Now Jenna Ortega is primed for a role as Wednesday Addams in Tim Burton’s new interpretation of the classic show, there is no better time than now to revisit her five favourite spooky movies.
Despite her career roots, Ortega switched up the tone by bursting onto the horror scene in some already beloved contributions. Her performances in Ti West’s X and Scream 5, directed by Matt Bettinelli and Tyler Gillet, have captivated fans of the genre who are already counting down for her next role.
Ortega shares a love for all things horror, such as the gore factor and running away from a masked killer. This is exemplified in her roles, but what about the other horror movies she watched for fun? The actress revealed her personal horror ranking with Rotten Tomatoes.
The first addition to Ortega’s list is Prom Night, a classic slasher film directed by Paul Lynch. The film was released in 1980-the first year of a decade that shaped the slasher subgenre. It focuses on a group of teens fighting for their lives as a masked killer attempts to kill them during prom. “This is just classic horror, but also incredibly innovative for its time” Ortega gives as her reason for loving the film. She adds that “the editing and filming and even acting are all really very true to its time”. Her love for this film could potentially bleed into her performance as Tara in Scream 5, who also runs from a masked killer.
The actress’ next entry is a film that played a role in kickstarting the 2010s love for the supernatural. For Ortega, Insidious is “one of the first horror films that I really saw”. James Wan’s film shows a young boy falling victim to a possessive and terrifying demon after falling into a mysterious coma. Ortega shows nothing but praise towards Wan, a filmmaker who has given many gems to the horror genre, such as Saw (2004) and The Conjuring (2013). She states, “James Wan obviously knows what he’s doing in the horror department, but watching that as a 12-year-old was traumatizing”.
Ortega follows this with another 80s classic. Andrzej Zulawaski’s Possession (1981) came to Ortega’s attention through word of mouth. “It was actually a recommendation from Mikey Madison on the Scream set”. She references the emotional reaction the film provides her with, ” I love watching a film and getting some kind of adrenaline out of it — that’s when I feel it’s done its job, when a film inspires you and gives you a bunch of idea”.
Ortega adds another emotional supernatural to her list. “I have a lot of admiration for The Witch”, she says, “it’s so high quality and so beautifully done”. The film’s beautiful visuals stem from its folk tone, as it shows a family living in 1600s New England battle against a sinister evil force. Ortega shares the effect Robert Egger’s film had on her by stating “I think that’s a movie I thought about for weeks after I watched it”.
The last entry on Ortega’s list is a lesser known film. Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 psychological drama Persona follows a young nurse and her mute patient, who end up becoming a little too close. Ortega reveals that “I’d never seen anything like that before. That movie just gave me chills all over”. She seems to be lost for words when attempting to explain the film more, settling for the conclusion that “it’s incredible”.
Check out the full list here
Jenna Ortega’s five favourite horror films:
- Prom Night (Paul Lynch, 1980)
- Insidious (James Wan, 2010)
- Possession (Andrzej Zulawski, 1981)
- The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015)
- Persona (Ingmar Bergman, 1966)
