The Exorcist? Nightmare on Elm Street? The Blair Witch Project? There’s always that dilemma when you’re at a friend’s house for Halloween and you have to pick a scary film to close off the night. Sure classics like Paranormal Activity and The Evil Dead will always deliver the goods, but if you’re looking for something less obvious or a bit quirky, here are my top 5 alternative films for your Halloween enjoyment.

5. We Need To Talk About Kevin

If you’ve ever thought about having kids then think again. This film will make you want to avoid sex, burn children’s books and run away from your local primary school. This psychological drama is told from the perspective of Eva, the mother of the eponymous devil child Kevin, who looks back on his childhood after he commits a hideous crime to decipher whether she is actually to blame. This film doesn’t contain any she-demons stabbing their vagina or umbilical cords flying around the place (kudos to people who get those references). It does however contain some seriously thorny subjects such as maternity and nature vs nurture which are rarely explored in modern cinema, not to mention a stunning central performance by Tilda Swinton.

4. Let The Right One In

If any of you out there are sick of Twilight (which I presume is 99 per cent of you are) and want to see a decent vampire film for once, then this Swedish gem is the one for you. The film follows Oskar, an awkward, outcast 12-year living in the suburbs of Stockholm, who strikes up a friendship with a girl called Eli, who, you guessed it, just happens to be a vampire. Let The Right One In contains plenty of blood and gore for all your body horror fans out there, but those who enjoy a tenderer offering, this film is undoubtedly one of the sweetest and most poignant portrayals of friendship, young love and loneliness I’ve seen in a long time.

3. The Descent

If you’re thinking that my first films sound tame for your extreme tastes, then worry not. Made on a shoestring budget and packed with strong, complex female characters, The Descent follows a group of friends whose caving expedition goes horribly wrong. Sure it sounds like a horror cliché, and to be honest it is, but when you combine a simple story with good actors and a capable director the end result can be petrifying, demonstrated perfectly in The Descent. The film, like all great horror films in my opinion, not only will scare the shit out of you but will also make you cackle with laughter. Perfect for a group viewing.

2. The Wizard of Gore

Although sweets and chocolates are readily available around Halloween, eating or drinking of any sort is highly discouraged whilst watching the Wizard of Gore due its, well, gory content. Although the film does nominally have a plot, characters and setting, its main assets are without a doubt its stomach churning special effects and lack of moral conscious - the tomato juice budget for this film must have been through the roof. This film will either make you cry with laughter or faint; tissues and soft landings are a necessity.

1. Un Chien Andalou

Too lazy/tired/drunk to watch a full feature or simply an art-house nut? Then perhaps Un Chien Andalou will be suit you. Made by Bunuel and renounced surrealist Salvador Dali in 1929, this primarily symbolic film is not only a shrewd observation on psychoanalysis, but it is also extremely frank in its depiction of horror and violence, so much so that even today the film causes audience to squirm in their seats.