Finding a perfect Halloween movie can be tough, especially when you’re looking for that perfect mix of fun and fear. The solution: campy horror movies that provide the proper balance of suspense, humour, and just enough gore to get you in the Halloween mood. Here are my top recs of campy horror to get you and your friends ready for Halloween.
- The Babysitter (2017)
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Plot: The Babysitter is 85 minutes of classic campy horror fun wrapped in the shiny packaging of a high-budget Netflix film. It kicks off in an idyllic little suburb, following the life of twelve-year old Cole Johnson as he navigates the tumultuous waters of middle school bullies and satanic rituals. His life takes a turn when his babysitter Bee -the kind, charismatic, girl next door- gets a little too comfortable at this babysitting gig and decides that is A-OK to partake in a satanic ritual involving the murders of several people, unfortunately including Cole himself.
Why you should watch it: The Babysitter is just a straight up fun movie. You know it’s not going to be overly complex. You know it’s not going to be overly scary. It has gruesome, ridiculous deaths from the start, and doesn’t worry about liberally killing off characters. It has a typical cat-and-mouse game setup, where you know the mouse is going to ultimately triumph, but the twists, turns, and literally killer one-liners are outrageous and fun enough to keep you interested. Definitely a modern so-bad-it’s-good horror classic.
- Little Evil (2017)
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Plot: Adam Scott plays newlywed Gary Blooms in this horror comedy, also created and released by Netflix. Gary has it set with his new family – a beautiful wife, beautiful house, and a beautiful child from his wives’ previous (and possibly occult) marriage. The only problem is that the child – Lucas – just might be the spawn of Satan himself. Even though all the creepy and unsettling possessed looks and actions could be coincidence, Gary has more than just a sneaking suspicion that Lucas may very well be the antichrist.
Why you should watch it: Little Evil is almost not even ironically good enough to be on this list (spoiler: it’s just straight up good), but the between the wild-card biblical prophecies, unbelievable yet totally incredible CGI imaginings of hell, and the tender realization that maybe not all children are inherently evil, it gets just campy enough to make this list. If you’re interested in watching the joys of fatherhood take shape as Gary develops a close and affectionate paternal bond with a demonically possessed step-child, this movie’s for you.
- Zombieland (2009)
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Plot: The title for this one is pretty intuitive—Zombieland sees Jessie Eisenberg, dubbed ‘Columbus,’ take on the zombie apocalypse first hand as mad-cow disease takes on a new life as mad-person disease and spurs the world into chaos. The only way to get by in this new world order? A road trip across America with an all-star cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin, all acting as similarly stationed survivors of the apocalypse headed to a Los Angeles amusement park.
Why you should watch it: Zombieland is a well-done, preposterous case study of one groups foray into a life worth living during the zombie apocalypse. The whole movie is peppered with Jessie Eisenberg’s voice recanting his character’s internal monologue; Emma Stone has a shotgun and isn’t afraid to use it; Woody Harrelson mows down crowds of hungry zombie when they get between him and Twinkies. Middle fingers are always up, grotesque zombies are always present, and methods of zombie annihilation include death by: banjo, roller coaster, garden sheers. If you’re into zombie horrors but don’t want to get too deep into the hopelessness that is often characteristic of the genre this Halloween, Zombieland is a sure hit.
- Murder Party (2007)
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Plot: A lonely man by the name of Christopher receives a mysterious invitation to a Halloween ‘Murder Party’. He gets quite excited and grabs some pumpkin bread, puts on his best cardboard knight costume and goes, only to find out that it is unfortunately a literal murder party put on by very, very motivated film grad students. Chaos, drug consumption, and graphic deaths ensue.
Why you should watch it: Murder Party has deadpan dialogue and the type of acting you can only get from a low-budget indie horror production. The grad students are desperate enough to kill for grant money, yet stupid enough for their murder attempts to be constantly hindered by the length of the chainsaw’s power cord. The characters are hilarious, with the heroic Christopher staying in his handcrafted cardboard-knight suit while he slyly ducks and dodges the murderous impulses of coked-up film majors. Bonus: Spontaneous combustion included.
- Jennifer’s Body (2009)
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Plot: Megan Fox is the popular girl. Amanda Seyfried is her best friend who is in Sapphic love with her, but the girls are just best friends for now. When Megan Fox is possessed and becomes a succubus, she goes on a tear through the male section of her high-school class, disembowelling and devouring at will.
Why you should watch it: There’s something satisfying about watching adult Megan Fox playing a teen succubus going on a murder spree. The interplay between the precarious navigation of high-school relationships and accidental demonic possession make for a fun movie for the whole crew. Not only does this film explore the complex relationships of teenage girls, it does so with the background aesthetic of peak 2000’s style—if you haven’t seen Megan Fox disembowel a man while rocking low-rise jeans, it is never too late to give it a try. Especially when it’s just in time for Halloween.
Honourable mentions: Slumber Party Massacre, Scream, and The Cabin in the Woods.