Creepy Books Paired With A Creepy Film

Happy Halloween, everyone!

I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of horror. I could count all of the horror movies I’ve seen on one hand. Usually when I watch a scary movie I will stay up all night, terrified, which puts me off from watching them. They just make me too anxious.

But, that doesn’t mean I don’t mind a creepy book or film here and there! Here’s some pairings of a creepy book with a similar creepy movie, in order from least terrifying to most terrifying.

Stay Out of the Basement by R. L. Stine and Gremlins (1984)

These texts will make any child creeped out for months.

Stay Out of the Basement by R. L. Stine

Margaret and Casey Brewer start to notice their father, Dr. Brewer, is spending a lot of time working with his plants in the basement. Then they see Dr. Brewer starting to develop plant-like tendencies…

R. L. Stine is the king of children’s horror stories. The Goosebumps books are best enjoyed if you’re actually a child, though you might endure some nostalgic feelings if you read them as an adult. Stay Out of the Basement is the second Goosebumps book in a very large series that the author wrote, and one of my favourites.

Gremlins (1984)

A young boy receives a pet as a Christmas present and, after breaking important rules that keeps his pet sane, accidentally unleashes a group of monsters in his small town.

Even though Gremlins is probably the tamest movie to be named on this list, I think it scared me the most. I watched when I was very young, maybe when I was about eight-years-old. The whole concept of the Gremlins creeped me out so much, and I wasn’t expecting the movie to be scary to watch. I had trouble going to sleep for months after watching it.

We Were Liars by E. L. Lockhart Get Out (2017)

These texts both have plots that will make you engrossed in the story.

We Were Liars by E. L. Lockhart

Cadence cannot rid her mind of an awful event that happened to her two summers ago on her wealthy grandparent’s island. She is having trouble remembering that horrifying night, and sets out to determine exactly what happened to her when she returns to the island after two years.

This book was very difficult for me to put down. I wanted to know the end immediately and wouldn’t stop reading until I did. When I finally found out, I was amazed! The ending is very creepy.

Get Out (2017)

An African American guy goes away for the weekend to meet his white girlfriend’s family. The trip quickly turns into a nightmare when he notices several strange things about the kind of people the family spends their time with.

This movie has an exceptionally smart plot. Although it’s somewhat predictable – I saw every twist coming – I loved how well the the story was thought out. I wasn’t overly scared by this movie, which is exactly what I like out of a horror movie.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and Gone Girl (2014)

Both these texts have very shocking plot twists.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 

When a young woman goes missing, another woman, Rachel, tries to connect the pieces together of her fragmented memory about what happened on the night of the stranger’s disappearance.

What I liked about The Girl on the Train is that it seemed like a realistic thriller. I could actually see it happening, and even though to some it may be predictable, it is written in a way that makes you question every single character.

Gone Girl (2014)

A man’s wife goes missing, and everyone suspects that he has some kind of involvement in her whereabouts. Will he be able to find out where she is before he’s sent to prison?

I loved this movie! I actually think it’s better than the book, but the book is still great. When I think about the best plot twist in the history of plot twists, I think about this one. I was SO shocked by what happened to the wife. It’s also very creepy, and one of the characters will definitely give you the chills.

The Ice Twins by S. K. Tremayne and Orphan (2009)

These texts both have one thing in common…creepy children.

The Ice Twins by S. K. Tremayne

A year ago, a husband and wife’s daughter, who was an identical twin, died in an accident. They decide to move to a Scottish Island, but still face nightmares from their loss when their living daughter, Kirstie, claims that she is Lydia, their daughter who died.

This book has so many moments that made me question everything about the characters. I was constantly scratching my head and wondering what was going on. The setting also makes it chilling and uncomfortable to read about.

Orphan (2009)

After losing their baby, a couple decides to adopt a nine-year-old girl from an orphanage. They quickly realise that there is something sinister about this young girl.

I remember the first time I heard about Orphan was when it was on the television at my first job and my co-worker told me not to watch it because I’d be too scared. Well, don’t ever tell a person that, because when they will see it on the television again a few weeks later they will want to defy you and watch it anyway! I really should have listened to my co-worker. I was so spooked when I watched Orphan! Also that twist at the end?? I wasn’t expecting it at all!

Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris and The Skeleton Key (2005)

These texts made me stay up all night.

Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris

To their friends, Grace and Jack are a beautiful, successful couple. But behind closed doors, there is something horrible happening to Grace.

I read this book very quickly, I just had to know the ending. I read it over two separate days, so that night in between reading was spent lying awake in bed thinking about what was going to happen in the book. I think my dreams that night were endless nightmares about the characters. This is why I hate all things horror!! But it’s a great book, I loved how quickly the plot moved.

The Skeleton Key (2005)

A hospice nurse who starts working in a plantation home develops an interest in the spooky mansion, and gets entangled in its terrifying history.

I was so terrified when I watched this movie. I was 13 and was staying with my dad for the night, so for something to do we went to the video store (remember when that was a thing?) and decided to rent a scary movie. My dad didn’t even watch it, and my brother was playing a video game, so it was only me watching it. The movie is about paranormal activity, and that kind of thing scares me the most. I don’t know why, maybe because I don’t believe in it, though that doesn’t make any sense. Unfortunately, I spent that entire night wide awake!

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• What book or movie has made you feel the most scared?