There is something truly fascinating about the horror genre. While most people might associate horror with a series of cheap thrills and jump scares, a few quips peppered in here and there, the genre actually has a long history as a powerful tool for social and political commentary. This, precisely, is why watching scary movies high is an otherworldly experience.
Horror films pair the mental release and catharsis of being high with the fun, thrilling, and trippy world of our nightmares and dreams. And amid it all is the additional bonus of being able to open our minds to new thoughts and feelings. To a whole new world of the weird and mesmerizing, the bizarre and absolutely terrifying.
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Best Scary Movies to Watch High in 2022
You might find yourself wondering if it’s a good idea to watch scary movies while high. And the answer to that is: it absolutely is!
Horror movies offer a unique, often visceral experience. The heightened senses and psychological delight of it all are only made better with the inclusion of weed. So puff up, get comfy, and ready yourself for a year of thrills.
Halloween Ends (2022)
Several major horror film franchises are making comebacks this year, including Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Jeepers Creepers. But the twelfth installment in the Halloween series is special – because it is the definitive end of the saga. At least according to the film’s cast and crew. Jamie Lee Curtis, in particular, has made her desire to bring Michael Myers’ reign of terror to an end once and for all pretty clear.
Curtis makes a grand return for one final time as Laurie Strode. Haunted by the masked murderer that has tormented her family for over four decades, Strode makes her last stand.
Filming for Halloween Ends happened alongside Halloween Kills (2021), with both experiencing delays owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. No official trailer has been released for Halloween Ends. But Halloween Kills gave us plenty to go off – and we know we’re in for quite the climactic ride come Halloween 2022.
The Munsters (2022)
The Munsters was a beloved ‘60s sitcom that featured a family of monsters, including an over-the-hill Dracula who spends the remainder of his eternal life yearning for the good old days, and the ugly duckling of the family Marilyn, a perfectly normal conventional little girl.
The show’s premise allowed it to satirize the typical family sitcom. Yet, its lasting legacy was its message that it doesn’t matter what you looked like on the outside, “What matters is the size of your heart and the strength of your character.”
Rob Zombie will be bringing The Munsters back to life in the 2022 black comedy reboot. This won’t be Zombie’s first dance with the iconic show. He previously released the song “Dragula” in 1998 and has spent two decades trying to get his reboot greenlit. With passion like that, it’s sure to be an offering that draws on some of what made the show so loveable.
And while not much has been revealed about the film itself, Zombie’s Instagram has shown it will rely on practical effects and appears to be staying as true to the original as possible.
Prey (2022)
Sequels and reboots are, naturally, a world of their own. But prequels are a whole other ball game.
Unlike sequels that can build on an existing franchise, prequels have to retell a story that has already been told yet somehow make it as exciting as its original telling. To that end, Prey has its work cut out for it. It is, after all, the prequel to the Predator films – a rather popular science fiction action horror franchise.
Prey will focus on Naru, a Comanche warrior trying to protect her tribe from a Predator. The film is reportedly set 300 years prior to the current Predator timeline. Amber Midthunder, known for her appearances in Legion and Roswell and a member of the Fort Peck Sioux Tribe, will play the lead role.
The Comanche weren’t known to have female warriors, which has led to some expressing disapproval of the film’s storyline. It’s worth noting, however, that Naru is breaking tradition and going against her culture to take on the role of a warrior, à la Mulan. Whether this works out well or not – we’ll just have to watch and see!
Firestarter (2022)
Firestarter is an upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. It centers on a couple who, after participating in a medical experiment and developing telepathic abilities have a child. When she begins displaying pyrokinetic abilities, the family finds themselves on the run from those who wish to weaponize little Charlie.
The tale of Firestarter has already been told once before, with Drew Barrymore starring as the titular firestarter, yet neither King nor audiences were fans of that version. Despite having a talented cast and skilled hands at the helm, the film mercilessly slashed away at the characterization and growth from King’s original story. Additionally, the film was released long before visual effects were able to truly demonstrate Charlie’s full power. As such, we got something that had so much potential, yet fell flat.
In the latest iteration, we get to take a second stab at this classic story. Hopefully this time, the talent and skill involved get meatier roles to sink their fangs into. And as a result, we get to add another favorite to our scary movies to watch while high pile.
Nope (2022)
Nope is an upcoming film about which very little is known. Despite a trailer being released, very little has been revealed about the actual plot besides it involving mysterious happenings in a small, isolated town.
Given, however, that the film stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer in lead roles and has Jordan Peele at its helm, expectations are high. And given Peele’s track record with crafting gripping, thought-provoking horror cinema, these expectations will more than likely be exceeded with ease.
Disappointment Blvd. (2022)
Speaking of scary movies that have managed to keep their plots under wraps…
Disappointment Blvd. is an upcoming comedy horror film starring Joaquin Phoenix alongside a host of other well-known, gifted actors. At the helm is Ari Aster, who most recently gave us the cinematic gem Midsommar (2019).
As for what it’s about, all we know is that the movie is set to be four hours long, it will chronicle the journey of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, and it is categorized as a “nightmare comedy.”
Aster has already demonstrated a unique ability to stun audiences, both with spellbinding visuals as well as gripping storytelling. Phoenix is also known to be able to captivate an audience with his performance. It should be interesting to see what the duo delivers with Disappointment Blvd.
Speak No Evil (2022)
If Aster’s work intrigues you, then you’ll probably enjoy Christian Tafdrup’s Speak No Evil as well.
The movie’s seemingly simple premise revolves around two couples who meet on a holiday and decide to catch up at a later time after one duo receives an invitation from the other. Once they reach the former’s countryside home, the idyllic holiday turns unsettling pretty quick. Yet, nothing particularly horrifying happens, not right away at least. And therein lies the magic of this film.
Speak No Evil delivers an understated psychological horror show. What happens when we find ourselves too polite to say “I’m uncomfortable and I would like to leave now”? The answer lies in the final act of this film.
Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
Fans of psychological thrillers are clearly winning this year, seeing as several promising scary movies that are designed to leave you squirming in your seats will be releasing very soon.
Don’t Worry Darling is set in the 1950s and follows a couple living in a perfectly utopian experimental community. Yet when the unhappy wife begins to uncover some disturbing truths and her loving husband’s facade slowly chips away to reveal some dangerous secrets, the wonderful utopian layers are peeled back bit by bit.
The film stars an ensemble cast including Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Gemma Chan, Chris Pine, and more, with Olivia Wilde directing and starring.
Nanny (2022)
Nanny has already won hearts and awards with its initial release, and there’s absolutely no doubt why. The pairing of writer-director Nikyatu Jusu and cinematographer Rina Yang has given us one of the most promising, thought-provoking, and unsettling horror movies of the era. And it does so without the need to rely on jumpscares or blatant exposition.
The story follows Aisha, a Senegalese immigrant who finds work as a nanny in hopes of earning enough money to bring her son to the U.S. to live with her. The story weaves everything from racial microaggressions and class divides to romance, culture, and supernatural elements. But its greatest gift is its ability to give its viewers an increasingly unnerving experience as you slowly pick apart the subtle clues you’ve been given before the final act pulls the rug out from beneath your feet.
Morbius (2022)
While Marvel fans might be more inclined to gush over the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness movie, there’s another Marvel film making its way to the big screen this year. It introduces a brand new character into the mix and leans much more into the horror genre than previous entries into the franchise.
Biochemist Michael Morbius has a rare blood disease. In an attempt to cure himself, he accidentally turns himself into a vampire. And thus, we are introduced to one of Marvel’s new villains, someone who has stood against Spider-Man, Blade, and Ghost Rider. At other times, Morbius also fought on the side of “good,” alongside none other than Doctor Strange himself.
Thanks to the muddy waters of move rights and Marvel versus Sony, Morbius is a standalone character for now. But the trailer has offered a glimpse into the character’s potential in the MCU, including hinting at all the Spiderverses to varying degrees. This means the multiverse will, eventually and inevitably, collapse into itself and bring all these characters face-to-face.
Until it does, however, we get to enjoy a brand new villain origin story.
Fee-fi-fo-fum…
…something sinister this way comes! Halloween 2022 is already set to be promising, with the release of Hocus Pocus 2 being a highly-anticipated highlight. But fans of scary movies do not have to wait that long to get their horror fix.
While psychological thrillers are definitely going to be the center of attention, there’s a bit of everything for everyone no matter how you prefer your dose of thrills!
