Raven's Top Ten Teen Screams

     Things that go bump in the night. Creepies, crawlies, and all the nasty things you dream about but never thought you’d see in the light of day.  That’s what this list is all about, my fiends.  People always love top ten lists, and whether or not you have the same sensibilities as I do is definitely going to factor in to whether or not you feel these movies are appropriate for your teen (or any child).  I would also think the maturity level of your children would come into play at this point.  I find that if you have to question if they should watch something, they probably shouldn’t.  But I digress.  This is my list of the top ten best horror flicks to watch with your teen (or to let you teen rent/watch).      

10.  An American Werewolf in London (1981) – This film is pretty innocent when it comes to horror, and is also on the lighter side.  Most families would find the majority of the film funny I would imagine, and there is very little in the way of gore (and no sex, and almost no swearing even).  It also happens to be a classic, and I’ve even already reviewed it here in Ravens Reviews.  The film is still wonderful and definitely part of my personal collection. 

9.  The Craft (1996) – Though it isn’t an absolutely accurate homage to the wiccan/pagan community, The Craft was the Bewitched of my generation.  The movie did try to portray a more modern view of witchcraft, even including games I’ve actually played myself such as “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board.”  Pretty tame for a horror film, however, The Craft is more of a fun witchy romp than a bloodbath.  Still, with the newer effects and soundtrack, your teen should have a wicked good time watching this one.

8.  The Ring (2002) – I found this film upon initial view to be incredibly effective, but that could have been due to the fact that I had no idea that what my friends put on was a horror film.  In either case, The Ring is still pretty fun to watch, with its creepy blue filtered lighting and its modern plot about a cursed/evil videotape, this is definitely a creeptastic film that you can pop on with your teens in the room – and most likely everyone will enjoy!

7.  Candyman (1992) – Candyman, candyman, candyman!  This is one of the first horror movies I was allowed to watch, and I have to say it definitely gave me the spooks.  Barely if any nudity again, but there is much violence and possible severe language in this particular flick.  Even if there isn’t too much, and you feel your teen is mature enough for this one, you have to admit that Tony Todd’s performance is chilling and perfect for the role – and that this is perhaps one of the more horrific films on this particular list.

6.  Carrie (2013) – I know this movie has been redone for practically every generation – and the reason for that of corpse is because special effects just keep getting better, and this story is one that should always be fresh to resonate with the current teens that will be watching it. In FX we trust. This is one that actually has a moral to it, and that is not to judge a book by its cover.  The tale itself is definitely geared toward the teenage generation, and is set in high school.  Both parents and their teens will enjoy this new Carrie, as the acting is superb and the cinematography is beautiful. 

5.  Halloween (1978) –  This is the first of all the movies listed to have any nudity (I don’t believe it is terribly often at all, however, which is why I think this one is ok for teens).  But again there’s little to no strong language in the film – though this one is also quite brutal in nature (but hey, it’s horror and that’s kind of the point!).  I do think most teenagers are capable of handling this film but by all means feel free to pre-watch before allowing your children to view.  It’s a classic, and is on television almost every year during the fall with most of anything ‘unfriendly’ cut from it, so you can also go that route if you wish. 

4.  Ginger Snaps (2000) – “I can’t have a hairy chest, B, that’s fucked!”  Ok so this one might have some strong language and graphic content – there isn’t much in the way of horror that doesn’t – but Ginger Snaps is one of my favorite werewolf films and I just had to include it on my list of the top teen horror films.  Based on a pair of sisters going through some ‘changes,’ this frightful fest boasts some great cinematography and truly horrific scenes that the whole family can enjoy (teens and up of corpse). 

3.  Night of the Living Dead (1968) – This is a classic horror film that can definitely be viewed by most of the family, but I will say that the black and white version may be a bit too ‘old’ for your kids so you might want to check with them and see if it piques their interest before popping it in (there’s a color version done by Savini that I’m particularly fond of, if the black and white turns them off).  If your child is already into horror, chances are you already let them check this film out LONG before teenager-time anyway…but if you haven’t and they are this is a perfect movie to share, especially with the current zombie craze.  Romero has been known as one of the masters of the horror genre, zombies being his specialty.  Even if your teen thinks its old they should, especially if they are into this genre, give it a watch at the very least out of respect.  At the very most, they’ll know what most of the jokes in other zombie movies are referencing (Shaun of the Dead, anyone?).

2.  Scream (1996) – “What do you want?” “To see what your insides look like.”  My number two on the top ten list of teen screams is Wes Craven’s Scream.  A (now) classic slasher flick, Scream was one of the better horror movies that came out in the 90s.  Plenty of ingenuity and brass, Scream is definitely horror geared toward teens and even adults can watch and enjoy.  You can see a more detailed review of this film in Ravens Reviews. 

1.  The Shining (1980) – I’ll say this, I could literally put just about any Stephen King based film on this list – I think most of his books (made into films), if not all, are appropriate for teens to watch as well as adults.  That being said, if you need a place to start and have absolutely no clue which film based on his books your teen might be into – this particular creep show focuses our attention on a haunted hotel.  Plenty of spooks, madness, and blood for everyone.

Honorable Mentions Include:

House at the End of the Road

Fright Night

Phantasm

So that is my current top ten list of teen horror films.  It was actually much more difficult than I thought it would be to fashion this list, so I hope that you all can concur with it or at least can grab a couple of the choices off this list for your family to enjoy.  Thank you as always for reading, and stay tuned for more from Raven’s Reviews!