In Party for One, Mashable explores single life in 2020, from Carly Rae Jepsen’s iconic single anthems, to the beauty of alone time, and the fascinating history behind the single positivity movement.
For the most part, horror urges you not to stay in creepy accommodation, not to run upstairs when you should be running out the front door, and certainly not to “investigate” any strange noises in the attic.
But some movies would also advise you on another thing entirely: enjoy being single.
It’s a real niche within the genre, but we’ve tracked down the horror movies that single people will probably get more out of than anyone else. Some are grim reminders of all the bad things about being in a relationship with someone selfish (looking at you, Sinister), while others (*cough*, It Follows) are basically arguments for a life of swearing off sex altogether.
Of course, being single means different things to different people. Not every single person out there is sexually active, or actively looking for a relationship. But whether you’re simply happy on your own or perhaps fed up with the dating scene, there’ll hopefully be something among the following creepy selections that’s right up your dimly lit street…
1. It Follows
Don’t look behind you.
Image: Moviestore/Shutterstock
What’s it about?
In a nutshell, it’s about a supernatural entity that gets passed between people when they have sex. Once the entity starts following you, it won’t stop pursuing until you’re dead.
The only way to get rid of it? Have sex with someone else and pass the burden along.
Why single people might love it…
This one doesn’t take too much explaining. The plot of It Follows is like a love letter to swearing off sex altogether, a very convincing 100-minute argument about the merits of steering well clear of any and all prospective partners.
After all, is a romantic encounter really worth a life of constantly being pursued by hollow-eyed strangers that nobody else but you can see? We think not.
How to watch: It Follows is available to stream on iPlayer in the UK and rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.
2. Get Out
All is not what it seems in ‘Get Out.’
Image: Moviestore/Shutterstock
What’s it about?
Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) travels to meet the family of his white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams) for the first time. At the start of the trip, his main concern is how they might react to him being Black. But as the story progresses, and things get stranger and stranger, he realises their racism is just one part of a much larger secret.
Why single people might love it…
Meeting a partner’s family for the first time is always a stressful experience. Jordan Peele’s directorial debut takes this fear and runs with it, imagining pretty much the most nightmarish scenario possible and placing poor old Chris right in the center of it.
The lesson? If you’re going to go to a new partner’s house, always have an escape plan.
How to watch: Get Out is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK and the U.S.
3. Ready or Not
Worst. Wedding night. Ever.
Image: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
What’s it about?
After marrying her boyfriend Alex (Mark O’Brien), Grace (Samara Weaving) is subjected to a bizarre post-wedding family tradition that sees her running for her life.
Why single people might love it…
Like Get Out, Ready or Not plays on a fear of the in-laws. What if, rather than just being a bit odd, your new in-laws were actually in league with a rather unpleasant evil entity? What if they forced you to take part in their sinister traditions? And what if, when push came to shove, your new husband turned out to be an absolute wet flannel whose only steps towards protecting you were moaning a bit about the fact his whole family wanted you dead.
Luckily, in the case of Ready or Not, Grace is more than capable of taking care of herself.
How to watch: Ready or Not is available to stream on NOW TV in the UK and HBO in the U.S.
4. Sinister
Ellison Oswalt: Struggling true crime writer, terrible husband.
Image: Moviestore/Shutterstock
What’s it about?
As part of his research for a new true crime book, Ellison (Ethan Hawke) moves his family into a house where the previous residents were butchered.
But when Ellison finds a box of disturbing movies in the attic, he realises that the killings may be part of a much larger pattern.
Why single people might love it…
Ellison Oswalt may be a determined true crime writer, but he’s an absolutely awful husband. Despite occasionally making the right noises about caring for his wife and kids, he’s so obsessed with recapturing his rapidly-dwindling fame that he a) doesn’t tell his wife he’s moved her into a literal MURDER HOUSE, and b) repeatedly ignores signs and warnings that whatever killed the previous residents may well be stalking him and his children as well.
Truly a reminder that marriage doesn’t always end well.
How to watch: Sinister is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK and stream on AMC+ in the U.S.
5. The Shining
Jack Torrance may be the worst horror movie husband of all time.
Image: Warner Bros/Hawk Films/Kobal/Shutterstock
What’s it about?
In a particularly Ellison Oswalt move, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) relocates his family o the abandoned Overlook Hotel to take on the job of caretaker for the winter. But as the sense of isolation sets in, and Jack’s son Danny begins seeing things, Jack’s grip on reality starts to slip.
Why single people might love it…
If you’re going to be stuck in a large, echoey hotel over winter with absolutely no outside contact or hope of escape, you’d at least want to be with your family, right?
Wrong!
As murdery old Jack Torrance makes clear in Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel, sometimes the people closest to you are the ones that can hurt you the most (quite literally, in this sense, as becomes potently obvious when Jack gets his hands on a nearby axe).
Torrance’s unpredictable and violent decline put him up there among the worst horror movie husbands of all time, making Sinister‘s Ellison practically look like a saint in comparison.
How to watch: The Shining is available to stream on Amazon Prime in the UK and rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.
6. Audition
Maybe dating isn’t such a great idea after all.
Image: Moviestore/Shutterstock
What’s it about?
Widower Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is encouraged by his son to try dating again, so he sets up a fake “audition” to meet a new wife. But the woman he ends up falling for, Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shina) has her own dark secret.
Why single people might love it…
When it comes to dating, there’s always that small background fear that the person you’re going to meet might be a little bit odd. Or maybe even more than just a little bit. Audition, which features one of the most terrifying female villains of all time, turns that fear up to roughly a million.
Finding a relationship? Who needs that. Delete those dating apps off your phone and be glad there’s no Asami in your life.
How to watch: Audition is available to stream on BFI Player in the UK or Amazon Prime in the U.S.
7. The Loved Ones
Waking up tied to a chair is never good, is it?
Image: Screen Australia/Kobal/Shutterstock
What’s it about?
When Brent (Xavier Samuel) refuses to accompany his classmate Lola (Robin McLeavy) to prom, she decides to take matters into her own hands. By violently kidnapping him.
Why single people might love it…
Like Audition, Sean Byrne’s dark thriller presents a fairly compelling argument against dating in general. But also, if you’re fed up with seeing photos of smiling couples and looking for some catharsis, Lola’s deeply terrifying rampage will likely more than provide.
How to watch: The Loved Ones is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK and the U.S.