Maybe it happened when the “cool kids” started watching something tantalizing and a little too scary, or perhaps it was a random encounter during an afternoon cable marathon–some B-movie that most quickly forgot but you, at your very small age, internalized as a mildly traumatic memory that will lurk in the shadows of your mind forever. Whatever your first real horror scare might’ve been, it leaves a mark just like Freddy Krueger’s glove.
Each spooky season brings a fresh crop of scary movies to stream, and the best picks often stir up some shuddering nostalgia. Filmgoers of a certain generation might focus on Psycho, or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or The Blair Witch Project—but most of the time, the frights that really keep us up at night are a little more personal than that. Here, for your perusal, are the ones that had The Daily Beast’s entertainment staff hiding under our covers.
