Wes Craven is my favorite filmmaker. The late director tapped into a precise kind of humanity among the horror and bloodshed that has always deeply resonated with me. Craven is not only one of the godfathers of the horror genre, but a key reason why I love the genre as much as I do. Without him, I’m not sure I’d be here writing this piece right now. If you’d like to read more about my love for Craven and his game, might I suggest this piece here?

Naturally, then, I’m all about not just Craven’s works, but the works that inspired him. The movies, horror or otherwise, that shaped him into the filmmaker he was. It was Craven who first encouraged me to rent Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring, after all. Imagine me in middle school watching that—I was a cool guy. Recently,...