critique on this novel, which I loved dearly and still gave 5 stars, was that the pacing wasn't consistent enough. I felt as though sometimes, I became lost in transitions and limbo periods of narration that things would drag or fly by me. In a book like this, meant to make you feel confused and conflicted, this works to an extent. I find it's still important to have a grounding sensation for your audience though.
5. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Before becoming a film in 2016 under the same name, Annihilation was published by Jeff VanderMeer as a science-fiction, psychological, horror-adjacent novel. I have a lot of feelings about this book, and they're all very positive. Having seen the film before reading, I found my expectations to be very redirected when experiencing the text. The movie isn't bad in comparison, but focused on things that weren't important in the book, or didn't exist in the text. The book instead focused on unsettling the reader in small ways. You can find more about the book and author here.
What worked: Mentioned before, the book is unsettling and scary, but not spooky and frightening. A majority of the conflict and "scary things" that happen are unexplainable or misunderstood, which leaves the reader feeling confused and frustrated, needing to know more. It's the type of frustration that is almost satisfying, and it leaves you wanting to continue reading the series (of three other books).
What didn't work: This book is so weird. It's not a bad-weird, I really enjoyed the bizarre and absurd moments, but some of it felt nonsensical. And you might think, "Abi, it's cosmic horror, you're not supposed to understand it" but I believe VanderMeer might have assumed a touch too much that his readers could read between the lines. I felt lost a handful of times and would reread prose to understand once more. If anything, it only seemed to be a conflict in writing style and "diction" and less about the story or narrative.
HORROR MOVIES
(I've included a list of different platforms to watch each film. Streaming services, licenses, and other internet stuff changes all the time, so my information might not be 100% accurate. As of April 2026, this is where you can watch these movies. Worst case scenario, check your local library. I'm confident that they would carry at least a handful of these.)
1. Alien (1979)
(This film can be found on Tubi, YouTube, Prime Video, Hulu, and Sling TV. Check your local library!)
This movie is set in deep space, following Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her crew on The Nostromo, after it's picked up an alien life force. This film is phenomenal for its age, and I've seen it so many many many times at this point. I find it a master-class in so many horror subgenres: final girl, deep space settings, and survival horror. I'd even go as far to say I enjoyed the sequels, some more than others, and found the Alien franchise to be refreshing and exciting for space-related films and horror.
That being said, in my recommendation of Alien, I'd only ever say that famous tropes can only be used so many times. This film was the birth of many, and it's our jobs as creators, authors, etc. to build on tropes, situations, and twists, rather than reuse and recycle them.
2. Sinners (2025)
(This film can be found on HBO, Hulu, Youtube, Apple, Prime Video, and Sling TV. Check your local library!)
Two twin brothers (played by Michael A and Michael B Jordan) return to their hometown in Mississippi after escaping a while to lay low. There's an evil there though, and it's in the form of their neighbors and loved ones. God, this film made me cry and nervous all at the same time. While still being a horror, filled with scares, blood, etc., it also managed to feature culture, music, and humanity. It was an excellent contender in modern horror as something to really invite individuals to experience horror and enjoy it.
I'd say I have no notes for Sinners, but that would defeat the purpose of this blog post. Instead, here is a piece of advice to use in your own creative process. Subvert your audience's expectations. Have the traditional monster, let it follow traditional monster rules, and then add your own spin and twist to the lore. Use society and different cultural influences to help make more real and believable lore and story in your narrative. Don't fall in the trap of trendy or hyper fixation. Things always come back, have those ideas adapt in a way that you love.
3. Leviathan (1989
(This film can be found FOR FREE on Tubi, Pluto TV, and the Roku channel. Check your local library!)
In this deep-sea horror film, a geologist is sent to a deep-sea mining project. They've found a sunken ship at the bottom of a trench, and unfortunately transport a mutation onboard. While on a deep-sea-horror kick for about a month, I ended up watching this, Sphere, The Abyss, and many more films to scratch the itch. This film was interesting, and while it followed a similar plot pattern and beat system of Alien, I thought the story was exciting and different.
I wish I had known more about the film before going in, as many of the online synopses are too vague and uninteresting. This film had only been selected for watching because I was already watching other in the subgenre. I'd also love to see more of this type of film and horror content in general.
4. Apostle (2018)
(This film can be found on Netflix. Check your local library!)
Set in 1905, Dan Stevens' character, "Thomas" must attempt to save his sister after she's been kidnapped and held for ransom by a religious cult on a remote island. After reading Slewfoot by Brom, I felt intrigued to look more into folk horror, cult horror, and historical horror. I really really enjoyed this film, and it felt like a really interesting take on religious cults, a commentary on humanity, and just how much I love Dan Stevens.
I think Apostle did really well in terms of worldbuilding and storytelling, especially in a shorter runtime (just over 2 hours, pretty short for today's standards, unfortunately). There was a lot to go over and when looking back on the film and its plot, there were some portions that I felt I had forgotten about or thought belonged to a different film. Some beats were very memorable, and others just weren't. I think I'd be interested in more historical horror, even if it's not cult focused.
5. The Substance (2024)
(This film can be found on MUBI, Youtube, Sling TV, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and Apple. Check your local library!)
Elizabeth Sparkle, after being fired off her own aerobics show for being too "old", decides to invest in a black market drug designed to make you younger, better, and brighter. Things aren't always so easy to fix though. My mom and I went to see this in theaters when it came out and it was phenomenal, really one of my favorite films. Both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley brought new energy to horror and especially to absurd horror.
I thought the amount of body horror really worked for the film. Parts were grotesque and unsettling, and made me really question the underlying themes of the work, while still enjoying the cinematography, the music, the director's concept, etc. In addition, the idea was just so exciting, and I felt like the film could be viewed as a commentary or simply just a gross-out film about body horror. I don't have many critiques or notes for The Substance, because I feel like it helped propel horror back into more common spheres for media, and it was a good way to usher in following movies the last 1 1/2 years, like Sinners, Nosferatu, and others.
HORROR VIDEO GAMES
While I have thorough critiques for all these games, I feel like it's more important to consume media if you're genuinely interested and not just because someone told you to. Because of this, I'll provide a short summary for each game and encourage you to watch Lets Plays, look into trigger warnings, and figure out if the game is really for you. Then, whenever we meet in person, you can ask me all about what I liked and didn't like about these games.
I'll provide small bullet-points for each, but expect them to be vague and maybe a little annoying.
1. Silent Hill f (2025)
(This game is available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam, Epic Games, and GOG)).
Hinako Shimizu is a teenager, living in a small town in 1960s Japan. She's plagued with family expectations, society and conformity, and nightmarish blooming plague in her hometown. This game is a great addition to the Silent Hill universe, and really opens up different avenues for new games in the future. It was also just beautiful, visually and story-wise.
Would 100% recommend this video game to those who: love the Silent Hill franchise, love the Resident Evil franchise, are an appreciator of Asian/Japanese culture, or just are curious!
2. SOMA (2015)
(This game is available for PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam, Epic Games, and GOG)).
SOMA is a psychological/survivor horror game following Simon Jarrett after an experimental brain scan. He's trapped within an underwater research facility with a rogue AI who is trying to save the human race by merging human consciousness with robots and machines. This game was so interesting and devastating on so many levels. I believe you can play with or without the monsters/enemies, which give very different gameplay experiences.
Would recommend this video game to those who: love psychological horror, enjoy that terrible empty feeling after consuming certain media, or just want to experience a different type of existential deep-sea horror.
3. Resident Evil 4 (2023)
(This game is available for PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam)).
The president's daughter, Ashley, has been kidnapped and it's up to Leon Kennedy to find her and return her safely. He travels to a small Spanish village to rescue Ashley from the "Los Illuminados" cult. The Resident Evil games have always had a very close and loving spot in my heart, and the 2024 remake of RE4 is no different, among all the other remakes in recent years. This game really exemplifies the Resident Evil games for their establishment of survival horror, color-coded mapping systems, and interesting inventory mechanics. I love this game, so so much.
Would recommend this game to those who: love survival horror, love Leon Kennedy, appreciate light/no crafting mechanics, and have a love/hate relationship with witty one-liners.
4. Mouthwashing (2024)
(This game is available for PC (via Steam). It will be available soon on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S).
Mouthwashing is a first-person horror adventure, following the crew of a cargo spaceship after a horrific crash. They're stranded in the middle of space with mysterious cargo, injuries, and a lot of contention. Curly, the captain, has been left unable to speak or move, injured terribly by intentionally crashing the ship. This game was so amazing and immaculate and so messed up. I enjoyed the non-linear storytelling, the aggressive and often abrasive visuals and audio, and really thought the whole narrative was told in an effective way. This game changed me, probably for the better, but after two years of it being out, I'm still not 100% sure.
Would recommend this game to those who: can handle some squirmy grossness, check the trigger warnings before all their media consumption (very responsible), and have a knack for feeling fueled while pressured.
5. Dead Space (2008)
(This game is available for PC (via Steam, EA, and GOG), Xbox Series X/S (via backward compatibility), and PS3).
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