What to watch on Friday the 13th?

List Hai Toh Hit Hai

It's that time of the year again, Friday the 13th, a date that is often associated with the supernatural and the occult. So in this special episode of List hai toh hit hai podcast, we take a look at some of the scariest films that you could stream on OTT platforms this weekend. Let's begin the list then
Planet Terror (LionsgatePlay) The 2007 horror is an underrated classic that underwhelmed at the box office when it was released nearly 15 years ago. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, the film was released as a double feature called Grindhouse alongside the Quentin Tarantino film Death Proof. The film stars Rose McGowan in the lead, and tells the tale of a Texas town overrun by zombies. The genre-bending action horror comedy film features McGowan’s character fashioning a machine gun-wielding prosthetic leg as she fights her way across the zombie-infested regions. 

• The Babadook

The Australian psychological horror film is an indie production directed by Jennifer Kent helming her first feature film. Despite initially underwhelming at the box office in Australia, it garnered critical acclaim in overseas markets and eventually gained a cult status globally. The plot follows a single mother and her little boy who are traumatised by an evil being called the Babadook that comes to life from a mysterious children’s book called Mister Babadook.   

• The Evil dead

The 1981 cult-classic horror film redefined the horror genre and spawned an entire franchise called the Evil Dead franchise. Starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, the film follows college students who unwittingly release evil demons while on vacation. The film is helmed by Sam Raimi, director of the original Spider-Man trilogy starring Toby Maguire and the latest Marvel film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Elisabeth Olsen. The Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell makes a cameo appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

• The Witch

Director of the critically acclaimed film The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers, first came to prominence for his 2015 directorial debut film, The Witch. Starring the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild-winning star of the Queen’s Gambit, Anya Taylor-Joy, the film is a supernatural horror set in 1630s America. The film was also a feature film debut for Taylor-Joy, who delivers a convincing performance as a young girl from a Puritan family. The film was also widely praised for its themes, symbolism, and direction by Eggers. Eggers’ latest film, The Northmen, has received critical acclaim in international markets and is expected to release in India later this year.     

• Doctor Sleep

Acclaimed horror film director Mike Flannagan, credited with hits such as The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, helmed the sequel to the iconic Stanley Kubrick film The Shining. Based on Stephen King’s novels of the same name, the original film, is widely regarded as one of the  greatest horror films of all time, with Jack Nicholson’s iconic line “Here’s Johnny” immortlasied in pop culture. While the sequel, Doctor Sleep, starring Ewan McGregor, may not have enjoyed the same success as the original, it garnered immense praise from critics. 

• Suspiria

The 1977 Italian supernatural horror film, Suspiria, is loosely based on an 1845 essay written by Thomas De Quincey titled, Suspiria de Profundis. Directed by Dario Argento, the film follows an American ballet student who realises that her renowned Ballet institute has sinister supernatural secrets involving a series of murders. The film stars Jessica Harper in the lead and was remade into an American film in 2018 starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton.