With Stephen King’s “The Boogeyman” now in theaters and wreaking havoc, I thought it’d be fun to take a look at five great horror movies for nyctophobes. If you’re terrified and absolutely petrified of the dark, these five movies use the darkness not just as a plot device, but as their primary setting. Things that go bump in the dark are what these movies thrive on offer some pure terror, and I highly recommend them as chasers for “The Boogeyman.”
Alien (1979)
A lot of Ridley Scott’s “Alien” is based around the darkness and what our resident monster is doing within the tunnels, pipes, and hangars of the space ship upon which the movie is set. We’re never truly shown the Xenomorph alien until well in to the movie, and before that it is shrouded in the darkness. So much of the movie is based on things that are lurking within the belly of the ship and it’s terrifying.
Darkness Falls (2003)
Jonathan Liebesman’s horror fantasy is a fun film, despite its flaws. A majority of the movie is based on darkness and a villain that thrives within it. This time it’s Matilda Dixon, the horrifying vengeful ghost who becomes known as the Tooth Fairy. She lives within darkness and is horrified of the light. Granted, there are some plot holes and leaps of faith, but Liebesman gets the point across beautifully. The movie is fun, features a cool villain and I think it’s underrated.
The Descent (2005)
Both bad for the claustrophobic and nyctophobics, “The Descent” is a nightmare that gets worse and worse. What’s worse than being stuck in an uncharted cave? How about an uncharted cave that just collapsed? How about an uncharted cave that just collapsed with no way of escaping? How about an uncharted cave that just collapsed with no way of escaping that harbors nocturnal flesh eating monsters? Neil Marshall’s survival horror film is a masterpiece of the aughts, and one that’ll definitely give you anxiety.
Lights Out (2016)
Based on the viral short film, David F. Samberg’s adaptation of the horrific ghost film is a great adaptation features a terrifying demon that thrives in the dark. She’s is not only able to survive in the dark, but she’s also powerful enough to malfunction light sources, making survival an absolutely tough ordeal. This movie based around childhood trauma is a chilling horror flick filled with so many scenes draped in pitch darkness.
Wes Craven Presents: They (2002)
An underrated and initially derided horror film, “They” was surprisingly good when I first checked it out so many years ago. “They” is based around these terrifying creatures that lurk in the darkness that are stalking this young girl who confronted them as a child. Now with her friends being stalked and taken out, she struggles to do battle with them psychologically and physically. Featuring a relentlessly bleak ending, “They” is a solid creature flick for the nyctophobes.