Horror movies for a 13 year old girl

[Biff Justice]

I have a good friend who has a daughter that loves horror, and since she's getting a little older she wants to introduce her daughter to some good horror that's age appropriate. Not having any kids myself, and not a fan overall of PG-13 level horror, I didn't have many suggestions, so I turn to you all.

I mentioned Alien to her, and she thought that was a great idea. The gore isn't over the top and it has a strong female role model in Ripley, and I asked her if the language would bother her, and she declared it wouldn't.

I didn't mention The Others, because it didn't cross my mind at the time, but that's another I may mention, though I'm not sure a younger girl would really appreciate it.

What would you suggest?

[Kiusagi]

The Ring is pretty solid for a PG-13 horror flick. It came out when I was 13 or 14 and it had a big impact on people my age. It's not a great movie and I suspect it hasn't held up over the years, but it might be a decent introduction to the genre.

The Others is a good idea too.

[Irish]

The Descent, The Ring, and maybe Halloween. Scary but with good, "strong" female leads.

Also, Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, but those might feel dated for her.

Edit: Rosemary has freaky rape, and Halloween has underage sex and drinking, so Mom might not approve.

[Biff Justice]

The Descent, The Ring, and maybe Halloween. Scary but with good, "strong" female leads.

Also, Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, but those might feel dated for her.

Edit: Rosemary has freaky rape, and Halloween has underage sex and drinking, so Mom might not approve.

Yeah, I forgot to mention in the original post that she wants to avoid overt sexuality, so Halloween is out. The other suggestions I'll bring up, though.

[Kurosawa Fan]

If gore isn't an issue, there's nothing particularly objectionable about The Thing (1982). No sex, no drug use, no heavy abundance of cursing. But yeah, there's plenty of gore.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Also, A Tale of Two Sisters might be an option. I don't remember any sex or drug use, female lead(s), nothing too gory.

[Irish]

Also, A Tale of Two Sisters might be an option. I don't remember any sex or drug use, female lead(s), nothing too gory.

Was there an American remake? I was going to suggest that and Ringu, but figured a typical 13 year old wouldn't be so interested in foreign movies.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Was there an American remake? I was going to suggest that and Ringu, but figured a typical 13 year old wouldn't be so interested in foreign movies.

American remake is likely rubbish. I say force her to watch it and tell her to stop being a whiner. My 14-year-old sister watches subtitled movies.

[Irish]

American remake is likely rubbish. I say force her to watch it and tell her to stop being a whiner. My 14-year-old sister watches subtitled movies.

:lol: Fair enough.

[Winston*]

Poltergeist?

[Stay Puft]

Also, A Tale of Two Sisters might be an option. I don't remember any sex

Isn't the father sleeping with the daughter?

Or am I thinking of something else?

[Kurosawa Fan]

Isn't the father sleeping with the daughter?

Or am I thinking of something else?

You're definitely thinking of something else. Either that or my memory is REALLY poor.

[Sxottlan]

I guess I'd recommend many that I like and I like horror with toned down gore:

Pan's Labyrinth
Poltergeist
The Uninvited
The Haunting (original)
The Others
The Fog
Paranormal Activity (there's a sex scene that the film builds up to and then skips over)

If she wouldn't find plots involving parental violence against children too disturbing:
The Sixth Sense
The Shining

[Grouchy]

Were there any explicit shennanigans in the Evil Dead trilogy?

[Spinal]

Were there any explicit shennanigans in the Evil Dead trilogy?

Besides the tree rape?

[Winston*]

Were there any explicit shennanigans in the Evil Dead trilogy?

A woman gets raped by a tree!

[Winston*]

Not sure what this says about us, Spinal.

[Kiusagi]

First two Evil Deads are pretty gory. Army of Darkness is fairly tame, if I recall correctly.

Speaking of Sam Raimi, Drag Me to Hell is another good PG-13 horror if she develops any appreciation for camp.

[Spaceman Spiff]

The first Texas Chain Saw Massacre (no gore!) or The Shining.

That'll freak the shit out of her. Tell her to watch it after dark preferably when the parents are away.

[MadMan]

Some of the Hammer Studios, plus the Universal Monster movies would be appropriate. Bear in mind that Hammer Studios later films did dial up the gore plus the sexual scenes, so you would have to pre-screen some of those films. Oh and 40s horror should be mostly okay, in addition to many of the 50s horror films. If they don't mind some disturbing moments plus subtitles the 1959 classic Eyes Without a Face would be a good choice later on. The original House on Haunted Hill (1959) also comes to mind, as does The Tingler (1959), too.

PS: 1980s wise The Gate and Monster Squad should be okay.

[Biff Justice]

Good stuff, all. Poltergeist was the movie that she started her daughter on, so I know it's a good choice. As far as foreign fare, I certainly wouldn't rule it out. I'm not sure it would be their first choice, but both mother and daughter are more sophisticated and open than the majority of American movie goers.

[Grouchy]

I had momentarily forgotten the tree rape.

If black and white movies are an option, then Carnival of Souls.

[Dukefrukem]

The Descent,

:lol: wut?

[D_Davis]

At 13, I think I'd try to deliver more on atmosphere and spookiness, rather than gore and terror.

I'd suggest:

The Haunting
The House on Haunted Hill
The Sixth Sense
The Others
Carnival of Souls
Spider Baby
Psycho
The Birds

[Dukefrukem]

I was gonna recommend Monster Squad or Poltergeist but you guys are recommending true R films.

edit: Except DD, those are solid

[megladon8]

I'll second the original The Haunting.

She can experience the greatest horror film of all time.

[D_Davis]

Older black and white films and stuff from the '60s and early '70s is what I watched around that age. Every Saturday they would play two old horror or SF films on a local station, and I'd watch with my mom.

[D_Davis]

Also, tons of great episodes of The Twilight Zone. This was probably my earliest introduction to horror.

[Grouchy]

Yeah, I was kind of a nerd child, but at her age, I watched lots and lots of Hammer Films and classic Universal monster pictures.

Hammer has plenty of sexuality, though it's mostly not explicit.

[MadMan]

I'll second the original The Haunting.

She can experience the greatest horror film of all time.I slightly prefer The Legend of Hell House, and I don't find either film to be great. Really good, sure. I'm DVR-ing The Innocents off of TCM tomorrow night for the final tie breaker in haunted house movies.

[Dillard]

Val Lewton. Especially I walked with a zombie, cat people, and curse of the cat people.

[Pop Trash]

Val Lewton. Especially I walked with a zombie, cat people, and curse of the cat people.

Unless she is one of those cool kids who actually like classic cinema, I imagine she would find these 'boring.'

[Biff Justice]

Actually, I think she might enjoy Cat People. I told the mother about this thread, she read it and liked quite a few of the suggestions. I think right now she's considering Alien, Twilight Zone episodes, The Birds, The Others, The House on Haunted Hill, The Sixth Sense, and The Haunting. Pan's Labyrinth in a year or two.

[Lucky]

Hmm, was Burton's Sleepy Hollow R? If so, it must have been a mild R for gore. I think it's pretty tasteful.

The Ring and Poltergeist were my first thoughts. How about The Grudge/Ju-On?

Or buy her the complete series of Buffy.

[Dillard]

Unless she is one of those cool kids who actually like classic cinema, I imagine she would find these 'boring.'

Every kid should be exposed to classic cinema. And these are some of the best the genre has to offer.

[MadMan]

Every kid should be exposed to classic cinema. And these are some of the best the genre has to offer.I agree with that. I remember viewing Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and House on Haunted Hill (1959, although not a classic, heh) and other old movies when I was younger. Casablanca is what got me into film in the first place.

[Russ]

She may be a little too old to be truly frightened by the old 1975 ABC television Movie-of-the-Week, Trilogy of Terror, but I would still push it on her (it's readily available on DVD). Make her watch it by herself, late at night, while the parent(s) are conveniently away.

The last story (the one everyone's familiar with) will either send her into fits of laughter OR...give her the royal heebie-jeebies for the rest of her life. That final shot of Karen Black (which is often curiously spoiled in the marketing of the film...why???) should provide nightmares for a long time.

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://laydenrobinson.files.wordpress .com/2011/08/trilogy.jpg&sa=X&ei=8P3UT7fDH4Oc9gTQ5sDZAw&ved=0CAsQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNFhTlZ1pP7uRCRfDDN0u4 2gU-9KWg

[Winston*]

Oh, The Blair Witch Project.

[Spinal]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/CatsEye1985.jpg

Disclaimer: It's been probably over 20 years since I've seen it.

[Mr. Pink]

I normally tuned out/didn't get the cigarette addiction bits in Cat's Eye when I was younger, but otherwise it's a solid choice.

[Spun Lepton]

The Gate, it's on Netflix Instant.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'd second Cat's Eye. It has the same good-good-WHOA satisfaction of a film like Trilogy of Terror.

[Raiders]

The Innocents - even better than The Haunting
Cujo - surprisingly effective, straight-forward King adaptation
Invasion of the Body Snatchers - the 1956 original. More paranoia than horror, but iconic stuff.
When a Stranger Calls - 1979 original. The opening section of this film is so good that it makes the servicable last hour or so seem pretty weak. Still, for a (relatively) family-friendly horror film this is pretty good stuff.

[bac0n]

I would recommend The Changeling and The Innocents. Great spooky films, no gore, no language, no sex, but loads of atmosphere and dread.

[Spun Lepton]

The Innocents - even better than The Haunting

Somebody git me a rope ...

[bac0n]

Somebody git me a rope ...

NEW YORK CITY?!?!?