Best New Horror Movies to Watch This Halloween 

If you ask us about the Halloween spirit this year, we will proudly present you with our esteemed list of the best new horror movies to watch this Halloween in 2022, because the list is massive.

Thanks to our contributors of the year, Hulu topped the list of presenting the most horror and psychological thrillers of the year. 

After that, we had Peacock TV and HBO Max sharing the screen along with other streaming services like The CW, Netflix as well as Paramount Plus.

But looking at this list we have mentioned below, it might take the upcoming year to watch all that is listed here. 

The list includes some of the oldies’ classic names from popular franchises like Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and more. While we may encourage you to enjoy these movies, not all of them are meant to be watched just for the sake of it.

A lot of these movies cover sensitive and mind-boggling topics, hence we have included some horror comedies here as well. 

So turn off your lights, grab your popcorn and get ready for a Halloween movie marathon!

Sissy (2022)

IMDb: 6.2

Director: Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes

Horror mixed with comedy is probably the only genre we love, since it’s all bout dark comedy and having a sense of humor. That’s exactly why sissy is on the top of our list of the best new horror movies to watch this Halloween, because why not.

The story revolves around Cecilia who runs into her Highschool best friend Emma. Emma is getting married and invites Cecilia to her Hen’s party in a remote cabin.

But Emma is not alone, she has company, and that company also happens to include Cecilia’s long-time bully.

Hellbender (2021)

IMDb: 5.8

Director: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

 What would you do if all your life has been a lie, and your mother is not who she claims to be? Izzy lives with her mom lives a secluded life in the woods, spending their time making metal music of sorts.

All’s well until Izzy’s mysterious encounter with another teen who reveals her mom’s satanic links to witchcraft. The sudden news of such links drives her crazy and creates a rift between her and her mother. Will she ever be able to realize what her roots are?

The Innocents (2021)

IMDb: 7.0

Director: Eskil Vogt

A Norwegian supernatural thriller, The Innocents is about a group of children who gather together every day to play with each other, but these playmates soon get themselves involved in a weird situation when they reveal their superpowers.

The parents are oblivious which prevents them from saving their children from a dangerous future that lies ahead of them.

Saloum (2021)

IMDb: 6.3

Director: Jean Luc Herbulot

A Senegalese horror-thriller based around a trio of mercenaries who are on a task to extract a Mexican drug lord and his gold bricks.

While the extraction is successful, they end up in a hidden region near the Saloum river of Senegal where they encounter an unnatural environment and supernatural beings who prevent their departure.

X (2022)

IMDb: 6.6

Director: Ti West

Based in the late 70s, a group of young adults is on a rendevous to shoot an adult film in rural Texas.

The farmhouse they booked is that of an old conservative couple who have no idea about their intentions. What will happen once they find out about the real reason why they are all visiting?

Prey (2022)

IMDb: 7.2

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

An American science fiction action film starring Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation dreamed of becoming a hunter and fighter.

Her dreams turned into reality, but in all the wrong circumstances when she discovers an alien invasion in her village.

This leads to a mass slaughter where Naru is their last hope to defeat the highly-evolving predator that has encapsulated their planet Earth.

Mad God (2021)

IMDb: 6.8

Director: Phil Tippett

A stop motion adult animated experimental horror film starring an Assassin who has embarked on a journey traveling through ruined cities and haunted souls carrying a briefcase and a map.

The Assasin travels and encounters numerous sorts of monstrosities in the unconscious mind of Phil Tippett, the maker of this movie.

You Won’t Be Alone (2022)

IMDb: 6.3

Director: Goran Stolevski

Originating in 19th century Macedonia, a naive peasant girl is captured by a jealous witch who ruins her life by turning her into a shapeshifter ancient spirit. The girl is later abandoned by the witch and left to fend for herself.

But she takes this as an opportunity to explore her life above ground for the first time, but the witch gets triggered and plans to impose further harm on the girl.

Barbarian (2022)

IMDb: 7.5

Director: Zach Cregger

This one is as crazy as it can get, and might put you off from ever booking an Airbnb for yourself.

The story is based around an AirBnB that is double booked by Tess and Keith who end up exploring the house only to find the most heinous history and creatures residing in their basement. 

Hatching (2022)

IMDb: 6.2

Director: Hanna Bergholm

A  Finnish psychological body horror film where a 12-year-old Tinja is constantly living under the shadow of her overly materialistic and fake mom. Tinja is a talented gymnast who faces immense pressure from her mother to perform well.

While her mother is busy living a dual life, Tinja hides a secret egg in her room with whom she shares her repressed emotions. The egg carries an unidentified life that is nurturing to create havoc in their lives one day.

Deadstream (2022)

IMDb: 6.6

Director: Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter

Shawn, a disgraced YouTuber is all in to win back his internet glory and his followers after one of his former publicity stunts went wrong.

This time, he is risking his life by spending the night in a deathly haunted manor and live-streaming it all only to gain back his fanbase, but things don’t go as planned as he is soon begging for dear life.

The Sadness (2021)

IMDb: 6.5

Director: Rob Jabbaz

A  Taiwanese body horror film, The Sadness is a weird take on the recently spread COVID’19 pandemic.

While the featured virus is nothing like the flu of sorts, rather it turns people into real-life maniacs and zombies who are out there to kill and infect whomever they set their eyes on. 

Werewolf by Night (2022)

IMDb: 7.5

Director: Michael Giacchino

An American television special, based on the Marvel comic of the same name, Jack Russell is all set to become the new monster hunter’s leader after a competitive match.

But things go south when the bloodstone reacts violently to his touch, leaving him with a curse of the werewolf. 

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)

IMDb: 5.3

Director: Jane Schoenbrun

Loneliness can be sad, but also menacing, especially when you are a naive teenager influenced by a weird online trend to play a game and role-play according to the demands that are set for you.

The movie is a psychological thriller and will definitely have you question its entire purpose of it. 

What Josiah Saw (2021)

IMDb: 6.2

Director: Vincent Grashaw

An American Southern Gothic psychological horror drama will have you question your entire childhood and the generational trauma that you endured throughout your life.

The movie itself is about an estranged and damaged family that reunites at an old farmhouse to repent their sins and dig up old family secrets in order to do that.

Pearl (2022)

IMDb: 7.2

Director: Ti West

A prequel to the X film series, the movie is about Pearl who aspires to become a famous Hollywood actress one day, but in reality, she is just a lonely, disturbed individual who is fed up with her life..

To make things “exciting” for herself, she takes drastic measures to get to where she is now. 

Piggy (2022)

IMDb: 6.2

Director: Carlota Pereda

Quite an obvious name to depict the story of this one, including multiple plot twists and scenes that will make you gag. Sara is an overweight girl living in rural Spain.

She is constantly body-shamed by her peers which makes her insecure and feel insulted. Every day is torture for Sara until one day when these girls are kidnapped by a stranger. Suddenly her life becomes very peaceful, but she needs to call the police, right?

You Are Not My Mother (2021)

IMDb: 5.8

Director: Kate Dolan

An Irish psychological horror film revolving around a household of matriarchs. All’s going well until Char’s mother suddenly disappears in thin air. Char, a young woman is at her wits to find her lost mother, but she didn’t have to try too hard.

Her mother is home on her own, but something is gravely wrong with the entire arrangement and event. Char doesn’t settle with the answers she received and is on a hunt to solve this mystery.  

Watcher (2022)

IMDb: 6.3

Director: Chloe Okuno

Your old-school horror film is about a young couple who relocate to a new city in order to restart their lives.

All is going well until Julia develops a stalker who also happens to be the man who lives across the road, all while there is a serial killer who decapitates women on the loose. While Julia tries to voice her fears, she is soon shut down when no evidence is collected against the staring neighbor.

IMDb: 5.6

Glorious (2022)

Director: Rebekah McKendry

A bad breakup resulted in a black-out drunk Wes who finds himself puking his guts out in a bathroom stall at a restroom in the middle of nowhere.

He is trying to get back to his senses when a stranger in the next stall strikes up a conversation that soon turns uncomfortable, but it’s too late for Wes to realize that there is no escaping this now.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

IMDb: 6.3

Director: Halina Reijn

Teenage drama and impromptu parties always end up a disaster. With cheating, black-out drunkness, backstabbing, and more.

What’s the worse thing that can happen? How bad can it get with these young chaps? Watch this comedy-horror to find out now!

Speak No Evil (2022)

IMDb: 6.6

Director: Christian Tafdrup

Never go on a vacation with someone you barely met, because if you do, things might go south real soon and you may end up murdered, injured, or traumatized for the rest of your life. That’s exactly what happened with the Danes.

Medusa (2021)

IMDb: 5.7

Director: Anita Rocha da Silveira

You may think of this as your old-school Greek Myth Medusa, but it’s anything but that. Revolving around a group of young women who roam around the streets of Brazil, trying to control all that they can in order to maintain the piousness of the society.

But for how long? There will come a time when the urge to resist control will take everything away from them.

Nope (2022)

IMDb: 6.9

Director: Jordan Peele

An American neo-Western science fiction horror film, about two siblings who inherit a ranch from their father only to find out about the sinister yet amazing history attached to it which may create havoc in their already struggling lives.

The Black Phone (2021)

IMDb: 7.0

Director: Scott Derrickson

When a clever 13-year-old Finney Shaw is abducted and kept in a sound-proof basement, what will his next move be to save himself? Break the door? Bang the wall? No, talk on the disconnected phone with all the previous victims to cultivate an escape plan without repeating the mistakes they made. 

Resurrection (2022)

IMDb: 5.9

Director: Andrew Semans

In the eyes of the people, Margaret is the most sorted, disciplined person they have ever come across. She is a role model for everyone around her. But she worked really hard to be where she is now, but not for long. A shadow from the past has resurrected, and she may lose control of her life as each second passes. 

Crimes of the Future (2022)

IMDb: 5.9

Director: David Cronenberg

Another science fiction body horror drama film on the list holds quite a futuristic approach in terms of humans consuming microplastics and the inclusion of harmful chemicals in the regular human diet. 

Smile (2022)

IMDb: 6.9

Director: Parker Finn

An esteemed psychiatrist, Dr, Rose Cotter is running the psych ward perfectly until a weird occurrence involving her patient killing herself. Rose suddenly starts seeing abnormal things and things that are all her imagination, but she knows what the real cause is behind all this. And she must address it before it’s too late for her. 

Scream (2022)

IMDb: 6.3

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

The fifth installment of the astounding Scream series. Sam is forced to return home when her estranged sister Tara is repeatedly attacked by Ghostface, only to find the killer amongst their group of friends. True to their roots, the sisters battle together to finish what the killer started long ago.

Master (2022)

IMDb: 5.2

Director: Mariama Diallo

Three women of color work hard to find their rightful place in the elite Northeastern university when a sudden racist attack sets them off to explore the hidden demons and elitism embedded in an otherwise prestigious educational institute. 

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes (2021)

IMDb: 5.7

Director: Kevin Kopacka

Margot and Dieter Menliff live in an unhappy marriage. Margot, belonging to a noble family, inherits a castle. As they continue to live in the castle, their sanity slowly starts to deteriorate.

Some Like It Rare (2021)

IMDb: 6.6

Director: Fabrice Éboué

Vincent and his wife Sophia run a local butcher’s shop. But as is the case with local tradesmen, the business is badly affected. During an altercation with a vegan activist, Vincent accidentally kills him. Struggling, they decide to sell the meat.

Customers acquire a taste for their meat and soon both, the business and the demand boom. Vincent and Sophia must now find more victims in order to fulfill their client’s needs.

Luzifer (2021)

IMDb: 5.6

Director: Peter Brunner

Johannes is a man with mental faculties of a child, who lives in a secluded alpine hut with his mother and his eagle. But when a tourist development endangers the area, Johannes must do what is necessary to save his paradise.

Let the Wrong One In (2021)

IMDb: 5.4

Director: Conor McMahon

Matt is just a normal teenager who works at a mart. His life changes when he discovers that his older brother has turned into a vampire. Now he has two choices, to either help his brother stay alive or drive a stake through his heart so that he does not bite anyone.

Terrifier 2 (2022)

IMDb: 6.5

Director: Damien Leone

Following the Miles County massacre, Art the Clown is resurrected by an unknown entity following which he continues his killing spree and terrorizes Sienna, a teenage girl, and her younger brother Jonathan on Halloween night.

Torn Hearts (2022)

IMDb: 5.1

Director: Brea Grant

The plot revolves around a country music duo band who are on a journey to find the private mansion of their idol. But soon they start to experience a series of erratic horrors which make them question the limit they will go to achieve their dream.

Kratt (2020)

IMDb: 6.3

Director: Rasmus Merivoo

When children are left at their grandma’s house without their smartphones, they become bored and start to look around. Soon they stumble upon instructions for Kratt, a magical creature who will do all that its master wishes. The only thing required, to buy a soul from the devil.

The Changed (2021)

IMDb: 3.5

Director: Michael Mongillo

Kim, Jane, and Mac believe that people around them are experiencing paranoia. Soon they realize that the whole city is affected by this change. Initially, they are unable to comprehend what is happening but later they get to know that the change is caused by an alien species.

Gatlopp (2022)

IMDb: 5.9

Director: Alberto Belli

When a group of old friends reunites, they decide to play a harmless drinking game. But soon they realize that the game has unrealistically high stakes. This means that if they can’t win the game before sunrise then they will be eternally bound to play the game in hell.

Shapeless (2021)

IMDb: 3.9

Director: Samantha Aldana

Ivy is a struggling singer in New Orleans who has a severe eating disorder. She must rectify her addiction before its horrific and hallucinatory effects increase beyond control.

Kicking Blood (2021)

IMDb: 4.3

Director: Blaine Thurier

Anna, a centuries-old vampire, has her existence challenged when she meets a young recovering alcoholic Robbie, for whom she falls. Along with the death of her mortal friend, Anna decides to quit drinking blood and become human again, inviting the wrath of her clan.

Orphan: First Kill (2022) 

IMDb: 5.9

Director: William Brent Bell

After escaping a psychiatric facility in Estonia, Leena poses as Esther, the missing daughter of a wealthy American family. Initially, everything is going great, but soon Leena realizes that Tricia, the mother, knows about her being an imposter.

The Cursed (2021)

IMDb: 6.2

Director: Sean Ellis

Set in 19th-century rural France, a pathologist arrives to investigate an attack by wild animals. But as his investigation deepens he uncovers a much deeper and sinister force in action that has the whole town in its grip.

Homebound (2021)

IMDb: 4.5

Director: Sebastian Godwin

Holly is excited to meet her fiance, Richard’s, kids as they travel to the English countryside. But when they reach there, the couple is shocked to find Richard’s ex-wife missing and the children acting in a very strange way.

Men (2022)

IMDb: 6.1

Director: Alex Garland

Following the death of her ex-husband, Harper, a young woman travels to the English countryside to find peace and solace. But her excursions to explore the forest reveal strange happenings. 

Hellraiser (2022)

IMDb: 6.0

Director: David Bruckner

A rendition of Clive Baker’s 1987 classical horror, a young woman struggling with addiction, must confront the reality behind the disappearance of her brother that is linked to a devious puzzle box.

Ghosts of the Ozarks (2021)

IMDb: 4.4

Director: Jordan Wayne Long, Matt Glass

Set in the post-Civil war era, a young black doctor is summoned by his uncle to a remote fortress town in Ozark. As he becomes the new physician of the town the doctor becomes suspicious of the true nature of the colony.

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

IMDb: 6.0

Director: Anne Fletcher

The Sanderson sisters are accidentally brought back to modern-day Salem by two sisters. Now they must find a way of stopping these witches from harming children around the world and wrecking havoc before it’s too late.

Mosquito State (2020)

IMDb: 5.1

Director: Filip Jan Rymsza

Richard Boca, an obsessive Wall Street data analyst experiences a psychological breakdown after he starts seeing ominous patterns and his computer models start behaving oddly, along with the swarms of mosquitos breeding in his apartment.

House of Darkness (2022)

IMDb: 4.7

Director: Neil LaBute

After meeting at a local bar, Hap offers Mina a ride home which he later finds is situated in a far away and secluded place. The place is creepy, and even creepier are the shadowy figures in the corridor that make it clear that he isn’t welcome.

Room 203 (2022)  

IMDb: 4.3

Director: Ben Jagger

Childhood friends decide to move into apartment room 203, where they discover large stained glass windows portraying medieval sacrifices and a sinister past.

Everything changes when the further investigation into the history of the apartment reveals an ancient curse and a murder mystery.

No Exit (2022) 

IMDb: 6.1

Director: Damien Power

On her way home from visiting her mother, a college student finds herself stuck at a rest stop on a mountain amidst a blizzard. Things start to go downhill when the girl discovers an abducted child from the car of one of the people inside.

The group faces a life-or-death situation while trying to deduce which one of them is the kidnapper. 

Studio 666 (2022)

IMDb: 5.7

Director: BJ McDonnell

A horror, comedy, and musical film, the movie revolves around the famous rock band, Foo Fighters as they move into a mansion to record their 10th album. But there David Grohl find himself threatened by supernatural forces posing a risk to both the lives of the band members and the completion of the album,

A Banquet (2021)

IMDb: 4.8

Director: Ruth Paxton

A widow, mothering 2 daughters while grieving the suicide of her husband, is pushed to her limit when her teenage daughter stops eating, claiming that a supernatural experience has slaved her body for the service of a higher power. 

Day Shift (2022)

IMDb: 6.1

Director: J. J. Perry

Bud Jablonski is a hard-working father of a 10 years old girl. He has a blue-collar job in a pool cleaning service, but that is a front for the world to see. His real job? Hunting and killing vampires. 

Dark Glasses (2022)

IMDb: 5.1

Director: Dario Argento

Diana loses her sight as she is attacked by a serial killer. Luckily she escapes the killer by driving away. With a young Chinese boy named Chin as her guide, she must track the deadly killer amidst the streets of Italy.

DASHCAM (2021)

IMDb: 4.7

Director: Rob Savage

Hardy, a live-streaming improv musician, decides to visit her friend in London amidst COVID-19. On the way she gives a ride to an elderly woman, not knowing that it will be the most horror-fueled road trip of her life.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism (2022)

IMDb: 5.3

Director: Damon Thomas

In a night of partying, Gretchen becomes possessed by an evil spirit, terrorizing students at school. But her longtime best friend Abby is determined to save Gretchen from the evil possessor.

Old Man (2022)

IMDb: 4.8

Director: Lucky McKee

A lost hiker accidentally stumbles into a remote cabin in the woods owned by an old man. Unfamiliar with the nightmare and horror that awaits him there.

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022)

IMDb: 6.0

Director: John Lee Hancock

Based on Stephen King’s novel by the same name, the movie revolves around a teenage boy, Craig who becomes acquainted with a retired businessman John Harrigan by doing odd jobs for him and eventually becomes friends.

After Mr. Harrigan’s sudden death Craig sneaks his phone before he is buried. But everything changes when one day Craig decides to send a text message to Mr. Harrigan’s phone and he gets a reply in return.  

Halloween Ends (2022)

IMDb: 5.0

Director: David Gordon Green

The final film in the trilogy involving Micheal Myers, Laurie Strode lives with her granddaughter, trying to overcome the trauma of the past.

But soon chain of events reignites the violence and terror forcing Laurie to confront the forces of evil she can’t control.

Those Who Walk Away (2022)

IMDb: 5.7

Director: Robert Rippberger

Max and Avery decide to go to a haunted house on their first date. But soon the events take an unexpected turn as they find themselves running away from a creature that rots the body and soul with one touch.

The Long Night (2022)

IMDb: 3.7

Director: Rich Ragsdale

Grace and her boyfriend returns to the place where she spent her childhood while searching for her estranged parents.

But their weekend takes a bizarre turn when they cross roads with a nightmarish cult and its maniac leader who are on their way to fulfill an apocalyptic prophecy.

The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022)

IMDb: 5.5

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Priah, a teenage girl, accidentally releases an ancient mischievous spirit on Halloween eve causing all the decorations to come alive and wreak havoc in town. Now she must team up with her father in order to undo her mistake and save the town.

They/Them (2022)

IMDb: 3.8

Director: John Logan

Pronounced as they-slash-them, the movie revolves around a group of teenagers at an LGBTQ+ conversion camp, where they experience disturbing psychological techniques; all the while being stalked by a masked killer that is slowly killing people in the camp.

Umma (2022)

IMDb: 4.7

Director: Iris Shim

A Korean immigrant, Amanda lives an off-the-grid life with her daughter Chrissy. But when she receives cremated ashes of her estranged mother, she is confronted with the memories of her abusive past, slowly turning her paranoid. 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

IMDb: 4.8

Director: David Blue Garcia

After 48 years of hiatus, Leatherface resurfaces as a group of young influencers accidentally disturbs him from his self-exile in the ghost town of Texas. This results in Leatherface restarting his killing spree. 

The Cellar (2022)

IMDb: 5.3

Director: Brendan Muldowney

Kiera Woods moves into her dream house along with her husband, son, and daughter. The problem starts when her daughter mysteriously vanishes from the house’s cellar. Soon she discovers that her new house is being controlled by an ancient pagan deity whom she will have to face in order to save her family.

Choose or Die (2022)

IMDb: 4.8

Director: Toby Meakins

A broke student decides to play a long-lost 1980s horror survival game in hopes of winning the unclaimed $100,000 grand prize. But as the game lingers on, unexplainable terrifying things start to happen that soon make her realize that she is not playing for money but for her own life. 

The Invitation (2022)

IMDb: 5.2

Director: Jessica M. Thompson

After the death of her mother and with no known next of kin, Evie decides to take a DNA test to find her family roots. She discovers a long-lost cousin that she has never met, who invites her to a lavish wedding in the English countryside.

Delighted to meet her newfound family, everything changes when Evie finds the dark truth about her family. 

WarHunt (2022)

IMDb: 4.3

Director: Mauro Borrelli

During World War II, a U.S. military cargo plane carrying top-secret material crashes in Germany’s black forest. The U.S. army sends a team of their best soldiers to retrieve material from the wreckage, but while venturing deep into the forest they find bodies hanging with trees with ancient symbols marked on them. The team soon finds themselves fighting an evil supernatural force.

Abandoned (2022)

IMDb: 3.7

Director: Spencer Squire

A young couple, Sara and Alex, with their infant son, decide to shift to a countryside farmhouse in pursuit of a calm and simple lifestyle. Sara is struggling with postpartum depression and borderline psychosis, which seems to intensify as haunting in the new house increases.

The Requin (2022)

IMDb: 2.6

Director: Le-Van Kiet

When Jaelyn and Kyle decide to go on a romantic getaway to a remote seaside village in Vietnam; they are unaware of the horrors they will have to face when a tropical storm sweeps them out into the sea. With a school of great white sharks circling below and an injured husband, Jaelyn must find a way to save both of them.  

The Accursed (2022)

IMDb: 4.1

Director: Kevin Lewis

When a family friend asks Elly to look after an elderly woman living in a remote cabin in the woods, she agrees thinking that it would be a nice escape. But as Elly reaches there she starts hallucinating, blurring reality with dreams.

Soon she realizes that she was lured there by a demon inside the elder woman’s body, waiting to break free.

Firestarter (2022)

IMDb: 4.6

Director: Keith Thomas

Mr. and Mrs. McGee desperately tries to hide their daughter, Charlie, from a shadowy federal agency. Why? Because Charlie has pyrokinetic powers which the agency wants to harness and use as a weapon of mass destruction.

Although she is taught to control her powers by her parents, as she grows older it gets harder and harder, attracting unwanted attention from the agency.

The Legend of La Llorona (2022)

IMDb: 3.2

Director: Patricia Harris Seeley

A young Californian couple with their son, Danny, decides to take a much-needed vacation to Mexico. But the legend of La Llorona, an evil spirit of a distressed mother that lurks near the water’s edge and strikes fear in the hearts of all those who see her, encompasses their vacation.

Soon the evil spirit begins to haunt the family and kidnaps Danny. With the help of their local taxi driver, the couple must race against time to save their only son. 

Jeepers Creepers: Reborn (2022)

IMDb: 2.5

Director: Timo Vuorensola

Laine and her boyfriend Chase decide to attend the Horror Hound Festival in Louisiana. But soon she starts experiencing disturbing visions and premonitions related to the urban myth of The Creeper.

As the festival gets underway Laine believes that something supernatural has been summoned and she is at the center of it all.