Chill and Thrill: 4 Movies to Spook Your Senses

Shags and Trevor from 96.7 KCMQ

Photo by L.G. Patterson

WELCOME TO OUR ULTIMATE LISTS! In each issue, you will find a curated selection of things to listen to or watch, put together by either an on-air talent from Zimmer Communications or a member of the Inside Columbia staff. For this issue, Nathan Shags McLeod from 96.7 KCMQ shared his ultimate watchlist for movies that will surely send a shiver down your spine. Click here to see more about each movie. Enjoy!

My favorite genre of film is horror. I love a good scary movie year-round, but they hit harder in the winter. It’s cold, dark and miserable, so there’s no better time to send a chill down your spine. I worry my taste might be a bit brutal for such a lovely publication, so I will use my co-host as the barometer. Trevor hates anything scary, so on our show, he is forced to watch one frightening movie a year, voted on by our audience. Here is the list of the four scary movies he’s been forced to watch, from most scary to least.

“The Exorcist” — Hulu
“The Exorcist” is a 1973 supernatural horror film that is a true classic in every sense of the term. It was the first horror movie to be nominated for an Oscar and still holds up today. Even if you don’t like horror, everyone should watch it at least once. It made such a cultural impact on our society and movies moving forward. Linda Blair is still known to this day for her performance at 14 years old, playing Regan MacNeil.

“Sinister” — Prime Video
“Sinister” is a 2012 supernatural horror film and consistently ranks as the scariest movie of all time, according to science. The film is full of dread, and every aspect of the movie is made to make you feel uncomfortable. The lack of lighting, the unnerving home videos and the weirdly pitched sounds are all so unsettling. There are some legit jump scares, and if you’re like Trevor, you’ll find yourself saying things like, “Don’t shush me, child! I am an adult! I’m stronger than you.”

“The Conjuring” — HBO Max
“The Conjuring” is a 2013 supernatural horror film that found such success it spun off a massive horror movie franchise. Based on the adventures of famed Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of haunting and the supernatural, who investigate a family in need and suddenly find themselves neck-deep in jump scares. This film ranks No. 5 as the scariest movie of all time, according to science.

“The Thing” — HBO Max
“The Thing” is a 1982 science fiction horror film and one of my favorite movies of all time. It has everything I love: shape-shifting aliens, flame throwers and Kurt Russell. Best known for its special effects, which still hold up today, the movie sets a great tone of disbelief, despair and distrust. It will keep you guessing to the end. I think it’s John Carpenter’s finest work and this is from a guy who’s directed “Halloween,” “The Fog,” “Christine” and “Escape from New York,” just to name a few.