I watched my first horror movie when I was four years old. I must've woken up a few hours after my mom tucked me in for bed because I snuck into the den and my parents caught me in the back of the room watching the movie they rented: The Grudge.

I don't think I saw anything too grotesque because I wasn't too afraid to go to bed or anything like that. But, ever since then, I've been obsessed with all things dark and scary. My mom is probably the biggest horror movie fan out there, so it's no wonder why I love scary stories so much.

The only problem is that I've found that most of the "horror movies" that are made nowadays aren't even scary; all the plots have been done before, and the only parts worth watching are the jump scares.

Obviously, I haven't seen every single movie out there. However, I've really appreciated some of the ones I've seen over the past few years that have really stuck with me because of their good plot and the real fright they gave me.

1. Hush

This has to be one of my favorites. A young woman living by herself in the middle of the woods gets an unexpected visit from an intruder; this has been overdone, right? No, because this woman is deaf. There is something so terrifying about someone who doesn't have all their senses being broken into. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat from the very start. The plot is also so unique that there isn't another horror film that is quite like it.

2. It Follows

I am absolutely obsessed with this film. There are so many stories about ghosts that follow a group of people because of a possession bouncing from one person to another. In this story, a person gets haunted once they have sex with a person carrying the curse. This plot is brilliant because it reflects the often dangerous and taboo undertones of sex amongst young people. The storyline absolutely sucked me in from the beginning and still provokes my thoughts a year after watching it.

3. Don't Breathe

This is another one of my favorites. A few teens break into an old man's deserted-looking house. Even though this seems scary enough on its own, add the fact that the man is blind and tries to trap the teens once he realizes they've intruded. I thought the title referred to the teens keeping quiet so they wouldn't get caught, but I now realize it probably refers to the audience literally holding their breath during the duration of the movie.

4. Creep

The title of this movie sums up the plot from beginning to end; this film is downright creepy. A videographer is hired by a man to film him for one day in his remote house in a desolate mountain town. From the very first time the two meet, I couldn't stop cringing because of how ominous their interactions are; within the first fifteen minutes, the man asks the videographer to get into the bathroom with him so he can film him taking a bath. I think the scariest part about this movie is that the monster is a normal-looking human being with a disturbingly twisted mind

5. The Conjuring (only the first one)

You know how movies that are based on a true story are always scarier than movies based on fiction? This film follows the story of a family who seeks the help of paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren. Even though the plot has been done before, it's a true haunted house story at it's finest. So many scenes genuinely scared me and made me afraid to go downstairs for a midnight snack by myself.

6. Insidious (again, only the first one)

This film really blew me away because of the interesting plot. It's not like the generic ghost-haunts-family horror movie that you've seen way too many times before.This story has to do with a child essentially inhabiting a dark, paranormal world as he is trapped in a coma. There are also some major plot twists revealed by the end of the movie.

7. The Purge series

Many people hate on this series after watching the first movie, but I honestly don't know why. The premise is completely outrageous; the government allows twelve-hour legal, unrestricted violence throughout the nation. The fact that some question the chances of this plot becoming a reality one day makes the film even scarier. So many stories create fictional monsters which haunt us, but this story is refreshing in that it conceives the idea of human beings being the true villains.

8. The Paranormal Activity series

There's something so terrifying about ghosts being captured on a hand-held camera. The storyline of a family being haunted after moving into a new house has been overdone. However, there's something about this series that keep the viewers on their feet. As you watch movie after movie, the plot twists that are revealed about the families are insane. There are also a ton of jump scares.

9. The Blair Witch Project (original)

This is another movie with hand-held cameras to add the personal, realistic aspect for the audience. Made with a documentary-type feel and stating to be real footage, a few filmmakers go out into the woods to investigate the legend of an old witch. The suspense throughout the film stresses out the most tranquil of audiences. When a major turning point in the story is revealed, the characters in the film and the viewers alike reach their last nerves.

10. The Shining

Everyone knows this film is a horror classic. If you haven't seen this, I highly suggest you watch it as soon as you can. It's pretty long and exhaustive to watch, but the plot is just so good. Stanley Kubrick was a cinematic genius, and his skills are especially present in this film. When a writer spends the winter with his family in a hotel in Colorado, anything but normal events take place.

11. The Exorcist

I know you've heard of this one before. This story is simple and easy to follow, yet so iconic. Even though most of the gory scenes are filled with outdated special effects and bogus bodily fluids, I was genuinely freaked out by the end of the movie. If you haven't seen this film yet, for no other reason, just watch it so you can say you've seen one of the most popular movies of all time. Fun fact: some parts of this film were filmed at Fordham!

12. Rosemary's Baby

This film's storyline is absolutely enthralling; after a young couple conceive their first child, the wife becomes very suspicious that her growing child is not ordinary whatsoever. As she becomes more paranoid, her husband get increasingly fed-up. Some scenes between the two of them get so intense that it's even hard to watch, but so entrancing that you can't look away.

13. An American Werewolf in London

I stumbled across this gem of a flick with no intention of being as fascinated by it as I was and still am today. The premise is intriguing: two Americans goes hiking in London and end up getting attacked by a werewolf. I'm not a fan of stories with monsters that are obviously not real, but something about the storyline that was just so striking and unusual that I couldn't turn it off until it was over. Beware: the werewolf is so painfully fake.

Whether you're looking for a movie to watch while getting cozy on the couch on a rainy night, or are just procrastinating the work you know you'll have to do sooner or later, any and all of these films won't let you down!