Starting off with John Carpenter’s 1978 classic. Featuring the iconic Michael Myers, the film inspired many famous slasher-horror movies like “Friday the 13th” and “The Nightmare on Elm Street.” Though the series spans 13 movies now, McDonald feels the original is undoubtedly the best.

“[The first time I watched it] was right around October and it’s nice when outside feels like the setting of the movie,” McDonald said.

Adapted from Stephen King’s 1977 novel, the 1980 film is now one of the most widely acclaimed horror films of all time. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the movie stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence, an aspiring writer who descends into madness while taking care of the isolated Overlook Hotel.

To McDonald, “The Shining” has one of the scariest scenes of all: after building up through the whole movie, Torrence’s wife, Wendy, finally gets a peek into the madness that has consumed her husband. It’s a true turning point within the movie and has stuck with McDonald.

The directorial debut of Ari Aster, “Hereditary” is often considered among the scariest horror movies of all time by critics and audiences. The film focuses on the Graham family as secrets are revealed about their family.

The film deals heavily with grief and family, with its plot lines and themes seamlessly interwoven, as well as great cinematography and amazing performances.

Mixing crime mystery and psychological horror, David Lynch’s 1986 film follows a man who falls into the mysterious life of a woman he met. It’s one of McDonald’s all-time favorites, the film achieving a fever-dream state, with the predictability of the plot lost to the twists and turns within.

Another classic makes the list: “Psycho” by the iconic Alfred Hitchcock. One of the things McDonald loves about the movie is its influence on other films, from “Halloween” to a more recent movie, “Barbie”. But the one scene in “Psycho” that has stuck with McDonald is the shower scene.

“Such a revolutionary scene,” McDonald said. “I took [Film Lit] last year and Sean Eldon described it to us: how [the scene], shot by shot, builds up so much suspense and is able to capture so much fear. It’s hard to do that in a single scene.”

Even though “Us” was the first movie to really scare McDonald, “Get Out” is his favorite from Jordan Peele. The movie, released in 2016, deals heavily with many problems within society, like racism and economic disparities. Both Philips and McDonald feel it’s one of the most culturally relevant films in recent years.

“It’s culturally significant,” Philips said. “You still see stuff about it today, it just comes up a lot. [A lot of movies] are just one and done with cheap tricks, but I think “Get Out” does a great job of capturing more than just fear.”

The one word McDonald would describe “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” would be camp. To McDonald, the 1975 musical-horror cult classic ties people together and lets them express themselves.

“I think it’s just a good time,” McDonald said. “”The Rocky Horror Picture Show” brings people together and lets them express their creative and goofy side. You know, I love something that’s camp.”

During the past two decades, zombie media has been on a rise, including “The Walking Dead,” “World War Z,” “The Last of Us.” But McDonald feels the Korean film “Train to Busan” comes out on top.

While on a train through South Korea, a zombie outbreak occurs. With a storyline between the protagonist and his daughter, McDonald feels the movie stirs up more emotions than just fear.

For a found footage movie, McDonald recommends “As Above So Below.” Taking place in the Paris catacombs and with heavy inspiration from “Dante’s Inferno,” McDonald and Philips feel the movie is a great starter place for horror.

“It was a fun, short movie to watch,” McDonald said. “But there’s a lot to dissect with a movie. It’s easy to identify themes, so it’s a good starter film.”

Overall, McDonald and Phillips have one final recommendation: watch movies in local theaters. At the Michigan and State Theaters, movies like “Halloween” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” are showing this month.