Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) is such a joy to watch in Scream (2022). If fans of the popular horror franchise were concerned about new characters living up to the high expectations that older characters like Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) had set out, no one should have worried. While Tara is a cool final girl fighting for her life and going after Ghostface, she's also a huge fan of the horror genre.
One of the best parts of the latest movie is when Tara, in the opening scene reminiscent of Casey Becker (Drew Barrymoore) answering horror movie questions in Scream, gets her own turn to take a horror trivia quiz. Tara talks about her love of "elevated horror": intelligent movies like Hereditary, It Follows, and The Babadook. Tara doesn't like cheesy bad horror movies or anything that is too popular or mainstream. She wants to watch something artistic and fascinating. While Tara has named her favorite elevated horror films, there are many others that she would love.
The Lighthouse (2019)
Co-written by Robert and Max Eggers, The Lighthouse stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson and is definitely a strange, but well-crafted, horror movie. It's possible to finish this movie and feel totally confused while still appreciating its artistic sensibility and fresh, creative tone. This is definitely an elevated horror movie that Tara would love watching. Fans who love watching Robert Pattison play Batman will appreciate seeing the talented actor in a non-Twilight project as well.
In an interview with Screen Daily, Pattinson said, “I couldn’t really get my head around it at first. It’s such a feat of maintaining multiple different tones that when I read it, I thought, ‘I can’t actually imagine how it’s going to gel together.’ I could see that it was really good, but I did feel a bit of a risk doing it.”
Get Out (2017)
Horror lovers can't wait to see Jordan Peele's new movie Nope and Tara would love all of Peele's work.
When Tara talks about elevated horror, she means clever, impressive, and interesting films that are works of art. She wants to be surprised by something more exciting and creative than thriller and horror tropes and she wants to talk about meaning and interpretation for hours after she has finished watching a film. Tara would enjoy Get Out because it's one of the best, most compelling, and most intelligent horror movies that has been made recently. The story of Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) meeting his girlfriend Rose Armitage's (Alison Williams) incredibly racist parents is so scary because it has a relevant message.
The Shining (1980)
Whether debating The Shining or Misery as Stephen King's best adaptation, or talking about the meaning of The Shining, Tara has likely seen and enjoyed this classic horror movie.
Horror fans always enjoy rewatching The Shining as it's a movie that really works with its setting. When Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) starts staying at the Overlook Hotel, he realizes that it's a creepy, strange, and terrifying place, and anyone who has seen this brilliant film can still likely remember the great experience of watching it for the first time.
Suspiria (2018)
The 2018 Suspiria is based on the 1977 movie sees Dakota Johnson's character Susie Bannion becoming part of a dance company. Her work at the company is magically and strangely tied to talented dancer Olga Ivanova (Elena Fokina), and this is definitely a movie where it is best to go in knowing absolutely nothing.
The original is a great Italian horror movie and the newer film is just as wonderfully weird and inventive. If Tara wants a horror movie that will surprise her at every turn and that gives her a lot of conversation topics, Suspiria would definitely be it. Tara would likely count this film as one of her absolute favorites and would rush to watch the original as well.
The Night House (2020)
The Night House tells a story about loss and it's another movie that could definitely go in the elevated horror category.
If Tara hasn't seen The Night House, she would likely be fascinated by the tale of Beth (Rebecca Hall) coping with her husband Owen's (Evan Jonigkeit) death. Not every horror movie talks about a meaningful subject. Some are just plain fun, others are really gory, and still others are about twists, turns, and reveals. The Night House wants to talk about something, which is exactly why Tara enjoys watching horror films. Unlike many others, Tara doesn't want to be scared or have some fun. Tara wants to learn something about humanity and she wants to be thinking about a film long after the end credits roll, and The Night House will definitely deliver that kind of movie watching experience.