With October arriving and leaves beginning to fall, the spooky season is coming sooner than expected. Here are five movies that are a must-watch for the month of October and are guaranteed to put you in the Halloween mood.
The Conjuring Universe
Watch on: Hulu and HBO Max
My all-time favorite horror movies ever have come from this iconic universe. Not only are these movies guaranteed to make you turn all the lights on in your home, but they also include the most iconic duo, Ed and Lorraine Warren. I want to emphasize the second movie in particular being my favorite out of the series. “The Conjuring 2” follows the Hodgson family in northern London who start experiencing poltergeist activity and demonic possession in one of their daughters. The Warrens hear of this case and decide to help the family, only to discover that this is not just any ordinary ghost haunting this family. A demonic entity is destroying this family and starts to torment the Warrens as well. This movie showcases all of the great things a true horror movie should have: good characters, a good villain and excellent jump scares. This movie is a perfect watch for a late-night scare with your friends, and you can’t complain about seeing Patrick Wilson on your screen. This movie really has it all!
Veronica
Watch on: Netflix
This Spanish movie is easily one of the scariest movies I have ever seen and it made me have to watch about 10 episodes of “Friends” before I could go to bed. “Veronica” is a story about a group of three girls who did a Ouija board seance during a solar eclipse, which opened up a paranormal door and released a demonic entity into their lives. One of the girls, Veronica, started experiencing signs of being possessed and started haunting her entire family. This movie is so haunting and disturbing to watch. This movie has some of the best jump scares in any horror movie I have seen. Grab some friends and a blanket to hide behind and prepare yourself for some jumpscares.
The Strangers
Watch on: Amazon Prime
This movie is taking a step away from demonic horror and showcasing more serial killer horror. “The Strangers” is about a group of friends expecting a quiet, peaceful getaway when three masked people show up and begin torturing them for their own enjoyment. While I would not say this is the scariest movie I have seen, this movie definitely made me rethink a cabin getaway and to double-check that my doors are locked. If blood and gore is not your thing, I would skip this movie!
The Black Phone
Watch on: Hulu and Peacock
This movie is one that I went to the theater to watch and immediately knew it would be one of my favorite horror movies. This movie follows a boy named Finney who gets taken by a serial killer, known as “The Grabber,” who torments their small town. While being abducted, a black phone is seen on the wall of the basement of his abductor’s home and it starts to ring. On the other line, past victims of The Grabber try to help Finney escape and not end up like all of the other children who were taken. This movie has all of the aspects of a great movie in general, an iconic premise and cast. Mason Thames stars as Finney, so that was the main reason I watched in the first place. This movie is seriously one of my favorites and should be on everyone’s must-watch list.
Seven
Watch on: Hulu and HBO Max
While I would consider this a horror movie, others would argue that this is more of a psychological thriller. The movie ends in a shocking twist and has a phenomenal cast, including Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. This movie is about a psycho serial killer murdering people based on the seven deadly sins. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt play the detectives assigned to this case. The serial killer starts to slowly get too close and personal to the detectives, leaving them wanting to get this case solved and fast. This movie is an iconic staple to everyone’s spooky watch list and leaves you with your jaw on the floor.
All of these movies are iconic for this upcoming spooky season and will definitely put you in the Halloween spirit. So, whether you are at home alone (which I do not recommend), with friends or with a significant other, grab some popcorn, maybe with a lid so you don’t spill after each jumpscare, a blanket to hide behind and a hand to hold to get ready for a great scare.
