Know all the words to the classics? Bored with Hollywood’s dependence on jump scares and otherwise tired plots? Just need something new to watch while you curl up under your blankets? These six movies are the perfect alternatives for all your Halloween viewing needs.
Photo courtesy of IndieWire
What We Do in the Shadows
“What are we? Werewolves not swearwolves.”
If you’re in the mood for comedy this Halloween, this is the movie for you. What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary about a group of vampires of all different varieties sharing a flat together in New Zealand, giving us a fresh spin on typical genre conventions. A smart, witty film, it deconstructs and de-romanticizes the classic mythology of vampires to a hilarious effect.
Photo courtesy of Variety
The Witch
“Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?”
Suspenseful and gloomy, The Witch is a heavily atmospheric telling of a colonial New England folk-tale. Forced into isolation, a Puritan family must adapt to their new lives on their own, living in claustrophobic conditions and bordered by mystifying woods. The skin-crawling imagery was disturbing—at least from what I could see, face hidden behind my fingers.
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It Follows
“It doesn’t think. It doesn’t feel. It doesn’t give up.”
Riding the wave of 80’s nostalgia, It Follows manages to be a retro, yet futuristic horror film. The “it” in It Follows is a sexually-transmitted curse that manifests itself as ordinary people and slowly walks towards you, an image that is much scarier than it sounds. With a striking synth score, beautiful cinematography and a novel plot, It Follows provides both haunt and delight.
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It Comes At Night
“You can’t trust anyone but this family.”
It Comes At Night knows the audience wants nothing more than a reveal of what’s lingering just on the other side of that scarlet door, but it refuses to give us the satisfaction. Instead, we’re encouraged to ignore the apocalyptic outdoors and focus on the real monster that lives within the house: human desperation and paranoia. The film’s suspense derives from its somber mood and creeping camera movements, making the chaotic ending all the more impactful.
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Crimson Peak
“Ghosts are real, that much I know.”
Crimson Peak has all the elements and aesthetics of a classic gothic romance: an old dilapidated mansion, a woman wandering through its halls in a dress gown and a candelabra and crimson clay oozing up from the ground like blood. The gorgeous costume and set design are the film’s strong point, helping to create an eerie, hypnotic mood.
Photo courtesy of Variety
The Lure
“We won’t eat you, my dear.”
When I first described this movie to a friend, she accused me of sounding like a random word generator, and it’s an understandable reaction; The Lure combines genres and transcends norms. A Polish horror musical about man-eating mermaids equipped with both lavish musical numbers and gruesome gore, the movie gives us a sultry modern reimagining of sirens, drawing victims in with their flashy cabaret performances.