Halloween is arguably one of the most fun and memorable times of the year. You can’t really be in the spooky spirit until you plop down on the couch and binge on some good old classics. Whether you stick to your usual favorites or settle in for a weekend marathon, grab your favorite people and bundle up for five of our favorite movies that just can’t help but scream Halloween.
- Scream
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“What’s your favorite scary movie?” That line marked the beginning of a new era for horror movies. This perfect 90s slasher film has become a cult classic decades after it hit theaters. The series has produced four sequels and a TV series (some good, some…not so much) but the original remains the best.
- Candyman
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Yes, that candy man. Candyman took on the subject of urban legends when they were gaining popularity, and it started its own legends. Can you really summon the Candyman by saying his name five times in a mirror? Revisit the 1992 horror classic, a movie that’s probably a lot better than you remember.
- Insidious
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What do you get when you mix malevolent spirits, suppressed childhood memories and a spine-chilling twist? A movie that’s widely considered to be one of the most effectively scary films of the past decade. Insidious was one of the films that kicked off the prestige horror resurgence in the 2010s. Really, is there anything more terrifying than a demon child?
- The Witch
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Set in colonial New England, this witch-fearing folklore will stick with you for days after the lights come on. It’s a slow-burn horror movie, light on shocks and heavy on unease. Robert Eggers’ first film uses actual historical accounts from the local Calvinists about their real superstitions to give them life. You’ll never look at goats the same way again.
- Friend Request
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The hashtag horror genre has been preying on our social media anxieties in recent films. This is no different. The film follows a young female college student and her friends trying to survive a supernatural force that follows them through the internet. Friend Request packs some fun scares and twists, but it’s a film best saved for a late-night Netflix binge.