In honor of Halloween approaching, at the 2026 TIME100 Next Gala on Oct. 29 in New York City, TIME asked attendees about their deepest fears and favorite spooky films to set the mood for the season’s haunts.

Some named horror classics: Actor Cooper Hoffman recommended Rosemary’s Baby , and actor Dominic Sessa said Resident Evil .

Paapa Essiedu , an actor set to star in the upcoming HBO adaptation of Harry Potter , went with a modern horror pick: Obsession . “It’s terrifying, it’s entertaining, it’s a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant movie,” he said.

Curry Barker , Obsession ’s breakout filmmaker, showed off his encyclopedic horror knowledge, with picks across generations including A Nightmare on Elm Street , the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre , The Invisible Man , Weapons , Hereditary , and Midsommar . Barker is now working on a new film project, Anything But Ghosts , coming out next May.

Chloe Fineman, comedian and former SNL cast member, had a more existential take.…