Welcome to MovieJawn’s Split Decision! Each week, Ryan will pose a question to our staff of knowledgeable and passionate film lovers and share the responses. Chime in on Twitter, Facebook, our Instagram, or in the comments below.

This week’s question: 

What is your favorite horror film set in the past?

I love films about cannibalism, that cinematic taboo that always seems to be a metaphor for something else. In Ravenous, cannibalism represents power. In 1847, Captain John Boyd (Guy Pearce) is assigned to Fort Spencer in the Western Sierra Nevada mountains. When F. W. Colqhoun (Robert Carlyle) arrives, practically frostbitten, he claims to have gone three months without food. But, as he clarifies, that doesn’t mean there was nothing to eat. Carlyle delivers his devilish speech in a way that has his audience (and viewers) eating out of his hand. Ravenous can also be read as a Christ parable or as a variation of Ten Little Indians. The motif of blood on people’s faces is potent, as are the darkly comic moments, such as my favorite scene, which has the usually muffled Private Toffler (Jeremy Davies) exclaiming, “He was licking me!” The film is also punctuated by Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn’s extraordinary score, which adds considerable flavor to the film, most notably during the tense action sequences. As the poster boasts, “You are who you eat.” Well, I ate Ravenous up.–Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer

I'm a sucker for The Witch. I loved it. I loved every unrelenting moment of it, as this poor family is put through hell and the worst that could ever happen does happen. And then that ending. Goddamn, that ending. I remember being exhilarated, leaving the theater giddy as everyone else exiting with me grumbled about what a waste of time it all was. Different strokes, I suppose.— Billy Russell, Staff Writer

Piggybacking on Billy’s paean to The Witch, I’ll pay tribute to Robert Eggers’ follow-up to that film: The Lighthouse. It’s one of those rare movies where the trailer looked incredible and it somehow managed to exceed my already lofty expectations. It’s a gorgeous and gross look at a the twin psychological downward spiral of two old times New England lighthouse keepers who drink themselves into a chaotic rage. All while some sort of Lovecraftian horror lives in the lantern room and the fates of sea birds weigh heavily in the fates of men.–Ian Hrabe, Staff Writer

Probably in my top two genres of film (along with Noir) is Gothic Horror, so period horror is very much my jam. With excellent recent offerings including My Cousin Rachel (2017) and The Little Stranger (2018), I can’t get enough of spooky houses, mad women in attics, wailing ghosts in long nightgowns, suspicious concoctions, creepy children and men gaslighting their wives - what’s more to love?! But for my favorite - I think I’d have to go with a classic and say The Innocents (1961) - one of the most beautifully shot horror films of all time. Martin Stephens plays Miles - an all-time great creepy horror kid. But we all know that the star of the show is Freddie Francis’ stunning black-and-white cinematography. –Fiona Underhill, Contributor

There is a scene in The Haunted Palace where Vincent Price nonchalantly sets a man ablaze that is SO totally casual that I could not help but literally burst out laughing. This is a foggy movie with more dripping candles than you can even imagine - and I SWEAR, a Ghoulie. Like, a real real Ghoulie (the ones that went to College)!! Phewwww, it’s wild! Unforgettable–Ashley Jane Davis, Staff Writer

I’m superrrr into anything gothic horror-y and some of my faves are The Changeling (1980), The Woman in Black, The Innocents (1961), Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and The Others. But Crimson Peak! I think about this film at least twice a month - it has everything you could possibly want: spookiness, creepiness, Victorianness, great actingness, romanticalness, ghostiness, and beautiful periodness. Seriously - the film is just so goddamn pretty. And the acting! Hiddles and Jessica Chastain are so ickily good as incestuous brother/sister duo you can’t help but love them. Mia Wasikowska is also wonderful as is that ending! To me, it’s a perfect movie. –Jaime Davis, The Fixer