Here are a list of some of my top favourite movies for the Halloween season
October is filled with many scary things like midterms and cold weather. But, if you want to take your mind off these things and celebrate the fright-filled nights of Halloween early on this Friday the 13th, here are some essential movies to curl up with.
Coraline (★☆☆☆☆ scariness)
Coraline (2009) is a classic that I watch every year. The stop-motion film follows the story of a young girl who moves into a new house, but finds a second world within it. There, she must fight her Other Mother to be able to go back to the real world to her real parents. Coraline encapsulates the perfect feeling of fall and is a comforting yet thrilling movie.
Scream (★★☆☆☆ scariness)
Do you want something straight out of the 90s? Scream (1996) is definitely for you. This movie has all of the scenes to a scary movie. Jump scares? Check. Idiot cops? Check. No keys for the car? Check. This movie created the Ghostface cliche. It’s the perfect watch for those who don’t like gore but do want a bit of a scare.
Get Out ( ★★★☆☆ scariness)
Get Out (2017) follows the story of a Black man, Chris, who visits his white girlfriend’s family. This dynamic causes tension in the family, but this tension goes farther as there is an underlying and twisted purpose of Chris being there in the first place. This movie is one of my favourite psychological-horror movies because it makes your skin crawl and is very realistic with its tones of politics and themes of racism. Jordan Peele has also directed Us (2019), which is another fan-favourite and must watch.
Silence of the Lambs (★★★★☆ scary)
Silence of the Lambs (1991) is for those who want to be terrified. This film follows the story of a F.B.I agent who interviews a famous serial killer to try and solve the identity of an active killer. The most scary aspect of the movie is that it is based on real-life serial killers. That fact and the ending gave me nightmares for a few nights.
Midsommar (★★★★☆ scariness)
Midsommar (2019) is one of my favourite movies. It’s a classic psychological horror (yet violent) movie that follows Dani who goes to a midsummer Swedish festival with friends. The activities that members partake in grow more and more disturbing. It’s a visually stunning movie that will have you thinking about it in a daze for a few days after (or months).
Hereditary (★★★★★ scariness)
Hereditary (2018) is directed by Ari Aster, who also directed Midsommar, and that is evident in the ways that it’s downright horrifying. The movie starts with the death of a grandmother and results in the family learning what rituals she was involved in. The family deals with mental illness and trauma. The five stars of scariness are due to the eeriness and gore. This one should be watched with friends and the lights on.
To go along with the movies, make some popcorn and curl up with a few blankets. Movie night is the best night to treat yourself. What better way to treat yourself than with a bit of a scare?
