As the weather gets colder and Halloween approaches, I find myself wanting to curl up in my bed and watch some scary movies before the holiday arrives. Here are six of my favorite movies that you should watch this season to get you in the mood for Halloween.
Halloween (1978)
Unsurprisingly, the movie named after the holiday is a great film to watch to get you in the Halloween spirit. Halloween has become one of the most popular slasher films of all time, and even set the template for many future horror films. It is definitely a must watch this season.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Silence of the Lambs is a classic psychological horror film that shows what it is like for Clarice, a young FBI agent in training, to work in a male dominated field. In the movie, she hunts for a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill with the help of an incarcerated cannibal, Hannibal Lector. This movie is filled with suspense and a great horror movie to watch this October season
Scream (1996)
Scream is one of my favorite slasher movies to watch during October. It follows a teenage girl named Sidney who is being tormented by a mysterious killer known as “Ghostface”. What makes this movie so great is that it is self aware of the many tropes in horror movies and pokes fun at them throughout the film.
Coraline (2009)
Although at first glance Coraline may seem like many other animated children’s movies, it actually has a very dark storyline. It follows a girl who moves into a new house and finds another world behind a secret door. Here, she finds what she believes to be her perfect family, but soon realizes they are not as perfect as they seem. This movie is great for anybody who wants to get in the Halloween spirit but doesn’t want to commit to watching a traditional “horror movie”.
Get Out (2017)
If you would rather watch a more recent horror film, Get Out is one of my favorites. Not only is it full of suspense and unexpected twists, but the movie also explores themes of racism and the experience of being a black man living in America. If you’re looking for something that’s not the traditional slasher movie, this is a great option.
Midsommar (2019)
On the surface, Midsommar doesn’t seem like a traditional scary movie: it follows a group of friends at a Swedish festival and takes place almost completely during the day. However, that does not make it any less disturbing. Watching the group slowly get more and more involved in a Swedish cult makes this a great creepy movie to watch during the Halloween season.
Although we may not be able to celebrate Halloween how we usually would due to the pandemic, that shouldn’t stop us from getting in the spirit of the holiday. If you have free time, turn on one of these incredible movies and get ready to be scared!