When suffering from a chronic illness, you may search for ways to momentarily forget the pain you experience. A scary movie can be a great way to concentrate on that character with the hockey mask or the boogeyman who comes out in dreams instead of the pain you face daily. A mind adventure with a movie that keeps you on edge can be a wonderful escape. I have listed some of my all-time scary movies for the Halloween season that are timeless. Fear is in the eye of the beholder, or screamer in this case, and being scared does not always involve blood and gore. Some of my top picks for scary movies don’t necessarily have the visual effects. My hope is that you can find the right movie for you that will transport you from the pain where you will feel like you are getting chased. Here are some of my top scary movies that come to mind this Halloween season. You will see that some of them have been around awhile.

1. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – In this Wes Craven classic slasher film, several teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger, a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on teenagers in their dreams. Dreams become reality for Freddy’s victims in this twisted movie. Even though the movie is over 30 years old, it is still scary and suspenseful.
2. Halloween (1978) – This movie has given hockey masks a bad name but is ‘oh so thrilling and scary’. A mental patient, who kills his sister on Halloween night, escapes from the hospital 15 years later to kill again. The twists and turns of this thriller will keep you on the edge of your chair.
3. When A Stranger Calls (1979) – A psychopathic killer terrorizes a babysitter but then returns 7 years later to terrorize again. Another classic that uses music, camera angles and well-known actors to create a movie that pulls you in and makes you dread when your phone rings.
4. You’re Next (2011) – A thriller and horror genre that with the plot twists keep you guessing at each turn. That is what makes this little-known film exciting to watch. I don’t want to tell you much for fear of being a spoiler but trust me, within the first 10 minutes of watching and anticipating what awful things will happen to this couple you will not be able to turn away.
5. The Others (2001)-  Nicole Kidman gives a stunning performance in this horror movie. What horror movie list would be complete without one that involves the supernatural and ghosts? That is what you will get in this Halloween thriller. This movie requires you to watch, think and be frightened all at the same time.

My hope is that with these suggestions you will find at least one movie that is able to transport you for 90 minutes to somewhere that will allow you to momentarily forget your chronic pain.

Want more top picks? Check out our posts: Top 5 Movies For Chronic Illness Sufferers and Top 5 Books for Chronic Illness Sufferers.

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Photo by Javier Molina on Unsplash