by Claire Foster, Donor Communications & Marketing Coordinator
Like many of you, I've been watching a lot of horror movies this October to get into the Halloween spirit. During my scary movie marathon, I noticed one thing many of them have in common: grief. This is because horror acts as a way to represent all the negative feelings that we experience when we are facing the death of someone important to us. Think about it: what's scarier than losing someone we love? Check out my list below of my top 10 favorite horror movies about grief.
10. Don’t Look Now (1973)
Don’t Look Now (1973) is a psychological horror film that follows a grieving couple after their young daughter accidentally drowns. In the aftermath of their daughter's death, they move to Venice, Italy, in an attempt at a fresh start, but that all changes when they begin to see mysterious sightings.
9. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
An American Werewolf in London (1981) is a horror-comedy about two best friends who take a backpacking trip in England and are attacked by a werewolf. The werewolf kills one of the friends and leaves the other with a werewolf bite that he must deal with before the next full moon. The film follows the survivor, who becomes, literally, haunted by his best friend, and must grapple with his friend's death and his own mortality.
8. Pet Sematary (1989)
Pet Sematary (1989) is a movie based on Stephen King's famous novel about a grieving family that will do anything to bring their dead son back to life. The movie shows how the death of a child can affect a grieving family, and the ache most of us feel to spend one more day with that person. (Even if it means they come back as a scary zombie!)
7. Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary (2018) follows a woman as she unravels after her mother's death. The film uses supernatural horror as a metaphor for unprocessed grief and its effects on children generations later. It portrays unprocessed grief as something that slowly tears the family apart, leading them to encounter the supernatural horror the film depicts. The characters in this movie are all consumed by guilt and anger, and instead of finding healthy ways to cope, they blame each other for the deaths. While guilt and anger are normal feelings for a grieving family, it would have been a healthier option to seek family grief support.
6. A Ghost Story (2017)
A Ghost Story (2017) is a slow, contemplative film that follows a musician who has died in a car crash and has become a ghost, stuck watching his wife and others grieve his death. The film views grief from the eyes of the person who has died and shows how loved ones cope with their grief and move forward after the death of someone important to them.
5. Midsommar (2019)
Midsommar (2019) is a folk horror film whose protagonist, Dani, is grieving after her sister murdered both of her parents and then died by suicide. Dani is left in a state of shock after the death of her sister and parents, and in the aftermath, she decides to go on a trip to a Midsummer festival in Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends. During the trip, Dani can’t escape the cycles of grief she feels after losing her family, and the lack of a support system causes her to fall victim to the evil happenings that are occurring at the festival. I think we can all agree that Dani uses bad coping mechanisms in the film. Some good coping skills could have been joining a young adult grief support group, writing down her feelings in a journal, or sharing memories of her parents who died.
4. Melancholia (2011)
Melancholia (2011) is a movie about the growing dread as a rogue planet approaches Earth, and a family grapples with their mortality as they realize they have only a few hours left before the world ends. It’s a beautiful metaphor for death's inescapable truth and for valuing the life and relationships we get to experience while we are alive.
3. 28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later (2025) shows anticipatory grief through the eyes of a child. The movie takes place in a world where a zombie virus has overrun England, and a 12-year-old boy named Spike must battle zombies and seek help for his mom, who is dying of an illness he doesn’t understand. This movie goes to show that even in the midst of an apocalypse, losing your parent can be one of the hardest experiences a child goes through. The community should have supported Spike by having honest and open conversations about grief and loss and starting grief counseling for children in the town.
2. Doctor Sleep (2019)
Doctor Sleep (2019) is the sequel to The Shining (1980), and it stars an adult Dan Torrance as he struggles with the aftermath of the events in The Shining. The movie shows the negative consequences of unprocessed grief as the protagonist battles alcoholism due to the death of his father and the other people who died in the Overlook Hotel. In the film, he must find a way to work through his childhood grief.
1. The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook (2014) is a movie where the monster is a physical representation of grief. A grieving widow, Amelia, struggles to raise her troubled son after the death of her husband. A sinister monster then appears to terrorize them. The movie highlights that grief should be talked about, not hidden, or it may come back as a scary monster!
Where can I find support if I'm grieving the death of someone close to me?
Kate's Club empowers children and teens, their families, and young adults facing life after the death of a parent, sibling, caregiver or someone important to them. The organization provides free grief support for kids, families, and young adults to build healing communities. It also provides grief education and advocacy to community partners. Since its founding in Metro Atlanta in 2003, Kate’s Club has served thousands of individuals who are grieving, through both member and outreach services. Kate's Club offers grief support services in Metro Atlanta, Southwest Georgia, Northeast Georgia and Coastal Georgia.