8 MOVIES TO WATCH THIS OCTOBER TO GET YOU IN THE AUTUMN/HALLOWEEN SPIRIT
As a self-proclaimed movie buff, I make it my business to bombard everyone I know with movie recommendations. Unfortunately, these relentless, unwanted suggestions become even more prevalent as the autumn nights begin to creep in and my cosy blankets prevent me from leaving my bed. October may be the perfect month to have a scary movie-fest, but it should also be spent watching homely, feel-good movies. Therefore, I have included a range from extraordinarily comforting to extremely distressing movies to set you up for the season. Without further ado, here are my top movie picks for autumn (in no particular order).
1. Fantastic Mr. Fox
Starting off strong and light-hearted with, arguably, the most aesthetically autumnal movie of all time, Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, directed by Wes Anderson. Although it may be a children’s movie, it’s the perfect choice to delve into the approaching season. No matter what age you are, you will fall in love with these crazy characters. George Clooney’s Mr. Fox is so charming and funny that he makes you forgive him for all the stress, trauma and criminal activities he makes his family endure. Anderson uses a colour scheme primarily made up of yellow, orange, and brown tones, which perfectly encapsulates autumn. This fictional world is one of vibrant weirdness. It’s so weird, in fact, that many of my friends were frightened by the stop-motion animation as children, so maybe I should have placed it in the horror category after all… Despite some people’s fear of the animation style, I would happily sell my soul to live in this movie, if I could. When the credits start rolling, I’m always saddened and disappointed by the lack of vibrant colours in the world around me, wishing I could crawl into my TV screen.
2. Little Women
Next, we have the movie that makes me want to drop out of university, hop on a plane, and settle down in the Massachusetts countryside. Like Anderson, Greta Gerwig uses an autumnal colour scheme in her adaptation of Little Women, through both cinematography and costume design. Although the movie is not restricted to one season, autumn certainly springs to mind as the main association with the movie atmosphere. The autumnal landscape is as captivating as the characters’ storylines themselves. This beautiful story of four sisters on vastly different paths in life will both break and warm your heart but, above all, will leave you inspired. And, more importantly, what could be better than Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet in a Greta Gerwig film?
3. When Harry Met Sally…
If you still haven’t watched When Harry Met Sally…, what are you doing with your life? It’s impossible to label yourself a romantic comedy-lover without appreciating the genius of Nora Ephron, the unquestionable queen of romantic comedies. Ephron creates many intelligent, relatable, and complex female characters in her movies and Sally Albright, played by Meg Ryan, is no exception. The movie follows the friendship between Sally and Harry throughout the course of 12 years (and 3 months) and poses the question of whether men and women can really be friends. The characters are so compellingly and amusingly written that you will easily fall for their charm and, not to mention, Meg Ryan’s many hairstyles.
4. Good Will Hunting
I’m embarrassed to admit that, up until recently, I hadn’t seen Good Will Hunting. Written by and starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, it’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching story of Will Hunter (Matt Damon), a genius in mathematics, and his troubled, misguided young life. In the autumnal city of Boston, Will is accepted into MIT under the condition that he receives treatment from therapist Sean Maguire (played by Robin Williams) for his recent criminal behaviour. There is not a single dull moment in this film. It is so brilliantly written, brilliantly cast and perfect to snuggle up to this October.
5. The Corpse Bride
Now moving on to the Halloween recommendations. Would it really be Halloween without a Tim Burton movie? The Corpse Bride is hands down my favourite of Burton’s work and, yes, this may be another children’s movie, but it completely encapsulates the essence of Halloween. The plot centres around Victor, voiced by Johnny Depp, who accidentally brings a corpse to life while he’s practising his wedding vows near her grave. If you’re not yet in the Halloween spirit, this film will help you fully embrace the season. Or, if you’re not a fan of scary movies but love Halloween, this animated musical fantasy is perfect for you.
6. The Others
Finally, we reach the horror movie recommendations. Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others is an astonishing gothic psychological horror that will help you get in the mood for Halloween. Grace, played by Nicole Kidman, moves into an eerie, mysterious mansion with her photosensitive children. As the movie progresses, she begins to believe her house is haunted. The psychological suspense in this movie will drive you to madness. I wish I could go into further detail regarding the plot, but my biggest pet peeve is movie spoilers. You’ll just have to trust my judgment that this is a must-watch movie for Halloween.
7. The Sixth Sense
If you enjoyed The Others and want more psychologically thrilling and mysterious movies, look no further than the master of tension himself, M. Night Shyamalan. Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense focuses on the story of a child psychologist, played by Bruce Willis, treating a young boy who claims to have encounters with dead people. This is a perfect movie for the Halloween season and, although I can’t say too much about it (because, again, I don’t want to give away any spoilers), I will say that the thought of it occasionally keeps me up at night.
8. 28 days Later
I’ve saved the best for last. One thing about me is that I will devour a zombie film and 28 Days Later is my personal favourite. Danny Boyle’s apocalyptic horror is so incredible that you would never guess it had a modest budget of $8 million and only took 9 weeks to shoot. The screenplay was partially inspired by John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids and the movie was also a crucial inspiration for the TV show The Walking Dead. The story follows Cillian Murphy as Jim, a man who wakes up alone in an abandoned hospital after spending a month in a coma; unbeknownst to him is the “rage” virus that has wreaked havoc on the country. The chilling, nail-biting scenes, accompanied by an adrenaline-inducing soundtrack, will keep you on the edge of your seat (or hiding behind a cushion) the entire time. From diseased apes to zombie priests, this is the perfect movie to scare yourself senseless into the Halloween spirit.
Edited by:
Sonja Stojiljkovic