Holed Up at Home? Watch One of the Most Terrifying Movies of All Time

Ok if you're reading this now on Beijing's biggest party night of the year, you've probably got Ebola or you are struggling with a life-long agoraphobia problem.

Or perhaps your Halloween costume suffered a catastrophic wardrobe malfunction on your way out the door, or a massive zit appeared on your forehead this morning that no amount of zombie makeup is gonna cover.

Fact is you're reading this right now, likely at home and not out at one of Beijing's estimated 100+ Halloween parties (if you're not at home, stop staring at your phone, you anti-social bastard, and start mingling with that hot chick dressed as a kitten over there).

So what to do with your All Hallow's Eve? How about scaring the shit out of yourself in the comfort of your own home by watching one of the scariest films of all time?

Now you do know how to use the Internet, right? Many films we describe below are available for viewing for free online (we've provided links below when we've found them).

For the rest, we don't have to explain to you about the wonders of torrents and other illegal downloads, and thus we may skip the nonsense about how to obtain the rest of them proceed directly to telling you about which ones to watch.

There's no particular rhyme nor reason to the list, other than these films scared the bejeebus out of one or more consenting adults in our office whose dreams have been permanently scarred by the terrors of the following films.

And naturally we expect you all to disagree with this list, so let us have it in the comments, and if you're looking for more, have a look at Youku's list of horror movies available for free online viewing here.

The Blair Witch Project
I've seen it exactly once. Anyone who has a bad night in the woods knows the fear this film generates. A stylish film done documentary style, it tells the tale of an ill-fated attempt to discover the origins of a witch's tale. When we showed it at a company event in 1999, I stood outside. No way I was going through that again. Watch free online (in English) at Youku

The Ring (US remake)
Because the short film at the center of the plot plays before the DVD menu pops up, I won't even put this in the player unless it's daylight hours. Samara -- the little girl who is the film's antagonist -- haunts the film throughout even though she's only actually onscreen for about 10 minutes. Gore Verbinski's remake is way more frightening than the simplistic Japanese original which tells the tale of a videotape that dooms its viewers. And by the way, screw this poster -- The Sixth Sense sucked.

The Descent
Our token UK entry on the list, The Descent proves the Brits can scare the shit out of you just like the Yanks can. An all-female group of spelunkers go poking around in the wrong hole. It is relentlessly dark, claustrophobic and depressing, and unique among the horror genre in that its cast is entirely female.
 

Wolf Creek
Backpackers become the playthings of a sadistic Aussie serial killer in this film allegedly based on true crimed committed in the Outback. The film contraverts horror tropes in sick and twisted ways and shows that the Americans don't have a stranglehold on the serial killer genere. Roger Ebert allegedly was so disturbed he left the screening.

Candyman
All you have to do is turn off the light and call his name five times and this mythical figure guts you with his hook. I can't think of anything more terrifying than that -- except the Phillip Glass soundtrack that accentuates the horror of this film. Watch for free in English on PPS here.

Audition
Audition starts off with a widowed Japanese man holding a fake audition for a film in order to find a wife and turns into a shockfest full of torture and gore when he discovers that his dream lady is actually a sadistic killer of single men. From the dark mind of Japan's supreme master of horror Takashi Miike. Makes any man who ever deceived a woman think twice.

The Grudge
Another from Japan, this one about a dwelling haunted by the spirits of murder victims who died there. If you've seen The Ring, this one's even scarier. The fact that the main spirit is a child gives the film and even more macabre edge. Watch the original Japanese version (with Chinese subtitles) for free at Youku here or the American version in English for free at Sohu here.

The Shining
Nothing says terror like psychological terror, and this Stephen King-penned classic isn't a bloody slasher film nor a pop-out-from-behind-the-curtain scare fest -- it's a slow, believable descent into madness experienced by a writer holed up in a massive empty hotel for the winter with his wife and young son. An unparalled interesection of talents -- King's writing, Jack Nicholson's acting, and Stanley Kubrick's directing -- add up to a terrifyingly satisfying film.

Alien
The first horror movie in outer space. Forget the sequels (that evolved into simplistic action flicks), the original gets you terrified by playing up the claustrophobic spaces of the Nostromo, a space ship that's picked up a rather unpleasant passenger. There's literally no escape. Watch free online (in English) at Youku