A BU student’s guide to the best scary movies on Netflix

Whether you go to CAS, COM, CFA, ENG, or to the forthcoming Wheelock school, we all have to agree on one thing: being a BU student is something that triggers a lot of fear. And what is one of the best ways for us to get over our fears? To face them. Whether you want to get some Halloween spirit going on, or just need some suggestions on how to best procrastinate, check out this list of great horror movies Netflix has to offer.

Curse of Chucky (2013) and Cult of Chucky (2017)

The most psycho doll of the movie industry has two movies available on Netflix, including the newest one. In Curse of Chucky, Nica, the protagonist, randomly receives a package on the mail, containing the killer doll. And from that moment, several strange and bloody events start to happen at her house. After that, in Cult of Chucky, Chucky terrorizes patients in a mental hospital, who are often ignored when trying to explain that the doll is alive.

Would You Rather (2013)

In this movie, Iris, the main character, deals with a serious family problem: her brother's leukemia. In an apparent miracle, her brother's doctor presents her to a philanthropist, who's willing to pay the treatment and find a compatible donor. There's only one problem with the story: for her brother to get all of that, Iris has to play a sick game with other participants, which involves increasingly disturbing challenges as the plot gets developed, such as lashes and shocks.

Jaws (1975)

Directed by the fantastic Steven Spielberg, this movie takes place on the fictional Amity Island, but don't take it for granted. The island can still cause a lot of fear for BU students, since it was recorded on Martha's Vineyard, which is less than 100 miles away from Boston. Jaws has an excellent cast, as well as several moments of tension which make clear why this movie has become a reference for the suspense genre.

Hush (2016)

Maddie is a deaf writer who lives in a house in the woods. One day, a man invades her property and uses her deafness as an advantage to try to sneak into the house, so he can kill Maddie. At first, the movie seems to have a very common plot, but because it features a character who can't hear the environment around her, those who watch it become very anxious and nervous to know about her techniques for survival.

The Human Centipede: First Sequence (2009)

Probably one of the sickest movies you'll ever watch on Netflix. Love it or hate it, chances are you've probably heard of this movie because of its level of brutality. The story is set in Germany, where two American tourists have a flat tire on the road and are drugged by a surgeon after being helped by him. After that, they wake up in an infirmary and the doctor tells them they will be part of a project in which they will be surgically connected – with another tourist – to have a single digestive system. Feeling nauseated? That's the goal of the director.

Hostel (2005)

Don't even watch this movie if you're considering studying abroad. Hostel's plot begins with Josh and Paxton (two American students) and Óli (their Icelandic friend) discovering the wonders of Europe. But after being convinced by a man to visit a hostel in Slovakia, they notice Óli's disappearance the day after the check-in. Unfortunately for them, they find out the hostel is a property used to attract tourists and force them into savage surgeries, but by then it's already too late.

The Babadook (2014)

After Sam reads a mysterious book his psychological outbreaks become more disturbing, and his mom starts to think that maybe the monster he is referring to is not imaginary. The numerous moments of tension and fear, besides the outstanding performance Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman, explain why most of the critics on Rotten Tomatoes have positive opinions about it – 98% to be precise.

The Good Neighbor (2016)

Have you ever had a strange neighbor, who never interacted with anyone or had some creepy vibes, and made you wonder what his/her life was like? Well, let's just say that it's better not to provoke those in silence. Ethan and Sean are two teenagers who set up audio and video systems inside their neighbor's house to make him believe the house is haunted. But what they were not expecting was how unsettling and nonsense the neighbor would react.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

If you have ever watched the movie from 2003, you'll probably connect the dots throughout the movie, because the 2006 one is a prequel of it. But even if you haven't, there's still a lot of anxiety and fear to experience with the plot. In this movie, the story behind Leatherface – the killer – is explored with more depth, and one of the creepiest scenes features the sick way in which he obtained his mask. And trust me, he didn't get it from Target or Amazon.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Even though we are in 2017, ''I see dead people'' is still one of the most iconic quotes when it comes to the horror movie industry. The main reason is the genius way in which the protagonist's affliction scares those who watch it. Even if you're not a huge fan of late '90s movies, The Sixth Sense deserves your attention for being an example of how curious we become when our fears of death are presented in such a profound way.