Spooky season is finally among us: Fall clothes, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and scary movies galore. There’s something nostalgic and uplifting about seeing the candy aisle growing, jack-o-lanterns everywhere, leaves changing, and yes, even the yearly return of pumpkin spice lattes.
It would be a shame to waste away October without watching scary movies, as there is no better time to do it. Sit down, turn off the lights, get some popcorn, and be ready to get scared. With Halloween just around the corner, these are must-see scary movies to get into the ghostly spirit.
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Trick ’r Treat(2007)
you’re able to’t make a Halloween movie list without mentioningTrick ’r Treat. Michael Dougherty’s 2007 horror film has quickly become a Halloween classic. Being an anthology film,Trick ‘r Treat’s unique nonlinear narrative takes place during Halloween in the small town of Warren Valley, Ohio, showcasing different people’s lives during the spooky season. The binding factor that brings all the stories together isSam, a rather frightening trick-or-treaterwearing dirty pajamas and a sack over his head, who implements the said “rules” of Halloween. Instead of just taking place during the Halloween season,Trick ‘r Treat’s plot is all about the holiday itself: The traditions, the stereotypes, and Sam making sure all of these stay aligned and true to the Holiday. The film begins with Sam teaching someone a lesson for blowing out the candle of a jack-o-lantern (apparently a Halloween curse) and continues with more gruesome murders in disturbing and even comical scenes. Without giving too much away,Trick ‘r Treatis a must-see for those who truly love theholiday and spirit of Halloween.
Cabin In The Woods(2011)
What’s a better Halloween movie to watch than one revolving around teenagers telling scary stories around a campfire? In the middle of the woods? Even better. At first, Drew Goddard’sCabin in the Woodsmay seem like any other horror movie: Five teenagers (who slowly come to represent the horror archetypes of the jock, the dumb blonde, the stoner, the “virgin,” and the nerd) go in an RV to a cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway. What is different about this film is the fips from this “generic” part of the film and the facility. That’s where the secret underground operations happen. In this facility, they are the ones who are in charge of creating the ultimate performance, finding a way to send these naive teenagers out to a cabin in the woods. They then put certain pheromones around them, causing the teens to do the wrong things, as well as unleashing the monsters that will eventually murder them.
This film may seem like a stereotypical horror film, but it is actually making fun of stereotypical horror films: When interviewed forFilmmaker Magazine, director Drew Goddard claims the film is “…more a critique of society. The question that is interesting to me is – why do we feel this need to marginalize youth on screen? Why do we feel this need to idealize youth, and then slaughter them? What is it about that that is so satisfying to us as viewers?".Cabin In The Woodsis a fun and scary movie to watch during the spooky season; Just don’t watch it in the woods.
May(2002)
This underrated gem written and directed by Lucky McKee is a film that isn’t discussed enough, and the Halloween season is the perfect time to be introduced to it. Starring Angela Bettis, Anna Farris, and James Duval,Mayis about a lonely girl (Bettis) who had a difficult childhood due to her lazy eye. Having a hard time making friends, she has a fantastic idea: build a friend of her own. How will she make the doll, though? Using the body parts of those who bully her.
This movie is the perfect mix ofearly 2000s cheesy horrorwith some psychological thriller thrown in there, with the almost goosebump-esque instrumental playing throughout. Bettis’ impeccable acting performance playing a troubled young girl truly takes the audience on a fun and rather creepy adventure they’ll never forget.
A Clockwork Orange(1971)
This one might not be a film that comes to mind while thinking of Halloween, butA Clockwork Orangejust has thatunique spooky vibe to it. Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 classic is about Alex, only fifteen years old yet already a threat to society. He spends his days listening to music such as Beethoven and Mozart and spends his nights with his gang, or as he calls them, “droogs” doing “ultraviolence,” otherwise known as beating and robbing for self-pleasure. The extravagant sets are spectacular: Alex and his droog’s hangout spot at the Korova Milk Bar, to his victim’s bright and colorful houses. The whole film seems like a perfect maze for Halloween Horror Nights, as well as a tremendous themed Halloween party: dress up in the droog’s white jumpsuits, drink alcoholic milk drinks, and take a shot every time Alex says “ultra-violence.”
Haunt(2019)
It has been done many times before: A group of teenagers travels to find the most extreme “haunt.” Once they encounter thishaunted house, the night turns deadly. Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’sHauntis a fun modern take on this subgenre, and it is perfect for the spooky season. One: It takes place during the season in a haunted house, which can’t get more Halloween ready than that, and two: it has an apparent awareness of the “haunted attraction” films that came before it. It doesn’t completely change the genre, but it takes a new approach to it.
The haunted house, with its cheesy “fake” haunted house scares, dark and gloomy colors, along with the disorienting camera work makes the film effective. Each character has a rather upsetting backstory, with one, in particular, being a survivor of violence. In the end,Hauntuses an overused subgenre, revamps it, and uses it to delivers important messages on survivor resilience. Aside from this, it’s a movie about a haunted house, so it’s the perfect opportunity to watch in October. What are you waiting for?
