You don’t need anything to enjoy the best the genre has to offer, but the viewing experience can be heightened when a little bud is involved.
Thankfully, many Americans can now legally enjoy cannabis as a way to enhance the movie-watching experience. For some people, weed heightens their senses and makes viewing more immersive.
If you’re a fan of on-screen fear, why not try watching after a few tokes? The effects of buds from Critical Kush seeds and similar strains take film suspense to another level. In some cases, you may even find yourself in tears of laughter, thanks to high-lights in the comedy horror subgenre. Here are a few of our favorite films to watch high — from the utterly frightful to the hilariously delightful.
1. THE EVIL DEAD
The Evil Dead is a 1981 masterpiece by writer and director Sam Raimi. The independent film introduced the concept of comedy in horror and started a subgenre. This movie also launched the career of the iconic actor, Bruce Campbell.
The story follows five college friends who decide to vacation in an isolated cabin in a forest. The group finds an audio tape that releases evil spirits after playing it. Four of the students instantly suffer from demonic possession. The film focuses primarily on the character Ash Williams (Campbell) as he attempts to survive the ensuing chaos.
This cult classic is easily among the best horror movies to watch high. Making gore hilarious and using clichés is an art, and The Evil Dead masters it.
2. THE SHINING
The Shining is arguably one of the greatest horror films ever. Despite mixed reviews from critics after its release in 1980, the movie is now recognized by most for its brilliance. The acting by Jack Nicholson and Stanley Kubrick’s direction creates a terrifying experience. Primarily a psychological chiller, it doesn’t rely on gore to scare you. Every quiet moment and panning shot of scenery evokes a sense of dread.
The plot follows a family residing in an isolated hotel during the winter off-season. Jack Torrence (Nicholson) brings his wife and son when he gets a job as the caretaker. The father is also a novelist and believes some time away from civilization may inspire him. The hotel contains supernatural remnants of past tragedies. The son, Danny, has the gift of “shining,” a form of telepathic power. He begins having nightmares and premonitions while his father’s sanity deteriorates.
Horror films about writers are common, but The Shining is a cut above the rest. You don’t need to be high to enjoy this genre classic. But it’s a movie that masterfully drives the audience insane, and smoking beforehand only serves to heighten the effect of the freakout.
3. BUBBA HO-TEP
Bubba Ho-Tep is a comedy horror that flies woefully under the radar. After a quiet 2002 release, it’s now garnered somewhat of a cult following. Bruce Campbell returns with his trademark acting style and charismatic charm while playing a character who believes himself to be Elvis Presley living in a retirement home.
Of course, nobody believes he’s really the King except for his friend Jack. Ironically, his one supporter is a man who wrongfully believes himself to be John F. Kennedy. The two friends must work together to stop an Ancient Egyptian mummy from stealing the souls of the elderly.
The hilarious plot has heartfelt underlying themes such as fear of aging, loneliness, and abandonment. But it’s also a wild ride and a hell of a lot of fun, especially while under the influence.
4. 28 DAYS LATER
28 Days Later is a truly frightening British horror film from 2002 that shows what happens after society breaks down following the emergence of a contagious “rage” virus that turns people into extremely aggressive and violent zombie-like threats.
Cillian Murphy stars as Jim, a bicycle courier who awakens from a coma almost a month after the outbreak. He sees an empty city and has no idea what’s going on. Things get worse when he barely survives an attack from infected humans. The film is visually stunning, with an incredible music score. The zombie horror formula was becoming stale, and people credit this movie for revolutionizing and reinvigorating the genre.
28 Days Later is a chilling and realistic masterpiece, and a toke or two may enhance the sensory experience.
5. EVIL BONG
If the discussion is scary movies to watch when high, Evil Bong is an obvious title we can’t possibly omit.
If the title isn’t enough to entice you, the fact that it stars Tommy Chong should be. It’s also from the twisted mind of Charles Band, the B-movie legend behind Empire and Full Moon Productions, responsible for such films as Ghoulies, Re-Animator, Puppet Master, and Subspecies.
The story follows a group of stoners who come across an evil, sentient weed pipe. Anyone unfortunate to smoke from the apparatus gets trapped in a twisted realm with murderous strippers and other nefarious beings, including creatures from other Full Moon films. The ending features an extended cameo by Chong. Other memorable appearances include Brandi from VH1’s infamous Rock of Love with Bret Michaels and horror icon Bill Mosely.
Evil Bong may be completely insane with a purposely ludicrous plot. But it was popular enough to spawn a franchise and really is a love letter to horror-loving tokers.
6. GREMLINS
This 1984 classic is a darkly humorous horror film that centers on small creatures known as mogwais. The story follows Billy, a young boy who receives one of these mysterious beings as a Christmas present.
The creature is small, furry, cute, and innocent. Billy’s father, who finds the mogwai at a market, names it Gizmo. He also explains three crucial rules nobody can break: don’t expose the pet to bright light, don’t get it wet, and never feed it after midnight. Seems easy enough, right?
It takes Billy no time at all to break all the rules and find out the grave consequences of refusing to heed instructions. Suddenly, it’s not cute mogwais but nasty gremlins they have to content with, creatures hell-bent on causing mayhem and terrorizing the town.
Gremlins is funny, violent, and even heart-warming at times. This film is undoubtedly among the most enjoyable scary movies to watch while high. Smoking a bit will also help you forget all the plot holes, like the pesky problem of time zones when trying to stick to the no food after midnight rule.
Follow Us!